So I'm going to do this in a few different parts... Mostly because the topics vary slightly, and I want to do a little more research for the second installment of this post.
As mentioned before, one of the things that I'm increasingly concerned about is the potential for a militarized, police state here in the US. As you will see, the pieces are well in place, and all we really need is for the final domino to fall. "Terrorists" gave us the TSA, the patriot act, a host of outrageous executive orders, and stripped us of several of our liberties. People must understand that this is a gradual erosion of our rights, our will, and our strength of spirit. To cook a frog, you can't just throw him in boiling water, you have to heat up the water gradually with the frog still in it. With every command they give, we kneel and submit... with every step forward they take, we take one more back. This isn't about the TSA shoving their hands down my pants, or the FDA cracking down on little girls selling lemonade or girl scout cookies, or even the DHS being able to shutdown our farms and confiscate our food... It's about where we draw the line. When do we finally say enough is enough?
The following documentary highlights some recent examples of what I just described. Though I don't agree with every single one of his opinions 100%, the film is still very powerful, and should be outrageous to everybody who still values personal freedom and the little liberties that we used to enjoy and take for granted.
The following incident following Katrina in New Orleans in which the police/coast guard forcibly disarmed american citizens. Now, I do believe that the second amendment should be kept in check, but I also believe that we should never surrender our second amendment rights.
(Interviews and personal testimonies of the events)
This, to me, is one of the most shocking unreported events in recent history. The G20 was held in Pittsburgh in 2009, and there was a massive, peaceful demonstration against it. The police, coast guard, boarder patrol, and other miliatary officials rolled onto the scene, stating that it was an "unlawful assembly" and ordered all the protesters to leave. When they didn't, they started attacking unarmed civilians with batons, riot gear, gas, and the LRAD (Long Range Acoustic Device). Of course, our 1st amendment guarantees we, the people, the right to peaceably assemble, and of the dozens of videos of this event that I have watched, not ONCE did a protester act in violence first. I've even seen footage of them attacking a girl as young as 16 or 17 from the looks of it as she backed away in submission. Again, this stuff is so surreal it's almost incomprehensible that it's happening under our noses, with the media never even giving it the time of day. But this isn't a video game or a movie... this is real life, and I'm sorry to say it paints a pretty bleak future. I'm only going to share one video of this event, but there are tons on youtube. If you're so inclined, browse and watch a few for yourself... I think you'll be just as disgusted as I am.
And, just for fun, here's a few quick vids of some of the other devices they're coming out with. They track your phones, your emails, and your internet history, scan your licenses, listen to your calls, and keep you filed in a 'terrorist database'. Now, they're watching you from the skies too. What a wonderful Orwellian world we live in.
(they just launched one of these in my home state of Utah... a little bit different in design, but similar concept).
Lastly, I wanted to post a link to a feature-length documentary from Alex Jones. It's a bit dry and drags on at times, but it's still worth watching if you have the time to spare and are interested in pursuing the mater further. It covers the instances I just mentioned in greater detail and lots of things that I didn't. Again, I don't agree with all the opinions expressed in this video 100%, but it's hard to disagree with the raw footage that it depicts.
Finally, a rather poignant speech that sums it all up rather perfectly. Until next time...
Reading the news this morning I came across a disturbing quote that highlights both the mindset and direction that DHS is taking. The quote was as follows:
ReplyDelete"This is a homeland security issue, not a gun issue, and there's no reason we shouldn't be able to stop a terrorist from buying a dangerous weapon in the United States" - Frank Lautenberg
Frank Lautenberg is a U.S. Democratic Senator. And while many of his votes could be considered typical party-line votes, I can't help but draw attention to the fact that he serves on the following Committees and Sub-Committees:
Committee on Appropriations
Subcommittee on Commerce, Justice, Science, and Related Agencies
Subcommittee on Energy and Water Development
Subcommittee on Financial Services and General Government
Subcommittee on Homeland Security (Chairman)
Subcommittee on State, Foreign Operations, and Related Programs
Subcommittee on Transportation, Housing and Urban Development, and Related Agencies
Committee on Commerce, Science, and Transportation
Subcommittee on Aviation Operations, Safety, and Security
Subcommittee on Consumer Affairs, Insurance, and Automotive Safety
Subcommittee on Oceans, Atmosphere, Fisheries, and Coast Guard
Subcommittee on Surface Transportation and Merchant Marine Infrastructure, Safety and Security (Chairman)
Committee on Environment and Public Works
Subcommittee on Superfund, Toxics and Environmental Health (Chairman)
Subcommittee on Transportation and Infrastructure
Subcommittee on Water and Wildlife
If you hadn't noticed, he serves on the majority of agencies that are designated under the control of FEMA.
The article his quote was taken from can be found at this site: http://www.cbsnews.com/stories/2011/04/28/national/main20058287.shtml
I am not implying that terrorists should be allowed to purchase weapons in the US, but I am implying that an arbitrary watch list, with no substantial or supportive evidence, much less action taken, is a slippery slope that already there is no recourse from.
Next Comment -
Federal invasion of computers. While it should be comforting to hear and have reported that the government intends to seek permission from computer owners to remotely delete a botnet known as Coreflood, the permission they are asking only affects the remaining computers that they have not already remotely disabled. The botnet was responsible for severe electronic theft ($100 million) and therefore was a valid concern to be tackled, but the move by the government shows that rather than instruct companies and people how to disable a threat, they did it themselves. Without asking, without consent. The line between when consent is and isn't needed in order to protect us is getting increasingly blurred, as well as increasingly immune to oversight and regulation. The battle cry, "In Order To Protect", "In The Name of Security", "Our Nations Moral Interests", and so many more are further indications of the erosion of our constitutional rights. We are being protected from ourselves, and that is a dangerous road to travel, especially since it is such a short one between representation and tyranny.
News article link:
http://www.digitaltrends.com/computing/feds-to-remotely-delete-coreflood-from-infected-pcs/