Thursday, November 20, 2008

MIND CONTROL WITH SILENT SOUNDS



By Judy Wall

The mind-altering mechanism is based on a subliminal carrier technology: the Silent Sound Spread Spectrum (SSSS), sometimes called "S-quad" or "Squad". It was developed by Dr Oliver Lowery of Norcross, Georgia, and is described in US Patent #5,159,703, "Silent Subliminal Presentation System", dated October 27, 1992. The abstract for the patent reads:

"A silent communications system in which nonaural carriers, in the very low or very high audio-frequency range or in the adjacent ultrasonic frequency spectrum are amplitude- or frequency-modulated with the desired intelligence and propagated acoustically or vibrationally, for inducement into the brain, typically through the use of loudspeakers, earphones, or piezoelectric transducers. The modulated carriers may be transmitted directly in real time or may be conveniently recorded and stored on mechanical, magnetic, or optical media for delayed or repeated transmission to the listener."

According to literature by Silent Sounds, Inc., it is now possible, using supercomputers, to analyse human emotional EEG patterns and replicate them, then store these "emotion signature clusters" on another computer and, at will, "silently induce and change the emotional state in a human being".

Silent Sounds, Inc. states that it is interested only in positive emotions, but the military is not so limited. That this is a US Department of Defense project is obvious.

Edward Tilton, President of Silent Sounds, Inc., says this about S-quad in a letter dated December 13, 1996:

"All schematics, however, have been classified by the US Government and we are not allowed to reveal the exact details... ... we make tapes and CDs for the German Government, even the former Soviet Union countries! All with the permission of the US State Department, of course... The system was used throughout Operation Desert Storm (Iraq) quite successfully."

The graphic illustration, "Induced Alpha to Theta Biofeedback Cluster Movement", which accompanies the literature, is labelled #AB 116-394-95 UNCLASSIFIED" and is an output from "the world's most versatile and most sensitive electroencephalograph (EEG) machine". It has a gain capability of 200,000, as compared to other EEG machines in use which have gain capability of approximately 50,000. It is software-driven by the "fastest of computers" using a noisenulling technology similar to that used by nuclear submarines for detecting small objects underwater at extreme range.

The purpose of all this high technology is to plot and display a moving cluster of periodic brainwave signals. The illustration shows an EEG display from a single individual, taken of left and right hemispheres simultaneously. Ile readout from the two sides of the brain appear to be quite different, but in fact are the same (discounting normal leftright brain variations).

CLONING THE EMOTIONS

By using these computer-enhanced EEGs, scientists can identify and isolate the brain's low-amplitude "emotion signature clusters", synthesise them and store them on another computer. In other words, by studying the subtle characteristic brainwave patterns that occur when a subject experiences a particular emotion, scientists have been able to identify the concomitant brainwave pattern and can now duplicate it. "These clusters are then placed on the Silent Sound® carrier frequencies and will silently trigger the occurrence of the same basic emotion in another human being!"

SYSTEM DELIVERY AND APPLICATIONS

There is a lot more involved here than a simple subliminal sound system. There are numerous patented technologies which can be piggybacked individually or collectively onto a carrier frequency to elicit all kinds of effects.

There appear to be two methods of delivery with the system. One is direct microwave induction into the brain of the subject, limited to short-range operations. The other, as described above, utilises ordinary radio and television carrier frequencies.

Far from necessarily being used as a weapon against a person, the system does have limitless positive applications. However, the fact that the sounds are subliminal makes them virtually undetectable and possibly dangerous to the general public.

In more conventional use, the Silent Sounds Subliminal System might utilise voice commands, e.g., as an adjunct to security systems. Beneath the musical broadcast that you hear in stores and shopping malls may be a hidden message which exhorts against shoplifting. And while voice commands alone are powerful, when the subliminal presentation system carries cloned emotional signatures, the result is overwhelming.

Free-market uses for this technology are the common self-help tapes; positive affirmation, relaxation and meditation tapes; as well as methods to increase learning capabilities.

In a medical context, these systems can be used to great advantage to treat psychiatric and psychosomatic problems. As a system for remediating the profoundly deaf, it is unequalled. (Promises, promises. This is the most common positive use touted for this technology over the past 30 years. But the deaf are still deaf, and the military now has a weapon to use on unsuspecting people with perfectly normal hearing.)

OFFICIAL DENIALS

In fact, the US Government has denied or refused to comment on mindaltering weapons for years. Only last year, US News & World Report ran an article titled "Wonder Weapons", basically a review of the new so-called 'non-lethal' or 'less-than -lethal' weapons.' Not one word about S-quad, although the technology had been used six years earlier!

Excerpts from the article read:

"Says Charles Bernard, a former Navy weapons-research director: 'I have yet to see one of these ray-gun things that actually works."

"DARPA (Defense Advanced Research Projects Agency) has come to us every few years to see if there are ways to incapacitate the central nervous system remotely,' Dr F. Terry Hambrecht, head of the Neural Prostheses Program at NIH, told US News, 'but nothing has ever come of if,' he said. 'That is too science-fiction and far-fetched.'"

It may sound "science fiction and far-fetched" but it is not. However, that is just what the powers-that-be want you to believe, so as to leave them alone in their relentless pursuit of... what?

The idea behind non-lethal weapons is to incapacitate the enemy without actually killing them, or, in the case of riot control or hostage situations, to disable the participants without permanent injury, preferably without their knowing it. The electromagnetic mind-altering technologies would all fall into this class of weapons, but since they are all officially non-existent, who is to decide when and where they will be used?

And why should selected companies in the entertainment industry reportedly be allowed access to this technology when the very fact of its existence is denied to the general public?

As recently as last month [February], this stonewall approach of total denial or silence on the subject still held fast, even toward committees of the US Congress!

The Joint Economics Committee, chaired by Jim Saxton (R-NJ), convened on February 25, 1998 for the "Hearing on Radio Frequency Weapons and Proliferation: Potential Impact on the Economy". Invited testimony included statements by several authorities from the military:


Dr Alan Kehs, of the US Army Laboratories, discussed the overall RF threat.

Mr James O'Bryon, Deputy Director of Operational Testing and Director of live fire testing for the Office of Secretary of Defense at the Pentagon, discussed the role of Live Fire Testing and how it plays a role in testing military equipment with RF weapons.

Mr David Schriner, Principal Engineer of Directed Energy Studies with Electronic Warfare Associates and recently retired as an engineer with a naval weapons testing facility, talked about the difficulty in building an RF weapon and about the terrorist threat.

Dr Ira Merritt, Chief of Concepts Identification and Applications Analysis Division, Advanced Technology Directorate, Missile Defense and Space Technology Center, Huntsville, Alabama, discussed the proliferation of RF weapons primarily from the former Soviet Union.
Although these statements gave information of technical interest, they are perhaps more important for the information they did not give: information on the existence of radiofrequency weapons that directly affect the human brain and nervous system.

KGB PSYCHOTRONICS

This technology did not spring up overnight. It has a long history of development and denials of development-by the US Government and probably half of the other governments of the world as well.

We know that the former Soviet Union was actively engaged in this type of research. In a previous article we reported that during the 1970s the Soviet KGB developed a Psychotronic Influence System (PIS) that was used to turn soldiers into programmable 'human weapons'. The system employed a combination of highfrequency radiowaves and hypnosis. The PIS project was begun in response to a similar training scheme launched in the US by President Carter, according to Yuri Malin, former security adviser to USSR President Gorbachev.

In my Electromagnetic Weapons Timeline I covered a period of 60 years of interest and development in EM weapons󩮦ormation gathered from the many articles and news clippings sent in by readers of Resonance. In my article on synthetic telepathy I traced the development of the 'voice in your head' technology dating back to 1961, all my references coming from the open scientific literature.

POWER OF THE MILITARY-INDUSTRIAL COMPLEX

Jan Wiesemann has written an apt description of the situation which now exists in the United States, about the 'forces that be' and how the situation came about:

"During the Cold War the United States not only engaged in a relatively open nuclear arms race with the Soviet Union, but also engaged in a secret race developing unconventional weapons. As the intelligence agencies (which prior to the Second World War had merely played a supporting role within the government) continued to increase their power, so did the funds spent on developing techniques designed to outsmart each other.

"And as the US intelligence community began to grow, a secret culture sprang about which enabled the intelligence players to implement the various developed techniques to cleverly circumvent the democratic processes and institutions...

"Like many other democracies, the US Government is made up of two basic parts the elected constituency, i.e., the various governors, judges, congressmen and the President; and the unelected bureaucracies, as represented by the numerous federal agencies.

"In a well-balanced and correctly functioning democracy, the elected part of the government is in charge of its unelected bureaucratic part, giving the people a real voice in the agenda set by their government.

"While a significant part of the US Government no doubt follows this democratic principle, a considerable portion of the US Government operates in complete secrecy and follows its own unaccountable agenda which, unacknowledged, very often is quite different from the public agenda."

