Top Secret America! Washington Post Just released

Originally posted by activeSeven
So as you can see, the number of 845,000 people is bloated, but most of all, it's misleading because over 90% of those people need the clearance just to walk in the door to get to work, it DOES NOT mean that they are exposed to secret/top secret information.

I can back up that as fact from my own personal experience, even though my experience is about 20 years out of date...When I was in the Navy, my job was to maintain/repair the computer-based data processing systems that were gathering realtime intelligence. I had to have security clearance because I merely had access to look at the data & determine if the computers were processing it correctly. However, it was up to another job-rating to analyze the raw data into usable form...In essence, the data I saw, I had no idea how to read it!

Also, we had contracted the care of our building's main power supply distribution systems to AT&T...Not for any kind of gathering/analysis work, but just to keep up with the main power distribution panels (My rate included the power distribution for individual systems, but AT&T handled it for the whole building). Of course, they never had access to any of the data or results of the analysis, but they still had to have security clearance just to work inside the facility where any data was available for viewing.

Them & about 2-dozen civilians (who never had access to any of the technical areas) handled the administrative office work associated with the officers. they didn't have to have clearance because they couldn't get into the security areas, only the administrative offices...They had to have cleared a background check, but they weren't issued any official clearance & gobble up the entire economy right out from under us.

After all, no job in the government actually contributes anything for the economy...It has to suck the money out of the economy in order to function. That's why their "employment" & "economic" calculations are so badly skewed...They add government jobs to their overall employment/economic calculations when they tell us that the economy is "improving!"

But even considering that the overall number of security clearances is bloated under these circumstances, it just goes to show that the government is seeking to overwhelm the whole nation under their power-mongering control over society.

Originally posted by twohawks
Secondly I'd like to add that I recently met one of these private security contractors who also has ties with the DOD and other agencies. I have to assume that as an individual with ties to different agencies he was counted more than once. Whether he receives more than one pay check or not remains to be seen.

I would say that it seems likely...After all, "our" Congressional Officers get bonuses to their paychecks according to how many "committees" they can add to their legislative duties. If they can get more paycheck for multiple duties, I have little doubt that these Executive Branch agents could too. But we also can't forget that there's more to their paychecks than the numbers on them...There's also the whole range of benefits (medical/dental/retirement/etc ad nauseum) that go along in addition to those paychecks. All in all, when you consider that their paychecks aren't being used to pay for those government-provided bennies, their "take home pay" still adds up to something higher than what many of We the People can get from working in the private sector.

Originally posted by twohawks
I believe it's no longer the citizenry they wish to protect but rather there own arses!

I'd say "amen to that!" because what other use do they have for having an entire category of security classification defined as the kind of info that could prove "embarassing?" And what other use but to cover up evidence of actual CRIMES would the Executive Branch use for "Executive Privilege", or the so-called "Sovereign Immunity" & even the SCOTUS telling us Citizens that we have "no standing" to tell them what they CAN'T do?

Excuse me, but I thought their adherence to the Oath of Office UNDER the Constitution establishes that We the People are Sovereign OVER the government! Any Sovereign Immunity that Federal Officers may possess can only be applied as regards to foreign nations, not the People of their own nation!

Originally posted by hdutton
With these numbers in mind, I can't help but wonder:
Who authorized their formation?
Who authorized their budgets?
Who hired all the people who do the work?
How much do the get paid?

If we knew the answers to these questions, maybe we could figure out how we can to lower the deficet and pay long term unemployment benefits.

Look no further than your elected Congressional Officers (this, of course, depends on how much faith you have in those election systems)...By the Constitution, they hold the purse-strings. However, when you also add in how much the courts make by proscecuting "no-victim crimes" on the public, you might be able to imagine a whole 'nother can of worms that help with funding. Is it any wonder that the USA has a higher per capita prison population than any other nation in the world?

Having mentioned the election systems, here's a bit that concerns the history of elections for Congress: Before the 17th Amendment, Representatives were elected by the People, but Senators were elected by the State Legislature. This means that the ratification of the 17th Amendment, while it does not overrule, alter or nullify Article 4, Section 4, it stands as a direct violation of the Constitutional guarantee of a Republican (ie: representative) form of government! The States are still being taxed but lost their representation in the federal government! Has it really been only myself who has noticed this? I've never heard of it in this way before, but figured it out only a few days ago! This means that the sitting Congress at that time violated Due Process of legislative Powers enumerated in the Constitution...Meaning that the 17th Amendment was never valid, ratification votes or not! It also means that every sitting Congress since then has been "acting as accomplice" to that very same crime & should be dealt with according to the Due Process of Law!

