#cia division tactics

[zigcarnivorous]

American culture is so barbaric. Look how many Americans are happy to say 'I get to punish you as much as I like because (I imagined) you didn't do what I wanted'.

People like the one highlighted in the screenshot just want to blame and be angry and lash out because their team lost very badly. Oh boo hoo🙄 An embarrassing, humiliating and justified loss. And they want OTHER PEOPLE to feel the same hurt and anger. Don't fall for it. Division is a tool of the ruling class.

Where is the acknowledgement that Malignald Lump should not have even been ALLOWED to run, and that we were cooked from THAT point, hello.

Where is the acknowledgement that it was not the fault of uncommitted voters, third party voters or Muslims that got Lump elected, but it was WHIIIIITE WOMEN, it was young WHIIIIITE men, it was overwhelmingly CHRISTIANS who voted for the one they did, because of simple facts like these (super easy to look up btw): According to a Pew Forum estimate, in 2017 there were 3.45 million Muslims, constituting about 1.1% of the total U.S. population, compared with 70.6% who follow Christianity, 22.8% unaffiliated, 1.9% Judaism, 0.7% Buddhism, and 0.7% Hinduism.

history started october 7th election night

Liberals demand support for the democrats, even though the democrats have done nothing to earn that support.

It is absolutely insane that a "democratic capitalist" actually thinks that just because the democrats are overwhelmingly voting in favor of giving the butchers of Gaza all the money and weapons in the world, that they still don't have to do a damn thing to earn a single bit of support.

People like this are eternally proving that all liberals really are are just polite fascists.

But now that the genocider that they supported lost, they've ditched the polite aspect.

[odinsblog]

i know russians hate putin who runied their county like trump

[re: this post]

I have absolutely no doubt whatsoever that wherever there are sham elections, there will always people who do not like it, and a brave few will stand up and resist.

For example, if you search social media for something like “Russia sham election,” you’ll see videos like this:

I fucking love watching these. They showed up and did the damn civil disobedience thang.

And if you search for “Russian fuckery” or “disappearing ink,” you’ll find gems like this, where voters were generously supplied with pens to complete their ballots, but the ink wasn’t permanent and could be easily burned away with a bic lighter. (source) (source)

So yeah, people had every right to be pissed and resist Russia’s sham elections.

A lot of Russian dissidents and Ukrainian citizens in occupied Crimea and Mariupol risked their freedom to protest Putin’s sham election. They quite literally risked everything, and many of them have already been jailed.

So yes, you’re right; I know that there are people who do not like it, and a brave few who will stand up and resist Putin.

BUT … it’s quite impossible to take a full or accurate accounting of how Russian citizens inside of Russia feel, because, 1) Putin and the Kremlin control the media outlets, and journalists are routinely murdered by the Kremlin in Russia, so we won’t ever get a true picture, and 2) dissidents know that they will be harshly penalized (shot, jailed, poisoned, defenestrated, etc) for publicly voicing any serious or prolonged anti-Putin sentiments.

And there are also Russians who are against Putin, but who are not against Russia’s invasion of Ukraine.

Unfortunately there are quite a few Russians, like the woman in the video below, who aren’t even in Russia, but who have very clearly chugged the kool-aide and fully believe Putin’s propaganda and disinformation.

SN: No, Crimea/Ukraine was not in NATO, nor was Ukraine even applying for NATO membership when Putin invaded—that is a propagandistic LIE that tankies have stupidly bought into. (source) (source) (source) (source)

So yeah, it continues to worry me that some Russians outside of Putin’s distortion bubble still believe his lies. Again, I know that there are also many Russians who vehemently reject Putin’s lies …. I just don’t know if it’s a sizable majority, or a tiny but vocal minority. My guess is that anti-Putin citizens living in Russia are, unfortunately, a minority.

And this isn’t me dunking on Russian civilians. I live in America. We have similar divisions about countries that our government has invaded. So yeah, I’m in the U.S. and I am also dealing with the exact same flavor of willfully gullible miscreants, who believe anything Trump tells them, and I’ll have to wait until after our general election to see if they are a majority here.

A quick aside, but in the original post, I said I’d be watching to see how tankies addressed the OBVIOUSLY fake sham elections that Putin legitimately “won,” and it’s pretty much what I expected - tankies crawling out of the woodwork to announce that any evidence of coercive tactics was itself fake, or CIA propaganda (filmed in Russia! no less). But I gotta admit that I was lowkey surprised that the usual tankies on tumblr were uncharacteristically on mute. ¯\_(ツ)_/¯

Anyway, Idk where you are, anon, but if you’re in Ukraine or anywhere in the Baltic states or Eastern Europe, please be careful and stay safe. 🫡

[papirouge]

There’s something about every alpha masculinity account that screams “fed” to me. I really think these account are fake and ran by the fbi to monitor men online and who would be likely to commit mass violence. Other times it’s bots.

But really, look at how they cry about how men are gods on earth for women to forcibly worship them (idolatry God will strike down every man who calls himself the lord) and the need to protect children from leftist but will welcome Kevin spacey and man who preyed upon children openly all because they don’t believe in “cancel culture” unless it’s them. This is such a insidious agenda happening and it requires a lot of attention from Christians to avoid this.

That's an interesting theory

I also heart the one saying that the incel movement was incepted by old scrote trying to make younger men look as stupid & insane as possible so that women of their age be repulsed by them and instead consider dating older men on the basis they won't be as unhinged. It would make sense if older redpiller weren't as much demented as the younger ones. And it's not like they were good concealing their "opinions" those scrote are unable to have a normam conversation with a women not involving sex, breeding, female's "role" or some other redpill bs

These old scrote are much more cunning and calculating than they will admit. Andrew Tate proudly admits he has no issue lying and deceptive tactics with the girls he's trafficking so why his fans think he wouldn't do the same to them? 🤔

Now to come back to your theory, I definitely think the redpill movement is indeed a psy-op to divide society. What irks me so bad is that so called 'free thinker' media wil have no issue seeing this when it comes to race, and call the BLM movement "divisive" and breeding hate among society, but will say absolutely nothing about redpiller and their visceral hate against women. I'm thinking about Vigilant Citizen especially.. it's been a while I realized dude was shady but I realized he was definitely full of shit when he made an entire article to dunk on Barbie and its feminist propaganda that will destroy society🙄 (btw I didn't forget he never approved my comment on that article calling him out lmao Mind you, he's one of those whiny people asking for more fReEdoM oF sPeEch/truthers are cEnsOreD, but is unable to apply that freedom of speech on his own website🤡). Meanwhile he has yet to address the redpill movement and the well documented femicide attacks/shootings perpetuated by men who explicitly expressed their hatred against women. Is that enough to finally call the redpiller/mra movement "divisive" too?

VC loves making articles pointing out the occult symbolism anywhere he can, so...why didn't he say shit about Andrew Tate Russian guru who happens to be a black warlock? Or Tate xitter handle being COBRA Tate? If you look into it, dude has whole thing going on with snakes... What about his weird triangular hand symbol too. VC would've a field day making an article developing the theory that Tate is actually a plant seeking to breed chaos and gender wars - it would have made a lot of sense bc there's a lot of shady shit going on with Tate and how he's being wk'ed by the Conservative right when he's a British pimp living in Romania. Also wasn't his dad CIA? Reaaal shady shit going on... But VC won't cover that shit bc he's of his bias.. but don't worry he'll make a 567th article about celebrities hiding one eye and the awful LBGT+ propaganda because lf *checks notes* rainbow on a note book🙃

You'd think the way these people talk about feminism women were out there turning society upside down, hounding & harassing men....but nope. IDK for being so dangerous & radical, feminists seem to be very quiet 🤔 there's a reason those men have to look into movies and video games to claim oppression. The so called oppression they get from women doesn't translate IRL.

[deswatchedit]

The Spook Who Sat by the Door

The Spook Who Sat by the Door (1973), directed by Ivan Dixon and based on Sam Greenlee’s novel of the same name, is a provocative film that explores themes of Black militancy, systemic racism, and the use of subversive tactics in the fight against oppression. Often classified as part of the Blaxploitation genre, this film is a daring political satire that presents a powerful, if controversial, vision of resistance against an oppressive system. The story follows Dan Freeman (played by Lawrence Cook), a Black man who becomes the first Black agent in the CIA, only to eventually use his skills to incite a revolutionary movement in Chicago’s Black communities.

The film opens with a symbolic premise: in response to mounting pressure to integrate, the CIA recruits its first Black operative. Freeman is hired as a token, placed in a role with minimal significance, as evidenced by the dismissive attitude of his white colleagues. However, unbeknownst to the agency, Freeman is not simply complying with the role he’s been given—he’s studying. After years of training in espionage, guerrilla warfare, and other covert tactics, Freeman returns to his Chicago neighborhood, where he uses his skills to empower young Black men to fight against systemic oppression, launching a nationwide revolution against white supremacy.

