Abby Martin Exposes John Podesta

With the Wikileaks release of thousands of emails belonging to John Podesta, very little is known in US society about Podesta himself. While he’s maintained a low profile, John Podesta is actually considered one of Washington’s biggest players, and one of the most powerful corporate lobbyists in the world.

In this episode of The Empire Files, Abby Martin explores John Podesta’s political rise, his vast network of corporate connections and his think tank "Center for American Progress." Learn why the Podestas and the Clintons are a match made in ruling class heaven.

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Jimmy Dore on Rolling Stone Useful Idiots, Interview Only - May 24, 2020

Rolling Stone - May 24, 2020

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America Greatest Threat to World Peace

- By Stephen Lendman - Global Research, January 06, 2014

A new poll affirms it. Respondents in 68 countries said so. Anti-US sentiment is palpable. It doesn’t surprise. It’s for good reason.

Around one-fourth of people surveyed believe America is the greatest threat to world peace. Pakistan was second with 8%. Other countries mentioned were Afghanistan, Iran, Israel and North Korea.

About 13% of Americans believe the same thing as many abroad. Others in Latin America feel the same way. Moroccans, Lebanese and Iraqis called Israel the number one threat.

For sure Palestinians, Syrians and many others throughout the Middle East and beyond feel the same way about Israel and America.

Both countries threaten world peace. They wage war on humanity. They deny their own people fundamental rights.

They ignore rule of law principles. They operate extrajudicially. They do whatever they please. They remain unaccountable.

Peace begins at home. It means protecting the rights of all citizens and residents. It includes respecting rule of law principles.

It’s about democratic values. It involves government of, by and for everyone. It features peace, equity, justice and fairness above all.

Not in Israel. Not in America. Conditions in both countries are deplorable. They’re worse than ever.

Israel spies lawlessly like America. It does it aggressively. It targets Americans. Previous articles explained.

On January 3, The New York Times headlined “Court Grants Secrecy for Memo on Phone Data.”

Only a police state one would do so. A three-judge panel “ruled (unanimously) that the Obama administration may continue to withhold a (secret) Justice Department memo,” said The Times.

It “came down on the side of a broad conception of the executive branch’s power to keep secret its interpretation of what the law permits it to do.”

It makes it easier for federal authorities to circumvent Freedom of Information Act (FOIA) disclosure.

The court approved giving FBI officials customers’ telecommunications data without subpoena or court order.

Doing so violates the 1986 Electronic Communications Privacy Act (ECPA). It restricts telecommunications wiretaps. It prevents unauthorized government access to private online communications.

It sets strict guidelines for search warrants. It protects stored online communications. It prohibits pen registering and/or trap and trace devices.

They’re used to record dialing, routing, addressing, and signaling information for processing or transmitting wire or electronic communications without court order.

Emails may be subpoenaed lawfully. Warrantless authorizations are strictly prohibited. USA Patriot Act provisions subvert ECPA restrictions. So does the 2008 FISA Amendments Act.

The 1978 Foreign Intelligence Surveillance Act (FISA) authorized surveillance relating to “foreign intelligence information” between “foreign powers” and “agents of foreign powers.”

It restricts spying on US citizens and residents to those engaged in espionage in America and territory under US control.

The 2008 FISA Amendments Act authorized warrantless spying. The 2012 FISA Amendments Reauthorization Act renewed it for another five years. No federal statute authorizes mass surveillance.

Doing do is unconstitutional. So is warrantless spying. It doesn’t matter. Meaningful oversight is lacking. Courts largely OK what demands rejection.

On January 3, the secret/rubber-stamp Foreign Intelligence Surveillance Court renewed US intelligence agencies’ authority to collect telecommunications meta-data.

The Office of the Director of National Intelligence (DNI) announced it, saying:

“It is the administration’s view, consistent with the recent holdings of the United States District Courts for the Southern District of New York and Southern District of California, as well as the findings of 15 judges of the Foreign Intelligence Surveillance Court on 36 separate occasions over the past seven years, that the telephony metadata collection program is lawful.”

The Justice Department appealed “the lone contrary decision issued by the United States District Court for the District of Columbia.”

At issue is Judge Richard Leon’s December 16 ruling. He justifiably called NSA spying unconstitutional. It’s “almost Orwellian,” he said.