Jan goes on to quote one of the United States' most popular war heroes: Dwight D. Eisenhower, who served as Supreme Commander of Allied Forces during World War II and was later elected 34th President of the United States. In his farewell address to the nation in 1961, President Eisenhower said:

"...we have been compelled to create a permanent armaments industry of vast proportions. Added to this, three and a half million men and women are directly engaged in the defence establishment. We annually spend on military security more than the net income of all United States corporations.

"This conjunction of an immense military establishment and a large arms industry is new in the American experience. The total influence-economic, political, even spiritual-is felt in every city, every state house, every office of the federal government. We recognise the imperative need for this development. Yet we must not fail to comprehend its grave implications. Our toil, resources and livelihood are all involved; so is the very structure of our society.

"In the councils of government, we must guard against the acquisition of unwarranted influence, whether sought or unsought, by the military -industrial complex. The potential for the disastrous rise of misplaced power exists and will persist. We must never let the weight of this combination endanger our liberties or our democratic processes."

INTERNATIONAL CONCERNS OVER NEW WEAPONS

The United Nations was established in 1945 with the aim of "saving succeeding generations from the scourge of war". In 1975 the General Assembly considered a draft first proposed by the Soviet Union: "Prohibition of the Development and Manufacture of New Types of Weapons of Mass Destruction and New Systems of Such Weapons".

In 1979 the Soviet Union added a list of some types of potential weapons of mass destruction:

1) Radiological weapons (using radioactive materials) which could produce harmful effects similar to those of a nuclear explosion;

2) Particle beam weapons, based on charged or neutral particles, to affect biological targets;

3) Infrasonic acoustic radiation weapons;

4) Electromagnetic weapons operating at certain radio-frequency radiations which could have injurious effects on human organs.

In response, the US and other Western nations stalled. They gave a long, convoluted reason, but the result was the same.

In an article entitled "Non-Lethal Weapons May Violate Treaties", the author notes that the Certain Conventional Weapons Convention covers many of the non-conventional weapons; "those that utilize infrasound or electromagnetic energy (including lasers, microwave or radiofrequency radiation, or visible light pulsed at brainwave frequency) for their effects."

Harlan Girard, Managing Director of the International Committee Against Offensive Microwave Weapons, told me he believes the strategy behind the government's recent push for less-than-lethal weapons is a subterfuge. The ones that are now getting all the publicity are put up for scrutiny to get the public's approval. The electromagnetic mind-altering technologies are not mentioned, but would be brought in later under the umbrella of less-than- lethal weapons.

These weapons were recently transferred from the Department of Defense over to the Department of Justice. Why? Because there are several international treaties that specifically limit or exclude weapons of this nature from being used in international warfare.

In other words, weapons that are barred from use against our country's worst enemies (not withstanding the fact that the US did use this weapon against Iraqi troops!) can now be used against our own citizens by the local police departments against such groups as peaceful protestors of US nuclear policies.

TOWARDS GLOBAL MIND CONTROL

The secrecy involved in the development of the electromagnetic mind-altering technology reflects the tremendous power that is inherent in it. To put it bluntly, whoever controls this technology can control the minds of men-all men.

There is evidence that the US Government has plans to extend the range of this technology to envelop all peoples, all countries. This can be accomplished, is being accomplished, by utilising the nearly completed HAARP Project for overseas areas and the GWEN network now in place in the US. The US Government denies all this.

Dr Michael Persinger is a Professor of Psychology and Neuroscience at Laurentian University, Ontario, Canada. You have met him before in the pages of Resonance where we reported on his findings that strong electromagnetic fields can affect a person's brain.

"Temporal lobe stimulation," he said, "can evoke the feeling of a presence, disorientation, and perceptual irregularities. It can activate images stored in the subject's memory, including nightmares and monsters that are normally suppressed."

Dr Persinger wrote an article a few years ago, titled "On the Possibility of Directly Accessing Every Human Brain by Electromagnetic Induction of Fundamental Algorithms". The abstract reads:

"Contemporary neuroscience suggests the existence of fundamental algorithms by which all sensory transduction is translated into an intrinsic, brain-specific code. Direct stimulation of these codes within the human temporal or limbic cortices by applied electromagnetic patterns may require energy levels which are within the range of both geomagnetic activity and contemporary communication networks. A process which is coupled to the narrow band of brain temperature could allow all normal human brains to be. affected by a subharmonic whose frequency range at about 10 Hz would only vary by 0. 1 Hz."

He concludes the article with this:

"Within the last two decades a potential has emerged which was improbable, but which is now marginally feasible. This potential is the technical capability to influence directly the major portion of the approximately six billion brains of the human species, without mediation through classical sensory modalities, by generating neural information within a physical medium within which all members of the species are immersed.

"The historical emergence of such possibilities, which have ranged from gunpowder to atomic fission, have resulted in major changes in the social evolution that occurred inordinately quickly after the implementation. Reduction of the risk of the inappropriate application of these technologies requires the continued and open discussion of their realistic feasibility and implications within the scientific and public domain."

It doesn't get any plainer than that. And we do not have open discussion because the US Government has totally denied the existence of this technology.

Acknowledgements

I would like to give special thanks to: Jan Wiesemann for sending the Silent Sounds® statement and patents which were the keystone of this article; Mike Coyle, whose computer search turned up many more related patents; Harlan Girard, who has provided numerous official government documents; and to the many who have provided newsclippings and articles, moral and financial support to Resonance, without which we'd have ceased publication long ago.

About the Author:

Judy Wall is Editor and Publisher of Resonance, the Newsletter of the Bioelectromagnetics Special Interest Group. Pages 11-13 and 15-16.



Father’s blessing brings peace to Roy Bourgeois


(CNS file photo, 2004)


By THOMAS ROBERTS
Published: November 17, 2008


In his own words, Maryknoll Fr. Roy Bourgeois has “poked at a lot of hornets nests” along the way from soldier in Vietnam to committed pacifist and persistent critic of U.S. military policy. He’s poked at the presumptions of major institutions and systems, including, most recently, standing in opposition to the Catholic church’s ban on ordaining women.

But for all of the heat he’s taken, for all of the scary episodes that come with bucking the status quo, one of the most emotionally wrenching moments of his life occurred just days ago in the living room of his childhood home.

There he stood, with his sisters, Ann and Janet, and his brother, Dan. They had read his response to the Vatican’s threat of excommunication if he did not recant his position supporting women’s ordination. In it he had said he could no more rescind his position on ordination of women than he could recant his opposition to the training of foreign troops at what was once called the School of the Americas at Fort Benning, Ga., or his opposition to the war in Iraq.

So they all knew that his 36-year career as a priest was probably nearing an end, that after 36 years of service, work among the poor and against military violence, he would be ostracized, no longer considered a part of the church community.

They waited now to hear what 95-year-old Roy Sr., devout Catholic and daily Mass attendee, would say about this latest in a long history of controversies involving his son.

“My siblings were afraid this would break his heart. My sister Ann was the first to ask him, ‘Daddy, how do you feel about this?’ ” Bourgeois recalled in a Nov. 17 phone interview. “My dad cried. He’s a soft-hearted guy. But then he got his composure and said: ‘God brought Roy back from the war in Vietnam. God took care of Roy in his mission work in Bolivia and El Salvador, and God is going to take care of Roy now.’ Then he said, ‘Roy is doing the right thing by following his conscience, and I support him.’ ”

They all wept, said Bourgeois. It was curious, he said, because all of them had worried that the news would be terribly upsetting to his father. “But then this person of great inner strength looked at us and said, ‘God will look after the family, too.’ ”

Bourgeois, who faces almost certain excommunication, was the founder of an annual protest outside the gates of Fort Benning and what once was called the School of the Americas. This year’s protest will be held Nov. 21-23. The school’s name was changed in recent years to the Western Hemisphere Institute for Security Cooperation.

As the School of the Americas, the facility trained scores of Latin American military who can be traced to committing or overseeing some of the most horrendous human rights abuses in modern Latin American history. Troops engaged in assassinations, disappearances, torture and massacres of hundreds of thousands throughout the region. Some of the most heinous crimes occurred in El Salvador and Guatemala during periods of civil war there in the latter part of the 20th century.

Bourgeois is known primarily for his campaign against the School of the Americas and opposition to the war in Iraq as well as his advocacy of the story of Franz Jagerstatter, the Austrian farmer who was executed for refusing induction into the German military during World War II.

Increasingly in recent years, however, he has become a vocal critic of the church’s ban on women’s ordination. He said he kept meeting women who said they had a call from God for ordination. “Who are we, as men, to say their call is illegitimate,” he regularly asked.

For Bourgeois, the issue was a matter of justice, and he reached a point this past summer when he could no longer remain on the sidelines. Janice Sevre-Duszynska, a regular protester at the School of the Americas, asked Bourgeois to attend her ordination Aug. 9 in Lexington, Ky. She became the sixth woman to be ordained in the United States this year as part of the Roman Catholic Womenpriests movement.

The Vatican response arrived Oct. 21, threatening excommunication unless Bourgeois recanted his statements saying the church is wrong and unjust in maintaining the ban.