Originally posted by VitriolAndAngst
The "Ministry of Truth" -- a few brilliant psychopaths riding herd over a gaggle of Yes Men.

Personally, I think the term "sociopath" would be a better description...They purposefully isolate themselves from human society & commit hateful/spiteful damage to the very same society they isolate from. For being named as the "Ministry of Truth," I'd say they're the ones living most deeply in a lie.

Even so, it seems less than 2 years since I've been under the impression of how much like the rest of the left-wingnut MSM that Washington Post used to be...Especially within just the past few months, I'd been noticing how WP has been gradually turning around. I think it's about time I offered a congratulations for them to finally find their cajones in this manner.

Originally posted by StarrGazer25
reply to post by freighttrain

 

Ya I am watching the news now on it now on the ED SHOW! HAHA...funny that many people have top secret clearance... things can get intresting in the next 20 years... Thats going to make for alot of whistle blowers all with the same knowledge!! The skeptics wont be able to deny things anymore once this batch starts to spew!! LOL

Everything is compartmentalized, it doesn't matter that over 800K people have TS clearances. I have a TS/SCI clearance but haven't accessed SCI intel in over five years. I haven't even accessed TS info in probably as long. Alot of the time the level of clearance a person has is just relevant to the level of damage they can do with the access that they have, not to the type of information that they can access.

I have admin accounts on DOD systems which is why I still have a TS clearance. I couldn't access TS or SCI information though if I wanted to. Well maybe if I wanted to REALLY bad, but not as it stands.

Jaden

Originally posted by VitriolAndAngst
I'm hearing the figure around 800,000 with Top Security clearance in this gaggle.

That's about the number on the "terror watch list".

Only takes one with a Jesus Inc. complex and a cause to mess up the whole works.

Just the sheer size and weight of this many morons with a badge is bound to be trouble -- and as one poster said; "A million or more to investigate someone for clearance." So that would be about $800000000000000 a year for security clearance? OK, that can't be right.

It's not right, it costs about 60-70K to investigate a TS/SCI clearance, or actually more technically correct an SSBI or single scope background investigation. This can be for anywhere from secret to full scope poly.

Technically a TS/SCI clearance is the highest clearance, if you have had a full scope/lifestyle poly, then you qualify for access to anything there is (if you have a need to know)

If there is a good chance (based on your job title) that you will need to access SCI information, they will go ahead and pay for the TS/SCI SSBI clearance because it is cheaper in the long run.

If you never have need to access SCI or TS information, you will NEVER access it whether you have a clearance or not.

If you need access to SCI intel, you will be "read into" the program that you need access to. The only person who has access to ALL programs is the DCI.

Then when you no longer require access to that intel, you will be read out of that program and essentially need to "forget" anything you learned while having access to that program.

I have been read into programs that I can't even tell you the name of. I have had access to sci systems that I can't even repeat the name of or the function.

Most of what makes something classified has nothing to do with what you would think. A photograph of a license plate could be classified SCI, and you could see the photograph all day long without so much as a credit check so long as you don't know the source of the photo or the system that took it.

Your average person, even if they have a high clearance, doesn't have a clue how the classification system works. The fact that 800K people have TS clearances doesn't mean anything without qualifying data that you and I don't have and will NEVER have.

Jaden

[edit on 20-7-2010 by Masterjaden]

Originally posted by texas thinker
I just saw this posted on Yahoo, by Washington Post. A two year investigation! Perhaps there may be a little real journalism left after all.
854,000 Top Secret Clearances? How the hell can anything that needs to be secret be safe from our enemies? That is amazing. I cannot begin to imagine the cost. Let's see, those 854.000 employees alone, let's say make 100K annual on average (probably way way more) that would be 85,400,000,000 if my math is right? Eighty Five billion estimated salary just for those guys? Holy Crap! That's our money folks! I know that's just a wild guess but can't be too far off. Great Story. S&F

Take that number down to about 25% of that and you'd be closer to the truth. The majority of those positions are low level military intelligence or low level military who function as repair techs on TS classified systems and equipment.

There are not 800K spies running around the US making 6 figure salaries.

Jaden

reply to post by activeSeven


Yes the building has the clearance level. high classified areas are referred to as SCIFs. Almost all scifs however can be accessed by non cleared persons, such as cleaning personnel, the areas have to be scrubbed of all classified materials first and the non cleared personnel have to be escorted at ALL times.

Classified areas will usually have a red blinking light to denote when non cleared persons have access to prevent personnel with access to classified systems or material from accidentally leaving something out with uncleared persons inside.

