In the last Part we looked into the activities and a bit of the history of FEMA, and the consequent and related legal acts that followed and seem to pave a very dark alley. In this section, we'll take a closer look at how this affects U.S. citizens and foreigners alike on an every day basis. Let's begin with some more recent developments...
Militarized Police
Now, in 2011, following the Occupy protests and the very real possibility of nationwide uprisings, the National Defence Appropriation Act was passed to further elaborate a counter-plan should such an eventuality occur. For years now these regulations have actually being utilized against american citizens by agencies such as the FBI and local law enforcement agencies in STASI-style paramilitary raids on homes and families, in the middle of the night, usually against incredibly minor drug offenders. These raids often result in wrongful arrests and, tragically, the very frequent murder of innocent dogs who of course react to protect their owners against armed intrudes, and are the first to be shot down.
Mayor's Home Mistakenly Raided by Police Killing his Doghttp://www.msnbc.msn.com/id/26079096/ns/us_news-crime_and_courts/t/police-raid-md-mayors-home-kill-his-dogs/
Police Raids the Wrong House and Kills Couple's Dog
http://www.outsidethebeltway.com/police_raid_wrong_house_kill_couples_dog/
Police Raid Family Home in Columbia, Kills Dog.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=hdip3ypW6Kk
The brutal beating of Kelly Thomas, the youth shot dead for not having a bus ticket, the speeding car who eventually stopped and whose driver was shot dead on the spot... And simpler things like those violently arrested at the Jefferson memorial for DANCING! These are all symptoms of a society in which the weak and poor are oppressed both physically and economically, and in which violence is utilized to maintain the
These incidents are so frequent that an activist devotes his time collecting information on such cases and has made a Google Map for it. The truth is hard to accept, but a multi-billion dollar private prison complex and its associated lobby have influenced the U.S. political class into suggesting and implementing increasingly oppressive policies, and the completely disastrous "War on Drugs" to their benefits. The U.S. is in fact the largest prison state in the world, holding 5% of the planet's population but a quarter of all the inmates in the world. The situation is so bad that a third of U.S. youth will be arrested by age 23 (with a large predominance of those destined to be, unfortunately, African Americans and Latinos). I feel that the best way to get an initial overview of how severe the problem is, is to suggest that you take a look at this inforgraphic initially compiled by the ACLU, it paints a pretty clear picture. Not to talk about the increasing use of military drones for civilian surveillance (full report by the ACLU can be downloaded in PDF here). Not only this worrisome trend has already sparked outrage among civil rights advocates and civil liberties group, it has already led to its first civilian arrest, and possibly more. More on this in the next sections.
Occupy Crackdowns
I think one of the most obviously blatant indicators of the unacceptable use of force by police forces was the reaction of various law enforcement agencies towards the occupy protests, all across the United States. The Occupy Crackdowns exemplify, in a way that seems even too perfect, precisely the nature and dynamics of police brutality, and of the violence and abuse inherently embedded within this system. I doubt that ever before the Occupy Crackdowns such relationship has been so obvious.
The Occupy protests are a non-violent method of alternative community building and participative democracy. Firstly, one should point out the enormous ideological threat that the Occupy camps represent towards the establishment. As physical representations of the ideals enunciated by the occupiers, the encampments prove that the building of an alternative society based on mutual cooperation and aid, and one in which each member of the community has a voice and a say, is not impossible, not improbable, and not even that difficult to achieve after all! I can't help making the connection between the Occupy camps and the Kibbutz in my mind, and believe that if the messages of Occupy of a restructuring of socio-economic relations is to be taken seriously we must prove that such an alternative set of relationships IS productive.
