Posted on 07/17/2002 6:38:19 PM PDT by ninenot
U.S. government doesn't trust Americans
-------------------------------------------------------------------------------- Posted: July 17, 2002 1:00 a.m. Eastern
© 2002 WorldNetDaily.com
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.
You should post some because I recall threads complaining that the FedGov should profile obvious targets and stop playing "see no evil, speak no evil". I don't recall any lament that ordinary Americans were not turning on each other.
BTW, for consistancy, when Connecticut passed some "turn in your loony neighbor" gun grabber law, most FReepers condemned it. This is a national version.
I hate hypocrites.
At least you are not, you always cheer more FedGov authority and intrusion.
FReegards
Sincerely,
Tasha
And even though right now his ratings are still very favorable one should also remember that in the heat of the Gulf War prez. George Bush the senior also had enviable ratings, but still lost to Clinton!
Although this may seem anathema to many, there is a chance history may be repeated (i.e another bush losing to another clinton).
And if you notice the Liberals and the Media have already started attacking, and to be perfectly honest with you it seems (to me) that the White House is giving them all the ammunition they need. Whatever you may think of the liberals one thing is for certain .....they are very well versed in the fine art of spin and subtle insinuations. And when the White House starts pushing programs like TIPS, which seriously sounds to me like something Nazi Germany (or to a lesser extent the USSR during the 60s) would have advocated, questions start being asked .....even by conservatives.
A good example of this is yesterday i saw Pat Roberson criticize the Bush plan of TIPS. And this is a person who during the election had organized prayers for Bush to win!
And then there are the rampant corporate scandals ...some of which implicate Bush and Cheney! You and i both know that this is simply hyperbole angled against the conservatives, but to many of the populace they see the perpetual reports on and on and on, and soon they start to believe this. And when 'normal' people start losing money there is a greater likelihood that they will be sufficiently pissed off to allow their emotions to take over the logical mind, and thus they can more readily accept the ubiquitous broadcasts condemning the Republican party.
And such things are basically acting as attritive factors, and come election date the chickens may come home to roost for us Republicans.
Actually i was watching this other broadcast yesterday, and this person was basically criticizing the war against terrorism. Basically he was making light of the initiatives Bush has taken against terrorism, and that the terrorists have already done so much they do not need to do any other thing ever! For example UBL spent basically 20 grand (or more) in training his mules to attack us on 9-11. We have spent Billions (with a B), and furthermore it has cost the economy many Billions more. And the costs are rising. Moreover there have been fundamental changes in the American percepion of life, and maybe even in our way of life. People are seriously considering having what is tantamount to civilian spies policing their blocks.
The FBI is beginning to look like it as during Hoover's terms, and shades of the FBI's Counterintelligence Program (COINTELPRO) are starting to materialize. So is the spectre of the House of Un-American Activities Committee (HUAC)
And the New York Times reported that several FBI officials had tried to push for the scraping of the Fourth Amendment since it 'hampered' their efforts and encouraged lawsuits against them.
And then there are the reports of the actions of Adolf Hitler in 1933 when he was chancellor. He invoked article 48 of the Weimar Constitution to suspend certain civil rights in times of national emergency. He later created the SS agencies and the Strom Troopers.
Obviously we know Bush does not intend to follow the path of Hitler, but the media have come upon this and it is vital ammunition for them! And as the election day comes closer you can be assured that this (as well as other national and economical issues) will begin to gain prominence, and the interesting thing is that although the White House will be completely innocent they will have a hard time proving it (and remember the first maxim of public as well as legal opinion is this : it is not what you know but what you can prove).
And then there are the statements being used by Liberals to undermine Bush ....and the other funny thing is that they make sense if looked at froma shallow perspective. For example what Benjamin Franklin said: They that give up essential liberty to obtain a little temporary safety deserve neither liberty nor safety.
Or what Justice Louis Brandeis said: The greatest danger to liberty lurk in insidious encroachment by men of zeal, well-meaning but without understanding.
Compare that statement with the following by AG John Ashcroft: To those that pit Americans against Immigrants, and citizens against non-citizens, my message to you is this: Your tactics only aid terrorists, for they erode our national unity and diminish our resolve. They give ammunition to america's enemies, and pause to America's friends. They encourage people of good will to remain silent int he face of evil.
Both the statements say the same basic thing ....but obviously the media will print the former (and ignore the one from Ashcroft) and use it against Ashcroft and co.!
And this is why i say again unless something is done to rectify this trend come 2004 the same thing that happend to George bush the senior will happen to George Bush the son ......he will lose to a Clinton (in this case Hillary) or a Clinton clone (maybe Al 'mr internet' Gore). And the ammunition for this is coming straight from the White House.
And the next step may be for the media and liberals to state that what Bush is doing is (borrowing a term from IBME) turning the U.S.A into the U.S.S.A.
To: ecomcon
Anyone else wonder why we, as citizens, have been asked to do virtually nothing to support this so-called war on terrorism?
Yes. Why no call for sacrifice? (except in vague terms); public bioterrorism education?; evacuation plans?, or warnings that oil supplies may be interrupted? Americans may now live in the "new normal," but we're hardly prepared psychologically, for a major attack, and are less so as the days go on, and memory fades.
I'm wondering if the next step is to agree to a return of UN inspectors to Iraq -- God help us all.
31 posted on 4/16/02 1:21 PM Central by browardchad
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Has anyone in your city or part of the country heard any instructions from the great
leader "Ridge" as to what to do IF your area is attacked by terrorists..???
Have your local leaders indicated they are "Ready" for ???
I have heard nothing from the leaders in Las Vegas and totally believe they are CLUELESS..!!!
32 posted on 4/16/02 1:39 PM Central by freddy
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No, not everybody. Just people engaged in terroristic activity. Building bombs, planning attacks etc
Anyone who knows someone who builds bombs and plans attacks has to inform the police department, immediately. Or else they themselves become terrorists. This is pretty straight-forward, wouldn't you say? This whole idea of an informing agency is going to cost the Republicans lots of votes, and will only mobilize anti-Bush forces. Believe me, just watch for the backlash. I talked to democrats; they love it. They have something to hang on to and attack, finally. I guess we are getting lemming days in the republican party.
That's Patriotism??
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