ThunderHorse
Verified Military
This issue shouldn't be divisive at all. The fact that we got here shows how wild the Democrats got.
The Trump Presidency 2.0
- Thread starter Box
- Start date
TLDR20
Verified SOF
- Joined
- Jan 7, 2009
- Messages
- 6,663
Yeah. That was a long way to the left of “democrats” even my liberal bubble thought that was a bridge too far. It is a fringe issue but I’m glad they are doing it.
R.Caerbannog
Verified Military
- Joined
- Nov 4, 2015
- Messages
- 2,579
Interesting. Thank you for the clarification.
Box
Verified SOF
- Joined
- Mar 19, 2018
- Messages
- 2,311
Politico got $8m in total from the USG. They got a grand total of $44k from USAID. You can see all the outlays here: USAspending.gov
Why were they getting any money from the USG at all?
Sounds like they got tips from Trudeau and how he paid off Canadian media.
The acquisition code for about 50% of the funding is for “Newspaper and Periodicals”. I’m guessing it’s probably for subscriptions or some kind of paid news service. The DoD used to do the same thing with STRATFOR, back when that existed.
$4 million for subscriptions? To a site where I can read articles for free? Doesn't that seem like... a lot?
AFAIK,STRAFOR wasn't politically biased.
I’m seeing that Politico has a boutique feed called “PoliticoPro”, which apparently is $10k per year. Compare Pro Plus & Analysis Subscription Plans | POLITICO Pro
I guess it’s good if you don’t want to do your own analysis. But yeah, you could easily rack up $4M per year in costs if you spread enough of those around the government.
IIRC STRATFOR was around $2k per year. That’s why I made the comparison
Who Is Chelsea Clinton? USAID Allegedly Paid Millions To Ex-President Clinton's Daughter
Just bad luck, probably.
Just bad luck, probably.
That kid won't be so smug once the last of his USAID porridge runs out.
The CIA/DIA do not have journalists on the payroll.
Senator Kerry:
"I may risk being politically incorrect in saying so, but I simply don't see why any profession should be completely and permanently excluded from the possibility of working with CIA or DIA. The determining factors should be the situation, and then the willingness of the individual. If lives are at risk or a vital national interest is at risk, I don't see why any American patriot should be forbidden to cooperate with an American intelligence agency. As I understand Director Deutch's policy I support it."
Senator Glenn:
"To have a policy that says CIA will under no circumstances even think of talking to religious groups overseas or journalists, I think that would be a wrong policy, too. Because we're into a tough time for human intelligence, as I'm sure Director Deutch will comment upon in a few minutes. So I agree with the statement Senator Kerrey just made."
Senator Kerry:
"I may risk being politically incorrect in saying so, but I simply don't see why any profession should be completely and permanently excluded from the possibility of working with CIA or DIA. The determining factors should be the situation, and then the willingness of the individual. If lives are at risk or a vital national interest is at risk, I don't see why any American patriot should be forbidden to cooperate with an American intelligence agency. As I understand Director Deutch's policy I support it."
Senator Glenn:
"To have a policy that says CIA will under no circumstances even think of talking to religious groups overseas or journalists, I think that would be a wrong policy, too. Because we're into a tough time for human intelligence, as I'm sure Director Deutch will comment upon in a few minutes. So I agree with the statement Senator Kerrey just made."
Devildoc
Verified Military
A few random political musings this fine morn.
One, recall a few days ago, maybe a week ago, we had posts about the 'secret vote' for Tulsi? Here is some insight. Not secret, but some deliberations in the committee's SCIF to, ah, influence the voting to get her vote to the floor:
Inside Sen. Tom Cotton's campaign to save Tulsi Gabbard's endangered DNI nomination
Two, the Gaza thing is the dumbest thing I have heard. I know he knows we don't want any part of that.
Three, security clearances. How is it every job I leave my badge access for that department gets revoked. But I can leave the military or intel community (or State or whatever) and just keep the clearance? C'mon, man.
Four, I am legit curious if NPR gets any USAID $. Do you know that Steve Inskeep and his his colleagues make almost a half million a freaking year??
Five, does anyone actually believe the intel community doesn't have journalists on retainer? General George Washington had journalists spying for him. I think next to prostitution it's the next most common source of HUMINT.
I am done. I'm grumpy this morning. I need more of Trump's Winning to make me happy...
One, recall a few days ago, maybe a week ago, we had posts about the 'secret vote' for Tulsi? Here is some insight. Not secret, but some deliberations in the committee's SCIF to, ah, influence the voting to get her vote to the floor:
Inside Sen. Tom Cotton's campaign to save Tulsi Gabbard's endangered DNI nomination
Two, the Gaza thing is the dumbest thing I have heard. I know he knows we don't want any part of that.
Three, security clearances. How is it every job I leave my badge access for that department gets revoked. But I can leave the military or intel community (or State or whatever) and just keep the clearance? C'mon, man.
Four, I am legit curious if NPR gets any USAID $. Do you know that Steve Inskeep and his his colleagues make almost a half million a freaking year??
Five, does anyone actually believe the intel community doesn't have journalists on retainer? General George Washington had journalists spying for him. I think next to prostitution it's the next most common source of HUMINT.
I am done. I'm grumpy this morning. I need more of Trump's Winning to make me happy...
Many years ago, back when I was a young intel officer, I asked for the reasoning why there were any groups of people **at all** that were off limits to being recruited. If HUMINT is all about "placement and access," don't we want to recruit people who have... placement and access? Like, this ENTIRE LIST <whatever it was> of prohibited categories of people?
Reasonings:
1) protect people who AREN'T sources. "I couldn't POSSIBLY be a CIA spy, I'm a ***."
2) protect against double agents. Sources who are close to the target run the risk of "going native," and that's especially true of outsiders who earn their way into communities.
3) ...I had something else when I started typing but I've lost it; if I remember what it is later, I'll post it
Devildoc
Verified Military
My first degree is poli sci, I had two grad level courses my senior year, in one of them I wrote a paper on the Belgian Congo crisis 1960-65. 50-something pages, banged out on an old 1st gen electronic typewriter.
Anyhoo, one of the books I used as a source was written by a guy who was a retired journalist, at the time with Reuters (I think), he talked about during his career in the 50s-70s the 4th estate was filled with guys used as paid and unpaid assets for various intelligence agencies, the unspoken thing was that a lot of people on all sides knew a lot of what was going on.
I wonder during the growth of the intel profession if the wall/chasm between the analysis side and the operational side siloed some of these professions.
TLDR20
Verified SOF
- Joined
- Jan 7, 2009
- Messages
- 6,663
Mortgage delinquency rates are up. It will be very interesting to see how all this government efficiency impacts jobs. Not just first order effects as federal employees lose jobs, but second order effects as things like grants, federal funding, social security payments, VA disability payments and other issues are impacted.
Devildoc
Verified Military
I thought USAID was funding the fight against our enemies? That's what they told me anyway...
Similar threads