The second threat towards the establishment that the Occupy movement poses is an increasing resentment and disillusionment towards the existing political class, and the very real results that might have. In my previous post One Vote at the Time we discussed alternative candidates for the U.S. presidency, and I am extremely pleased to witness the brave actions of U.S. Occupiers in Iowa and other key primary states who are Occupying the caucus. The Occupy movement might very well be the spark that could bring a truel pluralist political party system (and enact electoral reforms) the the United States desperately need to revive its political and social discourse. Perhaps even more extremely, the Occupy movement could eventually prove that a "representative" political class is actually unnecessary and that through a high enough level of education, every citizen should be informed enough on the affairs of the nation to partake in direct participatory democracy.
Third on this list, and by no means the last of the contributions of the movement, I believe that Occupy has done a wonderful job in exposing the hypocrisy of the U.S. being a country of democratic freedoms and rights (unfortunately some people won't see the truth when right in front of them, and will call YOU, the occupiers, the violent ones who obstruct private property and such... it's all nonsense, all bullshit). The violent, unwarranted and excessive police actions have shown the world how truly disgusting the United This great little short film just sums it all up...Police States of America has become, and has shook White America in realizing that police brutality does not only happen to Blacks, Browns and Latinos (who, of course we are told, deserve such violence as they are all criminals living in filth and poverty and out of control...), but that the government has no qualms beating down the white folks too. I think that this, psychologically, had enormous impact.
I wanted to make a small time-frame of the police violence and brutality towards the Occupy protests and camps, feel free to add your incidents and videos/links in the comments section!
The toll for the occupied protesters is higher than that of the green revolutionaries in the Iranian election protests. This is from a supposedly democratic country which has condemned, and used as an excuse for warfare, the suppression of democracy and democratic and non-violent protest in places such as Egypt, Lybia, Iraq, Afghanistan and the list goes on... The occupy movement is being violently suppressed because it represents a truly democratic and non-restrictive system which is a threat to the "representative" democracies we take for granted in the West. Decision making power, like violence, must flow from the top to the bottom, and any risk of a reversal of this trend incited a violent reaction from those at the top (with a lot more money and resources at their disposal) to prevent this reversal - and make money from it! This eventually leads to the...
Privatization of Warfare
Many of us are aware of the ever-growing military-industrial complex and the overwhelming private economic and financial interests associated with it that drive the U.S. foreign policy. However, even more disturbing is the infiltration of these same interests in determining domestic law enforcement and emergency relief mechanisms.
Mayor's Home Mistakenly Raided by Police Killing his Doghttp://www.msnbc.msn.com/id/26079096/ns/us_news-crime_and_courts/t/police-raid-md-mayors-home-kill-his-dogs/
Police Raids the Wrong House and Kills Couple's Dog
http://www.outsidethebeltway.com/police_raid_wrong_house_kill_couples_dog/
Police Raid Family Home in Columbia, Kills Dog.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=hdip3ypW6Kk
The brutal beating of Kelly Thomas, the youth shot dead for not having a bus ticket, the speeding car who eventually stopped and whose driver was shot dead on the spot... And simpler things like those violently arrested at the Jefferson memorial for DANCING! These are all symptoms of a society in which the weak and poor are oppressed both physically and economically, and in which violence is utilized to maintain the
These incidents are so frequent that an activist devotes his time collecting information on such cases and has made a Google Map for it. The truth is hard to accept, but a multi-billion dollar private prison complex and its associated lobby have influenced the U.S. political class into suggesting and implementing increasingly oppressive policies, and the completely disastrous "War on Drugs" to their benefits. The U.S. is in fact the largest prison state in the world, holding 5% of the planet's population but a quarter of all the inmates in the world. The situation is so bad that a third of U.S. youth will be arrested by age 23 (with a large predominance of those destined to be, unfortunately, African Americans and Latinos). I feel that the best way to get an initial overview of how severe the problem is, is to suggest that you take a look at this inforgraphic initially compiled by the ACLU, it paints a pretty clear picture. Not to talk about the increasing use of military drones for civilian surveillance (full report by the ACLU can be downloaded in PDF here). Not only this worrisome trend has already sparked outrage among civil rights advocates and civil liberties group, it has already led to its first civilian arrest, and possibly more. More on this in the next sections.
