Showing posts with label Whistleblowers. Show all posts
Showing posts with label Whistleblowers. Show all posts
Sunday, September 29, 2019
Rules From and For the Oligarchy Redux
I first posted this essay a bit over five years ago. It's being re-posted now because the Oligarchy in this country is getting more & more desperate, and it's wise to keep in mind their methods for manipulating us. [I've added just a tad more to the text in several places.]
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By the "Oligarchy", I'm referring of course to those at the highest levels in politics, Big Business, and the Intelligentsia...the ones who "run the country". They are both Democrats and Republicans, but those labels are not in any way important to them. Their guideposts primarily are power and money. They're not in any kind of conspiracy, but they do enjoy great solidarity.
Here, then, are their rules for success...the rules by which they live, thrive, and rule others.
1. Utilize Edward Bernays style Propaganda at every opportunity...to its maximum effect.
2. Select, groom, and finance the slickest liars and most unethical people possible for national political office. Marginalize and denigrate any honest and sincere politicians who somehow manage to get into office.
3. Wrap yourself in the American Flag at every opportunity.
4. Strive to keep the country perpetually at war. It's great for Big Business and the best way to control the public mind. It also gives us every opportunity to "colonize" geostrategic areas without appearing imperialistic; that way we can assure American Primacy. We're just defending our country. If one person is killed, it's murder; but if 100,000 are killed, it's Foreign Policy and/or protecting our Homeland.
5. At crucial times, tell the Little People whatever it is they want to hear.
6. Continue the myth that Republicans and Democrats at the highest levels have substantially different views. It's the best way to Divide and Conquer. Pretend to squabble with your supposed political opposition.
7. At all costs, never prosecute in court any mega bank CEO who has been complicit in swindling people. Don't bite the hand that feeds you. Instead, levy a large fine against the bank for "misleading investors".
8. Distract the public with minor political issues and various circuses.
9. Allow people to peacefully protest, but only in limited, designated areas.
10. When caught in wrongdoing, criminalize the whistleblower. To do that, take a page from (most recently) Obama's & Trump's playbook: utilize the Espionage Act of 1917. Apply the word "spy"...especially when it's not relevant. The bigger the lie, the more people will believe it.
11. Make certain that the mainstream, corporate media keep serving up pablum to the public... and/or controversy over nothing of any significant consequence... and/or, fear.
12. Continue the myth that the People live in a participatory democracy.
13. At all costs, support and promote the WTO and Free Trade Agreements, the Neoliberal policy of deregulation of the worldwide Financial Sector, and the myth that we're aiding poor countries by forcing them to privatize gov't services. In other words, continue the myth that Corporate Globalization is good for the common people and the economy.
14. Avoid conflict with the U.S. Constitution simply by ignoring the document whenever necessary.
15. Continue the myth that the President of the U.S. legally (and essentially) can create Law by the use of Executive Orders. If questioned about that, respond by saying that the Constitution "implies" it.
16. Oppose, denigrate, and when possible, eliminate all labor unions. Substitute biased "mandatory arbitration" in their place. This is the best way to keep the Little People workers in check.
17. Keep the public in fear, and promote cognitive dissonance in the Little People. Mold the public mind.
18. Continue the lie that National Security trumps everything... including common decency, the Law, the Constitution, ethics, and morality.
19. Continue the War on Drugs. It's almost as good as actual war in relation to controlling the populace.
20. Act as though you favor egalitarian issues; in other words, lie.
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Do you recognize any of this? There is a better way. The second step toward that better way is to organize. The first step I've stated over and over: we must stop drinking the Propaganda Kool Aid coming from high-level Republicans and Democrats, (& Trump, who is neither a Repub or Dem), Mega Corporations, and the Corporate Media.
Not only my opinion. Be Well
Friday, April 12, 2019
Assange, the Feds, Russia, Tom Drake, Politics, Elections, and Hypocrisy
Below is an email I sent to a few of my family & a few friends, and my response to a friend's reply...edited a bit. In particular, the last full paragraph of this Post was not in my email response at all.
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The War on Whistleblowers---After saying during his first Pres campaign for election that they should be protected, Obama prosecuted more of them than anyone in our history. Imagine what Trump's Crew will do to Assange. While the Right & Left squabble, Plutocrats/Oligarchs win again. Their war crimes will continue to go unpunished...all in the name of "safety". Meanwhile, those who expose violations of the Constitution and outright crimes by the Gov't will be persecuted and prosecuted.
...............................................Do a Search for: Tom Drake whistleblower. Bush, Obama & Holder destroyed the career & much of the life of this American hero, a Vet, and an honorable Gov't servant who spent months trying to expose NSA wrongdoing by doing so "within the system". The Powers-That-Be ignored & denigrated him, so he finally went outside the system to expose Gov't crimes. They essentially kneecapped him. Later, Hillary had the gall to state that Manning should have worked within the system, thus gaining the protection of whistleblower status. What a tragic joke. In her youth, Hillary was a Populist, but for some time now, she's been nothing but a multi-millionaire Plutocrat. [Hopefully, she's washed up in politics.]
A friend responded with a somewhat biting critique of Assange... especially relative to the last few years. My reply is below.
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No one's perfect. Despite his flaws, I think Assange is a hero. After being cooped up in a building for 7 years, and denied safe passage to a hospital for needed medical diagnosis & treatment, who knows what anyone might do after realizing you're going to be arrested... and most likely extradited to the USA's totally broken Fed Justice System.
As to Russia, their misdeeds re the election merely are payback for all the crap our Gov't heaps on them... we've interfered in their affairs (including elections) for decades. Sanctions, elections, Ukraine, NATO encroachment right up to their border (after it was agreed not to do that), & who knows what else. As to the Dem email leaks, GOOD. I think those were in the public interest--- exposure of the two-faced Hillary, and the manipulation of Primaries by the Dem Upper Crust. The truth was exposed; too bad that the truth did not favor Democrats. That's the fault of Dems, not Russians.
I really am sick & tired of hearing Dems whine about Russians "interfering in our elections". What hypocrisy...and they're still complaining. They should focus on the fact that two Plutocrats were running for President...correct that. The Dems are just as bad as the Repubs when it comes to being self-righteous in terms of election behavior. But the Dems gerrymander, too; the Dems manipulate Primaries, too. Just because the Repubs are worse about it does not excuse Dem behavior... including their self-righteousness.
The article you sent implied that the charge against Assange was not really much...& not related to publishing. Please. He could get 45 years in prison according to a previous lawyer of his. Plus, I don't see how aiding a whistleblower in getting info is not related to publishing that info.
As to Assange (an Australian) favoring Russia, maybe so; but unfortunately, our Gov't is a much bigger threat to the world than the Ruskies ever could be. Not just militarily, but all across the board. There's no doubt whatsoever about that. I don't at all believe their Gov't Plutocrats are the "good guys"; but our Gov't Plutocrats (at the highest levels) are a gazillion times worse, and a monstrous threat to this planet...militarily, economically, financially, environmentally, politically (even though our NeoFeudalism is more subtle than Russia's), & in every other way I can imagine.
Conclusion: all this braying about Russia is, to me, blatant HYPOCRISY... and way overblown... and finally, a distraction from much more important things. As to Assange, our Government's wrongdoings need to be exposed. History shows that the State almost always tries to cover up its crimes by criminalizing those who expose them.
I love this Land; but we need to wake up to the fact that our Fed Gov't is led by a bunch of screwed-up, dangerous, plutocratic oligarchs...and that's no matter whether Republicans or Democrats hold majority power. Another option is to keep drinking the Propaganda Kool Aid, bury our heads in the sand, and hope everything turns out okay. Another option is to continue to believe (as the True Believers do) that only the Republicans or the Democrats have the right solution to our problems... in other words, to continue to believe the Propaganda coming from one or the other of those two camps.
