Science Fiction Mavens Offer Far Out Homeland Security Advice

National Defense Magazine ^ | March 2008 | Stew Magnuson

[BGHater]

Now a fixture at Department of Homeland Security science and technology conferences, SIGMA is a loosely affiliated group of science fiction writers who are offering pro bono advice to anyone in government who want their thoughts on how to protect the nation.

The group has the ear of Department of Homeland Security Undersecretary Jay Cohen, head of the science and technology directorate, who has said he likes their unconventional thinking. Members of the group recently offered a rambling, sometimes strident string of ideas at a panel discussion promoting the group at the DHS science and technology conference.

Among the group’s approximately 24 members is Larry Niven, the bestselling and award-winning author of such books as “Ringworld” and “Lucifer’s Hammer,” which he co-wrote with SIGMA member Jerry Pournelle.

Niven said a good way to help hospitals stem financial losses is to spread rumors in Spanish within the Latino community that emergency rooms are killing patients in order to harvest their organs for transplants.

“The problem [of hospitals going broke] is hugely exaggerated by illegal aliens who aren’t going to pay for anything anyway,” Niven said.

“Do you know how politically incorrect you are?” Pournelle asked.

“I know it may not be possible to use this solution, but it does work,” Niven replied.

“I cannot guarantee I’m going to be a great help to Homeland Security,” Niven said earlier.

Pournelle said that once mobile phone technology and the devices tacked on them to take pictures and record video become more ubiquitous, then ordinary citizens will be empowered to take security into their own hands — a prediction some have said already has come to pass.

“My guess is we won’t need quite so many paid agents of the state to do that for us, which means maybe we can try being a republic instead of an incompetent empire,” he said, then railed against the Transportation Security Administration for treating passengers like “subjects” rather than “citizens.”

The 45-minute panel discussion quickly deteriorated as federal, local and state homeland security officials, and at least one congressional aid, attempted to ask questions, which were largely ignored.

Instead the writers used their time to pontificate on a variety of tangentially related topics, including their past roles advising the government, predictions in their stories that have come to pass, the demise of the paperback book market, and low-cost launch into space.

David Brin, keeping on the topic of empowering citizens with mobile phone technology, delivered a self-described “rant” on the lack of funds being spent to support citizen reservists to back up the military, homeland security officials and first responders in times of crisis.

“It is impossible for you to succeed without us!” he shouted at the assembled officials, while banging his fist on the table and at one point jumping off his chair to wave a mobile phone in their faces.

SIGMA is the brainchild of Arlan Andrews Sr., who noted that many of the writers have advanced degrees, have jobs with the government or have been hired to advise the government in the past.

“If you like the ideas these people have, and you’re from the government, feel free to come talk to them,” Andrews said.

[BGHater]

-Snicker-

Niven said a good way to help hospitals stem financial losses is to spread rumors in Spanish within the Latino community that emergency rooms are killing patients in order to harvest their organs for transplants.

“The problem [of hospitals going broke] is hugely exaggerated by illegal aliens who aren’t going to pay for anything anyway,” Niven said.

“Do you know how politically incorrect you are?” Pournelle asked.

“I know it may not be possible to use this solution, but it does work,” Niven replied.

[dynachrome]

“spread rumors in Spanish within the Latino community that emergency rooms are killing patients in order to harvest their organs for transplants.”

LOLOLOLOL! Good on yer, Mr. Niven!

[dynachrome]

SF ping. Niven/Pournelle advise Homeland Security.

Not what the DHS wanted to hear! LOL!

[xkaydet65]

IIRC such a group as SIGMA played a major role in Niven and Pounelle’s Footfall. Advising the POTUS and JCS as to how to respond to an alien attack.

[catbertz]

I absolutely love Niven's idea. The Latino community is very superstitious and given to crazy rumors already. This would spread like wildfire.

You could extend the rumor further to include a certain percentage of illegals that are getting deported, have disappeared, instead being diverted to donor camps where the organs are harvested.

[BufordP]

...Niven said a good way to help hospitals stem financial losses is to spread rumors in Spanish within the Latino community that emergency rooms are killing patients in order to harvest their organs for transplants.

That does it for me. I've been procrastinating about this. Gonna quit putting it off. Buying Rosetta Stone - Spanish Edition today!

[The Spirit Of Allegiance]

Consider: the cold evil of Planned Parenthood, the bizarre Scientology folks and the story below of a horrible reported Chinese ‘delicacy’ made from aborted babies.

