Hubertus Knabe: The dark secrets of a surveillance state

Tour the deep dark world of the East German state security agency known as Stasi. Uniquely powerful at spying on its citizens, until the fall of the Berlin Wall in 1989 the Stasi masterminded a system of surveillance and psychological pressure that kept the country under control for decades. Hubertus Knabe studies the Stasi - and was spied on by them. He shares stunning details from the fall of a surveillance state, and shows how easy it was for neighbor to turn on neighbor.
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[@mnasera]

I am so familiar with the Stasi methods! I am so used to how these are applied! Yet I never lived in East Germany! I thank Herr Knabe for saying what I want to say.

[@batchout]

NSA + CIA + FBI + SWAT comes near to equaling Stasi. THE MOST IMPORTANT VIDEO I'VE SEEN THIS YEAR.

[@Jorge-ne5mg]

EUROPOL in Europe, CNI in Spain... All of them are co-workers and right now they do the same to the people they want... There are a big amount of psychopaths in those dark sites...

[@rpfs9081]

I don't think people feeling secure despite being monitored is a good sign. Quite the opposite.

[@thetruthhurts888]

It’s happening in the United States.. it’s called gangstalking, or organized stalking.

[@xander7ful]

The woman at 10:38 said when she read her file, she found her husband had been asked to report what kind of beauty soap she used. She was very hurt to find her husband had been a willing informant. Sadly, this is happening now in the U.S. The Zersetzung directive has been adopted by many countries because the Stasi trademarked it & sold it on the black market to other nations.

[@lizoriginale]

I KNOW wtf is up with this plant

[@Bellasie1]

Nations and companies.

[@gangstalkingtv]

COINTELPRO

[@cyborgnachos]

Yeah but they don't call them informants anymore, they call them Illuminati now days

[@user-ku1df9vr2k]

I’ve gone through this in the US. It’s debilitating and causes mental illness

[@satellite964]

Privacy is a human right.

[@carolinasmedicalillustrati6760]

No it isn't

[@fraser_mr2009]

@@carolinasmedicalillustrati6760 should be

[@dietmarbitterlich3500]

but not in the USA

[@downWithTwattle]

@@carolinasmedicalillustrati6760 well it should be ...have you got a problem with that ...are you a closet Stasi droid

[@ronperlmanofficial7280]

Not anymore

[@mbzcs]

100% certain this is still going on, even on a more massive scale.

[@richardc861]

Perhaps certain elements but I don’t see thousands of fellow citizens employed in the work that is mentioned in this video. There is an awful amount of data that can be gathered on a person in the world today but i do feel I can criticise my govt, read what books I want, travel to other countries and don’t feel another human is monitoring me personally. If anything the opposite is true, you can say literally whatever you like these days. Speaking from the West myself, can’t say the same perhaps for China and the likes

[@ronperlmanofficial7280]

It is, and it’s much worse now.

[@AndrewKNI]

There is a fascinating new book (2021) about the Stasi called 'The Grey Men - Pursuing the Stasi Into The Present' by Ralph Hope. Herr Knabe is mentioned in the book, and covers some of his recollection in his TED talk. Hard to believe this was only 30 years ago.

[@sageoasis]

Agreed! I am in the middle of The Grey Man now. I thank Hubertas Knabe! Sunlight is always the best disinfectant.

[@dissolvingreality2479]

Except it didn't actually end , I am a victim of this the same tactics used in Zerzetsung . And now in 2020 with the advancement of technilogical and electronic weaponary it's much much worse now

[@fiercabear]

N3UROMANC3R me too

[@fraser_mr2009]

go to my channel.

[@accountcompromised2166]

I am a Targeted Individual in the US, I am stalked remotely tortured with electromagnetic microwave radio frequency synthetic telepathy weaponry every aspect of my life infiltrated. My neighbors are plotting against me. Even my now ex husband was strategically sabotaging my life reporting on me to my harassers.

[@loke5551]

@@accountcompromised2166 lmao

[@cyborgnachos]

fucc free Masonry

[@cyprex011]

Happening now in the United States...

[@sageoasis]

Yes.

[@GlamorousTitanic21]

It honestly saddens me that some people who lived during that time still say that life was better when the knowledge of the scope and scale of these kinds of activities are openly known today. And at the same time, those who carried out this Orwellian nightmare still continue to claim that they did nothing wrong.

[@alchemist889]

I wonder how many people at this very moment are being subjected to the "degradation" methods of control. I'm sure the powers that be love this kind of technique.

