Corruption – Page 500 – Public Intelligence Blog

2014/01/182014/01/18

SchwartzReport: NSA as Foundation for Police State with Comment on “Parallel Construction”

05 Civil War, 07 Other Atrocities, 09 Justice, 11 Society, Corruption, Cultural Intelligence, Director of National Intelligence et al (IC), Government, Law Enforcement, Military

Here are the views of a former high ranking NSA official. They remind me of Richard Clarke.

Just because authority at this point only intrudes to a small degree does not mean it cannot go much further. The information will be there to work with. And there are thousands of laws.

I am always concerned I may seem alarmist about a trend but, really I'm just reporting the data, the emerging information. President Obama's comment today that this network of agencies is made up of our neighbors is patently disingenuous.

Click through to see the actual powerpoint slides that document this piece.

Former Top NSA Official: ‘We Are Now In A Police State”
WashingtonBlog

Continue reading “SchwartzReport: NSA as Foundation for Police State with Comment on “Parallel Construction””

2014/01/17

David Swanson: Obama’s 4th Amendment Speech Deceitful, Even His Fans Are Dismayed

Corruption, Government

Even Obama Fans Aren't Pretending That Was a Good Speech

President Barack Obama gave a eulogy for the Fourth Amendment on Friday, and not even his fans are proclaiming victory. In this moment when Obama is actually doing one thing I agree with (talking to Iran), more and more people seem to be slowly, agonizingly slowly, finally, finally, finally, recognizing what a complete huckster he is when it comes to pretty speeches about his crimes.

Obama's speech and new “policy directive” eliminate the Fourth Amendment. Massive bulk collection of everybody's data will continue unconstitutionally, but Obama has expressed a certain vague desire to end it, sort of, except for the parts that are needed, but not to do so right away. The comparisons to the closure of the Guantanamo death camp began instantly.

Continue reading “David Swanson: Obama's 4th Amendment Speech Deceitful, Even His Fans Are Dismayed”

2014/01/17

Chuck Spinney: Corrupt Congress Spends on Contractor Waste Instead of Human Core

Corruption, Government

WEEKEND EDITION JANUARY 17-19, 2014

The Cockburn Report

Defense Spending: Putting Toys Before Boys

by FRANKLIN C. SPINNEY, Counterpunch

Being pro-defense in the Hall of Mirrors of Versailles on the Potomac means, in the salty words of my late friend Col. David Hackworth, one of the U.S. Army’s most decorated combat soldiers, putting “the toys before boys.”

Continue reading “Chuck Spinney: Corrupt Congress Spends on Contractor Waste Instead of Human Core”

2014/01/17

4th Media: NSA Metadata Collection Fourth Amendment Violation

Corruption, Government, Idiocy, Ineptitude, Military

NSA Metadata Collection: Fourth Amendment Violation

Edward Snowden, who worked for the National Security Agency (NSA), revealed a secret order of the Foreign Intelligence Surveillance Court (FISC), that requires Verizon to produce on an “ongoing daily basis… all call detail records or ‘telephony metadata’ created by Verizon for communications (i) between the United States and abroad; or (ii) wholly within the United States, including local telephone calls.”

Continue reading “4th Media: NSA Metadata Collection Fourth Amendment Violation”

2014/01/17

SchwartzReport: Americans See the US Government As Top Problem

Corruption, Government, Idiocy, Ineptitude, Military

Here is the proof — in the form of a just released reputable survey — of the point I have been making. Large numbers of Americans see their government as the problem. It reminds me of conversations I had with Russians and others in the Soviet Union before its fall. Click through to see the charts that accompany this report.

Government Itself Still Cited as Top U.S. Problem
LYDIA SAAD – The Gallup Organization

2014/01/162014/01/16

WInslow Wheeler: Congressional Deception on Pentagon Pork [PBI: Until DoD Down to $400B a Year, 50% Waste is Order of the Day]

Corruption, Government, Military

“Omnibus” Information and Commentary Paper: What Did the Appropriators Really Do to Defense Spending?

Bottom line: At $600B plus, DoD is a pig — easily 40% waste.

Summary of Findings:

Continue reading “WInslow Wheeler: Congressional Deception on Pentagon Pork [PBI: Until DoD Down to $400B a Year, 50% Waste is Order of the Day]”

2014/01/162014/01/16

Greg Palast: Why are Christie and the Kochs in my driveway? It’s time to subpoena the Committee for Our Children’s Future

Civil Society, Corruption, Government

Why are Christie and the Kochs in my driveway?

It’s time to subpoena the Committee for Our Children’s Future

By Greg Palast for Truthout
Thursday, 16. January 2014

Far more insidious, more corrosive and dangerous than the Governor of New Jersey playing traffic warden is the story of Gov. Chris Christie's secret meetings with a gaggle of billionaires –– and the legality of the spending by the front organization set up following these hidden hugger-muggers.

Continue reading “Greg Palast: Why are Christie and the Kochs in my driveway? It’s time to subpoena the Committee for Our Children’s Future”