– Christopher Hitchens examines the growing wave of subtle proselytizing in the military. I don’t (nor does he claim to) know just how widespread it is, but the signs are alarming on a number of levels. The most pressing is practicality. It really doesn’t make sense to alienate local allies in-theater nor to ostracize fellow servicemen for any reason at all. It undermines efficacy and damages our reputation. And that’s before starting in on the Constitutional issues it raises.

– Interesting bracket-style comparison of camouflage patterns at ITS Tactical.  Do yourself a favor; check them out and vote. My money’s on Mirage or desert MARPAT.

– British Home Secretary Alan Johnson is apparently creating an “army of private police.” From what I can tell, the ‘civilian’ police are actually government employees (the article lists dog wardens, park keepers, and security guards) who have been granted powers of arrest and so on. Definitely somewhat troubling, but it’s not the deputization of private citizens, as it would seem at first glance. Though that, of course, is the next step.

– John Robb has a new word for everyone’s lexicon. Behold the Darknet (not to be confused with the seamy underbelly of the internet, Freenet).