[@cormano64]

Activists here in Brazil are being heavily shamed by corporate media time and time again without hard evidence of any crime whatsoever. That's what I immediately thought of when he touched this particular subject.

[@motoquasi]

Some actors were blacklisted in Hollywood for being against the Iraq war.

[@onthemarketblog6444]

God save Queen Saxe Coburg and Gotha [ fake windsor name since 1917 ] ? Save the poor the helpless homeless those who served in armed services Your Royal Highness for what exactly ? silly made up titles , utter claptrap the sheer absurdity of HRH silly made up titles four generations of spongers on the balcony The former Royal Palace (now the National Museum of Art of Romania) ....21 December 1989 Bucharest. and self entitlement , all dished out by granny saxe coburg and gotha as the royals live in palaces with chefs and maids pontificating claptrap and hypocrisy. The cost to the taxpayer of events like trooping of colour, royal weddings the security detail alone was £24M + for meghan and harry. more funding for hospitals and schools .Oh no ,hundreds of millions spent on buckingham palace and extension at kensington palace . while homeless sleep rough on the streets. .As food banks open ,and poverty and homeless on the rise. wearing chocolate coin medals ascending to very high military ranks just because royal status , inequality is perpetuated with a medieval feudal unfair society this is so 19th century. democracy is about the people voting and our children aspiring to be The next UK head of state not via birthright and self entitlement Stasi form of brainwashing the public into acceptance and validation. will not work in the 21st century.the monarchy is a waltz into the past , stifling the evolution of democracy in a modern democratic society .

[@hawkverity835]

alchemist89 I am being subjected to this

[@jacobglenn4951]

I am currently being subjected to it... In NM- :-(

[@helenjohnson231]

We now spy on each other-through social media. Oh, the irony 🤦🏼‍♀️

[@srimansrini]

This wonderful talk, which brings out the truth about East Germany's dirty past, contains several valid lessons to so many people, institutions and nations across the globe. I hope the FBI and CIA in America is watching and understand the importance of 'poking nose problem." Likewise, communists in India should understand why communism is not required in India or for China. Very insightful, informative and useful talk by Hubertus Knabe. Highly recommened.

[@jeffweiss7036]

This is the most recent historical reference point for what is now presently experienced and called, "gang stalking"...

[@spiritnphysical]

+Jeff Weiss And people think this is bad. Many do not believe they are using advanced tech weaponry and that it's infected so many aspects of the system, it's almost unfathomable.

[@nirv]

@@fiercabear no you're not.

[@hawkverity835]

Too bad they are still in operation

[@philippsuffa9781]

3:38 Sorry to interrupt, but this number is simply wrong. These were only the official employees of the Stasi. In total they had about 240.000 men and women working for them by 1989. The missing 150.000 people were the so called "IM" or "Inoffizielle Mitarbeiter" what you can translate to inofficial employees. They had their normal jobs and worked for the Stasi for example by spying on their wifes, husbands, children or neighbours.

[@tylerwilson3250]

these r scary times to live in n feels unreal.im a ti and dont understand y anyone would want to hurt and maim me and my family the onrs who inflict the pain on u must suffer later on at some point. when they eventualy wake upftom this brainwashing a conscince must surly kick in.4 now we have to stick together god bless u all

[@fraser_mr2009]

I made this channel to show that this is still happening

[@MisterF_1984]

This was a nice change from the quite often over-hyped talks in the US.

[@msg36093]

America is presently operating a similar program, only several orders of magnitude more sinister.

[@dalegribble1560]

Hordes of people aren't getting arrested though, at least for now.

[@fraser_mr2009]

@@dalegribble1560 no, but many are still being tortured.

[@MartineReed]

It’s trump’s global army of criminals.

[@qwerty-xs8rb]

if its ture , you never have chance to say it and keep you body out of jail. and people never have chance to see this text.

[@bladedaemon666]

Good thing nothing like the S.T.A.S.I. exists anymore...oh...wait..!!

[@xuploads]

mike rossiter At least ONE person actually understood it

[@dietmarbitterlich3500]

Haha USA is even worst

[@brunocomolli6129]

We knew it as social media nowadays

[@brianfinnegan664]

Who are u alluding to?

[@markswift]

Didn't the former head of the Stasi help setup Homeland Security (Stasi 2.0)?

[@lorenevisible3433]

Thank you for sharing your knowledge and intellect.

[@MrDanno2]

because of these kinds of people, this is why we have nice things

[@Bankside1997]

Under the NSA, the modern version of the STASI, you are your own informant.

