GooTube

Everyone and their brother posted on Google buying YouTube.

To me it's a demonstration of the power of the consumer side of the internet.

The $1.65B selling price, all based on "Hey dude, look at this!"

And we ain't seen nothing yet. Imagine a DIGG clone that your Mom would use. One that wasn't just for 20-something Mac, Linux, left-wing geeks (god love 'em). One that wasn't the slowest site on the internet.

It would be huge. 20x the size of Digg.

That's gonna happen. And yes, it will be full of crap, but hey, to paraphrase Gecko:

The point is, ladies and gentleman, that crap -- for lack of a better word -- is good.

Crap is right.

Crap works.

Crap clarifies, cuts through, and captures the essence of the evolutionary spirit.

And crap -- you mark my words -- will not only save Google Paper, but that other malfunctioning corporation called Web 2.0.

Transformitive Power of Democracy

Captain's Quarters sums it up much better than I could:

Democracy sets in motion a series of events that allow people to take pride in themselves and responsibility for their actions. It transforms people from powerless, rage-filled potential terrorists to involved citizens who can and will build better futures for themselves.

The CQ article als has the links to the WaPo article, and the story of an Iraqi hero who saved lives when he tackled a suicide bomber.

Riveting

Thanks to a blog publishing a personal letter, the hairs on my neck stood up as I read what it's like to survive a car-bomb.

The smoke and confusion clear—not necessarily in that order. Then something strange happens, and it may have to do with the divine luck of non-casualty. You’re alive, others are alive, and the bad guys failed. More powerful than fear, your blood pumps with the joyousness of survival.

Swarm Warfare

Interesting post on the "swarm" tactics of terrorists. Finishes with a very salient point about the world's population trends vis-a-vis religion.

... the National Intelligence Council pointed out that as aging secular centers of Europe continue into eclipse, the world ratio of believers to nonbelievers will begin to shift dramatically in favor of Christians and Muslims in the Third World. God, who Marx confidently predicted would soon be out of business, has turned the tables on him.

Guess what religion will be growing much larger in China and Nigeria? Perhaps not the one you think.

Economy rolling in the mideast

Apparently, 2004 was a good year for the stock markets in the Mideast. This interesting summary of ecomonic performance presents an optimistic picture of economies climbing. Also interesting is the decades-long problems of income growth in the Arab countries:

The per capita income in Arab countries grew at an annual rate of 0.5% over the past two decades--less than half the global average. Despite vast natural resources, a good educational system, adequate skilled labor and plenty of capital, which has largely been exported from the region, the standard of living in the Arab East has declined relative to the rest of the world. With very high birthrates, the region's labor force is increasing by over 3% a year--the fastest rate in the world.

With 80 million people living in poverty and 15% to 20% unemployment rates, the urgency of economic growth and job creation to absorb the growing labor force is vital.

Good news

A summary backed up with links of some things you may not realize.

• America’s kids are less violent.
• America is healthier.
• America is cleaner.
• The world is less violent.
• The world is freer.
• The world is less poor.
• The world is healthier.
• The world is getting cleaner.

Check out the article - written by a blogger - which uses the cool technique of providing a link to search results to back up its main points.

Demographics of Terrorists

A psychologist looks at the backgrounds of 400 known terrorists. The demographics may surprise you, or maybe not, since many are the leaders at the top of the hierarchy.

Al Qaeda’s members are not the Palestinian fourteen-year- olds we see on the news, but join the jihad at the average age of 26. Three-quarters were professionals or semi- professionals. They are engineers, architects, and civil engineers, mostly scientists. Very few humanities are represented, and quite surprisingly very few had any background in religion. The natural sciences predominate. Bin Laden himself is a civil engineer, Zawahiri is a physician, Mohammed Atta was, of course, an architect; and a few members are military, such as Mohammed Ibrahim Makawi, who is supposedly the head of the military committee.

His data on their backgrounds helps shed some light on how social networks sustain terror, and how the United States has avoided terror attacks since 2001.

In order to really sustain your motivation to do terrorism, you need the reinforcement of group dynamics. You need reinforcement from your family, your friends. This social movement was dependent on volunteers, and there are huge gaps worldwide on those volunteers. One of the gaps is the United States. This is one of two reasons we have not had a major terrorist operation in the United States since 9/11. The other is that we are far more vigilant. We have actually made coming to the U.S. far more difficult for potential terrorists since 2001.

He ends with a warning about networks, and how they are more difficult to combat.

So in 2004, Al Qaeda has new leadership. In a way today’s operatives are far more aggressive and senseless than the earlier leaders. The whole network is held together by the vision of creating the Salafi state. A fuzzy, idea-based network really requires an idea-based solution. The war of ideas is very important and this is one we haven’t really started to engage yet.

I would suggest, however that our ideavirus™ is freedom in Arabic countries, and is a viable alternative to the Salafists fascist revolutionary vision.

The Central Issue of Iraq

Belmont Club nails it:

The central issue in Iraq is whether an Arab people can win their freedom in despite of the worst efforts of tyrannical and terrorist regimes to prevent it.

A Model of the UN

Here's an interesting model for understanding the UN.

Once it is understood that the United Nations is a trade association for the promotion of executive authority, its behavior becomes almost rational. The trade association extends professional courtesy to its members -- its cardinal rule is not to step on the toes of another executive.

The doings of trade associations are not usually beneficial to non-members, obviously.

Signs of Progress

Captain's Quarters adds a lot of good analysis to a Washington Post article on Al Qaeda's strategy Saudi Arabia - deeming that it shows "AQ In Decline In Saudi Arabia".

Osama Changing Tactics

Osama bin Laden's voice is getting a bit more desperate. In the past, he hasn't advocated attacking Saudi oil interests, ostensibly because that oil is something that would be restored to it's rightful owners if his revolution for the KSA succeeded. Apparently, with threats of more democratic reforms coming from other Saudi reformers, he's changed his mind.

A recording said to be by Osama bin Laden has called for the overthrow of Saudi Arabia's royal family and urged militant jihadists to attack oil installations in Iraq and the Gulf.

It's very interesting to use Google news and see how different papers headline this latest diatribe from Bin Laden. Here are some samples:

• Boston Globe: "Bin Laden urges peaceful overthrow of Saudi monarchy"


• Globe and Mail (Toronto): "New videotape by bin Laden warns Saudis of coming revolt"


• NY Post: "OSAMA SPEWS NEW TAPE HATE"


• Reuters: "Bin Laden Urges Fighters to Strike Oil Facilities"


• Detroit Free-Press: "Terrorist message targets US-Saudi connections"


• Xinhua, China: "Bin Laden" tape slams Saudi govt"

Reading from several interpretations of the transcript, one sees an extremist policy wonk who getting a bit frustrated, I think.

How Elections Work in Egypt

In case you aren't up on the machinations of the Egyptian election process, it goes like this:

1. Hosni Mubarak wins.

However, some rather brave Egyptians are protesting the process. Do they think he's being too friendly with Israel lately?