You may have seen recent news reports that the famed photographer of the Civil Rights movement has been "outed" as an FBI informer. Yes, Ernest Withers was a paid FBI informer who not only documented the Civil Rights movement of the 60's. He was a close friend (?) to the likes of Dr. King and the other main players of the struggle for equal rights in America. He was there the day that Dr. King was killed.
That such an intimate of the struggle for civil rights was at the same time an FBI informant should not be a great surprise to us now. We have become much more cynical since that time. At least I certainly have. The 60's was a time of great change in America. It was the height of the Vietnam war and the protests over that imperial war. It was a time of great struggle for equal rights also.
That the FBI had informants in just about every group is now common knowledge. That the same outfits, and now the newer ones, use informants should not be a surprise to any who actually read the news. No, not the idiot box we call the TV set, but real news. By real news, I mean the news one has to search out on the internet since even the "real" newspapers today in America no longer report the "news".
What should bother us all is that the Feds are using informants in any group that even mildly protests anything now days. That they have infiltrated such :organizations" as Quaker anti-war groups should be highly disturbing to any true American. Dissent IS patriotic. Yes, that is a bumper sticker, but it IS the truth also. Even such a "great" leader as Teddy Roosevelt made the statement that it was OK to not support the president in everything. I don't have the exact quote handy.
The First Amendment of the US Constitution guarantees us all the RIGHT to freedom of speech. It is not un-patriotic to oppose any war.
Another misuse of informants by the Feds and various state governments is the use of such people to infiltrate groups who oppose the drilling of the Marcellus Shale for the natural gas that may be in that strata of our soil in New York and Pennsylvania. Why spy on these folks? Well, it now seems that the State, at ALL levels, is going to spy on any group who may interfere in the profit of big corporations. Yes, the government is going to try an shut down any and all protest against big business and the profits that big business might make. Protest a corporation and you are now subject to government spying. Welcome to the "new" America.
Not only does the government spy on us and our groups, they have these informants push these groups into actions that might be unlawful. Yes, the government informers are, at times, instigators of violence.
I would suggest that this method could have serious long term effects on free speech and any sort of protest, no matter how non-violent the group is. When have the Quakers ever been violent in recent memory?
As a former US Marine and a veteran of the imperial war in Vietnam, I refuse to allow any government to limit my freedom of speech. I will, however, be wary of those who want to take any protest I am involved with to a level of any physical violence. I refuse to throw rotten eggs at a sign or any other such actions. Throw an egg, go to jail. Even talk of throwing that egg could get one extra surveillance by some agency of the government today.
If a member of your group starts to advocate any physical actions, tell that member they are no longer welcome in your group. Keep the protests peaceful. No doubt that may not be enough to keep from being reported to the Feds, but it still seems to be the best way to go.
Carry signs, talk to everybody, write letters and emails to your representatives, but keep it non-violent. Of course one could end up under investigation any way. Since we now live in the "post 9/11" world, we are all at risk of government interference at any time. The reasons for this? Well, just because "they" can. Since "9/11 changed everything", any reason, even one that is made up, will do. I honestly think the government IS paranoid. Don't think so? OK, then explain to me why we have TWO defense departments then.
YES, I said TWO defense departments. WHat else is the Department of Homeland Security if NOT a defense outfit? Until 9/11, one would have thought that the "defense" of the United States of AMerica was THE main job of the Defense Department. Well, what the hell did I ever know about such things? Not much it would seem. No sir, we now have a second department of defense. All thanks to 9/11, al-Qaeda, bin Laden, and W. Shrub and his crew of Constitution shredders. All the better to increase the obscene profits of the "defense" contractors, of course. Oh, and never, ever, forget the "too big to fail" crew. THEY must have their piece of the pie, naturally you know.
Any way I look at recent events, all I see is increasing surveillance of the "average" person in our country. We ARE well on the way to becoming a police state.
