The use of covert operations implemented by government and corporate intelligence organizations is a major obstacle to the formation of a real democracy. Well funded and carefully planned campaigns are waged against almost every citizen effort to make our communities better from attempts to protect the environment, seek financial and electoral reform, to projects wanting to improve local transportation, food security, education or access to healthcare. Government and corporate intelligence organizations monitor the public to see if there is any community opposition or threats to corporate power.

Any time a powerful corporate institution believes that its profits and influence could be diminished it will take all necessary measures to maintain their position. They have a well financed and organized system to suppress these threats. Corporate think tanks, academic departments and military research units review past strategies, develop new methods and techniques, study their opposition and implement there plans to defend their interests with a precision based on decades, even centuries of experience. In 2005 I identified over 55 military, federal, state and local government agencies that could be responsible for monitoring and disrupting Food Not Bombs in Arizona when I helped the ACLU file a FOIA request for documents. We did not have the legal right to seek information from Raytheon Missile Systems, Chevron, The United Way, KB Homes or the many other corporate institutions that we believe were actively working to disrupt Food Not Bombs in Arizona. I am sure we missed many other intelligence organizations so secret we had no idea they were investigating and sabotaging our work. The U.S. government announced its intelligence budget for the first time in the fall of 2010 reporting that the American taxpayers spent $80 billion during that fiscal year. This included both domestic spying and some military intelligence. This figure did not include the black budget raised through the sale of drugs, guns and the many other ways available to raise money covertly. This also did not include the billions spent by corporations on their own intelligence programs.

When an community organization starts to have an impact its members are profiled and relationships studied. A team is assembled that may include experts from many disciplines including phycology, social media, anthropology and culture, systems and patterns management, surveillance and technology professionals, and people responsible for public relations and psychological warfare. They may have a unit that organizes whispering campaigns smearing the key members of your group to a targeted list of local political and business leaders and potential allies. They may organize a phony organization that appears to share your goals. They can send several levels of informants to your meetings and events from confidential informants working for a small fee or in exchange for their freedom or improved conditions for an incarcerated relative. They might also have full time employees with local, state or federal law enforcement join your organization. Of course your phone, email, web visits will be recorded and your bank account, motor vehicle records and any other personal data can and will be collected and analyzed. Most of the time this will all be happening in the background. Sometimes there will be an increase in intensity and at times the amount of attention may be very limited depending on the perceived threat. You may notice you are being followed or photographed and many times it will not be obvious.

I have lived under very intense government and corporate scrutiny for much of the past 30 years. When you are first aware that you have been the target of an intelligence operation it can be unsettling. Over time you will become accustom to the attention and develop a philosophy. Since you can not hide or have any secrets you will find that you must always seek to be as honest as possible and only take actions you can be proud of. While you may believe you know who the informants are it is best not to make any public accusations to their employment but be prepared to limit their destructive behavior. Any suggestions of violence should be loudly objected to while suggesting they are involved with the wrong organization. The most important thing is to continue with our work. If they frighten you into quitting they have succeeded. The struggle to bring democracy, a safe environment and a sustainable future is so important we must stay focused on our good works. We also need to figure out how to remove the threat of covert activity to disrupt our ability to build a positive society.

Please consider reading the rest of this article and feel free to visit the links to develop a more complete understanding of the details described. I focus on the 30 year campaign against Food Not Bombs since I have direct experience with this history. This expensive decades long campaign offers some insight into the reality of the war on terror. If Food Not Bombs is one of the most hard core terrorist groups in the United States then maybe the war on terror is nothing more then an excuse to silence protest.