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Editorial

By VVAW

A short time ago, the people of this country had a new Vice-President crammed down our throats--Nelson Rockefeller. His appointment clearly exhibits just who the US government is representing of--the rich and powerful owners, not the poor and working people.

Shortly after Rockefeller's appointment, he was given his first major job--to head up the President's blue-ribbon panel formed to investigate the CIA. There has been a lot of talk about the CIA recently. First, its covert activities abroad began to seep out and it became clear that the CIA was doing much more than "intelligence gathering," but was actively involved in toppling governments, i.e. the Chile coup. It should come as a surprise to no one that over 2/3rds of CIA funds and manpower are designated for covert operations and their support. Over intervention in other countries has often proved futile, as seen in the victory of the Indochinese people. Because of this, more "low-profile" methods have to be developed if the US is to continue its intervention and aggression.

Now we learn that the CIA has been spying on people and organizations here in the US which the government views as threats to "internal security." That is no big news either, so why all the excitement? Because along with these "revelations" about the CIA's domestic spying came the news that some of it was directed at the rulers of this country--the rich, the politicians, etc. That is what the uproar is all about. You can bet that if CIA domestic operations had only been directed against the oppressed people of this country and those who are struggling against imperialism, there would be no blue-ribbon commission to investigate their activities; but the CIA has stepped into the arena of the government, of the wealthy, of those who control the country.

We can expect this blue-ribbon commission on the CIA to do a complete whitewash because those on the panel and those whom the panel represents stand for the same interests as does the CIA. The basic reason behind CIA operations--both at home and abroad--is protection of the US economic empire. The CIA serves the needs of imperialism; it serve s the needs of the people like Rockefeller--the imperialists who run this country. A cover-up of CIA activities is essential because the imperialists can't afford to loose their ability to meddle in the affairs of the world's people. They need the CIA too much.