The Threat of Government Backdoor Access

Someone yesterday asked me what is so wrong about the government having backdoor access to our computers. As I see it, such unfettered access actually has several dangers that we should bare in mind as citizens.

First, backdoor access into our computers circumvent any firewall or antivirus protections. If a hacker learns how to access via the government's backdoor access (and you can be assured they will sooner or later), every computer so equipped will be unsecured. Your personal information on your computer would be an open book to the world, as would your bank accounts, the controls over our power grid and potentially every computerized military system.

Second, such access wouldn't allow them to just view your files, they could manipulate them as well. Why should the government wait for you to commit a crime if they want you in prison? With such access, they could load your computer with whatever materials they want, from child porn to "The Anarchist Cookbook", complete with "emails" sent by you to the heads of terrorist organizations around the world. Don't believe that? Try looking at the arrest warrant they used against the "terrorists" that were arrested in Aurora, Colorado a couple years ago. All the evidence was digital (computerized) records.

Third, the backdoor access could be used to install software that would render your computer useless, permanently or temporarily. A particularly interesting ability if they wanted to destroy the computers of anyone who criticizes the government. They could also do the same to computers controlling power grid infrastructure components without actually destroying the infrastructure, the perfect weapon for false flag operations. The gem of it is, they could then claim that terrorists, foreign agents or even "anonymous" hackers were responsible for destroying vital computer systems.

As a well-known computer security expert said a few years ago, it is poor civic hygiene to allow the installation of technologies that may one day be used by a police state against us. Allowing a government whose trustworthiness and credibility is decaying rapidly to have what seems like a minor ability could end up being the ultimate Achilles Heel that ends the last vestiges of Constitutional America.

Think about it, my friends.

Who are we? (an open letter to my cousins and critics)

I woke up this morning thinking about who we are as a nation and as a species. Speaking as a citizen of the United States, I have come to realize that who we are as a nation and as a species has fundamentally changed.

Historically, we have been warriors, explorers and innovators. Today, we are cowards and leaches. Mind you, I am not condemning humanity, but trying to get everyone to think about what is happening to us.

Take my cousins for example. They condemn me because I am an SSI recipient. I have worked for many years with a bad back and other health issues, but I worked none-the-less. For the past ten years, I have not been able to. My health issues overcame me, but I am in the process of retooling, preparing once again to enter the workforce, albeit in a radically different occupation than I have performed in the past. What they condemn me for is the fact that, as I have been undergoing this process of retooling, I have received poverty-level assistance from the U.S. government.

My cousins, on the other hand, work in the agricultural industry for companies that report high profits almost every year and who, should those profits fall below a certain point, file for bankruptcy protections while they accept government subsidies to retool their corporations (money that more often than not ends up in the pockets of the top ten company executives instead). These companies receive tax incentives from the local communities for locating their operating facilities in those communities, preferential tax treatment from the states for maintaining their in-state operations, and even more money from the federal government on the basis that we "have" to support critical infrastructure such as food production.

I, by the way, have never filed bankruptcy nor have I taken more money from the government than I absolutely need for basic necessities. At the moment, I am technically "without fixed address", using the community recreation centers for showering, living off of the cheapest (and generally least healthy) foods, and riding the public buses to get anywhere I need to go. Unlike the accusations from my cousins, I am not sitting on my "fat a**" watching porn videos to pass my days.

What I am is a man. A man who six months ago completed his Bachelor's degree (finally) with a 3.96 GPA and started his Master's degree course work four months ago (currently with a 4.0 GPA). I am working on numerous manuscripts on topics ranging from experimental mythology to space advocacy that I hope to have ready for market soon. I am also a graphic artist, website administrator and political activist seeking to use my skills to create a new source of self-sufficiency. I am not a sponge on society, but doing what I can to improve both society and myself.

While having lunch with my mother yesterday, I came to learn that I will be the first in my family (on either side) to hold a Master's degree. I am also a man who no longer cares what my cousins think. While I am comfortable with who I am and who I am becoming, I am not so comfortable about who we are as a nation and as a species.

We are a species that considers itself enlightened, but we are also a species of paradox. We put a man on the moon (several of them, actually) and sent robotic explorers out into the cosmos. But we are also a species who batters and abuses our fellow human beings. We are a species who has overcome numerous diseases, but cannot overcome our propensity towards hating those who are different. We are a species who idolizes our athletes and celebrities who entertain us, but demonizes our scientists and intellectuals who try to protect us from developing threats to our survival. We are the creators of divine, inspiring art, but also of the atom bomb and toxic chemicals.

