Respectfully submitted by Lawrence E. Rafferty (rafflaw)-Guest Blogger
If you are like me, you remember the violent response by the FBI, DHS and local police forces to the many “Occupy” movement protests last Fall. In those protests, the police used incredible force and firepower to break up peaceful protests and make a mockery of the First Amendment. The police responses always seemed to be coordinated from city to city and there were allegations that the FBI and other governmental agencies were aiding the local authorities in stamping down the First Amendment rights of the Occupy protestors. Now, a treasure trove of documents was released pursuant to a Freedom of Information request by a group called The Partnership for Civil Justice Fund. Those documents expose a level of governmental intrusion into the privacy of protestors and governmental and private bank partnerships designed to crack down on legal protestors.
“It was more sophisticated than we had imagined: new documents show that the violent crackdown on Occupy last fall – so mystifying at the time – was not just coordinated at the level of the FBI, the Department of Homeland Security, and local police. The crackdown, which involved, as you may recall, violent arrests, group disruption, canister missiles to the skulls of protesters, people held in handcuffs so tight they were injured, people held in bondage till they were forced to wet or soil themselves –was coordinated with the big banks themselves.
The Partnership for Civil Justice Fund, in a groundbreaking scoop that should once more shame major US media outlets (why are nonprofits now some of the only entities in America left breaking major civil liberties news?), filed this request. The document – reproduced here in an easily searchable format – shows a terrifying network of coordinated DHS, FBI, police, regional fusion center, and private-sector activity so completely merged into one another that the monstrous whole is, in fact, one entity: in some cases, bearing a single name, the Domestic Security Alliance Council. And it reveals this merged entity to have one centrally planned, locally executed mission. The documents, in short, show the cops and DHS working for and with banks to target, arrest, and politically disable peaceful American citizens.” Guardian
When we have discussed how the banks and the wealthy have purchased politicians in order to obtain friendly tax treatment for their companies and themselves we may have lost sight of just how much these “too big to jail” banks are also in bed with the Government and various police agencies. When the Citizens United decision gave the corporations and wealthy carte blanche authority to pour huge sums of money into the election process, we may have missed other strings that some of those same corporations are pulling.
“The documents, released after long delay in the week between Christmas and New Year, show a nationwide meta-plot unfolding in city after city in an Orwellian world: six American universities are sites where campus police funneled information about students involved with OWS to the FBI, with the administrations’ knowledge (p51); banks sat down with FBI officials to pool information about OWS protesters harvested by private security; plans to crush Occupy events, planned for a month down the road, were made by the FBI – and offered to the representatives of the same organizations that the protests would target; and even threats of the assassination of OWS leaders by sniper fire – by whom? Where? – now remain redacted and undisclosed to those American citizens in danger, contrary to standard FBI practice to inform the person concerned when there is a threat against a political leader (p61).
As Mara Verheyden-Hilliard, executive director of the PCJF, put it, the documents show that from the start, the FBI – though it acknowledges Occupy movement as being, in fact, a peaceful organization – nonetheless designated OWS repeatedly as a “terrorist threat”..” Guardian
Does it surprise you that the portions of the documents where alleged threats of assassinations of OWS leaders were discussed were redacted and the leaders who were “targeted” are left in the dark as to who is targeting them? Will this hint of sniper threats actually act as a deterrent to free speech and peaceful assembly? Was that redaction and the alleged deterrent intentional on the part of the government?
When anyone opines about the huge amount of personal information that banks hold and control and the problems associated with that, I wonder if anyone ever imagined that this information could be used to curtail our First Amendment rights? It is no longer a tin foil hat conspiracy theory that the government is in bed with corporations. These documents prove that the government actually coordinated the police response to the peaceful protests with information from the corporations and their private security organizations.
Naomi Wolff, the author of the Guardian article linked above claims that is now clear that all of the militarizing of police forces was meant to stop all of us from finding out just how the Big Banks and corporations are breaking the law. “Why the huge push for counterterrorism “fusion centers”, the DHS militarizing of police departments, and so on? It was never really about “the terrorists”. It was not even about civil unrest. It was always about this moment, when vast crimes might be uncovered by citizens – it was always, that is to say, meant to be about you.”
They are coming to get you and “they” are a government/corporation partnership that is designed to protect their assets and prevent any citizen from blowing the whistle on their evil entanglement. After reading these damning documents, how can anyone be surprised that the wealthy are ready to hold the country’s economic health hostage to protect their tax breaks? The tax rate issue just may just be the tip of the iceberg. They are after much, much more than just a few percentage points in a tax rate. If the Occupy Movement can be considered double secret terrorists, none of us are safe. Do you feel safe?
That should read “we need a government..”
Darren,
Interesting idea, but I agree with Gene that need a government and politicians in a democracy. I do not think it matters how many reps we have,if we get money out of politics. If we continue to allow money to control, he who has it will control the government.
