Posted on 07/17/2002 2:08:12 AM PDT by JohnHuang2
We're supposed to have a government of the people, for the people and by the people.
In fact, Americans are largely supposed to govern themselves in the system devised by our brilliant founders.
That is no longer the case because the U.S. government in Washington doesn't trust its citizens.
This sad truth has become crystal clear in the wake of the terror attacks of Sept. 11. Instead of enlisting Americans to fight this evil as past governments have in times of war, this administration, with at least the tacit approval of Congress, has used the attacks as an excuse to clamp down on the civil liberties of Americans and to keep closer tabs on law-abiding citizens. At the same time, the government has demonstrated, time and time again, its own startling inability to use its vast resources to prevent massive attacks on the people and even to recognize and identify from where the threats emanate.
The latest example of the government's alarming plans to target the entire population for more scrutiny is the Terrorism Information and Prevention System, or TIPS. Interestingly, the program came to light not through the reporting of any U.S. press outlets, but through a report in the Sydney Morning Herald in Australia and linked by WorldNetDaily.
Under plans outlined on the government's Citizen Corps website, a pilot program launching next month will enlist some 1 million domestic informants in 10 cities to spy on the people. That could mean, if the plan is carried out nationwide, there will be a government snoop for every 24 Americans.
What that means, the Sydney Morning Herald points out, is that the U.S. would have a higher percentage of citizen informants than the former East Germany through the dreaded Stasi secret police. At least 4 percent of Americans would participate in TIPS, under the government's plan.
The TIPS snoops will be recruited by the Department of Justice from among citizens whose work provides access to homes, businesses and transport systems – such as letter carriers, utility employees, truck drivers and train conductors.
The informants' reports will enter databases for future reference and possible action within the Justice Department, related agencies and local police forces. Of course, the targets of such spying will have no knowledge of the dossiers being maintained on them.
All this, of course, also comes in the context of other ominous legislation such as the Patriot Act, which permits a person's home to be searched without his or her knowledge. Bugs can be planted, papers can be seized – all prima facie violations of the Fourth Amendment.
Is this America?
What's going on here?
The government hardly has a sterling track record with its paid employees. What makes it think it will get good information from a network of voluntary informants? What's to prevent these people from acting out on grudges with neighbors? How can the information, to be widely shared within government circles and agencies, be verified and ascertained to be legitimate?
These are just some of the questions raised by this dangerous trend toward government non-accountability.
Government plans demonstrate we are clearly moving to an us-against-them mentality. These plans are not designed to protect the citizens of the United States, they are designed to protect government from the people.
Besides making all of us more fearful of our own government, this plan will have the added effect of making us all suspicious of those around us – our mailman, our meter reader, even the friendly train conductor. That's what happened in East Germany and in other totalitarian countries that instituted such draconian plans.
No matter how friendly a face the government attempts to put on this program, it is not going to fly in the USA. Let the word go out now to one and all who might be tempted to participate in such a program – we don't like domestic spies in the United States. We don't like rats. We don't like snitches. We don't like snoops. We don't like them and we don't need them – not here. Not in America. Not now. Not ever.
The selection of these rats, IMO, may be similar to that of a jury. The selection may be designed so as to eliminate fair minded analytical types who don't 'feel' their way through a situation.
The profile of these individuals may be of an individual who is absorbed with class envy, does not believe in absolutes and looks to government for redistribution of wealth.
In this day and age of stalkers, child molesters and overall idiots, the last thing we need is government sanctioned citizen spys. Patriotic American citizen will willingly fill this roll without the government's idiotic efforts.
I would love to be able to trust our government, but Ronald Reagan is ill. Everyday when I read the newspapers, we are losing freedom here and there, and some over here.
My fellow Americans, please please don't let our country go t Hell. Please don't allow world government to dictate to us. Please reject socialism/communism no matter the party that is pushing it.
Please protect our Constitution and Bill of Rights.
The threats to our future are not as great from those outside the US as they are from those inside, and in, or would be in postions of power, I believe.
From my vantage point the damage has already been done and we are now witnessing a slow decay of our freedoms on path to an eventual tyrannical world goverment.
I'm waiting for the day ALL gun ownership is banned. Socialists are very patient demons and have been chipping away at American's Freedoms since the 50s. They've taken Hollywood, the schools, the media, and they've managed to make lawyers and judges "primary" decision makers with the power to reinterpret the Constitution and Bill of Rights at will.
Knowing all of this, and the proof is all around you, how can one turn this ship around? The polar cap is straight ahead and this Titanic of Freedom is full steam ahead. It's just a matter of time......
Who does one vote for? What does one do? How do we reverse this state of affairs?
Step #1: Start by taking the money away. In other words, stop paying taxes. It's our money they are using against us.
Step #2: Hold EVERY government official accountable for ANY crime they commit. A swift trial and harsh penalties.
Step #3: VOTE!!! Vote with your instinct and not for the candidate that has the glitzy ads and forked tongue.
How long do you think it will be before the gov't will ask you to carry a camera or to plant bugs?
You can be a patriot without working for the gov't, just report what you see to your local police AS A CITIZEN.
Loving one's country is patriotic, trusting one's government, or any government for that matter, is just foolish ignorance, perhaps even stupidity.
I also would love to be able to trust our government. However, our government has lied to me, swindled me, subjected me to the loss of freedoms, and violated the Constitution. Trusting government is on my list of things to avoid. The 16th and 17th Amendments to the Constitution nailed that down long ago and I do not foresee anything pending that would alter that.
Here pubies, just use the number that most represents your views on this topic.
1. Did you see that jacket he had on yesterday? He looked soooo handsome.
2. Did you see that smile in the photo yesterday? Wow!
3. Oh, only a hater of Bush could say something like this!
4. This is all an elaborate setup. He has the dems right where he wants them now.
5. He has the best advisors in the nation. They couldn't possibly do anything wrong!
6. Oh they voted for that one percenter Buchanan, they couldn't possibly be right.
Yes, you can use more than one. Here's a typical representation.
1, 3, 4, 5 and 6...
There, isn't that easy? You can fawn on Bush, dismiss any concerns, explain away everything and still demean the opposition all with less than a few inches of text.
As far as the rest, it's going to depend on how it's used. Once a program like this is in place it will be looked upon as a "resource" to be utilized by government at all levels. It doesn't take much imagination to figure out that pretty soon the cable guy might get a list of families in his area that homeschool that he should pay particular attention to. After all, we don't know what they might be teaching those kids.
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