If We Told You how Much of Your Money We're Using to Spy on You...

[acptulsa]

...we'd have to shoot you.

https://www.rollingstone.com/politics/politics-features/secret-government-spending-779959/


October 4th, 2018, was a busy news day. The fight over Brett Kavanuagh’s Supreme Court nomination dominated the cycle. The Trump White House received a supplemental FBI report it said cleared its would-be nominee of wrongdoing. Retired Justice John Paul Stevens meanwhile said Kavanaugh was compromised enough that he was “unable to sit as a judge.”

#NationalTacoDay trended on Twitter. Chris Evans told the world production wrapped on Avengers 4.

The only thing that did not make the news was an announcement by a little-known government body called the Federal Accounting Standards Advisory Board — FASAB — that essentially legalized secret national security spending. The new guidance, “SFFAS 56 – CLASSIFIED ACTIVITIES” permits government agencies to “modify” public financial statements and move expenditures from one line item to another. It also expressly allows federal agencies to refrain from telling taxpayers if and when public financial statements have been altered.

To Michigan State professor Mark Skidmore, who’s been studying discrepancies in defense expenditures for years, the new ruling *— and the lack of public response to it — was a shock.

“From this point forward,” he says, “the federal government will keep two sets of books, one modified book for the public and one true book that is hidden.”

Steven Aftergood of the Federation of American Scientists’ Project on Government Secrecy was one of the few people across the country to pay attention to the FASAB news release. He was alarmed.

“It diminishes the credibility of all public budget documents,” he says.

I spent weeks trying to find a more harmless explanation for SFFAS 56, or at least one that did not amount to a rule that allows federal officials to fake public financial reports.

I couldn’t find one. This new accounting guideline really does mean what it appears to mean, and the details are more bizarre than the broad strokes.

The FASAB ruling adds a new and confusing wrinkle to what little we know about levels of spending in the intelligence community. Officially, the fiscal year 2019 appropriation is $81.1 billion, which breaks down to $59.9 billion for the National Intelligence Program, along with $21.2 billion for the Military Intelligence Program.

This made a few headlines, as Trump’s “black budget” request was described as the largest in history. However, as Aftergood notes, even the high FY ‘19 numbers do not include spending for “classified DoD operations and procurement.” Add now the possibility of future “modifications,” and the real answer for how big a share of national spending belongs to the intelligence community is probably “God only knows.”

Given that the intelligence budget number the government admits to is already larger than the annual defense budgets of all but two countries on earth (our own and China’s), it seems natural to ask: what are we getting ourselves into?

[TheCount]

The "shut down" government launched a new spy satellite yesterday.

[NorthCarolinaLiberty]

The "shut down" government launched a new spy satellite yesterday.


So you were quiet when your voting choice of Obama did the spying. You had nothing good to say about Snowden, did you?

But NOW it's a problem. Yay, blue team!

[NorthCarolinaLiberty]

Well anyway, spying is a dumbass activity of self-importance. People get turned in not due to spying, but because they're ratted out on Fedbook. Or thru paid informants.




2014: The federal government gave 500 billion in reward money to snitches.

Confidential informants received millions. One informant got almost thirty million dollars from one government fund.
They are paid from the federal asset forfeiture program. That recently 4.5 BILLION dollars from people never convicted of crimes. A person has to prove his innocence to retrieve his confiscated money/property.

Here's a Pittsburgh Post Gazette article on paying informants:

"Federal agencies' payments to confidential informants increase"
http://www.post-gazette.com/news/nation/...







And here is what the FBI has said about informants:



"However, use of informants to assist in the investigation of criminal activity may involve an element of deception, intrusion into the privacy of individuals, or cooperation with persons whose reliability and motivation may be open to question."

https://www.fbi.gov/about-us/faqs

[acptulsa]

Well anyway, spying is a dumbass activity of self-importance. People get turned in not due to spying, but because they're ratted out on Fedbook. Or thru paid informants.

When did spying stop including the use of informants?


No, he never answered me in that thread. And he won't answer here.

The answer is, liberals, libertarians, conservatives, and pretty much everyone but partisan shills consider it too important a topic to derail with brainless party sniping.

