Public Intelligence Blog – Page 3361 – The truth at any cost lowers all other costs — curated by former US spy Robert David Steele.

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Google Comes Under Fire for ‘Secret' Relationship with NSA. Consumer Watchdog, an advocacy group largely focused in recent years on Google's privacy practices, has called on a congressional investigation into the Internet giant's “cozy” relationship with U.S. President Barack Obama's administration. In a letter sent Monday, Consumer Watchdog asked Representative Darrell Issa, the new chairman of the House Oversight and Government Reform Committee, to investigate the relationship between Google and several government agencies. Read more….

Phi Beta Iota: Google is to modern cyber-space as Standard Oil & ATT were to previous monopolies. It is doing great evil, no least because it enables violations of the Constitution at the same time that it fails to contribute to an educated citizenry (sense-making). Its computational mathematics are out of this world and neither understood nor regulated–Google can sell the right to show any searcher what the sponsor wants them to see, not what is relevant.

Journal: Consumer Group Calls for Hearings on Google Relations with NSA and CIA, Google’s Global Street-Level Survey of Wi-Fi Packet Interceptability
Event Report CORRECTED LINKS: Responding to Real Time Information, Open Systems and the Obama IT Vision [Google-Microsoft Meld]
Journal: Google Wave–Good, Bad, & Ugly
2009 Arnold Google: The Digital Gutenberg

Woolsey-Pollard and Hayden-Integrity Below the Line…

Continue reading “AFIO Selected Headlines: Google, Woolsey, Hayden”

2011/02/022011/02/02

Our American Dream: Latino TV Exex & Iraq Veteran

Cultural Intelligence

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Marcus-Aurelius-150x150 — Marcus Aurelius Recommends

Appears to be an example of “Twice the Citizen” done very right. Check out both basic article and slide show.

Our American Dream: From Television Executive to Decorated War Hero in Iraq – Fox News Latino

In all fields of endeavor, across the United States, Latinos are working to uphold their place in American society. Fox News Latino is proud to present “Our American Dream” – a series of snapshots and profiles of Latino success stories.

SLIDE SHOW:Our American Dream: From Mild Mannered Executive to War Hero – Fox News Latino

2011/02/012011/02/01

Professor: American Revolution Might be Impossible to Stop–“Reform” of Rot Is a Non-Starter…

Corruption, Offbeat Fun

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Following a week of political unrest, capped off by Friday’s organized pro-democracy uprising across the USA, President Barack Obama dismissed his Cabinet on Saturday and stepped before television cameras calling for an end to the protests.

But he stopped short of resigning—as his people were demanding. They blame him for poverty, unemployment, widespread corruption and police brutality including over a dozen internment camps for “disobedient citizens” carried over from his predecessor's “homeland security” program.

ron paul crowd — Click on Image to Enlarge

On Saturday, protestors throughout the world including outside the United Nations in New York were also calling for Obama's resignation. By day’s end, dozens of protestors had been killed and dozens more injured. Then the military stepped in closing roads and sending F-16 fighter jets over downtown Washington. Ron Paul, while refusing to talk to Ralph Nader or Cynthia McKinney or anyone else, asked the crowd to remain non-violent but persistent.

“My impression is that a revolutionary process has begun that might be impossible to stop—so I believe that the 30-year two-party tyranny has outlived its pretensions,” said Dr. Alfred Gerteiny of Westport, a retired professor of American studies and author of The Terrorist Conjunction (Praeger Security International). “It took the uprising in Tunisia and Egypt to lead me to posit that a domino effect will probably ensue, involving America as well.”

Read the rest of this insightful article

In related news, a US inquiry on Thursday found that the 2008 financial crisis could have been prevented and that many of the conditions that led to Wall Street's near collapse have yet to be addressed. The findings could also lead to some people in the financial world facing criminal charges for the failures that led to the turmoil. The 10-member Financial Crisis Inquiry Commission, created in May 2009 by…read more

Extract: ‘Our financial system is, in many respects, still unchanged from what existed on the eve of the crisis,' the report said. ‘Indeed, in the wake of the crisis, the US financial sector is now more concentrated than ever in the hands of a few large, systemically significant institutions.' While much of its findings have already been well documented by others, the panel painted a gloomy picture of questionable ethics, irresponsibility and incompetence by Wall Street bankers who dabbled in the US housing market using complex financial products that few of them could understand.

Gov. Jerry Brown Compares California to Egypt in State of the State Address

2011/02/012011/02/01

Monthly CrisisWatch Report N°90, 1 February 2011

01 Poverty, 05 Civil War, 07 Other Atrocities, 08 Immigration, 08 Wild Cards, 09 Terrorism, 10 Security, 10 Transnational Crime, 11 Society, Civil Society, Counter-Oppression/Counter-Dictatorship Practices, CrisisWatch reports, Government, Law Enforcement, Military

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CrisisWatch N°90, 1 February 2011

Historic events in the Arab world gripped the world's attention in January. In Tunisia weeks of escalating riots and demonstrations over dire economic conditions, corruption and government repression culminated in the ouster of President Zine al-Abidine Ben Ali on 14 January. He was replaced by an interim government which announced the country's first free elections since independence.

