Many of us have read of the horrors and abuses of U.S. military sponsored torture at Abu-Ghraib and recent revelations about CIA torture abuses, including use of psychologists to harass prisoners. Yet, many Americans expressed little concern, because the recipients were "enemies" or suspected terrorists. Yet, what is not well known is that shadowy rogue elements within the military, intelligence (including the NSA), and intelligence contractor communities have been using psychological and electronic torture and harassment techniques against innocent U.S. citizens on American soil in clear contravention of the U.S. Constitution. This harassment and torture ranges from "street theatre" to "gang stalking" and "V2K" (voice to skull) microwave satellite transmissions. There is a clear pattern of this abuse around the country, as well as right here in Portland. The targets range from political activists to government whistleblowers, and anyone with outspoken public opinions in opposition to official government policies.
In a January, 2007 Washington Post expose, "Mind Games" (copies available on the internet), reporter, Sharon Weinberger, documented Air Force and DoD involvement in development of mind reading and even voice projection technology (sounds can be projected via satellite microwave transmissions to targeted individuals, so they actually think they are hearing voices) and other harassment technologies, many of which have been granted patents. Commercial derivatives are currently under development by Sony and other Japanese firms to record your dreams and play them back on DVD like a movie. The mind can now be read and even talked to. Shades of George Orwell's infamous "Big Brother".
In Ms. Weinberger's article, she interviewed a DoD consultant who says one goal of the technology is to be able to project thoughts into the minds of our enemies. For example a jihadist suddenly believes he hears "Allah" telling him it's not okay to attack Americans. All well and good, if properly controlled and confined in a combat zone perhaps. But who controls the controllers? And who specifies the target list? And what if that lists includes American citizens on U.S. soil, who simply speak out against the wars or other government policies? Perhaps the technology is even used for industrial espionage purposes now as well.
Many victims of this harassment had been disparaged in the past as the "tinfoil hat" crowd, and passed off as mental cases. Indeed that is one of the goals of the harassment: to target individuals and destroy them socially and economically by making them appear "crazy", so as to isolate them, take away their income, and nullify their credibility. The old Soviet Union used similar, but more brutal techniques of repression. Indeed many famous dissidents were declared insane and packed off to mental wards, warehoused, and then given powerful anti-psychotic drugs by government paid psychiatrists.
Modern methods practiced by elements of our government are more sophisticated and refined, using the latest electronic harassment and satellite technology (the NSA even has a satellite code-named "Psyclops" for "Psychological Operations Satellite" vaguely reminiscent of the capabilities shown in the movie, "Enemy of the State"), but the goals are still the same: destruction of citizens targeted by the government.
Fort Lewis in nearby Washington State even has an entire psychological operations unit, which is trained in harassment. Some of these military may be used to harass U.S. citizens under vague and liberal interpretation of the U.S. Patriot Act and recent changes to "posse comitatus" rules.
Orwell's "1984" is here, and we are very close to an electronic dictatorship in this country. Be afraid. Very afraid.