Free Republic
Browse · Search
General/Chat
Topics · Post Article

Skip to comments.

Liberty Under Siege: The Largest Mass Surveillance Effort in American History
politiquerepublic.substack.com ^ | amuse on 𝕏

Posted on 12/07/2024 9:20:56 AM PST by MtnClimber

Before January 6th, 2021, financial surveillance in the United States was largely limited to a well-defined framework designed to combat money laundering and terrorism. Judicial oversight and clear legal protocols acted as key safeguards, ensuring that government access to citizens' financial information respected the rule of law. However, after the Capitol protests, these boundaries have shifted dramatically. Under the Biden administration, the purpose of surveillance has shifted from securing national interests to a tool for targeting political dissent—particularly individuals linked to Donald Trump and the "MAGA" movement. Take, for instance, the scrutiny faced by those who attended rallies or made donations to conservative causes; their financial transactions, travel records, and even personal communications have increasingly come under the federal microscope.

The U.S. House Committee on the Judiciary has exposed just how far-reaching this financial scrutiny has become. Their interim report revealed that federal agencies searched databases using terms like "MAGA" and "TRUMP" to identify potential threats. Activities once considered harmless—such as booking a hotel, buying a firearm, or possessing certain religious texts—are now deemed suspicious indicators. Notably, Bank of America handed over customer information for those who happened to be in Washington, D.C., during the week of January 6th, without a valid warrant, seemingly at the mere suggestion of federal agencies. Every person visiting D.C. during this time is now effectively on a federal terror watch list. Their purchases—be it firearms, ammunition, or Bibles—and their movements are now monitored in what is arguably the largest, most prolonged mass surveillance campaign aimed at a single political group in U.S. history. Army veteran and former Congresswoman Tulsi Gabbard reportedly found herself on the TSA's Quiet Skies watch list after endorsing Trump, illustrating how this expansive monitoring extends to high-profile individuals as well.

SNIP

Historically, Americans have been rightly wary of sweeping government surveillance. Following the September 11th attacks, the Patriot Act significantly expanded the federal government’s authority to monitor financial transactions and private communications, but these powers were intended to be wielded with caution and focus solely on credible security threats. Today, however, the Biden administration has moved from using these tools for national defense to deploying them against political opponents. Financial records meant to combat terrorism have now been repurposed to scrutinize those associated with conservative causes, including those who attended Trump rallies. This shift represents a dramatic and dangerous departure from the original intent of these surveillance measures.

While it is critical to support law enforcement in their legitimate aims to prevent extremist threats, indiscriminately labeling "MAGA" or "TRUMP" as potential threats to national security undermines the bedrock of political liberty. The scale of this intrusion is significant: over 25,000 federal employees reportedly have access to sensitive financial data without meaningful oversight. As detailed by the House Committee on the Judiciary, there are inadequate checks—such as judicial review or independent monitoring—which allows for potential misuse and unchecked abuse of this authority. The partisan leanings of the federal workforce, which is overwhelmingly aligned with the Democratic Party, raise concerns about how political biases could guide decisions regarding surveillance.

The risks of such unchecked authority cannot be understated. The echoes of COINTELPRO's abuses—where prominent civil rights leaders were subjected to unlawful harassment—serve as a reminder of the dangers posed by unchecked surveillance powers. The shift in focus from combating credible security threats to policing political thought shows a government that is losing sight of its constitutional limitations. It doesn't matter whether the pretext is foreign threats or so-called "domestic extremism"; the result is a pervasive erosion of civil liberties and government accountability.

To restore the balance, it is imperative that the power of surveillance be curtailed. Any future administration—including one led by Donald Trump—must prioritize the reduction of federal surveillance authority, appoint leaders to federal agencies who respect constitutional limits, and establish stronger oversight mechanisms to prevent abuse. Congress also has a critical role: legislation must be enacted to curb the expansive reach of acts like the Bank Secrecy Act and eliminate broad, politically motivated data searches. These reforms are not just sensible—they are essential for ensuring that our government remains accountable to its citizens, instead of treating dissent as inherently suspect.

SNIP


TOPICS: Society
KEYWORDS: awareness; bigbrother; billofrights; civilrights; government; privacy; security; spy; spying; surveillance; survillance
Navigation: use the links below to view more comments.
first previous 1-2021-4041-44 next last
To: Valpal1

Remember that the wife was smart enough to name possible suspects/areas of inquiry. We have seen many cases over the years where the guilty party rushes to point fingers at others in a crude attempt to confuse law enforcement.

“Normal innocent” wives are deep in mourning and do not blab to reporters about threatening letters.


