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Flight 370 and the Terror of Being Off the Grid
http://bits.blogs.nytimes.com/2014/03/13/flight-370-and-the-terror-of-being-off-the-grid/ ^ | MARCH 13, 2014 | Farhad Manjoo

Posted on 03/13/2014 3:58:30 PM PDT by nickcarraway

How can a commercial airliner go missing? How, in this hyperconnected age, could it vanish from the earth, apparently without trace, eluding a nearly weeklong search involving more than a dozen governments and some of the world’s most advanced surveillance technology?

In addition to the familiar horror and sadness over a catastrophe of modern aviation, the disappearance of Malaysia Airlines Flight 370 comes freighted with an unusual terror — the surprise that in our digitally monitored era, people and objects can still somehow vanish. The disappearance stands in stark contrast to the hallmark sensation of our time, the certainty that we’re all being constantly tracked and that, for better or worse, we’re strapped to the grid, never out of touch.

It turns out that’s not true. There are places in this world that are still beyond the grid. And it reminds us — or, at any rate, it reminds me — that as much as we lament constant tracking, there is often something deeply comforting in having one’s location pinned to a map.

This week aviation experts have poured out to explain what, in 2014, seems unfathomable. When you’re high in the air over the ocean, you may be flying in a blind spot, one of the few places on the planet where you’re not being watched.

(Excerpt) Read more at bits.blogs.nytimes.com ...


TOPICS: Society
KEYWORDS: iran; malaysia; mh370; waronterror
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To: free from tyranny
Check out Diego Garcia. Curious?

I'll never get over Diego Garcia.

21 posted on 03/13/2014 4:16:29 PM PDT by justlurking (tagline removed, as demanded by Admin Moderator)
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To: VerySadAmerican

The place is full of spooks.


22 posted on 03/13/2014 4:16:30 PM PDT by mylife (Ted Cruz understands the law, and is not afraid of the unlawful.)
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To: bigbob
You give Snowden a laptop and he'll tell us where this damn plane it

Maybe he already knows.

I wouldn't trust him. Would you?

23 posted on 03/13/2014 4:16:36 PM PDT by cloudmountain
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To: bigbob
☺ LOL
24 posted on 03/13/2014 4:16:55 PM PDT by mylife (Ted Cruz understands the law, and is not afraid of the unlawful.)
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To: nickcarraway

25 posted on 03/13/2014 4:19:03 PM PDT by Revolting cat! (Bad things are wrong! Ice cream is delicious! We reserve the right to serve refuse to anyone!)
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To: VerySadAmerican

Look, we have amazing technology today. But the fact is, there is still a lot of the world they can’t control, and the technology is not perfect. It’s no surprise to me that we have satellites that could read a newspaper from outer space, and still be able to lose practically a whole continent.


26 posted on 03/13/2014 4:20:27 PM PDT by nickcarraway
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To: justlurking

Tell me about it. But it doesn’t look as bad as it WAS when I was there.

When were you there?


27 posted on 03/13/2014 4:20:52 PM PDT by VerySadAmerican (".....Barrack, and the horse Mohammed rode in on.")
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To: Logical me
Also I believe the idiots in the US couldn't find their ars if they were sitting on it.

That is because they are too busy sitting on their brains. Their heads are up and locked.

28 posted on 03/13/2014 4:22:42 PM PDT by Mark17 (Chicago Blackhawks: Stanley Cup champions 2010, 2013. Vietnam Vet 70-71 Msgt US Air Force, retired)
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To: nickcarraway; Kartographer
For two days last week, I took a vacation in my house. Stopped the house phone from ringing, turned off cell phone, then no one could reach me. I was cut off from the outside world - if they wanted to bother me it wasn't happening. I kept on my TV and internet because I was studying about plants and I can study and still see a movie or listen to news. I don't need quiet to study. It was freedom knowing no one was going to interrupt me and if the door bell had rung, I wasn't answering it. My house was mine with no unwanted intrusions.

When a hurricane comes through, everything is off. The silence is loud, so loud one can become antsy, nervous, angry, anything to stop the nothing that is happening. One can say they like the nothing, but that really isn't true as it isn't “normal” to our daily life. Removing that nothing with a battery radio or portable TV can overcome the nothing and the people in the house will feel and act more “normal”. I've prepared so I can replace what loss of power took away so normal life doesn't get totally scrambled.

29 posted on 03/13/2014 4:22:50 PM PDT by Marcella ((Prepping can save your life today.))
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To: nickcarraway

Flight 370 will be found about 15 minutes before it slams into the center of DC with thousands of pounds of explosives...


30 posted on 03/13/2014 4:30:32 PM PDT by Popman ("Resistance to Tyrants is Obedience to God" - Thomas Jefferson)
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To: VerySadAmerican

But they have to know where the newspaper is so they can look at it.


31 posted on 03/13/2014 4:35:36 PM PDT by dr_lew
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To: VerySadAmerican

Naval installation. Black ops CIA station inthe past. Only landing strip within fuel range.