[@drewhunter8558]

You nailed it.

[@Itwontfitn]

The nsa is the surveillance wing. The fbi and federally trained local police are the stasi. You're on the right track though.

[@hellooman2193]

[@hellooman2193]

Im pretty sure the nsa is the informant on himself. My cognitive warfare skills are better the urz. It may not be good as the NSA though... 🙄Let's not find outdoor

[@hellooman2193]

I like a couple NSA MAYBE 3. . . RUSSELL TICE, bill honey and the "traitor" Snowden

[@mjdobson88]

Amazing

[@kojoomaboe4054]

In germany, and still happening ... To me.

[@hawkverity835]

Kojo Omaboe me too

[@brianfinnegan664]

?

[@tom_bout]

The same symptoms of gang stalking .... Hmmm

[@torreybolden382]

This is the origins of InfraGard

[@waltergeorge9617]

Very Well Written and Extremely Extremely Accurate

[@yanasitta]

And young people today think the system that devised these systems of oppression is the answer to an "oppressive capitalist system". Their ignorance and stupidity is infinite.

[@ronperlmanofficial7280]

It’s happening here in the us, right now.

[@kennystarfighter9919]

if someone is attached to maintain power and control beyond what's necessary are victims and prisoners. . I let go of politics and so me and my friends never discuss about it to keep the joy and peace that a healthy society needs. Everday i practise peace, love and compassion. With understanding we no longer become mad at people, we see that the suffering from people spills over. We all wanna be at peace and be happy :) A happy person does not make other suffer, so to live by aexample of peace, love and not non-discrimination is healthier than boil in anger and become a victim of that too

[@rickv9180]

Unfortunately in today's climate, being neutral is seen as "siding with the oppressor". Every little thing has been politicized, every thing has to be argued and debated over, indeed I also try to avoid discussing politics and to live in peace with other.

[@TheYizuman]

The Stasi have in fact returned and is working under Merkel. Merkel was a former member of the GDR, she worked and breathed GDR all her life until the Wall fell and suddenly, she realized she was out of a job. After some months of deciding what to do, she then moved to get in involved in politics. The rest was history. Merkel has hired former high ranking Statsi members to replace the German high ranking intelligence staff members and then they began firing the old staffs and hired all of the former Stasi employees to work for them. Merkel then moved to immigration as her way of getting revenge of the West Berliners for the destruction of her former State, the GDR/DDR.

[@bertplank8011]

Merkel is a MARRANO.....along with the heads of most intelligence services...The new Scottish origin Director of MI5 is a Red Sea Pedestrian as have all directors of this crew of thugs bar one. Head of CHEKA,Wolfe of the Stazi etc...all of that ethnicity you are forbidden to mention.....Head of Homeland Security in the USA....take a look at Chertoff the first CEO.....he even looks sinister!!.

[@maikmenschner]

btw google wants to rent the old stasi headquarters in berlin ;-0

[@mrsha007]

The kept a smell directory? Holy...

[@Aindriuh]

It was to be used by tracker dogs in the event that a dissident went into hidng.

[@charlescole3040]

A great lecture by a great man. Read about him in the excellent book "The Gray Men." Sadly, the German government has now torpedoed the work of people such as Mr. Knabe. They saw the Soviets get away with zero responsibility for their atrocities. So, the Germans did the same.

[@sageyash]

Dear TED would you start putting at least english closed captions, especially for speakers with accents. You already have in your website, so I can imagine it won't be difficult or time consuming at all. I would watch it there but the player sucks.

[@OffGridInvestor]

I thought they used blackmail and threats to get informants.... not mentioned here.

[@Sierrz]

That won’t work. It’s too late, you are hated.

[@leaaron4838]

C: Still spiraling to extinction with no other path to slow it down other than depopulation. Their system isn't helping them one bit towards a glorious heavenly future.

[@valleypinesknighysfiretony2150]

OREGON is using these tactics

[@jefferyepstein9210]

Today in America they call it see something say something.

[@rejuvenile21]

KZbins spies on my watches

[@valleypinesknighysfiretony2150]

GEN GEV story breaking out

[@kdlofty]

04:44 Blokes playing with himself! Lol.

[@leonardodimarco]

or John Edgar Hoover for example. not?

[@michaelfischer9232]

66 internationalist ZioStasis hate this Video!

[@justgivemethetruth]

That is not socialism, it's high-tech totalitarianism - i.e. there is no way you can have socialism/demcoracy if you have totalitarianism.

