For cause-related groups, external and internal discreditation initiatives are better strategies than an "informant." (In some respects, an "informant" can be a GOOD THING.) External: false attribution, mischaracterization. Internal: breeding internal conflict by making you *think* you have an informant; getting people to advocate unpopular agendas, seeding disinterest and discord, yaddah-yaddah. The one thing you DON'T want to do is encourage individual vigilantism "unmasking" and unfounded paranoia. It is destructive, and _every_ consultant will tell you the same thing I am. Groups are encouraged to develop a STRUCTURED PNG-protocol, so as not to fall for psyop BS. Most of the work here came out of the experiences of civil rights groups in the 60s. I assume the meatspace crowd has a cointell protocol and keeps things in hand. *she says as she rolls her eyes at select individuals* Right now the government is busily hunting "art students." ~Aimee > [Note from Matthew Gaylor: Declan McCullagh is Wired News's > Washington, DC Bureau Chief and is in Washington State testifying at > the Jim Bell trial. Below is a message Declan sent to me concerning > an invitation I sent to Freematt's Alerts and to a few other net > mailing lists about the restart of Seattle cypherpunks meetings. The > infiltration of political groups is nothing new going back as far as > nations have had secret police forces. In the late 1980s and early > 90s I served as a local Libertarian Party chairman in Ohio > (Columbus). Several strange happenings made be suspicious of several > people that were active in the party. Suspicious enough that it > prompted me to file FOIA requests with the FBI. After the usual > several year process I was declined info about spying on the > Libertarian Party- But the FBI did confirm that by releasing the > records they did have would have violated the privacy of a third > party (The informant). And yes I think I know who it is and no I > won't say because I can't be 100 percent sure. I have managed to > unmask informants and out right agents, once at a machine gun shoot > in Knob Creek, KY and once at another local civil rights > organization. I'll be writing a more lengthy response to this.]
