Changes

In 1941 President [[Franklin D. Roosevelt]] was relying on intelligence information provided by British intelligence (and slanted by them to favor their position.) In 1941 he created the '''OSS''' [[Office of Strategic Services]], which was the first independent U.S. intelligence agency. Due to extensive penetration by the [[Soviet Union]] and the [[Communist Party]],<ref>[http://webroots.org/library/usamisc/oss-cia0.html ''The Office of Strategic Services: America's First Intelligence Agency''], Michael Warner, CIA History Staff, Center for the Study of Intelligence, Published: United States Central Intelligence Agency, 2000.</ref> the OSS was disbanded after the war and its functions were split between the Departments of State and War. A Central Intelligence Group was reorganized in January 1946.<ref>https://www.cia.gov/kids-page/6-12th-grade/operation-history/history-of-the-cia.html#changing-face-of-intelligence</ref>

In 1941 President [[Franklin D. Roosevelt]] was relying on intelligence information provided by British intelligence (and slanted by them to favor their position.) In 1941 he created the '''OSS''' [[Office of Strategic Services]], which was the first independent U.S. intelligence agency. Due to extensive penetration by the [[Soviet Union]] and the [[Communist Party]],<ref>[http://webroots.org/library/usamisc/oss-cia0.html ''The Office of Strategic Services: America's First Intelligence Agency''], Michael Warner, CIA History Staff, Center for the Study of Intelligence, Published: United States Central Intelligence Agency, 2000.</ref> the OSS was disbanded after the war and its functions were split between the Departments of State and War. A Central Intelligence Group was reorganized in January 1946.<ref>https://www.cia.gov/kids-page/6-12th-grade/operation-history/history-of-the-cia.html#changing-face-of-intelligence</ref>

Every U.S. President since [[George Washington]] has used covert action as a part of their broader foreign policy, whether [[Republican Party|Republican]] or [[Democratic Party|Democratic]], [[Liberalism|liberal]] or conservative.<ref>Daugherty (2004), p.23.</ref>  The majority of these covert action operations were successful.<ref name="Daugherty 2004, Preface XX">Daugherty (2004), Preface XX.</ref>  Most of the operations that were not successful were directed by the President over the objections of the CIA.<ref name="Daugherty 2004, Preface XX"/>  Some of the most controversial "covert action" programs, such as the [[Iran-Contra]] affair, were not primarily the work of the CIA.<ref>Daugherty (2004), p.30.</ref> Covert action programs are also much less expensive than overt political or military actions. [[The Pentagon]] commissioned a study to determine whether the CIA or the [[U.S. Department of Defense]] (DoD) should conduct covert action paramilitary operations. Their study determined that the CIA should maintain this capability and be the "sole government agency conducting covert action."  The DoD found that, even under U.S. law, it does not have the legal authority to conduct covert action, nor the operational agility to carry out these types of missions.<ref>Study Urges CIA Not To Cede Paramilitary Functions to Pentagon, Ann Scott Tyson, Washington Post Staff Writer, February 5, 2005; Page A08, https://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/articles/A168-2005Feb4.htm</ref>  The operation in May 2011 that resulted in the death of [[Osama bin Laden]] was a covert action under the authority of the CIA.<ref name="washingtonpost1">{{cite news|url=https://www.washingtonpost.com/world/osama_bin_laden_killed_in_cia_operation/2011/05/01/AFLiqoVF_gallery.html?wprss=rss_national-security |title=Osama bin Laden killed in CIA operation |work=The Washington Post |accessdate=May 19, 2011 |date=May 8, 2011}}</ref><ref name="Dilanian">{{cite news|last=Dilanian |first=Ken |url=https://www.latimes.com/news/politics/la-pn-osama-bin-laden-cia-20110502,0,6466214.story?track=rss |title=CIA led U.S. special forces mission against Osama bin Laden |work=Los Angeles Times  |date=May 2, 2011 |accessdate=May 19, 2011}}</ref>

Every U.S. president since [[George Washington]] has used covert action as a part of their broader foreign policy, whether [[Republican Party|Republican]] or [[Democratic Party|Democratic]], [[Liberalism|liberal]] or conservative.<ref>Daugherty (2004), p.23.</ref>  The majority of these covert action operations were successful.<ref name="Daugherty 2004, Preface XX">Daugherty (2004), Preface XX.</ref>  Most of the operations that were not successful were directed by the President over the objections of the CIA.<ref name="Daugherty 2004, Preface XX"/>  Some of the most controversial "covert action" programs, such as the [[Iran-Contra]] affair, were not primarily the work of the CIA.<ref>Daugherty (2004), p.30.</ref> Covert action programs are also much less expensive than overt political or military actions. [[The Pentagon]] commissioned a study to determine whether the CIA or the [[U.S. Department of Defense]] (DoD) should conduct covert action paramilitary operations. Their study determined that the CIA should maintain this capability and be the "sole government agency conducting covert action."  The DoD found that, even under U.S. law, it does not have the legal authority to conduct covert action, nor the operational agility to carry out these types of missions.<ref>Study Urges CIA Not To Cede Paramilitary Functions to Pentagon, Ann Scott Tyson, Washington Post Staff Writer, February 5, 2005; Page A08, https://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/articles/A168-2005Feb4.htm</ref>  The operation in May 2011 that resulted in the death of [[Osama bin Laden]] was a covert action under the authority of the CIA.<ref name="washingtonpost1">{{cite news|url=https://www.washingtonpost.com/world/osama_bin_laden_killed_in_cia_operation/2011/05/01/AFLiqoVF_gallery.html?wprss=rss_national-security |title=Osama bin Laden killed in CIA operation |work=The Washington Post |accessdate=May 19, 2011 |date=May 8, 2011}}</ref><ref name="Dilanian">{{cite news|last=Dilanian |first=Ken |url=https://www.latimes.com/news/politics/la-pn-osama-bin-laden-cia-20110502,0,6466214.story?track=rss |title=CIA led U.S. special forces mission against Osama bin Laden |work=Los Angeles Times  |date=May 2, 2011 |accessdate=May 19, 2011}}</ref>

===CIA established 1947===

===CIA established 1947===

From the start isolationists warned of the danger that the CIA might become an out-of-control "American [[Gestapo]]" like the [[National Socialism|Nazi]] secret police, which could trample American civil liberties. On the other side was fear of a nuclear Pearl Harbor without warning.  

From the start isolationists warned of the danger that the CIA might become an out-of-control "American [[Gestapo]]" like the [[National Socialism|Nazi]] secret police, which could trample American civil liberties. On the other side was fear of a nuclear Pearl Harbor without warning.  

