CIA Opposed Freedom, and Freedom of Discussion

by Michael Kelly

A description of the evolution of alt.politics.org.cia and the changing tactics used by the US government to suppress discussion of the real issues.

http://web.archive.org/web/20000304172328/http://www.copi.com/articles/CIAPsyOps.htm

About a year ago, almost all the posters on this group were "retired" spooks. What they would do is sit like spiders in their webs waiting for innocents to come along and ask a question, such as "what are some good books to read" on such and such an intelligence-related topic. Of course, the newbie was then steered to some CIA-approved or CIA-written propaganda. A favorite being The Night Watch, by David Atlee Phillips, who was propaganda meister for the Western Hemisphere Division of CIA. If the poster criticized CIA, that poster was flamed. If the flaming didn't have any effect, then all the spooks would killfile the poster in lockstep.

This strategy only works well when the "retired" spooks make up a vast majority of the posters here. Now that more "real people" have gotten involved in this group, it doesn't work so well because a critic is likely to be able to interact with others who want to discuss the issues.



The last thing The Company wants is a genuine discussion of the issues here. What they want is a propaganda outlet. That's why anyone who raises the real issues of CIA and Clandestine Services(as the "old boys" like to call the covert ops department) will be set upon by provocateurs.

See, if the "retired" spooks flame in too nasty a fashion and too constantly, it makes them look bad. The technique used is to bring people in from outside with no other purpose than to start flame wars with, and otherwise harass the critic. An analogy would be the hockey player who can't skate but is on the team to take out the talented players on the opposing team by starting brawls.

A trademark of these types is that they never contribute anything of substance. Their refrain is "so and so is a... blah blah." By this technique the attempt is made to portray the critic as someone who argues with everyone. By attacking from many sides they attempt to portray the target as the common denominator in all the flame wars. Of course the hope is that the provocations will substitute the flame wars themselves as the issue, instead of the discussion of illegal and immoral practices of The Company.

It's just a diversionary tactic. Keep focused on what The Company avoids discussing. Those are the real topics of importance here. All that's needed for them to have total control of your lives is for you to do nothing. They never stop seeking more power. Henry Kissinger called power "the ultimate aphrodisiac" and he should know since he stopped at nothing to increase his share of it. When Congress asked him if it was really a nice thing to encourage the Kurds to rise up, then abandon them when it was convenient, his response was roughly "one should not confuse covert operations with missionary work." What a guy! Yeah, give him another peace prize!

Provocation is an old technique The Company has used for decades. They have experience subverting labor unions, student organizations, and governments, remember? So it's old hat for them to divide and conquer.

The purpose is to divert you all from discussing the substantive issues. As soon as the standard Company "dirty tricks" are brought up, then all kinds of nitwits come out of the woodwork to start flame wars and commence e-mail and other harassments of the critic in order to obfuscate the issues.

The following are issues The Company would rather not confirm or deny:

1. CIA training of assassins and Latin American death squads. Read anything you can on the School of the Americas (known fondly as The School of Assassins.) You will find alumni such as the illustrious Manuel Noriega.

2. CIA rigging of elections, especially now in conjunction with the "National Endowment for Democracy" or NED.

3. The "standard practices" of CIA, including propaganda via "friendly" reporters in the American press, and the publishing of books via CIA proprietary companies that pass themselves off as private commercial enterprises. (Beware especially of former KGB officials who author these pieces of trash as "vigorish" for being allowed to live in the US.)

4. The subversion of labor, educational, cultural, student, political, and military organizations at home and abroad.

5. The illegal opening and interception of U.S. citizen's mail and electronic correspondence. In case you're tempted to tell me they are prohibited from doing this domestically, they get around these proscriptions by multi-lateral agreements with the intelligence agencies of other countries. It amounts to "we'll spy on your people and give you the take if you return the favor." So, Britain's GCHQ may intercept your phone call instead of NSA, and everything will be "legal," but your privacy is still violated nonetheless.

6. CIA dealing in drugs, weapons, money-laundering, and currency speculation on the black markets. This is a handy means of raising operating expenses for projects the Congress is not willing to fund, a la Iran/Contra, or multiplying the funds Congress appropriates. One example of this technique is described in the book Portrait of A Cold Warrior by Joseph B. Smith. He worked for the Company rigging elections in the Philippines. He was instrumental in bringing Ferdinand Marcos to power. He dealt the operating funds sent to him by CIA on the black market until they were multiplied by a factor of 10, then used the take to finance CIA-backed candidates. Imelda needs a new pair of shoes!

7. The funding of "media magnates" and "stock market wizards." Intelligence agencies provide insider info (their game is espionage, remember?) to their puppets who parlay it into windfalls on the stock market. A percentage of the take is used to promote propaganda, back arms deals, pay bribes, etc.. An example of this is the backing of Robert Maxwell by Mossad. In the US, Howard Hughes was deeply involved with The Company. It's also the reason Robert Vesco will never be extradited to the United States.

That should do for starters. Although it may be fun to discuss the high resolution photography of spy satellites, and all the nifty toys that government research has produced, the spy business is an old one. Secret power doesn't require technology so much as a willingness to betray your fellow citizens in order to curry favor with those in control. The techniques I discuss above are some of the means they use to do this. I think discussing these issues is more central to preserving what freedom we have left than marveling at the latest "sneaky" the boys in the lab have contrived.

Mike

"The institution of any reform is proof positive that its circumvention is already in place."

and so vain - to think that the CIA would use valuable resources to debate you puny leftists on these sites ..



newsflash - nobody in the US cares what you have to say, whether you rant or rave and so on - you infight most of the time anyway

This site is for entertainment

puny leftists . . . hmmm, wonder if Thomas has some issues there?