When he received the letter, Bourgeois, canceled all plans. He travels widely, giving talks and consulting with representatives of Latin American governments to persuade them to stop sending soldiers to the United States for training.

He decided to go into solitude for two weeks to meditate and pray and to work on his response to the Vatican. He completed the response Nov. 7, mailed it and headed off on a seven-hour drive to his childhood home in tiny Lutcher, La., where his father still lives.

He had arranged a meeting with his siblings and his father. His sisters, especially, were fearful about what the news would do to his father.

“When I received his blessing and the blessing of my family, I felt a great peace. A total peace came over me. And I’ve felt peaceful ever since I came back from Louisiana.” Nothing the Vatican does, he said, can take that peace and serenity away.

Still, he prepares for a lonely move into the unknown. Fellow priests have called and written to voice their agreement and support, but all of them say they can’t do it publicly because it would jeopardize their ministries and positions within the church. He doesn’t know what kind of association, if any, he’ll be able to maintain with Maryknoll in the future.

Bourgeois expects a final word from Rome soon. His deadline to recant is Nov. 21.

Betsy Guest, Maryknoll spokesperson, said the society was led to believe that a response will be made Nov. 24. She said that unless Rome levies further penalties, such as revoking Bourgeois’ membership in the society, he can remain a member of Maryknoll, though he will be unable to function as a priest. He hopes that when the final word comes he would be given the courtesy of 15-minute visits with Pope Benedict XVI and Cardinal William Levada, head of the Congregation for the Doctrine of the Faith, the Vatican office that issued the warning of excommunication.

“I am not angry,” said Bourgeois, who acknowledged early on that his attendance at the ordination could have serious consequences. “I don’t want to respond in anger. I would like to meet with them personally to explain my position and make my appeal.”

Tom Roberts is NCR editor at large.


Related Bourgeois articles:
Roy Bourgeois threatened with excommunication
Bourgeois participates in women's ordination ceremony.
Bourgeois homily: 'Conscience compels us to be here today'



Ariz. Governor Said to Be Pick For Homeland Security Post



Washington Post Staff Writer

Thursday, November 20, 2008; 11:48 AM


Arizona Gov. Janet Napolitano (D), whose handling of immigration issues brought her accolades from fellow governors, is President-elect Barack Obama's choice to serve as secretary of homeland security, Democratic sources said yesterday.


Napolitano, 50, was an early supporter of Obama and was the only sitting governor and current elected official tapped to serve on his 12-member transition advisory board.


She was reelected in 2006 to a second term as governor of Arizona, the home state of Sen. John McCain, the Republican presidential nominee in the race against Obama. Term limits would prevent her from running again.


Napolitano -- a former U.S. attorney for Arizona and state attorney general, and the first woman in both posts -- was said also to be a candidate for attorney general. Her fate became clearer once Obama tapped his campaign co-chairman and former Justice Department official Eric H. Holder Jr. as his top choice to head the Justice Department this week.


A source close to the process said that her selection was "99 percent" complete, while another added, "It's homeland security." Napolitano's selection was made pending vetting, according to CNN, which first reported the decision.


The governor's spokeswoman, Jeanine L'Ecuyer, said Napolitano had no comment.


"She's not looking for another job, and the president-elect will announce his Cabinet selection when he's ready to do that," L'Ecuyer said yesterday.


Napolitano came to national prominence in 1991 when she served as a lawyer for Anita Hill in her sexual harassment case against then-nominee and later Supreme Court Justice Clarence Thomas.


Her swift ascent in Republican-leaning Arizona made her a rising Democratic star. Appointed U.S. attorney for the state by then-President Bill Clinton in 1993, she was elected state attorney general in 1998 and governor in 2002 and in 2006 became the first Democratic governor in a quarter century to win reelection.


She addressed the Democratic Party's 2004 and 2008 presidential conventions, and began advising Obama in 2007.


Despite the Clintons' role in her career, Napolitano endorsed Obama over former first lady Sen. Hillary Clinton (D-N.Y.) shortly before Arizona's Feb. 5 Super Tuesday primary. As a female elected Democrat, her backing at the time carried extra clout.


At the time, Obama said, "I think she is enormously talented, and I think anyone would be happy to have her working for them."


In office, Napolitano gained national attention for her handling of immigration and security matters. In early 2006, she was the first governor to call for National Guard troops to secure the U.S.-Mexico border, months before President Bush announced plans to do so.


Arizona has also led efforts to share law enforcement intelligence among state and local agencies and its neighbors California , New Mexico and Texas.


Napolitano became the first female governor elected to chair the National Governors Association in 2006, serving a year-long term.


She had been considered a possible 2010 candidate for Senate, when McCain is up for reelection.
If Napolitano departs to serve in Obama's Cabinet, Arizona Secretary of State Jan Brewer, a Republican, will become governor. The GOP currently controls both houses of the state legislature.


U.S., NYPD Clash on Wiretap Requests


NOVEMBER 21, 2008




WASHINGTON -- A long-running rivalry between New York City police and Justice Department officials over how to keep the nation's largest city safe from terrorist attack has devolved into a feud over the use of national security surveillance wiretaps, with both sides accusing each other of endangering national security.


-------------------


Heated Exchange


A letter from New York City Police Commissioner Raymond Kelly to Attorney General Michael Mukasey expresses frustration at what he describes as the Justice Department's slow and cautious handling of national security wiretapping requests in terrorism cases and says the delays could put the city in danger.



A letter from Attorney General Michael Mukasey to New York City Police Commissioner Raymond Kelly says Mr. Kelly's accusations are incorrect and alarming and says the Justice Department is trying to stay within the law while protecting New York City from terrorism.



------------------


In letters exchanged last month and since reviewed by The Wall Street Journal, New York Police Commissioner Raymond W. Kelly and Attorney General Michael Mukasey jousted over how officials from the Justice Department and Federal Bureau of Investigation handle requests made by New York City police for warrants to conduct national security surveillance. The Justice Department is the clearinghouse for the requests, which must be approved by the court that administers the Foreign Intelligence Surveillance Act, the federal law that oversees government national-security eavesdropping.


In his letter Mr. Kelly complained that Justice officials are overly cautious about submitting requests to the FISA court, that there is poor communication between Justice and FBI officials in New York and Washington, and that there are unacceptable time lags in handling NYPD's requests.


Despite Mr. Mukasey and Mr. Kelly discussing the matter on the phone in July and a subsequent visit to New York by top officials from Justice's National Security Division, Mr. Kelly's letter on Oct. 27 expresses frustration about continuing problems. "Consequently the federal government is doing less than it is lawfully entitled to do to protect New York City, and the City is less safe as a result," Mr. Kelly wrote.


Mr. Mukasey, who is a former federal judge in New York City, responded with a letter Oct. 31 defending the Justice Department's handling of New York's wiretapping requests and accusing Mr. Kelly of leveling inaccurate and alarming charges. "In effect, what you ask is that we disregard FISA'S legal requirements, which are rooted in the Constitution. Not only would your approach violate the law, it would also in short order make New York City and the rest of the country less safe."


The dispute has gotten the attention of members of Congress from New York. Rep. Peter King, a Republican, said "the Justice Department is being too cautious here and is putting New York at risk."


The accusation from the NYPD runs counter to the reputation the Bush administration has developed among civil-liberties groups, which say the administration is too willing to allow eavesdropping that threaten Americans' civil liberties. Mr. Mukasey has spent much of his time since taking over as attorney general a year ago defending the Justice Department from such charges.


The dispute is an escalation of a rivalry that goes back years between the nation's largest city police force and federal officials. Motivated by New York's profile as a target for terrorism, and its experience in the Sept. 11, 2001, attacks, city police have ramped up their counter-terrorism efforts.


Dean Boyd, spokesman for the Justice Department's National Security Division, confirmed the letters exchanged between Messrs. Kelly and Mukasey. "While disagreements inevitably arise during the course of investigations, the Justice Department and FBI continue to work closely with the New York City Police Department with significant urgency and resolve to protect New York City and the entire nation against terrorism," he said.


The New York Times reported on the letters on its Web site Wednesday night.
Write to Evan Perez at evan.perez@wsj.com



Troubling look at U.S. surveillance policy in "The Shadow Factory"

PAUL J.RICHARDS / AFP/GETTY IMAGES
National Intelligence director John Negroponte inside the National Security Agency in 2006. In a new book, journalist James Bamford details President Bush's secret decision that allowed the NSA to spy on U.S. citizens.


James Bamford's third book on the National Security Administration, "The Shadow Factory," reveals how federal security agencies and their private-sector allies have pored over Americans' telephone calls, electronic records and personal data on a gigantic scale.

By Jeffrey Tannenbaum
Bloomberg News

"The Shadow Factory: The Ultra-Secret NSA from 9/11 to the Eavesdropping on America"
by James Bamford


Doubleday, 395 pp., $27.95


In 1961, President Dwight Eisenhower warned the U.S. that the "military-industrial complex," his term for the armed forces and their suppliers, posed a threat to democracy.
Now journalist James Bamford is sounding a variation on Eisenhower's theme. In "The Shadow Factory," he cautions that the "surveillance-industrial complex" has been undermining the privacy, and potentially the liberty, of Americans.


