'Deep State' USA - Mike Lofgren Article

'DEEP STATE' - USA Essay: Anatomy of the Deep State February 21, 2014 by Mike Lofgren Link:  http://billmoyers.com/2014/02/21/anatomy-of-the-deep-state/ Below are key points /extracts / summary (as learning aid for blogger): Visible government & the Shadow government Without due processes, President can: liquidate American citizens  detain prisoners indefinitely without charge conduct dragnet surveillance on the American people (without judicial warrant) engage in witch hunts against federal employees (the so-called “Insider Threat Program”) In USA, power is typified by: displays of intimidating force by militarized  federal; state; &  local; law enforcement.  Overseas, US can: start wars at will; & engage in virtually any other activity whatsoever  without Congress approval. 2011 political warfare over the debt ceiling, WA allocated funds on: overthrow Muammar Ghaddafi’s regime in Libya overt & covert assistance to French intervention in spill-over Mali $115 million to keeping a civil war going in Syria £100 million (min) to UK's GCHQ (spy agency) $1.7 billion constructing mammoth structure in Utah -- for NSA to archive digital surveillance data Meanwhile, in USA:  bridges carrying interstate highways have collapsed due to inadequate maintenance of infrastructure. Shadow Government (the 'Deep State') is a "hybrid entity of public and private institutions ruling the country" and this shadow government is only intermittently controlled by, the visible state whose leaders we choose." The Deep State government has its failures: Iraq Afghanistan Libya and is therefore not invincible.   The Deep State protects inept higher-ranking personnel. Cultural assimilation  >  “Groupthink”  - adoption of views of superiors & peers. Executive Office of the President via National Security Council CO-ORDINATES the activities of the Deep State, which is a hybrid of the following: national security  law enforcement agencies Department of State Department of Homeland Security Central Intelligence Agency Justice Department Deep State key areas of Judiciary: Foreign Intelligence Surveillance Court Vital federal trial courts (eg Eastern District of Virginia & Southern District of Manhattan) - where NSA cases conducted. Department of the Treasury (financial flows; international sanctions; SYMBIOSIS with WALL STREET) 'Rump' Congress - congressional leadership & some (but not all) members of the defence &  intelligence committees.  Rest of Congress "submits to a few well-chosen words from the State’s emissaries". Eg. Passage of the Foreign Intelligence Surveillance Amendments Act of 2008: retroactively legalised Bush’s illegal & unconstitutional surveillance and indemnified telecommunications companies for their cooperation in these acts. No problems: submission & passing of bill leveraged with trump card :  “terrorism” "What is euphemistically called “private enterprise” is an integral part of its operations." Now "854,000 contract personnel with top-secret clearances — a number greater than that of top-secret-cleared civilian employees of the government." The Corporate Arm of the Deep State Membrane between government and industry is highly permeable:  See National Security and Booz Allen Hamilton, (one of the government’s largest intelligence contractors, 99% dependent on govt business).  Contractors now set: political and social tone of Washington; and  increasingly setting the direction of the country and are "doing so quietly, unrecorded in the Congressional Record or the Federal Register, and are rarely subject to congressional hearings." Wall Street -- the cash -- keeps the political machine dormant & "operating as a diversionary marionette theatre." "The executives of the financial giants even have de facto criminal immunity": " ... institutions so mammoth that prosecutions would have "negative impact on the national economy, perhaps even the world economy". "Wall Street may be the ultimate owner of the Deep State and its strategies, if for no other reason than that it has the money to reward ..." Harvard: Ivy League is .. the preferred bleaching tub & charm school of the American oligarchy.  [LOL] White House advisers contractor-connected think tank experts economic gurus (pro-globalization and deregulation) preferred pose is that of the politically neutral technocrat offering .. profound expertise "deeply dyed in the hue of the official ideology of the governing class" Domestically:  invariably believe in the “Washington Consensus”: financialisation, outsourcing, privatization, deregulation and the commodifying of labour. Internationally, they espouse 21st-century “American Exceptionalism”: the right and duty of the US to meddle in every region of the world with coercive diplomacy and boots on the ground Silicon Valley is a vital node of the Deep State (Snowden exposure) Important engine of the nation’s economy Indulged by Washington: “jailbreak” smartphone (ie modify for use with other service provider)> receive a fine of up to $500,000 + several yrs prison "... libertarian pose of the Silicon Valley moguls, so carefully cultivated in their public relations, has always been a sham" Silicon Valley - commercial purposes - tracking activities of electronic device users. Deep State - emulate the Valley -- for own purposes.  Deep State conscripts the Silicon Valley’s assistance. 21st century:  drone strikes data mining secret prisons Panopticon-like (all-seeing) control Yet, visible parliamentary institutions of self-government declining to status of a banana republic amid gradual collapse of public infrastructure. [ summary incomplete ]

