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"Binney doesn’t see much distinction between the Bush and Obama administrations when it comes to intelligence policy." This has been such a disappointment for

"Binney doesn’t see much distinction between the Bush and Obama administrations when it comes to intelligence policy." This has been such a disappointment for me. I had such high hopes for Obama. :(

arca_vorago 11y ago
This is the core of the problem. Many of the other commenters are pining on about how nothing has been done about the state of surveillance since the Snowden/Binney/Drake/Risen leaks, but what everyone is either not saying or ignoring is that the buck stops with the Executive branch. I keep wanting to cheer for the exec. It should have some of the best intelligence in the world on subversive actors at play in the beltway and wallstreet, so I often expect a power play against those interests. Given that the exec repeatedly fails to do so tells me one thing: The executive is already compromised. Uncomfortable conclusion to say the least. I mean more than just monied interest making donations too, as should be obvious. I have two main questions: was continuity of government (aka shadow government) put into operation on 9/11, and does it still continue? I haven't found anyone but Peter Dale Scott asking these questions, and I never hear any answers. "What is the first step out of this current state of affairs, in which the constitution appears to have been superseded by a higher, if less legitimate authority? I submit that it is to get Congress to do what the law requires, and determine whether our present proclamation of emergency “shall be terminated” (50 U.S.C. 1622, 2002). As part of this procedure, Congress should find whether secret COG powers, never submitted to Congress or seen by it, are among “the powers and authorities” which Bush in 2007 included in his prolongation of the 2001 emergency. This is not a technical or procedural detail. It is a test of whether the United States continues to be governed by its laws and constitution, or whether, as has been alleged, the laws and constitution have now in places been superseded by COG. " What I would say is that as a former Marine and a combat vet who tried to understand the "why?" behind the war(s), I consistently return to Smedley Butler and the attempted facist coup known as the business plot and Butler's testimony to the committee. (also his War is a Racket speech) http://en.wikisource.org/wiki/McCormack-Dickstein_Committee#ref_deleted8 http://en.wikisource.org/wiki/McCormack-Dickstein_Committee#... Honestly, I don't think the facists ever went away, they just went "underground" and became subversive while playing along with whatever both parties were spouting. Hence the business class owns both parties. All these are tough and complex issues and many of the answers are dirty and unpleasant. The American people are propagandized into the ground by the same interests, which is my main quabble with those who just want to blame the American people for their ignorance and apathy. They didn't get there all on their own!
- bcg1 11y ago
  This is a good assessment of the situation but it requires an intense amount of research and probably first hand experience as well in order to grasp. Unfortunately even very astute individuals can easily get sucked into the "us vs. them" vortex of the divide and conquer tactics used by the "deep state". Even if you do grasp the synergy of global finance, politics, the military-industrial complex, etc... most people in positions of authority and power have too much to lose or genuinely fear blackmail and/or physical harm. The connections are not too hard to find but they are antithetical to mainstream education and institutions and require a good deal of emotional and intellectual fortitude to accept. Reading the last will and testament of Cecil Rhodes including the political notes is one starting point.
  - rndmind 11y ago
    These are very insightful and well articulated comments. I'd like to find some additional reading material and authors who propound similar ideas, in addition to Cicil Rhodes and Peter Dale Scott.
    - arca_vorago 11y ago
      Then may I suggest Carroll Quigley's works relative to the Rhodes groups, in particular "The Anglo-American Establishment: From Rhodes to Cliveden" and "Tragedy and Hope". Michael Parenti, while a bit loose with his citations and sometimes on the edge, is another who does a good job of broad overview summary. Lately Chris Hedges and Robert Fisk, two men who have actually seen war, are also good men to listen to on the subject, though I find them less detail oriented and more social movement commentators.
      - rndmind 11y ago
        Thank you Arca_vorago. Yes I will look into this positively. I follow the lessons of Noam Chomsky and some from Dr. Cornel West. They seem to extol the benefits of local community organization, and the fact that despite how it may seem, many people are actually working on the same problems.

arca_vorago 11y ago

This is the core of the problem. Many of the other commenters are pining on about how nothing has been done about the state of surveillance since the Snowden/Binney/Drake/Risen leaks, but what everyone is either not saying or ignoring is that the buck stops with the Executive branch. I keep wanting to cheer for the exec. It should have some of the best intelligence in the world on subversive actors at play in the beltway and wallstreet, so I often expect a power play against those interests. Given that the exec repeatedly fails to do so tells me one thing: The executive is already compromised. Uncomfortable conclusion to say the least. I mean more than just monied interest making donations too, as should be obvious. I have two main questions: was continuity of government (aka shadow government) put into operation on 9/11, and does it still continue? I haven't found anyone but Peter Dale Scott asking these questions, and I never hear any answers. "What is the first step out of this current state of affairs, in which the constitution appears to have been superseded by a higher, if less legitimate authority? I submit that it is to get Congress to do what the law requires, and determine whether our present proclamation of emergency “shall be terminated” (50 U.S.C. 1622, 2002). As part of this procedure, Congress should find whether secret COG powers, never submitted to Congress or seen by it, are among “the powers and authorities” which Bush in 2007 included in his prolongation of the 2001 emergency. This is not a technical or procedural detail. It is a test of whether the United States continues to be governed by its laws and constitution, or whether, as has been alleged, the laws and constitution have now in places been superseded by COG. " What I would say is that as a former Marine and a combat vet who tried to understand the "why?" behind the war(s), I consistently return to Smedley Butler and the attempted facist coup known as the business plot and Butler's testimony to the committee. (also his War is a Racket speech) http://en.wikisource.org/wiki/McCormack-Dickstein_Committee#ref_deleted8 http://en.wikisource.org/wiki/McCormack-Dickstein_Committee#... Honestly, I don't think the facists ever went away, they just went "underground" and became subversive while playing along with whatever both parties were spouting. Hence the business class owns both parties. All these are tough and complex issues and many of the answers are dirty and unpleasant. The American people are propagandized into the ground by the same interests, which is my main quabble with those who just want to blame the American people for their ignorance and apathy. They didn't get there all on their own!

bcg1 11y ago
This is a good assessment of the situation but it requires an intense amount of research and probably first hand experience as well in order to grasp. Unfortunately even very astute individuals can easily get sucked into the "us vs. them" vortex of the divide and conquer tactics used by the "deep state". Even if you do grasp the synergy of global finance, politics, the military-industrial complex, etc... most people in positions of authority and power have too much to lose or genuinely fear blackmail and/or physical harm. The connections are not too hard to find but they are antithetical to mainstream education and institutions and require a good deal of emotional and intellectual fortitude to accept. Reading the last will and testament of Cecil Rhodes including the political notes is one starting point.
- rndmind 11y ago
  These are very insightful and well articulated comments. I'd like to find some additional reading material and authors who propound similar ideas, in addition to Cicil Rhodes and Peter Dale Scott.
  - arca_vorago 11y ago
    Then may I suggest Carroll Quigley's works relative to the Rhodes groups, in particular "The Anglo-American Establishment: From Rhodes to Cliveden" and "Tragedy and Hope". Michael Parenti, while a bit loose with his citations and sometimes on the edge, is another who does a good job of broad overview summary. Lately Chris Hedges and Robert Fisk, two men who have actually seen war, are also good men to listen to on the subject, though I find them less detail oriented and more social movement commentators.
    - rndmind 11y ago
      Thank you Arca_vorago. Yes I will look into this positively. I follow the lessons of Noam Chomsky and some from Dr. Cornel West. They seem to extol the benefits of local community organization, and the fact that despite how it may seem, many people are actually working on the same problems.