Occupy Crackdowns
I think one of the most obviously blatant indicators of the unacceptable use of force by police forces was the reaction of various law enforcement agencies towards the occupy protests, all across the United States. The Occupy Crackdowns exemplify, in a way that seems even too perfect, precisely the nature and dynamics of police brutality, and of the violence and abuse inherently embedded within this system. I doubt that ever before the Occupy Crackdowns such relationship has been so obvious.
The Occupy protests are a non-violent method of alternative community building and participative democracy. Firstly, one should point out the enormous ideological threat that the Occupy camps represent towards the establishment. As physical representations of the ideals enunciated by the occupiers, the encampments prove that the building of an alternative society based on mutual cooperation and aid, and one in which each member of the community has a voice and a say, is not impossible, not improbable, and not even that difficult to achieve after all! I can't help making the connection between the Occupy camps and the Kibbutz in my mind, and believe that if the messages of Occupy of a restructuring of socio-economic relations is to be taken seriously we must prove that such an alternative set of relationships IS productive.
The second threat towards the establishment that the Occupy movement poses is an increasing resentment and disillusionment towards the existing political class, and the very real results that might have. In my previous post One Vote at the Time we discussed alternative candidates for the U.S. presidency, and I am extremely pleased to witness the brave actions of U.S. Occupiers in Iowa and other key primary states who are Occupying the caucus. The Occupy movement might very well be the spark that could bring a truel pluralist political party system (and enact electoral reforms) the the United States desperately need to revive its political and social discourse. Perhaps even more extremely, the Occupy movement could eventually prove that a "representative" political class is actually unnecessary and that through a high enough level of education, every citizen should be informed enough on the affairs of the nation to partake in direct participatory democracy.
Third on this list, and by no means the last of the contributions of the movement, I believe that Occupy has done a wonderful job in exposing the hypocrisy of the U.S. being a country of democratic freedoms and rights (unfortunately some people won't see the truth when right in front of them, and will call YOU, the occupiers, the violent ones who obstruct private property and such... it's all nonsense, all bullshit). The violent, unwarranted and excessive police actions have shown the world how truly disgusting the United This great little short film just sums it all up...Police States of America has become, and has shook White America in realizing that police brutality does not only happen to Blacks, Browns and Latinos (who, of course we are told, deserve such violence as they are all criminals living in filth and poverty and out of control...), but that the government has no qualms beating down the white folks too. I think that this, psychologically, had enormous impact.
I wanted to make a small time-frame of the police violence and brutality towards the Occupy protests and camps, feel free to add your incidents and videos/links in the comments section!
- The infamous case of the women pepper sprayed on the sidewalk of the New York streets in Occupy Wall Street peaceful protests by Anthony Bologna.
- The infamous arrest of 700 Occupy Wall Street protesters on the Brooklyn Bridge by police officers who tricked into doing so and thinking it was a legitimate action.
- The BRUTAL beating of peaceful students bravely protesting at U.C. Berkley (if you haven't seen this, you must).
- Novemeber Crackdown in Occupy Seattle in which a pregnant woman, an 84 years-old lady, and a priest were pepper sprayed.
- The "Spraying of the Bugs" of peaceful protesting students at U.C. Davis which sparked outrage.
- Occupy Oakland crackdown and the wounding of Scott Olsen - Two must watch videos as they give an idea of the utter disregard of police forces towards civilians. Scott, a two tours serving Iraq War veteran, was shot in the head by police with a gas canister which exploded on contact, causing brain trauma and skull fractures. Scott has just begun his recovery and talking again. As Scott Olsen was laying on the ground fighting for his life, and fellow protesters approached him to rescue him, police forces threw a stun grenade straight at them to prevent the rescue. Scott has a great interview on DemocracyNow!
- The still continuing crackdown of OCW protesters in New York.
