Posted on 06/27/2009 5:13:15 AM PDT by SolidWood
Reportedly, Senator John McCain wants Predators to provide with uncensored Wi-Fi coverage to the people of Iran. I don't know if this is even technically possible, but its so preposterous and fantastically cool that I love the idea:
"During the Cold War, we provided the Polish people and dissidents with printing presses. Twitter, Facebook, and YouTube are the modern-day printing presses. They are the way to spread information and keep the hope of freedom alive amongst the Iranian people."
Of course, the Predators—or whatever other method—could be taken down with missiles or fighter planes, but the basic idea is spot on: Give everyone free access to information at any cost.
Free dissemination of information is one of the keys to the independence and freedom of citizens everywhere. Actually, I wish there was some kind of global Wi-Fi system—one that will allow any citizen in the world to access information freely, without intervention of dictators and authoritarian figures in China, North Korea, Iran, or Cuba.
Maybe some crazy nerds with loads of money could work on something like that. You know, like Paul Allen putting a buttload of money, Steve Wozniak leading a new space-based Wi-Fi hardware standard, and John Carmack providing with cheap rockets to launch satellites. [AFP]
(Excerpt) Read more at gizmodo.com ...
Let's indirectly provide our enemies with all the information on the flight and telemetry capabilities of the predators.
The man must have Alzheimers.
Quelle dorque!
Cheers!
I can name somebody else in the US government, alas, who doesn’t want the Iranians to get anywhere near the Internet.
He’s happy now that the regime has essentially locked down the country and you can’t hear those pesky Iranian citizens anymore.
Matter of factly McCain didn’t say we should use Predators. He said ‘They are the way to spread information’.
The interpretation about predators seems to be from the Gizmodo.com author. Note that this is filed under weird stuff lol.
I wonder though whether it would technically be feasible.
2nd, would not the wi-fi be a signal to home in on and blow out of the sky?
IMHO he might have been better off doing this quietly, the cat is out of the bag, not a way to sneak up and reek havoc on despots.
I’m sure we are not too far away from the day when data service will be provided by satellites, ensuring global coverage for voice, data and video for every human that wants it.
Satellite phones are just the beginning.
There's probably better ways to skin this particular cat, but the idea of finding a way to provide internet access to people when their government shuts it off could be a real game changer in the 21st century.
So he doesn't know the technical end--so what? 99% of us AND the Congress doesn't know how things work. Not their job.
He's floating the idea to get the GOP to be seen as on the side of the Iranian people, against the do-nothing, say-nothing Obama.
This is a good thing. It gets the ball rolling, and we should be talking about it as one way to show the party has some damned energy instead of us all just sitting around bitchin about Obama.
possible ping
I’m not sure whether to tell McCain he’s nuts or pat him on the back on this one. But it’s an interesting idea nonetheless.
So the headline (not yours, I’m sure) bears false witness.
I don’t know the technical hurdles involved here, but the idea does intrigue me.
Wow, what a convoluted mess. Fake headline in a blog misquoting an AFP story printed in yet another linked blog.
Can’t find the direct AFP link but here a direct link to the second blog with the whole story. Nothing about predators. Not a thing. Geez.
http://rawstory.com/news/afp/US_Senators_vow_help_for_Iran_dissi_06252009.html
Normally I am opposed to excerpting a blog. This idiot should have been excised, not excerpted.
I think he basically has the right idea that word needs to get out to all Iranians in order for them to be more organized, including people in more rural areas. The opposition needs to use audio and CD’s, DVD’s, whatever.
Keep the regime looking up for what it is they are looking for while in reality it is right under their noses. Excellent misdirection play.
That is the best idea I have ever heard from McCain.
How would someone being able to use their wi-fi, access any of that information you mentioned. All they would know, is that there is an access point available. It would be completely separate from anything having to do with the aircraft. Of course they would know where it’s at, they would have a signal, but that wouldn’t matter.
Once the location is known, you can put up a live trailer or monitor the transmissions to find speed, time of flight, duration, etc.
As well as following back to the launch points.
Cheers!
There are a few companies developing drones specifically designed to fly at high altitude and provide Internet access to sparsely populated areas, but I wasn't able to find a URL quickly and I'm not aware of anyone that has actually deployed it.
But, the concept has been around for quite a while -- it's not an original thought.
OTOH, we should increase Voice of America type transmissions into Iran from Iraq or elsewhere and, if I were President, start smuggling in weapons to selected groups. Not going to happen with Barak (AKA Rodney King) Obama as President.
Its anything goes these days. Any crazy idea, ridiculous or even technically infeasible plan is worth spending billions of dollars on.
You don’t believe that information isn’t already known. None of that flight info is considered classified. What’s classified, is the data that is transmitted back.
Stupid idea....it would be so easy to jam a high school kid could do it.....
To accomplish a mission.
Location isn’t a factor because if someone has a signal, then they know it’s near anyway. All that other data, is insignificant. If the aircraft is just used for this purpose, then even shooting it down wouldn’t matter, because all they would get, is some commercial wi-fi equip. If someone wante to jam it, then they do. All that would need to be done, would be to change the aircraft location, and the jammer would be out of range. It’s not like any critical intel would be lost, just peoples connections.
No, he has always been stupid.
Which could then be used to devise counters for those Predators carrying (say) Hellfire missiles, or those "loitering" in theatre for long periods of time.
Cheers!
I believe that information is already out there. I would imagine they would use the older, more expendable aircraft for a mission like this.
As bad and fraudlent of a president Barry is one can only imagine what kind of Hell on Earth we in America would have if McCain were to be President.
McStooge is without a doubt clueless about any topic that affects the Well Being of American citizens.
Get the HOOK and Get that Clown off the stage......NOW!
If were up to me though I would set up something similar to the OSS to support pro democracy/anti islamic movements wordwide
they invented things like a printing press that would fit in a suitcase,as well as explosives that looked like flour or dog crap and other nasty surprises
I don’t think he’s going away anytime soon.
We have been treating them with kids gloves for way too long.We still owe them some payback for the our troops they have killed in terror attacks they sponsored.
He deserves some credit. It’s an interesting idea. There are a lot of different planes that could be used; we wouldn’t have to use the most advanced models.
I don’t know how you get the uplink, though. Satellite requires some setup. You could maybe run the WAPs on solar, but that gets expensive. Maybe the planes are merely a delivery system for satellite Internet systems, and we rely on the locals to set them up (Farsi instructions included, of course).
He’s nuts. The idea is impractical and stupid, to say the least.
I don’t know if John McCain is serious but undoubtedly the CIA does things in the Mideast every day that would seem even more implausible.
Of course, the Predators -- or whatever other method -- could be taken down with missiles or fighter planes, but the basic idea is spot on: Give everyone free access to information at any cost... Maybe some crazy nerds with loads of money could work on something like that. You know, like Paul Allen putting a buttload of money, Steve Wozniak leading a new space-based Wi-Fi hardware standard, and John Carmack providing with cheap rockets to launch satellites.Better to use UAVs to knock out the mullahcracy and help the Iranian people free themselves.
Although Israel is far away from Iran, it has significant capacity to help the demonstrators. It could use its communication satellites to break through the communications blackout the regime has attempted to enforce. Its Internet capabilities can be offered to the protesters to reopen closed networks. Israel could temporarily expand its radio broadcasts into the country and allow its airwaves to be used to broadcast events on the ground in real time so that protesters won’t have to rely on word of mouth to know what is happening or where things are leading.
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