New Social Media Surveillance Program Violates Privacy to Keep You Safe

Joe Wright  

The latest press release from Virginia Tech University, posted in full below, uses a familiar sales pitch which asserts that the only way to keep the public safe is through pervasive surveillance.

Even amid the public outrage and pushback in the wake of the Snowden revelations, the establishment continues to push forward with justifications about why it is in our best interest to be under their constant watch.

Now, as Ebola has taken center stage as the latest threat to humanity, "ChatterGrabber" is being rolled out - a "machine-learning algorithm" that will theoretically help detect public health risks based on harvested communications. However, it goes far beyond the most extreme cases, and researchers are not hiding its wider applications. The press release is a must-read for its rare honesty, but here is the crux of the program:

ChatterGrabber has also been used to monitor tickborne diseases, such as Lyme disease, public sentiment involving vaccines, and gun violence and terrorism, serving as an early warning system for public health officials through suspicious tweets or conversations. (emphasis added)

Read on, it only gets worse:

Police Brutality Continues Unchecked Across The Nation: Report

Anthony Freda Art

Joe Wright

The escalation of police brutality continues unchecked across the United States. Literally unchecked, according to the video report and sources posted below.

Citing the Bureau of Justice Statistics data collection of "Arrest-Related Deaths", it is clear that reports involving potential police misconduct - even including deaths - are submitted on a completely voluntary basis, which has resulted in glaring holes and a long delay in those submissions that are offered.

The exclusions and submission process are telling:

Obama Pledges Billions to Boost Africa's Infrastructure

More like "AfriCON"

Joe Wright

Obama's 100 million dollar trip to Africa is controversial enough, as the U.S. taxpayer has been further burdened during worsening economic conditions at home. To add insult to injury, Obama has pledged a minimum of $7 billion dollars to boost access to electricity across parts of Africa. As highlighted in the video below, "Power Africa" will add better capacity to 20 million homes and commercial entities in Ethiopia, Ghana, Kenya, Liberia, Nigeria and Tanzania over the next 5 years. Naturally this is being couched in presumed economic benefits for America, as summarized by CNN: “The trip aims to bolster U.S. investment opportunities, address development issues such as food security and health, and promote democracy.” Obama also couldn't resist adding a note about the environment and climate change:

The $16 billion public-private partnership is mandated to focus on “villages and farms” as well as urban centers and is designed to “support clean energy to protect the environment and prevent climate change,” Obama said. (Source)

Meanwhile at home, as noted by Daisy Luther, one "large western US power company recently announced that they did not foresee the ability to keep up with electrical demand this summer, and may institute rolling blackouts to cope with it." The general weakness of the U.S. electric grid costs the U.S. economy an estimated 80 billion dollars a year.

Beyond this, the state of American infrastructure in general is dismal and is heading toward third world status. States are on the verge of bankruptcy, cities are going dark, asphalt roads are returning to the stone age, and nationwide budget cuts are leaving students without teachers, supplies, or a full-time education.  Here are 21 Facts About America's Decaying Infrastructure That Will Blow Your Mind and 40 Statistics About The Fall Of The U.S. Economy That Are Almost Too Crazy To Believe.

Nevertheless, Africa has been targeted by big business and the military-industrial complex as a muli-level resource.

Whistleblower Reveals World Bank Corruption in New Interview

Joe Wright

Whistleblowers continue to endure an increasing level of targeting and prosecution by an administration that touts its commitment to transparency. Despite this, many brave insiders continue to come forward to reveal the extent of corruption at the highest levels.

Edward Snowden and Bradley Manning are taking center stage at the moment. Yet, former World Bank Senior Legal Counsel, Karen Hudes, seen in the video below with Sean Stone, and a new video interview with RT's Abby Martin is revealing equally important information about corruption at the World Bank, and a tiny group pulling the strings of politicians and the media to suppress knowledge of their activities.

The World Bank is already notorious for its wide range of human rights violations, land-grab schemes, environmental destruction and economic attacks on sovereign nations and local communities. Hudes offers some additional details about what she asserts is one single group controlling world financial markets and media. She also offers names of people who were involved in blackmail surrounding a 2007 prostitution scandal. Hudes has been charged by Attorney General Eric Holder with trespassing after being arrested May 13th at an office of the World Bank. Hear the story that corporate media is ignoring....

Whistleblower Reveals World Bank Corruption

Joe Wright

Whistleblowers continue to endure an increasing level of targeting and prosecution by an administration that touts its commitment to transparency. Despite this, many brave insiders continue to come forward to reveal the extent of corruption at the highest levels.