VIDEO - A Song for Carl Bildt

Pjesma Karl Bildtu Translated the lyrics are: "hey carl bildt, suck our d*ck!!"  A song for Carl Bildt Source:  here

Surveillance & IT

SURVEILLANCE & IT ------------------------------------------ >Apple has begun 2 store user data on servers @ mainland #CHINA / first time tech giant has stored user data on Chinese soil ! Google 2 build gigantic 120-megawatt data centre in the Netherlands $772m / intl submarine cables+ / http://goo.gl/2ZmTiB  / 4th centre #IT ------------------------------------------ USA  -  RULE 41 – USA SURVEILLANCE INVASION OF INTERNET - WORLDWIDE DOJ changes to Rule 41 would allow FBI to hack into & remotely control PCs located anywhere in world! - http://goo.gl/I507N5  - #USA #LAW >> "broadest expansion of extraterritorial surveillance power since the FBI’s inception" - law professor Ahmed Ghappour /nww FBI to examine & covertly upload files, photos, emails, or do anything the PC can do - eg turning on the webcam & microphone" ------------------------------------------ PROPOSED RULE 41 Amendment  http://justsecurity.org/wp-content/uploads/2014/09/proposed-amendment-rule-41.pdf … NEWS CORP / MURDOCH  -  GOOGLE  - EU - MONOPOLY News Corp letter fm CEO to #EU competition commissioner Joaquín Almunia, criticizing Google & championing regulators http://goo.gl/iqLlAe demanding “a regulatory veto” notwithstanding fact they “haven’t demonstrated any economic harm” stemming fm search provider. >> .. threatened by disruptive innovation in the marketplace, seek to manipulate the regulatory apparatus to their advantage. http://www.project-disco.org/intellectual-property/092214-newscorp-salvo-google-shows-even-free-markeeters-will-demand-regulatory-responses-disruption/ ------------------------------------------ AUSTRALIA – G20 – FINANCE MINISTERS – COMMON REPORTING STANDARD .. some 47 countries including Australia had signed up to a common reporting standard to being in 2017 that would see banks exchange information on individuals' finances, which could then be passed on to countries' tax offices. Another eight G20 countries would join by 2018, although there were another unnamed 14 countries who are apparently unwilling to go down this path. http://www.abc.net.au/radionational/programs/breakfast/the-g20-finance-ministers-meeting-explained/5759262 G20 expect multinationals 2 voluntarily bring profits back to the US @ tax 35 -40% when the corporate tax rate in Ireland is 12.5% / murdoch ------------------------------------------ CANADA - SURVEILLANCE - WARRANTS RULING The ISPs enacted their new policy following a Supreme Court of Canada ruling in June stating that law enforcement authorities must get a warrant to request subscriber data, even basic subscriber details such as name and address. However, a recent report in the Star reveals that police are still making requests for subscriber data without a warrant, though the number of requests has dropped significantly. Rogers’ transparency report revealed the government made nearly 175,000 requests for subscriber data to the company last year, or about 480 per day. Telus’ transparency report, released last week, found the company got 103,500 requests last year, or about 283 per day. Government documents released under access to information laws earlier this year estimated that the government makes about 1.2 million such requests every year. http://www.huffingtonpost.ca/2014/09/22/julian-assange-canada-privacy_n_5860774.html ------------------------------------------ CANADA - C-13 OpenMedia is leading a coalition of orgs. against Bill C-13 which #Canada govt tabled re high-profile cyberbullying cases /huffpost.ca #Canada - http://goo.gl/85s8vG  - Bill C-13 = authorities access to the private lives of Canadians without a warrant CSEC 'Spy Palace' Canada's electronic eavesdropping agency, CSEC, is getting a new $1.2-billion headquarters in Ottawa, the most expensive government building ever built. Here are some illustrations of the finished building. http://i.huffpost.com/gadgets/slideshows/336920/slide_336920_3412305_free.jpg ------------------------------------------ COMMENT Not clear on the status of Canada's C-13 bill.

In Summary

Miscellaneous First-ever #UN summit on indigenous ppl held now @ NY - calls 4 more reporting / monitoring rights / http://goo.gl/zGrqHL ------------------------------------------ #Lithuania trawler Jūros Vilkas in the Barents Sea /arrest of crew & ship's redirection 2 Murmansk/ admin violations  -  Russia  -   http://goo.gl/4sMQz5 ------------------------------------------ Stefan Löfven working on budget / hoping Red-Green coalition 2 push thru http://goo.gl/eIHVKW  - crucial meeting FRI Parl speaker #Sweden ------------------------------------------ #Scotland - http://goo.gl/4Q11iG  - voting age / Mr Salmond's successor noms / changing the role of Scottish politicians at Westminster call for 16 and 17-year-olds to be given the vote at future elections. ------------------------------------------ #Spain $340mil sale of vacant landmark 25-story Edificio España - opens door to further Chinese investment - http://goo.gl/Kb85LZ  >>"Telefónica, the Spanish telecommunications giant, halved its stake in China Unicom in 2012 to cut its debt." NYT >> BBVA - Spanish lender - now earns more from banking ops in #Mexico than in its home market. [NYT] > BBVA Oct 2013 cut its stake in Citic Bank, part conglomerate controlled by China govt, 2 help meet intl capital requirements #Spain - Chinese citizens received 282 of 1,880 “golden visas” granted. Visas give residency to any foreigner buying ppty @ $205,500 / NYT ------------------------------------------ #France - PM Manuel Valls pledged @ Berlin to push economic reform package - http://goo.gl/RzW1Fq  / zero growth & record unemployment Germany's media has been highly critical of France, Germany's top partner in Europe / "Frankreich" / "Krankreich" / 'sick' {AFP} Frenchie Pilots' union rejects Air France offer to end strike >> Giving #Hollande a migraine, along with IMF & Bling Bling's come-back RT >> "75% of France's electricity comes from nuclear energy. In the future, it will be 50% nuclear, 50% renewable" [CFR] ------------------------------------------ COMMENT Various bits of information that ought to be self-explanatory. Economy in France and in Spain bad.  Guessing Spain is worse off.

POLITICS - Female Exploitation

Female Exploitation William Hague And along comes #Hague ... the women's issues monitor #Hague reckons he's made progress on war-zone rape. >>> So it's just the beheadings we've got to worry about? Watson UN-Establishment-Media Puppet ... Followed by Emma Watson, would you believe ... Is this a conspiracy? LOL "Don't bully brave Emma" DM .. who writes this crap? Brave? Brave??? -- Try PUPPET Liberal Democrats (UK) #UK -- Liberal Dems are going with an end FGM campaign Bizarre 'Feminist' Campaigns CoppaFeel!  (UK)   -   It's On US (USA):  No thanks & No thanks! More politicising women:  "A campaign to show breasts in a non-sexual way to help cancer awareness" [Indep] - Why is everyone *using* women? > Where's the testicular cancer awareness pics?  Where's: 'Vital to respect the dignity of men everywhere' condescending crap? >> this is like a bad LSD trip: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/CoppaFeel ! >> CoppaFeel! UK & It'sOnUS USA -- WTF?  This is some really *warped* campaigning going on. http://www.independent.co.uk/life-style/health-and-families/health-news/coppafeel-launches-campaign-to-show-breasts-in-a-nonsexual-way-for-cancer-awareness-9744810.html Ed Balls RT >> "Ed Balls went on a Sound of Music tour in curtained costume that his wife made him" [Independent] ... What's UK press smokin' ? Didn't read article.  Sure smacks of Dave Cameron's Samantha advising him to put more women on the front bench political 'feminism'.  Or it could just be The Independent taking the piss out of Balls.  Yeeew.  That doesn't sound right. Obama | UN General Assembly >> still dragging women into it. Getting a bit tired, these politicians using the we're-feminist schtick. >> TWICE ... >>used women TWICE! >>dragged Eleanor Roosevelt into it, too!! [ie UN speech] COMMENT   One person's 'impassioned plea' is another person's manufactured propaganda. Go figure. The above is my take on causes, politicians and UN (and other) celebrities 'campaigning' for women, feminism, equality, awareness and so on. F*ck off with your preaching. We're not morons.  We're aware.  We're not the lesser sex.  We don't need 'special' consideration. And we certainly don't need 'the establishment': (be it in the guise of prime ministers, presidents, actresses or advocates of causes) defining us, manipulating our minds, our self-image or our social relationships, while exploiting our gender, our bodies and our perpetual 'victimhood' for hidden gains. Obama talking freedom, human rights, legacy, women's rights and reminiscing about Eleanor Roosevelt is preposterous.

