Glenn Greenwald _Pentagon Is Now Monitoring Websites For EXTREMIST POLITICAL Activity

[02potato]

Last edited Tue Jul 16, 2013, 12:37 PM - Edit history (1)

Glenn Greenwald _Pentagon Is Now Monitoring Websites For EXTREMIST POLITICAL Activity!

NO WHERE DOES THE ARTICLE MENTION DU.
I POSTED IT BECAUSE IT SEEMED AN IMPORTANT STORY...

[janlyn]

1. Well

that's a huge surprise!!!

[Lint Head]

2. No shit Sherlock!

[Lil Missy]

3. And your point is?

[think]

4. Ahh, your posting on a politcal site?....

[Lil Missy]

8. And your point is?

[Hydra]

11. Here, said another way

You are posting on a LEFT side political board.

Hi Agent Mike! How are the cheetos this evening?

[think]

12. The claim is the pentagon is spying on political sites. You are posting on a political site.

For some that post on a political site one might disturbed to know the Pentagon may be spying on them.

What constitutes an "extreme political" site? Would one call a site referred to as an underground be relevant to those Pentagon spies? Why should the Pentagon be spying on political sites whether they deem them extreme or not?

I don't think it is lawful ,ethical, or moral for the Pentagon to spy on political web sites.

So what's your point?

[Lil Missy]

13. I see now. I didn't consider DU "EXTREMIST POLITICAL ACTIVITY".

Thanks for the clarification.

Agent Mike

[think]

15. I don't either. But it's not what we consider extreme that matters

It's what the Pentagon considers extreme.

So far we have no idea what groups were on their list or for what reasons.

And for that matter how is the Pentagon allowed to do civilian surveillance and by what authority and is it legal? Just some small insignificant details like that some might want some clarity on.....

[qazplm]

27. I've viewed this site from

my government computer in my military office for years.

If the Pentagon thinks this place is extreme, I'd have had some splaining to do.

[think]

30. So DU is fine even with Occupy discussion but Quaker groups are political extremists?

Everyone knows the FBI and NSA spied on Occupy groups. Now these new claims are coming forth that the Pentagon is spying on activists like Occupy groups.

Since Occupy groups have sub forums here wouldn't it be possible & most likely logical that the Pentagon is spying here? :

http://www.democraticunderground.com/?com=forum&id=1252

Yes, the spying on the Quakers happened under Bush but the military is still made up of many of the same people that were around when that happened.

Rumsfeld Spies on Quakers and Grannies
Published on Saturday, December 17, 2005 by the Progressive

Not to trouble you or anything, but the next time you�re going to a protest, the eyes of the government may be upon you.

And I�m not just talking about local police filming your activity.

I�m not talking about the FBI under cover in your midst.

I�m talking about the Pentagon, too, getting into the act.

According to an MSNBC story on December 13, Rumsfeld�s Pentagon is tracking some of the most innocuous and lawful protests....

~snip~


http://www.commondreams.org/views05/1217-25.htm

For the record I protested the first gulf war under George H. W. Bush with a Quaker group in the early 90's.

Not that ANY antiwar protest I've gone to has ever been anything but peaceful; but the Quakers were some of the most polite and kind people I have ever had the pleasure of meeting.

So I'm kind of pissed off to think my privacy might have been breached by the military for protesting a sanitized war that was again entered into mostly on bullshit and lies.

What is the sanitizing of war? It's what G. H. W. Bush did to make sure no journalists ever took pictures of the horrors of war and it's casualties in battle ever again. I can't find the order given but I am familiar with it. This article alludes to it:

How PR Sold the War in the Persian Gulf
Excerpted from Toxic Sludge Is Good For You, Chapter 10

~snip~

Afterwards, some in the media quietly admitted that they'd been manipulated to produce sanitized coverage which almost entirely ignored the war's human cost - today estimated at over 100,000 civilian deaths. The American public's single most lasting memory of the war will probably be the ridiculously successful video stunts supplied by the Pentagon showing robot "smart bombs" striking only their intended military targets, without much "collateral" (civilian) damage.

