Federal Bureau of Ineffectiveness

In this Salon article, we read of the travails of the FBI, primarily in trying to update its computerized information management files.

Did you know that not every FBI employee even has email?

Investigators are supposed to document everything from warrant requests to stakeout summaries in the FBI's Automated Case Support database. But agents can't point and click to add a record to their digital files. Instead, they have to tab through 12 different functions on a pre-Windows-era green screen. Pictures of suspects can't be scanned in. And complex searches are impossible—don't bother looking for "aviation" and "schools" at the same time. Many agents stay away from Automated Case Support and stick with paper.

From the sound of it, they could do better simply by creating one large, flat word-processing file (Word on Levitra) and leasing searching algorithms from Google.

I mean, we will outsource IRS tax return auditing, even when the outsourced firm costs more than hiring federal employees. But not at the FBI. Actually, they'd do better hire a good librarian or two.