Freeman’s journey is deeply subversive, leveraging the tools of his oppressors to dismantle their power structures. His story not only reflects the alienation of Black individuals within predominantly white institutions but also critiques the tokenism that often characterizes integration efforts. Freeman’s position as "the spook who sat by the door" symbolizes both his invisibility and his role as a subversive observer within the system—a man who sits quietly, absorbing the strategies of those in power, only to later turn those methods against them.

The film’s treatment of rebellion is layered with social critique, using Freeman’s transition from token agent to revolutionary leader to examine how systems of power contain and marginalize Black individuals. Freeman’s actions represent a radical form of empowerment, as he trains disenfranchised youths in his community to rise up, emphasizing self-determination and community defense. This narrative, which combines elements of Black Power ideology with guerrilla warfare tactics, positions Freeman as a symbol of unyielding resistance and a testament to the potential for marginalized communities to fight back against structural injustices.

Visually, The Spook Who Sat by the Door utilizes gritty, realistic cinematography that captures the urban landscapes of Chicago, juxtaposed with the sterile, calculated environments of the CIA headquarters. The film's raw aesthetic highlights the disparity between the polished world of white-dominated institutions and the lived realities of Black urban communities, reinforcing the message of social and racial division. Additionally, Freeman’s neighborhood scenes emphasize solidarity and the camaraderie of the community, creating a stark contrast with the cold, impersonal atmosphere of the CIA.

Given its controversial themes, the film was met with backlash and was allegedly suppressed soon after its release. It remains a powerful, challenging film, one that unapologetically explores the idea of militant resistance against an oppressive system. By placing a Black character at the center of a revolutionary plot, the film inverts the traditional power dynamics of the spy thriller genre, making it a rare example of subversive cinema that directly confronts the racial and political tensions of its time.

As a "Black film," The Spook Who Sat by the Door stands out not only because of its predominantly Black cast and creative team but because it speaks directly to issues of Black liberation, agency, and self-defense. The film’s narrative confronts systemic racism head-on, addressing the limitations of token integration and the power of self-determined resistance. Freeman’s character represents a departure from mainstream portrayals of Black protagonists in the 1970s, embodying a complex blend of rage, strategy, and resilience. Through his revolutionary transformation, the film critiques the systemic barriers that Black individuals face, while offering a vision—albeit a radical one—of what empowerment could look like in the face of oppression.

In conclusion, The Spook Who Sat by the Door is a "Black film" in its core themes of resistance, solidarity, and critique of systemic racism. It challenges audiences to grapple with difficult questions about assimilation, tokenism, and the limits of peaceful resistance. By presenting a protagonist who fights back on his own terms, the film delivers a powerful, if controversial, statement on the potential for revolutionary change, and it stands as a bold entry in the canon of Black cinema, reflective of the political unrest and Black consciousness of its era.

[queer-spoon]

I have seen that a huge part of the rhetoric against Queer come from terfs and the like. And now that I remember, the division of groups via the choosing of terms and words is a tactical move established by, obviously, the CIA. Yeah. I know. Go read about it and see how this shows up in the queer groups. I wouldn't be surprised if the CIA funds terf and other hate groups disguised as democracy and human rights

[wubwubnparmaham]

how do you think the world would react to immortality and what would be the reaction of historians and people overall of alexander still being around and not only him but of other historical figures

In like a literal sense? If you mean our world, how would we react, the first thing I would see happening (depending on how this knowledge came to be in the open) is a lot of divisive conclusions about the validity of it. I can see people hopping onto forums and calling it fake news to the ends of the earth, so there would need to be some substantial proof for the non-believers to not just assume it was some scare tactic on the government's part, or like a distraction, similar to those UFO documents from the CIA coming out during other global crises that needed the public's attention there instead (Ukraine, Palestine, etc). Since the government has a habit of doing that kind of shit, I think even I would be skeptical at first.

Considering the eventual reality that it is confirmed and believed by all, then a lot of other shit might happen.

I think scientists and the government would be quick to lull the public into saying they were "looking into" and "dealing with it" and "not to worry", but secretly the government would probably be panicking, preparing the military for defensive action and rallying the national guard, and I think if they could manage it, scientists would absolutely capture one and try to figure out what the fuck was going on physically.

Over time, if immortals weren't keen on fighting a war against humans and no real violence ever came, people's mindsets would shift to desire instead, wanting to become immortal themselves to escape the ever-encroaching death day in their futures.

I think that would divide society even further. People would be separated into "human purists" and "sympathizers", and the former would have some moral high ground standpoint against the latter, calling immortals and all who wanted to be them abominations against our species.

Tensions would probably rise in the public as those warring mindsets duked it out, and a lot of people would get more and more nervous about the fact that billionaires were already or were becoming immortal, corporations and their execs, government bodies, and global leaders were now unstoppable. Even I hate the thought of that.

If the world is ever proven to be run entirely by people (potentially tyrannical people) who WILL NEVER DIE, the indomitable human spirit would win out and we would fight back heavily, good odds or not. Likely, by becoming immortal ourselves, to be able to stand a chance against them. The more hesitant people in the earlier stages might jump at the chance to become immortal too, similar to how I would think many anti-gun people wouldnt think twice about running off and securing as many guns as humanly possible if the government / military ever actually started attacking us (but thats a whole different can of worms).

Warfare would be absolutely inevitable, and it would likely rip nations apart. I'm not sure HOW it would end, really, but there would be a lot of death before any kind of resolution.

When it comes right down to it, I don't think the historical figures aspect would mean much in the end. I think at first, that concept would be gripping, and if anyone ever got a chance to hear from them, they wouldn't even blink as they listened closely to their stories on television or social media. But given that the historical figures may not be the ones in power, the attention would naturally shift to who was immortal and in power at the same time, because that would be the biggest threat, and a very valid threat at that.

As far as my reaction to that historical figure aspect goes, if I ever heard that Alexander the Great was an immortal, I would simply shrug and say "I know." 😂

And would I become immortal? Yes. And maybe in this hypothetical world of ours, I already was one the whole time, and Love Endless was just a subtle tell-all before the world knew the truth. But if I hadn't been, I would become so happily, and the 1%ers would absolutely be my first target.

[mariacallous]

On July 19, Richard Moore, chief of the British Secret Intelligence Service (SIS, also known as MI6), offered rare public comments during his visit to Prague—including a direct appeal to Russians to “join hands” with MI6. “Our door is always open. We will handle their offers of help with the discretion and professionalism for which my service is famed. Their secrets will always be safe with us, and together we will work to bring the bloodshed to an end. My service lives by the principle that our loyalty to our agents is lifelong—and our gratitude eternal.”

Coming on the heels of the mercenary Wagner Group’s short-lived mutiny, this must be a very worrying message for Russian President Vladimir Putin. The Russian autocrat understands that his last bastion of power is his security services. But Moore’s message was that even—and especially—they can choose to be on the right side of history—and do it securely, at a time when Russia’s security apparatus is already in a heightened state of angst.

Moore’s call for Russian bravery in a time of moral crisis may be the first time a British intelligence chief has made this kind of public appeal. He claimed that those who came forward would be following in the footsteps of other Russians who have made the brave choice to serve as MI6 agents in or outside of Russia. In Moore’s telling: to “do what others have already done this past 18 months.” If some agents with access to the Kremlin’s deepest secrets is good, more is better still.

This might be a new tactic for the United Kingdom, but Moore is joining public recruitment efforts by MI6’s closest liaison partner, the U.S. Central Intelligence Agency. In November 2022, David Marlowe, the CIA’s deputy director of operations, revealed, “We’re looking around the world for Russians who are as disgusted with [Russia’s war in Ukraine] as we are, because we’re open for business.” Marlowe’s boss, CIA Director William Burns, more recently echoed this sentiment that, from an agent recruitment perspective, the CIA isn’t “letting [Putin’s shambles] go to waste.”

Intelligence agencies exploit uncertainty, division, conflict, and chaos. These conditions often sharpen disgruntlements, force confrontations with moral dilemmas, and leave people looking for a safe harbor, sometimes financially, sometimes psychologically, and sometimes physically. Former Director of U.S. Central Intelligence Richard Helms once observed that “civil wars create an optimum espionage venue.” Putin is not (yet) facing a civil war; however, as Moore reminded him in mentioning mutinous Wagner Group leader Yevgeny Prigozhin, his position is not secure. His military and security services have let him down. He has not achieved a quick victory in Ukraine; he’s suffered attacks on his borders and bridges to Crimea, even letting through a small drone attack on the Kremlin. Most alarmingly, the disloyal Prigozhin and his mutinous forces charged perilously close to Moscow. Putin’s authority is clearly shaken; his position is more precarious. In uncertain circumstances, loyalties that once appeared ironclad can suddenly dissolve.

But while the public appeal is new, the moral force of defection itself is an old story for Russians. Russia’s brutal invasion of Ukraine created an “unprecedented” opportunity for human asset recruitment—one with clear Cold War parallels. The 1968 crushing of the Prague Spring triggered a wave of defections by Czechoslovak security and intelligence officials. By one count, in just over a year after the Soviet-led invasion, more than 40 Czechoslovak intelligence and security officials defected to Western intelligence services, disgusted by Moscow’s occupation. The invasion prompted further defections from across the Warsaw Pact.