~snip~

http://www.prwatch.org/books/tsigfy10.html

This is why the public never saw images like those from this link with images from the Gulf war:


http://digitaljournalist.org/issue0212/pt04.htmlhttp://digitaljournalist.org/issue0212/pt04.html


Does the military give you a list of extremist political sites that are off limits?

Sorry but the Pentagon shouldn't be spying on ANY US citizens. Last I remember that's the FBI's job or did Bush's Patriot Act change that too?....

http://www.democracynow.org/2004/6/15/spying_in_america_how_the_pentagon

[think]

16. If the Quakers can be targeted as an extremist group...

For protesting Bush's illegal and immoral war then why would one be surprised if they were spying on DUers here?

Is the Pentagon spying on Americans?


Secret database obtained by NBC News tracks ‘suspicious’ domestic groups

By Lisa Myers, Douglas Pasternak, Rich Gardella and the NBC Investigative Unit
updated 12/14/2005 6:18:56 PM E

WASHINGTON — A year ago, at a Quaker Meeting House in Lake Worth, Fla., a small group of activists met to plan a protest of military recruiting at local high schools. What they didn't know was that their meeting had come to the attention of the U.S. military.

A secret 400-page Defense Department document obtained by NBC News lists the Lake Worth meeting as a “threat” and one of more than 1,500 “suspicious incidents” across the country over a recent 10-month period.

“This peaceful, educationally oriented group being a threat is incredible,” says Evy Grachow, a member of the Florida group called The Truth Project.

“This is incredible,” adds group member Rich Hersh. “It's an example of paranoia by our government,” he says. “We're not doing anything illegal.”

~Snip~

“The documents tell me that military intelligence is back conducting investigations and maintaining records on civilian political activity. The military made promises that it would not do this again,” he says...

~snip~

Full Article:

http://www.nbcnews.com/id/10454316/ns/nbc_nightly_news_with_brian_williams-nbc_news_investigates/t/pentagon-spying-americans/#.UeTDwW2f7aw

[rhett o rick]

20. What you mean is that you dont do anything wrong so you dont care if your government spys

on you and the rest of us.

"All hail the authoritarian state" Booz-Allen-Hamilton uber alles.

[think]

36. Perhaps those that have never sought to defend their rights

don't understand what it means to have those rights taken away...

[EC]

32. There have been many times here on this site where

we'd see something posted on other web sites and ask if the authorities were aware and even send a link to the CIA or FBI. So why isn't monitoring public web sites lawful, ethical or moral?



Aren't websites PUBLIC?

[think]

33. The Pentagon should be monitoring DU? I can understand if the FBI has

suspicions of an illegal activity that they might have reason to MONITOR a web site.


Other wise they might mind their own bleeping business and respect my rights to discuss politics without them spying on my discussions while exercising my fist amendment rights. Why the hell would I want to pay them via taxes to do that?

There are REAL crimes for them to focus on rather than building files on people who don't like their dirty wars based on lies.

Personally I am completely offended that my govt is paying to to monitor peaceful political discussion while ignoring the crimes on Wallstreet.....

[EC]

39. We are posting on a PUBLIC SITE

what is it I'm missing? We've got to expect it to be seen.

[think]

41. And why should that be a concern to the Pentagon?

Are we the enemy now?

[EC]

42. No one said that.

And no one said they monitor DU...maybe they do and maybe they don't..It's a public site, they can look at whatever the hell they want that is public.

[think]

43. Yes, They do look at whatever the hell they want . Don't they?

Nothing spells democracy like military monitoring and spying on political dissidents....

[EC]

48. You feel the same about the Southern Poverty Law Center?

they do the same thing. Monitor web sites for violent behavior.

[think]

53. Is the SPLC the same entity as the US Military with the same function?

Are there rules and firewalls that were designed to keep the military from spying on us?

Please don't try to excuse Pentagon spying by saying that everybody does it. No they don't.

