The United States has particularly since 9-11 been involved in a very humorless prosecution of journalists, and computer activists and hackers.
The list of people attacked by the US government security forces is growing constantly and we see a number of correlary threads
The common demoninator of the people being crushed by the system is being connected by 1 degrees of separation from Anonymous. Please watch "We are Legion" on youtube.
Michael Hastings, dead and was indeed under investigation by the FBI (Well, he was in an investigation file that was not labeled with his name - but highly sensitive investigation.
Barrett Brown faces 105 years in prison. By taking out Barret Brown - they deprive Anonymous and hacktivisms and brilliant and compelling champion.
Julian Assange would likely face the same.
Dozens of "hactivists" all over the world - have been hit with prison sentences longer than pedophiles - for being involved in some cases fairly innocuous computer hacks - certainly something that should have a lesser sentence than shoplifting - if little damage is done - but No, many of the heaviest sentences handed out by the US Government are to people - who were simply telling us what our government wouldnt - and that were crimes. Bradley Manning disclosed crimes. Edward Snowden disclosed crimes. Julian Assange exposed crimes. Barrett Brown investigated crimes.
So what is the real story on what underpins this crackdown on dissent - this humorless repression of civil disobediance and pranksterism ?
I believe the Stratfor files are the closest strike to the nerve center -
I do not believe people truly understand the impact of this harsh humorless face of authority - openly declared to be in a "war on journalism". Think about this for a minute - and think how dangerous this is.
On the one hand - we see
5 media powerhouses,
6 major asset managers,
6 major defense contractors
Goldman Sachs, and a few thousand very rich and powerful people controlling it all. Some of these controllers are political figures, the heads of the massive government depts such DoD, DHS, and the array of dozens of other security related agencies - that bristle at every level. Some of them are billionaires. It is here where the decision making happens. Or is it? We see these are the c
On the other hand, their is a upwardly mobile class - which is now confined to the top 3% or .3% of society apparantly. For these internalizing the values of their leaders corporate cultures is straightforward enough to accept these sorts of ideas - promulgated by Noam Chomsky, that is the "Manufacturing of Consent"
Below that rank are those in all sorts of walks of life, who internalize these values - merely hoping doing what the boss likes will at the least prevent them from becoming unemployed!
A Massive Military - 50% of the worlds firepower or more -
A Massive police and intelligence network - 5 million people with security clearances. A huge number of whom in the most critical positions are actually private security contractors. It appears that this is the part of the state - that reacts most violently to being poked.
A Massive Prison System -
Constant War
Stratfor shows the Private Shadow Security State, who then employ their previous customers as they come out of government, and in turn are recruited from their ranks into government military police and intelligence agencies.
Stratfor:
Clients:
Hired by Coca Cola to spy on PETA
Yesmen were monitored by Stratfor
They portrayed themselves as media organization - but they spy on groups on behalf of corporations and state security agencies.
So on the one hand the Stratfor leaks - show a corporate world with its own shadowy security agencies - connected to Goldman Sachs no less!
On the other hand - you see the retaliation focused around wikileaks - and the entire american security state , with millions of foot soldiers went after them, the people who worked with them and championed them. And then you see the stream of slop hollywood puts out - compared to the inspiring masterpiece: "We Are Legion" a 2012 documentary.
So we see that no other power foreign or domestic - can truly withstand the power of these forces mentioned above, they are concentrated and interlocked - 6 equity firms, 6 media power houses, and 6 giant defense contractors, all owned by a couple of thousand people, coupled with massive pension fund managers. If these worker retirement funds were properly invested - they could revitalize community based businesses - instead of these overly concentrated powers like WalMart and Apple and Google and the like. Companies with these levels of power stagger around under the weight of their power.
Effectively Mercenary WarLords are a significant player in keeping a militarized imperialism running at full steam. They bring profits to some and power to others - a division of the spoils of conquest and regime change.
Stratfor also insider traded on the intelligence they handled.
My main political re-awakening occured during the Libya Intervention, which greatly alienated me from the Pelosi-Obama-Clinton-Feinstein Axis, and much more friendly with libertarian republicans supporting a small government - because most of the government is now harmful. 700% more prisoners today than in 1980!
Intelligence privatized to accelerate national security officers enriching themselves.
I previously imagined those monitoring dissenters - as empathetic people - perhaps as Tim Leary said "observing us will change them"
But reading the virulent pathological thinking of these minds at Stratfor - and to realize this thinking was encouraged and supported by our national security state. I now see these men are what i think churchill would call Dastards, men who know in their gut that they have gone over to the dark side. The sense of seperation from the masses leads to a pathology of self importance - "its survival of the fitest and i am the fittest"
The empire eats its children
by introducing an atmosphere of severe prosecution and persecution - the press is pressured to be even more obedient to the major central power structures than the already are employed by huge media corporations controlled by pro war on islam idealogies or suicidal adherence to anything to do with Israel which corrupts sumner Rothsteins CBS Viacom empire.