32 posted on 03/13/2014 4:44:45 PM PDT by free from tyranny
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To: justlurking

I will never get over Machu Picchu.


33 posted on 03/13/2014 4:47:03 PM PDT by Delta Dawn (Fluent in two languages: English and cursive.)
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To: Delta Dawn
I will never get over Machu Picchu.

Oh? Sorry to hear that. When did he leave you?

34 posted on 03/13/2014 4:49:00 PM PDT by Revolting cat! (Bad things are wrong! Ice cream is delicious! We reserve the right to serve refuse to anyone!)
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To: Revolting cat!

Still terrorizing families, are you?


35 posted on 03/13/2014 4:50:17 PM PDT by Delta Dawn (Fluent in two languages: English and cursive.)
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To: cloudmountain

I knew somebody who spent a considerable amount of time on Diego Garcia. It’s not “spooky” at all, just a little far from life in the fast lane. The big entertainment was the Brit Club (it’s a US/UK base) and fishing. Fortunately, the person I know loved to fish, so he had a great time.

That said, the people on Diego Garcia must have some idea of what happened to the plane.

If the plane had had enough fuel to get to one of the thousands of islands making up the Philippines, I’d say that’s where it is. The islands have a big, vicious Muslim attack population, supposedly AQ has made inroads there, “Operation Bojinka” was to be coordinated through the Philippines, they had a big plan to kill the Pope on his visit there, it was visited by McVeigh and his buddy (who was married to a Filipina whose family lived in the same building as or possibly were even related to one of the people building explosives to kill the Pope), getting in and out of the US from the Philippines is easy - and the country is pretty dysfunctional right now. Not quite a failed state, but one with a lot of problems.

But I don’t think the plane had enough fuel. Beijing (its original destination) is a lot closer.


36 posted on 03/13/2014 4:50:32 PM PDT by livius
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To: free from tyranny

So, it’s about 4 in the morning on Friday in Malaysia so the USS Kidd should be there by now, or shortly. Does anyone know where it came from? Assume a battleship can carry helicopters, right? or will it just ply the waters back and forth. 10cents they find it Saturday a.m.


37 posted on 03/13/2014 4:51:28 PM PDT by bunster
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To: free from tyranny

There are two long strips in the Maldives. One 10,000’, the other 8500’. Closer than DG and an Islamic country.


38 posted on 03/13/2014 4:51:42 PM PDT by Tijeras_Slim
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To: cloudmountain; Old Sarge
“and an anchorage for pre-positioned military supplies for regional operations aboard Military Sealift Command ships in the lagoon.”

You said you didn't know the above. Here is some more. I have been to Hawaii twice, once for two weeks on Maui, and three weeks on Oahu. I went to Oahu because my son in the air force was stationed there and his wife's baby was due so I went to help. Son was a Major and is a fuels expert. He was in charge of fuel stores for the military there. One day he got permission to take me to the mountains on Oahu and show me where all fuel for our military in the Pacific theater is. We went inside a mountain that has been hollowed out and there are walkways between massive tanks throughout that mountain. It was surreal, like you were in another world.

That fuel is for the navy and air force and any other “equipment” our military uses from there throughout the pacific. Not many people have seen inside this mountain. I had spent time on Oahu when I was going to Maui and never would I have guessed this mountain wasn't really a mountain anymore - it is a massive fuel depot. People living on that island don't know what is in that mountain on their island.

I tell you this because you didn't know about Diego Garcia. I would have never guessed about this mountain. There is so much we don't know.

I also didn't know there is a military team of ours in Alaska and these are top men who job it is to go in and rescue our military wherever they are on the planet - that is their only job and you won't hear about their actions. I know this because my son who is the documentary film maker was going to make a documentary of these men but that film was called off. I thought about this group when Benghazi happened. Why they are stationed in Alaska I don't know, unless it is because they are close to the top of the world and lift off from there to where they are needed.

I repeat, there is so much we don't know.

39 posted on 03/13/2014 4:55:09 PM PDT by Marcella ((Prepping can save your life today.))
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To: livius
That said, the people on Diego Garcia must have some idea of what happened to the plane.
If the plane had had enough fuel to get to one of the thousands of islands making up the Philippines, I’d say that’s where it is. The islands have a big, vicious Muslim attack population, supposedly AQ has made inroads there, “Operation Bojinka” was to be coordinated through the Philippines, they had a big plan to kill the Pope on his visit there, it was visited by McVeigh and his buddy (who was married to a Filipina whose family lived in the same building as or possibly were even related to one of the people building explosives to kill the Pope), getting in and out of the US from the Philippines is easy - and the country is pretty dysfunctional right now. Not quite a failed state, but one with a lot of problems.
But I don’t think the plane had enough fuel. Beijing (its original destination) is a lot closer.

It's my read that the plane is at the bottom of the ocean. If it WEREN'T someONE someWHERE would have already spotted and reported it.

Who knows, someone may yet surface who SPOKE by phone to one of the passengers "going down." Shades of 911.

40 posted on 03/13/2014 4:55:26 PM PDT by cloudmountain
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