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‘Panic made us vulnerable’: how 9/11 made the US surveillance state – and the Americans who fought back
Guardian ^ | 4 Sep 2021 | Ed Pilkington

Posted on 09/05/2021 9:00:09 AM PDT by george76

It took Edward Snowden and other whistleblowers to reveal the staggering extent of the government’s spying on its own people as institutional checks failed..

...

Panic made us politically vulnerable... That vulnerability was exploited by our own government to entitle itself to radically expanded powers that had for decades been out of reach.

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The Patriot Act, which swatted away longstanding rules preventing the state from monitoring US citizens without “probable cause”, was passed .. lightning-fast ... granting domestic law enforcement agencies sweeping new powers.

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green light for the FBI and CIA to carry out “roving wiretaps” where agents could follow communications trails between phones and computers.

It eviscerated the firewall .. greatly boosted the power of the FBI to obtain personal customer records of Americans from phone companies, banks and internet providers without court approval

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Total information awareness was the brainchild of John Poindexter, a disgraced former naval officer

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No warrants would be sought. They would just do it, irrespective of laws or constitutional niceties.

“We must put introduction of new technology on a wartime basis,” Poindexter said. Weeks later he managed to sell the idea to the Pentagon in return for a $200m budget.

The NSA wasn’t far behind. The agency was busy devising Stellar Wind, its warrantless surveillance system

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NSA, Michael Hayden, had taken a “tactical decision” to begin snooping on the digital communications of people based in the US. From now on, the NSA granted itself the power to surveil any American on US soil .. – no warrant needed.

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“They essentially claimed wartime authority to engage in domestic surveillance that is criminal under statutory law ...

..

They had it all ready.. This is what the NSA had long wanted

...

are we still in the dark?

(Excerpt) Read more at theguardian.com ...


TOPICS: Crime/Corruption; Government; News/Current Events; Politics/Elections; US: New York
KEYWORDS: 911; bananarepublic; cia; deepstate; edwardsnowden; fbi; freedom; hayden; mask; maskorders; michaelhayden; nsa; orders; patriot; patriotact; pentagon; poindexter; policestate; probablecause; rovingwiretaps; snowden; spying; stellarwind; surveillance; surveillancestate; tsa; tyranny; vaccine; vaccineorders; wiretaps
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1 posted on 09/05/2021 9:00:09 AM PDT by george76
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To: george76

911 was a false flag to accomplish many objectives:

Give a reason for a “permanent war” in Afghanistan, for the CIA to conduct illicit operations.

Foment fear in the American public discourse.

Create the TSA.

Prevent, once again, implementation of NESARA.


2 posted on 09/05/2021 9:03:36 AM PDT by C210N (Everything will be okay in the end. If it’s not okay, it’s not the end.)
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To: george76

Bullshit.

I don’t remember voting for cameras on every street corner.


3 posted on 09/05/2021 9:05:10 AM PDT by Eddie01
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To: george76

At least the Guardian made honorable mention of one of those HEROES: William “Bill” Binney. But ignorance is bliss. /s

Anyone who hasn’t seen the documentary or read the story of him hasn’t got a clue as to the truth behind 9/11.

NOT A CLUE.

“A Good American”
https://agoodamerican.org/preview


4 posted on 09/05/2021 9:05:35 AM PDT by logi_cal869 (-cynicus the "concern troll" a/o 10/03/2018 /!i!! &@$%&*(@ -)
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To: george76
Panic made us politically vulnerable

I look at my statist/leftist relatives and acquaintances, and they are in a panic about many things - covid, the unvaccinated, terrorism, Trump, racism, feminism - you name it.

They are like dogs who the deep state and media have in a constant state of agitation and anxiety.

5 posted on 09/05/2021 9:05:52 AM PDT by PGR88
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To: C210N

See my #4. Seems like you’re already keen to it...


6 posted on 09/05/2021 9:06:35 AM PDT by logi_cal869 (-cynicus the "concern troll" a/o 10/03/2018 /!i!! &@$%&*(@ -)
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To: PGR88

Rahm Emanuel: Never let a crisis go to waste


7 posted on 09/05/2021 9:10:03 AM PDT by george76 (Ward Churchill : Fake Indian, Fake Scholarship, and Fake Art)
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To: george76

Never let a crisis go to waste....and every federal agency miked this one to the hilt. Too much information, too much to consider and digest; now everyone is the suspect and no way to fight back. The deep state is deeper than anyone realizes. Edward Snowden blew it all open. Only down hill from here if nothing changes.


