Iran's Government Is Paying Anti-Israel Protesters as Part of US Influence Campaign, National Intelligence Director Says

The Iranian government is organizing and paying anti-Israel protesters in the United States as part of a foreign influence campaign meant to sow division across the country ahead of the 2024 elections, according to a warning Tuesday from the director of national intelligence.

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It's time to stop worshipping 'smart people'

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Judeo-Christian culture has an intelligence problem. Not to put too fine a point on it, there’s a special propensity to make an idol of the intellect.

Look at the origins of the biggest hype phrase of the millennium: smart power. Two intellectuals share credit for its coinage: Joseph Nye, legendary political scientist of international relations and a Unitarian Universalist, and Suzanne Nossel, a veteran of the corporate, NGO, and federal government elite whose grandparents escaped Nazi Germany and who feels at home during her frequent stays with family in Israel.

For high-performing Americans of Christian and Jewish heritage with a limited connection to the strictures and practices of their ancestral religions, the temptation to transition into effective smarts-worshipers can often be too sweet to resist. Intelligence holds out to the ambitious and well-meaning universe a possibility that’s too good to be true: the power to simulate or imitate all virtues, reorganizing ethics, justice, and order on the basis of ever-more-perfect analysis.

Intoxicated by this heady brew, intellectuals trying to prove they don’t “need” religion to be pure, healthy, and authoritative end up a lot easier to fool and manipulate than they might pride themselves on. Ironically, there’s nothing quite like the allure of smarts to make a dummy of the smart.

In a still greater irony, that’s why so many intelligent elites have pivoted so hard of late to worshiping intelligence more overtly and self-consciously. You see, they’ve gotten so smart that they’ve taken human intelligence to a cosmically transcendent point — building a machine intelligence that will soon outstrip everyone’s ability to rub brain cells together.

Soon, we’re told, machine intelligence will become self-replicating, self-improving, positively god-tier. Jensen Huang, CEO of NVIDIA, the corporation that’s propping up the whole U.S. economy, hails this process as a new industrial revolution, with the factories of the onrushing future mass-producing not widgets or bullets but manufactured intelligence.

As some technologists are noticing, however, the current trajectory of AI is already far enough below the hype-set expectations to surmise that we “probably” won’t have gods-in-a-box anytime soon. In fact, judging by the recent past of our breakneck technological development, there’s not much to stop AI from falling into the same disappointing patterns as the rest of our “mind-blowing” mechanical inventions.

Think of spam. How long was it in years between the elite’s fawning over the “information superhighway” and the public’s spam-clogged experience of the daily email grind? How long between the explosion of freewheeling speech and association on social media and the convergence of content rewarded by the algorithm on disposable “viral” fast food? Even in the online media, the tendency of news to become mere filler is almost inexorable.

The dilemma for elites is clear. They’ve already caught on that being smart isn’t enough to rule machines made to be smarter than the smartest, recasting themselves as the priests of a new smart religion who alone can be trusted to manage relations with the gods-in-a-box. But to get there, they have to spam the “smarts” button as never before — flooding every inch of our lives with so much automated “smart power” that, inevitably, the per-unit value of smarts drops, like that of all overproduced commodities.

In other words, no sooner do they pivot to making a religion of intelligence than they have to face the farcical fact that they’re turning intelligence itself into the ultimate spam.

That’s why the next step is, as close watchers of tech have known for a long time, a pivot from spam to sorcery. As Jash Dholani recently noted, “Issac Newton was an alchemist. Alan Turing thought telepathy is real. It's undeniable at this point that people at the upper bounds of intelligence are quasi-mystics,” from William James to Jack Parsons to John Dee, Queen Elizabeth’s court (deep breath) alchemist, astronomer, astrologer, and occultist. It was Dee who advised the creation of a global “British Empire” — one hardly composed of merely material forms of domination.

Having blocked themselves off from the world of holy spiritual power and authority receivable through God Almighty, exceptional humans throughout the ages have turned to the darker arts of immaterial influence, technologists not at all excepted. The archetypal story of the Christian convert St. Cyprian the Sorcerer illustrates the happy ending to the travails of the high achiever trying to rise above his peers by descending to spiritual depths.

The not-so-happy ending, of course, waits at the end of the wider path — one strewn with history’s cult leaders, “faith-based” flimflam artists, and spiritualist con men. In the Faustian fable of the "Sorcerer’s Apprentice," the titular wizard saves the day by intoning the incantation that undoes his underling’s out-of-control broom-spamming. In real life, no occultish magic is required to save us from such a fate. The truth is much more heavenly — and more humble — than that.

