A description of the evolution of alt.politics.org.cia and the changing tactics used by the US government to suppress discussion of the real issues.
This strategy only works well when the "retired" spooks make up a vast majority of the posters here. Now that more "real people" have gotten involved in this group, it doesn't work so well because a critic is likely to be able to interact with others who want to discuss the issues.
The last thing The Company wants is a genuine discussion of the issues here. What they want is a propaganda outlet. That's why anyone who raises the real issues of CIA and Clandestine Services(as the "old boys" like to call the covert ops department) will be set upon by provocateurs.
See, if the "retired" spooks flame in too nasty a fashion and too constantly, it makes them look bad. The technique used is to bring people in from outside with no other purpose than to start flame wars with, and otherwise harass the critic. An analogy would be the hockey player who can't skate but is on the team to take out the talented players on the opposing team by starting brawls.
A trademark of these types is that they never contribute anything of substance. Their refrain is "so and so is a... blah blah." By this technique the attempt is made to portray the critic as someone who argues with everyone. By attacking from many sides they attempt to portray the target as the common denominator in all the flame wars. Of course the hope is that the provocations will substitute the flame wars themselves as the issue, instead of the discussion of illegal and immoral practices of The Company.
It's just a diversionary tactic. Keep focused on what The Company avoids discussing. Those are the real topics of importance here. All that's needed for them to have total control of your lives is for you to do nothing. They never stop seeking more power. Henry Kissinger called power "the ultimate aphrodisiac" and he should know since he stopped at nothing to increase his share of it. When Congress asked him if it was really a nice thing to encourage the Kurds to rise up, then abandon them when it was convenient, his response was roughly "one should not confuse covert operations with missionary work." What a guy! Yeah, give him another peace prize!
Provocation is an old technique The Company has used for decades. They have experience subverting labor unions, student organizations, and governments, remember? So it's old hat for them to divide and conquer.
The purpose is to divert you all from discussing the substantive issues. As soon as the standard Company "dirty tricks" are brought up, then all kinds of nitwits come out of the woodwork to start flame wars and commence e-mail and other harassments of the critic in order to obfuscate the issues.
The following are issues The Company would rather not confirm or deny:
That should do for starters. Although it may be fun to discuss the high resolution photography of spy satellites, and all the nifty toys that government research has produced, the spy business is an old one. Secret power doesn't require technology so much as a willingness to betray your fellow citizens in order to curry favor with those in control. The techniques I discuss above are some of the means they use to do this. I think discussing these issues is more central to preserving what freedom we have left than marveling at the latest "sneaky" the boys in the lab have contrived.
Mike
"The institution of any reform is proof positive that its circumvention is already in place."
