The things they want you to know
The Short Version
The Central Intelligence Agency released a new set of rules and guidelines yesterday that detail exactly what kinds of information they are allowed to collect on American citizens and how long they are allowed to keep it. This is the first time the agency has published the full set of rules without redactions. The rules have been updated for contemporary digital information sources.
A Little More Detail
We all want to know when the CIA is gathering information on us, don’t we? In fact, the agency is typically focused on foreign interests rather than domestic. Domestic issues are the responsibility of the Federal Bureau of Investigation. However, there are instances, such as when a US citizen might be responsible for passing protected or top secret information to a foreign source, when the CIA is allowed to collect data and analyze that data over a period of time.
The whole issue of what the CIA collects and why came to a head back in 2013 when Edward Snowden leaked information showing that the National Security Administration had been collecting and storing communications data on Americans without their knowledge or permission. That upset a lot of people and as a result, Congress passed a resolution requiring the intelligence agencies to develop new rules within two years.
What was released yesterday was the CIA’s response to that requirement and the changes are significant. The last time the rules were updated was 1982, long before the Internet or cell phones or Facebook gave us ways of communicating internationally in real time. One of the big issues is how long the agency can hold on to information for analysis and with whom that information can be shared, something that is an especially sensitive issue for civil rights advocates.
Unlike the 1982 rules, which were released with heavy redactions, the new rules were published in whole and are completely open to the world. A summary of the rules can be found here while the full detail of all the rules can found here.
What All Is Covered
We should probably note first that these rules can be changed at any time for pretty much any reason and that the public does not have to be notified of those changes. Also, the changes do not cover covert operations or special assignments authorized by the Department of Justice or the Attorney General. That being said, here are some of the major topics covered under the new rules:
- Collection of information, including techniques and sorting
- Handling of unevaluated information
- Retention of information concerning US persons
- Participation in organizations in the US
- Compliance and oversight
- Lots and lots of exceptions
Of course, the incoming administration could change, adjust, or eliminate any of these rules, but doing so would largely be seen as undermining the public’s faith in the agency.
Wednesday, February 5, 2025
Life In The Stupid Lane.
The shock on the faces of White House Chief of Staff Suzie Wiles and Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu let everyone know: Felonious Punk did not discuss the takeover of Gaza before opening his mouth. Everyone in the room was shocked. Allies and adversaries both quickly rejected the idea like they did the first time Punk made the suggestion. For Palestinian people, however, his statement has a horrible sense of deja vu. It was a mass expulsion in 1948 that created the Jewish-dominated country of Israel. The move was wrong then, and it’s just as wrong now. But then, right and wrong don’t seem to matter to this administration.
In a move that surprises no one, the administration pulled almost all USAID workers off the job worldwide. Aid for Palestinian refugees was completely eliminated. Funding for the mission attempting to reign in Haiti’s gangs has been zeroed out. The net effect is likely to be a higher level of global chaos as competing anti-government groups worldwide ramp up acts of terror in an attempt to gain control. The solution that Felonious Punk is likely to propose is that the US simply take over all the problem areas.
All of them. Forcefully if necessary. The international community is worried. Some say such moves violate international law, and they’re probably correct. But then, many of the administration’s domestic moves are illegal as well but that’s not stopping them. We are being governed by a group of self-serving billionaire thugs. Nothing is going to get better until we find an effective way to fight back.
One of the most stupid moves made in the past twenty-four hours was essentially firing almost everyone in the CIA. Technically, the entire staff was offered contract buyouts. Either way, the results are the same: we lose our eyes and ears around the world. Assets that have prevented untold disasters will be gone. There will be no one protecting US interests, nor the rule of law, anywhere in the world. Who benefits? Terrorists. Without the CIA on the ground, there’s damn near no one left to stop them. We are likely to be attacked both at home and abroad. We are inherently weaker now than we were yesterday.
Don’t think all this isn’t going to affect folks at home as well. Several Head Start preschools may need to close temporarily because they’ve been locked out of their federal funding. Good luck finding someone to watch the kids while you go to work, parents! And those of you who regularly shop Temu and/or Shein will want to know that the US Postal Service suspended inbound parcels from China and Hong Kong. It doesn’t matter that you’ve already paid for the goods. They’re now stuck for an unknown period of time, perhaps permanently. The same is likely to apply for some purchases made on Amazon if the origin point is either China or Hong Kong. Fast fashion, laptops and toys are likely to cost more due to US tariffs on Chinese imports. These are the things that are going to hit your pocketbook now.
What are we going to do? Yeah, I know protests are planned for today in all 50 states. They are occurring in every state’s capitol at noon, local times. I had planned on attending the one here, but I’ll be sitting in my oncologist’s office instead. Freezing rain forecast for much of the Midwest is likely to dampen attendence numbers as well. Protests are nice and all, but when faced with a person who brazenly defies laws, are protests enough? We’ve seen politicians stand in front of microphones, but none of them are having any success actually stopping any of Punk’s actions. We need a forceful plan that hits back at the administration with all the fear and furry they’ve put on us the past two weeks.
I have my moments of doubt. As G was getting ready for school this morning, I had him double check to make sure he had his house key with him. While I should be back from the doctor before he gets home, there are no guarantees even for the simple things anymore. G and I had an interesting conversation about the advantages of attending both trade school and college, given the uncertainty of the future. He’s thinking in the right direction, but part of me wonders if there’s any amount of education in any field that is going to adequately prepapre our kids for the future being dumped on them. Both will, presumably, graduate high school before the next presidential election. I don’t know how to advise them anymore. I can’t promise them anything will be left. I can’t guarantee that options available today will still be available when they graduate. Nothing is certain.
As much as I’d love to have grandchildren, I’d hate to encourage anyone to bring a child into this mess. A dear friend recently had a beautiful baby girl and I know that she’ll do everything within her power to protect that child and raise her well, but what options will she have? Will education still exist in the forms with which we are accustomed? Will appropriate pediatric medical care be available and affordable during her formative years? Could food and clothing be a challenge? This isn’t a first-time mom. She has resources. She knows what she’s doing. Still, raising this child could be dramatically different from her older siblings.
With all the different rumors and arguments I’m seeing and hearing, I have little hope for anyone forming a ‘well regulated militia’ capable of fighting back against the government with any real force. In fact, that line in the Second Amendment is practically useless in our current situation.
No matter what, we must resist.
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