Download the full issue of CrisisWatch N°90

The direction of Tunisia's transition, and its significance for the region, are not yet clear. But, assuming a successful transition, this could mark the first genuine popular revolt leading to a democratic government in the Arab world.

Inspired by the Tunisian uprising yet fuelled by their own long-standing grievances, hundreds of thousands took to the streets across Egypt towards the end of the month, protesting against authoritarian rule and poor living standards, and calling for President Hosni Mubarak to step down. Over 135 people were killed and more than 2,000 injured during the initial police response. The army was deployed at the end of the month to curb increasing chaos and looting, but vowed not to use force against the protesters.

Continue reading “Monthly CrisisWatch Report N°90, 1 February 2011”

2011/02/012011/02/01

Alleged Egyptian Activist Plan

Civil Society, Counter-Oppression/Counter-Dictatorship Practices, Cultural Intelligence, Peace Intelligence

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Seemingly somewhat similar approach to “monkeywrenching” ecotage (sabotage) of Earth Liberation Front originating in American Southwest…..not sure The Atlantic has done its homework–apart from the naivete of thinking that this would remain “controlled” it reads like a CIA-version of a faux activist plan.

egypt page one — Click on Image to Enlarge

Egyptian Activists' Action Plan: Translated

The Atlantic,Jan 27 2011, 7:40 PM ET

Egypt protest leaflets distributed in Cairo give blueprint for mass action

Anonymous flyers provide practical and tactical advice for confronting riot police, and besieging government offices

Phi Beta Iota: Agree with Marcus Aurelius. A simpler plan is “be on the street, be respectful and non-violent at all times, be patient.” This is a word of mouth revolution, 26 pages is suspect and we have to wait to see the entire product as well as verification that this has gone anywhere other than The Atlantic. This is the kind of thing CIA would do (violate the law, feed this to The Atlantic) to try to get on the boards “virtually.” Fairly stupid to want to occupy buildings, the key is public presence, non-violent, nothing more. V-sign? Is this a 1960's annuitant on modern drugs? We wait with bated breath to learn who is actually behind what the UK Guardian calls “the slickly produced 26-page document.”

2011/02/01

FBI Intelligence Violations from 2001 – 2008

09 Justice, Corruption, Counter-Oppression/Counter-Dictatorship Practices, Government, Law Enforcement, Open Government, Secrecy & Politics of Secrecy

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Executive Summary

In a review of nearly 2,500 pages of documents released by the Federal Bureau of Investigation as a result of litigation under the Freedom of Information Act, EFF uncovered alarming trends in the Bureau’s intelligence investigation practices. The documents consist of reports made by the FBI to the Intelligence Oversight Board of violations committed during intelligence investigations from 2001 to 2008. The documents suggest that FBI intelligence investigations have compromised the civil liberties of American citizens far more frequently, and to a greater extent, than was previously assumed. In particular, EFF’s analysis provides new insight into:

Number of Violations Committed by the FBI

From 2001 to 2008, the FBI reported to the IOB approximately 800 violations of laws, Executive Orders, or other regulations governing intelligence investigations, although this number likely significantly under-represents the number of violations that actually occurred.
From 2001 to 2008, the FBI investigated, at minimum, 7000 potential violations of laws, Executive Orders, or other regulations governing intelligence investigations.
Based on the proportion of violations reported to the IOB and the FBI’s own statements regarding the number of NSL violations that occurred, the actual number of violations that may have occurred from 2001 to 2008 could approach 40,000 possible violations of law, Executive Order, or other regulations governing intelligence investigations.1

Continue reading “FBI Intelligence Violations from 2001 – 2008”

2011/02/012011/02/01

Americans Admire Military Personnel While Being Unaware & Uninterested in What They Do “In Our Name”

02 Diplomacy, 04 Education, 04 Inter-State Conflict, 06 Family, 07 Health, 07 Other Atrocities, 09 Justice, 10 Security, Civil Society, Corruption, Ethics, Government, Media, Military, Policy, Waste (materials, food, etc)

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Troops Die Because of Their Country, Not For It

US admiration for its soldiers may be deep and widespread, but interest in what they are doing is shallow and fleeting

by Gary Younge
Published on Monday, January 31, 2011 by The Guardian

Most of the stories told about Benjamin Moore, 23, at his funeral started in a bar and ended in a laugh. Invited to testify about his life from the pews, friend, relative, colleague and neighbour alike described a boisterous, gregarious, energetic young man they'd known in the small New Jersey town of Bordentown since he was born. “I'll love him 'til I go,” his granny said. “If I could go today and bring him back, I would.”

Grown men choked on their memories, under the gaze of swollen, reddened eyes, as they remembered a “snot-nosed kid” and a fidget who'd become a volunteer firefighter before enlisting in the military. Shortly before Benjamin left for Afghanistan, he sent a message to his cousin that began: “I'm about to go into another country where they hate me for everything I stand for.” Now he was back in a flag-draped box, killed by roadside bomb with two other soldiers in Ghazni province.

Continue reading “Americans Admire Military Personnel While Being Unaware & Uninterested in What They Do “In Our Name””