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| "My job is to Spy on Everybody Everywhere" |
The spying/voyeurism regimen is a vile practice that has angered nations and peoples around the world, including the American People.
It has also resulted in U.S. Ambassadors (Germany, France, Mexico) being called onto the carpet to explain this heinous practice of despots, thugs, and other civility challenged people, culminating with a statement signed by dignitaries of European nations who prepared a joint statement after a meeting in Brussels on Friday:
(European Council, PDF). Some of us will remember that the first reaction of the criminally minded military NSA officials was to lie to congress and everyone else in the world about what they are doing.Annex Statement of Heads of State or Government
The Heads of State or Government discussed recent developments concerning possible intelligence issues and the deep concerns that these events have raised among European citizens.
They underlined the close relationship between Europe and the USA and the value of that partnership. They expressed their conviction that the partnership must be based on respect and trust, including as concerns the work and cooperation of secret services.
They stressed that intelligence gathering is a vital element in the fight against terrorism. This applies to relations between European countries as well as to relations with the USA. A lack of trust could prejudice the necessary cooperation in the field of intelligence gathering.
The Heads of State or Government took note of the intention of France and Germany to seek bilateral talks with the USA with the aim of finding before the end of the year an understanding on mutual relations in that field. They noted that other EU countries are welcome to join this initiative.
They also pointed to the existing Working Group between the EU and the USA on the related issue of data protection and called for rapid and constructive progress in that respect.
Their current response is to say that the media, the free press, yes, the journalists of the world should stop reporting on their illicit spy ring:
The head of the embattled National Security Agency, Gen Keith Alexander, is accusing journalists of "selling" his agency's documents and is calling for an end to the steady stream of public disclosures of secrets snatched by former contractor Edward Snowden.(Guardian, Glenn Greenwald, emphasis added). Dredd Blog has pointed out how important as well as how respected whistleblowing supported by a free press has been to Americans since the very beginning of the United States:
"I think it's wrong that that newspaper reporters have all these documents, the 50,000 – whatever they have and are selling them and giving them out as if these – you know it just doesn't make sense," Alexander said in an interview with the Defense Department's "Armed With Science" blog.
"We ought to come up with a way of stopping it. I don't know how to do that. That's more of the courts and the policy-makers but, from my perspective, it's wrong to allow this to go on," the NSA director declared.
On July 30, 1778, the Continental Congress created the first whistleblower protection law, stating “that it is the duty of all persons in the service of the United States to give the earliest information to Congress or other proper authority of any misconduct, frauds, or misdemeanors committed
by any officers or persons in the service of these states.”
(Whistleblowers According To The Early Americans). How far we have fallen, even though we have been repeatedly warned:
"If Tyranny and Oppression come to this land, it will be in the guise of fighting a foreign enemy." - James Madison(Dredd Blog Quotes Page, see Tab at top of Blog Pages). Let's all keep watching, writing about, and protesting this grave danger to our American Republic.
"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." - James Madison
“Experience has shown that even under the best forms of government those entrusted with power have, in time, and by slow operations, perverted it into tyranny.” – Thomas Jefferson
"Leave no authority existing not responsible to the people." - Thomas Jefferson
Other Dredd Blog posts that are related to this subject (A Decline Of The American Republic - 2, American Feudalism - 6, and Epigovernment: The New Model - 5).
The next post in this series is here, the previous post in this series is here.
Protests against NSA held in Washington: Link
ReplyDeleteNSA says Obama never knew of spying on Merkel (NSA denies discussing Merkel phone surveillance with Obama).
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