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Not only my opinion. Be Well
Friday, September 7, 2018
"Fear", "Quiet Resistance", Plutocrats, & In Plain Sight
While Bob Woodward's book, Fear, and the NYT Op-Ed by Anonymous are welcome by anyone who believes in a free society and an honest, transparent government, let's keep something in mind. Most all the recent information about Trump has been blatantly obvious for a long time to any outsider with even just a modicum of interest in American politics. His serial lying, half-baked ideas, fear-mongering, erratic behavior, crass behavior, ignorance, incompetence, etc. are---for the most part---in plain sight. Yes, it's good to have all that confirmed by insiders, but most of this has been evident for years.
Years ago, Trump was trained by the Mob lawyer, Roy M. Cohn. Cohn taught The Don to use lies and appalling behavior in counter-attacks against critics. Anything to distract people from the original criticism of Trump. Anything to change the subject and the focus. If one looks closely at the history of Trump, that pattern jumps right out at you...to this very day.
Example: Trump claims that Bob Woodward, a respected journalist, "has a credibility problem". No, Mr. President, you're the one with that problem. That statement by you is another in a long series of outright lies. Everyone knows that, unless they have been propagandized to the hilt.
In a way, Woodward and Anonymous essentially are whistleblowers. Those who expose wrongdoing, bad behavior, illegality, etc. rarely ever are treated well by Plutocrats...in or out of government. Instead, such people are attacked, smeared, and even criminalized. Plutocrats like Trump can't stand transparency, especially in government.
I've been closely following American politics since 1956, and never have I seen an Administration as egregious and dangerous as Trump's. The current crop of Plutocrats in DC truly is beyond the pale.
Not only my opinion. Be Well
p.s. Again, a reminder--- I'm not a Democrat or a Republican.
Saturday, May 7, 2016
"The Drone Papers", and Obama the Assassin
This piece is a 10-16-15 REDUX---
"The Drone Papers", and Obama the Assassin
For a great overview of this subject and interviews with the investigative journalists involved, see today's newscast at Democracy Now (Friday, October 16, 2015). I doubt you'll see anything like it on the Corporate Media outlets...which seem to be obsessed with the weather.
A whistleblower has supplied The Intercept.com with official secret documents regarding Obama's Drone Wars in Yemen, Somalia, & Afghanistan. At their website (The Intercept), there's a series of articles based upon those documents: "The Assassination Complex", "A Virtual Glossary", "The Kill Chain", "Find, Fix, Finish", "Manhunting in the Hindu Kush", "Firing Blind", "The Life and Death of Objective Peckham", and "Target Africa". In a classified Pentagon study, officials found significant flaws in the Drone Program, including faulty Signals Intelligence (cell phone calls, texting, emails, etc.) and serious limitations in the drone technology itself.
Other of the Papers revealed that sometimes nine out of ten people killed are not the intended target. [Anyone killed in a drone attack automatically is classified as an EKIA (Enemy Killed in Action)... even if that person is the target's grandmother.] Also, reliance upon foreign intelligence is heavy, and in some cases, it's entirely possible that political opponents (especially in Yemen), not terrorists, were killed. The Papers also revealed that in a few Afghan provinces, the residents opposed/resisted the Taliban...until Americans invaded their land. There's much, much more, but I don't have the time or energy to cover it. See the newscast at Democracy Now.
Obama is unconstitutionally targeting people for death. A clause in Article I, Section 8 of the Constitution makes it clear that only Congress, not the Executive Branch, can issue "Letters of Marque and Reprisal" (assassination orders). Perhaps some people think, so what, he's killing terrorists who are a threat to us. Too bad that's not always true...too bad that many more innocent people are being slaughtered than what we've been told by the Executive Branch, and too bad that we're not even at war with Somalia, Yemen, or Pakistan... all sovereign nations. Pakistan, in particular, repeatedly has told our Gov't to stop bombing in their country. Too bad that the Taliban now control more of Afghanistan than they ever did in the last fourteen years. Too bad that Afghanistan is known (for very good reasons) as "The Graveyard of Empires". The old Soviets had 500,000 Russian troops there...they lost that war.
Obama just recently stated (paraphrased): "You know I'm not in favor of Endless War.". All I know, Mr. President, is that's what you keep saying. I see little to no evidence of the truth of that. You claim these Drone Wars are not "war". If that's true, then here's a thought for you: you have no legal authority to order the murder of people around the world. Who died & thus made you King? Some of the people you're having killed probably were toddlers on 9-11-01. Have they attacked us? The fact is, even more than Bush-Cheney, you've maneuvered us into a present & future of perpetual war. There's no end in sight. There's no reasonable plan in sight. Drone wars, Syria, Afghanistan, Iraq, Yemen, Somalia, Pakistan, and who knows what's next--- you're a warmonger, all in the name of national security. Wow, what an original justification. Here's another fact: your military actions are making new terrorists and stirring up the old ones. A final fact: IT IS LAW ENFORCEMENT and everyday citizens who are keeping us safe from Terrorism...not your terrorist-creating, military maneuvers. You've succeeded in making our Gov't's actions the number one generator of terrorists in the entire world. You've beaten out Bush-Cheney in that regard. I didn't think that was possible.
I (& many reputable analysts) think your military misadventures are because the economy here is in bad shape, our fiscal & monetary conditions are appalling, the dollar's world reserve currency status is being seriously threatened, and your implementation of the Big Stick around the world supposedly will hold it all together. All you're doing is making enemies around the Globe, while at the same time, destroying our economy. You people in the DC Ivory Tower need to wake up and pay attention. You're not the Master, you're the Servant.
Not only my opinion. Be Well
Friday, October 16, 2015
"The Drone Papers", and Obama the Assassin
For a great overview of this subject and interviews with the investigative journalists involved, see today's newscast at Democracy Now (Friday, October 16, 2015). I doubt you'll see anything like it on the Corporate Media outlets...which seem to be obsessed with the weather.
A whistleblower has supplied The Intercept.com with official secret documents regarding Obama's Drone Wars in Yemen, Somalia, & Afghanistan. At their website (The Intercept), there's a series of articles based upon those documents: "The Assassination Complex", "A Virtual Glossary", "The Kill Chain", "Find, Fix, Finish", "Manhunting in the Hindu Kush", "Firing Blind", "The Life and Death of Objective Peckham", and "Target Africa". In a classified Pentagon study, officials found significant flaws in the Drone Program, including faulty Signals Intelligence (cell phone calls, texting, emails, etc.) and serious limitations in the drone technology itself.
Other of the Papers revealed that sometimes nine out of ten people killed are not the intended target. [Anyone killed in a drone attack automatically is classified as an EKIA (Enemy Killed in Action)... even if that person is the target's grandmother.] Also, reliance upon foreign intelligence is heavy, and in some cases, it's entirely possible that political opponents (especially in Yemen), not terrorists, were killed. The Papers also revealed that in a few Afghan provinces, the residents opposed/resisted the Taliban...until Americans invaded their land. There's much, much more, but I don't have the time or energy to cover it. See the newscast at Democracy Now.
Obama is unconstitutionally targeting people for death. A clause in Article I, Section 8 of the Constitution makes it clear that only Congress, not the Executive Branch,can issue "Letters of Marque and Reprisal" (assassination orders). Perhaps some people think, so what, he's killing terrorists who are a threat to us. Too bad that's not always true...too bad that many more innocent people are being slaughtered than what we've been told by the Executive Branch, and too bad that we're not even at war with Somalia, Yemen, or Pakistan... all sovereign nations. Pakistan, in particular, repeatedly has told our Gov't to stop bombing in their country. Too bad that the Taliban now control more of Afghanistan than they ever did in the last fourteen years. Too bad that Afghanistan is known (for very good reasons) as "The Graveyard of Empires". The old Soviets had 500,000 Russian troops there...they lost that war.