Most famously and consequentially, disillusionment with Moscow’s violent suppression of the Prague Spring was a powerful factor in Soviet KGB Col. Oleg Gordievsky offering his services to the British. The Kremlin’s clampdown led Gordievsky to recall, “I had become increasingly alienated from the communist system, and now this brutal attack on innocent people made me hate it.” Once he formally switched sides upon his recruitment by MI6 in 1974, Gordievsky proved his incalculable worth as an agent during the waning years of the Cold War, by providing crucial insights to the Margaret Thatcher and Ronald Reagan administrations to navigate the denouement of the superpower standoff, before his betrayal by a Soviet mole in the CIA and subsequent dramatic escape to the West.

More than 20 years after the Prague Spring, the fall of the Berlin Wall and the subsequent dissolution of the Soviet Union in 1991 set off yet another once-in-a-generation wave of defections. In 1992, former KGB archivist Vasili Mitrokhin defected to the United Kingdom with thousands of pages of notes detailing Soviet foreign intelligence operations during the Cold War, which he had accumulated in secret at great personal risk over the decades. Several years later, a KGB general-turned-FSB critic, Oleg Kalugin, became a U.S. citizen and wrote a candid account of his three-plus decades of service for Soviet foreign intelligence. In 1995, Sergei Skripal, a Russian military intelligence (GRU) officer, switched allegiances and became a British agent. Twenty-three years, a jail sentence, and one dramatic spy exchange later, Skripal would be poisoned by the next generation of GRU officers in his adopted hometown of Salisbury, England, in 2018.

Some of the post-1991 defectors, like Mitrokhin, had been disillusioned for decades but needed the opportunity offered by the system’s collapse to take the chance to leave. Today, thanks to advances in information technology—and encryption and anonymizers, in particular—disillusioned Russians have more ways than ever before to answer the call for clandestine service.

Approaching the other side was a deeply risky business during the Cold War. Some Soviet bloc volunteers were able to make contact with MI6 personnel in their home countries. In the late 1960s, one such asset, a Czechoslovak counterintelligence official, approached the MI6 station at the very place where Moore delivered his recent speech—the British Embassy in Prague. More often, however, volunteers preferred to make contact with MI6 or the CIA in countries far from the omnipresent eyes of Soviet security inside Russia and its vassal states. Some were “walk-ins”—making direct personal contact by walking into a U.S. or British embassy and offering their services. Others were “write-ins” or “talk-ins”—which is how the CIA described volunteers offering their services via intermediary, telephone, or letter. But many remained trapped inside Soviet walls.

Historically, open societies faced an asymmetry when it came to human intelligence collection. The freedom of people to associate with whomever they wished (and wherever they wished) in a democratic state eased the work of autocratic state intelligence services when it came to operating in the West. Western intelligence agencies enjoyed no such freedom of movement in communist capitals, and the Moscow Rules for operating in such a suffocating surveillance environment were developed for just this reason. The difficulty of operating in so-called denied areas remains. It applied to targeting the Islamic State in its territory at the height of its power, and it remains a challenge concerning competitor states with advanced surveillance capabilities like the People’s Republic of China.

Throughout their existence, Western intelligence agencies still managed to recruit and run agents even in the most challenging operating environments. Technology often helped. For instance, CIA assets used microdot cameras to reduce the physical size of their intelligence haul to a tiny film, thus enabling them to exfiltrate intelligence hidden in everyday items such as hollow coins or rings. Technological advancement also permitted security enhancements in agent and case officer impersonal communication. For instance, short-range agent communications devices were developed during the Cold War to enhance the security of both agent and handler by ensuring that they need not be in exactly the same place at the same time to communicate.

Recent advances in technology, encryption, and the birth of social media have all changed the intelligence landscape dramatically, creating vulnerabilities, challenges, and opportunities for the intelligence business. For instance, in 2013, a Russian security agency reverted to using typewriters for fear of cyberoperations, and the Islamic State has periodically banned people from carrying mobile phones for fear of security breaches and kinetic targeting. However, Western intelligence has also suffered from these developments; for instance, in the form of mass leaks.

But there is promise as well as peril for intelligence in the digital age. To keep pace with the times, the CIA has a presence across a variety of social media platforms, and, to offer two-way communication, the CIA’s homepage now features a “report information” link. While Moore offered no specifics on how potential Russian agents could get in touch with MI6, his organization also has a “share information” link one click into its website. However, digital advances are no human intelligence silver bullet and have their own technical vulnerabilities. They can be a double-edged sword.

In 2022, the CIA published instructions via Instagram (in Russian) for how Russians could securely connect via encrypted portals. One CIA-produced video explains how would-be assets can supply information via Telegram. Privacy- and anonymity-enhancing technologies like The Onion Router (TOR) and myriad encrypted messaging systems offer prospective agents the option of communicating from practically anywhere connected to the web. This probably worries Putin, a man notoriously distrustful of technology who already views the web as a tool of U.S. espionage. Putin, a spy by training and autocrat by inclination, must know the risks he faces as his authority becomes brittle.

Trust was a rare commodity in Moscow before the invasion; it is now extremely scarce. Will there be another Gordievsky? Or perhaps another Mitrokhin ferreting away the Kremlin’s secrets to accompany a future defection when the opportunity comes along? Putin is notoriously paranoid, and Moore just reminded him that the worse his Ukraine blunder becomes, the more intelligence will likely be leaving the Kremlin.

In issuing their invitations for clandestine cooperation, Moore, Marlowe, and Burns have adopted a practice that Putin’s minions have embraced in recent years: trolling. Even if the public calls from MI6 and the CIA for more clandestine sources do not yield additional agents, Putin may hobble his own intelligence and security apparatus by pulling it apart trying to root out traitors, just like Joseph Stalin before him. From a Western intelligence perspective, that’s also a fine outcome.

[casbooks]