Federal security agencies and their private-sector allies, such as AT&T, have snooped on telephone calls and e-mail and combed through electronic records of Americans' personal data on a gigantic scale, often in defiance of the law.


Government officials wanted to learn where targeted Americans shopped, "what they bought, what movies they saw, what books they read, the toll booths they went through, the plane tickets they purchased, the hotels they stayed in, and the restaurants where they ate," Bamford writes.


Far from decrying the surveillance, President George W. Bush promoted it, calling it necessary for hunting down terrorists akin to those responsible for the Sept. 11 attacks. At the heart of the book is the question of whether such anti-terrorist programs pose a greater risk to American ideals than do the country's enemies.


"There is now the capacity to make tyranny total in America," writes Bamford, the author of three earlier books on U.S. intelligence agencies. "Only law ensures that we never fall into that abyss — the abyss from which there is no return."


Bamford isn't the first to report the central development around which he builds his new book: Bush's secret decision that allowed the National Security Agency to spy on people inside the U.S., including citizens, without first seeking court clearances that were required by the Foreign Intelligence Surveillance Act of 1978.


A special court to approve warrants under FISA had rarely failed to give government investigators the clearances they sought. But the Bush administration, after Sept. 11, didn't want investigators slowed down by the permitting process. Until he finally sought changes in the law, which was amended this year, Bush just chose to defy it.


AT&T and other private companies cooperated as the NSA tapped into Americans' communications, and an industry grew up to supply equipment needed by the spies. For example, Verint Systems, a company founded by a former Israeli intelligence officer, has built "bigger and better bugs," Bamford says.


The eavesdropping drew public scrutiny after leaks from government officials troubled by the program led to news coverage. After sitting on the story for more than a year, according to Bamford, The New York Times broke it in December 2005. The coverage won a 2006 Pulitzer Prize for two Times reporters.


After court battles over the exposed program, the Bush administration said it would follow the FISA law. Instead, the administration sought, and won, amendments from Congress. The changes gave immunity from lawsuits to the telecom companies involved in eavesdropping, weakened the FISA court and provided the NSA a freer hand in some matters, though the agency is still required to seek warrants to target Americans.


While the book has extensive notes, it isn't always clear how the author learned what he reports. He writes that "many courageous people" who aided him must go unnamed. The book also requires patience. The first section, juxtaposing the actions of the intelligence agencies and terrorists before Sept. 11, never builds any suspense because we know what's going to happen.
But at times, as in a chapter called "Extremis," Bamford marshals fascinating detail. Those pages convey not only the horrors of the Iraq war but also the practical challenges faced by intelligence agencies forced to comply with the original FISA law. By the end, Bamford has distilled a troubling chapter in American history.


Copyright © 2008 The Seattle Times Company

Pentagon Plots Digital "Crystal Ball" to "See the Future" in Battle


By Noah Shachtman July 19, 2007 12:00:00 PM


Darpa, the Pentagon's way-out research arm, is looking to design a software suite that predicts the future for battlefield commanders. At the heart of the package: A digital "Crystal Ball" that forecasts how a mission is going to turn out, before it's done. No, I am not kidding.


The overall, three-year program is called "Deep Green." Its goal is to "allow the commander to think ahead, identify when a plan is going awry, and help develop alternatives 'ahead of real time.'" If it works out the way agency officials hope (a very big if), Deep Green will enable officers to out-hustle and out-think any potential foes -- and do all that planning and analysis with a quarter of the staff that it takes today.


Deep Green has a half-dozen different interlocking components, including a "Sketch to Plan" program that reads a commander's doodles, listens to his words, and then "accurately induces" a plan, "fill[ing] in missing details." That allows an officer "to specify an option at a coarse level, then move on to the next cognitive task." A related program, "Sketch to Decide" allows a commander to "see the future" by producing a "comic strip" to represent his possible options in a given situation. That may "sound exotic," the Agency notes. But "since the 1970s (and perhaps earlier), there have been novels and game books in which the reader is asked to make a decision and then is directed to a different page or paragraph, depending on the choice made."


To make these warzone versions of choose-your-own-adventure novels, Darpa proposes two pieces of software. "Blitzkrieg" will quickly model sets of alternatives, while "Crystal Ball" will take information currently coming into a headquarters to figure out which scenarios are the most likely to happen, and which plans are likely to work best. Crystal Ball will use this estimate to nominate to the commander futures at which he/she should focus some planning effort to build additional options/branches. Crystal Ball will identify the trajectory of the operation in time to allow the commander to generate options before they are needed.



Darpa believes these kind of clairvoyant tools are needed, because some well-worn martial concepts have been proven obsolete by the fighting in Iraq and Afghanistan. Specifically, the "venerable Observe Orient Decide Act (OODA) loop is no longer viable for an information-age military." To fight a fast-moving foe, these four tasks have to now happen all at once. That's the goal of Deep Green.


The Observe (execution monitoring) and Orient (options generation and analysis) phases run continuously and are constantly building options based on the current operation and making predictions as to the direction the operation is taking. When something occurs that requires the commander’s attention or a decision, options are immediately available. Ideally, the OO part of OODA is done many times prior to the time when the commander must decide. When the planning and execution monitoring components of Deep Green mature, the planning staff will be working with semi-automated tools to generate and analyze courses of action ahead of the operation while the command concentrates on the Decide phase. By focusing on creating options ahead of the real operation rather than repairing the plan, Deep Green will allow commanders to be proactive instead of reactive in dealing with the enemy.



An "Industry Day," to discuss how such a fortune-teller might work, is set for next week. Final proposals, DANGER ROOM predicts, won't be due for a year.

War gets RTS update


July 27th, 2007 by Edwin
You might think that a crystal ball that peers into the future has no place in the army, and you’re probably wrong on that count. Darpa, the research arm of the Pentagon (with a very long reach, mind you) is currently aiming to come up with a software suite that is smart enough to predict the future for battlefield commanders. In essence, this is a digital version of a crystal ball and will be able to forecast just exactly how a mission will pan out after taking all the necessary factors into consideration. This will definitely help aid combat as there are plenty of variables to think about, helping commanders make better snap decisions.


Dubbed “Deep Green”, this three year program aims to allow the commander to think ahead and know just when a plan is going awry, with logical alternatives at hand always in order to minimize the loss of life. Should Deep Green actually become operational, other armies ought to quake with fear as they’re being outfoxed no matter what they do. In fact, Deep Green hopes to reduce the staff number to a quarter of what is required today when it comes to planning and analysis of a battle. In order to achieve this feat, Deep Green comes with six different interlocking components that allows a commander to list down options at a coarse level before adding its own thoughts to enhance the entire operation.


Deep Green will also be expected to take existing information from the battlefield to figure out the success rate of the current mission while providing different exit strategies along with the percentage of their success. This means we will probably leave the lives of valiant men of war in the hands of a computer. Hopefully Deep Green won’t disappoint when it is fully operational, but somehow I don’t think battlefield commanders can sit back and relax just yet, delegating their duties to a machine.


Under Worm Assault, Military Bans Disks, USB Drive


By Noah Shachtman

November 19, 2008 6:12:30 PM


The Defense Department's geeks are spooked by a rapidly spreading worm crawling across their networks. So they've suspended the use of so-called thumb drives, CDs, flash media cards, and all other removable data storage devices from their nets, to try to keep the worm from multiplying any further.


The ban comes from the commander of U.S. Strategic Command, according to an internal Army e-mail. It applies to both the secret SIPR and unclassified NIPR nets. The suspension, which includes everything from external hard drives to "floppy disks," is supposed to take effect "immediately." Similar notices went out to the other military services.


In some organizations, the ban would be only a minor inconvenience. But the military relies heavily on such drives to store information. Bandwidth is often scarce out in the field. Networks are often considered unreliable. Takeaway storage is used constantly as a substitute.


The problem, according to a second Army e-mail, was prompted by a "virus called Agent.btz." That's a variation of the "SillyFDC" worm, which spreads by copying itself to thumb drives and the like. When that drive or disk is plugged into a second computer, the worm replicates itself again — this time on the PC. "From there, it automatically downloads code from another location. And that code could be pretty much anything," says Ryan Olson, director of rapid response for the iDefense computer security firm. SillyFDC has been around, in various forms, since July 2005. Worms that use a similar method of infection go back even further — to the early '90s. "But at that time they relied on infecting floppy disks rather than USB drives," Olson adds.
Servicemembers are supposed to "cease usage of all USB storage media until the USB devices are properly scanned and determined to be free of malware," one e-mail notes. Eventually, some government-approved drives will be allowed back under certain "mission-critical," but unclassified, circumstances. "Personally owned or non-authorized devices" are "prohibited" from here on out.