[@justgivemethetruth]

And what was the relationship of Stasi totalitarianism to the former Nazi totalitarianism which was similar with the SS being the forerunner to the Stasi?

[@justgivemethetruth]

justgivemethetruth Good points about Edward Snowden asylum.

[@rpfs9081]

State Socialism and totalitarianism are hand and glove

[@justgivemethetruth]

RP FS Congratulations ... you have a clean brain ... you've been brainwashed.

[@Wourghk]

RP FS You clearly don't understand how those systems are defined. If you want to vilify socialism, you'll have to use historical references, because the current socialistic models in use around the world are more successful than those built upon the more flawed governmental platforms of the past. Socialism works fine without totalitarianism, and does not require such control to achieve positive results. However, there is a reason why current fascist, outdated regimes, such as that found in the United States, cannot take to socialistic policies well. It has a lot to do with the established corporatocracy there, and resulting political corruption, coupled with widespread political ignorance exacerbated and reinforced by sensationalist news media, also owned by the politically involved corporations. Perhaps one of these news organizations taught you to believe that socialism in any form is a crutch for poor government or just plain bad, which seems in-line with their agendas. Generally, socialistic policies require a stable and healthy government, supported by an equal people, to operate without hemorrhaging funds or corroding the wealth of those that support it. Perhaps you meant to refer to communism instead, which does require total government control of just about everything.

[@abacus749]

Thats the way it is.

[@dutch1171]

Gees, TED you could have got Hubertus's mic and audio working better. Really off putting on such an interesting topic...

[@firexed]

14:50 because of the structures it was *what* protecting ?

[@miskee11]

The Stasi is your Nirvana.

[@fanilorabenjamina860]

Pursuit of hapiness becomes complicated. Bio-degradation by a secular organisation 30 years ago, by who today ? The book exists, we don't burn books. Justice is slow and seems unaware of the threat on forensics it implies for ex. Lessons of the cold war are horrible.

[@goodhardlife]

This remindes me of Bashar Alassad's secret police in Syria, also trained by the Russian inmtellegance.

[@themosthighgod1612]

This is going on NOW in the United States google "ganhstalking"

[@terbospeed]

And we're now approaching 12:00

[@bc3000]

Clicked onto this thinking it would be about the US...

[@satellite964]

Chilling. BTW can someone explain why Austria isn't part of Germany?

[@m3an]

... are you for real? It's like asking why Canada isn't part of the USA.

[@YouHolli]

Because we don't want to live in the same country as those austrian snobs. Seriously, why should it be? Just because both talk the same language? If that's the case why aren't the US and the UK one country?

[@schnellerfuchs13]

YouHolli Hahahaha! Das ist lustig. Austrian snobs. :P

[@ZergyNaggafin]

m3aneapolis No, that's a terrible analogy. Canada and the US never had similar historical beginnings. Sure, they were both founded as English colonies (later Canada after England won it) but only those aristocrats in the Thirteen Colonies wished for independence. To put it blunt, you're basically saying something like Florida isn't part of the US because it has semi-autonomous independence. Germany is an entirely different historical context. Austria was part of the Holy Roman Empire, as well as all the other German duchies and counties for more than 1000 years and Germany is the dejure successor to the Holy Roman Empire. Austria has every right to be a part of Germany. The only reason they aren't is because of the Treaty of Versailles. The only country that doesn't truly belong in Germany but was a part of the HRE for a time when it existed is the Netherlands. The reason being is because they willfully left the HRE. No other duchy in the HRE did. Not Austria, not Prussia.

[@swunt10]

because Bismarck.

[@tylerwilson3250]

they live

[@lizoriginale]

WTF is with the audio?? Come on TED

[@michelenapier3782]

Facebook plus google = Organized Stalking

[@waltergeorge9617]

Very Well Written and Extremely Extremely Accurate

[@Ironclad17]

The mic rubbing against his cheek is so distracting.

[@ceerowgee]

He must be NY relative my actual last name is Knabe same as his

[@YukiChannelShibaInu]

04:05

[@diminisheduk]

...anndddddddd...welcome to 2017.

[@jenpelsen2486]

zersetzung

[@havadd]

hands in the pocket, dumphones always out when walking ..

[@havadd]

its everywhere today i noticed first in 2011 and then full scale , all the time everywhere i look throughout all hours arounfd 2014, 2015 to the present

[@havadd]

heres a interesting idea that Russia , France, Germany and England are all the fallout of ancient Egypt

[@bretteveretthowell3276]

A scary thought: Living in the GDR + schizophrenia....