Books of 2023

Book 24 of 2023

Title: One Trip Too Many: A Pilot's Memoirs of 38 Months in Combat Over Laos and Vietnam Authors: Wayne A. Warner ISBN: 9781467931557 Tags: A-1 Skyraider, A-26 Invader, B-52 Stratofortress, B-57 Canberra, C-123 Provider, C-130 Hercules, C-133 Cargomaster, C-47 Skytrain, EB-66 Destroyer, EC-121 Warning Star, F-100 Super Sabre, F-105 Thunderchief, F-111 Aardvark, F-4 Phantom II, FAC, Fast-FAC, GBR United Kingdom, JPN Itazuke, JPN Japan, JPN Okinawa, JPN Okinawa - Naha, JPN Tachikawa, JPN USA 106th General Hospital - Yokohama (Far East Burn Center) (Kishine Barracks), KC-135 Stratotanker, KOR Korea, KOR Kunsan, LAO Laos, LAO Laotian Civil War (1959-1975), LAO Lima Site 85 - Phu Pha Thi (Laotian Civil War), LAO Operation Barrel Roll (1964-1973) (Laotian Civil War) (Vietnam War), LAO Operation Blind Bat (1964-1970) (Laotian Civil War), LAO Operation Steel Tiger (1965-1968) (Laotian Civil War) (Vietnam War), LAO Pathet Lao, LAO Tchepone, MiG-17 Fresco, MiG-21 Fishbed, MYS Malaysia, O-2 Skymaster, OV-1 Mohawk, ParaRescuemen, PHL US USAF Clark Air Force Base, POW, PRK North Korea, SA-2 Guideline SAM, SEAD, SGP Raffles Hotel, SGP Singapore, SGP UK RAF Far East Survival School - Changi, T-33 Shooting Star, T-37 Tweet, THA Bangkok, THA Bangkok - Federal hotel, THA Nakhon Sawan, THA RTAF Royal Thai Air Force, THA RTAFB Don Muang Royal Thai Airbase, THA RTAFB Korat Royal Thai Air Base, THA RTAFB Nakhon Phanom Royal Thai Air Base, THA RTAFB Takhli Royal Thai Air Base, THA RTAFB Ubon Royal Thai Air Base, THA RTAFB Udorn Royal Thai Air Base, THA RTNAF U-Tapao Air Field, THA Thailand, THA USAF C-130 Klong (Vietnam War), Tibet, TWN ROCAF Ching Chuan Kang Air Base, TWN ROCAF Republic of China Air Force, TWN Tainan, TWN Taipei, TWN Taiwan, UK RAF Royal Air Force, US AL Alabama, US CA California, US CA San Francisco, US CIA Central Intelligence Agency, US CRM Civil Rights Movement, US CRM Selma to Montgomery Marches (1965), US Lee Harvey Oswald, US MATS Military Air Transport Service, US President Dwight D. Eisenhower, US President John F. Kennedy, US USA 101st Airborne Division - 1st Brigade, US USA 101st Airborne Division - Screaming Eagles, US USA 173rd Airborne Brigade - Sky Soldiers, US USA 1st Cavalry Division, US USA 1st ID - Big Red One, US USA 23rd ID - Americal, US USA 46th Infantry Regiment, US USA 7th Cavalry Regiment, US USA Fort Benning GA, US USA Fort Rucker AL, US USA Fort Rucker AL - Cairns Army Airfield, US USA Fort Sam Houston TX, US USA Fort Sam Houston TX - Brooke General Hospital, US USA United States Army, US USAF 1st Special Operations Sqd - Hobo, US USAF 21st Special Operations Sqd - Dusty, US USAF 21st Special Operations Sqd - Knife, US USAF 21st Troop Carrier Sqd, US USAF 22nd Special Operations Sqd - Zorro, US USAF 313th Air Division, US USAF 315th Air Division, US USAF 354th TFS - Bison, US USAF 355th TFW, US USAF 357th TFS - Dragons, US USAF 357th TFS - Wildcat, US USAF 3615th Pilot Training Wing, US USAF 3617th Pilot Training Sqd, US USAF 3635th Flying Training Wing, US USAF 388th TFW, US USAF 39th Aerospace Rescue and Recovery Sqd - Crown/King, US USAF 40th Aerospace Rescue and Recovery Sqd - Jolly Green Giant, US USAF 416th TFS - Det 1 - Misty FAC, US USAF 41st Tactical Airlift Sqd, US USAF 428th TFS, US USAF 428th TFS - Det 1, US USAF 433rd TFS, US USAF 4410th Combat Crew Training Wing, US USAF 4442nd Combat Crew Training Wing, US USAF 4520th Training Wing, US USAF 4524th Training Sqd, US USAF 4526th Combat Crew Training Sqd - Cobras, US USAF 552nd AEWCW - Ethan, US USAF 56th Air Commando Wing, US USAF 56th Special Operations Wing, US USAF 602nd Special Operations Sqd - Firefly, US USAF 606th Special Operations Sqd - Candlestick, US USAF 609th Air Commando Sqd - Nimrod, US USAF 609th Special Operations Sqd - Nimrod, US USAF 620th Tactical Control Sqd - Waterboy, US USAF 6315th Operations Group, US USAF 6th Special Operations Sqd, US USAF 7th ABCCC Airborne Command and Control Sqd - Hillsboro, US USAF 7th Air Force, US USAF 8th TFW, US USAF Air Force Academy, US USAF Captain Gene Basel, US USAF Colonel Jerry Driscoll (POW), US USAF Colonel William "Bill" Ivey, US USAF Columbus Air Force Base MS, US USAF Craig Air Force Base AL, US USAF Edwards Air Force Base - Air Force Flight Test Center, US USAF Edwards Air Force Base CA, US USAF General Curtis LeMay, US USAF General John Charles Giraudo, US USAF General Robin Olds, US USAF General William Momyer, US USAF Homestead Air Force Base FL, US USAF Hurlburt Field FL, US USAF JEST Jungle Environment Survival Training, US USAF Kadena Air Base JPN, US USAF LCol John Robert "Bob" Pardo, US USAF March Air Force Base CA, US USAF Naha Air Base JPN, US USAF Nellis Air Force Base NV, US USAF Selma Field AL, US USAF Sewart Air Force Base TN, US USAF Stead Air Force Base NV, US USAF Tinker Air Force Base OK, US USAF United States Air Force, US USAF Wright-Patterson Air Force Base OH, US USCG United States Coast Guard, US USCGC Point Welcome (WPB-82329), US USMC 3rd MarDiv, US USMC 9th MEB, US USMC United States Marine Corps, US USN NAS Memphis TN, US USN NAS Naval Air Station, US USN United States Navy, US USN USS Mauna Kea (AE-22), US USN USS Pueblo (AGER 2), US USN USS Twining (DD-540), VNM 1968 Tet Offensive (1968) (Vietnam War), VNM Bac Mai, VNM Battle of Khe Sanh (1968) (Tet Offensive) (Vietnam War), VNM Bien Hoa Air Base (Vietnam War), VNM Cam Ranh Bay, VNM Canal Des Rapides Bridge, VNM Catecka Tea Plantation, VNM Chao Hao, VNM Cheo Reo, VNM Chu Lai, VNM Da Nang, VNM Dak To, VNM Dong Ha, VNM Dong Hoi, VNM DRV NVA North Vietnamese Army, VNM DRV NVAF North Vietnamese Air Force, VNM DRV Route Pack I, VNM DRV VC Viet Cong, VNM Gia Thuong Storage Facility (Vietnam War), VNM Ham Rong (Dragons Jaw) Bridge, VNM Hanoi, VNM Hill 621 (Son Tra Mountain) (Monkey Mountain), VNM Ho Chi Minh Trail (Vietnam War), VNM Huong Hoa District, VNM I Corps (Vietnam War), VNM Ia Drang Valley, VNM Kep Airfield, VNM Kham Duc, VNM Lang Gia Rail Yard, VNM Little Thud Ridge, VNM Long Bien Bridge - Paul Doumer Bridge, VNM Mu Gia Pass, VNM National Highway 14, VNM Nhon Ko, VNM Operation Arc Light (1965-1973) (Vietnam War), VNM Operation Barrel Roll (1964-1973) (Vietnam War), VNM Operation Birmingham (1966) (Vietnam War), VNM Operation Bolo (1967) (Vietnam War), VNM Operation Carolina Moon (1966) (Vietnam War), VNM Operation Combat Lancer (1968) (Vietnam War), VNM Operation Combat Skyspot (1965-1973) (Vietnam War), VNM Operation King Cobra (Vietnam War), VNM Operation Linebacker I (1972) (Vietnam War), VNM Operation Linebacker II (1972) (Vietnam War), VNM Operation Niagra (1968) (Vietnam War), VNM Operation Ranch Hand (1962-1971) (Vietnam War), VNM Operation Rolling Thunder (1965-1968) (Vietnam War), VNM Operation Steel Tiger (1965-1968) (Vietnam War), VNM Operation Tally Ho (1966-1973) (Vietnam War), VNM Phan Thiet, VNM Phuc Yen Airfield, VNM Pleiku, VNM Quang Tin Province, VNM Qui Nhon, VNM Red River, VNM Red River Valley, VNM Route 9, VNM Route Pack V (Vietnam War), VNM Route Pack VI (Vietnam War), VNM Route Pack VIA (Vietnam War), VNM RVN ARVN Army of the Republic of Vietnam, VNM RVN ARVN CIDG Civilian Irregular Defense Group, VNM Saigon, VNM Saigon - Mai Loan Hotel (Vietnam War), VNM Song Ma, VNM Tan Son Nhut Air Base, VNM Tay Ninh, VNM Than Hoa Bridge, VNM Thud Ridge, VNM Tonkin Gulf, VNM US Agent Orange (Vietnam War), VNM US USN NAF Naval Air Facility Cam Ranh (Vietnam War), VNM Vietnam, VNM Vietnam War (1955-1975), VNM Vinh Airfield, VNM Yen Bai Airfield, Wild Weasels Rating: ★★★★★ (5 Stars) Subject: Books.Military.20th-21st Century.Asia.Vietnam War.Aviation.USAF.Fighters, Books.Military.20th-21st Century.Asia.Vietnam War.Aviation.USAF.Transports, Books.Military.20th-21st Century.Asia.Vietnam War.Laotian Civil War.Aviation.USAF.Fighters

Description: One Trip Too Many, A Pilot’s Memoirs of 38 Months in Combat over Laos and Vietnam, is an autobiography about my life as a pilot in Southeast Asia during the conflict in Vietnam. It is primarily a story to share with family and friends about my personal involvement in the conflict and the turbulent decade of the 60s and does not attempt to question the politics of the era. It begins with a brief description of my quest to gain admittance to the United States Air Force Academy, my four years at the Academy, and the subsequent year of pilot training. I flew three different types of aircraft in combat and the book provides insight into the training that took place for the C-130 Hercules, the F-105 Thunderchief, and the A-1 Skyraider. Each of the three tours in combat over Laos and Vietnam is described with emphasis on the more memorable flights including a bailout in the A-1 and the final crash on takeoff that ended my active duty Air Force career. My time in various hospitals is described at the end of the book and the epilogue tells briefly of my life after retirement from the United States Air Force. The book has been described as a combination of Band of Brothers, Top Gun, and Forrest Gump. ** ### About the Author Wayne A. Warner graduated in 1963 from the United States Air Force Academy. After receiving his wings at Craig AFB, Alabama in 1964 he flew combat missions over Southeast Asia in the C-130 Hercules, the F-105 Thunderchief, and the A-1 Skyraider. In March 1969 he crashed on takeoff in an A-1H and was critically burned. Following medical retirement from the United States Air Force in September 1969, he graduated from the Brandeis School of Law at the University of Louisville in 1974. He then worked as a weapon systems acquisition attorney in the Federal Civil Service for the United States Air Force at Eglin AFB, Florida until his retirement in 2004.

[whatisonthemoon]

On the CIA’s Long History of “Black Propaganda” in the Philippines

The Central Intelligence Agency (CIA) has a long history of using various tactics to influence and manipulate foreign governments and populations. One of these tactics is known as black propaganda, which involves spreading false or misleading information to achieve a specific goal.

