military industrial complex

SWAT Cop: American Neighborhoods Are ‘Battlefields’

"This battlefield mindset is the product of a generation of politicians telling police that they're at war with things -- drugs, terrorism, crime, etc. -- and have then equipped them with the uniforms, tactics, weapons, and other accoutrements of war. One essay by Sgt. Glenn French was particularly disturbing. French serves as commander of a SWAT team in Sterling Heights, Michigan. French doesn't criticize me for arguing that too many police officers have adopted this battlefield mindset. Rather, he embraces the combat mentality, and encourages other cops to do the same." Continue reading →

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Facial Scanning Is Making Gains in Surveillance

"The federal government is making progress on developing a surveillance system that would pair computers with video cameras to scan crowds and automatically identify people by their faces, according to newly disclosed documents and interviews with researchers working on the project. The Department of Homeland Security tested a crowd-scanning project called the Biometric Optical Surveillance System — or BOSS — last fall after two years of government-financed development. Although the system is not ready for use, researchers say they are making significant advances." Continue reading →

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Ron Paul supports Snowden and Manning in Larry King interview

"With Bradley Manning sentenced to 35 years in prison for his role in releasing sensitive military information to WikiLeaks and the US government's hunt for Edward Snowden for revealing the NSA's spying program, being a whistleblower isn't an easy task. As some people see the two individuals as traitors, some people believe that these leaks are essential to gaining full government transparency. In an interview with Larry King, former Congressman Ron Paul expresses his appreciation for the leaked information." Continue reading →

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NSA spied on Americans until a judge ruled it illegal in 2011

"The National Security Agency spied on electronic communications between Americans in a program that was later scrapped after a judge ruled it illegal in 2011, US officials said Wednesday. The court’s opinions are usually top secret but the move to release the documents came amid a firestorm over revelations of sweeping surveillance operations, following bombshell disclosures from a former US intelligence contractor, Edward Snowden. Officials said the court rulings had been declassified to better inform the public about how the eavesdropping programs are carried out, and that a mistake had occurred due to a technical problem." Continue reading →

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NSA Funding N.C. State University Lab

"North Carolina State University just secured a $60.75 million grant from the National Security Agency (NSA) to build a massive campus lab for the study of data analytics. The Laboratory for Analytic Sciences (LAS) is expected to create 100 jobs in the area; those actually working in the facility will need government security clearances. The NSA reportedly chose the university because of the latter’s extensive work in data analytics. While a portion of its research will remain unclassified, the bulk of it—including personnel numbers and facility details—will remain firmly under wraps." Continue reading →

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The price Gina Gray paid for whistleblowing through ‘proper internal channels’

"Gray is the Defense Department whistleblower whose case I have been following for five years. She was the Army civilian worker who, before and after her employment, exposed much of the wrongdoing at Arlington National Cemetery— misplaced graves, mishandled remains and financial mismanagement — and she attempted to do it through the proper internal channels. Pentagon sources have confirmed to me her crucial role in bringing the scandal to light. For her troubles, Gray was fired. Gray, who worked in Iraq as an Army contractor and Army public affairs specialist, is now unemployed and living in North Carolina." Continue reading →

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Bill Bonner: The world’s fattest army

"Yes, dear reader, times have changed. But humans have not. Give them the opportunity, and they will turn into zombies. The late Colonel John Boyd of the US Air Force, observed that, 'It is not true the Pentagon has no strategy. It has a strategy, and once you understand what that strategy is, everything the Pentagon does makes sense. The strategy is, don’t interrupt the money flow, add to it.' Boyd was a strategist. He observed that wars were won by lean and agile fighters, who were able to improvise and innovate quickly as needs and opportunities arose. Bureaucracy does not support such warriors; it tries to get rid of them." Continue reading →

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U.S. Air Force can’t find enough people willing to be drone pilots

"The US Air Force is unable to keep up with a growing demand for pilots capable of operating drones, partly due to a shortage of volunteers, according to a new study. Despite the importance placed on the burgeoning robotic fleet, drone operators face a lack of opportunities for promotion to higher ranks and the military has failed to identify and cultivate this new category of aviators, Air Force Colonel Bradley Hoagland wrote in the report published for the Brookings Institution think tank. As of last year, the Air Force has 1,300 drone pilots, making up about 8.5 percent of the force’s aviators, compared to 3.3 percent four years [earlier]." Continue reading →

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Hastings Coroner Report: He Was Using Drugs, But Not Considered a Factor

"Michael Hastings, who was killed in a fiery Los Angeles crash in June, died of 'traumatic injuries' as a result of the accident and had traces of drugs in his system, Los Angeles coroner's officials said. Coroner's officials said Hastings had traces of amphetamine in his system, consistent with possible intake of methamphetamine many hours before death, as well as marijuana. However, neither were considered a factor in the crash, according to toxicology reports. Hastings had arrived in Los Angeles from New York the day before the accident ' [..] as his family was attempting to get [Hastings] to go to detox,' the report stated." Continue reading →

Continue ReadingHastings Coroner Report: He Was Using Drugs, But Not Considered a Factor