He’s the exception that proves the rule. The federal bench is stacked with right-wing extremists. Odds favor his ruling being overturned.

FISA court judges renewed mass surveillance for three months. They did so before. They’ll do it again when current authorization expires. It applies to all meta-data spying at home and abroad.

Handing over private telecommunications data to government agencies without court order or subpoenas raises serious constitutional concerns.

The Electronic Frontier Foundation (EFF) sued for injunctive relief. It did so under the Freedom of Information Act (FOIA).

It sought “disclosure of a memorandum prepared by DOJ’s Office of Legal Counsel (OLC) in January 2010 concerning statutory provisions governing the conduct of electronic surveillance.”

DOJ Office of the Inspector (OIG) released a report titled “A Review of the Federal Bureau of Investigation’s Use of Exigent Letters and Other Informal Requests for Telephone Records.”

It pertains to FBI “informal requests” to obtain private telephone records “without any legal process at all.”

Doing so violates 18 USC No. 2702 of the Stored Communications Act. Electronic Communications Privacy Act provisions relating to regulating provider disclosures and government demands for communications records and content are violated.

Federal authorities stonewalled EFF’s request for information. “Defendant DOJ has violated the applicable statutory time limit for rendering decisions on administrative appeals under the FOIA,” said EFF.

DOJ “wrongfully withheld the requested records from plaintiff.”

EFF sought injunctive and “such other relief as the Court may deem just and proper.”

Appeals Court judges unanimously rejected EFF’s suit. They didn’t surprise. They agreed with a district court ruling.

They said withholding OLC memorandum disclosure is permitted under a legal exception. It’s called “deliberative process privilege.”

It’s legalistic mumbo jumbo. It can be interpreted any way courts wish. According to Appeals Court judges:

“The District Court correctly concluded that the unclassified portions of the OLC Opinion could not be released without harming the deliberative processes of the government by chilling the candid and frank communications necessary for effective governmental decision-making.”

Government agency memos, other official communications and documents reflect policy.

The New York Times said OLC “issues binding legal advice to the executive branch on whether proposed actions would be legal.”

“If it says something is permitted, government officials who act on that advice are essentially immune from prosecution by the Justice Department.”

It’s done for precisely that purpose. An earlier article discussed notorious Bush administration memos and other documents. More on this below.

EFF attorney David Sobel called the Appeals Court ruling “troubling.” He described OLC memos as a body of “secret law.” It denies what the public has a right to know.

“It’s kind of hard to imagine how a different case in the DC Circuit is likely to have a different outcome in light of this opinion,” he said. It’s harder imagining Supreme Court justices overturning it.

Justice Department attorneys lie. They argued that memos like OLC’s contain classified information. “It’s highly specific in nature and known to a very few individuals,” they said.

It pertains to “secret (FBI) intelligence-gathering techniques (against) hostile entities.” They’re undefined.

They include ordinary Americans. They include virtually anyone FBI operatives claim for any reason or none at all. Bush administration officials operated the same way.

A January 9, 2002 John Yoo/Robert Delahunty memo said in part:

“(T)he laws of armed conflict (don’t) apply to the conditions of detention and the procedures for trial of members of al Queda and the Taliban militia.”

These treaties “do not protect members of the al Queda organization (or) the Taliban militia.”

Days later, Bush issued a finding. It designated Al Qaeda and Taliban members “enemy combatants.”

It called them unprotected by Third Geneva provisions. At the same time, Defense Secretary Donald Rumsfeld said Al Qaeda and Taliban detainees “are not entitled to prisoner of war status for purposes of the Geneva Conventions of 1949.”

To this day, CIA operatives and Pentagon commanders take full advantage. They claim “military necessity” to do whatever they wish.

America wages dirty wars. Fundamental laws are violated with impunity. Homeland practices are similar. Government memos and other documents run cover for lawlessness.

Ordinary people are gravely harmed. Many wind up political prisoners in America’s gulag. Torture occurs at home like abroad.

Police state lawlessness is official policy. Obama exceeds the worst of George Bush.

Democracy is a figure of speech. Freedom is vanishing in plain sight.

Rule of law protections don’t exist. Anything goes is policy. Wealth, power and privilege alone matter. State terror targets non-believers.

Mass surveillance watches everyone. Congress enacts police state laws. Federal courts rubber-stamp them.