In the Philippines, the CIA has been accused of using black propaganda in an attempt to discredit and undermine the National Democratic movement, including communist and socialist organizations. This was part of the broader US strategy to counter the spread of communism in Southeast Asia during the Cold War.

One example of this is the "Operation Homecoming" in the 1970s, where the CIA created fake communist propaganda and distributed it throughout the Philippines. The goal was to paint the National Democratic movement as violent and anti-government, and to create division among its members. This type of black propaganda was designed to create an atmosphere of distrust and to discredit the movement in the eyes of the general public.

Another example is the "Vampire Operation," which was a secret CIA program aimed at infiltrating and disrupting communist organizations in the Philippines. The CIA created fake publications, letters, and other materials to sow discord among members of the National Democratic movement and to make it appear that the leadership was corrupt and ineffective. This operation was aimed at discrediting the movement and making it more difficult for them to gain support.

The use of black propaganda by the CIA in the Philippines was part of a larger pattern of US intervention in the country. The US has a long history of intervening in the Philippines, dating back to the Spanish-American War in 1898. From the 1800s, the US noted that Philippines was a strategic location that was key to world domination. After their occupation and World War II, they recognized the Philippines as an ally in the Pacific that was determined to prevent the spread of communism in the region.  There have been countless incidents of CIA, Philippine military and police, and others cooperating with these organizations, posing as Communist militants, causing harm to the people and destruction to the environment.  There was also a period of deep infiltration in the Communist Party by Philippine intelligence in the late 80s. It’s been said that this was widely exaggerated in order to cause paranoia within the party.  Some have fallen to the deception of the operations discrediting the movement while most communities in the countryside saw these operations as unmasking the Philippine and US Governments, and strengthened their resolve in the National Democratic movement.

Regardless of their effectiveness, the use of black propaganda by the CIA in the Philippines is another reminder that the US government is beyond willing to use unethical and underhanded tactics in pursuit of its self-serving goals. 

[georgiapeach30513]

You Were the One, Part 2

Summary:  you and Lloyd go on your first mission

Pairings:  Lloyd Hansen X Reader

Rating:  mild

Warnings:  language, 18+ ONLY

Word Count:  1.6K

Previous

Series Masterlist

Court lingers in your office as you pack up a few necessary things. Purposely choosing not to look back at him. It wasn’t the best morning. You had thought you’d get a send off like you give him. Instead it was a list of dos and don’ts while being alone with Lloyd Hansen.

“Court, you’re breathing angrily,” you finally glance back at him. A playful smile sneaking up.

“How does one breathe angrily?”

“How about,” you turn dropping your things off before walking over to him. Your hands wrapping around his waist, the two of your bodies just rocking back and forth. “How about you trust me to do my job?”

“I do. It’s him I don’t trust.”

“Then you should’ve kept your mouth shut,” Court draws in a short breath, knowing how right you are. “Court, you were always the one pursuing me. You asked me on a date. You asked me to move in. You asked me to marry you, and it seems as if late, you’re pushing us further and further apart.”

Looking down at you, he shakes his head, mouthing no, but nothing comes out. “I worry about you. This is your first field work.”

“I’m gonna be in a hotel room.”

“Yeah, as Mrs. Brandy Button married to Mr. Lewis Button. Wonder who set up the logistics?” you give his shoulder a little push, standing on your tippy toes to give him an innocent kiss. “You promise to stay safe?”

“Yes, now trust me, Six,” leaning forward he playfully bites at your neck, growling into the sensitive skin, until hearing Lloyd clear his throat. “Call me when you can.”

“Gotta keep up appearances, Sunshine. You know that,” you tap your finger on your fiancé’s nose, trying to get him to focus and not get into another fight with Lloyd. Waiting for him to walk out before he pulls you close. Acting like he’s going to give you more kisses to your jaw.

“He’s not new to the CIA, he’s new to our division. He’ll be terminated if he doesn’t change,” your eyes go wide looking at Court, and hearing him say this confirms he didn’t think this mission would happen. “He’s irrational, and uses tactics that are frowned up. You report everything he does out of line.”

“O-okay,” getting a bit nervous. Walking to grab your things, you stare at his handsome face a moment, “I love you, Court.”

“Love you, too.”

Lloyd kicks his feet up on your desk as you set everything up. Hacking into surveillance cameras, trying to locate your target. And without skipping a beat, you knock his feet off the desk, and out of your space. “Feet off the furniture, darling.”

“Aw, but, Honey, I was enjoying watching you work. Just had to get comfortable. You wouldn’t be a peach, and fetch me a drink would you?” you turn back to glare at him, and he cocks his head to the side, slowly closing his eyes, making him look even more arrogant.

“Ouch. You treat Court like that at home?”

“I don’t know why we need to bring him up,” your eyes scan over the computer, realizing now it’s a waiting game. “You like pissing him off specifically, or that just Lloyd Hansen?”

“Tell me a bit about yourself?” that was a quick change of conversation. Not that bouncing around upsets you, but you try to keep personal life out of work. “Strong silent type, huh? Would you like to hear about me?”

“Not particularly,” you finally have a moment to look around your location, the mission was first to set up, and now you’re realizing the predicament.

“We’re married,” he holds up his ring finger, wiggling it around. “What married couple books double beds? I had to do it, honey.”

You remove the cushions to the couch, hoping for a pull out, but realizing that you would lay on it anyways. “Court and Natasha have shared beds before.”

“You don’t know that.”

“You haven’t read their files? They’ve been couples before, too. Why do you think sweet Court Gentry didn’t want you to be partnered with me?” he stands up, leaning over your body to look closer at a monitor. “You don’t think they were just…”

“He’s my fiancé and she’s my best friend.”

“Do you know anything about him?” turning to look at him, you shamefully don’t know much. “A skilled techie like yourself hasn’t dug into Six’s life? You know nothing about the Sierra program? Where he came from. No doubt you’re a college graduate with a bright future. Bet you didn’t know you were engaged to a criminal.”

You take a deep breath trying to make sense out of it all. Surely Court would have mentioned that. Said anything about his past, but you know nothing. “You really don’t. You haven’t even researched the Sierra program and how the CIA recruited criminals that had life in prison?”

“I don’t believe you,” he slides over your keyboard, but you back further away. “Court would…he would tell me if I asked.”

“You haven’t asked about him? Do you even know what your plans are for the future? You marry an untraceable man, that has no file, none, he doesn’t even exist. And what? What do you want after marriage?”

“I want a family,” that was easy enough to answer, but he laughs at you. “What?”

“You think a secret operative that has made a lot of enemies needs to have a family?” the thought never occurred. You never considered how dangerous it could be. And to have both you and him. “You don’t even know who you’re marrying?”

“Why did you request me?”

He smirks up at you, his eyes moving to his lap, while he lets out a chuckle. “You’ll dig into me, but not the man you’re sleeping with?”

“Why did you request me?” your eyes go aglow as you glare at him, demanding an answer to his maddening thought process.

“I sense something in you,” you scoff. Making a big show of out what he just admitted to you. “Court told you I’m a loose cannon, I’m sure,” he waits for your response, and when you give him nothing he unholsters his gun pointing it directly at you, “You’re not scared of me?”

You walk over to him, looking directly up at him, “No. You’re just a scared little boy in a man’s body. You have temper tantrums. You’re the bully on the playground. Court’s not scared of you either.”

His gun switches to his other hand, before his right hand is circling your neck, holding you, but not squeezing, “Wrong, I scare him because I have what he thinks he desires the most. He doubts you. Doubts your capabilities as an agent both in office and on the field. He doesn’t believe you’re necessary, doesn’t think you can survive being on the field. Benched you at the agency and now here in this hotel room, but no.”

Lloyd takes a slow sniff up your neck, before he’s smiling and you. So close it would appear he’s trying to kiss you, and you gulp. “Court is afraid for you. He doesn’t trust you, and judging by your reaction to our closeness, maybe he’s right. You wanna know what the most infuriating thing about Court is?”

“What’s that agent?”

“He’s stifled your skills, to make himself appear better,” Lloyd’s fingers remove from your neck, and he shakes out his hand. Walking to sit on the couch, those dark blue eyes full of mystery look up at you, “I’ve read your files agent, you’re just as effective in combat as Romanoff and Miranda. And yet still he wants you trapped and behind the scenes in the honey pot. Is so quick to disconnect you from his ear, and leaving you and him more vulnerable because of it.”

“You don’t know me, you don’t know him, you don’t know us.”

“I don’t? Hmm,” you go to sit in front of your set up tired of this back and forth, “Agent, I’ve observed you for awhile. The fact that you’re shutting down on me proves I’m on to something.”

“Why me?”

“You’re the smartest one there. Think of this as a recruitment,” you twist your head to look at him quickly, and he nods, “You interested? Okay, I understand the agency thinks I have no conscience. That I’m a reckless, and will use means necessary to reach my goal. Wrong, I use effective tactics to make things quick.”

“Illegal things?”

“Sometimes. And,” his eyes look your figure up and down, and you feel a chill rise up your spine, “I have this odd desire to show you off, but an even bigger desire to protect you,” actually turning to look at him, you see his facial expression soften for the first time. He always has an air of superiority, but right now you see him vulnerable.