The other day, I was at the doctor to check on my sinus trouble. In the waiting room, they had the TV set on, it was actually NOT tuned to Faux Noise. Wow, imagine that, a station other than Faux. Well, that was a nice change, they had CNN on the tube. Nearly as bad, but still better than Faux.
The "story" they were reporting on was some school district that was thinking of using finger prints of the school kids in order for them to get their school lunches! What!??!! The kids were going to be fingerprinted so they could have school lunches??!!?? Since when was that a part of the American way of life? I was totally surprised by that story. Unfortunately, I was called back to the exam room before the report was finished, so I missed the school district that was "thinking(??)" about this vile action. Need to do a search of that no doubt. Call me lazy, as I have not done so yet.
Being cynical old me, I had a "second" thought about that story on the tube. That thought was, why not do this? Sure, the kids would suffer the indignity of being fingerprinted, but hell, it is for their own good. Yep, it would keep the "bad guys" from sneaking into the lunch line to get free lunches. Can't have them getting away with "free lunch" ya know. Got to teach them early that there is no "free lunch". The earlier the better.
Also, by having to be fingerprinted before you get your school lunch, you get an early indoctrination into Police State America. It sure as hell looks to be on the way folks. Informants all around us, fingerprinting school kids, being arrested for taking holiday snap shots, all manner of police checkpoints for various reasons. Welcome to the "new" post 9/11 America.
For the record, I am not paranoid about any of this. I will continue to exercise my freedom of speech. If that gets me a visit from the "authorities", well, they will be in for a long session. Ask anybody who has known me for a long time, I can talk for days on end about most any subject. As for giving up names, well, let me see, there is always the likes of "dead eye" Dick, W. Shrub, etc to give to the feds. Let them slog through interrogating me. They will get very frustrated, long before I get tired of talking. That what I would say would be of little or no "real" use is their problem.
In short, resist the coming police state. Do not allow yourself to be silenced because the Feds use informants. If you suspect you have one in your group, feed that person some false information and wait to see what happens. If you have proof that you have an informer in your group, well, out the bastard. Just please, do not stop protesting, do not let anybody silence you. Don't get so paranoid that you quit, if you do, they win, and that would be a huge loss for us all.
A good article on this subject can be found at;
www.tomdispatch.com/post/175303/tomgram%3A_stephan_salisbury%2C_keeping_an_eye_on_everyone/#more
Mr. Salisbury shows just how far we have come towards being a police state. I highly recommend this article to all. Pass it around to your family and friends, it is that good, my opinion.
semper fi
11 comments:
Excellent Post, Charlie. They all are, but you hit three very big points for me this time :
1. 'Another misuse of informants by the Feds and various state governments is the use of such people to infiltrate groups who oppose the drilling of the Marcellus Shale for the natural gas that may be in that strata of our soil in New York and Pennsylvania... Protest a corporation and you are now subject to government spying. Welcome to the "new" America.'
2. 'OK, then explain to me why we have TWO defense departments then... YES, I said TWO defense departments. WHat else is the Department of Homeland Security if NOT a defense outfit? Until 9/11, one would have thought that the "defense" of the United States of America was THE main job of the Defense Department.'
3. '...by having to be fingerprinted before you get your school lunch, you get an early indoctrination into Police State America.'
On point number 1...
'Fascism should more appropriately be called Corporatism because it is a merger of state and corporate power.' -- Benito Mussolini
On point number 2...
I think the correct answer to how many defense departments we have is ZERO. The only time since the War of 1812 that the multi-trillion dollar 'Department of Defense' was ever called upon to defend the - shudder - 'homeland' was on September 11, 2001, and they failed about as completely as it was possible to fail. The result of the attack by - what two dozen men with boxcutters - was the mass murder of more than 3000 New Yorkers, the utter destruction of two truly huge buildings in the absolute heart of Manhattan, and the destruction of an entire wing of the headquarters of the so-called 'Department of Defense' itself.