In general [[United States Congress|Congress]] deferred to the [[White House]] until the 1970s on intelligence matters. Only a few members of a few select committees had any legislative oversight; they kept floor debate and written records to a minimum. Congress supported covert action, even though Roscoe Hillenkoetter (DCI 1947-50) and Walter Bedell Smith (DCI 1950-53), both military men, showed little interest. [[Dwight David Eisenhower|President Eisenhower]], by contrast, demanded more covert activities and Allen Dulles (DCI 1953-61) obliged.  

In general [[United States Congress|Congress]] deferred to the [[White House]] until the 1970s on intelligence matters. Only a few members of a few select committees had any legislative oversight; they kept floor debate and written records to a minimum. Congress supported covert action, even though Roscoe Hillenkoetter (DCI 1947–50) and Walter Bedell Smith (DCI 1950–53), both military men, showed little interest. [[Dwight David Eisenhower|President Eisenhower]], by contrast, demanded more covert activities and Allen Dulles (DCI 1953–61) obliged.  

Congressional support for more aggressive policies increased throughout the 1950s.  Congress took its oversight responsibilities seriously and even challenged the CIA when an alarming intelligence failure, such as when the CIA failed to predict the Soviet acquisition of the atomic bomb (1950), the [[Korean War]] (1953), the [[Hungarian uprising]] (1956), or the [[U-2 Incident|U-2 downing]] (1960). Eisenhower discouraged Congressional probes of agency activities, but Dulles, sometimes gained Congressional support by leaking bits of information to influential congressmen.<ref>David M. Barrett, ''The CIA & Congress: The Untold Story from Truman to Kennedy'' (2005)</ref>

Congressional support for more aggressive policies increased throughout the 1950s.  Congress took its oversight responsibilities seriously and even challenged the CIA when an alarming intelligence failure, such as when the CIA failed to predict the Soviet acquisition of the atomic bomb (1950), the [[Korean War]] (1953), the [[Hungarian uprising]] (1956), or the [[U-2 Incident|U-2 downing]] (1960). Eisenhower discouraged Congressional probes of agency activities, but Dulles, sometimes gained Congressional support by leaking bits of information to influential congressmen.<ref>David M. Barrett, ''The CIA & Congress: The Untold Story from Truman to Kennedy'' (2005)</ref>

===Soviet Estimates===

===Soviet Estimates===

The CIA began systematic estimates of the [[Soviet Union]] economy during Max Millikan's tenure as the founding director of the Office of Research and Reports (1951-1952). The strategy was to start with an "inventory of ignorance" and then reduce the list of unknowns through successive approximations.  Soviet military expenditures were estimated by the "building-block method," which began by estimating the number ships, planes, jeeps, barracks and even soldiers in use, then estimating the procurement and operating costs of each, and adding them up using estimated prices. The building blocks had advantages in that published data on physical units seemed accurate and in any case were easier to verify through covert means. The elaborate reports of the 1990s included almost 1800 such categories. Since the Soviets lacked computers and had rudimentary accounting procedures, the CIA had a better overall picture of Soviet military spending than did the [[Kremlin]]. The reports emphasized physical units, realizing that expenditures alone could not predict what sort of military threat in the future would be presented by the Red Army. To estimate costs the CIA used analogs—using Soviet trucks or American tanks, for instance, to estimate the costs of Soviet tanks—and then adjusted for differences in weight and performance. Analog-based data, far shakier than direct-cost data, accounted for over half of earlier estimates, dropping to about one-third by the late 1980s. In the 1960s the CIA increasingly used quantitative techniques, of the sort promoted in American business schools.  A crisis in the mid-1970s was caused by as a combination of external pressures, new data (some from a key Russian who defected to the West) and internal works forced a major revision of the defense burden, showing the proportion of the overall Soviet economy devoted to the military. The crisis sparked heated public debate when the CIA announced that their earlier estimates of Soviet defense spending at 6-8% of [[Gross National Product|GNP]] was too low by as much as half; the revised estimated burden ranged from 11-13%, indicating a severe economic burden that slowed Soviet growth.<ref>Noel E. Firth and James H. Noren, ''Soviet Defense Spending: A History of CIA Estimates, 1950-1990.'' (1998)</ref>

The CIA began systematic estimates of the [[Soviet Union]] economy during Max Millikan's tenure as the founding director of the Office of Research and Reports (1951-1952). The strategy was to start with an "inventory of ignorance" and then reduce the list of unknowns through successive approximations.  Soviet military expenditures were estimated by the "building-block method," which began by estimating the number ships, planes, jeeps, barracks and even soldiers in use, then estimating the procurement and operating costs of each, and adding them up using estimated prices. The building blocks had advantages in that published data on physical units seemed accurate and in any case were easier to verify through covert means. The elaborate reports of the 1990s included almost 1800 such categories. Since the Soviets lacked computers and had rudimentary accounting procedures, the CIA had a better overall picture of Soviet military spending than did the [[Kremlin]]. The reports emphasized physical units, realizing that expenditures alone could not predict what sort of military threat in the future would be presented by the Red Army. To estimate costs the CIA used analogs—using Soviet trucks or American tanks, for instance, to estimate the costs of Soviet tanks—and then adjusted for differences in weight and performance. Analog-based data, far shakier than direct-cost data, accounted for over half of earlier estimates, dropping to about one-third by the late 1980s. In the 1960s the CIA increasingly used quantitative techniques, of the sort promoted in American business schools.  A crisis in the mid-1970s was caused by as a combination of external pressures, new data (some from a key Russian who defected to the West) and internal works forced a major revision of the defense burden, showing the proportion of the overall Soviet economy devoted to the military. The crisis sparked heated public debate when the CIA announced that their earlier estimates of Soviet defense spending at 6-8% of [[Gross National Product|GNP]] was too low by as much as half; the revised estimated burden ranged 11-13%, indicating a severe economic burden that slowed Soviet growth.<ref>Noel E. Firth and James H. Noren, ''Soviet Defense Spending: A History of CIA Estimates, 1950-1990.'' (1998)</ref>

===Directorate of Science & Technology===

===Directorate of Science & Technology===

===Dulles years 1953-61===

===Dulles years 1953-61===

[[Allen Dulles]], who had been a key OSS operations officer in Switzerland during the Second World War, took over from Smith, at a time where U.S. policy was dominated by a containment policy, with serious discussions of roll-back policies going on, especially in the State Department. Dulles enjoyed a high degree of flexibility, as his brother, [[John Foster Dulles]], was simultaneously [[Secretary of State]]. Allen Dulles was head of CIA 1953-61.