To make sure troops and military civilians are observing the suspension, government security teams "will be conducting daily scans and running custom scripts on NIPRNET and SIPRNET to ensure the commercial malware has not been introduced," an e-mail says. "Any discovery of malware will result in the opening of a security incident report and will be referred to the appropriate security officer for action."


"The USB ban should be effective in stopping the worm," Olson says. Asked if such a wide-spread measure was a bit of over-kill, Olson responded, "I don't know."


"I know this [is an] inconvenience," e-mails one Michigan Army National Guardsman. "This has been briefed to the CoS [Chief of Staff] of the ARMY. This is not just a problem for Michigan, and is effecting operations around the world. This is a very serious threat and should be treated as such. Please understand that this is a form of attack, and we need to have patience in dealing with this issue."


[Photo: Department of Defense]


Lay-Away is back!


Are You Ready For Digital TV?


Recently, while I watched the news noose (network broadcast over the airwaves), I heard a Public Service Announcement (PSA) with a question that deeply impressed me. It affected me when I immediately answered the frivolous question it posed with a prompt NO, and quickly thought of a host of other 'modern innovations' that I'm not ready for.

"Are You ready for Digital TV?" What a question? The enemy of souls always has another gadget, or widget up his sleeves.

This is Deja Vu.

I believe I've already addressed this same subject after listening to a previous PSA; But, the answer "still" remains; and it is NO! I'm not ready for Digital TV; Rather I'm preparing for the soon return of Jesus Christ, not more sophisticated high-tech distraction during the latter age of deception. Neither am I ready for any of the following:
  • HD TV

  • LCD TV

  • Plasma TV

  • Blu Ray High Definition

Or even:

  1. Blue Tooth
  2. Blackberry
  3. Going Green
  4. My Carbon Foot-Print

Or any other "Third Generation" (3G) diversion. Time is fleeting. Tempus fugit (Latin) . I'm more concerned with having my name written in "The Lamb's Book of Life".


There are only two classes or groups that matter to me:

  1. The Children of God.

  2. The Children of Satan.

I strive to be in the former. Get ready! Maranatha.

Arsenio.

Big Three Auto Execs Flew in Luxury Jets to Seek Multibillion-Dollar Bailout

Reuters
FILE: A Gulfstream luxury jet sits on an airport tarmac.


Wednesday, November 19, 2008


The CEOs of the Big Three automakers reportedly flew private luxury jets to Washington to plead for a $25 billion taxpayer bailout to save their debt-ridden industry — ringing up tens of thousands in charges even as they cried poverty.


Recipients of eight-figure bonuses in 2007, the corporate cowboys used their executive perks — which for GM's Rick Wagoner include the run of a $36 million Gulfstream IV jet — to arrive in style as they went begging before Congress.


Wagoner, whose flight reportedly cost $20,000 round-trip — about 70 times more than a commercial airline ticket — told Congress he expected about $10-$12 billion from the requested bailout.


"This is a slap in the face of taxpayers," Tom Schatz, president of Citizens Against Government Waste, told ABC News. "To come to Washington on a corporate jet, and asking for a handout is outrageous."


Joined by Robert Nardelli of Chrysler and Alan Mulally of Ford, Wagoner told the Senate that a collapse in Detroit could cost 3 million jobs in just a year and put the hurt on communities across the country.


But the prospective bailout is getting held up in the Senate, where lawmakers don't appear keen to save the ailing industry. "Just giving them $25 billion doesn't change anything," Sen. Jon Kyl, R-Ariz., told FOX News. "It just puts off for six months or so the day of reckoning."



Prepare ye the way of the Lord...


1In those days came John the Baptist, preaching in the wilderness of Judaea,

2And saying, Repent ye: for the kingdom of heaven is at hand.

3For this is he that was spoken of by the prophet Esaias, saying, The voice of one crying in the wilderness, Prepare ye the way of the Lord, make his paths straight.


4And the same John had his raiment of camel's hair, and a leathern girdle about his loins; and his meat was locusts and wild honey.

5Then went out to him Jerusalem, and all Judaea, and all the region round about Jordan,

6And were baptized of him in Jordan, confessing their sins.

7But when he saw many of the Pharisees and Sadducees come to his baptism, he said unto them, O generation of vipers, who hath warned you to flee from the wrath to come?

8Bring forth therefore fruits meet for repentance:

9And think not to say within yourselves, We have Abraham to our father: for I say unto you, that God is able of these stones to raise up children unto Abraham.

10And now also the axe is laid unto the root of the trees: therefore every tree which bringeth not forth good fruit is hewn down, and cast into the fire.

11I indeed baptize you with water unto repentance. but he that cometh after me is mightier than I, whose shoes I am not worthy to bear: he shall baptize you with the Holy Ghost, and with fire:

12Whose fan is in his hand, and he will throughly purge his floor, and gather his wheat into the garner; but he will burn up the chaff with unquenchable fire.





13Then cometh Jesus from Galilee to Jordan unto John, to be baptized of him.

14But John forbad him, saying, I have need to be baptized of thee, and comest thou to me?

15And Jesus answering said unto him, Suffer it to be so now: for thus it becometh us to fulfil all righteousness. Then he suffered him.

16And Jesus, when he was baptized, went up straightway out of the water: and, lo, the heavens were opened unto him, and he saw the Spirit of God descending like a dove, and lighting upon him:

17And lo a voice from heaven, saying, This is my beloved Son, in whom I am well pleased.




Matthew 3

Tuesday, November 18, 2008

Is The "Hard Sell" Regime coming to its end?



Here are a few of the highlights in the progression of the Hard Sell Era:

After the destruction that took place during September 11, 2001; Bush called for the capture of Osama Bin Laden. The Hard Sell began with the calls for Bin Laden: WANTED DEAD or ALIVE; And, "Shock and Awe"; Bush pressed that we "would not waiver, falter, or fail". This was The Dawn of the Hard Sell.
The Prez quipped:
"You are either with us, or with the Terrorists".

At the U.N. Bush said that if it (the U.N.) didn't invade the culprits of our attacks: Iraq and Afghanistan; It would be "irrelevant"; We will go it alone!

Afterwards, it was bomb Afghanistan ASAP, where Osama was "supposedly hiding" with the Taliban.

Then, the focus changed to Saddam Hussein, and Iraq. Get Saddam, his Bath Party, and Uday and Qusay Hussein. Get Saddam and his henchmen PDQ. The Hard Sell continued.

The rationale was then hatched that "it was better to fight TERRORISM over there, than to have to fight it here". This became a repetitive mantra. Act now, or risk another 911.

Next, after the Afghanistan Blitzkrieg, and the 'triumphant invasion' of Iraq, came a constant clamor for a "Surge": Another way of saying escalation of occupying forces in Iraq. Send more troops, yesterday. More, more troops needed! Hurry up and send 'em.

The Hard Sell continued with repeated suggestions that we "Stay The Course". Time will prove that the President and His Men, were right in following their bellicose track. We must stay on this course, no equivocations. No doubt about it.


The High Pressure Sales Techniques continued with one issue turning into another. Still, the Sense of Urgency was always stressed. Act now, or else!

  • The Iraq Study Group;
  • The Petraeus Report;

Then, last year the fruits of this hell-bent, haphazard lust for control began to reflect itself in the nation's economy. When President Bush was question during one of those "press conferences", he responded: The Economy is fine, and in good shape.

The Economy took a turn for the worse when major firms and corporations began to go bankrupt:

  • Global Crossing Ltd.
  • WorldCom Inc.
  • Conseco Inc.
  • Nationwide
  • Bear Stearns
  • IndiMac Bank
  • Lehman Brothers Holdings Inc.
  • Washington Mutual
  • Fannie Mae
  • Freddie Mac

Here's a list of Banks that went bankrupt during the Financial Crisis:

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/List_of_bankrupt_or_acquired_banks_during_the_subprime_mortgage_crisis

The Sub-Prime Mortgage Crisis hit the public where it hurts, in the pockets.


Suddenly, it was stressed that it was urgent to approve a Bail-Out Extravaganza, ranging from $700 Billion, to the actual $850 Billion that was finally approved. $850,000,000,000 Dollars that the American Tax-Payers have to pay (back) the Federal Reserve with interest*.

This was imperative; Bush remarked or else the Economy would crash. What a reversal of opinions in a matter of months. What was he thinking? The Hard Sell is "ratcheted-up a few notches", to include: Riots and unrest if the 'neat' bail-out package wasn't approved.


Henry Paulson of the Treasury Department, and Ben Bernanke of the FED (Not Federal, and has no reserves), stepped into the mix to add their professional expertise. They also called for immediate approval of a corporate infusion of cash. More, more, more money.

If credit got us into this mess; How can borrowing money that we don't have, and "doesn't exist, remedy the situation". There will be hades to pay!