We have great hope as a species, but also live under self-imposed dangers. While human civilization is at a perceived all-time high, there is still much work to be done to ensure our survival. I am retooling myself to be a part of that struggle, cousins. What are you doing?

A Simple Indictment Against the City and County of Denver, Colorado.

Hmmmm ... Okay, soldiers, judges, police and government leaders all take an oath of office when they become a soldier, judge, etc. Those oaths include a statement that they will uphold the Constitution of the United States (even those that don't say they will uphold the laws of the United States or the State in which they serve and since the Constitution is the Supreme Law of the Land [U.S. Constitution, Article VI, Clause 2], it is included by indirect reference). Any government official who violates the Constitutional Rights of a citizen are therefore not only violating the law (since the Constitution is the Supreme Law of the Land), they are in violation of their oath of office.

Article VI, Clause 2 of the U.S. Constitution is commonly referred to as the '' Supremacy Clause'' and has been recognized as the authority under which State and local laws must comply with the U.S. Constitution and Federal law (as well as any international treaties to which the U.S. is party). So, here is my indictment of the City and County of Denver, Colorado.

Under the Fourteenth Amendment, it is stated that ...

No State shall make or enforce any law which shall abridge the privileges or immunities of citizens of the United States.

Yet the City and County of Denver has 1) repeatedly and violently interfered with otherwise peaceful protests against government policies and the corruption of our political system by acts of corporate bribery (in the form of ''political'' contributions), along with the devastation of corrupt economic practices by those same corporations and 2) in further oppression against those protests pasted bans on ''urban camping'' which forbid those protesters from even using a blanket to protect themselves from the elements while protesting.

In any corporation, employees violating corporate policy would be terminated on the spot. So explain to me why are we letting our officials (political and corporate) keep their jobs when they are so clearly in violation of our laws?

A Perfect Example: TIAA-CREF Staff Misconduct

I want to relate to you a situation that happened today.

My fiance, until last week, was working as an independent contractor at the Denver, Colorado offices of TIAA-CREF. She is a fibromyalgia sufferer and has had an extended flare (very rare) for the past week, which caused her to miss several days of work. TIAA-CREF chose to terminate her contract with them, a technically permissible action, though questionable on the ethics. Friday, she sent a message to Bret Deardorff (bdeardorff@tiaa-cref.org) informing him that I would be coming this morning (Monday, December 17th) to retrieve her personal effects like her mp3 player and her purse, which she accidently left at work last week.

When I arrived at their office this morning, I went straight to their security desk, which is located on the 28th floor of the building they are in (note that I am leaving the actual address out, please) and attempted to request one of the TIAA-CREF staff retrieve her belongings. I had her security badge with me, in case they requested it, and the key to her desk. The security guard (Wes) stated he could not reach anyone to help unless I knew their LAST name. At the time, the information was on my fiance's Yahoo! Mail account. I tried to reach her by phone while I was there, but was unsuccessful. I informed the security guard that I would have to go back home to retrieve the information he requested, but he refused to allow me to leave unless I surrendered her badge immediately. Begrudgingly, I gave it to him, but kept her desk key, intending on contacting Bert Deardorff to request his presence when I returned. When I got home, we found a letter from Chris Weston (head of Global System Staffing) insisting on a contact phone number for Laura. It seems TIAA-CREF had told him that Laura gave me her security badge and that I was wandering around the building in violation of security rules, which was a blatant lie.

I sent an email informing them that the security guard's action to detain me was an illegal detainment which could subject them to civil litigation action by me and that their lack of cooperation in returning Laura's belongings were, under Colorado law, an act of criminal theft (failure to surrender property to its rightful owner when demanded), but that, as a professional courtesy between nonprofit organizations (I run House Wyldstar) I was willing to overlook this misconduct if they would simply return my fiance's belongings because she needs her ID for a plane flight Wednesday morning.

Chris Weston flamed back an email accusing me of threatening them and violating TIAA-CREF security, which I never did either of those, I merely pointed out the misconduct of their staff in the situation and reminded them of the potential effects of it.

I will admit, my last email was slightly more than heated, though I did my best not to become abusing towards them. I was originally, in response to their attitudes, going to have a civil escort go with me this afternoon. I thought it might be prudent to have an officer assist me with this crazy situation. Unfortunately the Denver Police Department did not have one available before 5pm, so I will have to do it in the morning.

