He oughta know
by digby
Reading the FBI file on SCLC & myself, I am more convinced than ever that we cannot allow government surveillance. pic.twitter.com/EeLPj6Yrxm— John Lewis (@repjohnlewis) May 15, 2015
Unless you truly believe that the government was full of “bad guys” back then and is only staffed with “good guys” now, you’ll understand exactly what Lewis is talking about.
Friendly reminder about those “good guys”:
The FBI breached its own internal rules when it spied on campaigners against the Keystone XL pipeline, failing to get approval before it cultivated informants and opened files on individuals protesting against the construction of the pipeline in Texas, documents reveal.
Internal agency documents show for the first time how FBI agents have been closely monitoring anti-Keystone activists, in violation of guidelines designed to prevent the agency from becoming unduly involved in sensitive political issues.
The hugely contentious Keystone XL pipeline, which is awaiting approval from the Obama administration, would transport tar sands oil from Canada to the Texas Gulf coast.
It has been strongly opposed for years by a coalition of environmental groups, including some involved in nonviolent civil disobedience who have been monitored by federal law enforcement agencies.
The documents reveal that one FBI investigation, run from its Houston field office, amounted to “substantial non-compliance” of Department of Justice rules that govern how the agency should handle sensitive matters.
Yes, “the system worked”. After the fact, the DOJ looked into this and found that they weren’t following the rules. How nice.
And keep in mind what the rationale for this was:
“Many of these extremists believe the debates over pollution, protection of wildlife, safety, and property rights have been overshadowed by the promise of jobs and cheaper oil prices,” the FBI document states. “The Keystone pipeline, as part of the oil and natural gas industry, is vital to the security and economy of the United States.”
They’re not the first to make that point. Surely that has also motivated some of our various wars in the middle east.
Perhaps Ann Coulter put it best when she spoke to the Carnegie Endowment for Peace in 2011:
“Of course we should go to war for oil,” Coulter told an audience of gray-suited national security analysts, speaking in a room decorated with portraits in gilded frames. “It’s like saying, you’re going to war just for oxygen, just for food. We need oil. That’s a good reason to go to war.”
And with that you can justify just about any war you want. And if you can do that, surely a little domestic spying on “environmental extremists” is no big deal. Our very existence is at stake!
They can always find a reason. John Lewis was commie, dontcha know.
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