[conspire] CIA chief Brennan hints new gov't initiative against crypto

[Rick Moen]

Quoting Ruben Safir (ruben at mrbrklyn.com):

> I'm aware of much of Belgiums history, going back to the massacres of 
> Duke Alva,...

Long live Count Egmont!  (Or perhaps not.)

> ...and I think I have less love for the Belgium then the Dutch, but
> regardless,

> this is not your fathers Belgium any more, and certainly not your
> grandfathers.
> 
> The divisions of that section of Europe are fasinating history, from
> Luxenbourg, the  Duchy of Limburg,  Graafschap Vlaanderen, and even
> far flung Munster...  but this article is not telling the whole story.
> The fact is, it is likely that the Belgium will not be able to regain
                                                                 ^^^^^^
> control of swarths of Belgium territory from Islamic fundementalists
  ^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^
> without resorting to civil war and occupation be an external armed
> force.


Pay attention, here.

In cases like this, instead of saying 'you are suffering a failure
of understanding and perspective', I like to offer monetary wagers to
clarify things.

I'm going to offer you 3:1 betting odds.


Here is your one and only offer:  If you wish, you may wager me that, at
some point over the next five years starting today, Nov. 25, 2015, some
significant percentage of Belgian territory (let's say 5% of land mass
or more) will come under the literal (at least) de-facto governance of
Islamic fundamentalists, for at least two weeks of consecutive time.  

You would stake US $500 on this betting position.  I would stake US
$1500 to the contrary (thus, 3:1).

In the event we don't agree on outcome, each appoints one judge.  Those
two judges jointly select a third judge.  Majority vote decides the
wager.  If no majority (e.g., a judge abstains, and there's a split
vote), neither side pays.

For clarification, 'de-facto governance' means handling real government
functions including defending borders.  It doesn't, for exmaple, mean 
just that some faction is alleged to be going around commiting sundry
violent acts.

You might be asserting that Islamic fundamentalists 'control swaths' of
Belgium today, in which case I will be glad to take your money as soon
as we can convene those judges.  I hope 'swaths' means more than the
Molenbeek neighbourhood, though 'Islamic fundamentalists' don't control
that, either.

I should also clarify that you may either accept this offered wager or
not, but I expect to see _no_ further attempts to read from your crystal
ball about 'Islamic fundamentalists' taking over 'swaths' of Europe, not
on this mailing list, please.  If you wish to post those to your own
mailing lists, go right ahead, but not here.  Thank you in advance.

You may accept the wager by saying so on this mailing list by the end of
Thursday, Nov. 26, 2015, PST, on this mailing list.

No arguments on this, no counterproposals, nada, Ruben.  Just don't go
there.  I trust I'm being very clear.

Also:  I've had to draft that wager very carefully, to ensure that I
would be taking your money, and not your taking mine on a technicality.
I get the impression that you, by contrast, just mouth off with almost
no thought put into it at all.  I want to make sure this situation does
not recur on any other subject.