An Open Letter to The Occupy Wall Street Movement: You Were Right All Along | DAILY KOS

Photo: Occupy Wall Street Facebook page

There is a vast total-information-awareness surveillance network made up of global corporations and subservient (captured) governments engaging in the systematic infiltration and suppression of social justice activist groups. Their main method of control is the implementation of divide-and-conquer strategies.  When it comes to activists, their approach is to apply these strategies to what they have defined as four distinct groups: Radicals, who see the system as corrupt are marginalized and discredited with character assassination techniques.  Realists, who can be convinced that real change is not possible.  Idealists, who can be convinced (through propaganda) that they have the facts wrong.  And Opportunists, who are in it for themselves and therefore can be easily co-opted.   These suppression strategies, revealed on Stratfor documents from the WikiLeaks “Global Intelligence Files" ("as a result of Jeremy Hammond’s December 2011 hack"),  were reported in a MintPress News article written by Steve Horn: "How To Win The Media War Against Grassroots Activists: Stratfor’s Strategies"

This image is a screenshot from a leaked Stratfor PowerPoint presentation about how to apply the divide-and-conquer strategy against environmental activists focused on the "Oil Sands Market."

When one takes the time to dig into many of the leaked documents as well as additional material becoming available as the result of Freedom of Information Act requests, one can't help but to marvel at the level of depravity exhibited by these global corporate spy networks in their single-minded quest for profit and power.

And that is why the non-hierarchical organizational approach the Occupy Wall Street movement embraced from the beginning was the right one all along.  As the movement reemerges with more strength and power than ever this year, the non-hierarchical leadership approach will be its biggest strength.

What I've been able to glean from examining multiple leaked and FOIA documents is that these corporate spy networks are obsessed with compiling very detailed dossiers of activists they've identified as leaders so they can then be categorized and profiled so the appropriate manipulation technique can be applied.

As many Occupy Wall Street activists know, the spying and infiltration the movement has been subjected to is very systematic and strategic, as reported by The Progressive in an article titled "Spying on Occupy Activists."  Here are some highlights from a report title "Dissent or Terror" (PDF) reviewed:

OVER THE LAST FEW YEARS, the Department of Homeland Security and local law enforcement officers have engaged in widespread domestic spying on Occupy Wall Street activists, among others, on the shaky premise that these activists pose a terrorist threat. Often, Homeland Security and other law enforcement agencies have coordinated with the private sector, working on behalf of, or in cooperation with, Wall Street firms and other companies the protesters have criticized.

- SNIP -

The anti-terrorist apparatus that the U.S. government established after 9/11 has now been turned against law-abiding citizens exercising their First Amendment rights. This apparatus consists not only of advanced surveillance technologies but also of “fusion centers” in state after state that coordinate the efforts of law enforcement up and down the line and collaborate with leading members of the private sector. Often, the work they do in the name of national security advances the interests of some of the largest corporations in America rather than focusing on protecting the United States from actual threats or attacks, such as the one at the Boston Marathon on April 15.

The emphasis is mine How well-integrated is this coordination?

There are two primary domestic public-private intelligence sharing partnerships at work at the federal level: Infragard and the Domestic Security Alliance Council (DSAC).

Infragard is a public-private intelligence sharing partnership managed by the FBI Cyber Division Public/Private Alliance Unit (PPAU). As described by the FBI, Infragard is an "association of businesses, academic institutions, state and local law enforcement agencies and other participants dedicated to sharing information and intelligence to prevent hostile acts against the United States." There are 86 Infragard chapters nationwide. These Infragard chapters serve as representatives of private sector "stakeholders" in the many of the nation's fusion centers.
DSAC is a public-private intelligence sharing partnership between the FBI, U.S. DHS I&A and several of the nation's leading corporate/financial interests. Some of these corporate/financial interests comprise the DSAC Leadership Board. The DSAC Leadership Board consists of 29 corporations and banks, including several entities that have been the subject of OWS protests/criticism. Corporate/financial interests active in the DSAC Leadership Board include: Bank of America, MasterCard, Citigroup, American Express, Barclays, RBS Citizens, 3M, Archer Daniels Midland, ConocoPhillips, Time Warner and Wal-Mart. Along with DSAC chairmen from the FBI and U.S. DHS I&A, DSAC is co-chaired by a representative of these private sector interests-- currently Grant Ashley, vice president of global security for pharmaceutical giant Merck & Co.
- "Dissent or Terror"
[The emphasis is mine]

And then, of course, there are the more nefarious and illegal spying and infiltration of social justice activist groups by shadowy corporate spy networks, according a recently published report:

One of the troubling aspects of recent corporate espionage against nonprofits is the use of current and former police, current government contractors, and former CIA, NSA, FBI, Secret Service and other law enforcement officers. Even active-duty CIA operatives are allowed to sell their expertise to the highest bidder, "a policy that gives financial firms and hedge funds access to the nation's top-level intelligence talent," writes Eamon Javers.  Little is known about the CIA's moonlighting policy, or which corporations have hired current CIA operatives...
~Snip~
Hiring former intelligence, military and law enforcement officials has its advantages.  First, these officials may be able to use their status as a shield.  For example, current law enforcement officials may be disinclined to investigate or prosecute former intelligence or law enforcement agents.  They may be more likely to get a "pass" because of their government services.  In effect, corporations are hiring "pass" and sometimes using it to conduct unethical or even illegal intelligence gathering against nonprofits.
[The emphasis is mine]

Another example of widespread corporate spying on activists are new revelations about how Bank of America uses social media "trolling" spy teams, as reported by PopularResistance.org: "Leaked Email Exposes Bank Of America's Social Media Spies"

Published by Washington state activist Andrew Hendricks, the email, dated September 23, 2013, details a conversation between Bank of American’s Global Corporate Security Vice President Kim Triplett-Kolerich, the Washington State Patrol (WSP) and one redacted recipient. Discussing the then upcoming Anonymous “Million Mask March” at the state’s capitol, Kolerich, who previously spent over 25 years in the Washington State Patrol, details the bank’s superior ability to track political groups.
“If you find any intel on Anarchists or Occupy Protesters please let me know – I will most likely find it first as Social Media trolling is not what the WSP does best,” Kolerich says. “Bank of America has a team of 20 people and that’s all they do all day and then pass it to us around the country!!”
Whether Kolerich is referring to a specific Washington state based team or the total number of paid “trolls” is unclear, though the possibility of multiple nationwide teams seems much more likely.

How personal can these proto-fascist actions by the government/corporate spy networks be?  Let's examine two examples of people targeted with character assassination and disinformation campaigns... Below is a screenshot of a leaked PowerPoint  presentation by  Palanir Technologies, HBGary  Federal, and Berico Technologies on "The WikiLeaks Threat."  Notice how eerie it is to see this type of dossier on their target, Julian Assange.  Also, keep in mind that these corporate spy organizations seem to be fully integrated with government agencies...

We live in the world that your propaganda made, but when you think you are strong, you are weak.  Your lies tell us the truth we will use against you. Your secrecy shows us where we will strike. Your weapons reveal your fear for all to see.  From Cairo to Quito a new order is forming.  The power of people armed with the truth. -- Julian Assange / Calle 13 multi-viral  >> http://www.dailykos.com/story/2014/01/03/1266850/-An-Open-Letter-to-The-Occupy-Wall-Street-Movement-You-Were-Right-All-Along

by Ray PensadorFollo