No tears for Poindexter

Editorial/Opinion
The News Tribune

01 August 2003
The News Tribune
South Sound
B06

Retired Adm. John Poindexter will reportedly be leaving the Pentagon in a 
few weeks - and it won't be a moment too soon.

Poindexter's shop at the Pentagon cooked up a Strange-lovian project that 
would have established a futures market on assassinations, terrorist attacks 
and other political violence. Under the scheme - which was supposed to help 
U.S. intelligence analysts track trends and predict events - investors could 
put money down on acts of violence and collect big time if they came to pass.

The crescendo of outrage made Poindexter's departure inevitable - especially 
since it was his research office that had previously hatched a Big Brotherly 
"Total Information Awareness" program.

Poindexter will soon have plenty of time to develop as many wild schemes as 
he wants. Only this time, there's no danger any of them will be implemented 
by the U.S. government.