[[Allen Dulles]], who had been a key OSS operations officer in Switzerland during the Second World War, took over from Smith, at a time where U.S. policy was dominated by a containment policy, with serious discussions of roll-back policies going on, especially in the State Department. Dulles enjoyed a high degree of flexibility, as his brother, [[John Foster Dulles]], was simultaneously [[Secretary of State]]. Allen Dulles was head of CIA 1953–61.

Allen Dulles became the trusted advisor on what was going to happen in the world to President Eisenhower and to his brother John Foster Dulles. The CIA gathered information and provided written assessments of the capabilities and intentions of all world leaders. Its regular briefings gave each president the sense that he knew exactly what was happening across the globe. Like ingenious prognosticators through the ages, the CIA's predictions seemed highly explicit yet never could quite be pinned down. They failed to predict any of the major surprises of the postwar era. On the other hand, estimates of the performance of the Soviet economy proved much more accurate than the information [[Moscow]] itself possessed, and forecast the failure of that economy in the 1980s.   

Allen Dulles became the trusted advisor on what was going to happen in the world to President Eisenhower and to his brother John Foster Dulles. The CIA gathered information and provided written assessments of the capabilities and intentions of all world leaders. Its regular briefings gave each president the sense that he knew exactly what was happening across the globe. Like ingenious prognosticators through the ages, the CIA's predictions seemed highly explicit yet never could quite be pinned down. They failed to predict any of the major surprises of the postwar era. On the other hand, estimates of the performance of the Soviet economy proved much more accurate than the information [[Moscow]] itself possessed, and forecast the failure of that economy in the 1980s.   

The Truman administration began developing contingency plans to remove Arbenz in 1952, in the event that he became a threat to American interests in the region.  In the face of widespread popular discontent in Guatemala and mass protests organized by the Catholic Church, the CIA used black propaganda to spread panic among the population.  In the midst of a low-level internal civil war, the Eisenhower administration mobilized disaffected Guatemalan exiles to invade the country from neighboring [[Honduras]].  Arbenz, a fighter until the end, donned his colonel's uniform and prepared himself for war with the United States.  Ultimately, however, there was very little fighting at all; the military failed to support Arbenz due to its own concerns over his perceived radicalism.  The U.S.-armed rebellion quickly took over the country, to the surprise of the CIA, which had expected much fiercer resistance.  With the army promptly joining the revolt, Arbenz fled the country in a panic.  He was allowed exile by the new regime.

The Truman administration began developing contingency plans to remove Arbenz in 1952, in the event that he became a threat to American interests in the region.  In the face of widespread popular discontent in Guatemala and mass protests organized by the Catholic Church, the CIA used black propaganda to spread panic among the population.  In the midst of a low-level internal civil war, the Eisenhower administration mobilized disaffected Guatemalan exiles to invade the country from neighboring [[Honduras]].  Arbenz, a fighter until the end, donned his colonel's uniform and prepared himself for war with the United States.  Ultimately, however, there was very little fighting at all; the military failed to support Arbenz due to its own concerns over his perceived radicalism.  The U.S.-armed rebellion quickly took over the country, to the surprise of the CIA, which had expected much fiercer resistance.  With the army promptly joining the revolt, Arbenz fled the country in a panic.  He was allowed exile by the new regime.

Vice-President [[Richard Nixon]] praised the new elections held by the military regime, declaring that Guatemala represented "the first time in history that a Communist government has ever been overthrown and replaced by a free one."  However, Guatemala would be plagued with instability for decades.  A series of military coups rocked the country, as Soviet and Cuban support for Communist violence caused bloody civil strife.  After a 1982 coup, Guatemala was placed under a U.S. arms embargo imposed on human rights grounds.  A vicious genocide reminiscent of the mass killing of the [[Hmong]] in [[Laos]] was then carried out against the [[Maya|Mayan Indians]], in which scores of thousands were massacred.

Vice-president [[Richard Nixon]] praised the new elections held by the military regime, declaring that Guatemala represented "the first time in history that a Communist government has ever been overthrown and replaced by a free one."  However, Guatemala would be plagued with instability for decades.  A series of military coups rocked the country, as Soviet and Cuban support for Communist violence caused bloody civil strife.  After a 1982 coup, Guatemala was placed under a U.S. arms embargo imposed on human rights grounds.  A vicious genocide reminiscent of the mass killing of the [[Hmong]] in [[Laos]] was then carried out against the [[Maya|Mayan Indians]], in which scores of thousands were massacred.

In Guatemala in 1954, the CIA operation was marked by chronic lapses in security, the failure to plan beyond the operation's first stages, the Agency's poor understanding of the intentions of the Guatemalan Army, the local communist party (the Guatemalan Labor Party), and the government, the hopeless weakness of invasion leader Carlos Castillo Armas's troops, and the failure to make provisions for the possibility of defeat. Just as the entire operation seemed hopeless, and before there were any significant violent attacks against it, the leftist Guatemalan government suddenly, inexplicably collapsed and a pro-American government took over.<ref>Nick Cullather, ''Secret History: The CIA's Classified Account of Its Operations in Guatemala, 1952-1954.'' (1999)</ref>

In Guatemala in 1954, the CIA operation was marked by chronic lapses in security, the failure to plan beyond the operation's first stages, the Agency's poor understanding of the intentions of the Guatemalan Army, the local communist party (the Guatemalan Labor Party), and the government, the hopeless weakness of invasion leader Carlos Castillo Armas's troops, and the failure to make provisions for the possibility of defeat. Just as the entire operation seemed hopeless, and before there were any significant violent attacks against it, the leftist Guatemalan government suddenly, inexplicably collapsed and a pro-American government took over.<ref>Nick Cullather, ''Secret History: The CIA's Classified Account of Its Operations in Guatemala, 1952-1954.'' (1999)</ref>

But their involvement with the Americans made them even more suspect, and marginal, in Chilean society. Later, the CIA in order to justify itself and show that they had been effective in Chile, elevated these marginal or unimportant people as “key to the successful removal of Allende!” Leftists and historians ran with this notion. But it was just to hide CIA incompetence.

But their involvement with the Americans made them even more suspect, and marginal, in Chilean society. Later, the CIA in order to justify itself and show that they had been effective in Chile, elevated these marginal or unimportant people as “key to the successful removal of Allende!” Leftists and historians ran with this notion. But it was just to hide CIA incompetence.

