Orwellian

Dozens of NSA employees used surveillance system to spy on lovers

"In one case, a foreign national who worked for the U.S. government told a colleague she suspected that her boyfriend, who worked for the NSA, was eavesdropping on her phone calls. Investigators found the employee had been collected his girlfriend’s phone conversations with nine different women without valid purpose between 1998 and 2003, and he was suspended without pay and then resigned before he could be disciplined. In another case, a woman told the NSA that she’d recorded a conversation between her husband and a foreign telephone number because she suspected he’d been unfaithful. She also resigned before she could be punished, the inspector general said." Continue reading →

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Obama ‘Hope’ poster artist says drones have killed hope

"The artist who created the iconic 'Hope' posters during President Barack Obama’s first presidential campaign says he’d choose a different caption now. A camera crew from TMZ asked Shepard Fairey if he’d use the same word underneath his portrait of then-Sen. Obama, given his track record as president. The 43-year-old Fairey paused for a moment as he and a companion got into a waiting vehicle. 'I’d put a few different ones,' Shepard said, adding that some of them may not be fit for print. Then he turned back around to face the crew, thinking of an idea. 'How about drones?' Fairey said." Continue reading →

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Declassified Documents: NSA Spied On MLK Jr., Senators, Journalists

"The six-year spying program, dubbed 'Minaret,' had been exposed in the 1970s but the targets of the surveillance had been kept secret until now. The documents were published after the government panel overseeing classification ruled in favor of researchers at George Washington University who had long sought the release of the secret papers. The intensity of anti-war dissent at home led President Lyndon Johnson to ask US intelligence agencies in 1967 to find out if some protests were fueled by foreign powers. The NSA worked with other spy agencies to draw up 'watch lists' of anti-war critics to tap their overseas phone calls." Continue reading →

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Greenwald: NSA’s view of drone opponents as ‘threats’ and ‘adversaries’

"Under the title 'adversary propaganda themes', the document lists what it calls 'examples of potential propaganda themes that could be employed against UAV operations'. It states: 'Attacks against American and European persons who have become violent extremists are often criticized by propagandists, arguing that lethal action against these individuals deprives them of due process.' In the eyes of the US government, 'due process' – the idea that the US government should not deprive people of life away from a battlefield without presenting evidence of guilt – is no longer a basic staple of the American political system, but rather a malicious weapon of 'propagandists'." Continue reading →

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Government Continues Its Attack On The Fifth And Sixth Amendments

"The courts have already found that simply not answering questions post-arrest can be used as evidence of guilt. But what happens when you ask for legal representation before the police have arrested or detained you? The prosecution argued that Okatan's request for a lawyer was itself an admission of guilt. While we all supposedly have a right to remain silent and the right to an attorney, the government (meaning law enforcement and prosecutors -- both operatives of the state) have been poking and prodding at the amendments' weak spots over the years, turning these 'rights' into privileges that have to be asserted loudly, unwaveringly and timed correctly. What a joke." Continue reading →

Continue ReadingGovernment Continues Its Attack On The Fifth And Sixth Amendments

NYPD urging people to upgrade Apple devices to iOS7 because it is ‘safer’

"New York police officers were handing out flyers to people around New York City on Saturday urging them to upgrade their devices to Apple's new iOS7 operating system. NYPD's Public Awareness Notice promotes the software as giving 'added security to your devices'. The NYPD notice also urges people to register their devices with their 'Operation Identification Program'. One of those given a flyer was Michael Hoffman, who posted a picture on his Twitter account showing the paper from the police that was given to him at his subway stop. His tweet says: 'Four uniformed NYPD officers were at my subway stop tonight asking me to upgrade to iOS 7. Not a joke!'" Continue reading →

Continue ReadingNYPD urging people to upgrade Apple devices to iOS7 because it is ‘safer’

Common Core: A Lesson Plan for Raising Up Compliant, Non-Thinking Citizens

"When viewed in light of the government’s ongoing attempts to amass power at great cost to Americans—in terms of free speech rights, privacy, due process, etc.—the debate over Common Core State Standards, which would transform and nationalize school curriculum from kindergarten through 12th grade, becomes that much more critical. Essentially, these standards, which were developed through a partnership between big government and corporations, are being rolled out in 45 states and D.C., and will create a generation of test-takers capable of little else, molded and shaped by the federal government and its corporate allies into what it considers to be ideal citizens." Continue reading →

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‘Biometric Classroom’ Monitors Students’ Eye Movements And Conversations

"A report from Yahoo News Tuesday detailed a group of New York engineers who are developing a 'biometric classroom' monitoring program that will track students' every move. Sean Montgomery, co-founder and engineer for SensorStar Labs, says tracking students’ eye movements, conversations and smiles with 'EngageSense' cameras will help teachers improve classroom learning. Algorithms in the program will crunch the raw visual and audio data to give teachers detailed information on students’ actions. Teachers will then be advised on how to better engage students." Continue reading →

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Media Begin Orchestrating the Celebration: the FED’s 100th Birthday

"We are beginning to see a coordinated media celebration of the Federal Reserve System. This is in preparation for the 100th anniversary of its creation just before the Christmas holidays in 1913, when the bill was passed by a handful of Senators and signed into law within two hours by President Wilson. The Establishment media’s objective with this media blitz is clear: to praise the FED’s independence from the federal government, despite the fact that it possesses federal sovereignty. No other organization possesses federal sovereignty, yet is beyond federal control. It is unique in this respect." Continue reading →

Continue ReadingMedia Begin Orchestrating the Celebration: the FED’s 100th Birthday