[NorthCarolinaLiberty]

If you're going to deny saying what you said, you could at least go edit the post where you said it first.


Using paid informants is not the same as some technology that randomly taps your phone.

[Stratovarious]

What I was saying was TheCount contributed to this thread--the only person to do so thus far.



Damn it! How did I miss the gravy train?

So, the government is paying everyone here to jack with me. Whose bright idea was that?



Spying is spying is spying.

And in a completely random, unrelated observation, stupid is stupid is stupid.

I think all of us agree somewhat that NSA should be defunded, I'd like to see the
defunding and end come for;
NSA
TSA
DHS
FBI
ATF
We have way too many layers and redundancies, hll they don't even like to
communicate and share info, might be changing lately but we still do not
need agencies spying on us and the redundancy and overhead.

[NorthCarolinaLiberty]

Spying is spying is spying.



Yes, I know the definition of spying. I'm saying that people are wowed with all this technology. They claim we need it on a practical level because it works. I am saying it does not work. Randomness doesn't work. You don't get up, work for an hour, go back home and take a shower, go back to work for an hour, go back home to eat, etc. etc. There is a pattern and rhythm to life and the randomness of spying does not work.

That is why I made the comment about snitches being the main and almost sole reason people get turned in.

Turn off the imbecilic tee vee already.

[acptulsa]

I think all of us agree somewhat that NSA should be defunded, I'd like to see the
defunding and end come for;
NSA
TSA
DHS
FBI
ATF
We have way too many layers and redundancies, hll they don't even like to
communicate and share info, might be changing lately but we still do not
need agencies spying on us and the redundancy and overhead.

While I agree completely, sometimes I feel grateful for the redundancy--and the interservice rivalries that go with it.

[Origanalist]

Yes, I know the definition of spying. I'm saying that people are wowed with all this technology. They claim we need it on a practical level because it works. I am saying it does not work. Randomness doesn't work. You don't get up, work for an hour, go back home and take a shower, go back to work for an hour, go back home to eat, etc. etc. There is a pattern and rhythm to life and the randomness of spying does not work.

That is why I made the comment about snitches being the main and almost sole reason people get turned in.

Turn off the imbecilic tee vee already.

So, are you saying government spying on it's citizens is of no consequence? Nothing to see here?

[NorthCarolinaLiberty]

So, are you saying government spying on it's citizens is of no consequence? Nothing to see here?

Of course it's of consequence. Money is being wasted on privacy intrusion. The people who defend this attempting to use practical arguments that it works don't have a leg to stand on.

Everyone is familiar with surveillance cameras, but how many are familiar with asset forfeiture that funds informants?

[TheCount]

Well anyway, spying is a dumbass activity of self-importance. People get turned in not due to spying, but because they're ratted out on Fedbook. Or thru paid informants.

What you're describing is parallel construction (https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Parallel_construction).

[Swordsmyth]

Or perhaps the threadjackers approve of the government defeating accountability by hiding its accounting.
http://www.ronpaulforums.com/images/icons/icon4.png Taibbi: Has The Government Legalized Secret Defense Spending? (http://www.ronpaulforums.com/showthread.php?530481-Taibbi-Has-The-Government-Legalized-Secret-Defense-Spending) Started by Swordsmyth (http://www.ronpaulforums.com/member.php?65299-Swordsmyth), 01-18-2019

[NorthCarolinaLiberty]

I really don't know what you do about all this in the long run. All of this seems too abstract. Okay, the government is spying. What are you going to do about it?

This is not exactly the same thing, but I say drill down to the details. If someone is messing with you, then you have to get down to the nitty gritty. If you can fuck their ass up good, then do it.. This website called TheNewspaper.com reports on all the cases of citizens destroying these cameras with ball bats, paint, etc. The only downside is that you, the taxpayer, just pay more. It's not like torching an individual's house, but the I think the response is measured. Hopefully, it sends some kind of message. I don't know.

