Thursday April 3
April 3rd, 2008 Posted in April 2008 T he New York Times in his column "Science" has published a laudatory article on the research of photographer Trevor Paglen. His book is titled "I could tell you, but I should not leave you alive" (Melville House, editor). |  |
This patch shows an Alien with big eyes, holding a stealth bomber in front of his mouth. "To Serve Man" - From the Menu Man - is a direct reference to an episode of 'Twilight Zone', in which man is flat resistance. It bears the Latin motto falsely 'Gustatus similis Pullus', which is supposed to mean "Looks like Chicken."
Mr. Paglen said that the title of his book is a translation of a Latin motto, chosen by the Squadron 4 of Air Test and Evaluation of the Navy, based at Point Mugu, California. This unit is responsible for testing the combat aircraft, conventional weapons and electronic warfare equipment and is also in charge of development strategies using sophisticated weapons in combat situations.
In his presentation, Mr Paglen explains: "The military has made badges to illustrate almost each of their activities. The most surprising is that there are also included programs, units and actions that are officially secret.
In some cases, contractors have patches designed to strengthen the esprit de corps. Others are created informally by insignia official counterpoint. "
For Steven Aftergood, an expert in security from the Federation of American Scientists in Washington: "It changes the traditional approach of government secrecy. It shows that these secret programs have their own culture, vocabulary and even sense of humor. "Military officials and experts have confirmed that these badges are genuine, and is a recognized means of strengthening the teamwork.
The chronicle of this book is also an opportunity for the New York Times to look at new budgets secrets: "The slush fund of the Department of Defense, which is totally to the public eye, have nearly doubled during the era Bush, now reaching 32 billion dollars. This figure exceeds the combined budgets of the FAA (Food and Drug Administration), the National Science Foundation and NASA.
These billions have helped develop a secret world of advanced science and technology where military commanders and federal contractors push the boundaries of the art of war. In the past, such research has yielded futuristic aircraft, of arms and powerful spy satellites, and it led to real fiascos.
Official documents not deliver any details. This year, for example, the Pentagon admitted that the Element 0603891c Program has received 196 million dollars, but does absolutely nothing of its objectives. Independent analysts believe that this is apparently the development of space weapons.
Each year, the Center for Strategic and Budgetary Assessments, a private group based in Washington, publishes updates on the classified budgets of the Pentagon. For these observers, money began to flow from the arrival of Mr Bush, and it was amplified after the attacks of Sept. 11. "
Trevor Paglen, artist and photographer, received his Ph.D. in geography at the University of California (Berkeley). He managed to highlight some aspects of this secret world. "The 75 patches he has assembled reveal a bizarre mixture cultural exchange where Latin and Greek are used to caption images of terrifying demons and warriors offensive, with dragons dropping bombs and fierce beings emitting lasers."
"Dum oderint metuant" is inscribed on a crest of a program for the Air Force, which scans images from spy satellites to refine the intelligence on the battlefield. According to Mr. Paglen, the currency has been borrowed from Caligula, Roman Emperor of the 1st century, known for its debauchery. It means "Whatever hatred, provided they are afraid of us!"
"Some magicians appearing on several insignia. A patch contained lightning from a secret base of the Air Force at Groom Lake, northwest of Las Vegas in a valley withdrawn. Mr. Paglen explains that 'Desert Prowler', with its Five Star A more consolidated, is a veiled reference to Area 51, where the government is testing futuristic aircraft and, according to the UFO, holding vessels aliens. "
"This book does not only clues about the nature of the secret programs, but also reveals a certain machismo among the elite of alleged military-industrial complex. The patches often think of jokes and hoaxes that are located in star wars. The smallest details on each of the badges have a hidden meaning. For example, the dragon is the symbol of imaging infra-red on the new generation of satellites KH-11. "The number of flashes, stars, etc. .. can we learn about the number of operating units, their geographical locations, and their objectives. "These symbols are a language. By studying its grammar, you can get a glimpse of this secret world. "
Mr. Paglen continues its collection in the field of military activities secret. "It represents an industry giant. It is remarkable to see the development of these projects on an industrial scale, not even that we know what is going on. It is an incredible feat of social engineering. "
C oncernant drones, two or three déboulonneurs stir on the forum Open Minds, and cause noise rather conducive to reflection. Up to ten times each day TheShadow come here trépigner impatience as a temperamental child. Despite this harassment, Drone Team should continue its search for witnesses without giving further details. We saw a few months ago how a provocateur had obtained an engineer company Northrop-Grumman is called to order by his superiors after he provided some information on the website of Linda Moulton Howe. There's this kind of perverse on OMF, ready to call neighboring Chad to disrupt ..
Fortunately, detectives do not take the time to read what is said about GFW and the investigation quietly follows its course.
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