Thursday, August 02, 2007

Coming Soon To A Bus Stop Near You

From the people who brought you pat downs and feel ups at the airport comes a new travesty. The TSA has decided that bus stops in the Mid-West and across the nation should be graced with their groping and rights violating presence. Indianapolis looks like a good place to start, too.
(Indianapolis) -- Transportation Security Agents are stepping-up their visibility in Indianapolis. They have begun security screening for bus riders. TSA officers were stationed at the IndyGo bus stop at Capitol and Market Thursday morning checking passengers as they boarded the buses. Officials say the added security was not a reaction to any threats. The airport-style security checks actually started Wednesday at Ohio and Meridian. It appears no one was denied access to the buses although several knives were found discarded at the bus stop.
The sad thing is that altogether too many people submitted to this and some even went so far as to throw away pocket knives before they were searched. I cannot help but wonder what the TSA reaction would have been had I been a passenger on that bus and they'd found my trusty .45 ACP strapped on? What kind of alarm bells would have been set off for someone like me who was exercising their lawful right to carry a concealed weapon?

Thank goodness I'm never going to find out. I drive my own vehicle wherever I wish and do not contribute to the mass transit delusion. I can only imagine that these checkpoints will spread over time and everyone will become complacent about the ever encroaching security state being foisted upon us by governmental entities such as TSA and Homeland Security. CCTV cameras on every corner and random ID checkpoints will become the norm and very few voices will be raised against it. The police state is growing and the people behind this know that if they can get Americans in the heartland to go along with it, then it will be a done deal.

Given the number of issues currently besetting the people in Indiana, (like out of control property taxes, new taxes, rampant crime, etc) it is no wonder that the TSA chose now to start their little program. Like most governmental cancers we can expect to see this one spread.

So, get ready folks. Here it comes and very, very few will raise a stink about. Certainly not Republicans or Democrats, this is their idea of a wet dream. Perhaps the Indiana Libertarians will speak out, if anyone cares to listen. My guess is that this will grow into a full fledged, permanent event that will spread throughout the state. Checkpoints will likely be next, and considering that Indiana just did away with seat belt checkpoints the cops are champing at the bit for something new to do. This seems tailor made for people who like to stop other people going about their business. I am reminded more and more of my years in South Africa during the Apartheid era. I never thought I'd see the day come when I could make that sad comparison while living in the States.

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Monday, July 30, 2007

Protect And What?

Repeat after me. "They are not your friends". Repeat it as often as necessary until it sinks in. This poor lady found out the hard way that rendering assistance to members of the Thin Blue Line gang gets you nothing but trouble, when she complied with their requests for assistance at the scene of an accident.

Add this incident to the long and growing list of "Cops Gone Wild" and you have a very clear picture of what's going on. When you could easily put up an "Incident of the day" list, then the cries that these are isolated events no longer tends to hold water. Sure, there are "good cops" out there. Unfortunately, that number is affected by the same bug that drives the ones who commit these travesties of false arrest, assault and murder. They are aided and abetted in this by a prosecutorial, judicial and oversight system that enables and protects them from justice. When facing charges, (like child molestation) that would result in years of imprisonment for the average person they get off with token punishment.

It has become increasingly plain that there is no recourse to the law where these people are concerned. The cover ups and false internal investigations allow this type of behaviour to continue. Our only recourse is to with hold consent and assistance. Unlike the lady in the above story, do not assist these people in any way shape or form. Let them get themselves out of any situations which they create. Render nothing unto these Praetorian wannabes.

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Saturday, July 21, 2007

No Nukes For You

Seems the US Government has reached a breakthrough point in providing nuclear technology and fuels for India. Too bad they won't get out of the way of American companies who wish to build the desperately needed nuclear plants in this country. Government interference, from numerous agencies and judiciaries have been constant road blocks to nuclear energy in this country. Yet one more reason why there's no such thing as "good government". The time is long past when the government and courts should be getting out of the way of progress.

More people have died in cars with Ted Kennedy than have died in U.S. nuclear power plants.

Thursday, July 19, 2007

Write A Blog, Lose Your Possessions

Via our comrade in arms Brad Spangler comes notice of a new Executive ruling from the office of the Emperor. This one is so vaguely worded that even anti-war blogging could result in seizure of your assets. Isn't it amazing that our country has come to this in so short a time?

...any person determined by the Secretary of the Treasury, in consultation with the Secretary of State and the Secretary of Defense,

(i) to have committed, or to pose a significant risk of committing, an act or acts of violence that have the purpose or effect of:

(A) threatening the peace or stability of Iraq or the Government of Iraq; or

(B) undermining efforts to promote economic reconstruction and political reform in Iraq or to provide humanitarian assistance to the Iraqi people;

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Sec. 5. For those persons whose property and interests in property are blocked pursuant to this order who might have a constitutional presence in the United States, I find that, because of the ability to transfer funds or other assets
instantaneously, prior notice to such persons of measures to be taken pursuant to this order would render these measures ineffectual. I therefore determine that for these measures to be effective in addressing the national emergency declared in Executive Order 13303 and expanded in Executive Order 13315, there need be no prior notice of a listing or determination made pursuant to section 1(a) of this order.

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The Secretary of the Treasury may redelegate any of these functions to other officers and agencies of the United States Government, consistent with applicable law. All agencies of the United States Government are hereby directed to take all appropriate measures within their authority to carry out the provisions of this order and, where appropriate, to advise the Secretary of the Treasury in a timely manner of the measures taken.

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Undermining efforts...that's the kicker, isn't it? Anti-Iraq war blogging could easily be construed to be an effort to undermine this Administrations efforts. Speaking out in any fashion against the inept puppet government in Baghdad could get you a visit by any one of a variety of government agencies. And, the best part, there's no judicial oversight, no warrants, no trials. You just lose your assets via government seizure. Of course they'd never use this against Americans. Would they? Oh, wait....

For those persons whose property and interests in property are blocked pursuant to this order who might have a constitutional presence in the United States, ....
My disgust with the current regime continues to grow.
You may now go back to your regularly scheduled programme.

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