22 July 2010

Blowing the Whistle on the Snitch Racket

Emmanuel Goldstein (2600) said 18 July 2010 at The Next HOPE panel on informants that within the hacker community it is expected that up to 25% of hackers are snitches. And that nothing can be done about it, so get used to it.

That suggests that of some 3,000 HOPE attendees about 750 were likely snitches. And of those on the snitch panel of four besides admitted snitch Adrian Lamo, one was likely a snitch. To demonstrate his point Goldstein admitted he once snitched to protect an "innocent." Lamo said he snitched on Manning as a matter of conscience, so two out of five. The other three panelists, Kevin Mitnick, Bernie X and Fiber Optic, went to prison from being snitched on.

It is hard to believe that among hacker-led Wikileaks, 25% of its workers, volunteers and supporters are snitches. Not even organized crime suffers that scale of corruption. However, in spyworld it is required that 100% of spies snitch on both targets and each other, trained as they are to do just that and only that.

Now it is obligatory to exaggerate threats among secret organizations up to no good, that is the principal argument for secrecy. So to claim 25% of hackers are snitches, as 100% of spies claim they must snitch 100% of the time, it is necessary to exaggerate internal risk, to demand that snitching against snitches is necessary to save the secret cult.

Cult countersnitching is as convoluted as counterspying, and no cult member is safe from it, or so snitches avow: get used to it, the axe could fall without warning. The motto of brutal authoritarinaism, no?

The undermining paradox of secret organizations is that they require snitching on violators: disclosing secrets. And they are rewarded for doing so.

A similar paradox involves leaking confidential information: the greater the leakage the greater the secrecy countermeasures. The greater the secrecy the greater punishment for leaking and the greater the rewards for abetting leaking.

In both paradoxes, snitching is valorized as heroic to cloak its inherent betrayal -- valorized and hyperbolized by beneficiaries of secret snitching who face little risk. Snitches leverage this to demand more honor and pay or else drop the axe on those who believe themselves masters.

Authoritarians fear their own spies like no other enemy. This paranoia begets counterspies which beget counter-counterspies, endlessly, who snitch on one another, profitably.

The foremost lesson Machiavelli taught his prince, as students at The Farm are taught of their instructors, is to beware the teacher's plot.

Compliments to Wikileaks for blowing the whistle on the snitch racket.

__________

At the HOPE panel, Kevin, Bernie and Fiber described their experiences with snitches. 2600 videotaped the session, it is worth viewing. Kevin explained how to spot a snitch from court records, a handy tool. The three were offered reduced sentences for snitching, all refused and were hammered. Two panelists snitched, three were imprisoned. Instructive. Bradley Manning must have been texting.

To: emmanuel[at]2600.com
From: John Young <jya[at]pipeline.com>
Subject: HOPE Panel on Informants
Dated: 22 July 2010

Emmanuel,

The HOPE panel on informants was exceptionally well done, 
and your introductory remarks illuminating. The panel provided a
unique range of viewpoints not well known, I believe, and
deserve wide coverage. Will a video of the panel be made public?

Thanks and regards,

John Young
Cryptome.org
212-873-8700

__________

Date: Thu, 22 Jul 2010 16:13:40 -0400
From: Emmanuel Goldstein <emmanuel[at]2600.COM>
To: John Young <jya[at]pipeline.com>
Subject: Re: HOPE Panel on Informants

Yes, we should have that available in the very near future. Glad you were
able to be there and enjoy it. All the best.

e