Boyd Yah
Also want to echo John, Isaac, Mark, Dan, and everyone else in stating how cool it was to meet everyone f2f. Very snazzy group of people to be in touch with.
Travel Blah
Was supposed to be in Austin at 2300 last night. Got in at 1400 this afternoon. Series of snafus and general airline incompetence resulted in an extra night in DC on my dime.
Off To Quantico
Get in this evening, staying at the Days Inn in Dumfries. 512-633-5679 if anyone wants a meal.
Looking forward to meeting everyone.
Barnett Reflects The Dark Side
Heh.
I also like the idea of eschewing the war of ideas and focusing more on creating economic facts on the ground–slow and steady–while al Qaeda gets all caught up in illusory “victories.”
On Private/Public Intelligence
The line between the two continues to blur. WP has an article detailing the 50% stake that private companies have in the National Clandestine Service. (A chunk that is worth $42 billion.)
The real question is whether these outside players are bringing skills, experience, and ideas to the table – or, as is likely given the bottlenecking effect of the archaic security clearance system, if they are just rebranded former USG employees.