InfraGard?
It seems we get a new word introduced into the language every few minutes. I ran across this one today following a link from Matt Savinar's Peak Oil news page. It was an article talking about a public/private cooperation in times of crisis and emergency. Seems we have a whole lot of that going on these days. Spawned during the Bush years, Infraguard appears to be an organization encompassing some 30,000 US businesses that cooperate with NORTHCOM to do exactly what their name implies--guard critical infrastructure.
In October, 2006 they participated in a conference entitled "Surviving the Pandemic." In January of 2007 they issued a press release that stated: "The InfraGard National Members Alliance (INMA) is pleased to announce January and February as Pandemic Awareness Months." Pleased to announce??? At that time it was the Avian flu threat that was on everyone's lips, but I checked their web site and find them to be completely mute on this latest swine flu outbreak, and not a single event has been scheduled on their calendar for 2009. Their latest newsletter, back in Sept of 2008, mentioned a "Security Dreamer" conference where some of the subject matter was about heady subjects like "access control," (all about getting past locked doors), and new video surveillance architecture--the kind of thing that would make Orwell turn in his grave. Their active forum has no recent entries so the group my be winding down.
Is it just me or does it seem a tad unsettling that this group is so dedicated to one thing in a time of national emergency--protecting infrastructure from...why from the people, of course, the citizens of the United States. Who else?
In October, 2006 they participated in a conference entitled "Surviving the Pandemic." In January of 2007 they issued a press release that stated: "The InfraGard National Members Alliance (INMA) is pleased to announce January and February as Pandemic Awareness Months." Pleased to announce??? At that time it was the Avian flu threat that was on everyone's lips, but I checked their web site and find them to be completely mute on this latest swine flu outbreak, and not a single event has been scheduled on their calendar for 2009. Their latest newsletter, back in Sept of 2008, mentioned a "Security Dreamer" conference where some of the subject matter was about heady subjects like "access control," (all about getting past locked doors), and new video surveillance architecture--the kind of thing that would make Orwell turn in his grave. Their active forum has no recent entries so the group my be winding down.
Is it just me or does it seem a tad unsettling that this group is so dedicated to one thing in a time of national emergency--protecting infrastructure from...why from the people, of course, the citizens of the United States. Who else?
