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In reply to the discussion: Al Gore: Edward Snowden's 'Important Service' [View all]JackRiddler
(24,979 posts)is about money. First of all, spending the budgets.
That's where the "Islamist" threat is the most useful. A huge apparatus is built to spy on designated "Muslim radical" people and groups, here and abroad, and can be used every which other way.
Second, creating and spending all the related budgets: other agencies, local and state LEOs, fusion centers, jtfs, crisis plans for the Podunk dogcatching brigade in case PTSD veterans start setting off IEDs, insane preparations for civil insurgency (as if), school shooting exercises to give heart attacks to janitors and permanently traumatize the children, etc. etc.
Third, gathering intelligence with which to make other money. Enabling sales to other clients for the corporate contractors in the complex. Deals for the opportunists within the personal networks. Info for sale to privileged bidders. Engaging in blackmail, etc.
Making friends so that these non-entity military brass can turn into private sector "consultants" who make 10 times as much after a 20-year-stint.
Fourth, fucking with opposition movements and dissidents that might threaten the continuance of a system of self-service plunder.
Fifth, fucking with opposition and dissidents just because they're goddamn commies and traitors.
Fundamentally, it requires a lot of self-righteous patriotic bullshit about how they're the real defenders of the blah blah blah freedom and anyone in their way even well-meaning naive dissident peaceniks are a major threat because if the machine should stop running the barbarians will come in through the gates and America will fall, etc. etc. Same bullshit the national security and terror state been worshipping during the entire postwar period.
For best results they gotta live and believe in their bullshit, most of the time.