And I never saw the SPLC define a Quaker anti war meeting as a "Threat"


So please don't equate the Pentagon's SECRET spying on Quakers, environmentalists, occupy members, and antiwar groups with a private non profit watch dog group that openly & transparently monitors public web sites....

[EC]

55. I'm not going to argue

the fact remains, these are PUBLIC SITES.

and by the way the Quakers have always been targeted...they were in the 60's too, because they are anti-war.

I don't like any of it, but I expect it. I do like when they get the crazies.

[think]

58. I protested the Gulf war with Quakers in 1990 in Akron Ohio

So how do you think I feel?

Sorry if my emphasis on the U.S. Govt following the law is over exuberant; but yes; I do have a personal stake in all this.

In the 1980's I went to Nicaragua to pick coffee and interfere with Reagan's illegal war waged by Ollie North and the CIA. An illegal war that specifically made illegal by legislation from a Democratic Congressman.

An illegal war that ended with the Iran Contra scandal with John Kerry leading the investigating the illegal activities and claims of drug running by the CIA to fund the illegal war

An illegal war where fewer Nicaraguan people died because idiots like me went there to get in the way.

An illegal war where the people of Nicaragua got to citizen's of the US use their civil liberties to protest and put their life on the line to defend the liberty of the people of Nicaragua who had been rule by a right wing family dictatorship for over 50 years.


The fact that thousands of Americans went to Nicaragua to make the war impossible to wage pissed off former CIA director, then vice president, George Herbert Walker Bush to pass a law when he became president that made it against the law for US citizens to go to Iraq to interfere with their war plans their.

US Citizens that went and distributed medicine went knowing Bush had declared their actions illegal because they were humanitarians that knew the law was unjust and created only to prohibit Americans from protesting wars for profits based on lies.

http://vcnv.org/chronology-of-vitw-and-voices-for-creative-non-violence

Some people still believe the Iraquis threw babies from incubators upon arriving in the dictatorship of Kuwait too though.

And my favorite quote in regards to the Gulf War is by private contractor John Rendon:

Wikipedia: Rendon Group


'If any of you either participated in the liberation of Kuwait City ... or if you watched it on television, you would have seen hundreds of Kuwaitis waving small American flags,' John Rendon said in his speech to the NSC. 'Did you ever stop to wonder how the people of Kuwait City, after being held hostage for seven long and painful months, were able to get hand-held American flags? And for that matter, the flags of other coalition countries? Well, you now know the answer. That was one of my jobs.'"[2]

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Rendon_Group#Kuwait

From Iran- Contra to the first Gulf War to the Iraq war the song remains the same. In the words of one of the most decorated military men in US history retired US marine general Smedley Butler said it best; "War is a racket"....

Smedley D. Butler quote


I spent 33 years and four months in active military service and during that period I spent most of my time as a high class muscle man for Big Business, for Wall Street and the bankers. In short, I was a racketeer, a gangster for capitalism. I helped make Mexico and especially Tampico safe for American oil interests in 1914. I helped make Haiti and Cuba a decent place for the National City Bank boys to collect revenues in. I helped in the raping of half a dozen Central American republics for the benefit of Wall Street. I helped purify Nicaragua for the International Banking House of Brown Brothers in 1902-1912. I brought light to the Dominican Republic for the American sugar interests in 1916. I helped make Honduras right for the American fruit companies in 1903. In China in 1927 I helped see to it that Standard Oil went on its way unmolested. Looking back on it, I might have given Al Capone a few hints. The best he could do was to operate his racket in three districts. I operated on three continents.”

― Smedley D. Butler, War is a Racket: The Antiwar Classic by America's Most Decorated Soldier

http://www.goodreads.com/author/quotes/115545.Smedley_D_Butler

[EC]

59. Well what law are they breaking?

again the sites are public. for all to see, everybody.

