Feds Declare Martial Law Red Zone Around Chicago Loop for Nato Meeting

Feds Declare Martial Law Red Zone Around Chicago Loop for Nato Meeting

May 9, 2012

Alexander Higgins - If Transportation Security pat downs at public venues, thousands of drones over the skies of America, and the National Security Agency’s new Echelon-like listening center in Utah weren’t enough to convince you that we’re living in a police state, then perhaps the latest news out of Chicago will change your mind.

As world leaders prepare to meet in the windy city for their annual NATO summit, U.S. federal officials are working feverishly to implement a security net so broad that it encompasses the entirety of Cook County, Illinois. While international summits are traditionally met with a larger police presence and preparations for the possibility of protests or rioting, what’s taking place on American soil in anticipation of the May 20 meeting in downtown Chicago can be interpreted in only one way – the implementation of regionalized martial law.

Last week Red Cross officials reported that the City of Chicago, Department of Homeland Security and the Secret Service had instructed them to prepare for a mass evacuation of the city in the event of an emergency during the NATO summit. The Red Cross was to prepare to shelter and feed residents in the event of such an evacuation.

Feds Declare Martial Law Red Zone Around Chicago Loop For Nato Meeting

On the heels of that announcement, more details have emerged and they suggest the Federal security apparatus has completely lost its marbles.

Via Off Grid Survival

The Illinois Department of Transportation is testing an emergency plan to shut off access into and out of downtown Chicago. The plan uses a network of highway security gates that are designed to shut down all traffic coming in and out of Chicago in the event of a terrorist attack.

The Illinois DOT is warning truckers that it’s best to avoid the city during the NATO Summit in Chicago May 20-21. There will be a number of driving restrictions and rolling street closures, and the Illinois DOT is testing highway barricades that will block access to all major highways in and out of Chicago.

These barricades, which started being installed on Chicago highways back in 2005, are deigned to restrict or cut off access to roads during an emergency like a bioterrorism attack.

…The Illinois DOT’s testing of these highway entrance ramp gates has many worried about the chaos that NATO may bring to Downtown Chicago. There is already talk about widespread city wide evacuations, rioting, terrorist attacks and even large scale detention centers and arrests.

…

Detention Centers

It’s been reported by the local media, that Cook County Sheriff Tom Dart is devising a strategy to deal with large-scale mass arrests during the NATO Summit meeting. In fact, the Chicago Sun Times is reporting that the once abandoned Joliet State Prison may be reopened as a mass detention center for NATO.

Joliet prison is about 40 miles from Chicago and can hold about 1,300 prisoners. The Sheriff is also reportedly looking at building tents in the yard at Cook County Jail.

Militarized Red Zone

Starting May 1st, a full three weeks before the NATO Summit, the Federal Government will be setting up a Militarized Red Zone in the streets of Downtown Chicago.

In a Chicago Sun Time Article:

The head of Chicago’s NATO Host Committee said Thursday she was blindsided by the federal government’s decision to create a militarized “Red Zone” in the Loop to protect federal buildings in the run-up to the May 20-21 summit at McCormick Place.

The news of federal agents on the streets of Chicago isn’t sitting well with many. From last months urban warfare drills, to residents being warned of possible citywide evacuations, the city of Chicago is starting to look like a city that may already be under martial law.

Via Off Grid Survival

City planning officials with the Chicago NATO host committee have been reportedly kept in the dark about Federal security plans and Federal agencies like the aptly named Secret Service refuse to release any details:

…according to a CBS 2 report, the Secret Service has refused to even acknowledge the issue and “Chicago officials say the plan didn’t come from them.

…Despite the fact that the plan for evacuating citizens has stoked paranoia and confusion amongst residents, information about the procedure has seemingly been placed on lockdown.

Source: Infowars

What we do know is that the Red Cross and local government are preparing for mass evacuations of thousands of residents in case of a “national security event”, barricades are being set up to control traffic in and out of the city, city highways and streets are being completely shut down to restrict any non-official access, mass detention centers are being prepared to hold hundreds of detainees, and heavily armed security teams will be deployed weeks ahead of the summit to acclimate residents to the militarization of their city.

There also are reports that a heavily armed security team will start making a very public appearance around federal buildings in the Loop this week. Officials with the Chicago NATO host committee were completely in the dark. They had no reports of any such plans.

Source: CBS2 Chicago

Either national intelligence agencies in the United States have gotten wind of an attack to take place in Chicago in May, or they are overtly creating a manufactured crisis to instill in Americans that absolute power over our homes, lives and daily activities lies in the hands of our benevolent, all-seeing government.

Looking back at Executive Orders and Congressional Legislation over the past decade one can surmise that what’s happening in Chicago is not some half-baked training exercise. Rather, this is what life in America is destined to look like in the future. The National Defense Authorization Act, combined with elements of the Patriot Act, Presidential decrees outlining domestic military response plans, and theFederal Restricted Buildings and Grounds Improvement Act give the government the power to:

- Restrict the ability of the people to peaceably assemble and petition the government for redress of grievances, in essence completely abridging the right to free speech
- Identify and label any activities that threaten to undermine the State as ‘terrorist’ in nature
- Detain said terrorists indefinitely without charge or trial
- Deploy armed military personnel in a policing capacity on the streets of America
- Log, aggregate, red flag and act on any intelligence acquired through emails, phone calls, text messages or social networks

For those who bury their heads in the sand and want to pretend like national security centered legislation is meant to protect us from ‘terrorists’ and not to restrict the freedoms of average Americans, look around.

The control grid is being put into place, it’s happening right here and now, and it’s no longer covert. The powers that be are showing us exactly what the plan is and they’ll implement it city-by-city, town-by-town, one American at a time – until every single one of us is living in a state of fear and compliance.

Resources: Off Grid Survival, Infowars

Read more here and here.

Microchips for the U.S. Military First, Then for Everyone Else

After the Government Microchips Our Soldiers, How Long Will It Be Before They Want to Put a Microchip in YOU

May 9, 2012

The American Dream - What would you do if someday the government made it mandatory for everyone to receive an implantable microchip for identification purposes? Would you take it? Such a scenario may not be as far off as you might think.

In the United States today, millions of dogs and cats have been microchipped, thousands of elderly Americans with Alzheimer’s disease have been microchipped, and the U.S. military is developing “medical devices” that contain microchips to monitor the health of soldiers. Once the government has microchips implanted in all of our soldiers, how long will it be before they want to put a microchip in all government employees for the sake of national security? Once the government has microchips in all government employees, how long will it be before they want to put a microchip in you? Of course this technology is not going to be “required” for average citizens any time soon. For now, it will creep into our lives at an incremental pace. But after enough people have voluntarily accepted the “benefits” of implantable microchips, it will only be a matter of time before they become mandatory. Are you ready for that?

