brettbum's Stuff

It has not been commented on very much, but terrorists groups in the Middle East have expanded their concept of total warfare to include journalists of foreign countries. They have created a line in the sand demarking all outsiders as against their cause. This includes news organizations and at times relief workers. From a battle field perspective they are waging a media or marketing campaign and any news organization that does not propogate their cause in their preferred manner is a potential enemy. In attacking the media they get more attention and from their perspective their cause is furthered. They get more media due to the capture and they further insight their opposition to truly become more antagonized and fight them all the more. They want to pull the greater powers of the world into a fight against them so that they can show their localized people that the world is against them. They are creating a self fulfilling prophecy by antagonizing the world into bullying them.

Medicare sent out $50 m in eronious refunds to medicare patients telling them in a letter they would no longer have medicare premiums deducted from their Social Security. Terrible thing to put retirees through . . .