[think]

60. They aren't. Bush changed the laws so that they could. Cool isn't it....

well with the help of a Pug congress:

Spying in America: How the Pentagon is Overcoming Privacy Laws to Spy At Home
Tuesday, June 15, 2004

A new provision buried in an intelligence appropriations bill moving through Congress would exempt Pentagon agencies from the Privacy Act, vastly expanding their ability to gather intelligence inside the United States, including recruiting citizens as informants. [Includes transcript]

We spend the rest of the hour taking a look at government spy operations here in the United States.

In the 1970s, army intelligence agents were caught spying on antiwar protesters and Congress passed the Privacy Act, which requires officials seeking information to disclose who they are and what they want the information for.

Now, a provision buried in an intelligence appropriations bill moving through Congress would exempt Pentagon agencies from the Privacy Act, vastly expanding their ability to conduct domestic spy operations....

http://www.democracynow.org/2004/6/15/spying_in_america_how_the_pentagon

[EC]

61. Still would not be breaking the law even if Bush hadn't changed the law.

these are not private sites needing a password to read, they are public.

[think]

62. Well I'm glad you feel it's good the pentagon is wasting money spying on US citizens

who are trying to end their criminal wars.

Keep up the great work work....

[Baitball Blogger]

5. Is freeperville still up and running?

[Tarheel_Dem]

6. !!!

[truth2power]

9. Only liberals can be guilty of extremist political activity. eom

[Tarheel_Dem]

7. At this point, let's just throw anything at the wall and see what sticks.

[flamingdem]

17. bwa ha ha!

:large

[Tarheel_Dem]

18. !!!

[flamingdem]

19. I'm looking for an excuse

to make an OP with that one lol!

[freshwest]

24. Here, kitty kitty! Jones and Beck have some gold for your sugar daddy!

That is Auric Goldfinger, isn't it? Sorry, it's been a while. The punning was strong in that flick. It was a pretty slick production for that era. Great international intrigue in that film. It was in KY, too, if that means anything...

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Goldfinger_%28film%29

[Maedhros]

10. We are told that we have political freedom in the United States.

Military monitoring of political speech is not something that is done in a functioning democracy.

[think]

37. Thank you for adding sanity to this thread....

[Coyotl]

45. Your qualifier "in a functioning democracy" says it all!

[Maedhros]

47. Good Citizens don't question the measures taken by the State

to protect us from Terror.

If we question the State, then the Terrorists win.

[Coyotl]

50. It is the responsibility of 'Good Citizens' to question the measures taken by the State, and

the definition of a democracy encompassed this necessity.

[Maedhros]

51. That's pre-9/11 thinking...

...sadly.

[99th_Monkey]

14. Thanks for this update 02potato K&R ~nt

[DeSwiss]

21. Let me assure you.....

...its all done for our protection and security. Nothing we need worry our little heads over.

- Go back to sleep. It'll be better in the morning. Promise.

K&R

“Because while the truncheon may be used in lieu of conversation, words will always retain their power. Words offer the means to meaning, and for those who will listen, the enunciation of truth. And the truth is, there is something terribly wrong with this country, isn't there? Cruelty and injustice, intolerance and oppression. And where once you had the freedom to object, to think and speak as you saw fit, you now have censors and systems of surveillance coercing your conformity and soliciting your submission.

How did this happen? Who's to blame? Well certainly there are those more responsible than others, and they will be held accountable, but again truth be told, if you're looking for the guilty, you need only look into a mirror.

I know why you did it. I know you were afraid. Who wouldn't be? War, terror, disease. There were a myriad of problems which conspired to corrupt your reason and rob you of your common sense. ”

~ Alan Moore, V for Vendetta

[struggle4progress]

22. The man should be a rocket surgeon!

[Spitfire of ATJ]

23. Hi!

[Enthusiast]

25. Kicked and Recommended!

I see Glenn Greenwald as honest. Can't say the same for the government.

[drynberg]

26. Agreed, I saw the interview of Amy-Greenwald as more of a clarification, and that is warranted

nowadays, no? Edward Snowden is a brave heroic patriot, with his biggest fear being that we'll just ignore his whistle blowing.