The plan to implant U.S. soldiers with implantable microchips was detailed in a recent article by Kate Knibbs….

The U.S. military plans to implant soldiers with medical devices, making them harder to kill with diseases.

The military’s Defense Advanced Research Projects Agency, or DARPA, announced plans to create nanosensors that monitor soldiers’ health on the battlefield and keep doctors constantly abreast about potential health problems.

These technological “advances” are usually promoted in such a way that makes it difficult for the average citizen to get angry about them. After all, who could be against keeping our soldiers alive and healthy?

But as they say, the path to hell was paved with good intentions. It turns out that researches at Stanford University are also busy developing similar technology for the general public….

Nanotechnology continues to find a place in the medical field as well. Stanford University researchers are developing tiny robotic monitors that can diagnose illnesses, monitor vital stats and even deliver medicine into the bloodstream, similar to the devices that the military plans to create. The two projects have yet to link up, but their similar goals suggest the military could benefit from coordinating efforts with leading university scientists.

Would you let them put a microchip inside of you if it would supposedly keep you healthier?

As this kind of technology becomes more widespread, people will be told that they don’t want to “miss out” on the great benefits that it provides.

The spread of implantable microchips is going to mostly be voluntary for right now. Large numbers of Americans have already taken them, and that number is going to greatly increase in the years ahead.

A recent WND article contained some quotes from privacy expert Katherine Albrecht about how the widespread adoption of implantable microchips will primarily be through voluntary methods….

“It’s never going to happen that the government at gunpoint says, ‘You’re going to have a tracking chip,’” said Katherine Albrecht, who with Liz McIntyre authored “Spychips,” a book that warns of the threat to privacy posed by Radio Frequency Identification.

“It’s always in incremental steps. If you can put a microchip in someone that doesn’t track them … everybody looks and says, ‘Come on,’” she said. “It’ll be interesting seeing where we go.”

As this technology spreads, it will become much easier for various institutions to start making it a requirement.

For example, what happens someday if your employer requires you to get an implantable microchip for security reasons?

What happens someday if your bank requires you to get an implantable microchip in order to use your bank account?

Don’t think that it can’t happen.

All over the globe, there is an obsession with making “identity” more secure.

Just check out what is going on in India according to the Electronic Frontier Foundation….

In India, a massive effort is underway to collect biometric identity information for each of the country’s 1.2 billion people. The incredible plan, dubbed the “mother of all e-governance projects” by the Economic Times,has stirred controversy in India and beyond, raising serious concerns about the privacy and security of individuals’ personal data.

The plan is moving ahead at a clip under the auspices of the National Population Register (NPR) and the Unique ID (UID) programs, separately governed initiatives that have an agreement to integrate the data they collect to build the world’s largest biometric database. Upon enrollment, individuals are issued 12-digit unique ID numbers on chip-based identity cards. For residents who lack the necessary paperwork to obtain certain kinds of employment or government services, there’s strong incentive to get a unique ID. While the UID program is voluntary, enrollment in the NPR program is mandatory for all citizens.

How long do you think it will be before even more countries develop their own “Unique ID” programs?

We will be told that such programs are necessary to prevent identity fraud, to track criminals and terrorists, to crack down on tax evaders and to strengthen “national security”.

The thing with a card is that it can always be lost, stolen or forged.

It seems inevitable that governments around the world will want something even more “secure” than a card at some point.

So will you allow the government to inject your “identity card” into your hand when the time comes?

But not all of these advanced microchips will be implantable.

As I have written about previously, some scientists are working on developing “edible microchips“. These edible microchips would be used by doctors to monitor your health. The following description of these edible microchips comes from a recent article in the Daily Mail….

The sensor, which contains no battery, antenna or radio, creates a unique digital signature that is picked up and recorded by a patch attached to the patient’s shoulder.

The patch, which also monitors bodily functions such as heart rate and temperature, sends this encrypted information to blue-tooth enabled smartphones or computers owned by the patient and their doctors and carers.

In this way, both patients and their doctors can work out exactly which pills have been taken. Medics can also interpret whether the patient is sleeping well, or taking enough exercise using the information transmitted from the patch.

Would you take an “edible microchip” if it would help your doctor take better care of you?

Other people will want to take implantable microchips because it will enable them to become more “connected” to our technology grid.

For example, if it was possible would you connect your brain directly to the Internet?

It may not be as far off as you might think. An article on the website of the Science Channel recently asked the following question….

What if it were possible to connect your brain to the Internet, either wirelessly or through a cable, download digital information at high speed, and then translate it automatically into a chemical form that could be stored by your brain cells as memory?

That same article explained that the benefits of directly connecting our brains to the Internet could be absolutely amazing….

If you could pump data directly into your gray matter at, say, 50 mbps — the top speed offered by one major U.S. internet service provider — you’d be able to read a 500-page book in just under two-tenths of a second.

But wouldn’t connecting your brain to the Internet also be incredibly dangerous?

Couldn’t someone download “viruses” directly into your brain?

Couldn’t someone find a way to “control” your brain remotely?

New technologies always bring new dangers with them.

We will be sold on the “benefits” of implantable microchips, but the public will rarely be told about the potential dangers.

Right now, there are millions of dogs and cats all over the country that have been injected with microchips. In fact, some American cities are actually making it mandatory to get your pets microchipped. We are told that this makes it much easier to return lost pets to their owners.

All over America, implantable microchips are being injected into thousands of elderly Americans living with Alzheimer’s disease. We are told that this makes it much easier to find them if they wander off and get lost.

But what are the dangers?

What would happen if a totalitarian government started requiring that all citizens have their “identities” put on a microchip and implanted into them?

It would certainly make it easier for a “Big Brother” government to watch, monitor and track everyone.

And it would become nearly impossible to live a normal life without getting an implant.

What would you do if you could not get a bank account without a microchip?

What would you do if you could not go shopping without a microchip?

What would you do if you could not get a job without a microchip?

What would you do if you could not conduct a single financial transaction without a microchip?

How would you live?

Certainly most people would be very tempted to take the microchip so that they could take care of their families and lead fairly normal lives.

Those that rebelled and didn’t take the microchip would be ostracized and would be considered enemies of the state. They would be hunted down and hauled off to prison.

Don’t think that such a scenario is impossible.

Just think about how our society has changed in recent years. It has become more like a giant prison every single day.

