In 2013, intelligence contractor Edward Snowden released a series of classified documents from the National Security Administration (NSA) to the Guardian, who exposed it to the public. These documents detailed the level of access the agency had to someone’s communications both online and over the phone. Initial outrage has transitioned into continued suspicion and skepticism, leaving people to wonder if our society has quietly transitioned into the authoritarian state that was the setting for the classic novel 1984. I don’t believe our society is anywhere close to resembling that of Winston Smith’s world, and I blame a misunderstanding of the government programs for this common comparison.
Monday, August 1, 2016
Is Big Brother watching?
In 2013, intelligence contractor Edward Snowden released a series of classified documents from the National Security Administration (NSA) to the Guardian, who exposed it to the public. These documents detailed the level of access the agency had to someone’s communications both online and over the phone. Initial outrage has transitioned into continued suspicion and skepticism, leaving people to wonder if our society has quietly transitioned into the authoritarian state that was the setting for the classic novel 1984. I don’t believe our society is anywhere close to resembling that of Winston Smith’s world, and I blame a misunderstanding of the government programs for this common comparison.
Sunday, July 31, 2016
Big Brother is Watching Us – But We are Watching Back.
Another student post about whether we are living in Orwell's 1984.
Sitting in the idyllic, countryside surroundings of Cambridge, England, it’s easy to feel like I have been thrown into another time. I am aware of and grateful for the luxury of focusing on a specific topic, diving deeply into the background and context to seek understanding and hopefully, someday, a solution. The topic is counter-terrorism, which is in stark contrast to the rolling green hills, walking paths of this university environment.
But a closer look reveals the ugly truths of modern day life where cameras are hidden in plain sight, monitoring our every move. Like most people, I try not to think too much about who might really be watching, and why. To do so would surely incite conspiracy theories and a compulsion to line the windows with tin foil. But the cameras are there, and suddenly it seems that possibly 1984 is here as well.
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| Available to purchase through amazon.com |
Sitting in the idyllic, countryside surroundings of Cambridge, England, it’s easy to feel like I have been thrown into another time. I am aware of and grateful for the luxury of focusing on a specific topic, diving deeply into the background and context to seek understanding and hopefully, someday, a solution. The topic is counter-terrorism, which is in stark contrast to the rolling green hills, walking paths of this university environment.
But a closer look reveals the ugly truths of modern day life where cameras are hidden in plain sight, monitoring our every move. Like most people, I try not to think too much about who might really be watching, and why. To do so would surely incite conspiracy theories and a compulsion to line the windows with tin foil. But the cameras are there, and suddenly it seems that possibly 1984 is here as well.
Saturday, July 30, 2016
The British Being British
While in Cambridge, we had a contest with the students to find the best picture of "The British being British." Below are some of the entries:
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| British tea time |
1984? More Like 2016
Another sample of student writing. This time, students were asked to write on the blog prompt: "Are we now living in Orwell's 1984?" Given that we were in the UK, a country that has roughly 20% of the world's CCTV cameras and invented the TV show Big Brother, this question seemed rather appropriate.
Have you ever had a person in a trench coat secretly follow you everywhere you go, listening to every conversation you’ve ever had, peeking over your shoulder every time you look at your phone, while staring at you the whole time, unblinking? If so, then you have some more critical things to do than read this blog post. If not, then you’re probably thinking something along the lines of,
This type of surveillance
behavior is similar to that conducted by Big Brother: a government in the chilling world
of George Orwell’s 1984. Even more
chilling – it’s the behavior that can be found today, in the United States.
Have you ever had a person in a trench coat secretly follow you everywhere you go, listening to every conversation you’ve ever had, peeking over your shoulder every time you look at your phone, while staring at you the whole time, unblinking? If so, then you have some more critical things to do than read this blog post. If not, then you’re probably thinking something along the lines of,
"No way. That’s a gross invasion of my privacy. This is the whole reason I moved out of my parents’ house. Why would someone need to know which fungal cream my cat uses?”
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David Farley (2006) [Cartoon], Retrieved from https://www.schneier.com/blog/archives/2006/06/cartoon_nsa_sur.html |
Friday, July 29, 2016
Books in a Row
Well, if the front of the building has a bunch of pillars that look like books, and those books move independently, AND those books are out of order (see photo to the right)?
