It’s now widely recognized that there is a kind of Cold-Civil War going on now within the US government, between President Donald Trump and the intelligence community, which has become increasingly adversarial.

Washington Post columnist David Ignatius, an establishment writer who has long defended the CIA, provided the early details of national security adviser, Gen. Michael Flynn’s phone call with a Russian ambassador. The leaking of this information was certainly illegal and was acquired using warrantless wiretap methods that itself would have been illegal just a few years ago. While it is unlikely that Flynn committed any illegal acts, his failure to be forthcoming about the discussion ultimately resulted in his resignation. It embarrassed the President and further added to the belief that there is unethical, illegal, or even treasonous behavior going on between Trump and Russia.

Senate Minority Leader Chuck Schumer warned Trump during an MSNBC interview last month:

“Let me tell you: You take on the intelligence community — they have six ways from Sunday at getting back at you.”

This echoes what I’ve been saying for years now; mass surveillance isn’t about terrorism or crime, but about acquiring ammunition for political blackmail. Mass surveillance like the PRISM program hasn’t had a measurable impact on crime or terrorism, but it has allowed the intelligence community to tighten its grip on the country’s politicians.

This kind of conflict between the executive branch and the intelligence community isn’t unprecedented. Some of what is happening is reminiscent of the Nixon era. President Nixon was also at odds with what he called the “the east coast liberals”, which includes not only newspapers and television, but also Wall Street and the intelligence community. Originally from California, Nixon hated them, but recognized and feared their power, and their potential for violence.

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