*to Hanlon's razor: Never attribute to malice that which is adequately explained by stupidity.
Κυνόσαργες

Monday 10 June 2013

Who's afraid of the security state?

One of my once best friends took a job for CSIS more than a decade back.  He was the head spook for the Canadian Embassy in a S.E. Asian country (with Muslims, bien sûr) last time I communicated with him.  About five years ago I decided there was nothing consistent about me being in communication with someone whose employment assaulted most values I hold, so I told him that, and that he wouldn't hear from me again.  I regret losing a friend; I do not regret doing what I did.  He is lost.

It is interesting that he has no online presence at all, having checked just now.  When you're in the know...

---------------------------------------------------------------------------



If 'the Man' cared he'd have my number already.  More important than anything I say is that you read about this guy, before they disappear him.  Smart man to go public, because people asking questions if he's 'renditioned' is the only thing that might keep him alive.  There are 1% and 9% who would kill any of us 90% to keep what they have; just because they aren't doing it yet (maybe) doesn't mean shit.  Sad that only the dubious posturing of foreign governments will register in Washington; talk is cheap: one should host him.

At this point the only thing to do is to not matter to the 1% and 9% at all: we don't.  Or if you think you are going to matter because you have secrets to wake us all the fuck up, keep your online persona static, and send your data to multiple news-gatherers on a USB key or the like, and do everything you can never to be traced.  No good can come from two-way communication with journalists: if they are not in the pay of the state, someone will be incompetent enough to betray you.  You'd also want to send your information to non-US sources, or else it will never appear.

Yes, there's been Watergate, Pentagon Papers and more, but the level of US security state leads me to only one conclusion: they are afraid of us, but are many steps ahead.


5 comments:

  1. I'm sure this'll sound crass, but all I can think about the masses crying out about how their freedoms are being taken away and their privacy invaded, is 'meh...'

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. Not crass at all, though I am not sure you are blasé, or saying the masses are blasé. You're certainly right about the latter, and this has been true of the established media. You should not be blasé if you know any history: when a state takes on that kind of power they abuse it, and the only way they've ever been stopped is bloody.

      Delete
  2. The 1% and the 9% - hadn't really thought about it that way. Now that you mention it, I'm not too sure what to think.

    The lack of online presence is telling. So much of what is happening now reads like bad science fiction. Clean water is becoming scarce and untainted food is somewhat of a luxury.

    I always figure if what I think is of any interest to those who watch, then we're all already more than just a bit beyond being safe.

    I do feel like there is somewhat of a vacuum in terms of leadership for the everyday you and me kind of people. Getting elected is like 'being made' or something.

    The security state mentality really is hard to fathom.
    I remember the first time I was asked to remove my baseball cap upon entering a water park because no 'gang apparel' was permitted. I thought it was a joke...at first.

    Anyway, thank for the formal introduction to the 9%.



    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. PS

      May the next interrogation be quick and relatively painless. Unless of course the 9% have unionized, then folks will be pushing for overtime or something.

      Delete
  3. A liberal media wanting to believe their great hope and ignoring the fact that he has accelerated and exceeded everything his predecessor did by far. America is gone. In it's place is a thing resembling what we remember but seemingly completely foreign at the same time.So many things are beginning to make sense. A million little encroachment on a thousand sensabilities.

    Tinfoil hats look really fashionable right now.

    ReplyDelete