21 posted on 12/07/2024 10:05:37 AM PST by cgbg (It is time to pull the Deep State out of the mass media--like ticks from a dog.)
[ Post Reply | Private Reply | To 18 | View Replies]

To: MtnClimber; metmom; Diana in Wisconsin; 4everontheRight; 4Liberty; 5thGenTexan; 45semi; ...
AWARENESS - Investigation tools of the Federal Government, under the administration of Biden,
were turned to the activities of the American public, rather than criminal enterprise
Welcome to America - 'The Surveillance State'

"Before January 6th, 2021, financial surveillance in the United States was largely limited to a well-defined framework designed to combat money laundering and terrorism.
Judicial oversight and clear legal protocols acted as key safeguards, ensuring that government access to citizens' financial information respected the rule of law.
However, after the Capitol protests, these boundaries have shifted dramatically.
Under the Biden administration, the purpose of surveillance has shifted from securing national interests
to a tool for targeting political dissent—particularly individuals linked to Donald Trump and the "MAGA" movement. (Emphasis Mine)
Take, for instance, the scrutiny faced by those who attended rallies or made donations to conservative causes;
their financial transactions, travel records, and even personal communications have increasingly come under the federal microscope.”

”The U.S. House Committee on the Judiciary has exposed just how far-reaching this financial scrutiny has become.
Their interim report revealed that federal agencies searched databases using terms like "MAGA" and "TRUMP" to identify potential threats.
Activities once considered harmless—such as booking a hotel, buying a firearm, or possessing certain religious texts—are now deemed suspicious indicators.
Notably, Bank of America handed over customer information for those who happened to be in Washington, D.C., during the week of January 6th,
without a valid warrant, seemingly at the mere suggestion of federal agencies.
Every person visiting D.C. during this time is now effectively on a federal terror watch list.
Their purchases—be it firearms, ammunition, or Bibles—and their movements are now monitored in what is arguably the largest, most prolonged mass surveillance campaign aimed at a single political group in U.S. history.
Army veteran and former Congresswoman Tulsi Gabbard reportedly found herself on the TSA's Quiet Skies watch list after endorsing Trump,
illustrating how this expansive monitoring extends to high-profile individuals as well.”

”Historically, Americans have been rightly wary of sweeping government surveillance.
Following the September 11th attacks, the Patriot Act significantly expanded the federal government’s authority to monitor financial transactions and private communications,
but these powers were intended to be wielded with caution and focus solely on credible security threats.
Today, however, the Biden administration has moved from using these tools for national defense to deploying them against political opponents.
Financial records meant to combat terrorism have now been repurposed to scrutinize those associated with conservative causes,
including those who attended Trump rallies.
This shift represents a dramatic and dangerous departure from the original intent of these surveillance measures.”
(Additional information available at the website )

22 posted on 12/07/2024 10:06:30 AM PST by Tilted Irish Kilt
[ Post Reply | Private Reply | To 1 | View Replies]

To: MtnClimber

Mass surveillance (and control) is rising rapidly, year over year.


23 posted on 12/07/2024 10:09:56 AM PST by 9YearLurker
[ Post Reply | Private Reply | To 1 | View Replies]

To: Tilted Irish Kilt

Cash is king.


24 posted on 12/07/2024 10:23:20 AM PST by metmom (He who testifies to these things says, “Surely I am coming soon." Amen. Come, Lord Jesus)
[ Post Reply | Private Reply | To 22 | View Replies]

To: MtnClimber

This is horrible. What is the solution?


25 posted on 12/07/2024 10:24:23 AM PST by rod5591
[ Post Reply | Private Reply | To 1 | View Replies]

To: MtnClimber

Fortunately, a Texas court just struck down the U.S. Treasury’s Financial Crimes Enforcement Network (FinCEN) from enforcing the Corporate Transparency Act (CTA) or its implementing federal regulations until further notice.

The camel’s nose is already in the tent, and the new rules were welcoming the camel to come on in. We are getting a reprieve from these abusive and invasive practices. Hopefully, we will see a full reversal back to liberty, transparency, and a truly representative government under President Trump’s administration.


26 posted on 12/07/2024 10:24:52 AM PST by unlearner (Still not tired of winning.)
[ Post Reply | Private Reply | To 1 | View Replies]

To: Brian Griffin

“The killer could have taken public transit, then walked for miles to a slightly used public park, changed into clothing long buried in the park, slept overnight in the park, taken the subway to Midtown, and fired away.”

They ‘claim’ to have his face in those pictures, quite clear too. Obviously if he goes on public transit, there’s plenty of cameras and plenty of cops to go through it all (in NYC). Something is funny here, at least to me.


27 posted on 12/07/2024 10:25:42 AM PST by BobL
[ Post Reply | Private Reply | To 17 | View Replies]

To: mewzilla

“Not just Medicare. He had an interesting CV and was, apparently, a real fan of socialized medicine...”

From the link, it looked like he was happy with the existing system (including Obamacare). Real socialized medicine would put his company out of business, or at a minimum, reduce them to simply claims processors, paid by the hour, with the real decisions all being made by the government.

One thing for sure, though, he really like Medicare Advantage (Part C, or HMO-style coverage), and became a pro at milking that. I was helping a friend sign up for Medicare, and his company kept popping up at the cheapest available...now we know why!


28 posted on 12/07/2024 10:33:59 AM PST by BobL
[ Post Reply | Private Reply | To 10 | View Replies]

To: BobL

From the beginning, I’ve thought this whole think stinks.

This was clearly an execution.