Here's the thread I made about people destroying cameras in Europe and Australia. There's even a few cases in the United States.


http://www.ronpaulforums.com/showthread.php?508496-European-citizens-destroy-and-disable-traffic-camera-tickets

[DamianTV]

I hope that in another 10 years time, we have the Freedom to actually debate on our perceived differences. We are all of us victims of the Criminal Elite that want nothing more to enslave and pretty much destroy the best parts of humanity. Look no further than how we fight amongst ourselves. Politics isnt going to resolve anything, and the only people I am absolutely against are people that openly advocate for the Weaponized Money. You all know of whom I speak.

Some of the inflammatory posts Ive made, Ive done my best to make sure that its known they are Devils Advocate posts, thus challenging winning ideas to see how well people can handle them, but not because I believe them. Religion wont save us. The Democrats wont save us. The Reublicans wont save us. Immigrants wont save us. More Debt wont save us. The Russians wont save us. GOD himself will not save us. The only thing we can do is work TOGETHER and recognize the real threats to Freedom and Liberty, despite our differences. I think it is only when we take the Moral High Road, and flat out defend our Right to be different unto each other, despite our many differences that we all sometimes respond to with strong emotions that we have a chance of overcoming the manipulative group of a few dominant men. Let me remind you all that those dominant men WANT YOU FIGHTING WITH EACH OTHER.

I dont agree with anyone here on 100% at all times, and it is NOT my goal. Never has been as it is a fools goal. What DOES work is to flat out protect peoples beliefs, be them right or wrong, and instead of saying "your wrong" take that Moral High Road and simply offer better ways. Does that persons idea work? For them, it may be the best idea, but for someone else, not as well. Should I tell them they are wrong? Thats something I hope people are wise enough to evaluate different ideas, and see if there is an idea that works better than the currently held belief. We waste time saying "youre wrong" or "youre a Troll". Take the Moral High Road, be the better man, lead by example, and let us follow better ideas than holding on to good ideas that have flaws. Im redefining myself constantly. Are you all?

Back on topic.

This is why being Spied upon is so destructive. And it is playing out exactly as it is intended to do in this thread on this page. Ending Privacy allows those who have access to data on you to create Bubbles around you. These Bubbles keeps the mind trapped by reinforcing with currently held beliefs. At the same time, what is absolutely important is kept away from you on the outside of your personalized Bubble. Amazon is a good example. Amazon also traps both the consumer and the producer in different kinds of Bubbles. Consumers on the inside of the Amazon Bubble are unaware of retailers and producers outside of Amazons Bubble. Retailers and Producers that dont allow themselves to be controlled by Amazon are kept away from all the people inside the Amazon Bubble. Amazon has effectively become the Market by building these Bubbles around people. Youre either on the inside of the Bubble, or on the outside, and its getting more and more expensive to remain on the outside of the Bubble. Reinforcing each individuals ideas back to themselves keeps them very effectively distracted.

Imagine I have access to that data. You come along and tell me about your view of God. I feed back to you a bunch of words that reinforce your already existing beliefs. No arguing, no challenging ideas, nothing to cause you to think outside the box. Then another guy comes along and tells me they dont believe in God. Instead of telling them about how God exists, I tell them only what they want to hear. I tell different things to different people in order to create a false sense of Trust. Both of you have been manipulated and cornered into giving me more of your data and money. Your Privacy enables me to control you. If I am a govt, then I bias your Political views, always to my advantage. If I am a School, then I tell you what to think but never how to think. If I am an Advertiser, I show you what you want to see so you give my clients your money. If I am in Health Insurance, I decide whether or not to pay for your treatments or how much money to charge you. If I am your Church, then I tell you that your morality comes from those who control the words of your God. You give me all your thoughts, including your most private and intimate thoughts, and feed those ideas right back to you, pulling your attention away from what is really important: Your individuality, your Family, and your closest friends. I would have the power to tell you who to be, who to love, who to hate, what to be afraid of, and keep you helplessly dependent on me for every thought that you have the ability to do so without me.

And right there, it has been said. You have been told who to hate. You are told repeatedly to hate those that are not like you, and keep your focus away from those who truly intend to cause you ultimate harm. The people, even here on this Forum are the people you keep getting told to hate because they are different than you, and told to do nothing by being told nothing about the people who have destroyed your future.