Obama just recently stated (paraphrased): "You know I'm not in favor of Endless War.". All I know, Mr. President, is that's what you keep saying. I see little to no evidence of the truth of that. You claim these Drone Wars are not "war". If that's true, then here's a thought for you: you have no legal authority to order the murder of people around the world. Who died & thus made you King? Some of the people you're having killed probably were toddlers on 9-11-01. Have they attacked us? The fact is, even more than Bush-Cheney, you've maneuvered us into a present & future of perpetual war. There's no end in sight. There's no reasonable plan in sight. Drone wars, Syria, Afghanistan, Iraq, Yemen, Somalia, Pakistan, and who knows what's next--- you're a warmonger, all in the name of national security. Wow, what an original justification. Here's another fact: your military actions are making new terrorists and stirring up the old ones. A final fact: IT IS LAW ENFORCEMENT and everyday citizens who are keeping us safe from Terrorism...not your terrorist-creating, military maneuvers. You've succeeded in making our Gov't's actions the number one generator of terrorists in the entire world. You've beaten out Bush-Cheney in that regard. I didn't think that was possible.
I (& many reputable analysts) think your military misadventures are because the economy here is in bad shape, our fiscal & monetary conditions are appalling, the dollar's world reserve currency status is being seriously threatened, and your implementation of the Big Stick around the world supposedly will hold it all together. All you're doing is making enemies around the Globe, while at the same time, destroying our economy. You people in the DC Ivory Tower need to wake up and pay attention. You're not the Master, you're the Servant.
Not only my opinion. Be Well
Thursday, October 15, 2015
Clinton is Either Ignorant or Lying...O'Malley Too
That's what Norman Solomon, documentary producer & long-time political activist, said on Democracy Now today. I agree. He was talking about her response regarding a question on Edward Snowden during the Democratic Debate Tuesday night. Hillary essentially said that Snowden "could have been" a whistleblower "if" he had gone through the proper channels and gotten the "protections" provided to whistleblowers.
That statement by Clinton is either a lie, ignorance on her part, or a really bad joke. Tom Drake, Jeffrey Stirling, and several others spent months going through the proper, internal channels with their whistleblowing. All that did was target them for persecution, and then selective prosecution. "Selective" because guys like David Petraeus only get a slap on the wrist. Guys like Brennan, Panetta, & Clapper get NOTHING.
As Solomon stated (paraphrased), Obama's war against whistleblowers and journalists is unprecedented in our history. Indeed. Barack Obama is perhaps the most Fascist President we've ever had in the Oval Office. Propaganda calling him "socialist" is just that---propaganda. As I've pointed out many times, both FDR and Mussolini defined Fascism as: the marriage of the Power of the State to the Power of Big Business. That fits Obama to a tee. Those who wept with joy at his election in 2008 must be the most disappointed voters in our political history. They elected a Corporatist posing as some sort of Populist and/or Leftist.
Then, too, we had O'Malley of Maryland in the Debate stating that "whistleblowers don't run to Russia". Again, ignorance, or a lie, or a bad joke. Snowden was on his way from Hong Kong to Ecuador. At the stop in Russia (or maybe in-flight from H.K.), the U.S. Gov't revoked his passport. He then wasn't allowed to board the plane to continue his journey. It always amazes me how politicians twist stories to suit their particular agendas.
Not only my opinion. Be Well
Wednesday, August 20, 2014
Protests, Ferguson, the Hypocrisy of Brand Obama, & Oligarchies
A few years ago at some sort of Socialist Convention, John Pilger (a well-known Australian documentarian) gave a speech in which he characterized Obama as "Brand Obama...and it's all fake". There are so many examples of Obama's hypocrisy and deceit that I couldn't possibly relate even half of them to you. Despite that, two very recent examples have prompted me to comment.
1. A day or two ago, our President stated publicly that he was very concerned over the use of militarized police in Ferguson, Missouri...relative to Mike Brown's death and the ensuing public protests. Incredible. For years and years, the Fed Gov't (including the Obama Administration) has been instrumental in purposely militarizing local police...with gear, vehicles, weapons, and training. The excuse given, of course, is the Boogie-Man who replaced the Communist--- the Terrorist.
Don't get me wrong. I'm all for being protected against terrorism, but here's the problem. When police basically are turned into soldiers and use military-style vehicles in dealing with everyday citizens, a new dynamic becomes part of police-community relations. Common, law-abiding people are made to feel as though they ALL are some kind of "enemy". Peaceful protesters, exercising their Right to free speech suddenly are treated as if they are some sort of enemy. This violates long-held principles in this country, such as dissidents being able to voice their protests without fear, and the principle that the military should be used against citizens only in cases of EXTREME violence or insurrection.
2. Obama also stated just recently that journalists should not be harassed or jailed by the police just for trying to do their jobs. That statement is in direct contradiction to Brand Obama's actions via his Administration's relentless harassment of the New York Times reporter, James Risen. Never mind the Fed Gov't treatment of many other journalists whose "crime" appears to be that they're getting news stories from Fed whistleblowers.
All of the above illustrates some worrisome tactics of various Oligarchies. Too often, everyday people no longer are allowed to peacefully protest in this country. A day or two ago, a 90-year-old woman was arrested (with several other people) in a public space in front of the building that contains the Governor's Office in Missouri. They were protesting the situation in Ferguson. I'm wondering, did the police think this 90-year-old protester was a "terrorist", or some other threat to Missouri? I doubt it. The name of the Game in the USA today is to clamp down hard on lawful dissidence. The Oligarchs simply don't want to hear it. The abrogation of the First Amendment is nearly complete. Politicians still tell us that we have the Rights of free speech & assembly, and the Right to petition our Government...but in reality, we rarely are allowed to exercise those Natural Rights. Those at the highest levels in our Gov't, like Obama, say one thing and then do another...and they don't even try to hide it anymore. Instead, they simply spew out Gov't-Speak and Edward Bernays style propaganda.
Another long-standing tactic of Oligarchs and their Cronies in Government, a tactic being exacerbated in recent years, is instituting the idea of the "crime" of PRE-CRIME into our supposedly free society. So, for example, lawful and peaceful protests are confined to designated areas---usually distant from the event being protested---because someone MIGHT break the law. Or worse, public protesters are immediately arrested and hauled off because they MIGHT commit a crime. The protester is guilty of Pre-Crime. Another example--- pre-emptive invasions of certain foreign countries are deemed by the Oligarchs as Constitutional and ethical because the "enemy" country MIGHT attack us or our allies in the future. The "enemy" is guilty of Pre-Crime. This was Dubya Bush's primary public reason for invading Iraq in 2003. The private reason, I'm guessing, is a completely different story. Another example--- it is against the law to possess certain plant substances and imbibe them behind the closed doors of your home. The reason: you MIGHT commit a crime once you become "high". This concept, of course, does not apply to America's Drug of Choice, booze. You can possess all the alcohol that you so desire. That's because we discovered a long time ago that prohibition of substances does not work...never has, never will. I guess that lesson has been lost. Here's a clue, Oligarchs: in any sane Universe, possession of a plant substance is not a crime; it's not even the crime of Pre-Crime, which is a totally egregious and unconstitutional concept.
Partly just my opinion. Be Well
1. A day or two ago, our President stated publicly that he was very concerned over the use of militarized police in Ferguson, Missouri...relative to Mike Brown's death and the ensuing public protests. Incredible. For years and years, the Fed Gov't (including the Obama Administration) has been instrumental in purposely militarizing local police...with gear, vehicles, weapons, and training. The excuse given, of course, is the Boogie-Man who replaced the Communist--- the Terrorist.