The toll for the occupied protesters is higher than that of the green revolutionaries in the Iranian election protests. This is from a supposedly democratic country which has condemned, and used as an excuse for warfare, the suppression of democracy and democratic and non-violent protest in places such as Egypt, Lybia, Iraq, Afghanistan and the list goes on... The occupy movement is being violently suppressed because it represents a truly democratic and non-restrictive system which is a threat to the "representative" democracies we take for granted in the West. Decision making power, like violence, must flow from the top to the bottom, and any risk of a reversal of this trend incited a violent reaction from those at the top (with a lot more money and resources at their disposal) to prevent this reversal - and make money from it! This eventually leads to the...
Privatization of Warfare
Many of us are aware of the ever-growing military-industrial complex and the overwhelming private economic and financial interests associated with it that drive the U.S. foreign policy. However, even more disturbing is the infiltration of these same interests in determining domestic law enforcement and emergency relief mechanisms.
Under the new contract, the detention and relocation centers will be able to hold both immigrant refugees from U.S.-born natural disasters and foreign-born natural disasters. The most recent award to Kellog, Brown and Root (KBR) announced on Jan. 3, 2006, extends and expands the existing contract, as part of the DHS Contingency Support Project and ICE's Detention and Removal Program. KBR will get $481,212 per year to maintain readiness. So, on top of all of these, the interests between business and politics intertwine.
http://www.alternet.org/rights/33295/?page=2
The U.S. army, following the involvement of private firm KBR in the outfitting of FEMA detention camps, has begun actively recruiting Internment/Relocation specialists. If you think this personell is to be used in Afghanistan or Uganda for humanitarian aid or relief efforts, or to be used in the eventuality of natural disasters within the United States, think again. Check out the job's description from the Army's own recruitment website:
"Internment/Resettlement (I/R) Specialists in the Army are primarily responsible for day-to-day operations in a military confinement/correctional facility or detention/internment facility. I/R Specialists provide rehabilitative, health, welfare, and security to U.S. military prisoners within a confinement or correctional facility; conduct inspections; prepare written reports; and coordinate activities of prisoners/internees and staff personnel.
Some of your duties as an Internment/Resettlement Specialist may include:
- Assist with the supervision and management of confinement and detention operations
- Provide external security to confinement/corrections facilities or detention/internment facilities
- Provide counseling and guidance to individual prisoners within a rehabilitative program
- Prepare or review reports and records of prisoners/internees and programs"
Scary shit huh?
Do you remember of any time a lucrative economic activity influenced political decisions? Where shall we start? Hydraulic Fracturing polluting aquifers and drinking water supplies, the damming of rivers resulting in ecological imbalances in fish populations, streams, forests and all organisms which rely on fish (bears, insects, and plant themselves), logging industry destroying rainforests, pharmaceutical industry selling us poisonous products we do not need, oil drilling (and tar sands) that results in unimaginable environmental devastation and possible spilling, and too many other to mention... Now a thriving private industry is also developing around drones, as private contractors are stepping up their roles in this dark scenario.
The increasing role of private contractors also in drone strike operations are worrying some within the military as well. Civilian private contractors are being utilized to provide the information to the military that result in the military's decisions pertaining to drone strike - when and where to strike so to speak.
An incident which took place in October 2010 and that resulted in the unwarranted murder of 15 Afghan civilians brought the story to light, after a Freedom of Information Act request to read the transcripts of the operations and the involvement of SAIC Inc. - a publicly traded Virginia-based corporation with a multi-year $49 million contract to help the Air Force analyze drone video and other intelligence from Afghanistan. According to media outlet Truthout,
"America's growing drone operations rely on hundreds of civilian contractors, including some, such as the SAIC employee, who work in the so-called kill chain before Hellfire missiles are launched, according to current and former military officers, company employees and internal government documents."
The interests of the private military corporate complex has infiltrated not only the U.S. foreign policy (which it dominates) but is not-so-slowly infiltrating the formulation of interior domestic government policy. When private interests infiltrated the prison system, we saw those interests incentivize incarcerations to shore up their own profits, and to make it seem like there were more criminals that there actually were, thus also "justifying" their existence. A similar narrative is being applied to domestic law enforcement. The presence of a militarized police who will react violently to peaceful protests, sometimes sparking a counter-reaction, and thus seemingly "justifying" the need for such extreme measures is the standard tactic being utilized against the Occupy encampments all over the world and being publicized by the mainstream media conglomerate.