The latest information comes from Karen Hudes, seen in the video below with Sean Stone. Her bio highlights her 21-year experience at the World Bank as Senior Legal Counsel:

She worked in the US Export Import Bank of the US from 1980-1985 and in the Legal Department of the World Bank from 1986-2007. She established the Non Governmental Organization Committee of the International Law Section of the American Bar Association and the Committee on Multilateralism and the Accountability of International Organizations of the American Branch of the International Law Association.

The World Bank is already notorious for its wide range of human rights violations, land-grab schemes, environmental destruction and economic attacks on sovereign nations and local communities. Hudes offers some additional details about what she asserts is one single groupcontrolling world financial markets and media. She also offers names of people who were involved in blackmail surrounding a 2007 prostitution scandal. Hudes has now been charged by Attorney General Eric Holder with trespassing after being arrested May 13th at an office of the World Bank.

IRS Flagged "Patriot" Groups Beyond Cincinnati, Report

Dees Illustration

Joe Wright

More information is coming to light in the wake of the Friday revelations that the Cincinnati division of the IRS targeted Tea Party and patriot groups for scrutiny. As reported by ABA Journal:

Speaking at a meeting of the ABA Section of Taxation, Lois Lerner, who heads the Internal Revenue Service unit that oversees tax-exempt groups, said low-level workers in Cincinnati flagged the groups with "tea party" and "patriot" in their names. The groups were applying for 501(c)(4) status as “social welfare” groups, and they do not meet the standard if they are “primarily engaged” in political activity. 

However, the scope of the investigation has widened to include Washington D.C. and California after the Washington Post received documents to suggest that the same focus on conservative-based groups was being undertaken in those locations as well.

The fact that the IRS was conducting what appears to be a targeted campaign against certain political groups in the heart of Washington D.C. has even wider ramifications than previously believed. Rather than a limited, one-time error in judgement, this campaign is beginning to feel systemic.

Florida Deputy Threatens to Shoot Concealed Carry Permit Holder in the Back During Traffic Stop

Joe Wright

"Land of the Fee and Home of the Slave" has rarely been more appropriate than the following video from Florida.

Citrus County Florida Deputy Andy Cox threatens to shoot concealed carry licensee for lawfully carried handgun & then arrests him for accidental exposure. (Source)

According to usacarry.com, the gentleman harassed and terrorized in this video would be subjected to the following fees and conditions in order to obtain and use his permit. Please read the requirements below and determine for yourself if Deputy Andy Cox was correct in his interpretation and treatment of this concealed weapon permit holder.

Torture Continues to be Legitimized by U.S. Legal System

Dees Illustration

Joe Wright

In another blow to human rights, freedom, the law, and morality, the 7th Circuit Court has exonerated Donald Rumsfeld from prosecution for allegations of being a primary architect of U.S. torture policy.

At issue are two Americans, Donald Vance and Nathan Ertel, who worked for a private Iraqi security firm named Shield Group Security. Courthouse News reports the harrowing experience the two men encountered after attempting to blow the whistle to the U.S. government about their employer potentially being involved in illegal arms trades and bribery:

Shield became suspicious of Vance and Ertel in April 2006, confiscated their credentials and effectively trapped them in the firm's compound. U.S. forces allegedly came to the compound and took the pair to the U.S. Embassy. 

But Vance and Ertel say their rescue soon turned into a nightmare. According to their complaint, U.S. officials transported them to Camp Cropper, where they were kept in solitary confinement and subjected to physical and psychological torture with no ability to contact their families or lawyers. Vance allegedly endured solitary confinement for three months, and Ertel for six weeks. 

After being returned the United States without charges, Vance and Ertel sued Rumsfeld, claiming that he personally approved the interrogation and torture techniques they had endured.

Despite a U.S. District Judge ruling that the lawsuit had merit, and the 7th Circuit temporarily agreeing, the 7th Circuit Court finally voted 8-3 to dismiss the suit. The ruling follows another made by the Supreme Court that rejected all of the Guantanamo detainee torture suits.

In the Guantanamo ruling, Jose Padilla -- a U.S. citizen -- was at the center of claims made by detainees who have found themselves labeled enemy combatants within the global battlefield that is the War on Terror. The term "enemy combatant" was supposed to have been dropped in 2009, but it still persists within U.S. courts.
On June 11th of this year, all cases filed by detainees were rejected by the United States Supreme Court, leaving little doubt as to the path this country has chosen.  American citizen or not, your rights end where the U.S. government says they end, regardless of Constitutional principles or legal review.