The most recent clamor is for bailing-out the Big Boys: GM, Ford, and Chrysler (formerly known as Daimler-Chrysler). Bail out the Sales Force (Car Sales) with the Hard Sell of cantankerous vehicles that have become less economical in spite of the 1973 Oil Embargo. What have they done for the last 35 years? Grown fat and rich? Forgotten the days of rationing gas, odd and even days? Yet, they build their escapist SUV's for a clientele that has lost touch and fallen asleep at the wheel mesmerized by the Hard Sell.


The Selling Continues!


Are you going to continue buying this delusion of prosperity, when a collapse and the bill collectors are around the bend.


When will it end January 20, 2009? I doubt it: I see a pattern here.


And the band plays on: It's the heartbeat of America, Today's Chevrolet.



Don't forget to buy your Cadillac Pick-up Truck. Going Fast!
P.S. I forgot AIG!
Arsenio

Labor Unions and Trusts



Be patient therefore, brethren, unto the coming of the Lord. Behold, the husbandman waiteth for the precious fruit of the earth, and hath long patience for it, until he receive the early and latter rain......... James 5:7.


The trades unions will be one of the agencies that will bring upon this earth a time of trouble such as has not been since the world began.

In all our great cities there will be a binding up in bundles by the confederacies and unions formed. Men will rule other men and demand much of them. The lives of those who refuse to unite with these unions, will be in peril.

The work of the people of God is to prepare for the events of the future, which will soon come upon them with blinding force. In the world gigantic monopolies will be formed. Men will bind themselves together in unions that will wrap them in the folds of the enemy. A few men will combine to grasp all the means to be obtained in certain lines of business. Trades unions will be formed, and those who refuse to join these unions will be marked men. . . .

These unions are one of the signs of the last days. Men are binding up in bundles ready to be burned. They may be church members, but while they belong to these unions, they cannot possibly keep the commandments of God; for to belong to these unions means to disregard the entire Decalogue.

"Thou shalt love the Lord thy God with all thy heart, and with all thy soul, and with all thy strength, and with all thy mind; and thy neighbour as thyself." . . . How can men obey these words, and form combinations that rob the poorer classes of the advantages which justly belong to them, preventing them from buying or selling, except under certain conditions.

Those who claim to be the children of God are in no case to bind up with the labor unions that are formed or that shall be formed. This the Lord forbids. Cannot those who study the prophecies see and understand what is before us?


Important issues must soon be met, and we wish to be hid in the cleft of the rock, that we may see Jesus, and be quickened by His Holy Spirit. We have no time to lose, not a moment.



Maranatha, E. G. White., p.182.

And men loved darkness rather than light,...


14And as Moses lifted up the serpent in the wilderness, even so must the Son of man be lifted up:

15That whosoever believeth in him should not perish, but have eternal life.

16For God so loved the world, that he gave his only begotten Son, that whosoever believeth in him should not perish, but have everlasting life.

17For God sent not his Son into the world to condemn the world; but that the world through him might be saved.

18He that believeth on him is not condemned: but he that believeth not is condemned already, because he hath not believed in the name of the only begotten Son of God.

19And this is the condemnation, that light is come into the world, and men loved darkness rather than light, because their deeds were evil.

20For every one that doeth evil hateth the light, neither cometh to the light, lest his deeds should be reproved.

21But he that doeth truth cometh to the light, that his deeds may be made manifest, that they are wrought in God.


John 3: 14-21.

Monday, November 17, 2008

What was Luther's Message?


What was Luther's message?



Edwards serves as President of St. Olaf College and has written many books and articles on Martin Luther.





Luther had many messages. When Luther wrote, he wrote about specific issues or problems. But he had one over-arching message. And that one message, he put in his pamphlets, he put in his longer treatises, he put in his hymns. And that was: Christ died for you. If you can believe and have faith, you are saved. There's nothing that you can do on your own to be saved. In fact, even believing is a gift of the Holy Spirit. But if you believe, you are saved. And all the paraphernalia of the Catholic Church of the time, where you could help and cooperate in your salvation, made no sense any more. ...



martin luther
Martin Luther's criticism of the Church initially was that the Church was sending the wrong message, that the Church was ... giving to people the sense that they could save themselves by using the various things the Church offered, including indulgences. And the proper message was: No, you couldn't do that. In order to be saved, you had to leave it to Christ, and you had to simply cling to what Christ had done for you. That was his original complaint with the Church. But when the Church did not listen, he came reluctantly to the conclusion that the Church, especially the office of the papacy, was the Antichrist, and that what it was doing was deliberate. It was the devil's attempt to subvert, to submerge the good news, the gospel. The devil was working within the Church. And once he was convinced that that was happening, the papal office was the office of the Antichrist, and he saw the end time near. ... What were indulgences?
Indulgences were a means to spend less time in Purgatory. ... This was a time when the worry was not you're going to hell, but you're going to spend a long time in Purgatory. And so if you were able to purchase an indulgence, you could get out of Purgatory. [Indulgences] also were extraordinarily important for the papacy, because next to its own lands which it owned (and it was a large state), its major source of income was indulgences. ... The papacy during this time was building St. Peter's. ... Indulgences were used really for two things: major building projects, and to finance wars.



certificate of indulgence
What did Martin Luther think of indulgences? What was his gripe?...
The issue of the indulgence raised the question: How was someone saved? Was someone saved by what they did, or what the Church did for them? Or were they saved because of what Christ had done (die on the cross)? And so that was the issue that was at stake. And for Luther, the most important thing was to realize that Christ had died for you and you were saved by that death, not by anything that you did or anything the Church did, but only by what Christ had done. And you had to accept that gift in faith. So what did Luther set out to do?
Luther set out to reform the Church, to bring it back to what he saw as its proper mooring. The Church, as the institutional Church, saw him instead as a great threat to their income and a heretic teaching things that they had not taught, and which they saw undermined the Church, both in its spiritual form but also in its financial and political form. Coincidentally at this time, the printing press comes into play. How?



The printing press is discovered and put into action in 1450. ... Luther would have just been one more reformer in a small area if it had not been for the printing press. But thanks to the printing press, Martin Luther became the bestseller throughout the empire. He out-published all of his Catholic opponents. ... He discovered the power of the press in ways that no one else had used it up to that point: everything from woodcuts being used in a polemical way, ditties and rhymes. He mastered this new medium; he used it to spread and turn what would have been a local affair into an international movement. ...



Martin Luther first published in Latin, which was the language of the learned. But then he began publishing in German. And he was extraordinarily successful. He found his own voice. And the voice was the voice of the people. He later talked about how he listened to the way the people spoke, so he could use their language and not the elevated language of princes. He deliberately picked a German that could be understood by more people than any other form of German. And he used this German in an extraordinarily effective way. ... Why does Luther choose to translate the Bible into vernacular German?



Luther chose to translate the Bible into vernacular German because he believed the common people needed to hear the scripture. The watchword in the early Reformation, even more important to other Protestants to Luther himself, was "scripture alone." Scripture was the only source. It was not the Pope making up his mind. It was not a church council. It was the scripture. And individual believers needed to read the scripture and see what the truth was for themselves. ... What was the effect for Luther of putting the Bible in people's hands?
When Luther translated the New Testament and ultimately the whole Bible into German, he wanted to make it available first to preachers and to those who could read, and then secondarily to everyone else. He thought that if the Bible was made available in the vernacular, with the assistance of his forwards and his marginal comments, everyone would read it the same way he did. The irony is, of course, they didn't. Within even a few months, people were reading it differently. Luther had released a genie. And once the genie was out of the bottle, Luther, try as he might, couldn't get the genie back in again. ... Where did put the Book of Revelation in his Bible?



When Martin Luther first translated and published the New Testament, he thought that Revelation should not have the same status or authority as the gospels or the letters of Paul or Peter. And so he put it at the end, but he didn't number it. He didn't put a "saint" in front of [John's] name. He thought it was an edifying book, but not of the same status. But what's interesting, even though he felt that way, it's the one book that he illustrated, where he put woodcuts, because Revelation allowed him to make one of his central points, which was that the papacy was the Antichrist, and the end of the world was coming. And so there you see the only woodcuts in the New Testament. You see the whore of Babylon wearing a papal crown. You see the seven-headed beast wearing a papal crown. The message was clear. You didn't have to read (as most people didn't). You got the message. The papacy, the papal office--not the individual popes but the papal Church--was where Satan was working to undermine Christendom. And the fact that Satan was there meant the world was coming to an end soon. ... Was Luther conflicted about Revelation? Was he uncomfortable with the book?



When Luther began, he was uncomfortable with the Book of Revelation. But as the Reformation went on and more and more opponents sprang up, he had difficulty, he became more and more interested in Revelation. And later in his life, he took it with the utmost seriousness, and even tried to figure out all the symbolism in it, to determine when the end of the world was going to come. ... How much did Luther think he was living in the end times?



Luther thought he was living in the end times. And that belief, that conviction, was central to almost all that he did. Because his understanding of scripture and the way he preached from the pulpit and what he wrote was colored by the notion that the biblical story was also his story, and that what was happening to him could be used to understand the story in the Bible, but what was happening in the Bible could be used to explain what was going on in his own day. And Revelation was the key to this. It was the symbolic story that tells you how the whole thing is going to end. ... What was Luther's attitude toward the Jews?



