Exclusive: ‘The Fourth Estate is dead,’ former CIA analyst declares

[yourout]

<http://www.rawstory.com/rs/2010/12/former-cia-intelligence-analyst-fourth-estate-is-dead/>

The Empire' is 'being threatened by a slingshot in the form of a computer'

RayMcGovern Exclusive: The Fourth Estate is dead, former CIA analyst declares Traditional lines of communication between the people and the press have fallen into such disrepair in America that a whole new approach is necessary to challenge the military-industrial-governmental complex, according to a former CIA analyst sympathetic to WikiLeaks....

McGovern, a CIA analyst for 27 years, whose duties included preparing and briefing the President's Daily Brief and chairing National Intelligence Estimates, said that he preferred to focus on the First Amendment battle of WikiLeaks' founder Julian Assange than on the current "cyber war" in which WikiLeaks is embroiled....

McGovern said that modern people can now become informed through what he termed "The Fifth Estate."
"Luckily, there is a Fifth Estate," he said. "The Fifth Estate exists in the ether. It’s not susceptible of government, of corporations, or advertisers or military control. It’s free. That is very dangerous to people who like to make secrets and to make secret operational things. It’s a huge threat. And the Empire – the Goliath here – is being threatened by a slingshot in the form of a computer and a stone through these emissions thrown into the ether to our own computers."....

[BlueCaliDem]

1. The Fifth Estate. I LIKE it! Yes, the internets is not susceptible to corporate rule

and influence which usually benefits the Republicans who are lackeys for corporations.

Instead, we have the internet, and there's no way they can control that unless they can get all American corporations to lockdown Google, Yahoo, Bling, LiveSearch, Dogpile, etc, etc. Or, they can control us via our internet access, such as Charter Comm or Verizon, or Time Warner Cable, which would really piss me off.

Come to think of it ... wasn't that what that Net Neutrality bill all about? Controlling how we access the internet?

[yourout]

2. The time is rapidly approaching were we the people may have to form our own wireless underground....

internet of sorts.

It will not be long before the big corporations are able to effectivley block access to those they don't want on the web.

[formercia]

8. Wireless BBS

using point to pint links and open hotspots. The concept has already been proven. I'd bet some HAMS would know all about setting one up.

For those who are not familiar with the term BBS, it refers to Bulletin Board networks that were popular before direct access to the Internet was available. One would dial in using a phone Modem and be linked to the Internet via Telnet. This was before the World Wide Web Intelligence Gathering Network became 'popular.'

[juajen]

3. Have you heard the Net Neutrality speech by HRC?

It was terrific.

[tblue37]

12. Unless, of course, they institute a kill switch so the imperial president can shut it down. nt

[progressoid]

4. Look for our govt to find ways to tighten the grip on this "fifth estate"

You know damn well that net neutrality will take a backseat to "national security".

[Donnachaidh]

5. The MSM has become a group of cringing lapdogs for corporations

They'll do or say anything as long as they get those big salaries. And when I see mindless pukes like Russert's kid getting an on-air gig solely because his old man was a blowhard -- it really pisses me off.

[gateley]

6. May the tubes always be free! nt

[Blasphemer]

7. Quite true

While I am not 100% in favor of Wikileaks, the fact is that we no longer have a free press that acts as a watchdog for the people. Absent that, new mediums must emerge to fill the vacuum. Initially, there will be a "wild west" type atmosphere but eventually there will be self-regulation as there was with the press. Unfortunately, there is still a great risk of corporate takeover of any medium and they are certainly working overtime to make it happen.

[ProfessionalLeftist]

9. RE: Fifth Estate...can they kill that too?

http://www.democraticunderground.com/discuss/duboard.php?az=view_all&address=389x9752990

I hope not but it appears they tried/are trying/intend to try.

The article in the OP above from June 25th, 2010 but seems relevant now in the face of the wikileaks issue.

Is the "Fifth Estate" truly "not susceptible of government, of corporations, or advertisers or military control" etc.?

Seems it would be. Shutting down the internet would essentially stop commerce and bring business to a halt.

[tblue37]

13. In addition to the kill switch legislation the Senate just passed, there is also the

ease with which the US government "persuaded" the hosting companies to throw WikiLeaks off their servers. Okay, WikiLeaks managed to do an end run around that attempt to shut them down, but that just means the government will try other, more sophisticated ways of blocking their internet access.

[ProfessionalLeftist]

14. our owners seem to have a lot to hide. n/t

[Supersedeas]

10. the public relations arm of the military-industrial complex doesn't want you to get 'News' from any

other source

[FlyByNight]

11. The Empire gets nervous when questioned

And the patricians (the Wall St.-Washington axis) who run it don't want the plebeians to have any voice: just buy and consume (if you can afford it) and we'll take care of everything else.

This is getting interesting, isn't it?

:popcorn: