I'd like to initiate a discussion on DKos, about the role of clandestine government agencies in general. Being an avid reader of John LeCarre myself, and other espionage-type novelists as well, I am fascinated by this demi-monde of people who live apparently, beyond the reach of civil law. I'd like to shed some light in there. Even if it only be the light of discussion, or speculation, or hearsay.
At DKos we have Larry Johnson, a dear liberal and passionate supporter of Ms. Clinton -- but beyond him, we have little access to the inner workings of what America's clandestine networks actually are. We don't really have much of a clue.
OK so what exactly is the CIA's budget? Anybody got a figure on that? And what legally, are the parameters of the CIA's theater of operations? Not to mention the activities of NSA spies, and a half-dozen other para-legal snooping organizations, which operate beyond any known law.
So what does privacy mean actually, in the internet age? And is there any such thing as privileged information? What, at this time in history, is the meaning of private communication? How much protection does it have? How much SHOULD it have?
It seems to me these are questions that are paramount for any liberal discussion, and I am dismayed to see them mostly ignored at this forum. Please dear Kossacks, gimme some feedback here.
We all have our secrets, and there's no reason our government shouldn't have its own secrets too. Right? Or not right? Does the general public really CARE all that much, exactly who killed JFK? Apparently they don't.
Does DKos really CARE all that much, exactly how and why 9/11 happened? Apparently not. Water under the bridge, and all that rot. Better to focus on whether Hillary or Barak is the new champion.