“Come on, let’s explore the scenery,” you shake your head no, but he still stands, pulling up your arm, “Use your charm to find us some human contacts, Honey. Or are you so used to Court keeping you locked up?”

You know you shouldn’t trust Lloyd, but you want to prove to him, yourself, and mostly Court that you can do the job you were trained to do, “I did bring you a pretty little dress, Honey. Don’t forget your thigh holster though. Don’t want you too comfortable, and getting use to being with a man who will allow you to do your job,” you see a slight twinkle in his eyes, and have to look down to the floor. You barely know the man and have no business liking the things he says that much.

“Eyes up here, Pumpkin. Don’t be ashamed to feel what you feel. Court doesn’t. This can be our little secret.”

Next

Masterlist

Taglist: @tis-thedamn-season @marveloustaylortot @pono-pura-vida @peaches1958 @bookwormchick91 @whimsyplaty92 @bambamwolf87

[marvelmusing]

Puzzle Pieces

Part 1

Pairing: Billy Russo x Reader

Summary: Frank and Billy took down Rawlins together but now you all have to deal with the aftermath. Billy’s mind is more fractured than the scars on his face, and the pieces of your own life are crumbling under the weight. Will the two of you ever assemble the jigsaw?

Word Count: 1.8K

A/N: As you can probably tell, I’ve started The Punisher season 2 - I’m about halfway through and I know things are going to go downhill from here but my heart still breaks for Billy, so here’s another AU

Also sorry if the whole flashbacks and memory thing doesn’t make sense - I wrote this at 3am when I couldn’t sleep so it might all be typos and nonsense

My Masterlist

You wake with a start, breathing ragged as you attempt to make sense of your surroundings. You stare down at the white flooring beneath you, taking in the flecks of blue and grey. You shift slightly, aware that you’ve been leaning against someone’s shoulder. Frank. You sigh quietly, pulling away from him to rest your head in your hands.

“You alright?” He asks, and you laugh shortly before sighing again.

“Yeah.” You lie. You hadn’t expected working for Homeland Security to be easy, but the last week has tested you thoroughly.

You’d been helping Dinah on her Kandahar case, which drew in some familiar faces - your boyfriend Billy Russo and his best friend Frank Castle - the latter of which you’d all believed to have been dead. When Frank had uncovered the illegal operation that him and Billy had unknowingly partaken in, William Rawlins had authorised a hit on them both - and anyone who stood with them.

Not only that, but there was division within your ranks. Dinah had set an ambush for Rawlins’ team, almost causing the death of your colleague Sam Stein. If you hadn’t been posted on the roof of the building opposite Sam wouldn’t have survived. Understandably, Sam was shaken up by the encounter, and upset that Dinah had authorised an unofficial tactical operation.

One member of Rawlins’ team had gotten away. After going through the files of the eradicated team members, Dinah had jumped to a conclusion. Each one of them had previously worked for Billy’s company - Anvil. Billy was a highly trained operative, capable of managing a team like that and escaping when things went south. From that point onwards, Dinah did everything in her power to prove that Billy was dirty. Even when he protected her and Frank from more of Rawlins’ men. Even when he helped Homeland track down the kidnapped Lieberman family.

You were at Homeland headquarters, waiting for some kind of word from Frank and Billy when David came into Dinah’s office.

He opens up the feed from inside his hideout, providing you the location. You immediately assemble a swat team and head after them both. When you finally reach them the hideout is empty save for three people. Frank, Billy, and Rawlins. All three are beaten and bloodied. Billy’s slumped against a wall, and Frank hauls himself away from Rawlins body as you approach. A few members of your team go pale at the sight of his body. You help Billy to his feet and he leans heavily against the wall with one arm around you.

“Is it over?” You ask them. Frank shakes his head, spitting out blood.

“Not yet. That rat Johnson got away.” Billy feels you tense but he’s too weak to offer you any sort of comfort. James Johnson. Your ex-partner. He’d once been like a brother to you, until he’d been drawn into Rawlins’ team under the promise of a high ranking position in the CIA.

A hospital wouldn’t be safe for Billy and Frank so your medics need to make do with the supplies in the hideout. Your mind falls back to the day you learned the truth as the medics take Billy from you.

Dinah had called you, telling you she was going to confront Billy about her theory - that he was the member of Rawlins’ team who had escaped. You knew Billy was in the middle of a job managing the security detail for a Senator, so you had gone after Dinah to prevent her from disrupting Billy’s work.

Things went sideways pretty quickly. You didn’t arrive in time to stop Dinah from questioning Billy. But you did arrive in time to hear the alarms going off, and to see Dinah sneaking into one of the stairways. So you followed her.

Turns out a lone gunman with a bomber vest had attempted to kill the Senator, and Rawlins’ had used this as an opportunity to launch a hit on both Frank and Billy. You were racing through the building searching for Billy, Frank, Dinah, anyone. Then you found them all, pointing the guns in a standoff with several men in tactical gear.

Billy is closest to you, and a man holds his gun against Billy’s temple. Without thinking you press your gun to the man’s head.

“I wouldn’t, if I were you.” The man turns his head, and you see his face prompting your blood to run cold. Your voice barely cooperates as you speak, “James.” Then he lunges. He twists your wrists away from him, causing your shot to ricochet. With his other hand he reaches for his knife. You hear gunfire, presumably from Billy protecting Frank and Dinah. There’s a sharp sting at your thigh as James’ knife slices at your skin. You grasp onto his wrist, kneeing him hard in the stomach, and the two of you topple down the stairs. The knife clatters down the stone steps and you land on top of him. You seize a hold of his neck, slamming his head down against the landing a few times, until he shoves hard against your body, tossing you into the wall. By time you’ve blinked stars from your eyes, the stairway is empty. Billy rushes down to you, dropping to your side as he looks you over. Tears pool in your eyes as the last few moments finally dawn on you - the fight, the betrayal, the gun against Billy’s head. Billy yanks at his tie frantically, pulling it off to wrap around your thigh. His eyes scan over you, his touch delicate as he asks,

“Does anythin else hurt?” You shake your head, but he frowns at the sight of your tears. “I need you to tell me.” You shake your head harder as more tears fall. He looks down the stairway at where James had vanished. He nods in the direction. “You knew him.”

“We worked together.” You admit, swallowing hard. “He was my Frank.” Billy’s eyes widen slightly, as they fill with sympathy and understanding. He knew you’d never had much in the way of family, and Billy can’t even imagine how he would feel if Frank turned on him like this. He shifts closer to you, and you lean your forehead against his. A quiet moment amongst the chaos as you both breathe in the fact that you’re both still alive, that you’re together now, and that’s the safest you’ll ever be.

The medics worked hard, and managed to stabilise both Frank and Billy. You all returned to Homeland, where Frank and Billy both went on the record to talk about what happened Kandahar, completely exposing the work of Operation Cerberus. Neither of them were in good condition, but they insisted on making the recording before there could be any more disruptions.

Then they went searching for Johnson. He was the last one left that had been knowingly involved in Cerberus’ illegality. Homeland unofficially offered their resources to them which they took full advantage of. You helped them of course, you wanted to put an to this as much as they did.

You remember the night before the incident, as clear as anything. Homeland hadn’t had the chance to secure a safe house for Billy and Frank for the night. So, the three of you had slept in your office. Frank had pulled a few chairs together, and strewn himself across them to sleep on. Whilst Billy had gathered a blanket and pillow from somewhere for the two of you. He lay down on the floor and you had nestled against his chest, listening to his heartbeat. He’d held you right the entire night.

The next morning you awoke to the news that there had been an explosion at the Anvil headquarters. Billy was distraught and angry, and your heart broke for him. But you were mostly relieved that Billy hadn’t been there when it happened. The three of you were watching the news report when Frank’s burner phone rang. It was Johnson. He taunted the three of you, before arranging a meet up for a final showdown at the carousel in Central Park.

Billy had insisted that you stay at Homeland.

“It’s you he wants, darlin. And I’m sure as hell not givin you to him.” You and Billy share a long look together, before you nod slightly. Billy pulls you into his arms, and you grip onto him tightly.

“You have to promise you’ll be safe.” You tell him, your voice muffled against his chest. He nods.

“‘Course I will.” He tightens his hold on you, and you cling to him as he presses a kiss to your head. “I’m gonna end this for us darlin.” You smile affectionately at him,

“Then it’s just me and you, Billy.” His smile widens as he repeats softly,

“Just me and you.”

You watch as Frank and Billy assemble their gear, and you help them come up with a strategy. Billy presses several lingering kisses to your lips, his forehead leant against yours as his hands cup your face. Frank can’t help but regard the two of you fondly, though when you catch him watching he remarks,

“No goodbye kiss for me?” You shake your head lightly, a smile tugging at your lips. Leaning on your tiptoes, you press a kiss to Frank’s cheek.

“You boys look after each other.” You order them, and they both straighten with a nod. Then with one last loving look from Billy, they’re both gone.