In a previous article I wrote that:

Jose Padilla had been dealt legal blow after legal blow; first having Atlanta's 11th Circuit Court of Appeals rule against U.S. District Judge Marcia Cooke in September 2011, who noted that Padilla had been confined under harsh conditions and had not injured anyone, among other considerations. The majority issued their opinion in vague language that alluded to 'an impermissible comparison to sentences imposed in other terrorism cases, and was based in part on inappropriate factors,' as well as his suspected Al Qaeda training. (Source) 

In January of this year, Padilla was then denied by the 4th Circuit Court of Appeals in Virgina as having any right to even file suit for his claims of illegal detention and torture. 

(...)

The 4th Circuit specifically stated their conundrum, as the framework of enemy combatant status essentially circumvents the American legal system.  In response, they passed the buck to Congress, which they stated had not defined any appropriate remedy in their responsibility for military conduct.

This new case dismissal involving the two former security employees, similar to the Padilla case, allows Donald Rumsfeld to once again walk away scot-free for his crimes against humanity, all in the name of the supposed preservation of state secrets. Ditto for torture memo author John Yoo, as well as other officials who laid the foundation and/or gave the orders for confinement and mistreatment. The 9th Circuit Court of Appeals has made it clear; the 4th Circuit Court; the 11th Circuit Court; the Supreme Court; and now the 7th.

Welcome to the land of the lawless, home of the slave. Congress has clearly flatly refused to provide the framework under which to prosecute criminals at the highest levels. 

Congress, and the American legal system which gives it "deference," are both completely subservient to the U.S. military-government -- the "chain of command" as noted in the latest complaint dismissal -- which is hell-bent on having its way with citizens of all nations.

Now that the NDAA obliterates the right of Americans to be treated with dignity in peace time or war -- whether accused, falsely arrested, tortured, or found legitimately guilty -- the doctrine of U.S. torture is officially given free reign to engage in what used to be called atrocities and war crimes, but is now called preserving peace and democracy.

Anytime, anywhere . . . . 

Main source for this article:
https://www.courthousenews.com/2012/11/08/52119.htm

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Torture Memo Author, John Yoo, Immune from Prosecution: Ninth Circuit Court of Appeals

Dees Illustration

Joe Wright

A federal judge who ruled that "enemy combatant" Jose Padilla could file suit against John Yoo who authored the torture memo that legitimized the horrific treatment of detainees, has had his decision reversed by the 9th Circuit Court of Appeals today. 

Jose Padilla, a United States citizen, was incarcerated for four years without trial for an alleged 2002 "dirty bomb" plot and has been trying to sue Donald Rumsfeld as well as other U.S. officials for his mistreatment while detained in a military brig in South Carolina. 

Padilla asserts that the torture treatment he received was as a direct result of the memos authored by Yoo that provided the authority needed to commence with "enhanced interrogation" for those labeled as "enemy combatants."  The ramifications of these memos have permeated throughout the military up to and including the authorization of drone bombings in Pakistan. 

It is not only Padilla asking for redress, but civil rights groups such as the ACLU.

Police Learn Propaganda Tactics at Internet Conference

image source

Joe Wright

The exponential power of the Internet, and particularly the overwhelming force of social media, already has earned the attention of governments around the world. When Hillary Clinton declared that the U.S. was not telling its story correctly to the rest of the world -- alluding to the Cold War when the U.S. gov't properly did so, according to her -- she was signaling for a ramp up in propaganda domestically and abroad.

The sixth annual Social Media, the Internet and Law Enforcement (SMILE) conference at the Omni Hotel in Richmond Virginia made the dissemination of propaganda a focal point. Being connected online puts police on the streets of the virtual world, which offers an opportunity to engage in news management. As stated by Police Chief Rick Clark: "You can't afford not to."

However, beyond merely walking a virtual beat and engaging their fellow citizens when called upon, emphasis was also placed on tactics for monitoring discussions for criminal activity through social media outlets such as Facebook, Twitter and YouTube. This is a trend that is trickling down from the federal government who has come under fire from civil liberties groups for creating a range of social media task forces and initiatives; the Electronic Privacy Information Center directly took on DHS, seeking disclosure of records detailing the Department of Homeland Security's media monitoring activities.

In a statement right out of 1984, Richmond Times-Dispatch writer Zachary Reid says while covering the SMILE conference: "Who gets to tell the truth was the central theme of the day." (Source) 

Information Control in the Digital Age: The Journey From Internet Piracy to Full Spectrum Tyranny

Joe Wright
Activist Post

The online community has clearly stated its opposition to all government attempts doing the bidding of mega entertainment corporations, despite a massive lobbying effort by the industry. The economic concerns stated by organizations such as RIAA that have resulted in a massive number of lawsuits have also been called into question as entirely fallacious (infographic).

