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
•
"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
•
"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
December 27, 2012
Fred Burton: WikiLeaks-Hater and Dangerously Weird Person
Last February WikiLeaks began releasing a large collection of emails from Stratfor, a self-described "global intelligence company." The most important thing you learn from the emails is that the higher-ups at Stratfor are total bozos who sagely exchange completely wrong information with each other. If I were one of their big corporate clients I'd ask for all my money back.
It's also notable how much everyone at Stratfor, especially Fred Burton, their Vice President of Intelligence and a former member of the State Department’s Diplomatic Security Service, LOATHES WikiLeaks and Julian Assange. According to Burton, Assange "needs to be water boarded" and "is going to make a nice bride in prison. Screw the terrorist. He'll be eating cat food forever, unless George Soros hires him." To make this happen, Burton writes, the U.S. should "Take down the money. Go after his infrastructure. The tools we are using to nail and de-construct Wiki are the same tools used to dismantle and track aQ. Thank Cheney & 43. Big Brother owns his liberal terrorist arse."
It's bracing to see how nutty people like Burton, who once had real responsibilities in the U.S. government, can be. But actually no leaked emails were needed to learn this about him; all you had to do is read his book Chasing Shadows: A Special Agent's Lifelong Hunt to Bring a Cold War Assassin to Justice.
I picked up Chasing Shadows because it's about a murder that took place on July 1st, 1973 in the Bethesda, Maryland neighborhood where I grew up. (My parents bought their house two days earlier, that June 28th.) Yosef Alon, an Israeli military attaché, was shot in the driveway of his home after coming back with his wife from a party, and, while everyone assumed his killers were Palestinian, they were never found and the case was closed in 1976.
Burton was then sixteen and also lived near Alon's Bethesda house, and became obsessed with finding his killer. It's really worth reading his explanation of why:
That July morning became a turning point in my own life. It was the first time violence had intruded on the one place I felt most safe: home. I had a dim understanding that, outside Bethesda’s city limits, the world was on fire. Here in the quiet, leafy suburbs, however, we were supposed to be immune to such things. We were not, and it was a tough lesson to absorb at sixteen. The sense of vulnerability I felt at the time was one of the reasons I chose a career in law enforcement…Why had I been so consumed by this case? Was it for Joe? He was a man who served his nation at a pivotal time in its history, only to die on the battlefield of terror. For years I had told myself I was doing it for him…
But that still did not explain the years I had spent trying to solve this crime. For that, I had to turn inward and look inside my own heart. When I was sixteen years old, a man was brutally murdered in my quiet world. All my life I had known nothing but the safety of my community and the security of my parents’ home and love. When I came downstairs and saw the headline that summer morning, something changed forever inside me. Violence had reached deep within the town I had known and claimed a schoolmate’s father.
Joe’s death had sent me in a search to reclaim that sense of safety, and my life became one devoted to protecting others. In the process, my narrow and naive worldview was shattered by the realities of hijackings, car bombings, murders, assassinations, and torture. In my years overseas and serving with the Diplomatic Security Service, I saw things average Americans would struggle to comprehend. I witnessed the low regard for human life common in many parts of the world. Over time, I came to realize that the violence that invaded my quiet suburban neighborhood in 1973 was not an aberration at all; the aberration was my community, my state, and my country. We were, and are, the last oasis in a world consumed by violence and human depravity. And for most of my adult life, I stood on the ramparts between the two. I was not just solving Joe’s murder. I was solving the riddle of my own life’s path. The choices I made, the career I chose, and the way I governed myself all were influenced by that July day in 1973.
It's hard to say whether this is more hilarious than terrifying, or more terrifying than hilarious. I'm going to call it a tie. I've mapped a short car trip below that will help you understand Fred's quiet, leafy suburb that until that dark day in 1973 was immune to violence and human depravity.
(BLUE) This is the location of the gas station that was then owned by Burton's father. I've been there many times myself.
(RED) Yosef Alon's 1973 home.
(GREEN) The 1973 home of Ted Shackley, then-head of the Western Hemisphere Division in the CIA's Directorate of Operations. Shackley was deeply involved in the U.S. attempts to overthrow Chilean president Salvador Allende, which came to fruition on September 11, 1973, about ten weeks after Yosef Alon was killed. About 3,000 Chileans were murdered by the new government, and ten times that many were arrested and tortured. Before his accomplishments in Chile, Shackley had been the CIA's station chief in Vietnam.
(YELLOW) The 1973 headquarters of the U.S. Defense Mapping Agency, where my father then worked. The Defense Mapping Agency helped produce maps for the 1965-1973 U.S. bombing of Cambodia, which reached its peak in 1973 just before and after Yosef Alon's murder. The U.S. dropped about 2.7 million tons of bombs on Cambodia, more than the 2 million tons dropped everywhere during World War II by the Allies. No one knows how many hundreds of thousands of Cambodians were killed, because who cares, but the bombing helped generate support for the Khmer Rouge, which went on to kill even more Cambodians.
