When the CIA got away with building a heart attack gun
9 days ago
- #Church Committee
- #Epstein Scandal
- #Government Accountability
- The Church Committee, led by Senator Frank Church in 1975, exposed decades of illegal activities by U.S. intelligence agencies, including assassination plots, domestic surveillance, and covert operations.
- The committee's findings led to significant reforms such as the Foreign Intelligence Surveillance Act (FISA) and the Intelligence Oversight Act, which aimed to increase transparency and accountability.
- Despite these reforms, many protections have been eroded post-9/11, with the Patriot Act and NSA surveillance programs reversing much of the progress made by the Church Committee.
- The article discusses the 'attention-diversion playbook,' where new crises emerge to divert public attention from major scandals, preventing sustained scrutiny and accountability.
- The Epstein case is highlighted as a modern test of institutional accountability, with evidence suggesting a widespread operation compromising political and business leaders, yet the investigation has been stalled.
- The media's role has shifted from adversarial to managing public opinion, often crowding out stories that threaten powerful interests with more convenient narratives.
- The article calls for a modern Church Committee to restore accountability, emphasizing the need for public vigilance and bipartisan oversight to combat institutional corruption.
- Frank Church's warning about the dangers of adopting the enemy's tactics is echoed, stressing the importance of maintaining democratic governance and transparency.