Because of the trauma of the Schneider killing, it’s absurd to think that the Chilean armed forces would cooperate with the US [[Deep State]] for the 1973 military intervention, especially when they didn’t need them to pull it off successfully. It was only after the military intervention, and only out of national economic necessity, that the Military Government got closer to the Americans.

Because of the trauma of the Schneider killing, it's absurd to think that the Chilean armed forces would cooperate with the US [[Deep State]] for the 1973 military intervention, especially when they didn't need them to pull it off successfully. It was only after the military intervention, and only out of national economic necessity, that the Military Government got closer to the Americans.

But institutionally, the Chilean military never trusted the Americans, and never allowed themselves to be dependent on them. The American government was never happy with the Pinochet government, because it never gave back the lucrative copper mines that Allende had expropriated.<ref>{{cite web|author=[[Gonzalo Lira]]|url=https://threadreaderapp.com/thread/1542742748188606466.html|title=Chilean history thread|date=July 1, 2022}}</ref>

But institutionally, the Chilean military never trusted the Americans, and never allowed themselves to be dependent on them. The American government was never happy with the Pinochet government, because it never gave back the lucrative copper mines that Allende had expropriated.<ref>{{cite web|author=[[Gonzalo Lira]]|url=https://threadreaderapp.com/thread/1542742748188606466.html|title=Chilean history thread|date=July 1, 2022}}</ref>

===Deneutered===

===Deneutered===

John Kennedy threatened to disband the agency and cast it to the four winds after the Bay of Pigs fiasco, but attacks on the CIA came to a head in the early 1970s, around the time of the [[Watergate scandal|Watergate]] political burglary affair. A dominant feature of political life during that period was the attempts of Congress to assert oversight of U.S. Presidency, take control of war-making, and more closely supervise the executive agencies.<ref>Kathryn S. Olmsted,  ''Challenging the Secret Government: The Post-Watergate Investigations of the CIA and FBI.'' (1996). 255 pp.</ref> Revelations about past CIA activities, such as assassinations and attempted assassinations of foreign leaders, illegal domestic spying on U.S. citizens, provided the opportunities to execute Congressional oversight of U.S. intelligence operations. Hastening the Central Intelligence Agency's fall from grace were the burglary of the Watergate headquarters of the Democratic Party by ex-CIA agents, and President [[Richard Nixon]]'s attempt to deceive the FBI into believing the Watergate burglary was a CIA operation.<ref>In the famous "smoking gun" recording that led to President Nixon's resignation, Nixon ordered his chief of staff, [[H.R. Haldeman]], to tell the CIA that further investigation of Watergate would "open the whole can of worms" about the [[Bay of Pigs|Bay of Pigs Invasion]] of Cuba, and, therefore, that the CIA should tell the FBI to cease investigating the Watergate burglary, due to reasons of "national security".</ref>

John Kennedy threatened to disband the agency and cast it to the four winds after the Bay of Pigs fiasco, but attacks on the CIA came to a head in the early 1970s, around the time of the [[Watergate scandal|Watergate]] political burglary affair. A dominant feature of political life during that period was the attempts of Congress to assert oversight of U.S. presidency, take control of war-making, and more closely supervise the executive agencies.<ref>Kathryn S. Olmsted,  ''Challenging the Secret Government: The Post-Watergate Investigations of the CIA and FBI.'' (1996). 255 pp.</ref> Revelations about past CIA activities, such as assassinations and attempted assassinations of foreign leaders, illegal domestic spying on U.S. citizens, provided the opportunities to execute Congressional oversight of U.S. intelligence operations. Hastening the Central Intelligence Agency's fall from grace were the burglary of the Watergate headquarters of the Democratic Party by ex-CIA agents, and President [[Richard Nixon]]'s attempt to deceive the FBI into believing the Watergate burglary was a CIA operation.<ref>In the famous "smoking gun" recording that led to President Nixon's resignation, Nixon ordered his chief of staff, [[H.R. Haldeman]], to tell the CIA that further investigation of Watergate would "open the whole can of worms" about the [[Bay of Pigs|Bay of Pigs Invasion]] of Cuba, and, therefore, that the CIA should tell the FBI to cease investigating the Watergate burglary, due to reasons of "national security".</ref>

The CIA sent hundreds of agents to Vietnam and Laos to build up anticommunist guerrilla groups. The CIA assisted (but did not actually operate) the "Phoenix" program by which South Vietnamese police forces identified and arrested [[Vietcong|Viet Cong]] leaders (torturing many and killing several thousand of them).  In the Eisenhower and Kennedy years, it planned several assassinations, with [[Fidel Castro]] a target of "Operation Mongoose." Castro was never harmed. Indeed, as a hostile Senate committee concluded, the agency did not in fact assassinate anyone. Congress has never passed a law forbidding assassinations, but every president since Ford has issued executive orders that prohibit direct (or indirect) attempts at assassination without Presidential authorization.

The CIA sent hundreds of agents to Vietnam and Laos to build up anticommunist guerrilla groups. The CIA assisted (but did not actually operate) the "Phoenix" program by which South Vietnamese police forces identified and arrested [[Vietcong|Viet Cong]] leaders (torturing many and killing several thousand of them).  In the Eisenhower and Kennedy years, it planned several assassinations, with [[Fidel Castro]] a target of "Operation Mongoose." Castro was never harmed. Indeed, as a hostile Senate committee concluded, the agency did not in fact assassinate anyone. Congress has never passed a law forbidding assassinations, but every president since Ford has issued executive orders that prohibit direct (or indirect) attempts at assassination without Presidential authorization.

For decades, Nicaragua had experienced some of the fastest economic growth in the hemisphere. Within a few years of Sandinista rule, wages had been fixed below poverty level and there was mass unemployment. There were shortages of nearly all basic goods, with inflation at 30,000%. Government studies found that three-quarters of schoolchildren suffered from malnutrition, while living standards were lower than [[Haiti]]. The [[World Bank]] found that Nicaragua was on the economic level of [[Somalia]].

For decades, Nicaragua had experienced some of the fastest economic growth in the hemisphere. Within a few years of Sandinista rule, wages had been fixed below poverty level and there was mass unemployment. There were shortages of nearly all basic goods, with inflation at 30,000%. Government studies found that three-quarters of schoolchildren suffered from malnutrition, while living standards were lower than [[Haiti]]. The [[World Bank]] found that Nicaragua was on the economic level of [[Somalia]].