I could add hundreds more little pins to this Bethesda map if I had time. And WikiLeaks exists to add even more, there and elsewhere. That's why Fred Burton calls them "terrorists"; he's terrified of reality and hates anyone who tries to get him to look at it.
View Fred Burton, Dangerous Weirdo in a larger map
P.S. You can donate to WikiLeaks via the Freedom of the Press Foundation here.
—Jon Schwarz
Posted at December 27, 2012 08:35 AM"we were, and are, the last oasis in a world consumed by violence and human depravity"- cult to start in 3,2,...
Posted by: frankenduf at December 27, 2012 09:15 AMThanks a ton for another History lesson...
The most shocking and horrifying stuff I read about Cambodia was.......
here
http://www.amazon.com/Sideshow-William-Shawcross/dp/0671230700/
And to my continuing shock and horror, our govt continues to engage in similar and worse activity!
Fortunately, sooner or later, people with conscience EXPOSE it all.......unfortunately and sadly, which does not help the victims
IF ya died in Cambodia(or Laos) YOUR NAME doesn't go up on the wall.
Should one die in Maryland its a 50/50 chance.
Mr. Burton, of whom I have little knowledge and NO real impression about, doesn't impress me.
Mr. Assange, of whom I do have some knowledge about, thanx to the net, seems very impressive and looks to be a world class hero, sadly from exposing OUR LIES&INDISCRETIONS. As I would wish for ANYONE---hope he avoids GITMO.
Thanks for this, Jon.
Posted by: Cloud at December 27, 2012 01:34 PMHappy New Year, everybody!
Posted by: darrelplant at December 27, 2012 01:47 PMI was in Bethesda on Christmas Day earlier this week, and although I did not pass it then, I've been by that gas station (BLUE PIN) dozens of times.
Fred Burton's notion that Bethesda is a quiet oasis insulated from the violence of the world at large reminded me of sociologist Philip Slater's "the Toilet Assumption", described in his 1970 book The Pursuit of Loneliness: American Culture at the Breaking Point:
"The Toilet Assumption, for one – the belief that social unpleasantness, once flushed out of sight, ceases to exist - remains centra1 to American culture." p. xii
"Our ideas about institutionalizing the aged, psychotic, retarded, and infirm are based on a pattern of thought that we might call the Toilet Assumption – the notion that unwanted matter, unwanted difficulties, unwanted complexities and obstacles will disappear if they’re removed from our immediate field of vision." p. 19
Posted by: mistah charley, ph.d. at December 27, 2012 02:12 PMamazing how people can project their own shit on other people..... by the way, who did kill Yosef Alon? did anyone figure it out?
Posted by: Susan at December 27, 2012 08:17 PMNice job, Jon. Very educational. I, for one, would like to see more pins on that map.
So, hilariously terrifying? That's a "code brown" while ROFLOL'ing.
Posted by: ah choo at December 28, 2012 12:19 PMGoing to change Fred's quote a little to reflect my own experience, here: "Over time, I came to realize that the violence that I'd seen -- mostly on the nightly news, in Southeast Asia or in the South Bronx or Baltimore or Watts, since 1965 -- was not an aberration at all. The aberration was in the culture, in my community, my state, and my country.
We were, and are, 'free' only by degrees, locked in by our ignorance of the violence and depravity committed in our names to protect the structure which keeps secrets to protect not so much a community of citizens, as themselves."
There; that's better.
Posted by: Mongo at December 28, 2012 02:57 PM"The tools we are using to nail and de-construct Wiki are the same tools used to dismantle and track aQ."
And those same tools will be used to nail and de-construct every other "enemy" after that. It might take a while, and the earth will probably be gone before we get to the end of that list, but that's how it will go.
Chasing Shadows is a pretty appropriate name for the book too.
Posted by: N.E. at December 28, 2012 04:50 PMI can bite, if anybody wants a rant. I'm not really in the mood at the moment, it's true, but I've got a pretty good stock of material to draw upon.
Posted by: godoggo at December 28, 2012 06:23 PMN.E., are you just hanging out here over your vacation?
Posted by: godoggo at December 28, 2012 06:25 PMGit a govmint job an next thing ya know yer Big Brother, ready to torture somebody's ass. Go figure.
I wanna party like its 1984.
Folks, Mr. Barton here and his ilk are prime examples of the BENEFITS of too much money and CORRUPTION in OUR State Dept.
Considering Stratfor's record (NOW wide open to the public along with their customer records)(THANX Wikileaks) looks like the whole crowd has cornered the market on stupid, too.