Such misconduct is unbecoming to ANY organization, much less one with as much responsibility as TIAA-CREF. I would personally NEVER treat anyone like this and would NOT let a situation like this get out of hand like they have done, but after viewing the wide variety of consumer complaints against TIAA-CREF, I am really not surprised.

And by the way, if anyone from TIAA-CREF wishes to challenge my statements here, I have the emails mentioned saved and could easily post them online for everyone to view. Or we could post the security video of my visit there and let the rest of the world judge for themselves. Think about it.

December 20, 2007
Follow-up:

This situation has been more or less resolved.

My fiance contacted the TSA (airport security) and learned that her student ID would suffice for boarding her airplane. Subsequently she had contact with Chris Webster (who is actually an executive with Global System Solutions, a TIAA-Cref contractor, and not TIAA-Cref itself) and agreed to have her belongings shipped to our home.

We were also informed that I have effectively been banned from the Denver TIAA-Cref occupied building by Mr. Webster, although I am not certain he has the authority to do that. Personally, I could care less if the building suddenly collapsed around him, except one of my favorite Starbuck's is also in the building. I guess one cannot truly consider themselves an activist until they have either been arrested during a protest (which almost did happen to me years ago, but that is another story) or have been banned from a facility for standing up to governmental or corporate misconduct and corruption. Perhaps I should take this incident as my ''coming of age'' event, maybe?

Transparent Equality

A few years back, the United States federal legislation passed a new law requiring certain transparency actions by major U.S. corporations. The nonprofit industry has since worked to apply the same standards to their operations to assure the American public as to their legitimacy and donation worthiness. While I commend them for their efforts at honesty and accountability to the American people, there is still an industry that refuses to apply these standards. That industry is the government itself.

The U.S. government (and most state, county and municipal governments) frequently operates behind a veil of misinformation and secrecy. Many times, laws and budgets passed for the good of America are unofficially ignored, adding to the lack of accountability.

An example is in order, I think.

A few years back, the United States was awe-struck as we watched the first test flight of the Delta Clipper, a prototype of a completely reusable space launch vehicle. Congress was so impressed that they passed budgeting for the Department of Defense (the Delta Clipper was designed under a 'Star Wars' development program) to build a full-scale Delta Clipper for testing and, if proven viable, for full production of a series of them. It was hoped that the Delta Clipper would replace our aging space shuttle fleet and secure the future of the American space exploration efforts. The problem was, the man in charge of releasing the funds to the program for its continuation didn't like the program and refused to release the funds, even after Congress approved it. Effectively, ONE MAN killed the Delta Clipper and continues to let his personal opinions and attitudes guide his actions instead of honoring the will of the American people. The only way he was willing to allow the funds to be released was if the Delta Clipper was taken into the 'black world' of secret government developments. Doing this effectively took the potential use of the Delta Clipper away from NASA forever, locking it into a 'military use only' blackhole.

This reflects an arrogant idealism that the American people cannot intelligently decide what technologies should be developed and, once developed, how they should be used. The idea of the Delta Clipper, if I remember correctly, was originally a CIVILIAN idea that was supposed to use a new design engine called a Star Spike that would improve the efficiency of space travel dramatically. It was also supposed to bring the cost of space travel down to less that one-tenth its current cost. Yet this tremendous potential was buried under the mountain of governmental/military secrecy. When might it return? Perhaps it will, perhaps it won't. It has become another secret program, funded by the American people without us ever knowing where the money is going or what progress is being made on the project.

How does this apply to nonprofit organizations? Simple.

The activities of nonprofit organizations are subject to public review at any time, by any member of the public. The annual 990 report to the IRS details what money was received by the organization, what taxes (if any) were paid, progress made on the organization's projects, how much money key personnel have been paid, it is like an on-going autopsy of the organization. Nonprofit organizations are not allowed to hide projects from the public in any way shape or form, nor do we feel our government should be hiding things. If they are sensitive enough or dangerous enough, one must ask, should we be involved in this activity at all. But once a project is shoved into the 'black world' it usually never sees the light of public scrutiny again ... EVER!

Billions of U.S. taxes are poured into the black world every year, without accountability in any tangible form. This is fundamentally wrong. To me, every project should be submitted to the government in the same way that a nonprofit project is, fully detailed in what it is to address, how it will address it, and how we will know if it is effective or not, thus knowing if the project is worthy of continued funding.

I've said my piece ... now it is your turn.