From 1981-90, the CIA aids the Contra revolution, plants harbor mines and sinks civilian ships to overthrow the Sandinista government of Nicaragua. After the [[Boland Amendment]] was enacted, it became illegal under U.S. law to fund the Contras; National Security Adviser Robert McFarlane, Deputy National Security Adviser Admiral John Poindexter, National Security Council staffer Col. Oliver North and others continued an illegal operation to fund the Contras, leading to the Iran-Contra affair. The U.S argued that:<ref>"Nicaragua's role in revolutionary internationalism". U.S. Department of State Bulletin. 1986.</ref>

From 1981 to 1990, the CIA aids the Contra revolution, plants harbor mines and sinks civilian ships to overthrow the Sandinista government of Nicaragua. After the [[Boland Amendment]] was enacted, it became illegal under U.S. law to fund the Contras; National Security Adviser Robert McFarlane, Deputy National Security Adviser Admiral John Poindexter, National Security Council staffer Col. Oliver North and others continued an illegal operation to fund the Contras, leading to the Iran-Contra affair. The U.S. argued that:<ref>"Nicaragua's role in revolutionary internationalism". U.S. Department of State Bulletin. 1986.</ref>

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</blockquote>

Due to U.S. pressure, the Sandinistas held a blatantly rigged<ref>Martin Kriele, “Power and Human Rights in Nicaragua,” German Comments, April 1986, pp56-7, 63-7, a chapter excerpted from his Nicaragua: Das blutende Herz Amerikas (Piper, 1986). See also Robert S. Leiken, “The Nicaraguan Tangle,” ''New York Review of Books'', December 5, 1985 and “The Nicaraguan Tangle: Another Exchange,” ''New York Review of Books'', June 26, 1986; Alfred G. Cuzan, Letter, Commentary, December 1985 and “The Latin American Studies Association vs. the United States,” Academic Questions, Summer 1994.</ref> election in 1984. On October 5, 1985 the Sandinistas broadened the 1982 State of Emergency and suspended many more civil rights. A new regulation also forced any organization outside of the government to first submit any statement it wanted to make public to the censorship bureau for prior censorship.<ref>Chamorro Cardenal, Jaime (1988). La Prensa, A Republic of Paper, Freedom House, p. 23.</ref>

Due to U.S. pressure, the Sandinistas held a blatantly rigged<ref>Martin Kriele, “Power and Human Rights in Nicaragua,” German Comments, April 1986, pp56-7, 63-7, a chapter excerpted from his Nicaragua: Das blutende Herz Amerikas (Piper, 1986). See also Robert S. Leiken, “The Nicaraguan Tangle,” ''New York Review of Books'', December 5, 1985 and “The Nicaraguan Tangle: Another Exchange,” ''New York Review of Books'', June 26, 1986; Alfred G. Cuzan, Letter, Commentary, December 1985 and “The Latin American Studies Association vs. the United States,” Academic Questions, Summer 1994.</ref> election in 1984. On October 5, 1985, the Sandinistas broadened the 1982 State of Emergency and suspended many more civil rights. A new regulation also forced any organization outside of the government to first submit any statement it wanted to make public to the censorship bureau for prior censorship.<ref>Chamorro Cardenal, Jaime (1988). La Prensa, A Republic of Paper, Freedom House, p. 23.</ref>

As the Contras continued to advance due to U.S. aid, the Sandinistas struggled to maintain power. They were overthrown in 1990, when they ended the SOE and held an election that all the main opposition parties were allowed to compete in. According to [[P.J. O'Rourke]], the Sandinistas were forced to agree to the elections by the U.S. and the Contras, and lost them despite "the unfair advantages of using state resources for party ends, the Sandinista control of the transit system that prevented UNO [United Nicaraguan Opposition] supporters from attending rallies, the Sandinista domination of the army that forced soldiers to vote for [[Daniel Ortega]] and the Sandinista bureaucracy keeping $3.3 million of U.S. campaign aid from getting to UNO while Ortega spent millions donated by overseas people and millions and millions more from the Nicaraguan treasury.”<ref>“The Return of the Death of Communism: Nicaragua, February 1990," a chapter in ''Give War a Chance...'' by P. J. O'Rourke. Grove Press; reprint edition (November 2003, ISBN 0-8021-4031-9).</ref>

As the Contras continued to advance due to U.S. aid, the Sandinistas struggled to maintain power. They were overthrown in 1990, when they ended the SOE and held an election that all the main opposition parties were allowed to compete in. According to [[P.J. O'Rourke]], the Sandinistas were forced to agree to the elections by the U.S. and the Contras, and lost them despite "the unfair advantages of using state resources for party ends, the Sandinista control of the transit system that prevented UNO [United Nicaraguan Opposition] supporters from attending rallies, the Sandinista domination of the army that forced soldiers to vote for [[Daniel Ortega]] and the Sandinista bureaucracy keeping $3.3 million of U.S. campaign aid from getting to UNO while Ortega spent millions donated by overseas people and millions and millions more from the Nicaraguan treasury.”<ref>“The Return of the Death of Communism: Nicaragua, February 1990," a chapter in ''Give War a Chance...'' by P. J. O'Rourke. Grove Press; reprint edition (November 2003, ISBN 0-8021-4031-9).</ref>

==21st Century==

==21st Century==

With the collapse of the Soviet Union and the "end of history" as it was called, some questioned why the need for an organization with a such a checkered history.<ref>http://carnegieendowment.org/2005/12/20/case-for-abolishing-cia </ref> [[Global warming]] as a strategic threat to national security became the new boogeyman to justify continued funding.<ref>https://youtu.be/tebTD6yWOX0 </ref>

With the collapse of the Soviet Union and the "end of history" as it was called, some questioned why the need for an organization with a such a checkered history.<ref>http://carnegieendowment.org/2005/12/20/case-for-abolishing-cia</ref> [[Global warming]] as a strategic threat to national security became the new boogeyman to justify continued funding.<ref>https://youtu.be/tebTD6yWOX0</ref>

===9-11===

===9-11===

A major criticism is failure to forestall the [[9-11 Attack]] in 2001 because of three organizational deficiencies: the inability of multiple American intelligence agencies to work together, organizational incentives to take the wrong analytical actions, and resistance to new technologies and ideas.<ref>Amy B. Zegart, "CNN with Secrets": 9/11, the CIA, and the Organizational Roots of Failure." ''International Journal of Intelligence and Counterintelligence'' 2007 20(1): 18-49. Issn: 0885-0607</ref> The ''9/11 Commission Report'' identifies failures in the intelligence community as a whole. One problem, for example, was the FBI failing to "connect the dots" by sharing information among its decentralized field offices. The report, however, criticizes both CIA analysis and impedance of their investigation. The CIA Inspector General in 2007 concluded that former DCI [[George Tenet]] failed to adequately prepare the agency to deal with the danger posed by [[Al Qaeda]] prior to the [[9-11 Attack]].