Whatever you call the US Wehrmacht it is definitely NOT a 'Defense Department'. It defined the word FAILURE for all time on 9/11.
The 'Department of Homeland Security' is aptly named... it's just that most people don't understand that we Americans in the - shudder - 'Homeland' are the enemy that that department is 'Securing' on behalf of the 'merger of state and corporate power'.
On point number 3...
You nailed it exactly with that last point. Finger printing little children is to get them used to being state-raped. Just as taking off your shoes and belt at the airport is an exercise in keeping the population used to state-rape.
It's not coming Charlie, it's here. Lee Hamilton (elephant gang) and Tom Kean (donkey gang) together announced the "Americanization" of terrorism on 10 September 2010.
That would be you and I and everyone else reading your blog, Charlie.
Let us spit in their eyes together.
John,
Thanks for that link to the Hamilton/Kean article. I never did trust Hamilton much and don't know very much about old Kean. I think he was a governor, some mid west state, or did I get that wrong?
Yes sir, turn us all into nice little spies. That was Ashcroft who made that statement about watching the neighbors. Also, during that time, we were told by a press secretary, if memory still functions, that we "needed to watch what we said". Oh yes, don't "speak out of line" you could go to jail for that. Well, we are not quite there.........yet.
Gobomber has not been what some had thought he would be. Those would be the folks who were deluded, self inflicted mostly, who "thought" that Gobomber was "anti-war". No,he just said that Iraq was the wrong war at the wrong time. Even during the campaign, he said Afghanistan was the "good war" or words to that effect.
...don't know very much about old Kean. I think he was a governor, some mid west state, or did I get that wrong?...
New Jersey, I believe... worked with Hamilton on the 9/11 Coverup Commission.
Thomas Kean
' ...the 48th Governor of New Jersey, from 1982 to 1990. Kean is best known globally, however, for his 2002 appointment as Chairman of the National Commission on Terrorist Attacks Upon the United States, widely known as the 9/11 Commission... '
Yes sir, turn us all into nice little spies. That was Ashcroft who made that statement about watching the neighbors. Also, during that time,
...we were told by a press secretary, if memory still functions, that we "needed to watch what we said". Oh yes, don't "speak out of line" you could go to jail for that. Well, we are not quite there...
' The presidential press secretary, Ari Fleischer, condemned Bill Maher's irreverent comic response to 9/11 by reminding "all Americans that they need to watch what they say, watch what they do." Fear itself - the fear that "paralyzes needed efforts to convert retreat into advance," as FDR had it - was already being wielded as a weapon against Americans by their own government. ' - Frank Rich (according to Christopher Hitchens)
...Gobomber has not been what some had thought he would be. Those would be the folks who were deluded, self inflicted mostly, who "thought" that Gobomber was "anti-war"...
Remarks of Senator Barack Obama to the Chicago Council on Global Affairs (text of speech, April 23, 2007)
' We must lead by building a 21st century military to ensure the security of our people and advance the security of all people...
' The first way America will lead is by bringing a responsible end to this war in Iraq and refocusing on the critical challenges in the broader region... my plan provides for an over-the-horizon force that could prevent chaos in the wider region, and allows for a limited number of troops to remain in Iraq to fight al Qaeda and other terrorists... until we change our approach in Iraq, it will be increasingly difficult to refocus our efforts on the challenges in the wider region – on the conflict in the Middle East, where Hamas and Hezbollah feel emboldened and Israel’s prospects for a secure peace seem uncertain; on Iran, which has been strengthened by the war in Iraq; and on Afghanistan, where more American forces are needed...
' The second way America will lead again is by building the first truly 21st century military... We must maintain the strongest, best-equipped military in the world in order to defeat and deter conventional threats... the ability to put boots on the ground will be critical in eliminating the shadowy terrorist networks we now face... Former Secretary Rumsfeld said, “You go to war with the Army you have, not the one you want.” I say... the Army we have will be the Army we need. '
Address to Chicago Council on Global Affairs (youtube of speech)
You are absolutely correct about having 2 defense departments. We have an external and an internal.