War is being privatized to the benefit of a select few war profiteers that sponsor global warfare. The road towards martial law and the concentration of power in the head of the executive branch (the president) is close to completion. FEMA camps have been built to accommodate those that will dissent in the eventuality of a collapse, soldiers are being recruited to man them, and a series of enormous Deep Underground Military Bases (DUMBs) has been built to ensure the "continuity of government" and protect government officials in the eventuality of a catastrophe. Drones, and other spy equipments, are being utilized to spy on the civilian population which is kept in place by a militarized police force - everything you do is recorded and kept in a database to be used against you, when they will need to.
Censorship - The Tool of Totalitarian Governments
The next tool commonly used by totalitarian governments, after the militarization of civilian police forces, instating martial law, and rescinding the civil liberties of citizens, is to choke the information and knowledge flow that might educate the citizens on the abuses that are being imposed and executed upon them. During the past year the Obama administration has built this apparatus of censorship, upon the grounds laid down by his predecessor, by passing the Protect IP Act (PIPA), the Stop Online Piracy Act (SOPA) and the section 954 of the NDAA. All these measures have been publicized by the administration as measures to protect economic interests of those industries dealing with intellectual property rights (books, music, movies etc.) and those of national security (cyber-warfare, hostile hackers etc.), but in reality could be utilized as a repressive tool of censorship.
Let's take a quick look at the first two before dissecting Section 954 of the NDAA.
The PIPA (PROTECT-IP Act - Preventing Real Online Threats to Economic Creativity and Theft of Intellectual Property Act of 2011; United States Senate Bill S.968) is a bill publicized as being intended "To prevent online threats to economic creativity and theft of intellectual property [such as copyrighted music, motion pictures and books] and for other purposes", and would seek to severely punish content-hosting websites should someone post any such material on them. The SOPA (Stop Online Piracy Act of 2011; United States House of Representative Bill 3261) is its sister bill within the House of Representatives. Both have been criticized as tools for the censorship of dissent and anti-American sentiment under the guise of a purely commercial related piece of legislation. Other than the moral arguments in relation to the diffusion of intellectual property, which are extensive and should have post of their own, there are numerous other worrying aspects of these legislations that must be considered and addressed.
The Internet community and activists have long been aware of this proposed legislation as it influences them directly, as it does me as the author of an online blog. Through the PIPA and SOPA acts, the United States government would
I must congratulate the International Business times for picking up on this, and acutely noting that both the NDAA and SOPA (which we will address shortly) bills are aimed at “quashing dissent:”
By reading through the entire document of the NDAA I found one additional aspect of it which has not been widely scrutinized, not even by the internet blogs and independent journalists, which disturbs me. This little gem tucked away in the NDAA, Section 954, allows the Department of Defense, upon the Presidents direction, to “conduct offensive operations in cyberspace to defend our Nation, allies and interests.” This received no contest or debate within the U.S. congress, and although the provisions are conditional and required to be compliant with "(1)the policy principles and legal regimes that the Department follows for kinetic capabilities, including the law of armed conflict; and (2) the War Powers Resolution (50 U.S.C. 1541 et seq.)", we have been proven right over and over again on the fact that the U.S. House of Representatives, Senate and Congress don't care too much about these laws. If we've learned one thing from the recent past, the U.S. government doesn't need real evidence or a real enemy to wage war, they simply manufacture one- The "Cold War" on Communism, the ridiculous War on Drugs, the absurd "War on Terror" and Bin Laden and Saddam as the Big Bad Wolves, then they took it to Gaddafi, and soon it will be Ahmedinejad. In addition, we know that the U.S. government often finds loopholes around its own legal constraints to reach their broader goals. Just earlier in 2011 President Obama, for example, flouted the War Powers Resolution and then claimed he had no responsibility to adhere to it because the operation in Libya against Gaddafi didn’t qualify as hostilities under the Resolution. So what can we expect from this new authorization for the Pentagon to wage offensive war on the Internet?