In such an environment deep inspection of the real citadels of power are cut off.
The empire eats its children.
You idiots. The people I saw in the movie we are legion - are precisely the people that were brash enough and balsy enough to launch silicon valley and the Internet. These kids were to be the next leaders of innovation. This sector of sopciety must instead be lobotomized.
Of course what is telling is that no heads have rolled. It seems to me the level of mining of these files has been barely touched in the main stream media.
Selling Fear,
Feeding Greed and Ego and Power Lust and ideological chauvinism.
Its really quite ingenious and extremely morally hazardous to have a intelligence firm operating a hedge fund arm - as the Goldman Sachs Director intended.
Oil Companies and Government Agencies was Stratfors income - sounding like 10 million to 20 million annual sales.
The emails released on Wikileaks painted an unflattering portrait of Burton, who was detailed by Egyptian newspaper Al Akbar as "Stratfor VP for Racist Slurs".[8] The newspaper noted Burton's emails where he was noted as being a “tyrant”[9]by STRATFOR staff, "paranoid" (his own words). Burton was also noted for using the racial epithets “towel heads”,[10] “camel jockies” or “sleezy arsehole ragheads”[11] to refer to Arabs.
This is only 1 cog in the wheel - which end is the head and which the tail - the billionaires (Capitalists) or the National Security State?
How much of the economy can they consume - Healthcare and National Security: almost 40 cents out of every dollar.
The people moving the pieces behind the scenes, tell us about this shadow cia of former military and security men in conjunction with financiers and investors.
If Fred Burton typifies the mentality of the national security state, the god save us.
If this were so - Kissinger's statement that generals are crude animals would be true" - i certainly hope not sincerely - as he is over the top:
The emails released on Wikileaks painted an unflattering portrait of Burton, who was detailed by Egyptian newspaper Al Akbar as "Stratfor VP for Racist Slurs".[8] The newspaper noted Burton's emails where he was noted as being a “tyrant”[9]by STRATFOR staff, "paranoid" (his own words). Burton was also noted for using the racial epithets “towel heads”,[10] “camel jockies” or “sleezy arsehole ragheads”[11] to refer to Arabs.
The leaks also show claims that Stratfor may have participated and definetely observed first hand Gadaffi's execution. Of course I dont believe these sorts of boasts without any corroboration - but it is incriminating if true.,
Blackwater director James F. Smith - sent to Libya to overthrow Gadaffi
The HB Gary leak shows the private security contractors world access to classified govt information they agree to misuse on behalf of private clients:
Excerpted from HB Gary Leak: Of their presentation on attacking Wikileaks " The Wikileaks Threat" https://wikileaks.org/IMG/pdf/WikiLeaks_Response_v6.pdf
A"Proven"Track"Record"
The core value assets of an enterprise must be protected, and when those assets take the form of ideas, strategy,
and intellectual property, the challenge of protection is significant. With Palantir, corporate security and IP
protec6on units within the private sector can leverage the same allsource intelligence platform used throughout the US national security and law enforcement communities to proactively identify and investigate internal threats.
In summary we are dealing with a war against the truth, especially as it pertains to lifting the veil of secrecy of those who manipulate war and markets.
The character of some of these people is unprincipled and ugly. These would be very dangerous people to entrust the details of our personal lives with.