[Marblehead]

29. this is not the same

country as it was 40 years ago, justice have flown out the window. I would be concerned if I were Greenwald they could "Mercedes Benz him"

[gholtron]

28. Glen? Do us a favor

And STFU already. Thank you.

[think]

35. Telling a journalist to STFU is humorous at best.

And it's not much of a rebuttal either....

[Coyotl]

46. Glen, do us a favor and create some YouTubes of your stuff. Print is sooo yesterday.

[EC]

31. DUH.

They should be, it's part of their job and I at least expect them to do it.

[think]

34. You expect the Pentagon to spy on US protestors because it's their job?

Please show me where that is in the job description of the US military.

Seriously....

[EC]

38. It is not spying

to monitor a PUBLIC WEB SITE. and yes, we seem to expect it, when we, ourselves send links to the FBI and expect them to follow up. So many of us have sent links that we have seen on Facebook etc. and have commented that we hope they ARE DOING THEIR JOBS and PAYING ATTENTION to these websites

Seriously.

[think]

40. Who's job is it to monitor domestic activities? The military or the FBI's?

Please show me where the US laws permits domestic monitoring of websites by the pentagon.


http://www.democracynow.org/2004/6/15/spying_in_america_how_the_pentagon

And when you tell me how the law was changed to allow such spying under Bush perhaps you would be willing to explain again how you defend it now.

And we aren't talking just about the monitoring of websites. That's where it starts. Then the next thing you know the Pentagon is spying on grannies and the Quakers!

Is the Pentagon spying on Americans?

Secret database obtained by NBC News tracks ‘suspicious’ domestic groups

By Lisa Myers, Douglas Pasternak, Rich Gardella and the NBC Investigative Unit
updated 12/14/2005 6:18:56 PM ET

WASHINGTON — A year ago, at a Quaker Meeting House in Lake Worth, Fla., a small group of activists met to plan a protest of military recruiting at local high schools. What they didn't know was that their meeting had come to the attention of the U.S. military.

A secret 400-page Defense Department document obtained by NBC News lists the Lake Worth meeting as a “threat” and one of more than 1,500 “suspicious incidents” across the country over a recent 10-month period.

“This peaceful, educationally oriented group being a threat is incredible,” says Evy Grachow, a member of the Florida group called The Truth Project.

“This is incredible,” adds group member Rich Hersh. “It's an example of paranoia by our government,” he says. “We're not doing anything illegal.”...

~Snip~

Full article:

http://www.nbcnews.com/id/10454316/ns/nbc_nightly_news_with_brian_williams-nbc_news_investigates/t/pentagon-spying-americans/#.UeVyCG2f7aw

[Coyotl]

44. Old news again.

Greenwald needs to read DU!

Deja DU: L. Coyote May-27-07
DIA SPYING: NGIA collecting data, 133 U.S. cities, ID everyone, nationality, political affiliations

http://www.democraticunderground.com/discuss/duboard.php?az=view_all&address=389x983282

[Maedhros]

49. Yes - the most important thing for a journalist to do

is to never mention bad things that have happened before. It's best that we just move on and ignore them.

[Coyotl]

52. Huh? Are you just flaming, or

are these quips in this thread somehow intended to be serious?

Maybe "Maedhros" is Greek for sarcasm? ???

[Maedhros]

54. No, I'm serious.

Greenwald has been repeatedly criticized, wrongly in my opinion, because the issues about which he writes are supposedly "old news." That may be so for the person posting the criticism, but that person cannot speak for the readership at large.

Even if an article about the DIA monitoring political sites was published in 2007, it's not irrelevant to discuss the issue again in 2013. Quite the opposite: once we stop talking about the bad acts of the State, then it's easier for those bad acts to become "normal" in the minds of U.S. citizens.

And the trouble with normal is it always gets worse:

[Coyotl]

56. Why do you think pointing out that this is old news is criticism of Greenwald?

Instead of praise for DU?

[Maedhros]

57. I suppose I misinterpreted your post.

My apologies.

[Quantess]

63. Thanks for posting this, 02potato.

Don't listen to the Greenwald-bashing peanut gallery.