An extremely well-done short history of this journey that Internet controllers have embarked upon - first through anti-piracy legislation, and now cybersecurity - can be seen in a 25-minute video from AlJazeera's 'Fault Lines' posted below.

As this video reveals, both forms of oppression have very little to with the stated protections which they claim to offer, and much more to do with a concern over the free-flow of information itself.

Monsanto Award of $1 Billion Against DuPont Reveals New Dimension of Genetic Patent Wars

Joe Wright
Activist Post

The legal battle between Monsanto and farmers around the world continues unabated. On one hand, farming groups of all sizes, as well as seed businesses, are increasingly suing Monsanto for widespread genetic manipulation; and also to counter Monsanto's own vast patent infringement attacksagainst those unwitting enough to have their (even organic) crops cross-pollenated by Monsanto's GM products.

However, Monsanto exerts an overwhelming amount of pressure for perceived patent infringements, constantly suing farmers for their contamination of the farmers' own land. Aside from being a billion dollar industry with their biotechnology used in genetically engineered seeds and companion products like Roundup herbicide, they use patent infringement lawsuits to thickly line their coffers. And apparently they have the support of the legal system in doing so.

A huge verdict has come down on the side of Monsanto in the absurd amount of $1 billion to be paid by competitor DuPont. While it might seem like something to almost be happy about, since DuPont is yet another mega chemical corporation which has been implicated in damage to the environmentand human health, this potentially sets a bad precedent to be cited in future legal verdicts, thus giving Monsanto even more legal standing and power. Perhaps most ominous of all, this legal victory was granted for a product that was never even on the market, taking on a new dimension in the area of patent infringement. (Source)

Lawsuit Filed Against Monsanto and Recruiter Over U.S. Worker Exploitation Scam

Joe Wright
Activist Post

Seven Texas farm workers are alleging a wide range of crimes committed by biotech giant Monsanto. 

Courthouse News Service is reporting that lead plaintiff Jose Cardenas has filed a lawsuit against Monsanto recruiter Milo Inc. and Milo Inc.'s president, as well as Monsanto itself.

Cardenas is one of seven field workers who are attempting to show a wide-ranging exploitation scam that made promises which were later withdrawn. According to the plaintiffs:

Monsanto promised (the) seven Texas field workers and their children free housing with kitchens in Indiana, then charged them $300 a room, exposed them to pesticides and underpaid them, the men claim in Federal Court.     

The abuses also included unsanitary conditions that violated agricultural safety and health codes; among the violations, a school bus that was converted into a kitchen facility:

The workers say the bus did not have enough stoves for the number of laborers in the camp, lacked adequate sinks with hot and cold water, did not have sufficient lighting and ventilation or enough chairs and tables.

This is not the first lawsuit against Monsanto to make claims of horrific mistreatment; however, it seems to be the first lawsuit of its type filed inside the United States.

SOPA Being Reintroduced Through Creation of Copyright Commissars

Dees Illustration

Joe Wright

The battle rages on between lovers of the free Internet and a big government hellbent on controlling the only semblance of a fair and balanced media that still exists.

An onslaught of bills have been introduced worldwide which seek to criminalize the fundamental way that information is freely shared. Among the most comprehensive:

ACTA - Recently struck down by the European Parliament in a 478 to 39 vote after street protests swept across Europe. However, ACTA has already been signed in the United States. ACTA allows accusers of copyright infringement to bypass judicial review. Lack of “due process” makes these bills and ACTA unconstitutional and violates the Magna Carta, a charter signed in 1215 on which most Western law is based, including the US Constitution. (Source)

PIPA - A massive protest in January generated over 7 million petition signatures, which caused the bill to be postponed. Some of the most popular websites on the planet blackened their pages to protest the PROTECT IP Act, (S. 968), which threatens free access to information on the Web by allowing accusers to shut down an entire website - even shared platforms like Twitter, WordPress and YouTube, because of a single copyright violation. (Source)

OPEN - Darrell Issa (CA-R) and 24 co-sponsors introduced H.R. 3782. The bill claims to only target foreign websites for digital trade violations, while keeping Americans free to surf and post, but thebill's wording was wide open to pursue American sites. (Source)

CISPA - The grandaddy of cyber legislation, ushering in fascism to the Internet by giving full control to the Department of Defense and all of its satellite federal agencies and private contractors to surveil and wage cyberwar. (Source)

Resistance has been strong, but Big Brother remains motivated to move in by stealth if necessary, as evidenced by a new related bill that seeks to sneak a previously defeated piece of SOPA past an unsuspecting public.