Very informative, thanks. Highlights the utter lack of self awareness and the irrationality of some of our warriors. This type of mentality is probably fairly well represented within the US government, maybe more than we'd like to think.
Posted by: Rob at December 28, 2012 11:01 PMVery informative, thanks. Highlights the utter lack of self awareness and the irrationality of some of our warriors. This type of mentality is probably fairly well represented within the US government, maybe more than we'd like to think.
Posted by: Rob at December 28, 2012 11:01 PMJustice 39 years too late!! OR, better late than never.......
http://www.nytimes.com/2012/12/29/world/americas/eight-charged-with-victor-jaras-1973-murder-in-chile.html
continued....
Posted by: Rupa Shah at December 29, 2012 10:33 AMcontinued from above.....
And here is Victor Jara with his beautiful voice ( with the coup in the background )....
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=en8yqVxuT-U
NEVER FORGET CHILE's 9/11.....
Posted by: Rupa Shah at December 29, 2012 10:41 AMRupa Shah: EXCELLENT!!! Henry Kissinger&Paul Volker---two arrest warrants that need to be issued next, THEN one can once again BELIEVE that JUSTICE has a chance in this life. (Perhaps those from AT&T involved can be in line for a little JUSTICE&JAIL, too)
Posted by: Mike Meyer at December 29, 2012 12:08 PMLooks like a rough neighborhood. I'm amazed you made it out of there alive. I thought sociopaths were rare in my neck of the woods.
Posted by: Happy Jack at December 29, 2012 01:25 PMOK, now I'm genuinely curious: Paul Volcker? Please explain.
Posted by: godoggo at December 29, 2012 03:35 PMgodoggo: Henry's life long protoge'&employee. Allende's death was all about the money(resources). Communism was just the excuse. Much like OIL in the South China Sea was the REASON for Viet Nam and communism the excuse. Paul is Henry's bag man. Can't rule the world unless ya rule the money.
Like Deep Throat said, "Follow the money." ONLY A FEW will tolerate getting BLOOD on their hands(Henry) but EVERYBODY(Paul) wants some of that "greasy green" in theirs.
These are JUST TWO names. If ALL players are not included then JUSTICE is not complete, and there's a laundry list of names that will need to be on there to complete JUSTICE.
The definition of "justice" I guess is very flexible for some. ICC issues an arrest warrant against Sudanese President Bashir for alleged crimes but War Criminal Kissinger roams free......
I can only conclude that Nobel Peace Prize grants immunity to War Criminals!
For anyone interested in Kissinger's "TelCons"....
In their first substantive conversation following the military coup in Chile, Kissinger and Nixon discuss the U.S. role in the overthrow of Allende, and the adverse reaction in the new media. When Nixon asks if the U.S. “hand” will show in the coup, Kissinger admits “we helped them” and that “[deleted reference] created conditions as great as possible.” The two commiserate over what Kissinger calls the “bleating” liberal press. In the Eisenhower period, he states, “we would be heroes.” Nixon assures him that the people will appreciate what they did: “let me say they aren’t going to buy this crap from the liberals on this one.”
http://www.gwu.edu/~nsarchiv/NSAEBB/NSAEBB255/index.htm
Posted by: Rupa Shah at December 29, 2012 07:29 PMI'm gone to convey my little brother, that he should also pay a quick visit this website on regular basis to obtain updated from newest news.
Posted by: http://www.montreautomatique.org/montres-automatiques/ at December 30, 2012 08:19 AMI grew up in those same "leafy suburbs" and the sad part is that Burton is at least partially right.
That is to say that there IS an oasis there, at least the image of one. Just like in Disney World, the nasty things are kept out of sight (and out of mind). I can easily see why a child would be shocked by a murder there.
However as an adult, he really should've grown out of those innocent fantasies and therein lies the rub, so I vote more terrifying than funny.
Posted by: Sam at December 30, 2012 10:31 PMI grew up in those same "leafy suburbs" and the sad part is that Burton is at least partially right.
That is to say that there IS an oasis there, at least the image of one. Just like in Disney World, the nasty things are kept out of sight (and out of mind). I can easily see why a child would be shocked by a murder there.
However as an adult, he really should've grown out of those innocent fantasies and therein lies the rub, so I vote more terrifying than funny.
Posted by: Sam at December 30, 2012 10:31 PMI grew up in those same "leafy suburbs" and the sad part is that Burton is at least partially right.
That is to say that there IS an oasis there, at least the image of one. Just like in Disney World, the nasty things are kept out of sight (and out of mind). I can easily see why a child would be shocked by a murder there.
However as an adult, he really should've grown out of those innocent fantasies and therein lies the rub, so I vote more terrifying than funny.