At some point in the future, implantable microchip technology will be used for nefarious purposes.

What will you do when that day arrives?

Read More...

Federal Activities are Very Much in Sync with the UN's Agenda 21

EPA's Plans for Implementing UN's Agenda 21

May 3, 2012

New American - One of the most successful grassroots campaigns during the past year has been the Stop Agenda 21 movement both at the local level and state level. However, we haven't heard as much about Agenda 21 implementation at the national level.

Of course, there were President Bill Clinton's establishment of the President's Council on Sustainable Development by executive order in 1993 and President Obama's "Federal Leadership in Environmental, Energy, and Economic Performance" executive order in 2009. And, many federal agencies have been incorporating sustainability into various aspects of their organizations. Still, virtually all Stop Agenda 21 grassroots activity has been focused on the local and state levels.

The establishment of Clinton's President's Council on Sustainable Development (PCSD) started a pattern of denial by federal government agencies regarding any connection with the United Nations Agenda 21. Even though the PCSD was clearly established in 1993 in support of the UN's Agenda 21 and its Sustainable Development proposals from the UN's '92 Earth Summit in Rio, the PCSD's statements and documents never referred to the UN and Agenda 21.



We have evidence that federal officials were taking pains to make the PCSD appear to be completely separate from the UN's Agenda 21 because J. Gary Lawrence, an advisor to the PCSD, said the following in 1998:

Participating in a UN advocated planning process would very likely bring out many of the conspiracy-fixated groups and individuals in our society.... This segment of our society who fear ‘one-world government’ and a UN invasion of the United States through which our individual freedom would be stripped away would actively work to defeat any elected official who joined ‘the conspiracy’ by undertaking LA21 [Local Agenda 21]. So, we call our processes something else, such as comprehensive planning, growth management or smart growth.

This helps explain why virtually all federal activities in pursuit of sustainability rarely make any reference to the UN or the UN's Agenda 21, even though these federal activities are very much in sync with the UN's Agenda 21.

Nonetheless, there have been very significant developments regarding sustainability at the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) beginning with its 40th anniversary in late 2010. On November 30, 2010, EPA Administrator Lisa Jackson stated:

"Today I am formally requesting President Cicerone and the National Academies convene a committee of experts to provide to the U.S. EPA an operational framework for sustainability that applies across all of the agency’s programs, policies, and actions."

Jackson added:

"Today we have a new opportunity in front of us. We have an opportunity to focus on how environmentally protective and sustainable we can be. You see, it’s the difference between treating disease and pursuing wellness."



The National Academies of Science (NAS) responded with a detailed study, Sustainability and the U.S. EPA (aka the "Green Book"), which cost the EPA $700,000, and which was published in August 2011.

The NAS also produced a five-minute video about this project:

Here are some excerpts from the 286-page "Green Book":

• "The [UN’s World Commission on Environment and Development] called upon the UN General Assembly to transform its [1987] report into a global action plan for sustainable development. The nations of the world did precisely that at the 1992 UN Conference on Environment and Development, or 'Earth Summit,' in Rio de Janeiro. These nations, including the United States, endorsed a global sustainable development action plan, known as Agenda 21, and a set of 27 principles for sustainable-development, called the Rio Declaration. Together, these agreements modify the definition of development by adding a third pillar — environmental protection and restoration — to the economic and social pillars of development."

• "First, the committee recommends that EPA formally adopt as its sustainability paradigm the 'Three Pillars' approach of 'Social,' 'Environment,' and 'Economic' dimensions of sustainability.”

• "Sustainability impact assessment is used to analyze the probable effects of a particular project or proposal on the social, environmental, and economic pillars of sustainability.”

Thus, the "Green Book" acknowledges that the nations of the world, including the United States, "endorsed a global sustainable development action plan, known as Agenda 21" at the '92 Earth Summit in Rio.

Next, the NAS committee recommended that "EPA formally adopt as its sustainability paradigm the 'Three Pillars' approach of 'Social,' 'Environment,' and 'Economic' dimensions of sustainability.” Which would make the EPA sustainability paradigm exactly in sync with the three pillars of sustainable development agreed upon at the '92 Earth Summit.

Finally, the NAS proposed a new tool for EPA, the sustainability impact assessment, that would be "used to analyze the probable effects of a particular project or proposal on the social, environmental, and economic pillars of sustainability.”

Therefore, it is apparent that the NAS "Green Book" is positioning the EPA to become the premier federal agency for implementing Agenda 21 in the United States.



EPA spokesman are wary in this highly-charged, election-year political climate about making any definitive statement regarding whether and how soon the EPA would adopt the "Green Book" sustainability methodology. However, it is clear from listening to the audio of the November 30, 2010, meeting where the EPA commissioned the NAS to produce a new "operational framework for sustainability" for the EPA that the EPA sees the "sustainability paradigm" as the future for the agency.

Moreover, just to keep it real for those of us accustomed to the American way of life, here is what Maurice Strong, Secretary-General of the UN Earth Summit in Rio in 1992, said in his opening speech to the attendees:

“Current lifestyles and consumption patterns of the affluent middle class — involving high meat intake, the use of fossil fuels, electrical appliances, home and work-place air-conditioning, and suburban housing — are not sustainable.”

Based on Strong's remarks, it doesn't take much of an imagination to predict just how much downward pressure on our standard of living would be exerted by a sustainability oriented EPA.



It also doesn't take too much talent at connecting the dots to understand that an EPA based on sustainability, an EPA that wants to pursue wellness, not treat disease, an EPA that wants to use "sustainability impact assessments" to analyze the probable effects of a particular project or proposal on the social, environmental, and economic dimensions of sustainability — that would be an EPA that would aspire to regulate in detail virtually every aspect of our lives, thus completely destroying our freedom and prosperity.



The point of all of the above is that even though the EPA is already guilty of vastly over-regulating us, an EPA based on an operational framework of sustainability would be much worse.



There's currently no legislation in Congress to stop the EPA from implementing the UN Agenda 21 concept of sustainability. Realistically, given the makeup of Congress, there's virtually no chance that a bill could be passed this year to stop EPA implementation of Agenda 21.

However, in light of the rapid growth of the Stop Agenda 21 movement over the past year, and the changes that will occur with the elections in November, Congress could very well be more likely to initiate and pass anti-Agenda 21 legislation in 2013. Click here if you would like to send a message to your Representative and Senators about this issue.

Read More...

