(no subject)

[stakebait]

Quote courtesy of mishamcm:

One FBI internal newsletter encouraged FBI agents to conduct more interviews with antiwar activists "for plenty of reasons, chief of which it will enhance the paranoia endemic in such circles and will further service to get the point across that there is an FBI agent behind every mailbox."

Huh? How is it paranoia if they really are out to get us?

What do they think it would accomplish even if there were an FBI agent standing right next to us saying "Hi, I'm an FBI agent?" I know that Senate report indicated that the FBI has trouble with this concept, but opposing the war? Is not illegal. I'm not thrilled with the idea of being surveiled, 'cause privacy would be nice and so would not being treated as a threat to my own fucking country, but dude, I'm not going to let it stop me going about the proper business of being a citizen.

Is the idea that we'll all sound so paranoid that mainstream people will refuse to believe us? 'Cause if so, they're utter idiots to document that we're right.

I'm definitely missing something here.

*****

Poll results: The vast majority of people don't seem to mind the word counts, so they stay. Hopefully this means in about 52 weeks you will all see the post that entirely consists of the words "it's done it's done it's done yay hooray fall down go boom now?" And then, of course, the edits. Thanks to everyone for the encouragement and support!

I think The Vast Majority sounds like something that should have been in the Phantom Tollbooth, don't you?

*****

Things from my friendslist that make me happy:

jadelennox used the word "chuffed"

elisem asked one of her usual interesting and sometimes strangely poignant questions relating her experience to ours. In this case, "are you home?" Made me tear up a little, I have no idea why.

Mer

Comments

[dragovianknight.livejournal.com]

Okay, after thinking about this for a long time (I first saw the bizarre and confusing quote yesterday, or maybe the day before), I THINK the goal is to make the activists so paranoid that they stop actually DOING anything for fear of teh eval FBI agents who are watching them. Paralysis through fear.

But, I never claimed to understand what the gov't calls thinking. This is just the explanation that makes sort-of sense to me.

[stakebait.livejournal.com]

Huh.

I don't think that's gonna work. But thank you for explaining it.

Mer

[astarte99.livejournal.com]

jadelennox used the word "chuffed"

*does a dance of glee* that is totally awesome.

[stakebait.livejournal.com]

Isn't it? It totally made me grin.

Also on the vocabulary front: points to the FBI for "endemic", demerits for "service" when "serve" would do.

Mer

[astarte99.livejournal.com]

there was a point in time that I was keeping two journals. this one, and the snotty one, where I took each entry and rewrote it using the best language and the prettiest words I could. It was fun. I ended up getting tired with it after a while and giving it up, but I think about doing it now and again.

[halimede.livejournal.com]

Maybe it's a dual effort to divide activists by creating an atmosphere of mistrust, and to scare people away from activism. People are often afraid of being 'reported' to 'someone' or 'getting their name on a list' (even for such simple things as writing a letter of complaint) even if what they're doing is not actually illegal (yet).

Also, treating people as criminals can make them look like criminals, even to people who ought to know better. Creating a lot of smoke can be as effective as finding an actual fire, doncha know.

[stakebait.livejournal.com]

Also, treating people as criminals can make them look like criminals, even to people who ought to know better.

Ooh, good thought! I never thought of that, but it makes a lot of sense.

I did know about the "getting their name on a list" fear, as I have a few friends with those concerns. I just keep forgetting since my stance is that if there's a list for letters and marches and bitching on the Internet, I must have been on it long since, and so far it has not hurt my life any.

Mer

[mtgat]

Tollbooth!!! *Dance of Milo*

Sorry. :)

"They're protesting because it's fun to say we're out to get them. When we show them we *are*, they'll be too scared to protest." Maybe?

[stakebait.livejournal.com]

Never be sorry for the dance of Milo!

Maybe. I wonder if I could write and ask for the reasoning. It would put me on a list, but since apparently they're already hanging out behind my mailbox, what do I have to lose? :)

Mer

[firestrike.livejournal.com]

Where do I sign up to get an FBI agent to stand next to me? I'd really like one. No more worries about getting into fights at work. No more having to carry my own sidearm. (Why bother when your shadow is packing?)

I want one, dammit!

-M

[stakebait.livejournal.com]

Apparently you have to be an anti-war mailbox. Good luck with that. :)

Mer

[firestrike.livejournal.com]

Darn. I hate the taste of stamps.

Pity.

-M

[mishamcm.livejournal.com]

The Vast Majority should definitely have been in the Phantom Tollbooth. Someone huge with a booming voice proclaiming things that are obvious and everyone agrees with, like "I am against making sausages out of small children" and "people who have had family victims murdered are unhappy about it."

[stakebait.livejournal.com]

That would be adorable. And it could sort of trail off to the sides. :)

Mer