|
liberalcynic
|
read my profile
sign my guestbook
Gender: Male
Interests: Fiction or Truth is there a difference?
Expertise: There is Nothing New Under the Sun
Occupation: Engineering
Industry: Manufacturing
Message: message me
Member Since:
12/3/2003
|
|
|
1953 Iranian coup d'état
1954 Operation WASHTUB covert operation to plant a phony Soviet arms cache in Nicaragua in an effort to overthrow the democratically-elected President of Guatemala, Jacobo Arbenz Guzmán
1954 Guatemalan coup d'éta
1961 Bay of Pigs Invasion
1963 Iraq military coup d'état (unconfirmed)
1967 - 1972 Phoenix Program to capture, assasinate, and infiltrate the North Vietnamese civilian Government
1973 Chilean coup d'état
1975 Operation IA Feature a CIA operation in Angola's Civil War
1979-1989 Operation Cyclone CIA program to arm Islamic mujahideen in Afghanistan
1980's Nicaraguan Contras
1980's Battalion 316
1992 - 1995 bomb and sabotage campaign in Baghdad including both government and civilian targets | | |
| The reports describe numerous activities conducted by the CIA during the 1950s to 1970s that violated its charter. According to a briefing provided by CIA Director William Colby to the Justice Department on December 31, 1974, these included 18 issues which were of legal concern:
1. Confinement of a Russian defector, Yuri Ivanovich Nosenko, that "might be regarded as a violation of the kidnapping laws."
2. Wiretapping of two syndicated columnists, Robert Allen and Paul Scott, approved by US Attorney General Robert Kennedy and Secretary of Defense Robert McNamara
3. Physical surveillance of investigative journalist and muckraker Jack Anderson and his associates, including Les Whitten of the Washington Post and Brit Hume. Jack Anderson had written two articles on CIA-backed assassination attempts on Cuban leader Fidel Castro.
4. Physical surveillance of then-Washington Post reporter Michael Getler.
5. Break-in at the home of a former CIA employee.
6. Break-in at the office of a former defector.
7. Warrantless entry into the apartment of a former CIA employee.
8. Opening of mail to and from the Soviet Union from 1953 to 1973 (including letters associated with actress Jane Fonda)
9. Opening of mail to and from the People's Republic of China from 1969 to 1972
10. Funding of behavior modification research on unwitting U.S. citizens, including unscientific, non-consensual human experiments.
11. Assassination plots against Cuban president Fidel Castro (authorized by Robert Kennedy); Congolese leader Patrice Lumumba (killed in 1960); President Rafael Trujillo of the Dominican Republic (killed in 1961); and René Schneider, Commander-in-chief of the Chilean Army (killed in 1970).
12. Surveillance of dissident groups between 1967 and 1971
13. Surveillance of a particular Latin American female, and of U.S. citizens in Detroit.
14. Surveillance of former CIA officer and Agency critic, Victor Marchetti, author of the book, The CIA and the Cult of Intelligence, published in 1974.
15. Amassing of files on 9,900-plus Americans related to the antiwar movement
16. Polygraph experiments with the sheriff of San Mateo County, California.
17. Fake CIA identification documents that might violate state laws.
18. Testing of electronic equipment on U.S. telephone circuits.
WHO WAS WATCHING THE GOVERNMENT THEN?
WHO CLOSED THEIR EYES THEN?
ARE THEIR EYES CLOSED TODAY? | | |
|  | | |
| This is one of the most profound quotes I have read in sometime:
"We associate truth with convienence, with what mostly accords with self-interest and personal well-being or promises best to avoid awkward effort or unwelcome dislocation of life. We also find highly acceptable what contributes most to self-esteem."
Human behaviors "are complex, and to comprehend their character is mentally tiring. Therefore we adhere, as though to a raft, to those ideas which represent our understanding."
The definition of 'conventional wisdom' by the one that coined the term; John Kenneth Galbraith.
Here's just one more:
"The modern conservative is engaged in one of man's oldest exercises in moral philosophy; that is, the search for a superior moral justification for selfishness." | | |
|  | Currently Watching
Romy and Michele's High School Reunion
By Mira Sorvino, Lisa Kudrow, Janeane Garofalo, Alan Cumming, Julia Campbell, Mia Cottet, Kristin Bauer, Elaine Hendrix, Vincent Ventresca, Camryn Manheim, Justin Theroux, Jacob Vargas, Tami-Adrian George, Neil Dickson, E.J. Callahan, Kathy Long, Betsy Folsom, Zack Phifer, Ricky Paull Goldin, Robb Skyler
see related |
In the mail back in July I recieved a card:
St Joseph High School (Homecoming tailgate party and game) Friday, September 15, 2006
Seeing how I have not returnd to my alma mater since graduation, nor have I talked to anyone from highschool in 20 years I thought it would be interesting to go and see who was there.
After all in I have been married for 22 years and both of my kids have grown up and graduated high school themselves so I thought maybe it was time to go back. I also had a strange feeling like I wanted to reconect with my past - in the sense of reconnecting with who I am, where I came from. All very deep and meaningful I am sure.
So I go see no one. The Class of 1976 did actually have a gathering, everytime I ran into one of them I was able to direct them to their group, and they invited me to join with them. I of course politely declined and wandered around the stadium.
The SJHS Bears received the kick off and the game was underway. The Bears struggled to one first down and then had to punt. The Mattawan drive quickly took them to the 20 yard line however the Bears defence proved to be able to read evey play they tried and pushed them back so far it was 4th down and 20.
The resulting field goal attempt was no good and the Bears regain control of the ball, this time the offense was not able to move the ball a single yard (probably should have left the defense in as they were able to move the ball)
The Bears offensive line crummbled and the punt was blocked. Mattawan immediately throws a touchdown pass and it's 7-0. By half time it had become 21 - 0.
This is when I decide to return home to find this on the internet:
2006 - 25th Reunion Cancelled
Because of low expected turnout and timing issues, we have cancelled the 25th Reunion Celebration. We plan to get together for our 30th, so please, everyone, mark your calendars for 2011!!!!!!!! We apologize for any inconvenience.
Thank you,
This expierence just even more solidifies one postulate and one personal corollary of Life:
1. You can never go back home.
2. I have no place to call my home town.
When I was a kid (from age 5 yrs to 10 yrs) I lived in Australia, some times I think of that as home and have longed to return there. Now I wonder if I would enjoy or even like returning, I have no connection to any person that lives in Australia and I would have to make entirely new friends there. Yet somehow I do feel that I connected to Australia. Is it a child's idealised memory of Australian culture or is it possible to be connected to the geography?
p.s. 2011? I really do not think that is going to happen. Of course if Ethan is free and will fly me in by helicopter I might just go for the 'Romy and Michele' scene. | | |
|