U.S. Department of Homeland Security (DHS) Preparing for 'Massive Civil War' in America

Editor's Note: I believe that the elite are in a holding pattern, propping up the economy and waiting until after the election to push forward with their agenda for world domination. They own both Obama and Romney, so either would serve their interests; however, I believe the 'powers that be' hope for an Obama re-election since he's been a perfect New World Order crony and false prophet, deceiving about 40% of the U.S. population. I think the tiny elite which rules the world will push forward at a greatly accelerated pace in 2014 or 2015, at which time Americans will be stripped of any God-given rights they have left.

‘We Are Preparing for Massive Civil War’ Says DHS Informant

May 2, 2012

TruNews - In a riveting interview on TruNews Radio, Wednesday, private investigator Doug Hagmann said high-level, reliable sources told him the U.S. Department of Homeland Security (DHS) is preparing for “massive civil war” in America.

“We have problems . . . The federal government is preparing for civil uprising,” he added, “so every time you hear about troop movements, every time you hear about movements of military equipment, the militarization of the police, the buying of the ammunition, all of this is . . . they (DHS) are preparing for a massive uprising.”

Hagmann goes on to say that his sources tell him the concerns of the DHS stem from a collapse of the U.S. dollar and the hyperinflation a collapse in the value of the world’s primary reserve currency implies to a nation of 311 million Americans, who, for the significant portion of the population, is armed.

Uprisings in Greece is, indeed, a problem, but an uprising of armed Americans becomes a matter of serious national security, a point addressed in a recent report by the Pentagon and highlighted as a vulnerability and threat to the U.S. during war-game exercises at the Department of Defense last year, according to one of the DoD’s war-game participants, Jim Rickards, author of Currency Wars: The Making of the Next Global Crisis.

Through his sources, Hagmann confirmed Rickards’ ongoing thesis of a fear of a U.S. dollar collapse at the hands of the Chinese (U.S. treasury bond holders of approximately $1 trillion) and, possibly, the Russians (threatening to launch a gold-backed ruble as an attractive alternative to the U.S. dollar) in retaliation for aggressive U.S. foreign policy initiatives against China’s and Russia’s strategic allies Iran and Syria.

“The one source that we have I’ve known since 1979,” Hagmann continued. “He started out as a patrol officer and currently he is now working for a federal agency under the umbrella of the Department of Homeland Security; he’s in a position to know what policies are being initiated, what policies are being planned at this point, and he’s telling us right now—look, what you’re seeing is just the tip of the iceberg. We are preparing, we, meaning the government, we are preparing for a massive civil war in this country.”

“There’s no hyperbole here,” he added, echoing Trends Research Institute’s Founder Gerald Celente’s forecast of last year.

Celente expects a collapse of the U.S. dollar and riots in America some time this year.

Since Celente’s ‘Civil War’ prediction of last year, executive orders NDAA and National Defense Resources Preparedness were signed into law by President Obama, which are both politically damaging actions taken by a sitting president.

And most recently, requests made by the DHS for the procurement of 450 million rounds of hollow-point ammunition only fuels speculation of an upcoming tragic event expected on American soil.

These major events, as shocking to the American people as they are, have taken place during an election year.

Escalating preparatory activities by the executive branch and DHS throughout the last decade—from the Patriot Act, to countless executive orders drafted to suspend (or strip) American civil liberties “are just the beginning” of the nightmare to come, Hagmann said. He added,

“It’s going to get so much worse toward the election, and I’m not even sure we’re going to have an election in this country. It’s going to be that bad, and this, as well, is coming from my sources. But one source in particular said, ‘look, you don’t understand how bad it is.’ This stuff is real; these people, the Department of Homeland Security (DHS), they are ready to fight the American people.”

TruNews' Wiles asked Hagmann: Who does the DHS expect to fight, in particular? Another North versus South, the Yankees against the Confederates? Hagmann stated the situation is far worse than a struggle between any two factions within the U.S.; it’s an anticipated nationwide emergency event centered on the nation’s currency.

“What they [DHS] are expecting, and again, this is according to my sources, what they’re expecting is the un-sustainability of the American dollar,” Hagmann said. “And we know for a fact that we can no longer service our debt. There’s going to be a period of hyperinflation . . . the dollar will be worthless . . . The economic collapse will be so severe, people won’t be ready for this.”

Read More...

Powerful Surveillance Cameras Read Texts

Powerful Surveillance Cameras Read Texts

May 5, 2012

Fairfax NZ News - Surveillance cameras are now so powerful that they were able to zoom in on individual spectators at the Rugby World Cup and read their text messages.

Details of police monitoring used for the first time during the tournament were discussed at a privacy forum in Wellington yesterday, at which it was revealed that the average person is digitally recorded about a dozen times a day – and even more if they use email and social media frequently.

Superintendent Grant O'Fee told the forum how one incident at the Rugby World Cup "tweaked in my head" a concern about possible privacy breaches.

Camera operators who were scanning the crowd for unruly behaviour or suspicious packages chose to zoom in on a person who was texting.

"He was actually texting about the poor quality of the game of rugby. But it did occur to me that there was an issue there - had he been texting something that was of some consequence to us, there may have been privacy issues."

He confirmed later that the level of monitoring used during the World Cup would continue for all big test matches.

CCTV now operates inside many buildings, including hospitals, supermarkets, malls, and around public toilets.

There are 11 cameras in Wellington city centre, recording 24 hours a day.

In Britain, drone cameras, mobile cameras on cars and cameras on police helmets are in frequent use.

Soon, technology will exist that can pick up on raised voices, and sniffing devices will be able to detect drug residue, Stirling University lecturer William Webster told the forum.

Privacy Commissioner Marie Shroff said some overseas developments were amazing and she imagined there would be concern if and when that technology was implemented in New Zealand.

Civil liberties lawyer Michael Bott warned against becoming desensitised to digital surveillance.

"It's quite worrying when we, by default, move to some sort of Orwellian 1984 where the state or Big Brother watches your every move. The road to hell is paved with good intentions and we don't realise what we are giving up when we give the state the power to monitor our private lives."

Ms Shroff said that, although reading someone's text messages in public could cause concern, the legitimacy of the action depended on what it was used for.

"We need to be aware of that – that potentially texting in a public place can be caught on a CCTV camera. If the text showed the person was plotting a riot or something, then it might well be legitimate for the police to use that under the coverage of exemption for law-enforcement activities.

"But if they were to use it simply out of nosiness, that might not be exempt," she said.

Former detective Trevor Morley said the average person had nothing to fear if they were not doing anything illegal.

"The only people who need to be concerned about these advances in technology that the police are using are the people who are abusing it, or the people who are acting in an anti-social manner."

Ms Shroff added that education and awareness of surveillance tactics were crucial.

