The arrival of a wee insect, the Stink Bug, means ... federal government action?
"15 lawmakers are eyeing a proposal to reclassify the species under federal guidelines to expand regulatory authority over the bugs.
In other words, faced with a environmental problem, the first instinct from conservative Republican politicians is to ask the federal government to do something. Indeed, they're specifically asking for federal bureaucrats to sweep into action and use expanded federal regulations to help people."
But the Republicans do not want to update food safety laws, because that's just more meddling government.
"The legislation, which seeks to update food safety laws nearly a century old, passed the House in July 2009 and will die if it does not clear the Senate by the end of the Congress."
Across the ocean, Great Britain's police are pondering using small unmanned drones to watch over the public. Now, if we could just use such drones to target dubious insects.
Heavily Criticized for Failed "Contract on America" Hit, GOP turns to Carl Spackler for help
ReplyDeletehttp://www.knoxviews.com/node/14660
I guess you missed this 2007 report about insect drones spotted at political events. They supposedly look like tiny dragonflies.
ReplyDeleteSB, i did post about that in 2007 -
ReplyDeletehttp://cupofjoepowell.blogspot.com/2007/10/insect-spies-and-robobugs.html
and also on the Stealthy Insect project in 2006
http://cupofjoepowell.blogspot.com/2006/11/buzz-of-war.html
the Great Britain plan reminds me of sci-fi stories, such as The Diamond Age by Neal Stephenson, where visible surveillance drones shot out clouds of nano-bots onto people, so authorities could track, trace and arrest them later.
Eric - Carl, Spackler, LOL
ReplyDelete"In other words, faced with a environmental problem, the first instinct from conservative Republican politicians is to ask the federal government to do something."
ReplyDeleteAll too true. When they experience brain-drain they naturally look to their intellectual superiors for salvation.
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Looks like they're taking the "Great" out of Britain.
First word that came to mind when I saw that gizmo was "PULL"!