8 posted on 09/05/2021 9:10:23 AM PDT by Fungi
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To: george76

9/11 was horrible. Let us honor the heroes of that day.

Then let us honor the heroes of that day by striving to get freedom back taken away after 9/11.

In Oregon two ranchers got a five year mandatory sentence for “terrorism” because they lit a fire to protect their land that ended up burning some federal land.

The mandatory sentence enshrined in law.

The plight of Dwight and Steven Hammond brought to the world’s attention by Ammon Bundy in 2016 (found ‘not guilty’ for what he did by a jury).

President Trump pardoned the two men in July 2018.

Reverse that unjust terrorism law and other unjust police state draconian laws and policies adopted post 9/11.


9 posted on 09/05/2021 9:11:03 AM PDT by Nextrush (FREEDOM IS EVERYBODYS BUSINESS, REMEMBER PASTOR NIEMOLLER)
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To: Fungi

They are out right now targeting opponents of mask orders and vaccine orders, supporters of Trump etc. etc.

People opposing COVID policies are spies.

The Oath Keepers ranks, the Proud Boys and so on filled with FBI informants and or undercover assets.


10 posted on 09/05/2021 9:14:43 AM PDT by Nextrush (FREEDOM IS EVERYBODYS BUSINESS, REMEMBER PASTOR NIEMOLLER)
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To: C210N

9/11 ended the United States of America, regardless of how the act was brought about.


11 posted on 09/05/2021 9:21:55 AM PDT by Mr. Jeeves ([CTRL]-[GALT]-[DELETE])
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To: C210N
911 was a false flag to accomplish many objectives:

Give a reason for a “permanent war” in Afghanistan, for the CIA to conduct illicit operations.

Foment fear in the American public discourse.

Create the TSA.

Never let a crisis go to waste!

12 posted on 09/05/2021 9:22:54 AM PDT by immadashell (New Planned Parenthood slogan: Black Babies’ Lives Don't Matter!c)
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To: Mr. Jeeves

The sovereign United States of America and its Organic Constitution ended well before 9/11.

The Great Awakening is all about its restoration.


13 posted on 09/05/2021 9:28:47 AM PDT by C210N (Everything will be okay in the end. If it’s not okay, it’s not the end.)
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To: logi_cal869
Seems like you’re already keen to it...

Thanks for your post about Binney.

FYI, if you have not yet seen it (about a minute):

911 bush school kite plane must hit steel

14 posted on 09/05/2021 9:30:36 AM PDT by C210N (Everything will be okay in the end. If it’s not okay, it’s not the end.)
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To: george76

9/11 didn’t make the US a surveillance state. Politicians, notably GWBush, used the terror attack as an excuse to move the US closer to being a surveillance state. The “Patriot Act” was given a nice sounding name, but it took away our rights, and did nothing to stop bearded savages from bombing us.

We got to take off our shoes in airports, but it didn’t stop savages from coming into the country.


15 posted on 09/05/2021 9:33:41 AM PDT by I want the USA back (Trump: Make America Great Again. biden: Make Taliban Great Again. (Click on my user name))
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To: C210N

I’d never heard the audio of that clip. Holy cow.


16 posted on 09/05/2021 9:36:04 AM PDT by logi_cal869 (-cynicus the "concern troll" a/o 10/03/2018 /!i!! &@$%&*(@ -)
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To: C210N

The terrorist attacks of 911 were a false flag operation? You don’t believe that Muslim extremists hijacked planes and crashed them into the World Trade Center and the Pentagon? Is that what you meant?


17 posted on 09/05/2021 9:37:59 AM PDT by SoCal Pubbie
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To: logi_cal869
I used to be a supporter. Once you know, you can never view GWB the same ever again.


18 posted on 09/05/2021 9:39:05 AM PDT by C210N (Everything will be okay in the end. If it’s not okay, it’s not the end.)
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To: SoCal Pubbie

You believe the MSM? You believe the government? Is that what you mean?


19 posted on 09/05/2021 9:40:20 AM PDT by C210N (Everything will be okay in the end. If it’s not okay, it’s not the end.)
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To: C210N

Snowden is a hero. For those NSA, CIA and FBI types who monitor this site, grow a set. Disclose what the evil ones are doing and save your country.


20 posted on 09/05/2021 9:42:01 AM PDT by RBW in PA
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