The following story is a warning as to why centralized power is so dangerous. It doesn’t matter whether the power is political or corporate, overly centralized power in all forms must be resisted whenever it appears. The worst of all worlds is when centralized political and corporate power unite in an unholy alliance, which is what has happened to America in recent decades. When this occurs, the combined forces of oligarchy simply begin to rapaciously feast on the citizenry with zero accountability. This is a fair description of the United States in 2014.
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The primary problem with centralized power is that sociopaths (for obvious reasons) gravitate toward, and greatly covet, positions of power. Once entrenched in such positions, they are able to act upon their perversions with general immunity, and if they are caught, are often left in positions of power by others who at that point “own them” via blackmail. This of course is nothing new, it is how the game of power, politics and economics has been played since the beginning of time. It is also why decentralization of power is the natural evolution we as a species must embrace in order to build a better world.
Enter Timothy DeFoggi, the one-time cybersecurity director of the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services, who received several awards for his government “service” over the years. The self-proclaimed man of “many perversions,” frequented a child porn site called PedoBook where he “exchanged private messages with other members expressing interest in raping, beating and murdering infants and toddlers.”
More from Wired:
As the acting cybersecurity chief of a federal agency, Timothy DeFoggi should have been well versed in the digital footprints users leave behind online when they visit web sites and download images.
But DeFoggi—convicted today in Nebraska on three child porn charges including conspiracy to solicit and distribute child porn—must have believed his use of the Tor anonymizing network shielded him from federal investigators.
But DeFoggi’s conviction is perhaps more surprising than others owing to the fact that he worked at one time as the acting cybersecurity director of the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services. DeFoggi worked for the department from 2008 until January this year. A department official told Business Insider that DeFoggi worked in the office of the assistant secretary for administration as lead IT specialist but a government budget document for the department from this year(.pdf) identifies a Tim DeFoggi as head of OS IT security operations, reporting to the department’s chief information security officer.
Although anyone could use the sites, registered users like DeFoggi—who was known online under the user names “fuckchrist” and “PTasseater”—could set up profile pages with an avatar, often child porn images, and personal information and upload files. The site archived more than 100 videos and more than 17,000 child porn and child erotica images, many of them depicting infants and toddlers being sexually abused by adults.
DeFoggi became part of that sting after becoming a registered member of PedoBook in March 2012 where he remained active until December that year when the FBI shuttered it. During this time DeFoggi, who described himself as “having many perversions,” solicited child porn images from other members, viewed images and exchanged private messages with other members expressing interest in raping, beating and murdering infants and toddlers.
DeFoggi received many commendations during his government career, according to an exhibit list created by the government for his trial. The list includes several certificates of award from the U.S. Treasury, a certificate of appreciation from the State Department for his work on a Hurricane Katrina task force, several documents related to computer courses he attended and certifications he received.
In Liberty,
Michael Krieger
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First congratulation to the FBI etc. who have brought a sense of justice regarding the subject of your post. To take this further we need legislation to stop over half a century of the abusive application of the state secrets privilege and related doctrine, act, executive order, regulation and related policy abuses. For starters we need Senator Pat Leahy’s USA FREEDOM Act passed
I can’t say the reason better than you did in your first paragraph and this paragraph deserves being repeated over and over so here goes, “The primary problem with centralized power is that sociopaths (for obvious reasons) gravitate toward, and greatly covet, positions of power. Once entrenched in such positions, they are able to act upon their perversions with general immunity, and if they are caught, are often left in positions of power by others who at that point “own them” via blackmail. This of course is nothing new, it is how the game of power, politics and economics has been played since the beginning of time. It is also why decentralization of power is the natural evolution we as a species must embrace in order to build a better world.” And may I add, its time the tax payer funded intelligence gathering pedophiles had the abusive application of the iron curtain of state secrets privilege taken away.
Vile stuff.
So vile in fact, that the cynic in me is suspicious.
Whenever I read or hear reporting on something that causes a visceral reaction in me, I am skeptical that I am being manipulated.
Understood. I need to verify.
Nebraska – home of the Boys Town Franklin Loans child rape scandal.
Regarding the outlandishness of the allegations – my inner cynic is also on alert. Given the sorry state of computer security, it must be devastatingly simple to plant child porn on a person’s computer and then claim they are guilty. What a quick and easy way to destroy a person. If he really is like this, then shame on him. But what about the rest of his life? Does this match up? Are there indicators elsewhere?
I work in IT. What little I know about security and file transfer is enough for me to believe a frame-up could easily happen.
Regarding the centralization of power – What a well-stated proposition. Thanks for stating what needs to happen next: Local communities need to start taking back their power at the grass roots level. Decentralization is the answer.
“As the acting cybersecurity chief of a federal agency, Timothy DeFoggi should have been well versed in the digital footprints users leave behind online when they visit web sites and download images.”
It’s safe to assume that he IS fully aware of digital footprints. He’s probably also aware that false digital footprints can be created. Call me a cynic, but, if called for jury duty, I’d have to vote “not guilty” for any crime where the evidence is nothing more than data. There’s not doubt that the NSA, and quite possibly the FBI, can create any digital footprint they want, and even download incriminating files to any computer connected to the ‘net. The level of technology they employ leaves a reasonable doubt.