Posted on 07/15/2002 10:42:59 AM PDT by ExSoldier
The Bush Administration aims to recruit millions of United States citizens as domestic informants in a program likely to alarm civil liberties groups.
The Terrorism Information and Prevention System, or TIPS, means the US will have a higher percentage of citizen informants than the former East Germany through the infamous Stasi secret police. The program would use a minimum of 4 per cent of Americans to report "suspicious activity".
Civil liberties groups have already warned that, with the passage earlier this year of the Patriot Act, there is potential for abusive, large-scale investigations of US citizens.
As with the Patriot Act, TIPS is being pursued as part of the so-called war against terrorism. It is a Department of Justice project.
Highlighting the scope of the surveillance network, TIPS volunteers are being recruited primarily from among those whose work provides access to homes, businesses or transport systems. Letter carriers, utility employees, truck drivers and train conductors are among those named as targeted recruits.
A pilot program, described on the government Web site www.citizencorps.gov, is scheduled to start next month in 10 cities, with 1 million informants participating in the first stage. Assuming the program is initiated in the 10 largest US cities, that will be 1 million informants for a total population of almost 24 million, or one in 24 people. Historically, informant systems have been the tools of non-democratic states.
According to a 1992 report by Harvard University's Project on Justice, the accuracy of informant reports is problematic, with some informants having embellished the truth, and others suspected of having fabricated their reports.
Present Justice Department procedures mean that informant reports will enter databases for future reference and/or action. The information will then be broadly available within the department, related agencies and local police forces. The targeted individual will remain unaware of the existence of the report and of its contents.
The Patriot Act already provides for a person's home to be searched without that person being informed that a search was ever performed, or of any surveillance devices that were implanted.
At state and local levels the TIPS program will be co-ordinated by the Federal Emergency Management Agency, which was given sweeping new powers, including internment, as part of the Reagan Administration's national security initiatives. Many key figures of the Reagan era are part of the Bush Administration.
The creation of a US "shadow government", operating in secret, was another Reagan national security initiative.
Ritt Goldstein is an investigative journalist and a former leader in the movement for US law enforcement accountability. He has lived in Sweden since 1997, seeking political asylum there, saying he was the victim of life-threatening assaults in retaliation for his accountability efforts. His application has been supported by the European Parliament, five of Sweden's seven big political parties, clergy, and Amnesty and other rights groups.
Add to all of this, I saw on the ABC evening news last night that all new cars will have a "Black Box" exactly like those on airplanes installed (in the air bag sensors) which can also be used to record conversations at some unnamed future date. Right now, it will record only vehicle data like speed, location, braking behavior....etc.
Goodbye civil liberties!
Worried about surreptitious searches of your home? Get a Doberman!
| US planning to recruit one in 24 Americans as citizen spies ^ |
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| Posted by bloggerjohn On Jul 15 8:13 PM with 16 comments Syndney ^ | July 15, 2002 | Ritt Goldstein The Bush Administration aims to recruit millions of United States citizens as domestic informants in a program likely to alarm civil liberties groups. The Terrorism Information and Prevention System, or TIPS, means the US will have a higher percentage of citizen informants than the former East Germany through the infamous Stasi secret police. The program would use a minimum of 4 per cent of Americans to report "suspicious activity". Civil liberties groups have already warned that, with the passage earlier this year of the Patriot Act, there is potential for abusive, large-scale investigations of US citizens. As with the Patriot... |
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| US planning to recruit one in 24 Americans as citizen spies ^ |
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| Posted by eshu On Jul 15 8:05 PM with 26 comments Sydney Morning Herald ^ | July 15 2002 | Ritt Goldstein US planning to recruit one in 24 Americans as citizen spies By Ritt Goldstein July 15 2002 The Bush Administration aims to recruit millions of United States citizens as domestic informants in a program likely to alarm civil liberties groups. The Terrorism Information and Prevention System, or TIPS, means the US will have a higher percentage of citizen informants than the former East Germany through the infamous Stasi secret police. The program would use a minimum of 4 per cent of Americans to report "suspicious activity". Civil liberties groups have already warned that, with the passage earlier this year of the... |
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| US planning to recruit one in 24 Americans as citizen spies ^ |