Thursday, July 28, 2016
The Next Chapter in the Idiot’s Guide to a Successful Counterinsurgency Campaign
While the class may officially be over, we have a backlog of great pictures and student-written posts that we will be looking to share over the next few weeks. For instance, here is a post, written by one of the students, for the assignment "write a chapter for the book The Idiot's Guide to a Successful Counterinsurgency Campaign."
Chapter 3:
Get a Map
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| Image from http://www.idiotsguides.com/ |
Chapter 3:
Get a Map
Here’s a hint: if you want to conquer your enemies
and win your campaign, you need to know the lay of the land.
This is helpful
in any battle-like situation, from being able to hide the remote in the couch
when someone tries to steal it to running after your dog when he escapes. This is especially useful, however, on the
battlefield. The ability to know, and
use, the land(scape) has won and lost wars.
Monday, July 11, 2016
Cowboys for Cambridge United
Wednesday, July 6, 2016
Counterinsurgency for Dummies: Or How NOT To Win A Guerilla War
A new write-up from the students! The blog prompt this time:
We think the student who wrote the post below perfectly captured this theme!
Help write the Idiot's Guide to a Successful Counterinsurgency Campaign.
List one tip, then give us an example of a successful (or mostly
successful) operation that did it right, and an example of where an operation
went wrong in regards to this tip.
We think the student who wrote the post below perfectly captured this theme!
Congratulations! You’ve found an excerpt from Counterinsurgency for Dummies! Read on to learn more.
Shout out to the Henry Bellmon Office of Scholar Development and Undergraduate Research ...Facebook page
Can't get enough pictures of us? Go to https://www.facebook.com/ScholarDevelopment/ to view more.
Cowboy Strategy
Yesterday we ran some security/counterterrorism simulations, and the students did some great work in their strategy discussions.
We had two simulations for them to explore:
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| Students in their planning session |
We had two simulations for them to explore:
Tuesday, July 5, 2016
What the British could have done differently to win the American Revolution
Another post on the question of how the British should have altered their tactics for the American Revolution. You might notice that both students listed propaganda/media relations as important to a successful counterinsurgency campaign; in fact, ALL students who wrote on this topic mentioned this issue!
It's an odd experience for an American to write about how the English could have won the American revolution from England on the 4th of July, but I still managed to find a few things England could have done differently to win the war, one early on and one late. The first is control of Colonial propaganda and the second is supply chains (or lack there of) to the British forces.
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| Image credit: "Happy Treason Day" by Before It's News |
It's an odd experience for an American to write about how the English could have won the American revolution from England on the 4th of July, but I still managed to find a few things England could have done differently to win the war, one early on and one late. The first is control of Colonial propaganda and the second is supply chains (or lack there of) to the British forces.
‘Merica, or Nah? An Exploration of Unpatriotic “What Ifs”
Below is the first of the class response papers written by our students about what they have learned about British Counterinsurgency. Today's writing prompt:
As a red-blooded American, there are few things I hold as sacred as Independence Day, the anniversary of the Greatest Divorce Paper of all time. Today is rather ironic for me, as this year I am celebrating July Fourth in the Mother Country of England while studying abroad. So, there is no better way to continue this theme than by playing devil’s advocate and brainstorming just what the British Empire could have done to retain the American Colonies back in 1775-1783. I believe the two main changes the British should have made to keep the colony were:
What should the British have done differently in order to win the American Revolution? Focus on 2 things.Enjoy!
As a red-blooded American, there are few things I hold as sacred as Independence Day, the anniversary of the Greatest Divorce Paper of all time. Today is rather ironic for me, as this year I am celebrating July Fourth in the Mother Country of England while studying abroad. So, there is no better way to continue this theme than by playing devil’s advocate and brainstorming just what the British Empire could have done to retain the American Colonies back in 1775-1783. I believe the two main changes the British should have made to keep the colony were:
- Run a strong propaganda campaign to generate greater public support for the war within Great Britain.
- Choose stronger leadership and promote better communication between British officials coordinating the war efforts.
Monday, July 4, 2016
Welcome to Cambridge!
The 2016 "Cowboys in Cambridge" class begins today! This year's class: "Counterinsurgency and Counterterrorism: The British Experience."
You'll be hearing more from us soon, but in the meantime, here's a beautiful picture of Cambridge.
You'll be hearing more from us soon, but in the meantime, here's a beautiful picture of Cambridge.
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