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In reply to the discussion: The Mighty Wurlitzer: How the CIA Played America [View all]Octafish
(55,745 posts)4. Christopher Pyle sheds light on the rationale...
The Company took a big interest in the US citizens opposing war on Vietnam. Today the secret government agencies monitor those opposing war on Iraq and the journalists with whom they talk. What's more, the Tip Secret Bigwigs get to make a lot of money in the process.
70% of the $80+ billion intel budget goes 2 private contractors not bound by constitutional amendmts
EXCERPT...
CHRISTOPHER PYLE: Well, what weve seen in the ensuing years has been a vast explosion in intelligence-gathering capabilities. But the most significant part of that is the fact that civilian corporations are now doing the governments work. Seventy percent of the intelligence budget of the United States today goes to private contractors like Booz Allen, which employed Edward Snowden. This is a major change in the power of surveillance. It now goes not only to the government, but to private corporations.
JUAN GONZÁLEZ: Well, you seemin a recent article, you seem to raise what you think are the real issues in these Snowden leaks. You mention, one, the inability of Congress to actually do legitimate oversight over intelligence. You say that the secrecy system is out of control. And you also say that the system is also profoundly corrupt because of all this use of private contractors who make huge amounts of money that no one can actually hold them accountable for. Could you talk about those issues?
CHRISTOPHER PYLE: Yes. The forerunner of the PRISM system that Snowden disclosed was called Trailblazer. It wasted $1 billion on private contracts. It replaced a much less expensive system called ThinThread, which had more privacy protections and had been developed inside the government. Now, the reason that private contractors get this business is because members of Congress intercede with them with government agencies. And we now have a situation where members of the Intelligence Committee and other committees of Congress intercede with the bureaucracy to get sweetheart contracts for companies that waste taxpayers money and also violate the Constitution and the privacy of citizens. This is a very serious situation, because it means that its much more difficult to get effective oversight from Congress.
CONTINUED...
http://www.democracynow.org/2013/6/13/chris_pyle_whistleblower_on_cia_domestic
It is most heartening to know some can still think for themselves, villager.
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Perhaps that article also points to why some so strongly de-emphasize the "U" in "DU" as well....
villager
Aug 2015
#1
It's beyond a Wurlitzer-it's a heavenly choir thanks to NASA (Dulles's PAPERCLIP pals) et.al. K&R
bobthedrummer
Aug 2015
#9
I'm pretty sure you mean this thread, for those who may have somehow missed it
Electric Monk
Aug 2015
#14
Kick and an invitation to join in on a discussion of "information operations" aka Psy-Ops for those
bobthedrummer
Aug 2015
#20
It used to be against the law, directing propaganda against the American people.
Octafish
Sep 2015
#26
Freedom is for those who can afford it. Poor kids rot unknown in jail for five years and die...
Octafish
Sep 2015
#29
Wait; is that, could that possibly be, and involving all sorts of people, a.....govt CONSPIRACY??
WinkyDink
Sep 2015
#30