People wanting to live free are considered state enemies. Challenging government of, by and for privileged elites is criminalized.

Orwell envisioned a dark future. It’s worse than he imagined. Wars rage without end. Big Brother watches everyone.

State-of-the-art technology is used repressively. Privacy is a thing of the past. Electoral politics doesn’t work.

Monied interests run America. Both parties are two sides of the same coin. Democrats are as ruthless as Republicans.

Vital change more than ever is needed. Ordinary people are on their own to achieve it. Collective activism has power. What better time to use it than now.

Civil disobedience is a longstanding tradition. America’s Declaration of Independence states:

“(W)henever any form of government becomes destructive (of unalienable rights too important to lose), it is the right of the people to alter or to abolish it, and to institute new government…”

“(W)hen a long train of abuses and usurpations (establishes) absolute despotism, it is their right, it is their duty, to throw off such government.”

Failure to act assures worse ahead than now. If that’s not incentive enough to change things, what is?

Stephen Lendman lives in Chicago. He can be reached at This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it.. 

His new book is titled “Banker Occupation: Waging Financial War on Humanity.”

http://www.claritypress.com/LendmanII.html

Visit his blog site at sjlendman.blogspot.com.

Listen to cutting-edge discussions with distinguished guests on the Progressive Radio News Hour on the Progressive Radio Network.

It airs Fridays at 10AM US Central time and Saturdays and Sundays at noon. All programs are archived for easy listening.

http://www.progressiveradionetwork.com/the-progressive-news-hour

http://www.dailycensored.com/america-greatest-threat-world-peace/

How Do They Track Thee? Let Me Count the Ways…

- By Foster Gamble and Nick Alheit

The U.S. Government is the greatest terrorist regime on Planet Earth, and polls show that people are waking up to that fact

As we said in the movie THRIVE, “Every phone call and email we send is collected and archived, and can be inspected at any time.”

Some viewers were skeptical… “they wouldn’t do that even if they could, which they can’t”. Fast forward to the days of Edward Snowden style wake-up calls, and it’s actually being admitted. Proven liar-to-Congress, James “No…Not wittingly” Clapper, Director of National Intelligence, has finally admitted that the NSA surveils this country’s entire domestic population.

So what’s it all about?

“You shouldn’t have anything to worry about if you don’t have anything to hide…” is often the justification we are given. I personally think it’s more useful to think about whether you have anything to protect, rather than hide: The right to choose how to educate your children? Care for your and your family’s health? Spend your earned money as you see fit? Travel where you want? Consider all sides of an issue when doing your research? Discuss controversial issues? Meet with friends from anywhere in the world?

Individual freedoms were initially safeguarded to protect us from an ever-expanding Government because throughout history governments have always expanded to usurp people’s individual rights. The process is always sold as being in our best interest, and it is usually in full swing before people fully realize that personal choices they took for granted have disappeared -- and in their place… is a police state.

One of the most important ways to circumvent this process is to be aware of it and to recognize that it is not inevitable. Then we can mobilize and coordinate our efforts to stop it, which is what this blog is all about.

To save you time putting the puzzle pieces together, I want to take this opportunity to surveil the surveillance -- to give an overview snapshot of the spying picture from my point of view, as someone who tracks this sort of thing … so to speak.

Below is essentially a list of resources, for you to verify for yourselves, covering the range and scope of domestic surveillance, followed by creative and effective solutions that are emerging in response, and suggestions for how you can help.

HOW ARE THEY TRACKING US?

Although this is only a partial list, the tip of the iceberg of monitoring and control tactics and technologies, it is nonetheless informative and provides an important resource for you to get educated and help educate others.

Here we go:

Ways of tracking today include: your consumer activities, your public activities, your behavior, your face, your social media activities, and your metadata.

High-tech, first-world countries are being tracked, traced, and data-based, literally around every corner. Governments, aided by private companies are gathering massive amounts of data using these main 10 technologies: GPS, Internet, RFID, traffic cameras, computer cameras and microphones, public sound surveillance, biometrics, DNA, microchips, and facial recognition.

Let’s start large scale and move down to smaller tech.