Hunter Biden's laptop got him convicted. Intel officials who called it Russian disinfo remain unapologetic.

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Hunter Biden was convicted today in part owing to the verified contents of his laptop, which the New York Post reported on before the 2020 election.

A cabal of former U.S. intelligence officials released an open letter on Oct. 19, 2020, regarding the Post's Oct. 14 report about the discovery and damning contents of Hunter Biden's laptop, which the FBI had "verified" one year earlier.

Among the 51 signatories of the letter were:

  • James Clapper, former director of national intelligence under Democratic President Barack Obama;
  • Michael Hayden, former director of the CIA under Obama;
  • Leon Panetta, former secretary of defense under Obama and CIA director;
  • John Brennan, former CIA director under Obama;
  • Glenn S. Gerstell, former general counsel for the National Security Agency;
  • Richard H. Ledgett Jr., former deputy director of the NSA;
  • Jeremy Bash, the former chief of staff both of the CIA and the Department of Defense; and
  • Michael Morell, former acting director of the CIA.

Their letter asserted that the Hunter Biden laptop story was likely a thing of Slavic fantasy — that the story had "all the classic earmarks of a Russian information operation."

While Clapper, Brennan, and the other 49 so-called experts were willing to admit in the letter to both not knowing whether the Hunter Biden emails provided to the New York Post were "genuine" and having no "evidence of Russian involvement," they nevertheless suggested a "laptop op" designed "to discredit Biden ... would be consistent with some of the key methods Russia has used in its now multi-year operation to interfere in our democracy."

The letter was framed thusly by Politico and left uncorrected by the signatories: "Hunter Biden story is Russian disinfo, dozens of former intel officials say."

According to the House Select Subcommittee on the Weaponization of the Federal Government, then-senior Biden campaign adviser and now-Secretary of State Antony Blinken got the ball rolling on this misleading and election-influencing letter. The letter was allegedly drafted with the aim of setting the narrative before the Oct. 22, 2020, presidential debate, wherein Biden ultimately used it to great effect. Blinken later denied conceiving of or soliciting signatures for the letter.

Even though the story was undermined by the letter and censored online, the laptop was real all along, and its contents — like those of Ashley Biden's troubling diary — were as authentic as they were incriminating. FBI Special Agent Erika Jensen made this especially clear in court last week.

'51 intelligence agents, that phony story. Remember?'

Former President Donald Trump recently suggested that the 51 officials who leveraged their perceived credibility and former status to shield Biden from the truth may soon face a comeuppance.

Trump was recently discussing false narratives spread by the Biden camp and broached the subject of the Hunter Biden laptop story.

"51 intelligence agents, that phony story. Remember? 'The laptop from Russia,' they said. And they should be prosecuted for what they did, okay?" said Trump. "Let's see what happens.

Ahead of Hunter Biden's criminal conviction, Fox News Digital reached out to the signatories of the October 2020 letter, asking whether they regretting misleading the nation. While some of the election-swaying former officials flatly say no, as in the case of Clapper, others doubled down.

Mark S. Zaid, an attorney representing Ronald Marks, Marc Polymeropoulos, Douglas Wise, Paul Kolbe, John Sipher, Emile Nakhleh, and Gerald O’Shea, suggested the letter was important and signing it was "patriotic."

Zaid even suggested that criticism of the letter amounted to disinformation but did not go so far as to pin blame on Russia.

"There continues to be by many a calculated or woefully ignorant interpretation of the October 2020 letter signed by fifty-one former intelligence officials concerning Hunter Biden's laptop," Zaid told Fox.

"A careful and objective reading of the document reflects that even today its content is accurate. It served as nothing more than a warning letter of what we have known for decades: certain foreign governments — including Russia — continue to try and actively interfere in our domestic affairs and our guard must remain vigilant. Every patriotic American should have signed that letter," added Zaid.

Signatory Greg Treverton, former chair of the National Intelligence Council, said, "What we said was true, we were inferring from our experience, and it did look like a Russian operation. We didn't, and couldn't of course say it was a Russian operation. Enough said."

Michael Hayden, who intimated late last year that Sen. Tommy Tuberville (R-Al.) should be removed from the human race, simply hung up the phone and dodged subsequent requests for comment.

The Post noted that Panetta defended the letter in July 2023, saying he had no regrets about signing it.