Russia - Miscellaneous

RUSSIA Argentina #Argentina & #Russia do business - development shale field + interest in construction hydro powerplant -- http://en.itar-tass.com/economy/750696  >> Vaca Muerta shale field, the second world’s largest field Astrakhan Astrakhan (sth most #Russia city), banks of Volga, close Caspian Sea - 4th Caspian Summit / #Russia #Azer #Iran #Kazakh + #Turkman / Sept 29 >> Astrakhan on map ... ---------------------------------------- SYRIA Tartus city/ Mediterranean coast #Syria -- 2nd largest port city in Syria -- 29°C - Wed/ 4:54 pm / #Russia has permanent naval base there Russia-Kazakhstan Interregional Co-op Forum 30 Sept. Putin 2 attend 11th Russia-Kazakhstan Interregional Cooperation Forum >>> LOL first read it as the 'interrogation' forum :) >> @ Kazakhstan - be there or be square - Innovation in the Hydrocarbons Sector - bilateral arrangements & EEU talk >combustible fuels /natural gas, petroleum (solid form = bitumen) - several stages crude oil production result in hydrocarbons Mother of All Gas Wars If Kremlin decides 2 hit back against European sanctions, the stage is set for the mother of all gas wars - http://tinyurl.com/pyq37o4 >> Lenders might have Gazprom by the overheads. #Russia all prev. gas-cut-offs - x4 since 1995 - disputes re gas PRICES & TRANSIT FEES w/ #Ukraine / KIEV over $5billion in ARREARS!! > src: http://tinyurl.com/pyq37o4  - $5 billion? Reckon Russia OWNS #Kiev and ought to move right in. And the f*ckers are syphoning off gas! -- & getting some back from Poland & Slovakia! C'mon Kremlin, cut 'em off TOTALLY >> South Stream (to by-pass the Kiev criminals) blocked by the #EU criminals! -- Having a fit reading this article! LOL >> #Ukraine's syphoning of gas will shut down the gas ... lol ... oh, I can't way for the fun to begin > Rest of article crap about Russia using gas for geopolitical gain or some shite ... Look @ Ukies, EU, Obama & co !! ---------------------------------------- COMMENT Oh, dear.   Get a bit carried away with the one-eyed Kremlin thing. No idea why I'm so Kremlin biased.   A weird emotional thing that I can't identify.  It's a feeling.  Some kind of affinity.  It's not a state of mind.  It's irrational.

ISRAEL - Miscellaneous

ISRAEL Denmark / EU Trade Agreement #Denmark foreign Minister Martin Lidegaard says time to reconsider Denmark's & EU's Trade Agreements with Israel http://goo.gl/2nMuP8 >> ie Cairo Gaza peace talks - If peace talks don't result in serious concessions from the Israelis “Lidegaard wants to see Israel commit to ending its eight-year blockade of Gaza and stop its “illegal settlements”. The foreign minister is also calling on Hamas and other militant groups in Gaza to lay down their weapons. “ “Opposition parties the Conservatives and the Danish People's Party immediately spoke out against the threat of sanctions, while the trade minister, Mogens Jensen, told Jyllands-Posten that sanctions should only be considered with a broad international backing. “  [ http://www.thelocal.dk/20140922/fm-calls-for-tougher-approach-to-israel ] Mossad #Israel >>> Mossad has it's own YouTube channel ... & is on a recruitment drive >> http://goo.gl/iswOSA   VIDEO >>> https://www.youtube.com/watch?feature=player_detailpage&list=UUDRnbEnhND3zNvduaI4ruew&v=qX9ZoKO1H8E … Cybersecurity #Israel / creating new #cybersecurity authority/alleged #Iran attacks / increase in co-op b/w govt agencies, bus. & in civilian sector /RIA Obituary | Mossad  #Israel Mossad spy Mike Harari 87 died in Tel Aviv - http://goo.gl/uz1slD-  Operation Wrath of God - 'Black September' group - 1972 Munich Olympics >> reported to have had close relations with #Panama dictator Manuel Noriega / arms trade Noriega | Panama Manuel Noriega - military dictator of #Panama from 1983 to 1989 / invasion by USA / He's been to COUP SCHOOL! School of the Americas [wiki]  >#Panama > Noriega worked with CIA from the late 1950s until the 1980s/  Medellín Cartel /  Pablo Escobar / 'narcokleptocracy' >> George H. W. Bush, former CIA director / Vice President 1981-89 (President 1989-93 /close friend of Noriega [wikipedia] Reagan bypass Congress / NSC / Iran-Contra Affair of 1986–1987, facilitated contra funding thru proceeds of arms sales to #Iran! >officer Lt. Col. Oliver North in charge "The Enterprise"/+ govt  agencies, esp. from CIA in Central Am./no govt accountability http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Contras Hey, there's a #UN watch: "UN Watch, an Israel-linked group that monitors the multinational body for compliance to the UN charter." [Times of Israel] http://www.unwatch.org/site/c.bdKKISNqEmG/b.1313899/k.948D/Issues_in_Focus.htm COMMENT The stuff about Noriega, CIA, bypassing Congress, sale of arms to Iran and secretly financing Contra just blew me away. I've vaguely heard of Black September but didn't know what it was about.  Thought it was related to a foiled airport bombing in Italy. It's cool that there's someone watching the UN.