Don't get me wrong. I'm all for being protected against terrorism, but here's the problem. When police basically are turned into soldiers and use military-style vehicles in dealing with everyday citizens, a new dynamic becomes part of police-community relations. Common, law-abiding people are made to feel as though they ALL are some kind of "enemy". Peaceful protesters, exercising their Right to free speech suddenly are treated as if they are some sort of enemy. This violates long-held principles in this country, such as dissidents being able to voice their protests without fear, and the principle that the military should be used against citizens only in cases of EXTREME violence or insurrection.
2. Obama also stated just recently that journalists should not be harassed or jailed by the police just for trying to do their jobs. That statement is in direct contradiction to Brand Obama's actions via his Administration's relentless harassment of the New York Times reporter, James Risen. Never mind the Fed Gov't treatment of many other journalists whose "crime" appears to be that they're getting news stories from Fed whistleblowers.
All of the above illustrates some worrisome tactics of various Oligarchies. Too often, everyday people no longer are allowed to peacefully protest in this country. A day or two ago, a 90-year-old woman was arrested (with several other people) in a public space in front of the building that contains the Governor's Office in Missouri. They were protesting the situation in Ferguson. I'm wondering, did the police think this 90-year-old protester was a "terrorist", or some other threat to Missouri? I doubt it. The name of the Game in the USA today is to clamp down hard on lawful dissidence. The Oligarchs simply don't want to hear it. The abrogation of the First Amendment is nearly complete. Politicians still tell us that we have the Rights of free speech & assembly, and the Right to petition our Government...but in reality, we rarely are allowed to exercise those Natural Rights. Those at the highest levels in our Gov't, like Obama, say one thing and then do another...and they don't even try to hide it anymore. Instead, they simply spew out Gov't-Speak and Edward Bernays style propaganda.
Another long-standing tactic of Oligarchs and their Cronies in Government, a tactic being exacerbated in recent years, is instituting the idea of the "crime" of PRE-CRIME into our supposedly free society. So, for example, lawful and peaceful protests are confined to designated areas---usually distant from the event being protested---because someone MIGHT break the law. Or worse, public protesters are immediately arrested and hauled off because they MIGHT commit a crime. The protester is guilty of Pre-Crime. Another example--- pre-emptive invasions of certain foreign countries are deemed by the Oligarchs as Constitutional and ethical because the "enemy" country MIGHT attack us or our allies in the future. The "enemy" is guilty of Pre-Crime. This was Dubya Bush's primary public reason for invading Iraq in 2003. The private reason, I'm guessing, is a completely different story. Another example--- it is against the law to possess certain plant substances and imbibe them behind the closed doors of your home. The reason: you MIGHT commit a crime once you become "high". This concept, of course, does not apply to America's Drug of Choice, booze. You can possess all the alcohol that you so desire. That's because we discovered a long time ago that prohibition of substances does not work...never has, never will. I guess that lesson has been lost. Here's a clue, Oligarchs: in any sane Universe, possession of a plant substance is not a crime; it's not even the crime of Pre-Crime, which is a totally egregious and unconstitutional concept.
Partly just my opinion. Be Well
Wednesday, July 9, 2014
Rules from and for the Oligarchy
By the "Oligarchy", I'm referring of course to those at the highest levels in politics, Big Business, and the Intelligentsia...the ones who "run the country". They are both Democrats and Republicans, but those labels are not in any way important to them. Their guideposts primarily are power and money. They're not in any kind of conspiracy, but they do enjoy great solidarity.
Here, then, are their rules for success...the rules by which they live, thrive, and rule others.
1. Utilize Edward Bernays style Propaganda at every opportunity...to its maximum effect.
2. Select, groom, and finance the slickest liars and most unethical people possible for national political office.
3. Wrap yourself in the American Flag at every opportunity.
4. Strive to keep the country perpetually at war. It's great for Big Business and the best way to control the public mind. It also gives us every opportunity to "colonize" geostrategic areas without appearing imperialistic; that way we can assure American Primacy. We're just defending our country. If one person is killed, it's murder; but if 100,000 are killed, it's Foreign Policy and/or protecting our Homeland.
5. Tell the Little People whatever it is they want to hear at crucial times.
6. Continue the myth that Republicans and Democrats at the highest levels have substantially different views. It's the best way to Divide and Conquer. Pretend to squabble with your supposed political opposition.
7. At all costs, never prosecute in court any mega bank CEO who has been complicit in swindling people. Don't bite the hand that feeds you. Instead, levy a large fine against the bank for "misleading investors".
8. Distract the public with minor political issues and various circuses.
9. Allow people to peacefully protest, but only in limited, designated areas.
10. When caught in wrongdoing, criminalize the whistleblower.
11. Make certain that the mainstream, corporate media keep serving up pablum to the public... either that or controversy over nothing of any significant consequence.
12. Continue the myth that the People live in a participatory democracy.
13. At all costs, support and promote the WTO and Free Trade Agreements, the Neoliberal policy of deregulation of the worldwide Financial Sector, and the myth that we're aiding poor countries by forcing them to privatize gov't services. In other words, continue the myth that Globalization is good for the common people and the economy.
14. Avoid conflict with the U.S. Constitution simply by ignoring the document.
15. Continue the myth that the President of the U.S. legally (and essentially) can create Law by the use of Executive Orders. If questioned about that, respond by saying that the Constitution "implies" it.
16. Oppose, denigrate, and when possible, eliminate all labor unions. Substitute biased "mandatory arbitration" in their place. This is the best way to keep the Little People workers in check.
17. Keep the public in fear.
18. Continue the lie that National Security trumps everything... including common decency, the Law, the Constitution, ethics, and morality.
19. Continue the War on Drugs. It's almost as good as actual war in relation to controlling the populace.
20. Act as though you favor egalitarian issues; in other words, lie.
..............................................................................
Do you recognize any of this? There is a better way. The second step toward that is to organize. The first step I've stated over and over: we must stop drinking the Propaganda Kool Aid.
Be Well
Here, then, are their rules for success...the rules by which they live, thrive, and rule others.
1. Utilize Edward Bernays style Propaganda at every opportunity...to its maximum effect.
2. Select, groom, and finance the slickest liars and most unethical people possible for national political office.
3. Wrap yourself in the American Flag at every opportunity.
4. Strive to keep the country perpetually at war. It's great for Big Business and the best way to control the public mind. It also gives us every opportunity to "colonize" geostrategic areas without appearing imperialistic; that way we can assure American Primacy. We're just defending our country. If one person is killed, it's murder; but if 100,000 are killed, it's Foreign Policy and/or protecting our Homeland.
5. Tell the Little People whatever it is they want to hear at crucial times.
6. Continue the myth that Republicans and Democrats at the highest levels have substantially different views. It's the best way to Divide and Conquer. Pretend to squabble with your supposed political opposition.
7. At all costs, never prosecute in court any mega bank CEO who has been complicit in swindling people. Don't bite the hand that feeds you. Instead, levy a large fine against the bank for "misleading investors".
8. Distract the public with minor political issues and various circuses.
9. Allow people to peacefully protest, but only in limited, designated areas.
10. When caught in wrongdoing, criminalize the whistleblower.
11. Make certain that the mainstream, corporate media keep serving up pablum to the public... either that or controversy over nothing of any significant consequence.
12. Continue the myth that the People live in a participatory democracy.
13. At all costs, support and promote the WTO and Free Trade Agreements, the Neoliberal policy of deregulation of the worldwide Financial Sector, and the myth that we're aiding poor countries by forcing them to privatize gov't services. In other words, continue the myth that Globalization is good for the common people and the economy.
14. Avoid conflict with the U.S. Constitution simply by ignoring the document.
15. Continue the myth that the President of the U.S. legally (and essentially) can create Law by the use of Executive Orders. If questioned about that, respond by saying that the Constitution "implies" it.
16. Oppose, denigrate, and when possible, eliminate all labor unions. Substitute biased "mandatory arbitration" in their place. This is the best way to keep the Little People workers in check.
17. Keep the public in fear.
18. Continue the lie that National Security trumps everything... including common decency, the Law, the Constitution, ethics, and morality.
19. Continue the War on Drugs. It's almost as good as actual war in relation to controlling the populace.
20. Act as though you favor egalitarian issues; in other words, lie.
..............................................................................
Do you recognize any of this? There is a better way. The second step toward that is to organize. The first step I've stated over and over: we must stop drinking the Propaganda Kool Aid.
Be Well
Tuesday, July 8, 2014
The Institutionalists vs. the Insurrectionists, RE: Edward Snowden
Both John Kerry and Hillary Clinton have suggested that Edward Snowden should return to the U.S. and face trial. That brings to mind the current, worldwide philosophical (and practical) clash between the Institutionalists and the Insurrectionists. Institutions, or the Establishment in general, ostensibly exist to serve the People in various ways; that's their purpose. The Oligarchs who run Institutions often sincerely believe in the goodness of that function... until the Institution is exposed in some wrongdoing or another... until the end supposedly justifies foul means. Then everything changes. The Oligarchs hunker down and do everything possible (legal or not) to protect the Institution; to hell with the People, or Justice, or due process.
I would think that most people know that if Snowden did return, he never would receive a fair and just trial. Here's why---
1. In all likelihood, he would be held incommunicado.
2. Evidence would be suppressed. The Gov't would claim "State Secrets", "National Security", "Executive Privilege", etc., ad nauseum.
3. The Judge, or perhaps Tribunal, would allow nothing to surface that didn't relate to the 1917 Espionage Act. In other words, the Govt's many, many, many wrongdoings and violations of the Constitution would be deemed "not pertinent to this case" or "not relevant".
4. Jury nullification would not be allowed.
The tragic irony in the Snowden affair is that Obama, when first running for President, publicly claimed that his Administration would protect whistleblowers... that they were good for government. As soon as he was elected, he continued the case against Tom Drake (an NSA whistleblower)... a case first brought to trial by Alberto Gonzales under Dubya Bush. As the Australian socialist, journalist, and documentarian John Pilger once stated, "Brand Obama...and it's all fake.".
I'm fairly sure that Oligarchies around the world are beginning to worry because nonviolent Insurrectionists courageously are exposing the gross wrongdoings of various Institutions. Just as importantly, the People no longer are buying the Propaganda put out against patriotic, peaceful whistleblowers. Notice, however, that those at the highest levels in any Oligarchy continue on no matter how illegal, unjust, and unethical their exposed actions are shown to be. They accuse the whistleblower or journalist of being a criminal, and then claim that the Institution will "reform" its wrongful ways. Distract, distract, distract. All of that means it will take a long, sustained effort to really reform any corrupt Establishment.
Kudos to Daniel Ellsberg, John Perkins, John Pilger, Matt Taibbi, Jeremy Scahill, Glenn Greenwald, Laura Poitras, Julian Assange, Sarah Harrison, Edward Snowden, Chelsea (formerly Bradley) Manning, Tom Drake, and many, many others for the great personal costs they have paid in order to help bring Outlaw Gov'ts into the light. Exposing rogue Institutions is a very risky business. Very little is more patriotic. We the People should support the peaceful Insurrectionists to the hilt.
Be Well
I would think that most people know that if Snowden did return, he never would receive a fair and just trial. Here's why---
1. In all likelihood, he would be held incommunicado.
2. Evidence would be suppressed. The Gov't would claim "State Secrets", "National Security", "Executive Privilege", etc., ad nauseum.
3. The Judge, or perhaps Tribunal, would allow nothing to surface that didn't relate to the 1917 Espionage Act. In other words, the Govt's many, many, many wrongdoings and violations of the Constitution would be deemed "not pertinent to this case" or "not relevant".
4. Jury nullification would not be allowed.
The tragic irony in the Snowden affair is that Obama, when first running for President, publicly claimed that his Administration would protect whistleblowers... that they were good for government. As soon as he was elected, he continued the case against Tom Drake (an NSA whistleblower)... a case first brought to trial by Alberto Gonzales under Dubya Bush. As the Australian socialist, journalist, and documentarian John Pilger once stated, "Brand Obama...and it's all fake.".
I'm fairly sure that Oligarchies around the world are beginning to worry because nonviolent Insurrectionists courageously are exposing the gross wrongdoings of various Institutions. Just as importantly, the People no longer are buying the Propaganda put out against patriotic, peaceful whistleblowers. Notice, however, that those at the highest levels in any Oligarchy continue on no matter how illegal, unjust, and unethical their exposed actions are shown to be. They accuse the whistleblower or journalist of being a criminal, and then claim that the Institution will "reform" its wrongful ways. Distract, distract, distract. All of that means it will take a long, sustained effort to really reform any corrupt Establishment.
Kudos to Daniel Ellsberg, John Perkins, John Pilger, Matt Taibbi, Jeremy Scahill, Glenn Greenwald, Laura Poitras, Julian Assange, Sarah Harrison, Edward Snowden, Chelsea (formerly Bradley) Manning, Tom Drake, and many, many others for the great personal costs they have paid in order to help bring Outlaw Gov'ts into the light. Exposing rogue Institutions is a very risky business. Very little is more patriotic. We the People should support the peaceful Insurrectionists to the hilt.
Be Well
Tuesday, June 17, 2014
The Bush-Obama Principles and Doctrines
1. Respect a country's sovereignty only when it serves the interests of the U.S. Fed Gov't and the Oligarchs who own that Gov't.
2. Never refer to the Constitution except when saying, "Stop telling me about the Constitution; the Constitution is just a goddamn piece of paper." ~ George W. Bush.
3. Refer to those in a civil war who are not the puppets of the U.S. Fed Gov't as "terrorists". [Example--- A day or two ago, Obama referred to the Iraqi Sunnis (who are in a civil war with the Iraqi Shiites) in that exact way. He also said that, short of sending in ground troops, he would aid the Iraqi Gov't in order to defeat said terrorists in Iraq...and so, too, to make sure they never attack our Homeland. Query: do people really fall for that line?]
4. If a whistleblower exposes Fed Gov't criminality, then criminalize that whistleblower. [Examples--- Tom Drake, Julian Assange, Edward Snowden, and several others.]
5. Bail out financial institutions who have made reckless, incredibly speculative investments...and who should (according to the principles of Free Market Capitalism) eat the consequences and fail. Lie to the People, saying that if those Financialization Institutions are not bailed out, our entire economy will collapse. Protect the mega banks that swindled investors from criminal prosecution.
6. Allow mega corporate cronies to become Fed Gov't cronies, and in the process, give them a capital gains tax break of hundreds of millions of dollars. [Example: Hank Paulson...capital gains tax break of $200 million. There are others as well. Put out a cover story saying that's how we attract the best people to Gov't.]
7. Do whatever Israel says. Ignore and/or suppress the fact that the founders of the State of Israel were once themselves terrorists...back when that land was British Palestine. Ignore and/or suppress the fact that current Israeli settlements in the Occupied Territories violate International Law.
8. Support all so-called "Free Trade" Agreements...especially when they facilitate the export of jobs and manufacturing from the USA, thus allowing the super-rich to become even richer.
9. Cover up Fed Gov't criminality by using this phrase over and over: National Security.
10. Talk the Egalitarian Talk, but then do what's best for the Oligarchy. Continue mega corporate welfare at the highest level possible. Make certain that billionaires essentially can buy elections.
11. Continue the lie that the Fed Reserve benefits Main Street. Don't let the People know that the Fed provides essentially free money (the Discount Window) to so-called investment banks...and that those "investments" are not for job creation, but rather are for speculative derivatives that benefit only insiders.
