Today's Article
'A Top Secret America
[now exists] hidden
from public view and
lacking in thorough
oversight,' states a
two-year study from
The Washington Post.
[now exists] hidden
from public view and
lacking in thorough
oversight,' states a
two-year study from
The Washington Post.
The American Spark
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'Top Secret America' Growing Beyond Control
By Cliff Montgomery - July 19th, 2010
A massive and largely unaccountable spy network created by the U.S. government shortly after 9/11 now is so
huge that it may be impossible to determine its usefulness, according to a two-year study from The
Washington Post.
"The top-secret world the government created in response to the terrorist attacks of Sept. 11, 2001, has
become so large, so unwieldy and so secretive," states a summary from the Post's online multimedia
presentation of the investigation, "that no one knows how much money it costs, how many people it employs,
[or] how many programs exist within it."
The Post adds that its investigation has helped to expose "a Top Secret America hidden from public view and
lacking in thorough oversight.
"After nine years of unprecedented spending and growth," states the Post summary, "the result is that the
system put in place to keep the United States safe is so massive that its effectiveness is impossible to
determine."
Among other issues, the Post investigation revealed that the intelligence experts who analyze all this data
obtained through spying and other methods "share their judgment by publishing 50,000 intelligence reports
each year - a volume so large that many are routinely ignored."
"In the Department of Defense, where more than two-thirds of the intelligence programs reside, only a handful
of senior officials"--routinely referred to as Super Users--"have the ability to even know about all the
department's activities," according to the Post summary.
"I'm not going to live long enough to be briefed on everything" one so-called 'Super User' told the Post.
Another recalled for the newspaper the experience of his first Super User briefing. The man was brought into a
cramped, dark room, put before a small table and was told he could not take notes on what he was about to
see.
A tidal wave of information flashed on a video screen in quick succession--so much that this increasingly
frustrated individual had little choice but to yell ''Stop!" to those feeding him the rivers of data.
Like what you're reading so far? Then why not order a full year (52 issues) of The American Spark
e-newsletter for only $15? A major article covering an story not being told in the Corporate Press will be
delivered to your email every Monday morning for a full year, for less than 30 cents an issue. Order Now!
By Cliff Montgomery - July 19th, 2010
A massive and largely unaccountable spy network created by the U.S. government shortly after 9/11 now is so
huge that it may be impossible to determine its usefulness, according to a two-year study from The
Washington Post.
"The top-secret world the government created in response to the terrorist attacks of Sept. 11, 2001, has
become so large, so unwieldy and so secretive," states a summary from the Post's online multimedia
presentation of the investigation, "that no one knows how much money it costs, how many people it employs,
[or] how many programs exist within it."
The Post adds that its investigation has helped to expose "a Top Secret America hidden from public view and
lacking in thorough oversight.
"After nine years of unprecedented spending and growth," states the Post summary, "the result is that the
system put in place to keep the United States safe is so massive that its effectiveness is impossible to
determine."
Among other issues, the Post investigation revealed that the intelligence experts who analyze all this data
obtained through spying and other methods "share their judgment by publishing 50,000 intelligence reports
each year - a volume so large that many are routinely ignored."
"In the Department of Defense, where more than two-thirds of the intelligence programs reside, only a handful
of senior officials"--routinely referred to as Super Users--"have the ability to even know about all the
department's activities," according to the Post summary.
"I'm not going to live long enough to be briefed on everything" one so-called 'Super User' told the Post.
Another recalled for the newspaper the experience of his first Super User briefing. The man was brought into a
cramped, dark room, put before a small table and was told he could not take notes on what he was about to
see.
A tidal wave of information flashed on a video screen in quick succession--so much that this increasingly
frustrated individual had little choice but to yell ''Stop!" to those feeding him the rivers of data.
Like what you're reading so far? Then why not order a full year (52 issues) of The American Spark
e-newsletter for only $15? A major article covering an story not being told in the Corporate Press will be
delivered to your email every Monday morning for a full year, for less than 30 cents an issue. Order Now!
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