Posted by: Sam at December 30, 2012 10:31 PMI grew up in those same "leafy suburbs" and the sad part is that Burton is at least partially right.
That is to say that there IS an oasis there, at least the image of one. Just like in Disney World, the nasty things are kept out of sight (and out of mind). I can easily see why a child would be shocked by a murder there.
However as an adult, he really should've grown out of those innocent fantasies and therein lies the rub, so I vote more terrifying than funny.
Posted by: Sam at December 30, 2012 10:32 PMyikes sorry about the triple post
Posted by: Sam at December 30, 2012 10:33 PMgodoggo; I'd like to add, if possible in ANY way, "Ole Death Squad" Negroponte to that list. A Chilean vacation for the whole bunch is in order. They could see the sights, visit that old familiar stadium, watch the big game.
Posted by: Mike Meyer at December 31, 2012 12:05 AMHere's a view of America's behavior through foreign eyes, specifically by Banx, whose cartoons are published daily in the Financial Times. One of the 8 "Best of Banx 2012" showed two extraterrestrials hiding behind a rock, on the other side of which the the explorer robot Discovery. One is saying to the other, "Run! It's a drone!"
Of the 8 year's best, two others also have an American theme. One shows two businessmen carrying briefcases walking on a sidewalk, and one saying, "I wish I was rich enough to connect with Mitt Romney." The other cartoon, more pointed and directly relevant to the WikiLeaks theme of Jon's original post, has a tomahawk-carrying, head-feather and loincloth-wearing man saying to a person at the door of the Embassy of Ecuador, "I'm hiding from Americans."
Posted by: mistah charley, ph.d. at December 31, 2012 10:37 AMmistah charlie ph.d. "Run! Its a drone!" Ah, words of wisdom, mistah charlie, words of wisdom.
Posted by: Mike Meyer at December 31, 2012 12:57 PMIf my memory serves me right, your drive takes you right past or within a block of Kissinger's house.
Posted by: milo at December 31, 2012 03:07 PMMike: "Paul is Henry's bag man." I still don't know what you're talking about. Can you give me a cite, or something more concrete?
Posted by: godoggo at December 31, 2012 03:54 PMgodoggo: IMF---These coups cost money, that shit ain't cheap. It takes a big bag-o-money and Dick couldn't get the financing out of Congress.
Posted by: Mike Meyer at December 31, 2012 04:39 PM@ Mike Meyer
If I may...
"From 1969 to 1974, Volcker served as under-secretary of the Treasury for international monetary affairs"
And, chief of IMF.....
September 1, 1963 – August 31, 1973 Pierre-Paul Schweitzer France
September 1, 1973 – June 16, 1978 Johannes Witteveen Netherlands
Mr Volcker is a democrat and imho, one of the honest persons who worked for the Federal Reserve.
Nobel laureate Joseph Stiglitz said about him in an interview:Paul Volcker, the previous Fed Chairman known for keeping inflation under control, was fired because the Reagan administration didn't believe he was an adequate de-regulator.
ps above info from Wikipedia.
Posted by: Rupa Shah at December 31, 2012 05:00 PMRupa Shah: THANX!!! (again)
Posted by: Mike Meyer at December 31, 2012 07:43 PMMy friend Wick(his nickname)died today in Crofton Maryland from Agent Orange complications. He was a published author(Talking with Victor Charlie & Secret Army Secret War). He and his family have helped me quite a bit these last few years WITH KNOWLEDGE that changed my viewpoint and even to the point of giving me money to get home on when I was down and out(seems I drink to much on occasions).
I've NEVER met Henry Kissinger or Paul Volker, BUT I, my Father, my brothers, my friends, and this nation have SURELY SUFFERED because of the actions and policies created by these two men and the their ilk.
I've NEVER met Mr. Stiglitz either, so his opinion of Paul's honesty means nothing to me.
RIP Wick and TRULY THANK YOU FOR YOUR SERVICE.
Posted by: Mike Meyer at December 31, 2012 11:22 PM@ Mike Meyer
I am sorry about your friend. We will never know, how many GIs are suffering/suffered and or died because of exposure to Agent Orange.
Posted by: Rupa Shah at January 1, 2013 02:28 PMRupa Shah: Thank You, He live a full life, and that's what he/WE owe to those that didn't make it out alive. My younger brother is being treated for the same thing at the VA at this time. At least these people can NOW get treatment after ALL those long years of LIES&DENIAL.
I hope that ONE DAY my Son will be able to get treatment for his Gulf War Syndrome once the LIES&DENIAL for that are gone.
The Freedom of the Press Foundation website appears to be down. Any info on this? DDOS or something?
Posted by: M Jacobs at January 2, 2013 05:02 PM
