Orwellian

Propaganda Ban Repealed As Government-Made News Floods U.S.

"For decades, a so-called anti-propaganda law prevented the U.S. government’s mammoth broadcasting arm from delivering programming to American audiences. But on July 2, that came silently to an end with the implementation of a new reform passed in January. The result: an unleashing of thousands of hours per week of government-funded radio and TV programs for domestic U.S. consumption in a reform initially criticized as a green light for U.S. domestic propaganda efforts. The law, the Smith-Mundt Modernization Act of 2012, was passed as part of the 2013 National Defense Authorization Act. The repeal of the propaganda ban went into effect this month." Continue reading →

Continue ReadingPropaganda Ban Repealed As Government-Made News Floods U.S.

NSA whistleblower Edward Snowden applies for temporary asylum in Russia

"Fugitive US intelligence leaker Edward Snowden has applied for temporary asylum in Russia, a pro-Kremlin lawyer said Tuesday, after President Vladimir Putin accused Washington of 'trapping' him in the country. Snowden, wanted by the United States for revealing sensational details of its vast spying operations, is now spending a fourth week in the transit lounge at Moscow’s Sheremetyevo airport without crossing the Russian border. Washington has reacted sharply to the possibility that Moscow might offer Snowden a safe haven and accused it of providing him with a 'propaganda platform.'" Continue reading →

Continue ReadingNSA whistleblower Edward Snowden applies for temporary asylum in Russia

Justin Raimondo: The Prisoner

"All this subterfuge about America being the land of the free and an international exemplar of liberal democracy is thrown overboard very quickly, and suddenly it becomes a felony to reveal the decision of a duly constituted court. It becomes a felony to reveal that you’ve received a National Security Letter, or to discuss its contents. And the highest treason of all is trying to escape. I wondered whether I had stumbled on a heretofore unknown episode of The Prisoner, the cult classic 1960s television series written by and starring Patrick McGoohan, in which a former British intelligence agent who has committed some unknown treason finds himself imprisoned in The Village." Continue reading →

Continue ReadingJustin Raimondo: The Prisoner

Justin Raimondo: The Prisoner

"All this subterfuge about America being the land of the free and an international exemplar of liberal democracy is thrown overboard very quickly, and suddenly it becomes a felony to reveal the decision of a duly constituted court. It becomes a felony to reveal that you’ve received a National Security Letter, or to discuss its contents. And the highest treason of all is trying to escape. I wondered whether I had stumbled on a heretofore unknown episode of The Prisoner, the cult classic 1960s television series written by and starring Patrick McGoohan, in which a former British intelligence agent who has committed some unknown treason finds himself imprisoned in The Village." Continue reading →

Continue ReadingJustin Raimondo: The Prisoner

‘Heroic effort at great personal cost’: Edward Snowden nominated for Nobel Peace Prize

"A Swedish sociology professor has nominated Edward Snowden for the Nobel Peace Prize. He says the NSA whistleblower could help 'save the prize from the disrepute incurred by the hasty and ill-conceived decision' to give the 2009 award to Barack Obama. In his letter addressed to the Norwegian Nobel Committee, Stefan Svallfors praised Snowden for his 'heroic effort at great personal cost.' He stated that by revealing the existence and the scale of the US surveillance programs, Snowden showed 'individuals can stand up for fundamental rights and freedoms.'" Continue reading →

Continue Reading‘Heroic effort at great personal cost’: Edward Snowden nominated for Nobel Peace Prize

Glenn Greenwald: The crux of the NSA story in one phrase: ‘collect it all’

"The Washington Post this morning has a long profile of Gen. Keith Alexander, director the NSA, and it highlights the crux of the NSA stories, the reason Edward Snowden sacrificed his liberty to come forward, and the obvious focal point for any responsible or half-way serious journalists covering this story. It helpfully includes that crux right in the headline, in a single phrase. What does 'collect it all' mean? Exactly what it says; the Post explains how Alexander took a 'collect it all' surveillance approach originally directed at Iraqis in the middle of a war, and thereafter transferred it so that it is now directed at the US domestic population as well as the global one." Continue reading →

Continue ReadingGlenn Greenwald: The crux of the NSA story in one phrase: ‘collect it all’

Glenn Greenwald: The crux of the NSA story in one phrase: ‘collect it all’

"The Washington Post this morning has a long profile of Gen. Keith Alexander, director the NSA, and it highlights the crux of the NSA stories, the reason Edward Snowden sacrificed his liberty to come forward, and the obvious focal point for any responsible or half-way serious journalists covering this story. It helpfully includes that crux right in the headline, in a single phrase. What does 'collect it all' mean? Exactly what it says; the Post explains how Alexander took a 'collect it all' surveillance approach originally directed at Iraqis in the middle of a war, and thereafter transferred it so that it is now directed at the US domestic population as well as the global one." Continue reading →

Continue ReadingGlenn Greenwald: The crux of the NSA story in one phrase: ‘collect it all’

Spy-spotter: joke about scary visit came true

"A German man who called on Facebook friends concerned about American secret service operations to join him in a walk around a US army spy centre near his home, found secret service men at his door checking his political leanings. He said a state security agent arrived with a local police officer, and asked him a load of questions about his political activities and his opinions, and whether he had any connection to activists willing to use violence. They suggested his Facebook entry could be interpreted in different ways. In the end around 80 people showed up on Saturday to take a walk, have a talk and look at the US base." Continue reading →

Continue ReadingSpy-spotter: joke about scary visit came true

Paul Craig Roberts: Coup d’etat

"During my professional life it was Soviet Russia that persecuted truth tellers, while America gave them asylum and tried to protect them. Today it is Washington that persecutes those who speak the truth, and it is Russia that protects them. It is not the US that is damaged by Snowden’s revelations. It is the criminal elements in the US government that have pulled off a coup against democracy, the Constitution, and the American people who are damaged. It is the criminals who have seized power, not the American people, who are demanding Snowden’s scalp. The Obama Regime, like the Bush/Cheney Regime, has no legitimacy." Continue reading →

Continue ReadingPaul Craig Roberts: Coup d’etat

Govt wants all cars to track driver behavior, seatbelt usage and more

"Most people are unaware that newer vehicles already contain these event data recorders, which are a continuous feed of information, recorded by sensors. The National Highway Traffic Safety Administration estimates that 96 percent of 2013 model cars already house these black boxes. Private security expert Steve Rambam believes law enforcement agencies might seek to cut costs and save resources by monitoring driver data from discreet locations. Law enforcement could monitor people from the comfort of their office, sending tickets to the driver by mail. Old fashioned patrols could evolve into data police centers." Continue reading →

Continue ReadingGovt wants all cars to track driver behavior, seatbelt usage and more