And someone knows something. Or lots of someone’s know something. I think that’s a large part of the reason so many websites took down CEO information off their webpages.


29 posted on 12/07/2024 10:38:24 AM PST by metmom (He who testifies to these things says, “Surely I am coming soon." Amen. Come, Lord Jesus)
[ Post Reply | Private Reply | To 27 | View Replies]

To: MtnClimber

Took a long, long time getting into this tyrannical hole...

Will take a long, long time to fight our way back out to freedom...

IMHO, one of the first (absolute necessary) steps is to remove all aspects of the federal government from the educations/indoctrination system...

The government, and the communists who teach and administer the current indoctrination system generates millions and millions of ignorant, well-behaved peasants each year...

The current school systems need to be abolished/razed and the Nation returned to locally controlled neighborhood schools under local neighborhood-parent control...

Having communists indoctrinating new generations of communist peasants MUST stop... NOW...


30 posted on 12/07/2024 10:43:04 AM PST by SuperLuminal
[ Post Reply | Private Reply | To 1 | View Replies]

To: MtnClimber

Our banking system debanked Melania and Barron.

Everyone involved should be in stocks in the public square and pelted with rotten vegetables.


31 posted on 12/07/2024 10:44:04 AM PST by FreedomPoster (Islam delenda est)
[ Post Reply | Private Reply | To 2 | View Replies]

To: MtnClimber

Patriot Act not so patriotic now.


32 posted on 12/07/2024 10:58:17 AM PST by rktman (Destroy America from within ? Check! WTH? Enlisted USN 1967 to end up with this💩? 🚫💉! 🇮🇱👍!)
[ Post Reply | Private Reply | To 1 | View Replies]

To: cgbg

Weren’t these two separated?


33 posted on 12/07/2024 10:59:13 AM PST by Jamestown1630 ("A Republic, if you can keep it.")
[ Post Reply | Private Reply | To 21 | View Replies]

To: unlearner

Actually, it was a Federal Court, located in Texas. A Texas court would have no jurisdiction to rule on a federal statute.


34 posted on 12/07/2024 11:18:49 AM PST by con-surf-ative
[ Post Reply | Private Reply | To 26 | View Replies]

To: Jamestown1630

Yes—they were separated.

That can make things better—or worse....

Lol.


35 posted on 12/07/2024 11:19:41 AM PST by cgbg (It is time to pull the Deep State out of the mass media--like ticks from a dog.)
[ Post Reply | Private Reply | To 33 | View Replies]

To: MtnClimber

surveillance has ***shifted*** from securing ***national interests*** to a tool for targeting political dissent—particularly individuals linked to Donald Trump.

Bolsheviks getting more open with their agenda comrades.


36 posted on 12/07/2024 11:43:57 AM PST by Vaduz
[ Post Reply | Private Reply | To 1 | View Replies]

To: MtnClimber

Its too bad you cant comment on that substack.

But what i would like to know is what good would it do to pass more laws that the government breaks? It is already unlawful and unconstitutional. Its just sickening to think that we are at the mercy of “oversight” but only if its been on the news for 2 weeks straight and at least half the commie networks cover it. Otherwise you are F’ed


37 posted on 12/07/2024 11:50:02 AM PST by jdirt
[ Post Reply | Private Reply | To 1 | View Replies]

To: cgbg

“Remember that the wife was smart enough to name possible suspects/areas of inquiry.”

That’s not smart, which is my point.

The deny, defend, depose is the work of a hit man working for an industry insider or a very angry former customer who’s read the book “Deny,Delay,Defend”.

A lot of knowledgeable podcasters don’t think it was a professional hit. Caught on cameras way to many times and now they’ve found his backpack in Central Park. They are going to find DNA and do a familial search and find the guy.


38 posted on 12/07/2024 12:00:21 PM PST by Valpal1 (Not even the police are safe from the police!!!)
[ Post Reply | Private Reply | To 21 | View Replies]

To: Valpal1

When they find the guy we will know a lot more.

Many spousal hired professional hitmen are just not that good—they are hired by word of mouth from somebody who knows somebody who maybe knows the boyfriend.

It is a messy and very imperfect black market.


39 posted on 12/07/2024 12:02:53 PM PST by cgbg (It is time to pull the Deep State out of the mass media--like ticks from a dog.)
[ Post Reply | Private Reply | To 38 | View Replies]

To: MtnClimber

Bttt.

5.56mm


40 posted on 12/07/2024 12:20:39 PM PST by M Kehoe (Thank you Jesus. )
[ Post Reply | Private Reply | To 1 | View Replies]


Navigation: use the links below to view more comments.
first previous 1-2021-4041-44 next last

Disclaimer: Opinions posted on Free Republic are those of the individual posters and do not necessarily represent the opinion of Free Republic or its management. All materials posted herein are protected by copyright law and the exemption for fair use of copyrighted works.

Free Republic
Browse · Search
General/Chat
Topics · Post Article

FreeRepublic, LLC, PO BOX 9771, FRESNO, CA 93794
FreeRepublic.com is powered by software copyright 2000-2008 John Robinson