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| Posted by Conservative Chicagoan On Jul 15 3:57 AM with 3 comments smh.com.au/ ^ | July 15 | Ritt Goldstein US planning to recruit one in 24 Americans as citizen spies By Ritt Goldstein July 15 2002 The Bush Administration aims to recruit millions of United States citizens as domestic informants in a program likely to alarm civil liberties groups. The Terrorism Information and Prevention System, or TIPS, means the US will have a higher percentage of citizen informants than the former East Germany through the infamous Stasi secret police. The program would use a minimum of 4 per cent of Americans to report "suspicious activity". Civil liberties groups have already warned that, with the passage earlier this year of... |
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| US planning to recruit one in 24 Americans as citizen spies ^ |
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| Posted by TLBSHOW On Jul 15 0:17 AM with 209 comments smh ^ | 7/15/2002 | Ritt Goldstein US planning to recruit one in 24 Americans as citizen spies The Bush Administration aims to recruit millions of United States citizens as domestic informants in a program likely to alarm civil liberties groups. The Terrorism Information and Prevention System, or TIPS, means the US will have a higher percentage of citizen informants than the former East Germany through the infamous Stasi secret police. The program would use a minimum of 4 per cent of Americans to report "suspicious activity". Civil liberties groups have already warned that, with the passage earlier this year of the Patriot Act, there is potential... |
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I guess this Big Brother campaign (above) of controlling of US citizens was paranoid, too.
Mobilizing the citizenry against a war, getting on alert instances of domestic espionage and sabotague, and even particularly in this 2002 situation with an enemy already on our soil who killed 3000 already!
Shame. "Don't organize to protect the homeland." Why, we might lose our freedoms! /sarc
What point is our freedom if many of us are all blown to bits or choking on sarin gas or growing lesions and keloids due to radiation?
Having said that, I do question the patriotism behind certain illogical premises that are not born out by history during this time of War we are in. The article itself it also waaay overreaching.
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| Public education, training, and volunteer opportunities to support community and family safety. | |||||
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Since September 11, 2001, Americans are more aware than ever of the threat of terrorist acts on home soil. In the days following the attacks we saw immediate and selfless volunteering, generous monetary gifts, blood donations, and an outpouring of support and patriotism across America. Sustaining that spirit of volunteerism and unity is crucial to defending the freedoms America holds dear. Americans are working together to strengthen their communities. President George W. Bush is working to support community-based efforts through the newly-proposed Citizen Corps. This broad network of volunteer efforts will harness the power of the American people by relying on their individual skills and interests to prepare local communities to effectively prevent and respond to the threats of terrorism, crime, or any kind of disaster. On this site, you can learn more about each of the programs that are currently part of Citizen Corps. Think about where your skills and abilities are most needed. When you sign up for information, you will be contacted as soon as possible to let you know what your next steps should be. The programs profiled on this site are only the beginning of the Citizen Corps initiative. As more programs are added, there will be more ways for you to contribute your time, energy, and creativity to make Citizen Corps and America even stronger. Citizen Corps is part of USA Freedom Corps.
President Bush Gives Americans Opportunity to Create a Record of Service
Privacy Policy | USA Freedom Corps | Other Resources
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My problem with TIPS is because "there is potential for abusive, large-scale investigations of US citizens. "
"According to a 1992 report by Harvard University's Project on Justice, the accuracy of informant reports is problematic, with some informants having embellished the truth, and others suspected of having fabricated their reports. "
Do you want someone who is a federal employee determining whether the gov't should enter your name into "databases for future reference and/or action. The information will then be broadly available within the department, related agencies and local police forces. The targeted individual will remain unaware of the existence of the report and of its contents.
The Patriot Act already provides for a person's home to be searched without that person being informed that a search was ever performed, or of any surveillance devices that were implanted. "
Truly concerned citizens know how to call 911 and report what they have seen.
Remember the man in Las Vegas who gave the false terrorist report about the conversation he heard on his phone? Who is going to be the one to decide whether to investigate or just put your name into the database with the "report". You won't know it's there so you will not be able to defend yourself or explain why you were where the report says you were.
In fact you could have been somewhere else that day, but your name will still be in the database falsely accusing you and casting doubt upon your character and patriotism.
"What about MY Rights???!!!"
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