A major criticism is failure to forestall the [[9-11 Attack]] in 2001 because of three organizational deficiencies: the inability of multiple American intelligence agencies to work together, organizational incentives to take the wrong analytical actions, and resistance to new technologies and ideas.<ref>Amy B. Zegart, "CNN with Secrets": 9/11, the CIA, and the Organizational Roots of Failure." ''International Journal of Intelligence and Counterintelligence'' 2007 20(1): 18-49. Issn: 0885-0607</ref> The ''9/11 Commission Report'' identifies failures in the intelligence community as a whole. One problem, for example, was the FBI failing to "connect the dots" by sharing information among its decentralized field offices. The report, however, criticizes both CIA analysis and impedance of their investigation. The CIA Inspector General in 2007 concluded that former DCI [[George Tenet]] failed to adequately prepare the agency to deal with the danger posed by [[Al Qaeda]] prior to the [[9-11 Attack]].

===Amazon/Washington Post deal===

===Amazon/Washington Post deal===

In March 2013, the CIA awarded a $600 million contract to Amazon Web Services for a computing cloud system which would allow all 17 agencies of the US intelligence community to coordinate and share information.<ref>https://www.theatlantic.com/technology/archive/2014/07/the-details-about-the-cias-deal-with-amazon/374632/ </ref> The General Accounting Office found the deal violated the open bidding process, but a federal court stood by the CIA's decision.

In March 2013, the CIA awarded a $600 million contract to Amazon Web Services for a computing cloud system which would allow all 17 agencies of the US intelligence community to coordinate and share information.<ref>https://www.theatlantic.com/technology/archive/2014/07/the-details-about-the-cias-deal-with-amazon/374632/</ref> The General Accounting Office found the deal violated the open bidding process, but a federal court stood by the CIA's decision.

In October of the same year [[Jeff Bezos]], founder of [[Amazon.com]] and the 6th richest billionaire on the planet worth $66 billion, purchased the ''[[Washington Post]]'' with proceeds of the deal.<ref>https://www.washingtonpost.com/business/economy/washington-post-closes-sale-to-amazon-founder-jeff-bezos/2013/10/01/fca3b16a-2acf-11e3-97a3-ff2758228523_story.html?utm_term=.8fea51fb3097 </ref> Elements within the CIA then began using the ''Washington Post'' to promote [[Hillary Rodham Clinton]] as their preferred candidate for President in 2016.<ref>http://www.mockingbirdpaper.com/content/leaked-dnc-emails-prove-washington-post-both-fundraiser-and-attack-dog-clinton-and-national </ref> After the election but before taking office, the CIA in [[collusion]] with the [[White House]], the DNC and Clinton campaign, fraudulently claimed [[Vladimir Putin]] and Russian intelligence agencies had rigged [[Donald Trump]]'s election to the presidency. The CIA and its government and media surrogates put out the false claim that Russian intelligence agencies had delivered embarrassing emails from the Democrats and the Clinton campaign to [[Wikileaks]]. In fact, the sources of the compromised information came from disgruntled whistleblowers within the Clinton campaign and Democratic National Committee.<ref>http://www.zerohedge.com/news/2016-12-15/revealed-who-gave-democratic-emails-wikileaks </ref> DNC insiders delivered information to Wikileaks.<ref>https://www.craigmurray.org.uk/archives/2016/12/cias-absence-conviction/ </ref>

In October of the same year [[Jeff Bezos]], founder of [[Amazon.com]] and the 6th richest billionaire on the planet worth $66 billion, purchased the ''[[Washington Post]]'' with proceeds of the deal.<ref>https://www.washingtonpost.com/business/economy/washington-post-closes-sale-to-amazon-founder-jeff-bezos/2013/10/01/fca3b16a-2acf-11e3-97a3-ff2758228523_story.html?utm_term=.8fea51fb3097</ref> Elements within the CIA then began using the ''Washington Post'' to promote [[Hillary Rodham Clinton]] as their preferred candidate for president in 2016.<ref>http://www.mockingbirdpaper.com/content/leaked-dnc-emails-prove-washington-post-both-fundraiser-and-attack-dog-clinton-and-national</ref> After the election but before taking office, the CIA in [[collusion]] with the [[White House]], the DNC and Clinton campaign, fraudulently claimed [[Vladimir Putin]] and Russian intelligence agencies had rigged [[Donald Trump]]'s election to the presidency. The CIA and its government and media surrogates put out the false claim that Russian intelligence agencies had delivered embarrassing emails from the Democrats and the Clinton campaign to [[Wikileaks]]. In fact, the sources of the compromised information came from disgruntled whistleblowers within the Clinton campaign and Democratic National Committee.<ref>http://www.zerohedge.com/news/2016-12-15/revealed-who-gave-democratic-emails-wikileaks</ref> DNC insiders delivered information to Wikileaks.<ref>https://www.craigmurray.org.uk/archives/2016/12/cias-absence-conviction/</ref>

===Ukrainian Nazis===

===Ukrainian Nazis===

These various neo-Nazi units, trained by [[the West]], were integrated into the Armed Forces of Ukraine (AFU). After 2014 [[Maidan coup]], the West actively protected these neo-Nazi groups.  [[Victoria Nuland]], in 2021, told [[Volodymyr Zelensky]] to appoint Dmytro Yarosh as adviser to the [[Commander-in-Chief]] of the Ukrainian army—because no one can fight Russians better than Nazis.  Here are the larger units of neo-Nazis, or [[Banderite]]s which fought Russians in Ukraine:

These various neo-Nazi units, trained by [[the West]], were integrated into the Armed Forces of Ukraine (AFU). After 2014 [[Maidan coup]], the West actively protected these neo-Nazi groups.  [[Victoria Nuland]], in 2021, told [[Volodymyr Zelensky]] to appoint Dmytro Yarosh as adviser to the [[Commander-in-Chief]] of the Ukrainian army—because no one can fight Russians better than Nazis.  Here are the larger units of neo-Nazis, or [[Banderite]]s which fought Russians in Ukraine:

*Members of Svoboda (formerly the “Nation-Social Party of Ukraine,” which curiously rhymes with Hitler’s “National-Socialist German Workers Party”)

*Members of Svoboda (formerly the “Nation-Social Party of Ukraine,” which curiously rhymes with Hitler's “National-Socialist German Workers Party”)

*The [[AZOV Battalion]] (based in Mariupol)

*The [[AZOV Battalion]] (based in Mariupol)

