or Powell's or me• • •
"Mike and Jon, Jon and Mike—I've known them both for years, and, clearly, one of them is very funny. As for the other: truly one of the great hangers-on of our time."—Steve Bodow, head writer, The Daily Show
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"Who can really judge what's funny? If humor is a subjective medium, then can there be something that is really and truly hilarious? Me. This book."—Daniel Handler, author, Adverbs, and personal representative of Lemony Snicket
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"The good news: I thought Our Kampf was consistently hilarious. The bad news: I’m the guy who wrote Monkeybone."—Sam Hamm, screenwriter, Batman, Batman Returns, and Homecoming
April 11, 2008
Corporate Spying On Environmental Organizations
This is a great new story by James Ridgeway in Mother Jones:
A private security company organized and managed by former Secret Service officers spied on Greenpeace and other environmental organizations from the late 1990s through at least 2000, pilfering documents from trash bins, attempting to plant undercover operatives within groups, casing offices, collecting phone records of activists, and penetrating confidential meetings. According to company documents provided to Mother Jones by a former investor in the firm, this security outfit collected confidential internal records—donor lists, detailed financial statements, the Social Security numbers of staff members, strategy memos—from these organizations and produced intelligence reports for public relations firms and major corporations involved in environmental controversies.
—Jonathan Schwarz
Posted at April 11, 2008 12:45 PMI've only glanced at the article, but what struck me is: I wouldn't have thought an organization like Greenpeace, considering the kinds of actions they've undertaken, would have such bozo security that operatives, even professional ones, could get their hands on "donor lists, detailed financial statements, the Social Security numbers of staff members, strategy memos...".
This may come off as victim blaming to some. But I bet I'm not the only reader or commenter who's worked at an organization that is under active, hostile surveillance by the federal government, corporations, or third parties hired by or friendly to them.
Posted by: Nell at April 11, 2008 05:20 PMBFD -- so ol' Black Bill had to start it up for Georgie to get the idea. Or to keep up what Reagan started. Or Nixon. Or Johnson. Or Kennedy. Ad f*ing infinitum to the first plutocrat in office. Not really news, but a reminder.Oh, I'm sorry, nothing to say this was an official activity. But, isn't membership in the Company lifelong?
Posted by: Woodyeofalb at April 11, 2008 08:30 PM