Valuable Resources:
https://www.commondreams.org/headline/2013/05/28-8
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Fred_Burton
Highlights of the leaks from wikipedia:
Some emails reveal that Stratfor had been partnering with Shea Morenz, a former Goldman Sachs director, along with other informants, in order to profit from what could be considered insider trading. Stratfor planned to use the intelligence it gathered in order to profit from trading in several worldwide markets. They created an offshore "share structure" known as "StratCap" during 2011, in order to avoid insider trading allegations. The offshore entity, set to launch operations in 2012, is outwardly independent of Stratfor, but CEO George Friedman told his employees that StratCap is secretly integrated with Stratfor.[7][8]
Friedman stated in an email that in order to avoid legal repercussions from these activities, the company would be "retaining a law firm to create a policy for Stratfor on the Foreign Corrupt Practices Act."[8]
Thomas Kavaler, who was once a lawyer for a Stratfor client, had his email and the password to his email account released in the leak. He is married to Judge Preska, who denied Jeremy Hammond's bail; the hearing was held eight months into Hammond's imprisonment. [9] This apparent conflict of interest has led many observers to question the legality of her ruling. [10]
An email involving a Stratfor analyst stated that it had been determined that up to 12 officials in Pakistan's Inter-Services Intelligence (ISI) agency knew of Osama bin-Laden's safe house.[11] Another email indicated that Stratfor Vice President Fred Burton had knowledge of the killing of bin Laden, and that the body was not dumped at sea, but rather sent to Dover Air Force Base in the United States.[12] This further fueled doubts about the US Government's account of the killings.[13]
Ynetnews reported that, according to internal emails between Stratfor employees, Israel and Russia were engaged in an exchange of information in 2008. Israel gave Russia "'data link codes' for unmanned aerial vehicles that the Jewish state sold to Georgia" and that Russia gave "the codes for Tor-M1 missile defense systems that Russia sold Iran". The emails also stated that, during the 2008 South Ossetia war, Georgia "realized that their UAVs were compromised and were looking for a replacement for the Israeli made drones".[14]
International Business Times reported that Stratfor had found that several Central European countries, especially the Czech Republic, have been petitioning NATO for missile defenses and F-16s to use against Russia. The Czech Republic, according to an unknown Stratfor source, has stated that, if the talks with the US fail, then it will be breaking all ties with NATO and the US in general.[15]
Business Insider reported that Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu was an intelligence source for Stratfor between 2007 and 2010. In emails, Fred Burton discussed his personal communications with Netanyahu. Burton stated by email that Netanyahu informed him of his success in consolidating power within the Likud party ahead of regaining the position of prime minister, shared thoughts regarding his distrust of US President Barack Obama, threatened assassination ofHezbollah leader Hasan Nasrallah, and declared intentions to unilaterally start a war against Iran.[16]
Al Akhbar, citing internal emails from the Stratfor hack, reported former Blackwater director James F. Smith had a relationship with Stratfor and was for a time considered one of their major sources. Emails appeared to show that Smith participated in the murder of former Libyan leader Muammar Gaddafi, and had more recently been assigned to aid the rebellion against the government of Bashar Assad in Syria. In relation to his assignment to Syria, Smith requested an intelligence overview of the Syrian opposition from his Stratfor briefers.[17]
Over 40,000 documents related with information gathering from Venezuela including the status of the army (equipment, numbers, plans) and other sensitive information were also released. Various attempts overthrowing the government of Hugo Chavez are described from sources inside Venezuela (various names are referred like Antonio Ledezma (Caracas major), Henrique Capriles (opposition leader), Leopoldo Lopez, Rafael Poleo (Media tycoon). Many papers involve CANVAS, as one of the main strategic counsel. One of the documents is titled "how to guide to revolution". [18] [19] [20]
As reported by The Times of India, some of the emails reveal that Stratfor was allegedly hired by Dow Chemical Company to spy on protesters of the Bhopal disaster.[3] Dow Chemical Company responded with a written statement that read: "Major companies are often required to take appropriate action to protect their people and safeguard their facilities," and that it had not broken any laws.[4]
The Minneapolis Star Tribune reported that, according to some of the released emails, the Coca-Cola Company paid Stratfor to determine "to what extent will US-based PETA supporters travel to Canada to support activism" at the 2010 Olympics. The Coca-Cola Company responded to the emails with a statement saying that they "consider it prudent to monitor for protest activities at any major event we sponsor".[21]
Published on Tuesday, May 28, 2013 by Common Dreams
- Jacob Chamberlain, staff writer
To commit espionage - you have to be a spy for a foreign power - none of these prosecutions meet that standard. It is quite appalling.
http://www.motherjones.com/politics/2012/03/stratfor-robert-kaplan
But foreign policy experts say the match may be good for not-very-flattering reasons. "Beyond the generous remuneration I can only suspect Kaplan is receiving, this union makes intellectual sense," Daniel Drezner, a professor at Tufts University's Fletcher School of Law and Diplomacy and a blogger forForeign Policy magazine, told me in an email. "What Kaplan and George Friedman share is a sense of geographical determinism that allows them to claim predictive powers."
Indeed, Stratfor and Kaplan both subscribe to a school of thought not held in high regard by many foreign policy and intelligence experts. They are faithful devotees of "geopolitics," a favorite foreign policy term of Henry Kissinger's that denotes a supposedly amoral, dispassionate concern with "national interests" like mineral and oil access. It's a concept that's much discussed in undergraduate seminars and often disparaged by academic leaders as overly simple and imperialist. "Kaplan's talent is to tell the powerful what they want to hear with the veneer of both theoretical insight and empirical knowledge, while possessing neither," writes Robert Farley, a professor of international relations who blogs at Lawyers, Guns, and Money.
HB Gary: Attempted to sell Bank Of America on financing the destruction of wikileaks. What does this tell us ? The DoJ referred these agencies to B of A.
So many clues lie in the wikileaks documents. 3 great releases - that shed light into the internal workings of power - that do their business in the dark utterly non transparently. We know why when we hear the content of their thoughts. Each is like a pencil stroke shading a picture. 100s of strokes are needed before the pattern will truly emerge.
Once we subdue these forces democratically, We must find and destroy every shred of these surveillance records.