Did we lose our roots and rich history at DU?

[Jeffersons Ghost]

Last edited Sat Sep 7, 2013, 11:06 PM - Edit history (1)

When I began posting at Democratic Underground, the site clearly stated that its primary function was to attack George W. Bush Jr. and his oppressive tactics, which destroyed the Forth Amendment of the Constitution. Please allow me to truly introduce myself; Jeffersons Ghost (not Jefferson's Ghost - it was NOT a typo) went online not long after 9/11 to try to protect what was left of the U.S. Constitution. After I began posting here, I met writers who either inspired or formed the real Anonymous. I also met the real NSA, after conducting various online activities, which bordered on sedition.

Prior to the Bush administration, they were known as No Such Agency and their primary function was creating code for Department of Defense (DoD) groups, while cracking enemy codes. After Bush, they became known as a bunch of voyeurs, instead of an Agency created after a code fiasco called World War Two. In those first years, they were called Armed Forces Security Agency; and they only conducted intelligence for the U.S. military. Prior to Bush, I know of only limited eavesdropping on U.S. citizens by the NSA. President Ronald Reagan ordered the NSA to eavesdrop on a Congressman who was a Democrat.

Of course, during the Vietnam War, the NSA began to gather intelligence on people like Angela Davis, Jane Fonda and Bobby Seale of the Black Panthers; but they still did not conduct the type widespread eavesdropping they are now well-know for inflicting on the public. As an agency directly connected to the DoD they were forced to follow the orders of the Commander In Thief, George W. Bush Jr. even if those orders were detrimental to one of the most clandestine agencies on the planet.

Here is the difference between large scale eavesdropping ordered by Bush and Obama: In the media during the Bush administration the NSA was portrayed as bullying large telecoms into compliance with their voyeuristic plans. In the similar Obama media event, the FBI was a more than willing co-conspirator. With all their power, the NSA cannot make an arrest; but the FBI can. When will the FBI begin making arrests for all kinds of real online rip-offs and con-games?

When will the sorry-ass FBI begin to arrest groups that ask for personal information during phone calls, only to use credit card or social security numbers to rob us or even worse electronic crimes? I actually saw an FBI agent on an NBC News broadcast warn people that online groups were impersonating the FBI and locking them out of their internet access until they paid a "fine." The NSA was furnishing complete evidence to the FBI. Why didn't those screw-ups simply bust the FBI, online impersonators? I paid a tremendous personal cost for my lengthy battle with the NSA, while the founding writers who inspired Anonymous kept warning me to stop attacking the Agency. Now, all I get is dismissive comments from old enemies or totally ignored at DU. Does the lazy sorry-ass FBI have any questions?

[delrem]

1. You began posting here in '05, the beginning of GWB's 2nd term.

That's a generation or more in the past compared to today at the beginning of BHO's 2nd term.
Moreover, GWB was stuck in the 20th century whereas BHO is totally 21st. BHO is on the receiving end of exponential advances in computer hardware and software, which introduces totally new factors.

A "debate" that BHO has so far successfully eluded is that regarding regulation of the information-delivery industry. Yet this debate is critical to ideals like "freedom" and "democracy" and "justice" in this 21st century.

[Jeffersons Ghost]

3. That's true; but JG as early patriots at DU called me was posting in other places prior to this news

Bush Lets U.S. Spy on Callers Without Courts
By JAMES RISEN and ERIC LICHTBLAU
Published: December 16, 2005

The previously undisclosed decision to permit some eavesdropping inside the country without court approval was a major shift in American intelligence-gathering practices, particularly for the National Security Agency, whose mission is to spy on communications abroad. As a result, some officials familiar with the continuing operation have questioned whether the surveillance has stretched, if not crossed, constitutional limits on legal searches.

http://www.nytimes.com/2005/12/16/politics/16program.html?pagewanted=all&_r=0

I guess when I began posting here I was a harbinger of doom, unless you believe in coincidences.

[silvershadow]

5. If you looked at *my profile to get a clue as to when I began posting here, you would be mistaken.

Skinner had me make a new profile. I was here at almost the first day, despite what my profile says. (Just an aside to the conversation).

[Jeffersons Ghost]

6. I'm glad you replied, because the date my profile reflects is also wrong

And I can prove it with these questions:

Do you remember when most of us at DU were pissed off, after they Swiftboated John Kerry?

Do you remember when lots of people here at DU criticized John Kerry for not being more vigorous in demanding a recount of ballots in Florida?

Do you remember when KKKarl Rove came up with a scheme con Democrats out of voting against Bush with some stupid university study of Diebold Voting machines? The paperless voting machines were supposedly going to alter votes for Democrats into Republican votes. On election night several other DUers and I stayed up most of the night emailing people who believed the Diebold lie, while other people went from one website to another to dispel the rumor and make sure we got a decent turn-out at the polls.

I do not believe Skinner altered to date I began posting at Democratic Underground; and I don't believe the NSA took the time to alter dates on every comment or OP I wrote prior to 05.

[joshcryer]

2. I actually got that ransomeware.

Not sure how it even happened. First virus / trojan I have had since the late 90s. That ransomeware comes from countries like Russia or China, and the payment never does anything, it just takes your money.

As far as telecoms spying, Obama voted for FISA-2008 which gave telecoms retroactive immunity for illegally spying for Bush. Now they have complete and total immunity.

[Jeffersons Ghost]

4. I'm sorry to hear about the virus; they strike without any warning

Although I preach peace now, during Vietnam I was involved with aviation reconnaissance of Soviet and Chinese submarines. Recently, a friend called me and said he heard the Chinese had so many soldiers they could order them to march into the ocean for a year and they would still have troops left alive. I said, "Let's get them started marching"

[starroute]

7. Something had already begun to change with the NSA in the 90s, though

Mike McConnell served as NSA director from 1992 to 1996 and had a more expansive view of its functions than had been held earlier. Part of that change in attitude came out of the first Gulf War, when signals intelligence was of central importance and McConnell was General Colin Powell's chief intelligence officer.

According to McConnell's Wikipedia entry, "From 1992 to 1996, McConnell served as Director of the National Security Agency (NSA). He led NSA as it adapted to the multi-polar threats brought about by the end of the Cold War. Under his leadership, NSA routinely provided global intelligence and information security services to the White House, Cabinet officials, the United States Congress, and a broad array of military and civilian intelligence customers." McConnell then worked for Booz Allen Hamilton before becoming Director of National Intelligence in 2007.

It's true that the shift to domestic surveillance didn't happen until the Bush administration. But by around 1996-97, there were companies starting to explore the possibilities of data-mining, semantic analysis, and exploiting the resources of the internet. The pieces were all in place before 2001, and there were people hungry to use them. All they needed was the right excuse.

[Jeffersons Ghost]

8. With lots of groups, it's like if the NSA does it we can do it too

Attitudes at some punk websites, as they attach all kinds of tracking equipment to our browsers, appears to be if the NSA does it we can. This approach is like me watching a police car using lights and a siren to break traffic laws; and then going out and rigging my vehicle with lights and a siren before speeding through red lights all over town.