Frank had called you from the hospital after the incident. You had rushed there to find them stitching Frank up, and whilst you were glad he was okay the majority of your brain was screaming at you to find Billy.

Billy was in surgery for eleven hours, and you didn’t sleep for a single one of them.

Which is how you found yourself leaning against Frank’s shoulder as you dozed, sleep finally in your clutches for the first time since Billy held you in his arms on the floor of your office. Until the sense of dread jolted you back into consciousness.

You rub your hand against your face in exhaustion, and you stifle a yawn, eyes squinting as the bright lights of the hospital add to the dull ache in your skull.

“They put him into an induced coma. You can’t do much else here.” Frank reasons. “Let me take you home.” Billy is my home, is your first thought, but you’re too tired to argue so you nod your head.

“Aren’t you still a wanted man?” You ask him, not wanting to delay him if he needs to flee the state. He shakes his head,

“Your boss has given me a blank slate. It’s Pete Castligone now.” A very small smile tugs at your lips, you’re happy for him, though that happiness does little to alleviate the emptiness in your chest.

“Well it’s nice to meet you Pete.” You say quietly as the two of you make your way down the corridor. He looks down at you with a small smile of his own.

“My friend’s call me Frank.”

»»---------------------►

Billy Russo Tagslist: @skyfallingstartaylorsversion @blackbirddaredevil23 @restingbitchsblog @tiredbeebo @rafaelakelley @theysayitscrazy @hummelmi @nyx2021

[doccywhomst]

series 13: a (p)re-cap

doctor who series 13 is shrouded in mystery. a lot of things are happening, and a lot of information is being leaked, but what does it add up to? i've heard your questions, and i've asked them myself: what's happening on social media? what's with all these cryptic messages and trailers?

here's what we know. mostly.

these pictures contain spoilers!

basically... we know a lot, yet not enough. sontarans, weeping angels, and UNIT are returning. sacha was spotted in cardiff, where the image of "the master ___ props" box was taken. there's a new monster that we've never seen before.

beyond these photos, things get a bit more complicated. what's the meaning of "1313," for example? it popped up in the #FindTheDoctor challenge and is now the "error code" for the broken DW website.

sure, there's the obvious: thirteenth doctor, thirteenth series. but it could also refer to M, the thirteenth letter of the alphabet: "MM"

i'm speculating now, but you get my drift. things are totally up in the air right now!

when it comes to determining why the DW social media pages are down, speculation is all we currently have. here's my post about it. but here are some additional theories:

the seven second clip of the doctor saying "can you hear me?" could be a reference to the s12 episode of the same name. perhaps the eternals will make a comeback! i'd absolutely love this. since the last tweet from the DW twitter page was "++—/CAN YOU HEAR ME?/—++," i'd say that this is quite possible.

since UNIT is returning, it might be UNIT taking down the social media pages. doctor who has been experimenting a lot with alternate reality (AR) games recently: The Lonely Assassins, The Edge of Reality, etc. this could be another step towards combining the whoniverse with our world.

as a fugitive, the doctor might be "covering her tracks" - another combination of fiction and reality. alternatively, the gallifreyan CIA/Division could be erasing the doctor from time!

ultimately, it's a marketing tactic and will draw a lot of attention to the next trailer/teaser release, so keep an eye out!

[orojuice]

Black Night Direction: Alternate Mix

Another comic by me and Sha-Y.

A pure Batman parody intermixed with a callback to Travis’ faux-pas against the CIA in Travis Strikes Again.

Luckily for Travis, while the CIA has updated its firmware so it can never be hacked again like it were in TSA, Black Night Direction hasn’t; something Juvenile’s AI makes clear to Travis’ captors before she hacks into Black Night Direction’s teleportation harness and transports him, Travis, and the Colonel way, way up in the sky.

Travis is able to break out of his bonds, grab his Beam Katana, and the Death Glove before latching onto BND before he recovers, which results in the both of them being teleported to safety. The Colonel isn’t so lucky and he winds up impaled on the top of the Thunderdome tower.

Once they’re back where they started, Black Night Direction tries to high road Travis, citing that his refusal to cooperate has probably set back diplomatic relations between the American Government and FU’s forces quite a ways. Travis retorts that FU executing the President of the USA on live television (and his Madame VP on FikFok) is going to be much harder for the aliens to walk back from. Sure, he didn’t vote for them, but that was still pretty rude to those that did.

Recovering Badman’s ashes is a secondary objective of Travis’. Which is rendered both tragic and absurd by how he’s pointedly unable to save any of the still alive civilians that Black Night Direction weaponizes.

Black Night Direction “dropping” people to death has been seen in superhero stuff before like X-Men: First Class, The Flying Man, and Brightburn. But I can’t recall it being a video game boss attack, so let’s put the Unreal 4 Engine to good and gruesome use! Litter the battlefield with collateral damage to distract and horrify assassin and player alike!

Native Dancer still plays a role in the actual boss fight, but it’s as a lead-up to the one you can actually replay in the Time Machine as he gives Travis new Death Glove Skills to counter a bunch of unfair tactics that Black Night Direction has at his disposal. These same principles can be used during his proper boss fight.

Death Force: Used to pull BND down while he’s hovering in the air and dropping “abducted” things on Travis.

Death Slow: Used to counter BND as he dashes around the battlefield with his trident, giving Travis an opportunity to lay the hurt on him.

Death Rain: Used to counter a numerous amounts of 1HP after-images that BND sends after Travis. Him getting hit by either Travis or the shower will call off the clone barrage completely.

The fight is meant to teach the player how to use the Death Glove Skills intelligently as they counter certain moved by BND, but there are always “outs” they can take (i.e. dodging and running away) if the proper skill isn’t charged. it’s just a less frustrating fight if you don’t recklessly spam these abilities.

Native Dancer’s boss fight can still be in the story as an unlockable secret boss fight if Travis follows a certain quest line (Syliva implies this post-fight whilst also chiding Travis for outdoing himself on collateral damage in battling Black Night Direction). Like Ryuichi but better programmed.

Travis’ shirt here is of Chicken Police, a fully-voiced and exquisitely acted noir fiction Visual Novel starring anthropomorphic animals in the style of Blacksad and Zootopia. Highly recommended.

The BND title cards are based on both Batman: The Animated Series and the character's various movies. I set the BND logo amidst a red leather backdrop to hint at BND's macabre combat tactics, echo his vaguely vampiric appearance, and to link him to Travis' own jacket in a kind of deconstructed version of the Batman v. Superman logo's compactness.

Incidentally, Joy Division's Shadowplay fits both Black Night Direction and Travis really well. Give that a listen if you have a couple of minutes to spare.

[anexperimentallife]

If you point out that economic and social class is intertwined with race, gender, neurotype, disability (or lack thereof) and many other things in America, that these often combine in a way that makes it difficult to discern the primary axis of specific oppressive acts and policies, and that class must be considered and addressed along with other axes of oppression, there is always someone who will pop out of the woodwork to accuse you of being a class reductionist for DARING even to MENTION class.

This is a tactic used by far right pukes who infiltrate leftist spaces specifically to cause division and divert time and energy away from productive dialogue. It's the same way terfs, anti-semites, and other bigots will try to waste your time with their spurious accusations and bad faith questions.

The CIA and FBI have a long history of deploying agents to infiltrate and create division in leftist movements (look at their infiltration of the Black Panther Party in the mid to late 20th century, among other things), so rather than waste time and energy arguing with those people, the most productive thing you can do is block them, warn others about them, and move on.

[96thdayofrage]

During the 1960s, local police departments conspired with the FBI to create disunity and undermine the organizations of Black radical groups including the Nation of Islam. The Covert Intelligence Program (COINTELPRO) was created by the FBI to surveil and disrupt left political organizations. FBI agents would send letters forging signatures to create rifts or exacerbate internal rifts in organizations. 

In the FBI’s own words: 

COINTELPRO—short for Counterintelligence Program—in 1956 to disrupt the activities of the Communist Party of the United States. In the 1960s, it was expanded to include a number of other domestic groups, such as the Ku Klux Klan, the Socialist Workers Party, and the Black Panther Party. All COINTELPRO operations ended in 1971. Although limited in scope (about two-tenths of one percent of the FBI’s workload over a 15-year period), COINTELPRO was later rightfully criticized by Congress and the American people for abridging first amendment rights and for other reasons.

Malcolm X did not simply advocate for Black people to be self sufficient in their own communities and to support the NOI financially. Malcolm X preached against the bedrock of US capitalism: the philosophy of white supremacy. He challenged the belief that white people were “superior,” revealing in fact the horrific, violent, and hypocritical acts white people and a white-run government took against Black people, in particular Black people protesting in the Civil Rights Movement. He denounced pacifism because it was ineffective against attack dogs and murderous bigots. He advocated for Black people to demand their democratic rights “by any means necessary.” The FBI was determined to take him down and use the rift between him and NOI leader Elijah Muhammad to kill him. The film makes clear what many Black revolutionaries already knew: the NOI was a willing puppet of the FBI in the murder of Malcolm X. Their disagreement was used to kill Malcolm X and undermine their organization’s ability to radicalize outside the system. 

