Now no one can deny the police state

It’s all over the web: In Minneapolis/St. Paul today police broke into four homes and stopped motorists across the cities, claiming groups such as “Food Not Bombs” and “RNC Welcoming Committee” were “conspiring to incite riot.”

I’m amazed they’ve gone so far, as this is sure to stir up opposition and open revolt against the glitzy set now converging on the land of ten thousand Johnsons. Ya, you betcha!

This hypermilitarization of the local constabulary has crept upon us bit by bit since Seattle. We even see it here in Santa Cruz, CA, the type city for “Chill out, Dude,” where laid back was defined. Black-clad and bumpered police appear at the slightest provocation, resplendant with zip-tie handcuffs, pepper spray applicators, stun guns and secret orders from on high … high finance, that is.

In a world dominated by imagery at the expense of reality, the jack-booted thugs are designed purposefully to strike fear in the hearts and minds of a 9/11-stupored citizenry, just as they were in Nazi Germany shocked by Krystallnacht and the Reichstag fire. No coincidence there; the Current Occupant and the Shadow Government have read their history well.

When do we call a halt to this growing repression? How do we call a halt? How do we return our government to the will of the people when our government is dominated by corporate interests and willing to use force against its citizens to maintain control?

Firing the Nanny

Here’s a fellow contemplating moving to the uS from Canada. He’s understandably nervous about living in the Police State, with considerable justification.

We uS frogs have been boiled slowly by the militarized constabulary. We’ve slowly been acculturated to the security apparatus, first at airports, then, increasingly, everywhere else. Homeland Security has inserted its tentacles everywhere, into every orifice that might conceivably harbor subversive thought and action.

This is not to say that we do not appreciate and value our local police, even though they are increasingly falling under the thrall of the Homeland Security beast. Our local police are still our neighbors, friends and relatives. They still share our streets and sidewalks, shop in our stores, gather for our cultural events. Here in Santa Cruz, the chief spokesman for the police department, Zack Friend, (no kidding… really!) performs in a monthly stand-up comedy show.

The Police State does not arise from within, it is imposed from without, in the form of federal money dangled in front of local police departments starving for money to run their departments. With the money comes training, and with training comes indoctrination. So the Police State grows.

Somewhere along the line, we gave up the idea of local control, of local decision-making, of taking responsibility for our own communities, our own neighborhoods, our own lives. We’ve turned our lives over to the Central Nannies, in the form of City, County, State and federal government bureaucracies, giving them the power to make decisions for us, giving up our power to control our own lives as fully involved, democratic decision-makers.

The answer, of course, is to organize locally in neighborhood assemblies to determine for ourselves our neighborhood problems and what we want to do about them. Some people call it anarchy, I call it democracy.

I don’t know if it’s possible to organize ourselves in such a form, now that everyone is used to being cared for by the state. It seems we’ve lost the ability to take care of ourselves, or at least the will to make the effort.

But then, how will we know unless we try?

Police State, or Law and Order?

Animal rights activists and individual rights proponents are in a high fever over events unfolding in Santa Cruz, detailed in this article: UCSC researcher targeted in attack

It’s hard to tell what really transpired at both locations. It appears that mayhem was threatened, if not carried out, at the home of the “cancer researcher,” who may or may not have been hit by a “black object.”

Regardless of the facts of the case, the militarized constabulary flexed their considerable black-clad muscles, (pictures at http://www.indybay.org/newsitems/2008/02/25/18481511.php) this being a chance to put their Homeland Security training to practice and use some of the Homeland Security black-booted thug equipment lying about the place.

Were they justified in serving a warrant on the occupants of the house? Probably. Did they overreact when they broke down the door instead of using the key conveniently supplied by the landlord? Most assuredly. Were the assembled multitude out of line in confronting the police? It sure didn’t help, especially since they had no stake in the outcome, and were merely participants in the police show of power. In fact, their presence undoubtedly escalated the response by the constabulary.

As we’ve seen so many times before, direct confrontation of the apparatus of the state gives them an excuse for increased oppression of the people.

Crime control has entered the realm of theater, serving as a demonstration of the awesome power of the state over the lives and bodies of its citizens.

Shock and Awe in the Homeland.

Homeland Security rides the rails

Amtrak to unveil new screening measures – Salt Lake Tribune

AMTRAK has finally been reminded they must join the new Police State.

I’ve been surprised they’ve laid low so long, what with terrorism pegged to trains in Europe so thoroughly. Until recently, we’ve been able to board almost all trains without harassment from the constabulary. Now we’ll be subject to “random” (read: profiled) testing for explosives residues on our carry-on luggage.

This, of course, is only the most recent, most visible result of the War on Terrorism on the Rails. Travelers have long had to show official papers when picking up tickets at the station counters. Not from the automated ticket machines, of course, since we’ve already entered our most important financial documents (aka, credit card numbers) into the system to use them.

Soon, I’m sure, train travel will also require an official, Homeland Security-blessed ID card, just as commercial airlines demand now. Nostalgic images of crossing the border on the Orient Express will take on a new poignancy.

Papers, pliss?

BIG BUSINESS IS WATCHING YOU!

The FBI Deputizes Business
Now we have the full flowering of fascism in the United States, an overt coalition between big business and the government security establishment, the Federal Bureau of Intimidation.

Not that this is a new thing: Infraguard was established long before 9/11. It’s only recently that it has been revealed, thanks to Democracy Now! and other alternative media.