Darren,
Good idea. But Sweden has been there and done that.
King Karl the eleventh in the 17th century (ca 1650) estabiished such an organization. He did not rely on the politicians (ie nobles) to be honest and just, instead he established a bureaucratic system reporting to him only and empowerd by him.
Problem here was that it became corrupted from above, such that in the 18 hundreds, most higher jobs were make-work, and thus one could hold several positions, etc. (Described by August Strindberg in his novel “The Red Room”, ca 1880.)
Today, the bureaucratic ills are well known in the USA as well as here.
We have our remedies. Perhaps ours works best??? Bureaucracies are responsible only to the law, a GAO organization or two and the citizens protests.
God help the politician who so much as raises his finger.
There are processes for at punishing them at the national level, but unfortunately not at the county and community level.
The most corruption exists at the lower levels. Although the largest are at the natioanl level. The Minister for Defenxe had to resign when his involvement in establiishing a Swedish weapons factory in Saudi was discovered.
Saudi money or Swedish money, it was accepting bribes in effect.
On each generation having to discover for itself the truth……….!
Well, we are failing in our basic role as parents and humans. We should be passing on earlier generations knowledge. Teach your child when he is ready to stop believing in the one-percent Santa Claus from which the propaganda sends BS lies each day.
Can someone please tell me that this in NOT true.
Who do we believe lies behind the many thousand of years we used stone axe?
I know, the stone axe manufacturers. They even traded raw materials (in SA and Africa) and finished products. Wonder what luxuries they got for ther profits. An extra cave, slave, woman, a Barney car to drive?????
Here we are satisfied that the old system still works. At least the onepercenters are.
Blouise,
Welcome back. Have missed you for a while back.
“Pick your battles wisely and fight smart.”
Seem like most smart ones defect to the other side. If not a banquet at least bread can be hoped for, for long and loyal service to their cause.
Not even pocket change for the richest.
Explain why please, that Cleveland welcomed the OWS movement as one earlier above claimed.
Darren,
An interesting idea that could work in theory, but never in practice unless we reached the end of applied sciences and transcended social evolution. Technological species will always have to have new laws to accommodate social changes wrought by new technologies. In addition, as social creatures our social structures in the broadest sense of the word evolve along with our social mores. Consider that the once universally accepted practice of slavery is now the universally rejected practice of slavery. There will always be a need for some law makers unless we are a technologically and socially stagnant species or – the best case scenario – a species that has reached sociological equilibrium (a proposition that probably requires infinite resources and energy and would still have the problem of technological advancement to deal with).
Could we get by with a lot fewer law makers?
You bet.
It would be easier to maintain accountability and limit corruption. Making laws doesn’t require nearly the manpower that enforcing them does. However, the issue of an elected judiciary presents its own problems in the form of corruption that we already see to a greater degree in elected political positions. The only way that could work is if we had a corruption proof electoral system – something that our failing to implement illustrates (and I say implement because I think such a system is possible) may be a critical impediment to actual democracy. And a corruption proof electoral system (and a substantive alteration to the basic function of lobbying) would go a long way to fixing our current problems so as to make doing away with the political class a moot point. Even in that case? We could still do the job with less of them.
Woosty,
Thank you for the RT video from Houston. Smart guy too.
Guess will drop other channels and go to RT for good. And the Guardian and Al Jazeera.
Think! The BS es and evasions come from our media. And truth comes from outside.
Do we need to occupy PBS to get real investigative journalism breathing again? Or do we need to boycott and blockade our three top branches: WH, Sct, and Congress?
ElaineM,
“Elaine M.1, December 30, 2012 at 10:02 pm
rafflaw,
Great article! Isn’t it interesting that some of the folks who claim to hate the government/government power don’t seem to mind when federal agencies go after protesters like those involved in OWS?”
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“some of the folks”. Anybody in particular whom you are thinking of?
Myself, I recognize JT’s as a useless protest zone, not officially but in fact.
Of course I have no idea what you do IRL. so that is a surmise only.
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Ohhhhhhh! Now I get it! Thanks. Coins drop through my brain but nothing is delivered, just like the automat at the ER yesterday.
Yes! THAT is why we know it is BS. They’ve been manipulating government to their advantage since millienia. And a commercially driven revolution in 1776. and a division of the spoils between states did NOT change the game. The constitution was just a paper contract which they promptly started subverting the day after signing. Contracts, even social ones, don’t stop the game, only provides restrictions etc. whose effect it is beneficial to subvert..
What suckers we are. Just like Bernie Madoff’s clients. Too good to be true, but we bought it anyway. Fools. Indentured laborers working at creating wealth for the rich and powerful. Synonyms? Rich=powerful.
PS. Thanks for the use of your launching pad.
fDredd,
You see an empire cycles followed repeatedly by agro as base survival method.