[@nicktrice4921]

"Just because you're paranoid doesn't mean they aren't out to get you."

[@yelloduckie05]

This guy looks like a blonde Bill Nye to me.

[@madjimms]

We have the same thing in the US.... we use veterans as secret police.

[@krypton7807]

Really? Interesting I’ve never heard of this

[@kimlarsson8268]

Stasi stil exists in Finland!

[@brianfinnegan664]

Liar

[@brianfinnegan664]

Liar

[@davedelecto4148]

Build Back Better

[@theonlylanceleft]

this sounds like Facebook

[@klubblilladoden5508]

Sadly, this very knowledgable man has drawn the wrong conclusions. Important information, but the last five minutes can truly be ignored.

[@lizoriginale]

WERQ, PREACH

[@222AWAREofYOU]

Listen closely 8:56

[@themosthighgod1612]

This is going on NOW in the United States google "ganhstalking"l

[@brianfinnegan664]

Conspiracy bullshit

[@evilmustdie6170]

Mmmmmhm gangstalking is derived from this

[@fraser_mr2009]

yep. i made this channel to expose it

[@user-or1pf5nr5i]

Who exactly is this fellow huh.? He couldn't possobly be a top shelf former gdr extra base C d etc unit member could he ?

[@lunapangea5274]

Germany Stasi secret police had 11,000 secret police and the unit was named "God's regiment." Listen at 5:16. And who wore inscribed on their belt buckles "gott mit uns" or "god on our side." Well, there's nothing secular or atheist about that.

[@Aindriuh]

That had been inscribed on theh bely buckles of all German armed forces for decades. The Wermacht had it inscribed on their belt buckles.

[@RayWilliamJohansen]

I think both sides are wrong

[@projectingwryan]

Kenneth Stephen Doig damn dude, ya don't say...

[@keithchristopherkosiewicz6523]

wow, this sounds quite similar to the developing situation here in the States. Our goverment/media complex is heavy social-engineering Marxist concepts such as CRITICAL THEORY on native Europeans (this means being CRITICALLY NEGATIVE ONLY)

[@ricande]

Unwatchable. Cottonmouth extraordinaire with a microphone stuck, rubbing at his cheek, whilst an audio compressor turns everything to crap. I got shivers down my spine by this. Brrrrr....

[@schubertpeter7028]

Hubertus möchte Überwachung

[@evilmustdie6170]

Mmmmhm

[@abacus749]

AI is the 21st Century prison warden. (Havana Syndrome with Frey Effect)

[@joergklepel7305]

...denn er war ja nicht dabei.

[@rihardsgeidans3752]

Hail HYDRA

[@dinamoore1580]

Whenever he speaks there is a pig grunting sounds in the bakcground. brainwashing

[@feygan]

Dammit man you did no walking around use a podium microphone your not an astronaut. Half of this message was lost due to the frustration of the mic friction.

[@BlammoGer]

You are strange - had a bad day?

[@eggheadeinstein]

feygan You do if you do not want the surveillance state to record you, proving the theory the surveillance state will prevent the rest of us from knowing the truth. In fact, he should have just walked on stage, told everyone he doesn't trust any of them, turn around and walk off. At least for an intro.

[@jenpelsen2486]

China

[@dietmarbitterlich3500]

America is today the biggest surveillance stare and brutal police system. Over the last 75 years America has killed more people's that Hitler did.

[@ricotico1196]

The DDR is dead. Long live the DDR.

[@jayt7227]

mmmmmmmmmhm

[@marcinscholke3265]

🥳👽👽

[@OffGridInvestor]

I just sit there thinking about the DEGRADATION of the BUILDINGS and nothing getting fixed. NOW IF ONLY those 90 THOUSAND employees were to work on that... even the 11 thousand "guards regiment".... maybe people wouldn't have hated the place QUITE as much. Because the place wouldn't have been do terribly run down. I know that there wasn't the opportunities under communism and other things weren't great but, if the oppression AND building conditions were changed TOGETHER..... things wouldn't have been as bad.

[@TheSenkiro]

Im sorry but this sounds like a speech we all had to do in 8th grade or so....

[@zirbat16]

Oh no the russian paid trolls are not gonna like this video lol

[@TheWarsuron]

Socialism is a perfect system XD.. a german with a sense of humour, such a dry deliverrrrrr........ never mind.

[@joergklepel7305]

Ich bin mir auch nicht sicher, warum irgendein nicht autorisierter westdeutscher Hansel über unsere Vergangenheit referiert.

[@sashalivrin]

This guy is hypocrite.