There might be some truth in the harvesting rumor.

http://www.freerepublic.com/focus/search?s=placenta
http://www.freerepublic.com/tag/cannibalism/

---

Book Reveals Fetal Soup Served in Chinese Restaurants
http://www.freerepublic.com/focus/f-news/1963578/posts

---

Abortion, Baal and Cannibalism
Junto Society ^ | 11/29/2002 | Bob Sperlazzo
Paulette Roseboro is the Founder and Executive Director of African American Life Alliance. Since 1990, Ms. Roseboro has been a speaker and workshop leader at meetings and seminars. Her subject topics have covered such areas as ... abortion’s link to modern-day Baal worship (see http://www.blacksforlife.net). . In ancient Phoenicia and Chaldea, child sacrifice was regularly practiced by the worshipers of Baal, the ancient fertility god. Jezebel took part in this horrific form of idol worship....
http://www.freerepublic.com/focus/f-news/798076/posts

[xkaydet65]

My wife taught in a Booklyn elementary school years ago. The population was almost entirely Latino. One of the kids went home and told his mother he’d seen a red devil in the school. Two days later 60% of the students stayed home with the mothers outside demanding the school do something to kill the red devil. The principal prevailed on a local Catholic pastor, a friend of mine, to perform a mock exorcism. He did and the school was back to normal in two days. Maybe Niven is on to something.

[ASOC]

Better idea

and solve two problems at once.

Take very high level nuke waste (you know the kind, spewing megarads of lethal radiation) and embed it in cement structures - say like the kind used for traffic barriers.

Then set the ‘fence’ up along the border.

Problem solved.

[GOPJ]

This thinking is so outside the box, that there’s no box - might never have been a box - and besides, exactly what is a box...

[catbertz]

haha wow that’s a wild story. Even I’m surprised.

[aruanan]

The Latino community is very superstitious and given to crazy rumors already.

Have you heard the one about not opening the refrigerator when you're hot because the cold air could paralyze your face? That was a big one in the D.R. in the late 1970's.

[aruanan]

My wife taught in a Booklyn elementary school years ago. The population was almost entirely Latino.

Was it in District 15? I did my student teaching in P.S. 1 in biligual ed a few blocks west of 5th Avenue and near 50th St going in the direction of the Verrazano Bridge. I know exactly what you mean.

[dirtbiker]

“spread rumors in Spanish within the Latino community that emergency rooms are killing patients in order to harvest their organs for transplants.”

LOLOLOLOL! Good on yer, Mr. Niven!

I like it!

Add this one to it for the muzzy crowd: all captured middle-eastern men that are arrested and interrogated are having their testicles replaced with pig testicles....

At the very least, they will be castrating themselves.... ;-)

[xkaydet65]

No. Dist32 Bushwick.

[ElPatriota]

Woah... All I can say is "Buena suerte en tan dura tarea."

Tenga pendiente (be aware), que hay varias clases de EspaNoles! Ud tiene que decidir que clase the EspaNol le interesa mas, Mejicano?... Sur Americano... Argentino?.... Centro Americano?... EspaNol? (have in mind, you will have to decide which kind of Spanish you want to learn, or put more emphasis on. Different countries have different jargon and different accents. It takes a while to learn how it "sounds," to your hear. If you want to put empahsis on Mexican issues, border stuff, then I would not spend too much time listening to Spanish from Spain or Argentina or the Caribean (Cuba, Pto rico) very fast!... very different.

Best of luck! :)

[ElPatriota]

Woah... All I can say is "Buena suerte en tan dura tarea."

Tenga pendiente (be aware), que hay varias clases de EspaNoles! Ud tiene que decidir que clase the EspaNol le interesa mas, Mejicano?... Sur Americano... Argentino?.... Centro Americano?... EspaNol? (have in mind, you will have to decide which kind of Spanish you want to learn, or put more emphasis on. Different countries have different jargon and different accents. It takes a while to learn how it "sounds," to your hear. If you want to put empahsis on Mexican issues, border stuff, then I would not spend too much time listening to Spanish from Spain or Argentina or the Caribean (Cuba, Pto rico) very fast!... very different.

Best of luck! :)

[Centurion2000]

This thinking is so outside the box, that there’s no box - might never have been a box - and besides, exactly what is a box...

No, these guys are thinking outside the tesseract.

[Mr. Silverback]

I know that SDI was basically cooked up in Niven’s livin g room, and Pournelle was one of the people there.

[Rastus]

He should have told them, “The devil told me before he left that any of you born to illegals must return to your homeland to be safe.”