I do acknowledge the possibility of a new one now. But it will be a very long one, until we have destroyed the climate by our gas emissions, release of methane from the tundra, and the desertification of large agricultural areas.
Result; mass starvation and poverty, which may bring the world commercial empire which steer the nations down earlier than my prediction of a “thousand years” life.
But it is futile when the Earth is on a runaway cycle of heating which will make a replica of Venus. 800 degrees Celsius (ca 1400 F).
Civilization will destroy civilization, as one said here. No, it will destroy what was once a habitable planet, which won’t support higher forms of life where we live at the top of the food chain.
Remember the dolphins. They pity us now. Some bring tribute and gifts, pleading for the earth’s survival.
Woosty,
Maybe a clarification on my part is necessary.
Europe has ALREADY experienced recession and taken the “cut back on everything (social security, medical systems, schools, raised taxes), which the Republicans are driving for, and still they sit in a bind. We have already gone over the cliff, as politicians admit. Name it what they will, they think it will get worse for the USA and are worried about USA weak demand causing further problems here in EU. It might get worse than in the Grreat Deprsssion because of higher level of interlocking economies now.
Now puhleeze tell me what party were you talking about.
PS. Europe has its capitalists and banks; besides institutions charged with investing to give inflation-stable pensions. (Yes, we still have those)
So like Bernie Madoff’s clients they bought the pitch just like the rubes they were. Ie they bought the guaranteed risk free high, yielding CD’s in such large quantities so we followed them down the drain. Major pension insurance companies reduced payouts by up to 9% here.
So I am definitely not a EU is best, nor Sweden is best. I am as you may have noticed an “all is rotten”-guy. Show me something honest and I will show you the clay feet decorated in tinsel and BS.
This links to a Robert Kuttner column in Huff po.
http://www.huffingtonpost.com/robert-kuttner/fiscal-cliff_b_2386291.html?utm_source=Alert-blogger&utm_medium=email&utm_campaign=Email%2BNotifications
Four years ago Barack Obama prepared to take the oath of office as a Democratic president, at a moment when free market ideology and Republican incumbency were disgraced by events. But a year that should have marked the end of the laissez-faire fantasy and the resurgence of effective government instead began an era of muddle through.
The Republicans were voted out, but the big banks that caused the collapse were propped up rather than broken up. Their basic business model was allowed to continue, with taxpayers guaranteeing billion dollar paydays for corporate moguls. The economic rules of the game continued to tilt against regular working families, who are more precarious than ever. Obama took most of his economic advice from the very people whose belief in complete license for finance caused the collapse.
Obama wanted to be the president who would change the tone in Washington, meaning a more collaborative relationship with the Republicans. That was not to be. The Republicans would not allow it. Now, history invites Obama to change the tone in Washington by dispatching an extremist Republican Party to the far fringes of public discourse where it belongs.
The Democrats in Congress most certainly did NOT OCCUPY.
I had often wondered to myself if the following situation is practical for humanity several hundred years in the future:
A government with NO elected officials except the judiciary.
Consider this. If we established, though this would be the difficult part, the most ultruistic, benevolent and pragmatic laws that had all the mechancs worked out to preserve the best overall standards in all walks of law and society and put it into place somehow, with clear directions for each government agency, would we really need to have politicians sitting in office?
For the most part, we don’t need politicians in our daily lives currently. We follow the rules and go about our lives without their direct assistance. If we need assistance, there are agencies that fulfill that need without consulting with the pols anyway.
I just wonder if the next social advancement in humanity would be to eliminate the political class and adhere to the rule of law and the constitution and decency. For the most part we have gone away from kings and the arbutrary rule of men/women leaders (in most countries)
I maintain that it is worth at least considering.
pete,
The best advice for raising kids is save battles for the big problems. Don’t sweat the minor stuff. 🙂
Blouise said
Pick your battles wisely and fight smart.
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raising kids will teach you that:)
Sometimes you don’t get to pick your battles.
“However, we, the people, doesn’t even exist. We are a nation divided and-as the old saying goes-we are easy to be conquered by the wealthy or anyone else.” (RWL)
It all started back with the 3/5ths rule.
Every generation has to part the curtain of myth to discover the reality that is and always has been. The internet and social media has made the parting somewhat easier but has also given an equal increase of power to the dark forces.
Pick your battles wisely and fight smart.
“pick your battles wisely and fight smart”
Blouise,
Amen to that!
Woosty, thanks for the videos.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=4Adr_Pck6VI
[youtube http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=4Adr_Pck6VI&w=420&h=315%5D
We just sent a check to Occupy Supply, in support of Sandy Relief, which has been apparently doing exemplary work in the NE.
I am aware of first hand reports of the good reputation of OWS in Pittsburgh. The Pittsburgh city council passed a resolution of support. The same thing happened in Cleveland.