China Hand — Everybody Wants Their Own Stasi

Mostly about J. Edgar Hoover's FBI as the precursor of the contemporary surveillance state and domestic black ops. Basically, a review of Tim Weiner’s FBI history, Enemies.

China Matters
Everybody Wants Their Own Stasi

China Hand

Mark Karlin — When J. Edgar Hoover Lost and Freedom Won

Hoover's FBI the precursor of NSA and DHS? J. Edgar Hoover was no Lavrentiy Beria but presidents were still afraid of him. He is largely forgotten now, but he was a major political force in his day as a "grey eminence." "Those who cannot remember the past are condemned to repeat it" — George Santayana. This is definitely such a warning that is appropriate to remember today.

Truthout
When J. Edgar Hoover Lost and Freedom Won
Mark Karlin

Dennis J Bernstein — Bush's Foiled NSA Blackmail Scheme

More than a decade ago, President George W. Bush enlisted the National Security Agency in a blackmail scheme to dig up dirt to coerce UN Security Council members to approve his aggressive war against Iraq. But the plot was foiled by a brave British intelligence officer, Katharine Gun, as Dennis J. Bernstein reports.

Truthout
Bush's Foiled NSA Blackmail Scheme
Dennis J Bernstein, Consortium News | Interview

Surprise. Intelligence is used for more than intelligence.

J. Edgar Hoover reputedly had a file on "everyone." Whether he did or not, remains uncertain, but "everyone" knew he had files and no one was sure whether he didn't have a file on them. Result. Intimidation.

Total information awareness is fascism and leads to totalitarianism, where everyone feels watched all the time. This is an unacceptable tradeoff for false security.

See also Are They Allowed to Do That? A Breakdown of Selected Government Surveillance Programs by Staff, Brennan Center for Justice | News Analysis

Whistleblowing 2.0: From the Pentagon Papers to Bradley Manning to PRISM by Patrick McCurdy, Waging Nonviolence | Op-Ed