"The law can do only so much. There are many, many great uses for the technology and we just have to make sure we balance those so it doesn't become ridiculously intrusive into our lives."

YOUR DIGITAL FOOTPRINT

• Your Digital FootprintAn average person is digitally recorded about a dozen times a day, and more if they use email and social media frequently

• There are 11 CCTV cameras throughout Wellington city centre, recording 24 hours a day

• Movement can be tracked through mobile phones and computers

• Work access cards can be used to track your location

• CCTV operates inside many buildings, including hospitals, supermarkets, malls, and around public toilets

• Any online search, online purchase, eftpos or credit card transaction, or smartcard used for car parking is recorded

• Social media usage is tracked and used for marketing and advertising

• Any information put online is there forever

• Some smart electricity systems track usage

'Liking' Something on Facebook Not Protected by First Amendment

'Liking' Something on Facebook Not Protected by First Amendment

May 5, 2012

The Atlantic Wire - It should go without saying that you should be careful of what you "like" on Facebook. You should try not to "like" anything embarrassing or incriminating, lest it come back to bite you.

A judge has ruled that "liking" something on Facebook doesn't protect you under the First Amendment, which is bad news for at least one man in Virginia.

Six people sued Sheriff B. J. Roberts in Hampton, Virginia after he fired them. They say they were fired for supporting his opponent in his bid to be reelected, which would be a violation of their First Amendment rights. One of the six fired, Daniel Ray Carter, "liked" the Facebook page of Roberts' opponent. Roberts claims they were either fired for poor performance, or because supporting his opponent "hindered the harmony and efficiency of the office."

Judge Raymond A. Jackson acknowledged that other cases involving written messages on Facebook protected the speaker with the First Amendment, clicking the "like" button is different and doesn't warrant protection.

A lawyer for the defense has already said they'll appeal the decision. This seems to be similar to the debate over whether or not Retweets are endorsements on Twitter, which leads to a lot of journalists including lines like "RTs do not equal endorsements" in their bio.

Not everyone agrees the endorsement is necessary, and the debate can get a little ridiculous. The notion of a "like" implies an endorsement, but it's also the only way to subscribe to the updates from a particular page. Hopefully this won't lead to people writing that "Likes don't equal endorsements" in their profiles.

RELATED: Facebook's Six Year Evolution

Angry Greek Voters Could Push the Country — and the Continent — Back into a Deep Financial Crisis

Angry Greeks Vote in Cliffhanger Election

May 6, 2012

Reuters - Greeks enraged by economic hardship voted on Sunday in a deeply uncertain election that could reignite Europe's debt crisis and throw into doubt the country's future in the euro zone.

At stake in the first general election since Greece detonated a wider European crisis at the end of 2009 is whether it will stick to the terms of a deeply unpopular EU/IMF bailout or start down a path that could take it out of the euro.

Leaders from all sides emphasized the importance of the vote - which pollsters say is impossible to call - for the future of Greece, now suffering one of the worst recessions in postwar Europe.

"We all agree that these elections are perhaps the most crucial and today each of us is deciding not only who will govern the country but also Greece's path for the next decades," said outgoing technocrat Prime Minister Lucas Papademos, as he cast his vote in Athens.

Opinion polls indicate voters hit by record unemployment, collapsing businesses and steep wage cuts will send to parliament an unprecedented number of small parties opposed to austerity and punish New Democracy and Socialist PASOK - the two parties who have ruled Greece for decades.

They are the only major forces backing the bailouts that fended off bankruptcy but caused deep hardship.

The prospect that New Democracy and PASOK will fail to win enough votes for a coalition government, despite finishing first and second, has raised the risk of a prolonged period of uncertainty as they seek allies from anti-bailout parties.

But Papademos said he thought a new government would be formed this week.

International lenders and investors fear success for up to seven small parties opposed to the bailout could lead to Greece reneging on the bailout terms, dragging the euro zone back into the worst crisis since its creation.

Many voters flinched and turned their head away at a polling station in the southern Athens suburb of Ilioupoli when asked if they had voted for one of the big pro-bailout parties.

"WE ARE ALREADY BANKRUPT"

Some shrugged off threats that Greece will go bankrupt if it abandons the bailout.

"I don't think that voting for a small party will make us go bankrupt. We already are," said 53 year-old Panagiotis, a craftsman, after voting for the conservative Independent Greeks.

Euro zone paymaster Germany has warned there would be "consequences" to an anti-bailout vote and the EU and IMF insist whoever wins the election must stick to austerity if they want to receive the aid that keeps Greece afloat.

PASOK leader Evangelos Venizelos said the vote was the most crucial since the end of a military dictatorship in 1974.

"We very much hope that the people will judge with a historic conscience, having considered everything calmly, with common sense and with hope and optimism for the future," he said at a polling station in Greece's second city of Thessaloniki.

But Alexis Tsipras, Greece's youngest political leader and head of the small Left Coalition, told reporters:

"We are certain that the people will send a message to all of Europe for a change of course. There is no place for the barbarity of bailouts in our common European path and we are certain that the Greek people will turn the page."

Polling stations opened at 7 a.m. (0400 GMT) and will close at 7 p.m., with many voters deciding at the last minute.

The first indication of the result is expected in exit polls immediately after voting stations close, but it could take many more hours to get the final outcome or even a clear picture under a complex electoral system that gives a 50-seat bonus to the first party.

TOO CLOSE TO CALL

Pollsters say this is the most unpredictable election in decades, as the traditional left-right divide has given way to pro- or anti-bailout lines.

"All our tools are based on a society that does not exist any more," said Costas Panagopoulos, at ALCO pollsters. "We cannot exclude any scenario."

The anti-bailout parties are too divided to rule and even if New Democracy and PASOK scrape together enough votes to renew a fractious coalition they set up in November to clinch a second bailout worth 130 billion euros, the government could be too weak to weather public anger for long.

"The risk is high that after the elections, no stable coalition can be formed which would be willing to implement the next budget cuts and reforms," Berenberg Bank said in a note.

It said that if Greece did renege on its commitments, Athens would probably have to leave the euro, something most Greeks oppose.

The acid test will come fast: the new government must next month get parliament to approve over 11 billion euros in extra spending cuts for 2013 and 2014 to keep getting bailout aid.

With an economy which has already narrowed its budget deficit from 15.6 percent of GDP in 2009 to 9.1 last year and is forecast to shrink by another five percent in 2012, that will be a tough task in a newly hostile parliament.

If no party wins outright on Sunday, as expected, the president will give the biggest group - likely to be New Democracy - three days to form a government. If it fails, the next largest group gets a chance and so on down the line. If they all fail, new polls would be called in about three weeks.

The Greek ballot could well steal the limelight from the expected election of Socialist leader Francois Hollande in France, where anger over economic pain has also played a leading role.

"The wild card is Greece, and markets are starting to get nervous about it," said Sassan Ghahramani, CEO of New York-based hedge fund advisers SGH Macro. "We could see peripheral bonds and the euro pressured on Monday."

Flashback: Google is Backing Obama's Efforts to Impose Carbon Taxes through EPA Regulations

Thought Google was Harmless? Think Again!

Power meter may measure home compliance with Obama carbon caps

April 19, 2010

WorldNetDaily - "If you thought Google was just a harmless Internet search engine, think again," Jerome Corsi's Red Alert warns.

Red Alert reports Google is backing Obama administration efforts to impose carbon taxes through EPA regulations declaring carbon dioxide to be noxious to human health, through cap-and-trade legislation or through hidden provisions buried deeply within an "energy bill."

"Google is also positioning to assume the role of energy police in a brave new world controlled by leftist environmentalists where emitting carbon dioxide will be tantamount to committing a crime and using more energy than absolutely needed will be considered an offense against nature, punishable by a government fine, or maybe even worse," Corsi wrote.

Dan Reicher, director of climate change and energy initiatives at Google, claimed:

"In general terms, a carbon price will do a lot to advance the competitiveness of these technologies that offer serious climate reductions, help for our energy security, increase our domestic fuels and create all sorts of jobs."

As Red Alert has warned, Google also has an Internet-based "power meter" ready to be installed in Americans' homes so the energy police of the future can monitor how efficiently they use energy.

"Not only will excess uses of energy be punishable by fines, you might not get a government-issued license to sell your home unless you meet government-specified standards for insulation, double-paned windows and whatever else the environmental leftists decide you need to meet their standards," Corsi wrote.

To learn more about Google's energy-monitoring initiatives, read Jerome Corsi's Red Alert, the premium, online intelligence news source by the WND staff writer, columnist and author of the New York Times No. 1 best-seller, "The Obama Nation."

Man Lives Completely Without Money

Can Going Without Money Hurt the Economy? One Man's Quest to Be Penniless

May 4, 2012

Good Morning America - Daniel Suelo is 51 years old and broke. Happily broke. Consciously, deliberately, blessedly broke.

Not only does he not have debt, a mortgage or rent, he does not earn a salary. Nor does he buy food or clothes, or own any product with a lower case "i" before it. Home is a cave on public land outside Moab, Utah.

He scavenges for food from the garbage or off the land (fried grasshoppers, anyone?). He has been known to carve up and boil fresh road kill. He bathes, without soap, in the creek.

In the fall of 2000, Suelo (who changed his name from Shellabarger), decided to stop using money altogether. That meant no "conscious barter," food stamps or other government handouts.

His mission was to "use only what is freely given or discarded and what is already present and already running," he wrote on his web site, Zero Currency.

The question many people wonder: Is he insane, or a mooch, or simply dedicated to leading a simple, honest, dare we say, Christ-like existence?

They're good questions. And depending whom you ask, the answers vary.

Suelo wasn't always a modern-day caveman. He went to the University of Colorado and studied anthropology, at one point considering medical school. He lived in a real house, with four walls, a window and a door, and shopped in stores, not their dumpsters.

But over time he says he grew depressed, clinically depressed, mainly with the focus on acquisition.

"Every time I made a resume for a job, signed my name to a document, opened a bank account, or even bought a banana at the supermarket, I felt a tinge of dishonesty," he said.

He was born into an Evangelical Christian home in Grand Junction, Colo., and took his religion seriously.

Eventually, he started wondering why "professed Christians rarely followed the teachings of Jesus--namely the Sermon on the Mount, namely giving up possessions, living beyond credit and debt--freely giving and freely taking--giving, expecting nothing in return, forgiving all debts, owing nobody a thing, living beyond payback of either evil-for-evil or good-for-good, living and walking without guilt (debt), without grudge (debt), without judgment (credit & debt), living by Grace, by Gratis, not by our own works but by the works of the true Nature flowing through," he said.

Although he considered himself a Christian, he discovered that the same principles applied to Taoism, Judaism, Hinduism, Buddhism, Jainism, Sikhism, Islam, Mormonism, Shamanism, and Paganism.

One year he went to Alaska and worked on the docks. But that, too, he says, felt dishonest. Instead, he and a buddy decided to live off the land—spearing fish, foraging for mushrooms and berries. (Think Castaway, but with snow). Suelo (which means soil in Spanish) eventually hitch-hiked back to Moab with $50 in his pocket. By the time he arrived, his stash had dwindled to $25. He realized that he only needed money for things he really didn't need, like snacks and booze.

He began toying with the idea of living full-time without money. He traveled to India, and became fascinated by Hindu Sadhus, who wandered without lucre and possessions. He considered joining them, but then he realized that:

"A true test of faith would be to return to one of the most materialistic, money-worshipping nations on earth, to return to the authenticity profound principles of spirituality hidden beneath our own religion of hypocrisy, and be a Sadhu there," he said. "To be a vagabond, a bum, and make an art of it - this idea enchanted me."

And soon, that's exactly what he did. He says he left his life savings—a whopping $30—in a phone booth, and walked away.

But he didn't do it in a vacuum; he maintained his blog for free from the Moab public library. Rather than just sitting on a mountain and gazing at his navel, he wanted to have an impact on others, to spread his gospel.

In 2009, Mark Sundeen, an old acquaintance he'd worked with at a Moab restaurant, heard about Suelo through mutual friends.

At first, "I thought he must have lost his mind," Sundeen, 42, said in a telephone conversation.

But then he began reading his blog, and grew intrigued. Sundeen divides his time between Missoula, Mont., and Moab, where he was once a river guide, and he paid a visit to Suelo's cave.

Gradually, he said he realized that much of what Suelo was saying made a whole lot of sense.

This was right around the time the economy crashed, and "It felt like a lot of what he was saying was prophetic," said Sundeen.

"That money is an illusion, an addiction. That resonated with me after the collapse for the economy."

Sundeen was so intrigued that he decided to write a book about Suelo, The Man Who Quit Money, which was published in March.

While the book reviews have been generally positive, Suelo has come under fire by some who say he's a mooch, or a derelict, sponging off society without contributing. They are valid criticisms: This is a guy, after all, who's gotten arrested for train hopping, (what would Jesus say about that?). And he's not opposed to house sitting in winter--not exactly living off the land. And besides: How is he actually helping others by going without? It's not like he's solving world hunger, or curing cancer.

Sundeen disputes these arguments.

"He doesn't accept any government programs—welfare, food stamps, Medicare," he said. "The only ways in which he actually uses taxpayer funded derivatives is walking on roads and using the public library. So in that regard he's a mooch--he's using the roads and not paying taxes. But if you try to quantify the amount of money he's taking from the system—it's a couple of dollars a year, less than anyone's ever used."

Instead, he is actively promoting "his idea that money is an illusion," Sundeen said. "The Fed just prints it up, it doesn't mean anything and it's going to lead us down the road to serfdom."

Suelo simply doesn't want to contribute to that, and so he lives life on his own terms.

That said, Sundeen wouldn't live the way Suelo does.

"The appeal to me is the living outdoors part, but I feel like I got my feel of that working as an Outward Bound guide," he said. "At this point I have other priorities."

Suelo, for his part, has no plans to bring money back into his life.

"I know it's possible to live without money," he said. "Abundantly."

Maryland Prepares for G8 Summit Protests

G8 Summit 2012 at Camp David

April 17, 2012

AboutCampDavid Blog - The location of the 2012 G-8 Summit was unexpectedly moved from Chicago to Camp David back in early March.

According to Thurmont, Maryland, police chief Gregory Eyler, the 10PM closing time for the city parks will be enforced and demonstrations will require permits. The county sheriff's department is making contingency plans in the event of large-scale protests and the deputies are prepared to work overtime. Frederick County public schools are closing on Friday May 18th out of safety concerns for their students. Local radio enthusiasts are making plans to monitor the local airwaves during the event. For the G8 Summit, all campgrounds, trails, and most roads in the area will be closed.

Camp David already has its physical security system in place. An old newspaper article describes two parallel rows of seven-foot high fences topped with an additional five feet of barbed wire and coils of razor-sharp concertina wire. Also noted was an electrified line running between the fences along with sensors, watch towers, floodlights, and marines patrolling the area 24 hours a day with attack dogs. And that was the security in place way back in 1973.

Shortly after the White House announced that the G8 Summit was being moved to Camp David, the Occupy Chicago group announced a Victory Party and declared "They have heard the cries for peaceful protest and are running scared".

G-8 Summit Moves to Camp David

March 6, 2012

AP - The White House abruptly announced Monday that it had scuttled plans to hold the upcoming G-8 economic summit in Chicago, and would instead host world leaders at the presidential retreat at Camp David in Maryland.

It was an unusually late location change for a large and highly scripted international summit and came with little explanation from the White House. Chicago Mayor Rahm Emanuel -- the former White House chief of staff who personally lobbied President Barack Obama to hold the summit in Chicago -- was informed only hours before the official announcement.

White House national security spokesman Tommy Vietor simply said that Camp David, the rustic retreat in the mountains of Maryland, was a setting that would allow for more intimate discussions among the G-8 leaders. He said security and the possibility of protests were not factors in the decision, noting that Obama would still host the NATO summit in his hometown of Chicago from May 20-21.

The White House said the G-8 summit would take place May 18-19.

The White House announced plans last summer to hold both summits back-to-back in Chicago, giving the president a high-profile opportunity to tout his foreign policy and diplomatic credentials on his home turf in an election year.

The idea of moving the G-8 to Camp David was raised to the president a few weeks ago, a senior administration official said, adding that the president was intrigued by the novelty of the idea and asked staff whether they could pull off the change. The official who spoke on condition of anonymity about internal White House thinking.

Adding to the curious nature of the White House announcement was the fact that Obama rarely spends time at his presidential retreat. And unlike many of his predecessors, Obama has never hosted a world leader at Camp David.

Monday's announcement appeared to catch many in Chicago by surprise. A spokeswoman for Emanuel said the Chicago mayor was informed about the location change in a Monday phone call from a White House official.

Chris Johnson, spokesman for the Chicagoland Chamber of Commerce, said his organization was "just as surprised about the announcement as anybody else."

The world's eight largest economies are represented in the G-8 and hosting duties for the annual summit are rotated among the member countries. The summits have become a target for large, and sometimes violent, protests in recent years, making security costs a concern for host cities.

At least one protest group heralded the news as a major victory. But Joe Iosbaker of the United National Antiwar Committee in Chicago said protests would still go on during the NATO summit.

Chicago officials began planning for the summits last summer, with city officials predicting it would give the city a chance to shine internationally, while the police rank-and-file worryied whether they would be prepared to handle the thousands of protesters expected to converge downtown.

Elizabeth Sherwood-Randall, Obama's senior director for European affairs, said recently that the president was confident his hometown could put on a "great show" and that its police department was up to the task of providing security.

The city's host committee had estimated it could cost $40 million to $65 million to stage the events, including the costs for security.

Gordon Johndroe, who served as National Security Council spokesman for President George W. Bush, said the immense logistics involved in setting up an international gathering like the G-8 would make it difficult to split the summits at such a late date.

"It is very complicated to set these things up, and even more complicated to move them that quickly," said Johndroe.

Leaders from Canada, France, Germany, Italy, Japan, Russia, the United Kingdom, as well as the European Union, are expected to attend this year's gathering.

• Cunningham Falls park to be closed during G-8
• Schools to close May 18 due to G-8
• G-8 protesters eye Baker Park, library
• Frederick County forms G8 Information Center
• Occupiers call for 'direct action' against G-8

The New World Order Checklist

How the New World Order is Planned and the Current Status

May 4, 2012

Wes Penre, Illuminati News - Based upon documents, laws, video clips, speeches, papers and publications, historical trends, quotes, and other readily available data... this is what is happening or is planned. Save this table, print it out, or do whatever you want to do with it. Follow the news and mark off this list as you go along. Hopefully, people will wake up and be able to stop this insanity before the list is complete!

• Climate Bill Delays Emissions Caps on Power Plants Until 2013
• Major Provisions of Obamacare Go into Effect in 2014
• Healthcare Reform Law Mandates Biometric Screening and Electronic Health Records by 2014
• Microchipped Humans By 2017

Big Banks and the Government have Colluded to Financially Enslave the People: Worst of the Failing Financial Institutions Will Be Propped Up at Any Cost as the Elites Move the World Toward Global Government

Regulators Build Too-Big-to-Fail Empire

Dominant Social Theme: These Too-Big-Fail corporations and financial firms must be supported by the government and by the people’s taxes.

Free-Market Analysis: It used to be in the US that you were on your own, at least when it came to building a business. If it succeeded, great – if not, then … too bad.