12. Continue the myth that because of certain legislation the Congress supposedly does not have to declare war before the President can put troops on the battlefield. [That LIE has been one of the most successful falsehoods ever put forth by the highest levels of the Fed Gov't. The false premise in that concept is that Laws supercede the U.S. Constitution. Please.]
I could go on...and on...and on. Time constraints do not permit it.
Be Well
2. Never refer to the Constitution except when saying, "Stop telling me about the Constitution; the Constitution is just a goddamn piece of paper." ~ George W. Bush.
3. Refer to those in a civil war who are not the puppets of the U.S. Fed Gov't as "terrorists". [Example--- A day or two ago, Obama referred to the Iraqi Sunnis (who are in a civil war with the Iraqi Shiites) in that exact way. He also said that, short of sending in ground troops, he would aid the Iraqi Gov't in order to defeat said terrorists in Iraq...and so, too, to make sure they never attack our Homeland. Query: do people really fall for that line?]
4. If a whistleblower exposes Fed Gov't criminality, then criminalize that whistleblower. [Examples--- Tom Drake, Julian Assange, Edward Snowden, and several others.]
5. Bail out financial institutions who have made reckless, incredibly speculative investments...and who should (according to the principles of Free Market Capitalism) eat the consequences and fail. Lie to the People, saying that if those Financialization Institutions are not bailed out, our entire economy will collapse. Protect the mega banks that swindled investors from criminal prosecution.
6. Allow mega corporate cronies to become Fed Gov't cronies, and in the process, give them a capital gains tax break of hundreds of millions of dollars. [Example: Hank Paulson...capital gains tax break of $200 million. There are others as well. Put out a cover story saying that's how we attract the best people to Gov't.]
7. Do whatever Israel says. Ignore and/or suppress the fact that the founders of the State of Israel were once themselves terrorists...back when that land was British Palestine. Ignore and/or suppress the fact that current Israeli settlements in the Occupied Territories violate International Law.
8. Support all so-called "Free Trade" Agreements...especially when they facilitate the export of jobs and manufacturing from the USA, thus allowing the super-rich to become even richer.
9. Cover up Fed Gov't criminality by using this phrase over and over: National Security.
10. Talk the Egalitarian Talk, but then do what's best for the Oligarchy. Continue mega corporate welfare at the highest level possible. Make certain that billionaires essentially can buy elections.
11. Continue the lie that the Fed Reserve benefits Main Street. Don't let the People know that the Fed provides essentially free money (the Discount Window) to so-called investment banks...and that those "investments" are not for job creation, but rather are for speculative derivatives that benefit only insiders.
12. Continue the myth that because of certain legislation the Congress supposedly does not have to declare war before the President can put troops on the battlefield. [That LIE has been one of the most successful falsehoods ever put forth by the highest levels of the Fed Gov't. The false premise in that concept is that Laws supercede the U.S. Constitution. Please.]
I could go on...and on...and on. Time constraints do not permit it.
Be Well
Saturday, May 24, 2014
The Deceivers Bush & Obama, and an American Patriot, Tom Drake
The primary source for this essay is the current piece on PBS Frontline titled, "The United States of Secrets". It's the best, most detailed rendition that I've seen of how-why-where-when the Fed Gov't launched (via the NSA) its unconstitutional (& thus illegal), warrantless program of mass surveillance of Americans. It also includes many interview clips with several people formerly in the Gov't who attempted to expose what the NSA called "The Program". They tried first through proper Gov't channels, and when they were ignored, one of them became a whistleblower. That was Tom Drake.
Mr. Drake was a dedicated NSA senior executive. So was Mr. Edward Loomis... and there were some others... William Binney, J. Kirk Wiebe, etc. They were appalled at what the Fed Gov't was undertaking. Before getting into that, though, let's back up a bit.
The Program was conceived immediately after 9-11. Michael Hayden, the Head of the NSA, was told by Bush-Cheney to come up with a Program to prevent another 9-11 attack. Essentially he also was told to include tools that currently were not allowed by the Constitution or various Statutes. He set to work doing exactly that. It turns out that there was a program in existence prior to 9-11 that could monitor just about anyone..."ThinThread". It had automatic, electronic"privacy protections" for American citizens. The NSA stripped out those protections, thus ensuring that when The Program eventually was used, it violated the Fourth Amendment. The justification by various Executive Branch, political appointee, puppet lawyers for its use was the Article 2 (of the Constitution) phrase, "Commander-in-Chief". [Luckily, not being an attorney, I have some common sense and realize that the phrase cited does not negate other parts of the Constitution. I think most non-puppet people know the same thing.] By the summer of 2002, The Program was in full swing... doing something that never before had been allowed--- surveilling (without a proper warrant) American citizens, our phone calls, emails, financial transactions, credit card use, etc. Literally TRILLIONS of individual bits of data.
Drake and the others were kept out of the secret loop at the NSA regarding The Program, but eventually it was leaked to them that their ThinThread Program had been altered and was being used in an illegal manner. In addition, the major phone companies in the USA were turning over customer phone call records to the NSA. Apparently, these words from the Fourth Amendment are not understood by the Executive Branch: "The right of the people to be secure in their persons, houses, PAPERS, and EFFECTS..." (emphasis added). [In actual fact, I believe those words are understood by the Feds; they had/have another agenda--- expansion of Power in the U.S. World Domination Game, what Brzezinski once called "American Primacy and its Geostrategic Imperatives". From their perspective, 9-11 was a fortuitous excuse to run amok.]
Bill Binney, getting nowhere in the NSA with his concerns met with Diane Ruark, a top Congressional Staffer with 17 years of experience in the Intelligence field. A "Conservative" Republican, Ruark nonetheless was extremely concerned that the NSA had "gone rogue". She launched a campaign to inform Congress. Of course, by then it was too late--- the White House already had brought Congress on board. Oversight of the NSA was basically dead. Porter Goss was Ruark's boss; he sent her to Michael Hayden, NSA Head. He basically evaded her questions, but in a politically incorrect manner, she persisted. Finally he essentially told her to mind her own business because he had authority for The Program from the highest level (the "Commander-in-Chief"). Keep in mind that she was on the Congressional Committee for Intelligence OVERSIGHT. Checks and Balances in our Gov't, for all intents and purposes, were gone.
A few attorneys in the Executive Branch opposed The Program due to its unconstitutionality. They basically were thrown under the bus, so to speak. The Program grew, despite the fact that the Justice Dept. determined part of it to be illegal. Because I don't have the time for all the essential details, I highly recommend that people watch the Frontline piece. It is a feature-length film, but fascinating and well worth the watch.
Eventually, some knowledge of The Program reached the public. Bush and Hayden were pretty much forced to say something publicly. Both were deceitful; only a tiny part of the operation was justified... the part dealing with specific terrorist suspects. The public was propagandized. Bush eventually lied about warrantless surveillance of innocent Americans by an agency forbidden to spy on Americans. A couple of dissidents in the Gov't attempted to get the story published in the New York Times. Despite what the Right Wing in the USA thinks, the Times often kow-tows to the Feds. They did.
A year later, a reporter essentially forced (see the film) the Times to reconsider. Bush and Hayden tried to intervene; they were unsuccessful. The story was published in December, 2005. It "shocked the world", according to one commentator. Bush again went public and again was deceitful about The Program; nothing was said about monitoring trillions of emails, phone calls, etc. Hayden lied, saying, "Not a single employee of the NSA has expressed any concerns about...blah-blah-blah.". [Hayden is known as a masterful propagandist... evasive, deceitful, and totally loyal to the Institution.]