*C14 of Kyiv

*C14 of Kyiv

====Ukrop Deathsquads====

====Ukrop Deathsquads====

The CIA reportedly operates an entire floor in the [[Security Service of Ukraine]] (SBU) headquarters at 33 Volodymyrska Street in [[Kyiv]], <ref>http://perebezhchik.ru/world/4159.html</ref> in a building originally used as the [[Bolshevik]] headquarters of [[Ukraine]], later the [[Gestapo]] during the Nazi occupation, then the [[NKVD]] of the [[USSR]], and as of 2022 serves as the [[torture]] chambers for Russian [[POW]]s and Ukrainians accused of having ties to Russia. Following the 2014 [[Maidan coup]], the security service was headed by Valentin Nalyvaichenko, who was recruited by the [[CIA]] when he was the Consul General of Ukraine in the [[United States]].<ref>https://en.topwar.ru/43842-glava-sbu-nalivaychenko-okazalsya-agentom-cru.html</ref>

The CIA reportedly operates an entire floor in the [[Security Service of Ukraine]] (SBU) headquarters at 33 Volodymyrska Street in [[Kyiv]],<ref>http://perebezhchik.ru/world/4159.html</ref> in a building originally used as the [[Bolshevik]] headquarters of [[Ukraine]], later the [[Gestapo]] during the Nazi occupation, then the [[NKVD]] of the [[USSR]], and as of 2022 serves as the [[torture]] chambers for Russian [[POW]]s and Ukrainians accused of having ties to Russia. Following the 2014 [[Maidan coup]], the security service was headed by Valentin Nalyvaichenko, who was recruited by the [[CIA]] when he was the Consul General of Ukraine in the [[United States]].<ref>https://en.topwar.ru/43842-glava-sbu-nalivaychenko-okazalsya-agentom-cru.html</ref>

[[File:Dugina on kill list.PNG|right|300px|thumb|Dr. [[Darya Dugina]] marked as "eliminated".<ref>https://youtu.be/H9cPjVTjvSg</ref>  Dugina's murder in [[Moscow]] marked a significant escalation of [[terrorist]] attacks against non-combatants and civilians outside of Ukraine.]]

[[File:Dugina on kill list.PNG|right|300px|thumb|Dr. [[Darya Dugina]] marked as "eliminated".<ref>https://youtu.be/H9cPjVTjvSg</ref>  Dugina's murder in [[Moscow]] marked a significant escalation of [[terrorist]] attacks against non-combatants and civilians outside of Ukraine.]]

Vassily Prozorov, a former SBU officer who defected to Russia following the Maidan coup, detailed the post-Maidan security services’ systemic reliance on torture to crush political opposition and intimidate citizens accused of Russian sympathies.<ref>https://youtu.be/4g4V7mLi6ZA</ref>  According to Prozorov, the SBU have been directly advised by the CIA since 2014. “CIA employees have been present in Kiev since 2014. They are residing in clandestine apartments and suburban houses,” he said. “However, they frequently come to the SBU’s central office for holding, for example, specific meetings or plotting secret operations.”

Vassily Prozorov, a former SBU officer who defected to Russia following the Maidan coup, detailed the post-Maidan security services’ systemic reliance on torture to crush political opposition and intimidate citizens accused of Russian sympathies.<ref>https://youtu.be/4g4V7mLi6ZA</ref>  According to Prozorov, the SBU have been directly advised by the CIA since 2014. “CIA employees have been present in Kiev since 2014. They are residing in clandestine apartments and suburban houses,” he said. “However, they frequently come to the SBU’s central office for holding, for example, specific meetings or plotting secret operations.”

Journalist and political scientist Darya Dugina was assassinated in [[Moscow]] on August 20, 2022.<ref>https://youtu.be/nUpzbWPfcGs</ref>  Dugina is the daughter of the Russian political scientist and philosopher [[Alexander Dugin]].

Journalist and political scientist Darya Dugina was assassinated in [[Moscow]] on August 20, 2022.<ref>https://youtu.be/nUpzbWPfcGs</ref>  Dugina is the daughter of the Russian political scientist and philosopher [[Alexander Dugin]].

Darya's killer was identified as Natalia Pavlovna Vovk, a Ukrainian citizen and member of the [[Azov Regiment]].<ref>https://colonelcassad.livejournal.com/7816264.html</ref><ref>https://myrotvorets.center/criminal/platonova-darya-aleksandrovna/</ref>  The Investigtive Committee of the Russian Federation and the [[Federal Security Service]] (or [[counterintelligence]] service) established the SBU as responsible for the killing.<ref>https://www.zerohedge.com/geopolitical/russian-fsb-identifies-alleged-dugina-assassin</ref>

Darya's killer was identified as Natalia Pavlovna Vovk, a Ukrainian citizen and member of the [[Azov Regiment]].<ref>https://colonelcassad.livejournal.com/7816264.html</ref><ref>https://myrotvorets.center/criminal/platonova-darya-aleksandrovna/</ref>  The Investigative Committee of the Russian Federation and the [[Federal Security Service]] (or [[counterintelligence]] service) established the SBU as responsible for the killing.<ref>https://www.zerohedge.com/geopolitical/russian-fsb-identifies-alleged-dugina-assassin</ref>

On August 21, 2022, the day after the killing, Ukrainian Ambassador to [[Kazakhstan]] Petro Vrublevskyi explained to an interviewer "We are trying to kill as many of them [Russians] as possible. The more Russians we kill now, the fewer our children will have to kill," according to ''[[Yahoo News]]''.<ref>https://news.yahoo.com/trying-kill-many-them-possible-085433987.html?fr=sycsrp_catchall</ref>

On August 21, 2022, the day after the killing, Ukrainian Ambassador to [[Kazakhstan]] Petro Vrublevskyi explained to an interviewer "We are trying to kill as many of them [Russians] as possible. The more Russians we kill now, the fewer our children will have to kill," according to ''[[Yahoo News]]''.<ref>https://news.yahoo.com/trying-kill-many-them-possible-085433987.html?fr=sycsrp_catchall</ref>

===2020 presidential election interference===

===2020 presidential election interference===

{{See also|United States Presidential Election, 2020|Ukrainian collusion}}

{{See also|United States Presidential Election, 2020|Ukrainian collusion}}

An axis of the CIA, [[Big Tech]] and the [[DNC]]-allied [[mainstream media]] spread an absolute lie in the weeks before the 2020 presidential election.  [[Glenn Greenwald]] reported that on October 14, 2020 and then October 15, 2020, ''[[The New York Post]]'', the nation's oldest newspaper, published two news reports on [[Joe Biden]]'s activities in Ukraine and China that raised serious questions about his integrity and ethics: specifically whether he and his family were trading on his name and influence to generate profit for themselves. ''The Post'' said that the documents were obtained from a laptop left by Joe Biden's son, [[Hunter Biden]], at a repair shop.

