It is a fact that political websites critical of this administration

[bobthedrummer]

have been targeted, monitored, data-mined and have been major battlefields in what is called "the war on terror", information warfare, national security, whatever you call it (regardless of the disputes about technical capabilities and laws).

The squabbling over various techniques, tactics, identities of operative groups and individuals, as well as a host of related subjects is designed to produce desired results like the disruption and elimination of organized opposition to system maintenance, growth and dominance.

To imagine, wish or deny that political websites aren't active with all kinds of stratagems and programs is naive at best. In intelligence work they were called open sources.

The acceptance of a trial period of Google ads to help support this wonderful political website, and open source, is part of what the Administration does-and I appreciate their asking for feedback about it.

I am convinced that decision will not alter the fact that the Internet, especially the political websites and their memberships, have long been data-mined and monitored-since the Internet is an acknowledged battleground in the George W. Bush administration's "war on terror".

Whether you have a similar viewpoint or not your comments are welcomed.

[Cessna Invesco Palin]

1. Uh, this is a public forum.

Anyone can read it for any reason.

[Cerridwen]

3. Data mining isn't just post content...

It's also about checking to see the IP number from which I/you/we post and tracking said IP number to the internet provider who has, related to said IP number, the websites you visit (actually, it's the websites your computer visits but it's under your name) the poster's information registered with IP provider, i.e., name, address, phone number, email address(es), billing information (which will include bank account numbers if you pay online or by check) which can/may be linked to purchasing trends as seen in your account as well as your ss# which both lead to your credit report and credit history, your medical history, tax history, criminal history, driving history, educational background, and so on and so forth.

A good researcher/detective with decent technical skills and access to public records could find out much of your life history.

[bobthedrummer]

5. Yep. Potentially everything becomes politicized, it is also marketed.

It can be shared, for any purpose-by criminals, even criminals using the national security/law enforcement shield as a cover.

[Cessna Invesco Palin]

6. Why single out political forums?

The technology necessary to derive your IP address from a DU post would also by necessity be able to track every other non-secure data transaction on the internet. I don't doubt that they're either doing or trying to do this, but I think it's important to differentiate between examining content posted on a public forum and spying on private communications.

[Cerridwen]

11. I'm not sure it's only political forums, nor was I saying such.

I was just trying to make note that if one wanted to, one could track many things from one post.

[bobthedrummer]

14. self-deleted:post was out of thread order

[sendero]

12. Don't you see?

The way Bush sees it is if you are against his delusional policies you are against America!

Yes, everything coming out of his mouth and his administration's every action reinforces this point.

[sendero]

10. I agree...

... anyone who thinks they are posting anonymously here is pretty naive IMHO. Given all the stuff we know they are up to, sniffing the IP and once you have that, getting everything is not a stretch.

[bobthedrummer]

4. Some have gone beyond mere reading. That is my main point.

For example Rumsfeld's Pentagon, the NSA, law enforcement and many "privatized" groups.

[Cerridwen]

9. I understand...and I agree...I was pointing out that post content

is not the be all and end all of data mining to another poster.

[babylonsister]

2. I agree. I'm here and am convinced it's already happening

to DU members. I'm exercising my right to free speech and until someone tells me that's no longer a right, I'll keep on keeping on, with thanks to DU admins, mods, and all the lovely people here.

[acmejack]

I think they are active in influencing content.

There are certain posters that I have to believe are agents for certain organizations. They only post in response to a post on certain subject matter and then they are formidable defenders.

[bobthedrummer]

13. Agreed, valid observation.

You may remember a discussion earlier this year about some of the more general techniques and strategy available and used by the George W. Bush administration-imo the methodology described has been here at DU, as well as at other political websites.
http://www.democraticunderground.com/discuss/duboard.php?az=view_all&address=364x71919#top

[alfredo]

7. Everybody is an enemy or a potential enemy. A dictator (decider)

has no allies.

[Toucano]

8. Don't we want the spooks to pay attention?

I'm missing the big problem with them knowing what I think.

Snooping on private conversations is one thing, but what is the problem with monitoring a public forum?

Everything I say on DU I'd say on a street corner. If I didn't want people to know my thoughs on things, I wouldn't post.

[bobthedrummer]

15. As has been noted-personal information from ISP is then available.

My point is that personal information, like everything else, is often politicized-and the means by which it was gathered were often illegal to begin with.

[Cerridwen]

16. Here is at least part of the problem...

Bush-hatred a threat to national security
Morton Kondracke
05/23/2006 12:00:00 AM PDT

ENOUGH already! It's harmful enough that ideological conflict and partisan politics are preventing this country from solving its long-term challenges on health care, fiscal policy and energy. Now it's threatening our national survival.

I do not exaggerate. Bush-hatred has reached such intensity that CIA officers and other bureaucrats are leaking major secrets about anti-terrorism policy and communications intelligence that undermine our ability to fight Islamic extremism.

Would newspapers in the midst of World War II have printed the fact that the United States had broken German and Japanese codes, enabling the enemy to secure its communications? Or revealed how and where Nazi spies were being interrogated? Nowadays, newspapers win Pulitzer Prizes for such disclosures. In Congress and in much of the media, the immediate reaction to news that the National Security Agency was intercepting international terrorist communications was not to say, "Good work - and how can we help?" Rather, it was to scream about a "domestic spying" scandal, as though Richard Nixon were back in the White House and tapping the telephone of Democratic National Committee Chairman Howard Dean.

~snip~

http://www.pasadenastarnews.com/opinions/ci_3853550

from this link:http://www.democraticunderground.com/discuss/duboard.php?az=show_mesg&forum=132&topic_id=2645362&mesg_id=2645362


Now, here's the scenario about which many here are concerned; * hatred is rather prevalent on this board (and others, I'm staying "local" for now)...* hatred = threat to national security...how has this regime handled their concerns with national security?...how does this regime handle dissent?...what would they do if they had information on people who had posted content which = * hatred?...they have your tax records, credit history, ss#, employment history, medical history, etc...what might they be tempted to do with it?