Enter Tom Drake. After four years of exhausting all in-house means of expressing concern, he contacted The Baltimore Sun and blew the whistle...anonymously. All the documents he used were UNCLASSIFIED. USA Today published another leak from a different whistleblower. The Times came out with another story. Cheney went crazy, that is, crazier than his usual. He was determined to stop the leakers (of unclassified info). A massive manhunt was launched by the FBI and it was led by Alberto Gonzales, former White House Counsel and then currently the Attorney General. Long story short, the FBI raided the homes of several people (Binney, Wiebe, Ruark, Loomis, etc., pretty much destroying their careers), but found nothing. They finally, six months later, got around to the home of Tom Drake. They seized a trove of UNCLASSIFIED documents, and he was charged under the Espionage Act. He faced possibly life in prison... for exposing Gov't unlawfulness. The seized documents were altered... "unclassified" was crossed out and they were marked "secret".
As the investigation proceeded, the Govt's cases began to fall apart. In 2008, enter Barack Obama. "No more secrecy!" Another quote: "The most transparent government [what his Administration, if elected, will be]". "Whistleblowers are good for government; they will be protected by my Administration [if elected]." "No more illegal wiretapping of American citizens [if elected]." Obama becomes President. He continues The Program. Prior to that, though, Bush reverses himself and decides he needs Congress to make The Program permanent. His Administration pushes through an Amendment to the FISA law. He claims it's "reform", but Intelligence insiders know that it gives the NSA unprecedented powers. The Program is expanded, made worse from the standpoint of the Constitution. The Amendment Bill had to be read extremely closely in order to figure out exactly what it said. Insiders expressed the opinion that Congress had little clue as to what the Bill really said. [Even if they had understood it, politicians seem to count on Americans being unaware of the fact that no law supercedes the U.S. Constitution. The Fourth Amendment cannot be negated by any Act of Congress.]
Senator Obama supported the Amendment. So even before he was elected President, the public should have had a clue that he was, at the very least, insincere in his campaign rhetoric concerning wiretapping (with no probable cause) of Americans. At most, he was lying.
President Obama's Administration continued the case against Tom Drake. So much for protection of whistleblowers. Drake's career was over, his finances were decimated (because of legal defense expense), his life more or less trashed. To get the whole thing over with, he pled guilty to a misdemeanor (they never had any espionage case) and received a minor fine and community service.
The Program continues to this day... a clear violation of the Fourth Amendment, and "justified" by a law. In the bizarro world of DC, apparently laws do supercede the Supreme Law of the Land. Amazing.
Who cares? Why is any of this important to Americans, especially non-political Americans. Here's one reason why: the whole scenario is Soft Fascism. It violates our Constitution and our Rights. It has been implemented by both major political parties, and there's little reason to believe that more of our Rights won't be trashed down the line somewhere. As Lord Acton said long ago, "Power corrupts, and...".
Finally, our Gov't is doing this worldwide. Particular Snowden documents have revealed that the NSA is even spying on the economic meetings of our allies. That has nothing at all to do with terrorism. We're losing any reputation we ever had as a great nation. Worse, our Govt's NeoImperialistic methods are making enemies of people who once admired our country. In their attempts to dominate the world, our Gov't is over-reaching... not only making enemies, but bankrupting us in the process.
I hope many of you watch the Frontline piece. The content should inform and disturb you. In any case, I salute Tom Drake and the other people in the film who tried, at great personal cost, to wake up both Congress and the public to our Govt's grossly unlawful activities. Kudos to you all. The same praise goes to Edward Snowden. His story is in Part Two of the film.
Be Well
Mr. Drake was a dedicated NSA senior executive. So was Mr. Edward Loomis... and there were some others... William Binney, J. Kirk Wiebe, etc. They were appalled at what the Fed Gov't was undertaking. Before getting into that, though, let's back up a bit.
The Program was conceived immediately after 9-11. Michael Hayden, the Head of the NSA, was told by Bush-Cheney to come up with a Program to prevent another 9-11 attack. Essentially he also was told to include tools that currently were not allowed by the Constitution or various Statutes. He set to work doing exactly that. It turns out that there was a program in existence prior to 9-11 that could monitor just about anyone..."ThinThread". It had automatic, electronic"privacy protections" for American citizens. The NSA stripped out those protections, thus ensuring that when The Program eventually was used, it violated the Fourth Amendment. The justification by various Executive Branch, political appointee, puppet lawyers for its use was the Article 2 (of the Constitution) phrase, "Commander-in-Chief". [Luckily, not being an attorney, I have some common sense and realize that the phrase cited does not negate other parts of the Constitution. I think most non-puppet people know the same thing.] By the summer of 2002, The Program was in full swing... doing something that never before had been allowed--- surveilling (without a proper warrant) American citizens, our phone calls, emails, financial transactions, credit card use, etc. Literally TRILLIONS of individual bits of data.
Drake and the others were kept out of the secret loop at the NSA regarding The Program, but eventually it was leaked to them that their ThinThread Program had been altered and was being used in an illegal manner. In addition, the major phone companies in the USA were turning over customer phone call records to the NSA. Apparently, these words from the Fourth Amendment are not understood by the Executive Branch: "The right of the people to be secure in their persons, houses, PAPERS, and EFFECTS..." (emphasis added). [In actual fact, I believe those words are understood by the Feds; they had/have another agenda--- expansion of Power in the U.S. World Domination Game, what Brzezinski once called "American Primacy and its Geostrategic Imperatives". From their perspective, 9-11 was a fortuitous excuse to run amok.]
Bill Binney, getting nowhere in the NSA with his concerns met with Diane Ruark, a top Congressional Staffer with 17 years of experience in the Intelligence field. A "Conservative" Republican, Ruark nonetheless was extremely concerned that the NSA had "gone rogue". She launched a campaign to inform Congress. Of course, by then it was too late--- the White House already had brought Congress on board. Oversight of the NSA was basically dead. Porter Goss was Ruark's boss; he sent her to Michael Hayden, NSA Head. He basically evaded her questions, but in a politically incorrect manner, she persisted. Finally he essentially told her to mind her own business because he had authority for The Program from the highest level (the "Commander-in-Chief"). Keep in mind that she was on the Congressional Committee for Intelligence OVERSIGHT. Checks and Balances in our Gov't, for all intents and purposes, were gone.
A few attorneys in the Executive Branch opposed The Program due to its unconstitutionality. They basically were thrown under the bus, so to speak. The Program grew, despite the fact that the Justice Dept. determined part of it to be illegal. Because I don't have the time for all the essential details, I highly recommend that people watch the Frontline piece. It is a feature-length film, but fascinating and well worth the watch.
Eventually, some knowledge of The Program reached the public. Bush and Hayden were pretty much forced to say something publicly. Both were deceitful; only a tiny part of the operation was justified... the part dealing with specific terrorist suspects. The public was propagandized. Bush eventually lied about warrantless surveillance of innocent Americans by an agency forbidden to spy on Americans. A couple of dissidents in the Gov't attempted to get the story published in the New York Times. Despite what the Right Wing in the USA thinks, the Times often kow-tows to the Feds. They did.
A year later, a reporter essentially forced (see the film) the Times to reconsider. Bush and Hayden tried to intervene; they were unsuccessful. The story was published in December, 2005. It "shocked the world", according to one commentator. Bush again went public and again was deceitful about The Program; nothing was said about monitoring trillions of emails, phone calls, etc. Hayden lied, saying, "Not a single employee of the NSA has expressed any concerns about...blah-blah-blah.". [Hayden is known as a masterful propagandist... evasive, deceitful, and totally loyal to the Institution.]
