On The Origin of Security - 2

General In Charge of "Your" Private Data

When is the military not subject to civilian government?

When it comes to your private data is one answer in at least one case.

I have, in the past few days, had disputes with fellow bloggers in the vast blogosphere  concerning the nature of the NSA ... the one that is recently gobbling up all of your private data as fast as it can (A Tale of Coup Cities - 4) cheered on by the royals of Stalingrad (The Queens of Stalingrad, The Queens of Stalingrad - 2).

My contention is that the NSA is a military operation as pointed out by two lawsuits against the military for violating the civil rights of hundreds of millions of American citizens (ACLU vs. Clapper, Alexander, Hagel, Holder, and Mueller).

Our old friend reality seems to back up my contention:

In accordance with Department of Defense Directive 5100.20, dated December 23, 1971, the Director of the NSA must always be a commissioned officer of the military services. Because the assignment is currently part of a tri-hatted position, the Director of the NSA is appointed to the grade of a four-star general or admiral during the period of his incumbency. The Deputy Director is always a technically experienced civilian.

The current director is General Keith B. Alexander, USA.

(Wikipedia, NSA, emphasis added). The military decides this, not the congress not the president, and not the courts.

That directive is interesting:

A. Subject to the provisions of NSCID No. 6, and the National Security Act of 1947, as amended, and pursuant to the authorities vested in the Secretary of Defense, the National Security Agency is a separately organized agency within the Department of Defense under the direction, supervision, funding, maintenance and operation of the Secretary of Defense.
...
F. The Director and Deputy Director of the National Security Agency shall be designated by the Secretary of Defense, subject to the approval of the President. The Director shall be a commissioned officer of the military Services, on active or reactivated status, and shall enjoy not less than three star rank during the period of his incumbency.

G. The Director, National Security Agency/ Chief, Central Security Service shall report to the Secretary of Defense.

(DODD 5100.20, emphasis added). Thus, it is clear that hundreds of millions of Americans did not and perhaps still do not understand that the military is spying on them every day of their lives.

It seems clear that Dredd Blog was not being extreme by asking:

Will The Military Become The Police - 3

Will The Military Become The Police? - 2

Will The Military Become The Police?

Especially in light of their declaration that they may have to take military action within the United States if the people don't like the economic austerity:

A new report by the U.S. Army War College talks about the possibility of Pentagon resources and troops being used should the economic crisis lead to civil unrest, such as protests against businesses and government or runs on beleaguered banks.

“Widespread civil violence inside the United States would force the defense establishment to reorient priorities in extremis to defend basic domestic order and human security,” said the War College report.

The study says economic collapse, terrorism and loss of legal order are among possible domestic shocks that might require military action within the U.S.

(Why Is The Government Conditioning Us To Austerity?, quoting newspaper). The military can use private data to determine enough things about us to do what J. Edgar Hoover used to do.

That is, Hoover used data to intimidate officials, including presidents (The Queens of Stalingrad - 2).

The military can use it against us like Hoover did, as if we were enemies of our own freedoms, when in fact it is they who are the grave danger to freedoms:

Of all the enemies to public liberty war is, perhaps, the most to be dreaded, because it comprises and develops the germ of every other. War is the parent of armies; from these proceed debts and taxes; and armies, and debts, and taxes are the known instruments for bringing the many under the domination of the few. In war, too, the discretionary power of the Executive is extended; its influence in dealing out offices, honors, and emoluments is multiplied: and all the means of seducing the minds, are added to those of subduing the force, of the people. The same malignant aspect in republicanism may be traced in the inequality of fortunes, and the opportunities of fraud, growing out of a state of war, and in the degeneracy of manners and of morals, engendered by both. No nation could preserve its freedom in the midst of continual warfare. Those truths are well established.

(The Greatest Source Of Power Toxins?, quoting President Madison). Madison should know, he wrote the Bill of Rights to our Constitution.

A congressman has been quoted as saying:

The National Security Agency has acknowledged in a new classified briefing that it does not need court authorization to listen to domestic phone calls.

Rep. Jerrold Nadler, a New York Democrat, disclosed this week that during a secret briefing to members of Congress, he was told that the contents of a phone call could be accessed “simply based on an analyst deciding that.”

If the NSA wants “to listen to the phone,” an analyst’s decision is sufficient, without any other legal authorization required, Nadler said he learned. “I was rather startled,” said Nadler, an attorney and congressman who serves on the House Judiciary committee.

(CNET). This is in accord with Echelon and other public statements.

The next post in this series is here, the previous post in this series is here.

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The following whistleblower video is by Russell D. Tice, who had a 20 year intelligence career:

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