Jaden

[edit on 20-7-2010 by Masterjaden]

reply to post by Masterjaden


Your $70K figure sounds a LOT more realistic.

What you describe about "need to know" and compartmentalization -- that to me is exactly how I pictured it and that is the BIGGER problem here.

When we got "intelligence" explaining the collapse of the WTC -- it was from just such a compartmentalized system at the NSD (if I've got the right department -- kind of busy at the moment). Anyway, people can say something that concerns THEIR particular aspect of speciality, and it becomes credibility on the intel.

The Director -- the person with the "big picture" and the most likely political appointment crony who cares only for his agenda and not his citizens, can then manipulate everything.

If 10,000 people got the "big picture" of top secret information -- that's a security risk for leaks to other countries -- but it's a LOT BETTER to stop abuse of the cronies who end up running these agencies.

Whistleblower Sibel Edmonds, talked about Dennis Hastert working for Turkey when she translated Turkish security documents. She reported it and the FBI and higher ups did nothing. They act more like they have something to hide.

Today, Dennis Hastert works as a consultant for Turkey -- so it's not too big a stretch.



>> The REALITY I think we have in this nation -- is dedicated and professional life-time bureaucrats who are well trained and intelligent -- but ALL compartmentalized. All overseen by totally corrupt, extorted, and working for their own agenda sociopaths who got put in a position of oversight because they are loyal to someone else who has power and influence.


This huge security apparatus without a known budget, function and with no light of day on it is a bigger security risk than anything it hopes to stop.

And our bloated, corrupt Pentagon is a security risk, because if we dare to reduce their budget, for the "sake of the nation" they'll have to do something really secret and of course it will be a false flag -- but the needs of the few, outweigh our need for truth. And they will get their bigger budget and "secure us" from they many people they make hate us.


I cannot think of our "security services" and not think about all the latin American countries that have been subverted for the sake of some corporate bottom line. Do we get anything out of BP getting back into Iraq and paying almost nothing for the Oil? How many American jobs does that make? Let alone the stain it puts on what American's THINK this country is all about.

If we really wanted to end security threats we would do three things;
1) Uphold the rule of law and Constitution.
2) Protect the rights of everyone we come in contact with as if they were our citizens.
3) Innovate and promote the general welfare instead of undermining countries so that they can be the spoils of a well connected few.


If there were an "ENEMY" we had to worry about, then having GM set up weapons production or all the Nuclear secrets the CIA spooned out to A Q Kahn, oh and letting a Multinational corporation kill an Ocean -- I don't think "Security" means much more than "Line your pockets and be unaccountable."

The greatest security threat right now is unfettered corruption and consumption eating up the resources of the planet. And OUR security agencies work for Corporate Robber Barons who are part of the problem. And anyone with a conscience -- doesn't have the "need to know" in order to put a stop on the Director who is enabling it.

Originally posted by conar
Hurray for Washington Post!

Yes, lets all run and embrace the scum who have been violating the truth for decades.

I find it a bit much to swallow - this is simply going to be a ploy to regain trust in their filthy lie factories, it will amount to nothing while the owners sit at the helm of these sources.

I just read the article - what a pile of garbage. It is a thinly disguised attempt to make the CIA look like a wonderful, hard working bunch of people that is understaffed. "They have too many contractprs." Implied meaning? They need more permanent staff - they need a bigger budget.

What a pile of drivel - hard hitting crap my a--.

[edit on 20-7-2010 by Amagnon]

makes me wonder why MSM is running stories like this, guess its just my paranoia but i always think there are alternative motives to MSM reporting conspiracy related news.

reply to post by Zmurfix

Isn´t this proof that 911 was NOT inside job? Why to spent so much money on protection if you know you did it.

No, it isn't proof of anything, frankly. Considering this is the Washington Post, I have to wonder if something else is going on here. I'd be interested to see proof that all these agencies exist. We probably won't get that. If they do exist, many of them are probably nothing more than fronts for some other kind of activity geared toward making the U.S. part of the NAU.

If there are that many intelligence and counter-terrorism agencies, how can they explain not capturing Bin Laden (I know he's dead, I'm just sayin....), why are we not victorious on many levels with this terrorism b.s.? Why are we still seeing failed bombing attempts by alleged terrorists? To me, the latter circumstances tell me there's no question who did 9/11.

Thoery:

The influx of security clearances are actually evacuation passes for the oncoming apocalypse.

People are chosen because they passed the stringent background checks, educational background and genetic diversity.