This tactic would become commonplace for the FBI, CIA, and local police departments in destroying Black, left and socialist revolutionary organizations. FOIA files reveal systemic lies, misinformation, and even direct assassination of leaders to break revolutionary organizations like the Black Panthers, Black Liberation Army, American Indian Movement, Socialist Worker’s Party, Young Lords, Communist Party-USA, and many others. As revealed in the documentary, Malcolm X’s personal bodyguard was an informant for the police. The informant, Gene Roberts, gave Malcolm CPR as he lay dying on the floor of the ballroom. 

“Leave Well Enough Alone” 

The film is also about history, and if a person is redemptive, why tarnish their history? William Bradley, aka Al-Mustafa Shabazz, was allegedly discovered to be the actual lone gunman of Malcolm X. As the film maker Abdur Rahman Muhammad prepares to confront him face-to-face, he is suddenly informed that Al-Mustafa Shabazz is dead. Before he died, after leading a life of crimes, he converted to Islam and became a pillar in his community, setting up a boxing gym to train low income at risk youth. Local politicians came to his funeral. Even former Presidential hopeful Cory Booker spoke highly of him. Does that then absolve him of being questioned about his past? 

The filmmaker suggests not only that Al-Mustafa Shabazz killed Malcolm X, but that elected officials suspected he was the murderer and allowed him to live freely as a “open secret.” Muslims interviewed in Newark also stated that because Shabazz had reformed his life, becoming a devout Muslim and contributing positively to the community,  he should be absolved of his crime. Although it is clear in the documentary Abdur Rahman Muhammad is not satisfied with that reasoning, he leaves the question open-ended. 

Malcolm X was an individual who went through personal and political changes in his life. His father, Earl Little, was run over by a trolley because he stood up to white supremacists. His mother was placed in a psychiatric hospital after her husband was murdered. Malcolm was split from his six brothers and sisters, growing up in foster homes. After being discouraged by a racist white teacher from becoming a lawyer (“An (n word) can’t be a lawyer. Become a carpenter”), Malcolm turned to a life of crime. After being in and out of jail, Malcolm Little was arrested and sentenced to 10 years in prison for burglary. While in prison, he was recruited and then joined the Nation of Islam. Often, the NOI has recruited and targeted people like Malcolm who are incarcerated. 

Malcolm Little became Malcolm X, stating he did not know his ancestors’ actual last name because it was taken from them during enslavement. While in the NOI, Malcolm X denounced the racist US government and called for Black people to defend themselves against the Klan, bigots and police attacking Black people. He specifically polemicized to the youth of the Civil Rights Movement. Most of the movement agreed with pacifism. Malcolm X strongly denounced pacifism as a tool of oppressors, arguing that Black people were taught pacifism specifically to keep us from revolting from being enslaved to resisting segregation. Malcolm X’s political agitation grew the NOI membership. It also directly challenged the US government’s racist policies. There began to develop a rift between Elijah Muhammad and Malcolm X. With COINTELPRO, the FBI infiltrated and exacerbated the division. Malcolm X had already begun to drift from the NOI when a long time friend and NOI member Ronald Stokes was murdered by the Los Angeles Police Department. Malcolm X called for revenge against the police, but he was told by the Nation of Islam not to strike back against the LAPD. 

The division became an unofficial break when Malcolm X called the assassination of John F. Kennedy “Chickens Coming Home to Roost,” defying an order from Elijah Muhammad to be silent on the issue. 

Malcolm X’s life went from reactionary, to radical, to revolutionary. When he stood alone from the organization that “rescued him from the wilderness,” he went further to Pan-Africanism and was even influenced by socialist groups like the Trotskyist Socialist Workers’ Party. Malcolm X spoke several times at the Militant Labor Forum organized in part by the SWP, stating that the Militant “was one of the best papers in New York City.” He also gave an interview to the SWP weeks before his death stating, “It is impossible for capitalism to survive… it is only a matter of time in my opinion before it will collapse completely.”Malcolm’s life parallels Trotsky’s life. Building an organization only to be betrayed by it. Working furiously knowing his days were numbered. The sharp speeches of dead men walking. 

Malcolm X was assassinated because he was growing and gaining a following among the Black youth and working class. He was growing internationally. From religious to secular, from separatist to internationalist. The US capitalist, imperialist was determined to assassinate him. 

Seeking Resolution

Film maker Abdur Rahman Muhammad did not stop at discovering who was the alleged killer of Malcolm. He also linked up with Muhammad Abdul Aziz, one of the three people charged with Malcolm’s murder who is still alive. The assassin who confessed waited until after Elijah Muhammad’s death and revealed the names of the four others. This also meant two people went to jail for crimes they didn’t commit. Further still, that the FBI knew these men were innocent and allowed them to spend most of their lives in jail. The other accused man, Khalil Islam but then known as Thomas 15X Johnson, died before he could be released and his name cleared. 

Film maker Abdur Rahman Muhammad’s meeting with Abdul Aziz discussed filing a appeal for he and the late Khalil Islam to the exonerated. It was a sad reality when Aziz said the filmmaker could do what he wanted, but that he had no hope in anything coming of it. Why would he? The U.S. government knowingly stole 20 years of his life. Because he was in prison, it ruined relations with his family and estranged him from generations of his children, grandchildren, and great grandchildren because he “wasn’t there.” It seems to this author rather naive to believe that this government that routinely ruins lives and ends lives with sadistic glee is capable of “justice.” The system itself is based on injustice. 

In a surprise twist, the Manhattan District Attorney’s office has decided to reopen the case of Malcolm X’s murder, possibly exonerating two of the three men convicted of his death. There are still dozens of political prisoners locked up behind trumped up charges. There are still millions locked up because they are poor, Black or Brown, and use illegal substances. Around the world, US imperialism continues to bomb, maime and terrorize people and their democratically elected governments for not towing the line. Even if because of pressure from this film, these men are exonerated (one posthumously), it would not make the system any more just.

We know who killed Malcolm X. It was the U.S. government. They even had an informant as Malcolm’s top bodyguard. The Nation of Islam, threatened by Malcolm’s power and unwillingness to be bought by the organizations financial success, were the ones who pulled the trigger. The documentary reveals first hand FBI accounts showing the depravity and fear of radical Black self organization. It is also about secrets kept and complicated histories. About the enduring importance of the truth and the complexities of that. It is a must-see to learn about the bold political life of Malcolm X and how a determined local Black Muslim historian changed the narrative of one of the most influential political leaders in U.S. history. 

[stephenjaymorrisblog]

Shut It Down For Good

Stephen Jay Morris

9/30/2021

©Scientific Morality

The Republican lawmakers’ political tactic of late is, whenever they do not get their way, their move to shut down the government. Oh, they have their legitimate, or should I say, illegitimate reasons. However, even if the move affects war veterans in the way of not getting their checks, or poor people going without food stamps, they proceed and defiantly shut down the people’s government. Fuck the people! I love it when the evil doers call others evil.

Their colloquy sounds like a poor imitation of a speech by John F. Kennedy, or FDR. However their preciosity shows up when the scoundrel they elected president—be it Bush Jr. or Trump—can’t even read the speech! Sounding like an illiterate may have a certain populist appeal, but it can be detrimental to God’s favorite nation. The Republicans have tried everything and just about anything to maintain power, but nothing works. Ultimately, it all backfires on them.

Now, to use Millennial slang, which of the two do you think is the Alpha party and which is the Beta? The expected answer is that the Republicans are Alpha, the Democrats are Beta. WRONG! Both parties are equally symbolic; they are “make-believe” parties. The GOP (Republicans) declare they represents the small business man, Christianity, the military, the family, and true Americans. Translation: they love WASP, Aryan males who are billionaires. The Democrats, on the other hand, claim to represent the working class, women, LGBTQ people, Black and Brown people, the disabled, war veterans, homeless people, and other down trodden groups. Nope! They are merely play acting. What do these Democrats really care about? WASP, Aryan males who are billionaires. Basically, it’s the same old, good cop / bad cop scenario shit.

When these Republicans do shut down the government, will they give a damn about people suffering as a result, or the state losing money? If you say yes, I want some o’ that pot you’re smoking! I hear Ivermectin goes well with domestic beer. You know that the rich got richer with this pandemic. The Conservatives were all upset when the workers voluntarily “sheltered in place.” It was not a “lock down!” What it was...was avoidance of death! The Conservatives were besides themselves when the money machine stalled and the rich pigs whined. The entire time, they were bluffing about their concerns over workers not being paid or losing their jobs. Now, that was a metaphysical labor strike! What if all the workers and lumpen Proletariats had a general strike in the USA? If there was genuine solidarity in America, with no division by race or class, then things would definitely change.

As an Anarchist, I don’t give a shit if the ruling class loses money. I also don’t give a shit if they shut down the government, the military, the police, CIA, FBI, and the banks. I don’t want to keep the border open; I want to abolish all borders! I want an intergalactic civilization. State rights have no rights! I want anarchy and peace.

Freedom is not just for the selfish jerks. Freedom is for those who want freedom for all!