How is it good for the American people that the Koch brothers have their own spy service?

[PatrickforO]

http://www.politico.com/story/2015/11/the-koch-brothers-intelligence-agency-215943

The competitive intelligence team has a staff of 25, including one former CIA analyst, and operates from one of the non-descript Koch network offices clustered near the Courthouse metro stop in suburban Arlington, Va. It has provided network officials with documents detailing confidential voter-mobilization plans by major Democrat-aligned groups. It also sends regular “intelligence briefing” emails tracking the canvassing, phone-banking and voter-registration efforts of labor unions, environmental groups and their allies, according to documents reviewed by POLITICO and interviews with a half-dozen sources with knowledge of the group.

The competitive intelligence team has gathered on-the-ground intelligence from liberal groups’ canvassing events in an effort to assess the technology and techniques of field efforts to boost Democrats, according to the sources. And they say the team utilizes high-tech tactics to track the movements of liberal organizers, including culling geo-data embedded in their social media posts.

So, we not only have the NSA spying on our every move, NOW the Koch brothers are spying on behalf of the oligarchs.

[think]

1. This is the tip of the iceberg. /nt

[closeupready]

11. Oh gosh yes. People like them know, essentially, everyone's every move,

every indiscretion, and if by chance you are one of the 25% of people of whom they have no info, it would be a snap to collect a really good profile on you.

This has been the direction of things for YEARS.

[Baitball Blogger]

13. Would not surprise me to learn that there is a slew of illegal data gathering

taking place. When you consider the cross-over that was encouraged between the private and public sector, it almost lends itself to this kind of abuse. What the government can't do legally they just sub-contract to the private sector, and the private sector would just pass the information on back, if it proves to be incriminating.

Now, that's the best possible outcome. When you live among racists and people who rely on bending the law for their own livelihood, there's no end the torment they can cause someone, just on their say-so.

[closeupready]

14. Yes. No question Facebook and Microsoft and other tech companies pass on

intelligence to not only government authorities, but also basically anyone who wants to buy it from them, like the group in the OP.

[Scuba]

2. This would be the same Koch brothers who funded the DLC.

[hifiguy]

10. The same DLC of which the Clintons were a prominent part.

And who served as the primary salespeople in the sale of the institutional Democratic Party to Republicans who couldn't stand the jebus wheezers any more.

CONNECT THE DOTS PEOPLE.

[GoneFishin]

3. They are used to getting their way all of the time.I'm sure they have a team of mercenaries on call

like XE, Black Water, or Knifem Shootem & Nukem, or whatever they call themselves now.

They have unlimited cash. They have wine casks full of untraceable millions in cash the way I have loose change in my car ashtray.

If you can dream it up, then they are capable of it. Of course they are spying on everybody else.

[glinda]

4. So that is where all those billions of missing cash went to.....

[GoneFishin]

7. Republicans want people to pee in cups for foods stamps, there is no way they let $9 billion in cash

that was flown to Iraq by the pallet load get away from them. Iraq was a path to launder stolen taxpayer money and squirrel it away before the Republicans lost the WH to the Democrats. Citizen's United makes it easy to route dirty money into our elections.

[glinda]

15. I am in total agreement.

[0rganism]

5. this is how we want it

it's become clear to me over the last few decades that a large portion, perhaps a majority, of Americans are quite comfortable with both oligarchy and a surveillance state, as long as we can continue buying small arms and hating on people who aren't exactly like us.

if we wanted privacy and equality, we would have voted for it.

[muriel_volestrangler]

6. It's good for their money. At about $80 billion wealth between them, and $115bn in annual turnover

they have the power of a small but independent country ($115bn is roughly the GDP of Morocco; or the gross state product of Nebraska). Their loyalty to the USA is, I reckon, no more than the King of Morocco's.

[librechik]

8. The Pinkertons worked for Harriman and the railroad cartel. Nothing new here.

Of course the Kochs will use their money to give them any advantage, too.

[Calista241]

9. If you don't think Hillary has a team of competitive intelligence people

Digging up shit on anyone who could be running against her, I have a bridge to sell you.

[hifiguy]

12. Maybe even one funded by her BFFs on Wall Street.

[Octafish]

16. When NSA hires private companies, what can one expect?

I LOVE Big Brother!

[Blue_Tires]

17. Hey, just as long as it isn't the NSA

people are more than happy to get spied on by private entities, corporate America, silicon valley, hackers, China, Russia, Israel, etc... That's what the Snowdenistas have been telling me nonstop for two years now...

[JEB]

18. Fascism in action.