To those in federal law enforcement, you may comfort yourself for an hour or so by saying that your actions are “for the greater good.” Or that you are “a cog in the machine.” You are “following orders” or “just pushing the buttons.”

It’s a basic rule of all in-country spies that you need to speak the language of the country you’re spying on,

So with the revelations that the FBI was using an undercover agent (and likely more than one) to spy on Catholics attending the traditional Latin Mass, it’s one of many questions that I’d like to know the answer to.

Given that the Old Mass is highly structured I doubt there was anything being said that was subversive to the US Government, but how could one be sure, especially while listening to the people in the pews?

“Based on the limited information produced by the FBI to the Committee, we now know that the FBI relied on at least one undercover agent to produce its analysis, and that the FBI proposed that its agents engage in outreach to Catholic parishes to develop sources among the clergy and church leadership to inform on Americans practicing their faith,” Jordan wrote in a letter to FBI Director Christopher Wray on Monday.

This is a result of the GOP’s House Weaponization of Government Committee, which is investigating excesses by various US government agencies against US citizens. Looking at the following graph of resources the committee has compared to others in history I can’t help thinking that this is just another standard GOP tactic for fooling its voters: bang the drum loudly and then produce a mouse-fart.

Still, what it has produced is a bad enough look for the FBI and DOJ and any normal FBI director would be ashamed of it and what it says about the FBI’s respect for the US Constitution it’s supposed to be upholding. But Christopher Wray, appointed by Trump, seems immune to such feelings and looks like he’s just going to brazen his way through it. He’s shown contempt for the committee before, as when he said he had to leave in the middle of questions to catch a plane for important business – which Flight Aware trackers soon determined was an FBI plane taking him to his vacation home.

Naturally their partners in crime, the Department of Justice (DOJ) are neck deep in this ugly shit as well. A few weeks ago, Sen. Josh Hawley (R-Mo.) asked chief Merrick Garland, “Are you cultivating sources and spies in Latin Mass parishes and other Catholic parishes around the country?” Garland pleaded innocent, insisting, “No, the Justice Department does not do that and does not, uh, um, do investigations based on religion.”

Oh noes, he was lying!

The documents reveal that the FBI was attempting to use “mainline Catholic parishes” as “new avenues for tripwire and source development.” The feds wanted to educate sympathetic Catholics about “the warning signs of radicalization,” and then get them to help stop the rosary-praying terrorist by obtaining “their assistance to serve as suspicious activity tripwires.”

This is nothing short of breathtaking in its resolute determination to construct a reality other than the one we happen to be living in. If there were a steady stream of terrorists routinely “radicalized” in Catholic churches and going out to bring the wrath of the Immaculate Heart of Mary upon the populace, there might be some justification for this program. As it is, it’s plain and simple harassment and scapegoating of Christians.

This is my shocked face.

What the “threat” from Catholics is supposed to be isn’t really clear though. I haven’t heard of any systemic terrorist threat based upon Catholicism, much less “mainline Catholics”, although I suppose the Latin group are a bit more hardline on traditional Catholic beliefs about gay marriage, abortion, and Trans-rights than Easter and Christmas “Liberal” Catholics like President Biden (Hell, maybe he’s a source?). But perhaps speaking Latin is part of the new chic for those “domestic violent extremists,” a.k.a. “white supremacists,” that the DOJ-FBI assures us are the number one terror threat facing the USA today.

After all, Old Joe Biden, Gestapo DOJ chief Merrick Garland, and the FBI have repeatedly told us so, and those sterling public servants wouldn’t lie to us, would they? Funny thing is that there certainly seem to be plenty of real threats from radical leftists trying to attack churches and pro-life centers, but the FBI doesn’t seem to be too interested in them.

As if this isn’t pathetic/evil enough, it turns out that the FBI is also hunting people via “codewords” they’ve identified on the Internet (probably helped by 4Chan, who love pulling stunts like this on the MSM and Left-Wing activists).

FBI flags slang terms “Chad”, “based”, “red-pilled”, “it’s over”, to target ‘racially-motivated violent extremists’

Have a wee shufty at this crap from the FBI.

Not to self: must create new tags for posts here at No Minister including “looksmaxxing”, “Chad & Stacy”,”Involuntary Celibate Violent Extremism.” and the others. I wouldn’t want us to miss out.

All jokes aside this is actually scary fucking stuff from the US DOJ and FBI.

To those in federal law enforcement, you may comfort yourself for an hour or so by saying that your actions are “for the greater good.” Or that you are “a cog in the machine.” You are “following orders” or “just pushing the buttons.” Those phrases have been muttered before by men who were all too eager to go with the tide and become monsters. And history does not remember those men fondly. But it’s your soul. Sell it if you wish. Just make sure you get a good price for it.