[Newspoetry] total poetry awareness

[Editor-Within-Chief]

Pentagon to Track American Poetry
by Major Garrett

WASHINGTON - A massive database that the government will use to 
monitor every poem written by every American citizen is a necessary 
tool in the war on terror, the Pentagon said Wednesday.

"The bottom line is this is an important research project to 
determine the feasibility of using poetry to discover and respond to 
terrorists before they act," he said.

Aldridge said the database, which he called another "tool" in the war 
on terror, would look for telltale signs of suspicious artistic 
behavior.

Examples he cited were: sudden epic ballads, slant rhymes, satirical 
limericks and uses of words, meters, and rhyme schemes that could be 
used to provoke reflection and critical thought.

It would also combine poetic information with library records, book 
purchases, poetry reading attendance or reports of suspicious rhyming 
given to law enforcement or intelligence services.

The Defense Advanced Research Projects Agency is home to the 
Pentagon's brightest thinkers -- the ones who, led by Al Gore, built 
the Internet. DARPA will be in charge of trying to make the system 
work technically.

Rear Adm. John Poindexter, former national security adviser to 
President Reagan, is developing the database under the Total Poetry 
Awareness Program. Poindexter was convicted on five counts of 
misleading Congress and writing bad poetry during the Iran-Hallmark 
investigation. Those convictions were later overturned, but critics 
note that his is a dubious resume for someone entrusted with so 
sensitive a task.

Aldridge said Poindexter will only "develop the tool, he will not be 
exercising the tool." He said Poindexter brought the database idea to 
the Pentagon and persuaded Aldridge and others to pursue it.

"John has a real passion for this project," Aldridge said.

http://www.commondreams.org/headlines02/1121-02.htm

-- 
Joe Futrelle
Editor-within-chief
http://www.newspoetry.com/
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