According to The New American, who took time to thoroughly analize section 954, SOPA and PIPA, reports the following:
"The IBT contended that the Internet provisions in the NDAA seek to destroy “whistleblowers in independent news media from exposing corruption in the government,” adding "In other words, the Pentagon is afraid that with the dissemination of the Internet, the spread of information or ideas "not consistent with U.S. government themes and messages" could be too powerful and dangerous to national security."
The U.S. government is now not only able to incarcerate civilian suspects based solely on suspicion of terrorist activities, it is now able to conduct covert cyber operations against any individual on the internet (whether within the borders of the United States or otherwise) if such individual is releasing material which is uncomfortable to, or incompatible with the objectives of, the U.S. government. In addition it can now influence and decide, through the near monopoly of three companies over the communications industry in the U.S., which sources of information the population is permitted to access. If an internet provider is pressured, threatened, or legally (or illegally) coerced by the government to limit its customers' access to, say, Wikileaks or any other website that it might challenge its policies and politics, it will have to do so.
Through the PIPA/SOPA legislations and the already approved section 954 of the NDAA, the United States will have the legal capability to wage cyber war on any person that is perceived as a threat to their interests or policies, even web sites such as this blog. In addition, they grant the U.S. government the ability to censor and control the information flow to its population, and selectively decide what knowledge they can access. This is a something that the U.S. has actively criticized China and Iran for doing
Through the PIPA/SOPA legislations and the already approved section 954 of the NDAA, the United States will have the legal capability to wage cyber war on any person that is perceived as a threat to their interests or policies, even web sites such as this blog. In addition, they grant the U.S. government the ability to censor and control the information flow to its population, and selectively decide what knowledge they can access. This is a something that the U.S. has actively criticized China and Iran for doing
The United Police of America are already here my friends, and it is very very real. The american dream turned out to be just a dream you had to be asleep to believe in, and it turned into a nightmare. FEMA concentration camps are littered all across the U.S. and if you are a dissenter, you might just find yourself there soon with the amphibian boots of an "Internment/Resettlement Specialist", paid by your tax money, on your face; at that moment many would wish to have legal recourse, to have someone to stand up for them, to have vengeful justice be done upon those that cause them great suffering... but all those resources will be unreachable for most of us who are not rich and privileged. Militarized police will keep you and your family in terror (if they don't already) and raid your house and arrest you in the middle of the night if you are suspected of being a terrorist (which is happening already). Unmanned drones controlled by private corporations bent on profit, paid with your tax money, will patrol the skies tracking the moves of ordinary citizens, in violation of their civil rights. In these times, only us, the citizens, the 99%, can counter the abuses that are being perpetrated upon us. I often think of how our societies should be run, and the best way I can put it is a quote whose author I don't recall: "People should not be afraid of their governments, governments should be afraid of their people".
UPDATE:
Following massive internet protests which included the Wikimedia Foundation and Google, the January 24th PIPA/SOPA bills have been indefinitely postponed. This does NOT mean that they have been written off the table, as it could very well be that they U.S. HoR and Senate is only waiting for the waters to calm down before passing it though.
As these two measures did not pass through and achieve their initial intent, the U.S. congress is relying on The Anti-Counterfeit Trade Agreement (ACTA) which is a plurilateral trade agreement passed and ratified by the U.S. in October 2011. Many people believe it is new, while it actually already exists and it is fully in place. In February 2012 the European Union and its member states also signed on to the agreement. This resulted in the shutting down of thepiratebay.org and the magaupload.com mass sharing and torrent websites in many EU countries, as well as the incarceration and pending trial of the owners of Megaupload. The U.S. congress is now attempting to tighten the regulations and rules of the ACTA through amendments, and to convince the signatories to follow suit.
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