Enter Tom Drake. After four years of exhausting all in-house means of expressing concern, he contacted The Baltimore Sun and blew the whistle...anonymously. All the documents he used were UNCLASSIFIED. USA Today published another leak from a different whistleblower. The Times came out with another story. Cheney went crazy, that is, crazier than his usual. He was determined to stop the leakers (of unclassified info). A massive manhunt was launched by the FBI and it was led by Alberto Gonzales, former White House Counsel and then currently the Attorney General. Long story short, the FBI raided the homes of several people (Binney, Wiebe, Ruark, Loomis, etc., pretty much destroying their careers), but found nothing. They finally, six months later, got around to the home of Tom Drake. They seized a trove of UNCLASSIFIED documents, and he was charged under the Espionage Act. He faced possibly life in prison... for exposing Gov't unlawfulness. The seized documents were altered... "unclassified" was crossed out and they were marked "secret".
As the investigation proceeded, the Govt's cases began to fall apart. In 2008, enter Barack Obama. "No more secrecy!" Another quote: "The most transparent government [what his Administration, if elected, will be]". "Whistleblowers are good for government; they will be protected by my Administration [if elected]." "No more illegal wiretapping of American citizens [if elected]." Obama becomes President. He continues The Program. Prior to that, though, Bush reverses himself and decides he needs Congress to make The Program permanent. His Administration pushes through an Amendment to the FISA law. He claims it's "reform", but Intelligence insiders know that it gives the NSA unprecedented powers. The Program is expanded, made worse from the standpoint of the Constitution. The Amendment Bill had to be read extremely closely in order to figure out exactly what it said. Insiders expressed the opinion that Congress had little clue as to what the Bill really said. [Even if they had understood it, politicians seem to count on Americans being unaware of the fact that no law supercedes the U.S. Constitution. The Fourth Amendment cannot be negated by any Act of Congress.]
Senator Obama supported the Amendment. So even before he was elected President, the public should have had a clue that he was, at the very least, insincere in his campaign rhetoric concerning wiretapping (with no probable cause) of Americans. At most, he was lying.
President Obama's Administration continued the case against Tom Drake. So much for protection of whistleblowers. Drake's career was over, his finances were decimated (because of legal defense expense), his life more or less trashed. To get the whole thing over with, he pled guilty to a misdemeanor (they never had any espionage case) and received a minor fine and community service.
The Program continues to this day... a clear violation of the Fourth Amendment, and "justified" by a law. In the bizarro world of DC, apparently laws do supercede the Supreme Law of the Land. Amazing.
Who cares? Why is any of this important to Americans, especially non-political Americans. Here's one reason why: the whole scenario is Soft Fascism. It violates our Constitution and our Rights. It has been implemented by both major political parties, and there's little reason to believe that more of our Rights won't be trashed down the line somewhere. As Lord Acton said long ago, "Power corrupts, and...".
Finally, our Gov't is doing this worldwide. Particular Snowden documents have revealed that the NSA is even spying on the economic meetings of our allies. That has nothing at all to do with terrorism. We're losing any reputation we ever had as a great nation. Worse, our Govt's NeoImperialistic methods are making enemies of people who once admired our country. In their attempts to dominate the world, our Gov't is over-reaching... not only making enemies, but bankrupting us in the process.
I hope many of you watch the Frontline piece. The content should inform and disturb you. In any case, I salute Tom Drake and the other people in the film who tried, at great personal cost, to wake up both Congress and the public to our Govt's grossly unlawful activities. Kudos to you all. The same praise goes to Edward Snowden. His story is in Part Two of the film.
Be Well
Wednesday, January 1, 2014
Whistleblowers Are Patriots
Patriots, if they can, expose government wrongdoing. The hypocrisy of those in the upper levels of our Outlaw Fed Gov't is beyond the pale. If China, or Israel, or Russia, or any other country spies on us, the Feds go bananas; but when our Gov't spies on our own allies, oh, there's nothing wrong with that. The National Security State trumps any concept of Right and Wrong...and the Natural Rights that all humans possess.
In case you haven't heard, and as reported in Der Spiegel, the NSA has an elite computer hacking unit that has been remotely installing spyware and malware on computers using the Windows Operating System. Not only that, it has been intercepting the delivery of new computers ordered online, installing spyware, and then sending the machines on their way. This illegal process also includes cell phones. The existence of the hacking unit, Tailored Access Operations (TAO), was revealed in documents sent by Edward Snowden to Der Spiegel.
Judge Pauley, who contradicted another Fed Judge who said the NSA's phone records collection was "almost Orwellian", in a very real sense claims that if the NSA does it to everyone, then that's constitutional. Please, is he serious?! Judges have been throwing out court cases because the individuals bringing suit don't know for certain if their records are being collected...they have no "standing". It's clear to me that the Judicial System, in a very large part, is not independent of the Political System. That's called corruption. Read the Fourth Amendment; what the NSA is doing is blatantly unconstitutional. Unfortunately, we can't even rely on the Supreme Court to be totally independent...remember the Kelo v. City of New London case? The City seized private property using Eminent Domain and sold it to PRIVATE developers, claiming that the taxes to be generated qualified as "public use" of the property. If that's true, then anyone's property can be seized under the guise of Eminent Domain, and the seizure doesn't have to be for a public road or public building, etc. Where is the common sense in that? The same is true for Judge Pauley's opinion that as long as the NSA does it to everyone, that's constitutional. Have mercy.
If you look at History, you'll see that the Govt's response to Whistleblowers is to smear and criminalize them. The U.K. is as bad as the U.S.A. in that regard. Ask Glenn Greenwald, who now lives in Brazil. He's wary of returning to England because he's being investigated for "terrorism". Terrorism is the great catch-all now for governments. Constitutions can be ignored, Natural Rights can be ignored, due process can be ignored...just label the person a potential terrorist. In this country, because of the NDAA, such a person can be executed without a trial (according to an article in Forbes, & many other sources). When he signed that bill into law, Obama said, "I would never do that.", or something to that effect. Well, guess what? I'm not reassured. History shows us that no politician, present or future, is to be trusted.
Just my opinion.
In case you haven't heard, and as reported in Der Spiegel, the NSA has an elite computer hacking unit that has been remotely installing spyware and malware on computers using the Windows Operating System. Not only that, it has been intercepting the delivery of new computers ordered online, installing spyware, and then sending the machines on their way. This illegal process also includes cell phones. The existence of the hacking unit, Tailored Access Operations (TAO), was revealed in documents sent by Edward Snowden to Der Spiegel.
Judge Pauley, who contradicted another Fed Judge who said the NSA's phone records collection was "almost Orwellian", in a very real sense claims that if the NSA does it to everyone, then that's constitutional. Please, is he serious?! Judges have been throwing out court cases because the individuals bringing suit don't know for certain if their records are being collected...they have no "standing". It's clear to me that the Judicial System, in a very large part, is not independent of the Political System. That's called corruption. Read the Fourth Amendment; what the NSA is doing is blatantly unconstitutional. Unfortunately, we can't even rely on the Supreme Court to be totally independent...remember the Kelo v. City of New London case? The City seized private property using Eminent Domain and sold it to PRIVATE developers, claiming that the taxes to be generated qualified as "public use" of the property. If that's true, then anyone's property can be seized under the guise of Eminent Domain, and the seizure doesn't have to be for a public road or public building, etc. Where is the common sense in that? The same is true for Judge Pauley's opinion that as long as the NSA does it to everyone, that's constitutional. Have mercy.
If you look at History, you'll see that the Govt's response to Whistleblowers is to smear and criminalize them. The U.K. is as bad as the U.S.A. in that regard. Ask Glenn Greenwald, who now lives in Brazil. He's wary of returning to England because he's being investigated for "terrorism". Terrorism is the great catch-all now for governments. Constitutions can be ignored, Natural Rights can be ignored, due process can be ignored...just label the person a potential terrorist. In this country, because of the NDAA, such a person can be executed without a trial (according to an article in Forbes, & many other sources). When he signed that bill into law, Obama said, "I would never do that.", or something to that effect. Well, guess what? I'm not reassured. History shows us that no politician, present or future, is to be trusted.
Just my opinion.
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