sundance X/Tweet – Essentially the worst elements of the IC were always present within the deep parts of the apparatus (the “dark arts” parts where the Dick Cheney’s and John Brennan hung out together). However, they were present, but they were not in operational control.
After 9/11, post Patriot Act, the ranks of the IC bad actors began to swell, as the anger amid the general nation seemed to permit it.
Then a big inflection point. Obama was elected.
Obama’s team saw the opening to exploit, which was created by the newly formed Dept of Homeland Security and Office of the Director of National Intel.
Obama, now with Brennan (CIA) and Holder (DOJ), then used the preexisting IC weapons to turn the system internally. The weaponization and surveillance system began targeting operations inside the USA. The targets were then defined as Obama’s ideological enemies (see DOJ/IRS targeting of Tea Party or Patriot groups).
The IC became a domestic targeting operation, with full surveillance power under the auspices of “national security.” That’s the current system we now see.
The FBI was always political, the new IC system made that exponentially worse. The DOJ National Security Division was created, which then weaponized Main Justice. We see this now.
DHS was used to conduct surveillance operations. Thus, social media companies were recruited by DHS for enhanced targeting operations along with speech control, censorship via Google, Facebook, Insta., Twitter etc.
With control over communication and information, the domestic weaponization got worse and worse. Now the DHS weaponizing systems are like HAL-9000, almost virtually self-aware and autonomous. Artificial Intelligence has made this surveillance capture speed even worse.
As with all institutions created by government, the DHS priority now includes self-preservation.
Obama holds influence in the dynamic of the people within the political silos, fellow ideologues. However, the IC no longer has any restraints, controls or bosses.
The IC function is now a weaponized system, with full surveillance power, that can target any threat, ANY THREAT, including the politicians who empowered and created it. That’s why the politicians are scared of it.