An axis of the CIA, [[Big Tech]] and the [[DNC]]-allied [[mainstream media]] spread an absolute lie in the weeks before the 2020 presidential election.  [[Glenn Greenwald]] reported that on October 14, 2020, and then October 15, 2020, ''[[The New York Post]]'', the nation's oldest newspaper, published two news reports on [[Joe Biden]]'s activities in Ukraine and China that raised serious questions about his integrity and ethics: specifically whether he and his family were trading on his name and influence to generate profit for themselves. ''The Post'' said that the documents were obtained from a laptop left by Joe Biden's son, [[Hunter Biden]], at a repair shop.

From the start, the evidence of authenticity was overwhelming. ''The Post'' published genuine photos of Hunter that were taken from the laptop. Investigations from media outlets found people who had received the [[email]]s in real-time and they compared the emails in their possession to the ones in the ''Post's'' archive, and they matched word-for-word.<ref>https://www.foxnews.com/politics/hunter-biden-business-partner-email-genuine-joe-biden-advice</ref>  One of Hunter Biden's own business associates involved in many of these deals, Tony Bobulinski,<ref>https://www.foxnews.com/politics/hunter-biden-business-partner-email-genuine-joe-biden-advice</ref> confirmed publicly and in interviews that the key emails were genuine and that they referenced Joe Biden's profit participation in one deal being pursued in [[China]]. A forensics analyst issued a report concluding the archive had all the earmarks of authenticity.<ref>https://dailycaller.com/2020/10/29/cybersecurity-expert-authenticates-hunter-biden-burisma-email/</ref>  Not even the Bidens denied that the emails were real.  It was clear early on that all the key metrics demonstrated that these documents were real.

From the start, the evidence of authenticity was overwhelming. ''The Post'' published genuine photos of Hunter that were taken from the laptop. Investigations from media outlets found people who had received the [[email]]s in real-time and they compared the emails in their possession to the ones in the ''Post's'' archive, and they matched word-for-word.<ref name="foxnews.com">https://www.foxnews.com/politics/hunter-biden-business-partner-email-genuine-joe-biden-advice</ref>  One of Hunter Biden's own business associates involved in many of these deals, Tony Bobulinski,<ref name="foxnews.com"/> confirmed publicly and in interviews that the key emails were genuine and that they referenced Joe Biden's profit participation in one deal being pursued in [[China]]. A forensics analyst issued a report concluding the archive had all the earmarks of authenticity.<ref>https://dailycaller.com/2020/10/29/cybersecurity-expert-authenticates-hunter-biden-burisma-email/</ref>  Not even the Bidens denied that the emails were real.  It was clear early on that all the key metrics demonstrated that these documents were real.

Intelligence officials, such as Obama's CIA Director [[John Brennan]] and his Director of National Intelligence [[James Clapper]], led a group of dozens of CIA operatives in issuing a public statement that disseminated an outright lie: namely, that the laptop was "Russian disinformation.” Note that this phrase contains two separate assertions: 1) the documents came from Russia and 2) they are fake ("disinformation").<ref>https://www.politico.com/f/?id=00000175-4393-d7aa-af77-579f9b330000</ref>

Intelligence officials, such as Obama's CIA Director [[John Brennan]] and his Director of National Intelligence [[James Clapper]], led a group of dozens of CIA operatives in issuing a public statement that disseminated an outright lie: namely, that the laptop was "Russian disinformation.” Note that this phrase contains two separate assertions: 1) the documents came from Russia and 2) they are fake ("disinformation").<ref>https://www.politico.com/f/?id=00000175-4393-d7aa-af77-579f9b330000</ref>

But the complete lack of evidence for these claims did not stop the corporate media or Big Tech from repeating this lie over and over, and, far worse, using this lie to [[censor]] the reporting from the [[internet]]. One of the first to spread this lie was, Natasha Bertrand, then of ''[[Politico]]'' and as of 2021 [[CNN]].<ref>https://greenwald.substack.com/p/cnns-new-reporter-natasha-bertrand</ref>  “Hunter Biden story is Russian disinfo, dozens of former intel officials say,” blared her headline in ''Politico'' on October 19, 2020 just five days after the ''Post'' began its reporting.<ref>https://www.politico.com/news/2020/10/19/hunter-biden-story-russian-disinfo-430276</ref>  From there, virtually every media outlet<ref>https://twitter.com/tomselliott/status/1440402740409110528</ref> — CNN, [[NBC News]], [[PBS]], ''[[Huffington Post]]'', ''The Intercept''<ref>https://twitter.com/ggreenwald/status/1440315750082748419</ref>, and too many others to count<ref>https://twitter.com/ggreenwald/status/1440314701896814597</ref> — began completely ignoring the substance of the reporting and instead spread the lie over and over that these documents were the by-product of Russian disinformation.<ref>https://greenwald.substack.com/p/new-proof-emerges-of-the-biden-family</ref>

But the complete lack of evidence for these claims did not stop the corporate media or Big Tech from repeating this lie over and over, and, far worse, using this lie to [[censor]] the reporting from the [[internet]]. One of the first to spread this lie was, Natasha Bertrand, then of ''[[Politico]]'' and as of 2021 [[CNN]].<ref>https://greenwald.substack.com/p/cnns-new-reporter-natasha-bertrand</ref>  “Hunter Biden story is Russian disinfo, dozens of former intel officials say,” blared her headline in ''Politico'' on October 19, 2020, just five days after the ''Post'' began its reporting.<ref>https://www.politico.com/news/2020/10/19/hunter-biden-story-russian-disinfo-430276</ref>  From there, virtually every media outlet<ref>https://twitter.com/tomselliott/status/1440402740409110528</ref> — CNN, [[NBC News]], [[PBS]], ''[[Huffington Post]]'', ''The Intercept'',<ref>https://twitter.com/ggreenwald/status/1440315750082748419</ref> and too many others to count<ref>https://twitter.com/ggreenwald/status/1440314701896814597</ref> — began completely ignoring the substance of the reporting and instead spread the lie over and over that these documents were the by-product of Russian disinformation.<ref>https://greenwald.substack.com/p/new-proof-emerges-of-the-biden-family</ref>

==Image and Reputation==

==Image and Reputation==