SATELLITES

“These would-be controllers, through the US Space Command, have outlined a plan called ‘Full Spectrum Dominance’. Sophisticated satellite surveillance, as well as ‘directed energy’ and laser weapons -- which are already developed -- have the ability to target dissenters anywhere on Earth.” (from THRIVE)

SAURON -- comprised of a series of hundreds of low-orbiting cameras -- can make out objects on the ground as small as one centimeter in size. There are so many satellites in this network that they are able to effectively monitor the entire planet’s populated surface without interruption.

DRONES

The US government has given General authorization for 30,000 drones. The applications are for:

* Military Police: for example the Miami Dade Police Department is poised to become the first large metro force using drones in its aerial missions. The department finalized a deal to buy a drone called T-Hawk from defense firm Honeywell and officially applied for permission from the Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) last month to begin flying it around the county.

* Private drones can be purchased by consumers.

* Insect sized electronic surveillance drones and actual real, live “beetle” drones.

* Unmanned planes (The Federal Aviation Administration has been asked to issue flying rights for a range of pilotless planesto carry out civilian and law-enforcement functions but has been hesitant to act.)

CAMERAS

* Washington DC’s homeland security agency is planning to add thousands of security cameras around the nation’s capital and Metro system to the thousands of existing electronic eyes that authorities are already monitoring 24/7. There are millions of them throughout the US, including “talking” onesthat tell you what to do.

* White Boxes -- Seattle and Los Angeles.

* “Smart” Street Lightsthat photograph and record your movements.

* There are even “Smart” trash cansthat record your conversations.

* You can be monitored by Distant scanning devices and mobile X-ray vans.

* The Homeland Security Department has purchased 500 mobile X-ray vans called ZBVsthat can scan cars, trucks and homes without the drivers even knowing that they're being zapped.

* Beside radiation devices in airports, TSA is expanding their humiliations to train stations and sporting events.

* There are devices that follow your cars & commercial trucks -- Federal authorities are radiating American truck drivers at internal checkpoints with mobile scanners that shoot dangerous x-raysthrough both vehicles and passengers.

COMPUTERS

Besides Social Media invasions on Facebook, there are countless ways they are collecting: emails, Twitter, keywords, back doors, cookies, implanted devices, NSA hacking, Trapwire, FBI units, DIA -- The Defense Intelligence Agency plans to create a new section called Foreign Intelligence and Counterintelligence Operation Records, whose purpose will be to “document intelligence, counterintelligence, counterterrorism and counter-narcotic operations relating to the protection of “national security”. Civil liberties advocates and the Pentagon’s own description of the program suggest that Americans will likely be included in the new database.

NSA “PRISM”

Meta data mining, Microsoft SkyDrive and Skype, Pre-crime -- A Pentagon research arm is asking scientists to create a way to scan billions of e-mails to identify suspects in advance so that crimes can be stopped before they are committed. No acknowledgement of “innocent until proven guilty” here.

MOBILE DEVICES

Cell phones -- Including foreign and domestic so-called “leaders.”

(Congresswoman Jan Harman was a strong supporter of the Patriot Act and openly criticized whistle blowers and the NY Times for breaking the Snowden story. Following reports in April 2009 of her conversations being recorded without her knowledge, she appeared to take a different stance regarding wholly domestic wiretaps.) Also blocking of mobile devices in “sensitive” situations, a kill switch for smartphones, should they be used for dissenting activism, the effectiveness of which we saw in Egypt and Greece.

iPads and iPhones -- Apple Inc. is now collecting the “precise,” “real-time geographic location” of its users’ iPhones, iPads and computers.

APPLIANCES

I spoke in the film Take Back Your Power about how Smart meters and appliances are being used for in-home surveillance. You can also be watched and followed in your homes through video game consoles like Xbox, as well as by some televisions and Home ceiling microphones.

FINANCIAL SYSTEMS

The Bankers are doing everything in their power to track everything about you and your money. And the CIA pulls a “SWIFT” one to get a peek at your bank records.

HEALTH SYSTEMS

Obamacare warns on their Healthcare.gov website not to expect any privacy with your medical information. And the government wants to have complete access to patient’s psychiatric records.

ACTIVIST GROUPS

People are waking up to realize that when surveillance is being deployed against Political, environmental and animal rights groups, the whole “terrorist” notion is not what it claims to be.