Big Busyness CEOs and corporate busybodies can now take advantage of timely alerts of possible terrorist activities that might affect their bottom line. That is to say, they can invest in picking up the pieces after terrorist attacks, sell stocks that will be affected (such as, say, airline stocks, property investments, private security and fire response firms). They can cash in on the War on Terror in advance!

In return, all they have to do is report any “deviant” behavior they observe, or claim they observe, such as rival corporate employees, bothersome entrepreneurs, uncooperative consumers, or cheeky competitors for corporate dollars. What better way to get a rival out of the way than report them to Homeland Security?

What, you haven’t bought your share of useless stuff made in China? Off to the gulags!

This, of course, is not restricted to Homeland securities, as corporations across the country vie for lucrative government contracts in the mercenary, arms supplies (that’s guns and ammunition), vehicles and other forms of war support. It’s a multi-billion dollar industry and this here badge gives them first dibs over everyone else.

Take a close look at the security cameras the next time you visit WallMart, Costco, United Airlines and General Motors. Big Business is watching YOU!

Be the first on your block…

It’s My Party: I’ll Taser if I Want To Marketing Tactic Jolting Sales of Self-Defense Item – CommonDreams.org

The Global Security State now comes to homes and families everywhere. Be the first to torture a friend or neighbor. Teach your children to live in fear and use torture devices effectively.

Soon we’ll read news stories of children tasering their friends. Who will be the first child killed with a pink taser kept under Mom’s pillow for “self-defense?”

Perhaps next will be the child-size water-boarding set, cattle prod video games, a new Saturday morning cartoon show featuring Taser Man, and, of course, Homeland Security action figures, with tasers that make noise and dark complected victims who scream in agony.

Marching, lock-step, open-eyed and accepting, into Dystopia…

Just a heads up…

I’m not an alarmist. Most scare stories I take with a large grain of salt. I just want to record some observations here, just in case.

From October 15 through the 20th the United States military, in conjunction with the Department of Homeland Security, will be conducting exercises in the US and on Guam, called Exercise Vigilant Shield 08 and Topoff 4. The scenario will involve the simulated (in computers) detonation by terrorists of a dirty bomb on Guam, in Portland, Oregon and Phoenix, Arizona, allegedly to test our capabilities to respond to multiple terrorist incidents across the US. These exercises will involve military, civilian security and police and “private interests” (read Blackwater and other security for hire companies).

In addition, military bases across the US will be engaged in a “lockdown” exercise during this time, requiring increased security to gain access to military bases, in at least some locations in the US.

We’ve read increasing attempts to explain away the presence of six armed and ready nuclear missiles transported across the US on the wings of a military plane. “Oops, sorry, we grabbed the wrong bombs.”

Pressure is increasing from Neocons to attack Iran to destroy nuclear production and research facilities, as well as their elite military units.

When the Arabs attacked the World Trade Center and the Pentagon, the US military was going through just such an exercise, resulting in military defense aircraft being removed from the New York City and Washington, DC areas. Military bases were locked down since September 5, 2001. Some say this was a false flag operation, used as an excuse to go to war with Iraq. Who knows?

It will be interesting to see where the world is on October 20th, 2007. All in all, it might be wise to lay low and keep a sharp eye out come mid-October. Stock up on Deaf Smith County peanut butter, gold coins, your favorite malted beverages and anything that might seem handy for true homeland defense.

I’m not afraid you understand, just interested.

You never know.

Life in the Dying Embers of Empire

We’re just going to have to turn loose of the idea that we live in a free country, here in the united States. The evidence is overwhelming that we not only live in a police state, but a stealthily oppressive police state as well.

Who has not been selected for “special treatment” at airport check-in security (or is it just me?)? Each time we acquiesce to “special treatment,” we become innured to the reality of the police state, we facilitate the regime by voluntarily giving up our civil rights, we get used to being challenged by authority at every turn and we accept that authority as legitimate.

The recent arrest and thuggish leg-breaking of a minister standing in line to attend the Patreaus hearings underscores the radicalization of the police state. The police used to be our friends, the friendly cop on the beat leaning down to talk to the wee lad, helping the old lady across the steet, polishing an apple while swinging his seldom used billy club on the street corner.

No more. The constabulary is now the Darth Vader figure in black-padded storm trooper costume, spraying clouds of pepper spray indiscriminatly, firing rubber bullets at the young and weak, tieing the threatening hands of elderly ladies in pink behind their backs with anonymous plastic restraints.

And behind them, whispering into their lapels, punching buttons on their cell phones, the Men in Black, the “anonymous” organizers of the police state, the middle managers of official mayhem.

Outrage becomes normality, another sound byte on the TeeVee screen of life in the urban jungle, sacrifical citizens in the panoply of empire.

Ours is the finest democracy money can buy, the unctuous police state that simulates the comfortable illusion of choice, oozing the slimey lie of democracy under the door of popular perception. Still allowed to vote, as long as it doesn’t count, we are, by and large, restricted from access to the information necesssary to make intelligent choices. Dumbed down through mandatory state indoctrination, distracted by a Universe of mindless entertainment, bewildered by sensory overload, the citizenry, if that’s what it is, of the dying empire becomes mere hanging chads to be manipulated as needed by the management elite.

“Rage, rage against the dying of the light.” Dylan Thomas