Even though the dead pool was scrapped, Erik Pepple can't help but wonder what kind of insanity went into such an offensive idea.
By Erik Pepple
210 west Pop Culture Editor [send email]
At times like this, it is good to see common sense prevail.
In the midst of the Bush cadre’s macho puffery, incessant lying and bending of truth and curious circular logic, the fact the Pentagon’s plan for a futures market for terrorism was scrapped is welcome news.
For those not in the know, John Poindexter (who you may remember from such debacles as Iran Contra in the 80’s) and his crew (his crew you may know from such debacles as Total Information Awareness, or as I like to call it, the War is Peace Department) formulated a plan to allow folks to bet on future terrorist acts. Essentially, it would serve as a government sanctioned and codified dead pool. Those who correctly predicted assassinations, bombings or other acts of violence would win a tidy profit. The ostensible rationale is the market has a predictive value and would generate tips and insights into future acts of terror.
Sure, there is some predictive value in the market: for the market for goods and services that are legal. It’s ok to wager on whether or not the new Nikes are going to sell. It’s not ok to put money down on the death of innocents and even the not-so innocent. The last I checked political assassinations, bombings, chemical attacks and general slaughter are not legal. With this dead pool, the folks in the Pentagon have essentially turned the citizens of the entire world into poker chips. Think of it as a Publisher’s Clearinghouse for death. I can see it now, “Hey you’ve won $10,000 for correctly predicting a bombing that killed hundreds. Enjoy spending the money on a new stereo while knowing you’ve profited off the dead. Here’s your giant novelty check from the department of ‘What the fuck?’”
Let us forget for a moment that terrorists could profit from this by betting on their own acts. Let us ignore the fact that terrorists could post phony information in an effort to distract law enforcement. Let us also ignore the fact that sometimes markets do have crystal ball potential. Let us look at the real issue here, which is the fact that the Pentagon actually went public with this sick and twisted program. And more unsettling than that, is the talking heads behind it have all but chalked it up to some whacky eggheads just having a little fun. Paul Wolfowitz, in his backhanded rejection of the plan, said, “It sounds like maybe they got too imaginative.” Moreover, the head of DARPA (Defense Advanced Research Projects Agency) Tony Tether told senators that those behind the dead pool have no reason to lose their jobs. The fact that these guys can’t see the inherent insanity of the dead pool speaks volumes.
It is a further example of this government’s ongoing hubris and sense that they are entitled to do whatever they want as long as they dress it up under the guise of “fighting terrorism.”
I’m sure Wolfowitz and Tether would view this differently if their names were placed on a betting gallery somewhere in the Middle East. I’m sure families all over the world would be happy to hear that their kids were about to be used as profit machines should they die.
Thanks and praise should be given to the senators and rational folks who have stepped forward to call out the madness of this plan, as well as the continuing madness of the Bush administration’s lack of respect for human life, their fear mongering and slobbering calls to arms. In turning the world into a slot machine, the government has made all human life no better than a plastic chip.