OMFG! NBC just reported: They're spying on us! Not DU specifically...

...but anti-war groups, at least. I don't know... maybe DU, too. They did mention cataloging increased communication between internet groups and such. But really, does it matter?

NBC Nightly News just ran a story that the Pentagon is accumulating surveillance and other information on various anti-war groups and protestors. They mentioned gathering such specific information as car models, meetings and protests held by various groups, etc.

They spoke to one anti-war group that was specifically labelled a "threat". They looked like you and me. Maybe some of them were.

NBC News has apparently obtained a several hundred page report (I'm assuming via FOI request) that tallied voluminous information on anti-war groups, noting cars that showed up at meetings or protests, locations of meetings, types of information gathered ("surveillance" was shown as one), whether groups were considered a "threat", etc. The story related similar internal spying which occurred during Viet Nam and (accdg. to the story) outraged the nation. They even spoke to the original whistle-blower from that era's case. They alluded to the fact that this earlier case led to stricter laws governing spying on American citizens, and implied the DoD was now exceeding those laws.

Did anyone else see this? Does anyone have a link yet?

In fact, I get several hits/day on my firewall from the DoD.

I've never been a part of any particular anti-war group, but I guess just being a DUer is pretty evil!

that I've noticed those firewall hits.

One would think our civil servants would have better things to do, so I'm sure the whole thing is automated and will involve real intrusion if they find something suspicious sitting on your hard drive, mabye a letter to Santa asking for an RPG.

The problem with spying on more and more people is that the wider you cast that net, the more people you have to hire to do the watching. At some point, you'll find yourself hiring half the population to spy on the other half and the other half to spy on the first half.

It's self defeating, ultimately.

I'd like to check mine.

but I do not hide my identity or my activities.

I have always wanted to go to camp.

And in case they needed more to get me on: President Bush is a war criminal, and I volunteer to escort his sorry ass to the Hague.

C'mon, Agent Mike! Do your doody!

Many FBI guys are, quite actually.

but I'm just taking my turn as an anti-American.

I know one agent, and one prosecutor. Nice guys, I just do not talk politics with them.

If the people in positions of authority don't agree, they're the unAmerican problem.

Oops, I'm on a list now, aren't I.

To their corporate interests?
To their election debacles.
To their tax cuts.

Or are they just out and out calling us terrorists. :wtf:

The best thing about DU is that everyone works together to dig up the truth. Truth threatens the lies they tell.

We are their Toto in our quest to pull the curtains back to expose the Great and Powerful Oz!



Funny, I was going to post something to the effect that I love Bush... he's so hot! He's so smart! War is good! Questioning the POTUS is bad!

However, they can't lock us all up... and if they do, at least we will be in good company:)

I know what you mean. In the coming months we will all become more informed and better connected so as to make 2006 a year to celebrate.

We don't insist on everyone walking in lock-step... we are thinkers for the most part. Yeah, there are some here who can't take debate and learn from it... yes, there are those with closed minds even on the left. But for the most part, like I said, there are a lot of thinkers here who don't take anything at face value. That leads to digging and scratching and clawing until some truth is found that we can hold onto in these "interesting" times.

who allegedly were plotting to overthrow the government.

You are right about those groups and there were a few others. I was referring to non violent groups that the feds knew were non violent.

is looking at anti-war groups. there were some women who had a meeting -- i believe it was to keep the military away from the school and they were labeled "threat".

Like he did that time we protested in DC.

... then they fight you, then you win.

Appologies to Mahatma Gandhi

The right-wing is paranoid as hell of anyone who isn't a white-bread-and-mayo
consumer. Never mind the fact that activity with "liberal" groups tends to
correlate with non-violence and being law abiding. You'd think they'd be better
off tracking the Freepers.

damage than all of us combined... unless of course you consider airing the bitter truth to be "damaging".

http://talkleft.com/new_archives/006998.html
Ashcroft: Soft On (Right-Wing) Terrorists?
by TChris

As he often does, Paul Krugman is asking the right question: "is Mr. Ashcroft neglecting real threats to the public because of his ideological biases?" Krugman wonders why Attorney General Ashcroft, who loves to make headlines when the Justice Dept. levels dubious accusations of terrorism against Muslims, hasn't said anything about the FBI's arrest of white supremacist William Krar, caught in possession of a lethal arsenal.

