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Declassified NSA Docs Shed Light On Cold War (And Modern) Operations
AHuxley writes "With the U.S. trying to understand the domestic role of their foreign intelligence and counterintelligence services in 2013, what can a declassified look back into the 1960s and 1970s add to the ongoing legal debate?
Welcome to the world of Interagency Security Classification Appeals Panel and the work done by the National Security Archive at George Washington University. Read how prominent anti-war critics and U.S. senators were tracked, and who was on the late-1960s NSA watch list, from Rev. Martin Luther King to civil rights leader Whitney Young, boxer Muhammad Ali, Tom Wicker, the Washington bureau chief and Washington Post columnist Art Buchwald, and Sen. Howard Baker (R-Tenn.). The NSA was aware of the legality of its work and removed all logos or classification markings, using the term 'For Background Use Only.' Even back then, NSA director at the time, Lew Allen noted: "appeared to be a possible violation of constitutional guarantees" (from page 86 of this PDF). What did the NSA think about signals intelligence sites in your country? See if your country makes the 'indefinite' list on page 392."
Tracking senators huh? This is the United States of America, you do not do that kind of shit to powerful and rich people. Let's hope we get evidence of that leaked, maybe with evidence of blackmail and manipulation; if the elite realize that it's not just the gutter trash getting crushed under the jackboot they might actually do something.
Tracking and blackmailing rich and powerful people is not new. Hoover's personal files were used to do just that*. It was the entire point of COINTELPRO. The NSA is simply following the path of other alphabet soup agencies to consolidate power for themselves and their political masters.
* For example, we know that Jackie O. had a lesbian fling because an item of her correspondence obtained for Hoover's personal safe was misfiled. Can you think of any reason for the FBI having a love letter like that other than blackmail?
Zero risk of doing any harm? MLK was a subversive, he worked against the status quo. That's something very likely to cause rulers at least a headache. It isn't at all stupid to monitor and, when viable, get rid of people who are likely to cause you problems.
Someone once suggested to me that so long as these activities remain illegal, they are less likely to be abused. Think about that. If it's illegal you're going to think about every line you cross and try to justify it against your goals. Abuse would not only be a problem, it would be a problem caused by illegal activity. Once you legalize these activities I think they are more likely to be abused.
Given that the people who beat up civil rights workers in the 60s can be pursued for their offences of 'depriving of their civil rights', why can't these people? OK - stupid question in the real world...
It's easy to say now, but at the time who knows, he could have given up on peaceful change and started advocating violent actions. It's the job of the spy agencies to know of dangers to the government before they happen, so they spy on influential people that could have become dangerous.
Sort of underlines the fact that it was never about the "bad guys" in the first place. Example, all that financial data and transaction records all over the world they've been tracking. You going to tell me they haven't tied them to terrorist networks? Funny I don't remember reading that suddenly a bunch of terrorist cells are put out of business. Yeah, once in a while, little fish to keep the people quiet. But if you have ALL the data and powerful computers, it's not long before you have the whole list. But no, it's about "tax avoiders" (which is totally legal, btw avoidance != evasion although they are trying their damnest to taint it), and the billions no trillions of dollars that leave the US completely legally for countries like Cyprus or Panama. No one cared up till now because no one knew how much money it actually was. Oh but now they want to eat that pie, too. That's what it's about. Terrorists... har har har! Yeah and the TSA stops bombs and weapons from getting on airplanes, too. They catch guys with bombs trying to board aircraft all the time. /sarcastic LOL.
Seven puppies were harmed during the making of this post.
Zero risk of doing any harm? MLK was a subversive, he worked against the status quo. That's something very likely to cause rulers at least a headache. It isn't at all stupid to monitor and, when viable, get rid of people who are likely to cause you problems.
it is stupid when it goes against the moral rules you're supposed to promote... ain't nothing in the world more stupid than that, giving up faith(in morals) for convenience.
because at the other end of spectrum is judge death - if you kill everyone then nobody can do any crime.
world was created 5 seconds before this post as it is.
The list only got longer to now include everybody and they pet fish.
Well, one thing changed. We can not say anymore : "Wir haben es nicht gewuÃYt. (We didn't know.)". We also know about torture that is done in the name of freedom. We know that the government does not represent us anymore in the last several years.
And what do we do? We discuss if the donkey or the elephant is at fault, unable to understand that BOTH are wrong.
So unless people stand up to do something about this, it WILL get worse. Much worse.
Don't fight for your country, if your country does not fight for you.
So it DECRYPTED and demodulated the signal you say? :-\
(1st para, p.18 / 373).
Belief is the currency of delusion.
You should have added the disclaimer that you think the US government killed a lot of people in 9/11 so that people know exactly where you are coming from with your conspiracy theories. Which building did you say was certain proof that the US government blew them all up again?
My kingdom for mod points.
-The wise argue that there are few absolutes, the fool argues that there are no probabilities.
Does that mean you have recanted your earlier line about the collapse in the third building being a plot because apparently fire isn't hot enough to burn stuff? If so you owe me an apology for all of those insults from when I called you out on it.
I also recall you made a big deal when I suggested that your pentagon faked crash bullshit showed disrespect to the dead. You threw that quote from me right back at me a few times. Now that you've changed your mind do I get an apology for that too?
Or is it that you have not changed your mind but you want to hide your batshit insane conspiracy ravings from readers to stop scaring them off and instead bring them into it slowly like boiled frogs?
Also, how dare you call me a troll for doing no more than calling attention to your own words.