The Geopolitical Ecology of Empire's Ally

Interview with Greg Albo GA and Jerome Klassen JK, published on The Bullet, Socialist Project’s E-Bulletin No. 923, by Jordy Cummings JC, January 3, 2014.

… JC: In terms of Canada’s and others’ efforts to “rebuild” the Afghan state, what hurdles have been faced, and how has Canada failed to manage and/or transcended such hurdles? If it is indeed possible to help Afghanistan, what can be done, not merely by the Canadian state, but by international assistance?   Continuer la lecture de « The Geopolitical Ecology of Empire's Ally »

Chance of a Century: International Investors Flock to Tehran, Part 1

Published on Spiegel Online International, by Susanne Koelbl, January 02, 2014 (Photo Gallery).

Since the West reached a landmark deal with Iran on its controversial nuclear program late last year, many Iranians are hoping for an end to sanctions. Western companies are also gearing up do big business … //

… Old Revolutionaries Are Skeptical:  Continuer la lecture de « Chance of a Century: International Investors Flock to Tehran, Part 1 »

The pseudo-legal arguments for a police state

Published on World Socialist Web Site WSWS, by Tom Carter, Dec 31, 2013.

US District Judge William H. Pauley’s ruling in the case of ACLU v. Clapper on December 27, which sanctions dragnet NSA surveillance of the telephone records of the entire country’s population, has immense significance for democratic rights.

Although it is written by a federal judge, it is not so much a legal opinion as it is a fascist-style polemic that advocates scrapping the US Constitution and implementing a police state. The fact that a federal judge makes such arguments is a significant indication of the extent to which a pro-dictatorship consensus has developed within the highest levels of the judicial system.   Continuer la lecture de « The pseudo-legal arguments for a police state »

The NSA Can Literally Watch Every Keystroke You Make

Watch this video-interview with Glenn Greenwald, 53.27 min, published on Democracy Now, by Ami Goodman, Dec 30, 2013:

The German publication Der Spiegel has revealed new details about a secretive hacking unit inside the National Security Agency called the Office of Tailored Access Operations, or TAO. The unit was created in 1997 to hack into global communications traffic. Hackers inside the TAO have developed a way to break into computers running Microsoft Windows by gaining passive access to machines when users report program crashes to Microsoft.   Continuer la lecture de « The NSA Can Literally Watch Every Keystroke You Make »

NSA's Secret Toolbox: Unit Offers Spy Gadgets for Every Need

Published on Spiegel Online International, by JACOB APPELBAUM, JUDITH HORCHERT, OLE REISSMANN, MARCEL ROSENBACH, JÖRG SCHINDLER AND CHRISTIAN STÖCKER, Dec 30, 2013 (Editor’s note: This is a sidebar to our main feature story on the NSA’s Tailored Access Operations unit. You can read the main text here).

The NSA has a secret unit that produces special equipment ranging from spyware for computers and cell phones to listening posts and USB sticks that work as bugging devices. Here are some excerpts from the intelligence agency’s own catalog.   Continuer la lecture de « NSA's Secret Toolbox: Unit Offers Spy Gadgets for Every Need »