RFID CHIPS

“…even an Assistant Director of Central Intelligence has admitted it’s an entry point to getting all of us chipped for better tracking and control.” -- THRIVE movie

Here are just a few references to the implants planned for us:

* DARPA “Black Box” brain chip

* Edible microchip-- Ex DARPA head wants you to swallow your ID microchip.

* Micro-scale devices -- Nanotechnology allows scientists to manipulate individual atoms and molecules to create unique materials and even micro-scale devices, and this is leading to a wide range of applications in clothing, textiles, electronics and even food and medicine.

* Electronic tattoos

Like so many other truths about today’s government and corporate activities, this list is pretty weird and horrifying, and that’s why Thrive Movement is committed to accompanying such revelations with a good dose of solutions.

SO WHAT CAN WE DO ABOUT IT?

The fix begins with each of us doing whatever level of research we need to realize that dangerously invasive domestic and global surveillance is real. This coherent list of resources is my offering toward that. We will each find our own unique way of responding, but the keys are getting educated about what is happening, recognizing that it is not inevitable, finding out what others are doing to stop it and then taking action. Informed people, coordinating our efforts and aligned with freedom, are more powerful than any other force.

Washington State is one of numerous examples of a community that is creating legislation ending illegal drone surveillance, and it is gaining bi-partisan support.

States working toward privacy from drones are leading 42-8.

Rand Paul is championing our fourth amendment rights against unreasonable search and seizure, and invasion of privacy. He has just filed a class-action law-suit against President Obama and the National Security Agency for their blatant vacuuming of our private information. You can sign it and share it. “Stand with Rand” on the NSA Petitions.

The USA Freedom Act is a small but positive step toward restoring the FISA court and getting rid of the Patriot Act.

The Electronic Frontier Foundation is a dedicated ally. Here is their recommended browser extension to help keep your activities secure: HTTPS Everywhere

Here are sites to help secure your Internet searches:

* DuckDuckGo

* Ixquick

* StartPage

Additional resources:

* Tor(anonymous web browsing)

* Tails(full operating system privacy)

* Silent Circle and Jitsirepresent significant steps toward encrypting phone and text communications.

* Jeremy Scahill and Glenn Greenwald’s website, “The Intercept”

* Here is an introduction to an expert book on Privatizing Your Identityby Chris Peterson

* You can Blind Cameras with an Infrared LED Hat

Virtual Private Networks (VPNs) provide encrypted networks within open networks for private movement across the Internet. Many route your traffic through anonymous servers around the world to hide your ISP so you can’t be traced and they do not keep logs of their traffic so that even if the records were demanded, they couldn’t provide them. These are complex but worth it if they fit your needs. THRIVE was created over Virtual Private Networks so that we would not be shut down before getting our message out.

Don’t get sucked in by the title of the FISA Improvement Act. It just legalizes backdoors and empowers intrusive corporations.

LIBERTY

I believe anyone invading your privacy should be prosecuted individually and required to make restitution to every victim. Personal accountability is key here. The injustice that is being perpetrated against us might be more obvious to people if it were a Pharaoh, King or Dictator committing these violations. In my view, the “State” is just the most modern excuse to trample individual rights.

“The problem is not just the abuse of power…it’s the power to abuse.” -- Stefan Molyneux

I do not believe the array of surveillance is to make your life more convenient and safer. Nor is it to foil “terrorist” plots. I believe it is because there is a process for global control that is underway, and the biggest threat to this agenda is hundreds of millions of creative and well-armed, freedom-loving individuals who are catching on and standing up for their rights and their children’s future. That’s why TPTB are buying billions of bullets, militarizing the police, changing the laws, collapsing the dollar and establishing world-wide surveillance and control grids. The U.S. Government is the greatest terrorist regime on Planet Earth, and polls show that people are waking up to that fact. The danger from blow-back is real, but the cure is in our hands.

Throughout history when agencies are granted secret funding and secret operations, they end up taking over whatever institution granted that right. After WWII, the National Security Act empowered the CIA, NSA and now 14 other intelligence agencies to use our money to control and dominate us. It is not for our own good. And we can stop it.

This summary is mainly focused on the US, because that’s what I know best. I invite you to expose the surveillance in your country, and what people are doing about it. The agenda is the same the world over.

Please share this blog and add your suggestions for how to overcome these violations and create a free and thriving world.