Martin Luther, when he put his whole world into the context of the biblical story, identified many different enemies. And one of the enemies were the Jews, the Jews of his own time. Now, the Jews of the Old Testament were heroes, but the Jews of his time were an example of a people who rejected the Messiah and therefore suffered under God's wrath. They too had a role to play, a very unhappy role to play. And Luther's apocalyptic vision and the vision of their role--it was broadly shared by both Catholics and Protestants--justified the mistreatment of Jews during this period. ... How does Luther come to think of the pope as the Antichrist?
Luther came to think of the pope as the Antichrist because, first, of what the general tradition was about where to find the Antichrist. The Antichrist was someone subverting the Church from within. That was the expectation popularly. And when he saw the papal office and read the histories and saw it subverting the gospel as he understood it, he became convinced that that was the proof that the papal office was the office of the Antichrist, trying to destroy God's church from within.



The pope claimed to be Christ's representative on earth. Luther became convinced that the pope was the devil's representative on earth. And that took graphic form very early in the Reformation ... with one of the most effective pieces of propaganda in the early Reformation: a series of 26 woodcuts that juxtaposed some action in Christ's life with something in the papacy. Christ carrying his cross to be crucified; the pope being carried in his throne on the backs of people ... . Christ washing the feet of the disciples; the pope having his feet kissed. And over and over again, scenes from Christ's life juxtaposed with scenes from the papacy. ... Christ was always humble and serving; the papacy, the pope was always lordly and [lording] over others. Christ is Christ; the pope is Antichrist.



At the end of his life, Martin Luther decided he had to issue his final testament against all the enemies of the gospel. And he published treatises, he encouraged people, but words were not sufficient. He also had to use images. And so he asked his friend, the painter Lucas Cranach, to do a series of woodcuts, and Luther wrote the verses for them. And these woodcuts were designed to show as graphically as possible, to those who could read and those who couldn't, what Luther thought of the papacy. So for example, there's a woodcut which shows the pope on his throne and peasants with their tongues out, their trousers down, farting in the pope's face. Another one shows the pope riding an ass, holding a pile of dung in his hands, saying "The pope is offering a counsel." And another that shows the German emperor lying on the ground with the pope with his foot on the emperor's neck, which shows, once again graphically, Luther's belief that the papacy was trying to control secular authority throughout the world. These were all actions of the Antichrist, and Luther wanted to make it clear what he thought of the pope. ...


woodcuts comparing christ and antichrist



These were the pictures of a very angry man, who saw himself as a soldier in that final climactic battle at the end of the world. And he had to strike with every means at his disposal. If he pulled back at all, he was like a soldier in a battle between light and darkness, who withheld his punches. And so Luther did not hold back. He went with all that he had, attacking Satan and the Antichrist before he died. ...






Masonic Disinformation, Propaganda, Dissembling, and Hate Techniques



Masons have nearly predictable means and methods, often less than savory. Whether it's because they're pushing their ideas:


* In order to sell books. * Rampant paranoia or hate. * Their altered belief system (they think it will get them standing before the "Great White Throne" of the "Great Architect of the Universe" in the "Great White Lodge of Freemasonry" of Sirius, which they believe they will go to when they die if their masonic "work" has not been "slip-shod").* Their In-Group World View has been so much altered that for practical purposes of debate they have diminished capacity, i.e. they have become insane.


Masons use many different tactics to support their position. To further their goals, they'll use books published by 'vanity' publishers who may be Masonic as well. They will claim that "Pro" writings about Masons or Masonry cannot be published by 'legitimate' publishers because they're all "Anti"-Masonically-controlled. (In reality, it's because their tracts fail to meet the 'standards' of research required by traditional publishers - but often Masonic Propaganda and Dissembling Specialists fails to let truth enter the discussion). In addition, there are "Open Houses" and "Parades" held in the United States each year gathering a small group of Masons. Web pages, sometimes thinly disguised as information about "Difficult Questions about Freemasonry", and postings to various online venues add to their constant stream of misinformation.


In this section, we talk about those who're visible in their Masonic activities (i.e., not hiding behind some on-line identity which changes frequently). We also provide a review of some internal inconsistencies in their arguments and offer some of our thoughts on responding to 'Masonic Disinformation Propagandists'.


The repertoire of techniques is varied but most involve simple deceit. Common tactics are listed below.


Change the Subject Guilt by Association Using Different Standards If You Were ...Refuse to Answer Outright Lies Oft-Repeated Falsehoods Quibble over Semantics Faulty Logic Assumptive Positions Prove It! Straw Man Behave More Like a Christian or a Non "Stupid Athiest"


Change the Subject: In our daily lives, we generally experience a fairly straight path when we discuss things with others. We're not experienced with those who would deliberately mislead or misdirect. Thus, when this tactic of deceit is used, Non -Masons are caught off-guard. Assuming that the person with whom they're dealing has the same degree of honesty and integrity as themselves, it's a surprise to find that they're being led around in circles.


Guilt by Association: Those defending Masons and Masonry will point out human foibles or errors an individual critic of Masonry may have made as if somehow once a man becomes a "Anti" (as masons deceptively and derisively term those who question Masonic Disinformation tactics) , he loses all right to individual foibles . Because one person does a wrong, the argument goes, "Anti"-Masons are all guilty of it. What those Masonic Dissemblers fail to acknowledge is that there were also those with whom they have been associated in the past engaged in similar wrongs.


Using Different Standards: Masons will use any convenient argument to support their position. Despite the passage of decades (or even centuries), they'll readily apply 1850s or 1770s standards to those in the 1990s! Yes George Washington owned slaves and Albert Pike and Nathan Forest were in the KKK, but then so did everybody else ? Then obviously - so the argument goes - he was a very good Mason! It's convenient to use the political correctness of today to condemn critics of Masonry by branding them "Haters" as practiced professional dissemblers. Don't fall for this sometimes overlooked ploy.


"If You Were....": This presumptive position often taken creates an untenable position - which is exactly the way the Masonic Disinformation Propagandist wishes it. "If you were to hit your wife...." is not far from the question "When did you stop beating your wife?". Such innuendo should be recognized for what it is.


Refuse To Answer: In an attempt to understand the motives of "hatred", the Masonic supporter will often ask, "Why do you feel this way?" or "What religion do you belong to?", or "You're a Stupid Athiest aren't you?" hoping that the answers will somehow provide enlightenment into the rationale for the position the "Anti"-Mason is taking. As might be expected, those Masons who criticize those who want to 'tear down the walls of secrecy' they see in Masonry are often the most secretive themselves. Certainly, there's the exception who will even boast about certain parts of their lives, almost inviting the onlooker to become involved. In reality, though, they've done nothing more than to set a trap which they'll later use against others. "Why I even had some "Anti"-Mason show up at my door the other night. He had tracked me down and...."
Outright Lies: In our section on the categories of Masonic disinformation and propagansa activity, we identify several outright lies. This, however, does not stop them from being spread again and again.


Oft-Repeated Falsehoods: Sometimes when a charge is made, it's difficult to determine whether it's true or not. "Not all of the police who're 'on the take' in London are Masons." is an example seen recently. Of course, this presumes that the one making the statement knows not only the Masonic membership status of every London police officer but also all of those who engage in illegal activities. It should be clear to even the most cursory observer how foolish this is - but to those who use this tactic, it makes perfect sense. Further, perpetuation of such foolishness will surely occur at some later time ("I read somewhere that all of the critics of Freemasonry....").

Quibbling Over Semantics: This is a ploy of some who have engaged in these debates for a long period of time. One Masonic Disinformation Specialist from Maine, USA has frequently argued that he's not an "Anti" Mason Critic but rather "Anti" Mason Critical !!! and furthers this by saying that he specifically opposes the Scottish Rite of Freemasonry. When called an Masonic Propagandist and Disinformation Specialist , he'll protest loudly. In reality it's merely a technique he uses in order to give him further opportunity to expound his hatred (and also encourage the Non-Mason (who Masons derisively refer to as the "Profane" and "Cowans") to think that if only the question of language could be resolved, this person would change his position).


Faulty Logic: We see it often in the arguments which start with the wrong premise. For example: "All eggs are white. This round object is white and has all the properties of an egg. Therefore, this must be an egg." Wrong. You've forgotten (or perhaps don't know) that eggs come in brown also. It is an easy trap to fall into.


Assumptive Positions: One of the most common tactics used against those who critize Masonic Propagada and Disinformation Specialists is designed to provoke a response which ignores the false premise. "If a "Cowan" did (thus and so), what would you do?" Of course, any time a "Profane" violates a law, rule, or trust, we are all the lesser for it - and, being human, that sometimes happens. This argument, however, often makes wild and fanciful suppositions in order to provoke the reader/listener into drawing the conclusion that such things did/do indeed happen - and perhaps regularly.