People will be flown to underground bases like Denver airport. These people will help repopulate the world.

reply to post by galactictuan

This is HUGE indeed! ET Disclosure can't be far off!

Wow! If I had a dime for every time I've heard that statement here on ATS... and yet, here we still sit waiting...

reply to post by eammon

People will be flown to underground bases like Denver airport. These people will help repopulate the world.

LOL! I'm just curious why you picked Denver airport? You mean the people with security clearance are being assigned the job of procreating to repopulate? Get out! I don't remember seeing a job announcement from the government requesting applicants for this position! This is discrimination in the highest form! I'm calling my congressman...

reply to post by Masterjaden

Your average person, even if they have a high clearance, doesn't have a clue how the classification system works. The fact that 800K people have TS clearances doesn't mean anything without qualifying data that you and I don't have and will NEVER have.

Jaden, your post is appreciated. It's always good when someone sheds light on a topic that most of us don't really have too much knowledge about.

The video has literally blown my mind, so there's like a secret city underneath? Scary.

Zmerfix - Take the TSA for example. Post 9/11 spending boomed off the charts. The public was convinced this was a necessity; otherwise the public would have been hesitant to fly. But stop and think this through...this is not reality. Reality is that if a terrorist wants to drop a plane they can. We are fooled by the amount of money and security personnel it stations; it provides a false sense of security into our routine journeys homeland and abroad.

Also, you don't need a security clearance to have security information. There are many spouses, attorneys, accountants, contractors, bankers, delivery personnel who witness breaches. I witnessed such a breach and reported it. Nothing has yet been done.

It's like speeding on down the highway. What percent of speeders get ticketed? Same for white collar crime...all crimes. What percent gets caught? What percent of incidents get reported? Take a look at the Most Wanted List; while I haven't crunched the numbers, I would bet the percentages of arrest and convictions per capita are not much different than centuries past.

It's Economics meets the Global potential of eye-witness blogging, and amateur videographers. More and more, each passing day, I see first hand credible news on Youtube. Perhaps society will one day be it's own non- salaried watchdog, and top government security will be given pink slips and replaced by ordinary concerned citizens.

Strategically, the elite is making a huge mistake by allowing such a wide access to high-level clearance. The government can work only with the highest centralization of information, to decentralize it through corporate merging is very dangerous for their power structure, since corporate employees are less accountable an tightly controlled and have seemingly crappier working conditions.

Moreover there isn't the whole "patriot" thing going on in corporations like you can have in the CIA and NSA, that involves the pride of serving your country rather than some nonsense, faceless corporate entity...

They are really screwing it up with this.

i posted it at posted on 19-7-2010 @ 05:22 PM
Media exposes US intelligence Flaws / Canadian Boarder Sercurity since 911
www.abovetopsecret.com...


but unfortunately i did not use Top Secret America in the Head lines and i put it in the Wrong Forum LOL as other threads ive posted failed






[edit on 21-7-2010 by Wolfenz]

Even Intellipedia has to many people using it.

As of April 2009, the overall Intellipedia project hosts 900,000 pages edited by 100,000 users, with 5,000 page edits per day.




www.intelink.gov...

Diplopedia has less.

By February 2010, the wiki had grown to 10,000 articles by over 2,000 contributors.




www.state.gov...

DoDTechipedia Unknown?



www.dtic.mil...

Bureaupedia for the FBI ?





[edit on 21-7-2010 by JBA2848]

You know, out of all government entities that have secrecy around them, I would think that this article would mention NASA. I couldn't find it in the lists at all. Maybe it's one of the ones classified in the "Unknown" area. I also wonder if they looked into the Majestic 12 at all, either proving it to be real or just a smokescreen. This is VERY good that this is really starting to be exposed. VERY good.

It's going to be rough and possibly violent, on their part, but at least disclosure is seeping out. I'm glad this article was released. NOW, let's question the frak out of it and try to prove it true or another smokescreen by the CIA's favorite news group.

Originally posted by VitriolAndAngst


This is HOW you take over a nation; put people into awesome jobs they can get nowhere else, and then bribe and extort them for whatever you catch them doing. They can't keep up the good life without you and you can ruin them with what you know; THEY ARE YOURS.

The people ..... likely are only useful because they will do whatever is asked of them -- they have no ethics, no backbone and "security" is just so they can't get caught.

Throw in a few blood oaths and secret recognition handshakes and you have a good grasp of how the brotherhood network operates. Loyalty oaths are always required to join. The Brotherhood network is vast....sororities, fraternities, professional associations, religions, cults, ....they are all cogs in the wheels of this god's carriage.