We’re all going on a summer holiday 
Unless something very unexpected happens, I’m signing off my computer and Davos Newbies for the entire month of August. You can see above where I’ll be through the month: first during three weeks of family holidays, then off to a conference in Australia. Should be wonderful.
Regular service will resume in September.
Krugman is completely on target in his analysis of media coverage of politics: “Somewhere along the line, TV news stopped reporting on candidates’ policies, and turned instead to trivia that supposedly reveal their personalities. We hear about Mr. Kerry’s haircuts, not his health care proposals. We hear about George Bush’s brush-cutting, not his environmental policies.”
Dave Winer passes this titbit on from Daily Kos, about delegates taking passes out of the Fleet Center and coming in with a new crowd of people.
Here’s Channel 4’s John Snow on it in his daily Snowmail:
| Must mention the security here, impressive perimeter stuff, good searching, magnetometers etc. But completely blown by the personal passes that allow you in here. No individual identification whatever. The passes are passed about like confetti. I’ve even seen people trading them for tickets to various events like James Taylor at the Boston Pops. In other words no one in the world knows exactly who everyone in this place is. Easy prey for anyone who wished the event ill. Post 9/11 America could still learn so much from the Brits and their protective methodology against the IRA. |
Even 12 years ago, no one got into the conference centre in Davos without a photo pass that was scrutinised by the guards. Get with the programme America.
Lance said:
“Even 12 years ago, no one got into the conference centre in Davos without a photo pass that was scrutinized by the guards. Get with the programme America.”
The best advice I have is to always be prepared to act for your own behalf. Not to count on someone else for your protection, but to keep your guard up and ready to defend yourself in the age of terror.
There have been enough victims, many dead and seriously wounded who relied upon others to exercise some perceived security and they paid an awful price for that belief.
For those that observe security lapses be sure to tell someone in authority at the location and at the time you discover it. Don’t just report such security omissions on blogs after the fact.
Don