The Big O Team now says they do not approve of political dissent. They blame the "professional left" for their folly.
They are spying on anti-war protesters.
Now it turns out that an FBI informant may have fired the first shot at the Kent State Massacre.
thanks for the information regards Kean. I knew he had been a governor. Either way, just another politician.
Homeland Security is another military outfit, just change the names. Like pulling "combat" troops out of Iraq. Smoke and mirrors, or as we used to say in the Marines, a dog and pony show.
The Department of Defense is supposed to protect the country. Why a second outfit was "needed" is beyond logical thinking to me. More government money to pals of the government is the way I see it. More profits for the "too big to fail" types.
The informants often are the ones who provoke the group they infiltrate into physical actions. All the better to "justify" their employment. Like what happened with those guys in Miami recently. They were "supposedly" planning to blow up the Sears Tower. LOL, they didn't even know where the tower was! And their list of needed equipment included boots for them all. Worse than a "Keystone Kops" routine.
Well, we cannot expect the government to protect us from real threats. Nope, they are too busy "saving" us from manufactured ones. Made up by them that is. Can you say scam?
No one likes my crack on zero defense departments. Maybe you thought I was slamming the rank and file. Not so. The rank and file by definition do what they're told do... and don't do what they're not told to do. The fish rots from the head.
I believe, I have circumstantial evidence not proof, that 9/11 was purposefully allowed to go forward. Perhaps the guys who let it go... that would be Cheney and cohorts, presumably, maybe Bush too... Massad knew and the CIA knew... didn't really think out the consequences for people other than themselves and their PNAC... didn't think of what would happen to the 3000 they sacrificed to the 'greater good' of aggressive war.
We'll never know for sure if the bogus Hamilton/Kean Commission's report and conclusions are the end of the matter.
The Neo-cons used to call such inaction 'benign neglect'... a term coined by Pat Moynihan (Harvard Prof, then Democrat senator from NY) vis a vis welfare moms. Folks tend to forget that nearly all the Neo-con made men and women were in the donkey gang before they switched 'allegiances'... hah, hah!... and now they've switched back again!
The US Department of Defense is more aptly termed the Department of War, which is exactly what it was termed until September 18, 1947. The Department of Defense is 23 days younger than I am.
But I maintain that it is a War Department and not a Defense Department. And that, of course, is the reason its name was changed after The War ended, and the War Department didn't.
John,
No, I think you got it right. We do not have any "defense" department at all. The War Department is more accurate. Should have kept that name as it was, at least, accurate.
Homeland Security, more like homie land Insecurity in my opinion. It is just another big black hole to dump money into and obscene profits for those who get rich off it all.
As to 9/11, I am still working through just what I think about that. There are way too many "coincidences" from that day that do not follow by any logic to me. Was the US government or some part(s) of it connected to the events of that day? I don't know and yet would not put it past some in power. I am still reading on this one. Maybe I will get to a point where I feel I know enough, just not yet. Until I think I have some answers, I won't comment on it.
I've put up some excerpts from The Road Through 9/11 - A Chronology.
The guy makes no pitch. It's just the facts, ma'am, as Joe Friday used to say.
In fact, the guy's whole site is very interesting... Early Twentieth Century Timelines
John,
Wow! Thank you for the link. The site has a great deal of information. I really appreciate this. Getting new information and starting discussion is what I set out to do with this old corner. Well, to "express" my views on a variety of topics as well.
Thanks again, I enjoy learning as much as I can. We all need to look at history, as one person has said, you can't know where you are going unless you know where you have been.
Could a Leak Have Stopped 9/11?
The context here is wikileaks, but the question remains : was the natural reluctance of security personnel to get out of line exploited to keep a known terrorist operation on track, to prevent its being foiled?
Can't tell without more data. What's available at present is not at all inconsistent with that conclusion.
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