"I signed that letter for one reason, which was to make the American people aware that the Russians deliberately were engaged in a disinformation campaign in the United States and trying to impact on our election and trying to impact on our ability to have free and fair elections," Panetta told CNN.

Concerning the letter's additional spin in Politico, Zaid told the Post, "With respect to the Politico story, had I been representing my clients at the time I would have certainly asked for them to modify their headline as it is too categorically and broadly asserted a conclusion that the letter did not."

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Investigation Links Russian Hit Squad to US Officials' 'Havana Syndrome'

A Russian intelligence unit that specializes in assassinations may be behind "Havana syndrome," a mysterious condition that afflicted U.S. diplomats, according to a report.

The post Investigation Links Russian Hit Squad to US Officials' 'Havana Syndrome' appeared first on Washington Free Beacon.

US Intel Agency Wants To Ban Terms 'Radical Islamists' and 'Jihadist' Because They're Hurtful to Muslim Americans

The United States' top intelligence agency wants to ban its spies from using "biased language," including the terms "radical Islamists" and "jihadist," saying these words "are hurtful to Muslim-Americans and detrimentally impact our efforts as they bolster extremist rhetoric," according to a language guide published internally.

The post US Intel Agency Wants To Ban Terms 'Radical Islamists' and 'Jihadist' Because They're Hurtful to Muslim Americans appeared first on Washington Free Beacon.

Anonymous intelligence officer says he likes crossdressing, claims it made him 'A BETTER OFFICER'

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An anonymous intelligence officer wrote that he likes wearing women's apparel and believes crossdressing has turned him into "A BETTER OFFICER," according to a piece in "The Dive" magazine obtained by the Daily Wire via a Freedom of Information Act request.

"I am an intelligence officer, and I am a man who likes to wear women's clothes sometimes. I think my experiences as someone who crossdresses have sharpened the skills I use as an intelligence officer, particularly critical thinking and perspective-taking," the individual wrote in the piece. "I think of my gender identity as fixed," he noted, adding, "and male, even though I like to wear dresses sometimes."

He claimed that his penchant for wearing women's clothing has made him a better officer in various ways.

"I'm better now at understanding foreign actors," the man asserted. "I'm better at understanding clandestine assets and their motivations."

"I'm more aware of, and hopefully supporting, my women colleagues," he claimed. "I know firsthand how wearing heels can make your feet hurt and make it take longer to walk somewhere. Although I like wearing a bra, I know it isn't comfortable for everyone, and is less comfortable after a few hours."

He noted that his crossdressing is distracting for people but suggested that this should not be the case.

"Every IC resource I found on dress codes suggests that dressing professionally, in any clothing, is the goal, so your clothes do not distract from what you're trying to do. When I crossdress, it still distracts people, even though it is professional. It is my hope that we can learn to accept a wider range of gender identities and expressions. Let's choose ... to not to be distracted by what other people wear, to accept them, and get on with our vital work," he wrote.

According to the Daily Wire, a spokesperson for the Office of the Director of National Intelligence noted, "The IC Diversity, Equity, Inclusion and Accessibility (IC DEIA) Office manages the IC's efforts to build a diverse and inclusive workforce, and as part of their work, they distribute The Dive, a quarterly magazine, to each IC element's DEIA office and/or Equal Employment Opportunity office."

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How Did The Anti-Israel Guy Who Set Himself On Fire Get A Security Clearance?

Aaron Bushnell was assigned to the 70th Intelligence, Surveillance and Reconnaissance Wing at Fort Meade in Maryland.

The American Stasi Controls What You Hear And See To Control What You Think And Do

Big Tech, federal agencies, and corporate media are working together to undermine the country and control your thoughts.

Men, Ignore The Bad Advice To Seek A ‘Low-IQ’ Wife

Female intelligence is a major asset in even the most complementarian marriage.

House Dem Shares Stage With Anti-Semites and Holocaust Deniers at 'March for Gaza' Rally

Rep. André Carson (D., Ind.) spoke at an anti-Israel rally alongside one activist who said he was "happy" about Hamas's terrorist attack on the Jewish state, one who has claimed that "Hitler never intended to mass-destroy the Jews," and another who has attended Holocaust denial events with former Iranian president Mahmoud Ahmadinejad.

The post House Dem Shares Stage With Anti-Semites and Holocaust Deniers at 'March for Gaza' Rally appeared first on Washington Free Beacon.