In the small town of Noonday, Tex., F.B.I. agents discovered a weapons cache containing fully automatic machine guns, remote-controlled explosive devices disguised as briefcases, 60 pipe bombs and a chemical weapon — a cyanide bomb — big enough to kill everyone in a 30,000-square-foot building.

Right-wing lunatics like Krar don't seem to merit Ashcroft's attention. His Justice Dept. instead focuses on the real bad guys: those who stand in the way of the concerns of big business.

Two weeks ago a representative of the F.B.I. appealed to an industry group for help in combating what, he told the audience, the F.B.I. regards as the country's leading domestic terrorist threat: ecological and animal rights extremists.

Animal rights activists and environmentalists don't go armed with cyanide bombs. They don't kill abortion doctors and they don't advocate the extermination of entire races. Funny how Ashcroft doesn't want to talk about the right-wing lunatics who are the real home-grown domestic terrorists.

You can find me here:

www.seedsofdoubt.com/distressedamerican/main.htm

YOU SHOULD STOP WORKING FOR FASIST THUGS AND JOIN THE OPPOSITION> YOU MUST KNOW GOOD STUFF AND THEY ARE JUST USING YOU!

but, we knew this was going on, didn't we? Even Michael Moore had a bit about it in F9/11. The NBC report was evidently leaked from the Pentagon (at least I think that's what was said.) But, a sad fact from the report was that when this same activity was reported to the public during the VietNam war days, the public was outraged, and Congress had to take steps to rein in the Pentagon. Think the public will be outraged today? Sigh. It may be that the Pentagon is breaking the law, and if it is, then I guess that's big news. It was stated that the Pentagon refused to comment on the story. Of course, because of the Patriot Act, and TERRA, anything can be done to us today. I also, get hits from Dod and from .mil, according to Firewall reports. The NBC report said that our pictures are being taken at anti-war demonstrations, and that license plate #s are written down. A problem could arise if suit-types who have a file on you, start questioning your employer, and you lose your job...or start questioning neighbors who then suspect you of being a terrorist. It could get quite out of control, maybe?

Burn those Project X code keys, shred all pertinent documents, swallow your secret decoder rings, and for GOD'S sake wipe those damn hard drives!!!!

The narcs are ON TO US man!

the slash dots got caught in the blades, though. I need a good shredder flush before I can continue.

they *want* us to feel under surveillance, whether we actually are or not.

I assumed this from word go

They've been spying on anti-war groups since the longest time.

of thing. Normally I am not a revenge sort of guy, but this sort of thing really bothers me.

for protesting the war in Central America. Nice to see someone else getting the attention.
Look, just go about your business and ignore them. Don't break any laws, be kind to animals and don't allow anyone, including people who you think are your friends from talking you into doing anything that might even appear to be illegal. Don't get sucked in.

Do they park across the street from your house or something? Just curious. I was really young during Vietnam, so I don't remember a lot of this stuff.

Tammy

For some reason they thought I was a threat or something because my phone was tapped, I was under constant surveilance to the point of them renting the house across the street solely to watch my comings and goings.
Whenever I went on a trip, aircraft would shadow me besides ground surveillance and a GPS beacon was put in my vehicle to assist tracking. Every person I came in contact with besides casual contact were approached by my entourage and questioned. Some were recruited to inform on me. There was a lot more including incitement to assault me and preventing me from finding gainful employment.

And, add the new entries. I'm a terribly dangerous pacifist.

we can start compiling databases of their threats and trace them back to whoever made them, all over the internet. They can't keep their bile down. You remember all the the barely-couched threats on the Clintons's lives and all of the anti-government calls to arms when Democrats controlled the government. Now we have the same authority to do it to them, and they're alot worse than progressives have ever been.

You don't get anywhere asking Republicans to play fair when they have power. They could care less. The only thing they understand is when something is done to them. Then suddenly it makes a difference.

:kick: