steven d’s fp story: spies in your kitchen sink? triggered a synaptic connection that’s been lurking in my mind for some time now.
here’s the result:
l have a nagging theory that all of this TSA, TIA, NSA, data mining, ad infinitum, is a continuation of programs that were purportedly disassembled back in 1971. l’m referring specifically to the COINTELPRO operation.
much like the security rationalizations used today, it’s primary purpose was to identify and neutralize political dissidents, and it’s history, as part of j. edgar hoover’s fbi, goes back to the early 50’s. by merely altering a few words in hoover’s statement regarding it’s purpose, it could very well have been spoken as recently as today:
The forces which are most anxious to weaken our internal security are not always easy to identify.
Communiststhe terrorists have been trained in deceit and secretly work toward the day when they hope to replace our American way of life with a
Communistislamic dictatorship. They utilize cleverly camouflaged movements, such as peace groups and civil rights groups to achieve their sinister purposes. While they as individuals are difficult to identify, the
Communist partyterrorist’s line is clear. Its first concern is the advancement of
Soviet Russiaosama bin laden, al qaeda, and the
godless Communistislamofascist cause. It is important to learn to know the enemies of the American way of life.
j. edgar hoover
more below the fold…
the COINTELPRO program “conducted more than 2000 COINTELPRO operations before the the programs were officially discontinued in April of 1971, after public exposure, in order to “afford additional security to [their] sensitive techniques and operations.”
l would posit that the program(s), in fact, never ceased to exist, but was merely moved from the fbi to intelligence agencies such as nsa, hsa, etc. the government’s history in intelligence actions such as this have rarely shown respect to civil liberties and constitutional rights except when challenged, or threatened,:
Intelligence techniques which previously had been concentrated upon foreign threats and domestic groups said to be under Communist influence were applied with increasing intensity to a wide range of domestic activity by American citizens. These techniques were utilized against peaceful civil rights and antiwar protest activity, and thereafter in reaction to civil unrest, often without regard for the consequences to American liberties. The intelligence agencies of the United States — sometimes abetted by public opinion and often in response to pressure from administration officials or the Congress — frequently disregarded the law in their conduct of massive surveillance and aggressive counterintelligence operations against American citizens. In the past few years, some of these activities were curtailed, partly in response to the moderation of the domestic crisis; but all too often improper programs were terminated only in response to exposure, the threat of exposure, or a change in the climate of public opinion, such as that triggered by the Watergate affair.
ref: Church Committee Report: Intelligence Activities and the Rights of American, Book ll
that pretty well sums up the position we find ourselves in today…as the title says…back to the future.
l would further argue, that with the growth of the technology and attendant increase of abilities to intercept and collect data, that these operations exponentially grew in scope under the guise of national security and under the protection of secrecy.
however, with the rise of, what l would describe as, militant republicanism…not to be confused with real conservatism…and the ascension to power of people lacking in either moral or ethical standards, let alone respect for the rule of law, that they were expanded well beyond what was even revealed to the congressional committees which are required, by law, to provide oversight for these activities.
the coronation of this administration and its rampant disregard of the rule of law, coupled with the mantra of 9-11 and a compliant, lockstep congress, enabled an unprecedented expansion of secret program(s), controlled by, and at the whim of, the unitary executive. now, faced with the very real prospect of the exposure of illegal activities, on a massive scale, and the high likelihood of impeachment and worse, they are desperately trying to obfuscate the truth in an attempt to run out the clock.
unfortunately, unlike the COINTELPRO exposure and public outrage, there is no viable, responsible media to expose the breadth and depth of these transgressions, and how dangerous they, in reality, are to the very fabric of the country. then there was an active and involved media, and a vibrant, and aggressive anti-war/civil rights movement, that forced the congress to take action…aka: dirty hippies.
the attitude and opinion of an increasing majority of american people is finally coming to some sense of awareness of the seriousness of these exposes, but as yet, the congress has chosen an overly cautious approach, finding rationales and excuses for not taking the necessary, constitutionally mandated steps to correct the situation and right the ship of state.
as knoxville progressive said:
“I’m open to suggestions from all quarters, with the emphasis on pragmatism, not doctrinal purity. We have a hell of a mess to clean up…“
right on, bro!
lTMF’sA