"Prove It!": The reality is that negatives can rarely be proven but detractors ignore this, always looking for some other avenue to exploit. "Post all of the degree work right here and we'll see what it says...." goes a common challenge. Of course, regardless of what was posted, the Masonic Disinformation Specialist will find some fault, even if it's a spelling error - and then will proceed to make some particular issue out of that. ("See? Those stupid Cowans. They can't even spell!")

Straw Man: One very common tactic used by Masonic Disinformation and Propaganda Specialists is to put forth a 'Straw Man': one who claims to have 'seen the darkness' and now can explain to the world from the 'inside perspective' the many supposed problems with those who criticize Masons and Masonry. Most of these are readily seen as a total fraud (the supposed Mason who's now a 'minister' but is apparently too embarrassed to reveal his denominational affiliation or the person who claims to be a 'high ranking Church Official' who'll reveal all). To the unknowing, however, these pretenders are difficult to discern and can be very persuasive.

Behave More Like a Christian or a Non "Stupid Athiest": We've always found it ironic that those who believe Masonry to be so very right would use this argument. It seems, though, that whenever a Non-Mason has been goaded enough and lashes out at his tormentor, you frequently see the retort "That's not very Christian Behavior is it?", or "You're a Stupid Athiest aren't you?". Strange that in one breath they want us to abandon Christianity or our right not to "believe" but in the next, they remind us of the standards we set for ourselves and encourage us to act in accordance with them. Masonic Disinformation and Dissembling is pretty strange....
It's frustrating. A person who tries to follow the tenets of tolerance and truth assumes the best about his accuser and will believe that a clear presentation of facts will be sufficient to explain things. As you'll see as you question Masonry, however, not everything is what it seems - and if you're willing not to believe the Masonic rhetoric without proof from them, we trust that you'll find the evidence we provide - even more convincing.


Good luck and don't give up. Remember trained, experienced, Masonic disinformation, propaganda, dissembling, and hate specialists are clever. Be on your "due guard".
Masons angered by Associated Press Story: Masonic "Information" Center


A Comprehensive Listing of Masonic "Divert the Discourse" Gambits

1. Hear no evil, see no evil, speak no evil. Regardless of what you know, don't discuss it -- especially if you are a public figure or Lodge official. If it's not reported, it didn't happen, and you never have to deal with the issues.

2. Become incredulous and indignant. Avoid discussing key issues and instead focus on side issues which can be used show the topic as being critical of some otherwise sacrosanct group or theme. This is also known as the "How dare you!" gambit.

3. Create rumor mongers. Avoid discussing issues by describing all charges, regardless of venue or evidence, as mere rumors and wild accusations. Other derogatory terms mutually exclusive of truth may work as well. This method works especially well with a silent press, because the only way the public can learn of the facts are through such "arguable rumors". If you can associate the material with the Internet, use this fact to certify it a "wild rumor" which can have no basis in fact.

4. Use a straw man. Find or create a seeming element of your opponent's argument which you can easily knock down to make yourself look good and the opponent to look bad. Either make up an issue you may safely imply exists based on your interpretation of the opponent/opponent arguments/situation, or select the weakest aspect of the weakest charges. Amplify their significance and destroy them in a way which appears to debunk all the charges, real and fabricated alike, while actually avoiding discussion of the real issues.

5. Sidetrack opponents with name calling and ridicule. This is also known as the primary attack the messenger ploy, though other methods qualify as variants of that approach. Associate opponents with unpopular titles such as "kooks", "right-wing", "liberal", "left-wing", "terrorists", "conspiracy buffs", "radicals", "militia", "racists", "religious fanatics", "sexual deviates", and so forth. This makes others shrink from support out of fear of gaining the same label, and you avoid dealing with issues.

6. Hit and Run. In any public forum, make a brief attack of your opponent or the opponent position and then scamper off before an answer can be fielded, or simply ignore any answer. This works extremely well in Internet and letters-to -the-editor environments where a steady stream of new identities can be called upon without having to explain criticism reasoning -- simply make an accusation or other attack, never discussing issues, and never answering any subsequent response, for that would dignify the opponent's viewpoint.

7. Question motives. Twist or amplify any fact which could so taken to imply that the opponent operates out of a hidden personal agenda or other bias. This avoids discussing issues and forces the accuser on the defensive.

8. Invoke authority. Claim for yourself or associate yourself with authority and present your argument with enough "jargon" and "minutiae" to illustrate you are "one who knows", and simply say it isn't so without discussing issues or demonstrating concretely why or citing sources.
9. Play Dumb. No matter what evidence or logical argument is offered, avoid discussing issues with denial they have any credibility, make any sense, provide any proof, contain or make a point, have logic, or support a conclusion. Mix well for maximum effect.

10. Associate opponent charges with old news. A derivative of the straw man usually, in any large-scale matter of high visibility, someone will make charges early on which can be or were already easily dealt with. Where it can be foreseen, have your own side raise a straw man issue and have it dealt with early on as part of the initial contingency plans. Subsequent charges, regardless of validity or new ground uncovered, can usually them be associated with the original charge and dismissed as simply being a rehash without need to address current issues -- so much the better where the opponent is or was involved with the original source.

11. Establish and rely upon fall-back positions. Using a minor matter or element of the facts, take the "high road" and "confess" with candor that some innocent mistake, in hindsight, was made -- but that opponents have seized on the opportunity to blow it all out of proportion and imply greater criminalities which, "just isn't so." Others can reinforce this on your behalf, later. Done properly, this can garner sympathy and respect for "coming clean" and "owning up" to your mistakes without addressing more serious issues.

12. Enigmas have no solution. Drawing upon the overall umbrella of events surrounding the crime and the multitude of players and events, paint the entire affair as too complex to solve. This causes those otherwise following the matter to begin to loose interest more quickly without having to address the actual issues.

13. Alice in Wonderland Logic. Avoid discussion of the issues by reasoning backwards with an apparent deductive logic in a way that forbears any actual material fact.

14. Demand complete solutions. Avoid the issues by requiring opponents to solve the crime at hand completely, a ploy which works best for items qualifying for rule 10.

15. Fit the facts to alternate conclusions. This requires creative thinking unless the crime was planned with contingency conclusions in place.

16. Vanishing evidence and witnesses. If it does not exist, it is not fact, and you won't have to address the issue.

17. Change the subject. Usually in connection with one of the other ploys listed here, find a way to side-track the discussion with abrasive or controversial comments in hopes of turning attention to a new, more manageable topic. This works especially well with companions who can "argue" with you over the new topic and polarize the discussion arena in order to avoid discussing more key issues.

18. Emotionalize, Antagonize, and Goad Opponents. If you can't do anything else, chide and taunt your opponents and draw them into emotional responses which will tend to make them look foolish and overly motivated, and generally render their material somewhat less coherent. Not only will you avoid discussing the issues in the first instance, but even if their emotional response addresses the issue, you can further avoid the issues by then focusing on how "sensitive they are to criticism".

19. Ignore proof presented, demand impossible proofs. This is perhaps a variant of the "play dumb" rule. Regardless of what material may be presented by an opponent in public forums, claim the material irrelevant and demand proof that is impossible for the opponent to come by (it may exist, but not be at his disposal, or it may be something which is known to be safely destroyed or withheld, such as a murder weapon). In order to completely avoid discussing issues may require you to categorically deny and be critical of media or books as valid sources, deny that witnesses are acceptable, or even deny that statements made by government or other authorities have any meaning or relevance.

20. False evidence. Whenever possible, introduce new facts or clues designed and manufactured to conflict with opponent presentations as useful tools to neutralize sensitive issues or impede resolution. This works best when the crime was designed with contingencies for the purpose, and the facts cannot be easily separated from the fabrications.

21. Call a Grand Jury, Special Prosecutor, or other empowered investigative body. Subvert the (process) to your benefit and effectively neutralize all sensitive issues without open discussion. Once convened, the evidence and testimony are required to be secret when properly handled. For instance, if you own the prosecuting attorney, it can insure a Grand Jury hears no useful evidence and that the evidence is sealed an unavailable to subsequent investigators. Once a favorable verdict (usually, this technique is applied to find the guilty innocent, but it can also be used to obtain charges when seeking to frame a victim) is achieved, the matter can be considered officially closed.

22. Manufacture a new truth. Create your own expert(s), group(s), author(s), leader(s) or influence existing ones willing to forge new ground via scientific, investigative, or social research or testimony which concludes favorably. In this way, if you must actually address issues, you can do so authoritatively.

23. Create bigger distractions. If the above does not seem to be working to distract from sensitive issues, or to prevent unwanted media coverage of unstoppable events such as trials, create bigger news stories (or treat them as such) to distract the multitudes.

24. Silence critics. If the above methods do not prevail, consider removing opponents from circulation by some definitive solution so that the need to address issues is removed entirely. This can be by their death, arrest and detention, blackmail or destruction of their character by release of blackmail information, or merely by proper intimidation with blackmail or other threats.

25. Vanish. If you are a key holder of secrets or otherwise overly illuminated and you think the heat is getting too hot, to avoid the issues, vacate the kitchen.


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