April 11, 2012

The Daily Bell - But not anymore. Now there are too-big-too-fail companies that are so designated by the US regulatory authorities. These are companies that must be supported by the US taxpayer because if they topple, the system as it is currently positioned will topple, too.

This is merely an expansion of the US ideology of empire, so it can’t be too surprising. But nonetheless it is further unwelcome evidence that the US has in a sene passed the point of no return. Ther tipping point has been reached. The rulers have seized the initiative. The ruled are being despoiled.

The best thing that could happen now would be for the system to essentially disintegrate. It will anyway. Why prolong the agony?

We encourage the toppling … metaphorically, not violently. It is not that we wish havoc for America or the West but we see a real crisis as the only way to move the West toward sanity again and away from the global governance seemingly sought by the elites.

One could argue that chaos is what the elites want – because out of chaos comes order … a New World Order. But the elites, in our view, want chaos that is controlled on their terms.

These dynastic families and their enablers and associates apparently control central banking around the world and want to create global government. They use mercantilism – passing laws and regulations that aid their control – to ensure that events move in a certain direction. We’ve taken to calling this directed history.

The power elite has created the current financial system, in our view, and controls government and regulators as well. They do not want the current system to founder and fail.

But the current system is THEIR system, designed to maximize control and move the world toward global government. The too-big-to-fail approach is basically a dominant social theme.

The elites use these memes to frighten middle classes into giving up power and wealth to specially designed international facilities the elites control. But now they are taking it a step further. Having caused a rolling economic depression in the West, the elites now propound the theme that society as a whole must support its purposefully failing institutions.

The same toxic mix of regulators, central banks and financial firms that created the economic mess are now to conspire together to ensure that the worst of the failing institutions are to be propped up at any cost.

This is, in fact, a kind of communism. It is beyond fascism, even. The state is not merely merging its authority with private enterprise; it is basically taking over these entities in a regulatory way. There shall be a fundamental blurring between regulatory and private market lines.

Of course, one could argue that in the big picture, this is just what was intended. The USSR and the US were apparently purposeful different sides of the dialectic. The USSR was perhaps “taken down” and moved toward a “capitalist” model. Now it is perhaps the turn of the US to move toward a communist one.

The “synthesis” continues preparatory to a greater merger, or so “conspiratorial historians” might argue. What is certainly true is that the US regulatory structure with the consent of Congress is building a kind of communist infrastructure under the noses of the American people. Here’s some more from the article:

There’s a universe of fewer than 50 firms that will get scrutinized more closely in stage two to see if they deserve the dreaded “systemically important” label. The first stage sets out a variety of “quantitative thresholds” that will be used to filter out which firms go on to stage two, where regulators dig into firm specifics. …

Of course “fewer than 50″ is still pretty vague. But some observers believe that one little line in the rule means regulators may have informally started stage two well before the process was finalized.

Regulators spent a total of 18 months creating the process, even though they made very few changes between an October draft and what they approved last week. The firms wouldn’t necessarily know if they’d passed on to stage two yet. Regulators rejected financial industry suggestions that they routinely notify all companies that enter stage two of the process; formal notice is only insured for firms that pass on to the third stage.

The rolling economic depression that is overtaking the West is surely the direct result of the artificial monetary distortions that central banks create every day. Monopoly central banking generates first booms and then busts. That’s because those generating the paper money never know how much is too much.

But this monetary expansion is purposeful. It’s been taking place for a century or more, and the system has expanded to 150 central banks. The idea that those behind the system don’t understand its destructive potential is surely naive.

The system, with its booms and busts, constantly centralizes power … first economic power and now legal power. The new regulations will enshrine certain corporations into existence for perpetuity. But these are the very firms that SHOULD fail. They are part of a much larger financial bubble.

Central banking itself is a bubble, one that has gone “unpopped” for many decades. The too-big-to-fail firms are actually its distribution arm. The whole system needs to be purged, but instead it is being given a regulatory life-support.

Having created these distortions, the powers-that-be now propose to solve the problem by propping up failing entities with the full power of the state. This is supposed to be a “normal” evolution, given the larger state of affairs. We would argue that it is not. It is an elaboration of empire, and a purposeful one.

Unfortunately, the system has been cleverly designed to involve the average citizen in its midst via 401ks, stocks, options and other instruments and pension elements. This involvement makes individuals extremely concerned about the system as it is, and effectively damps a good deal of protest against what otherwise might be conceived as an increasingly unfair financial environment.

Conclusion: All this has been cleverly designed over time in our view. It is hardly an natural evolution. The object is not to salvage the system but to create elitist facilities divorced from the market’s discipline. US citizens are watching, with varying degrees of passivity, as a formal corporate and regulatory elite is created, one with privileges beyond what any democratic society should be forced to endure.

Read More...

U.S. Troops Patrol Minnesota Neighborhood

Fully Armed U.S. Troops Patrol Minnesota Neighborhood

May 1, 2012

Infowars.com - A photo showing fully armed U.S. National Guard troops patrolling a quiet residential street in Crookston, Minnesota has gone viral, once again underscoring concerns that Americans are being conditioned to accept the gradual imposition of martial law.

Although the photo is undated, Guard troops from the local Crookston Armory routinely take part in off-base exercises which train the local population to accept the sight of armed soldiers patrolling their neighborhoods as normal.

One such exercise in February 2011 dubbed “Urban Operations Training” involved military Humvees and 27 armed soldiers conducting a drill around the Bridge Street area of Crookston.

According to “Maggie,” the woman who took the photograph, when she started taking pictures of the troops one of them told her, “Just training Ma’am. Joining up with another patrol at the rally point.”

When Maggie asked why they were training on the streets of a quiet residential area, a younger soldier responded, “To be honest ma’am, I don’t know.”

Members of the same Guard unit shown on the photograph – Minnesota National Guard, Unit 2-136 CAB / B Company – have been deployed to Iraq where their duties would potentially have included rounding up alleged insurgents and taking them to prison camps, a frightening prospect given that the recently passed National Defense Authorization Act allows for American citizens to be similarly kidnapped and detained without trial.

National Guard troops are routinely involved in ‘urban warfare training’ drills but they usually take place within the confines of military bases. Many fear that the increasing presence of armed soldiers patrolling residential neighborhoods is a precursor to martial law.

Indeed, back in 2008 the Washington Post reported how 20,000 U.S. troops returning from Iraq would be stationed inside America under Northcom for purposes of “domestic security” from September 2011 onwards.

Northcom officials were forced to subsequently issue a denial after the Army Times initially reported that the troops would be used to deal “with civil unrest and crowd control.”

The use of U.S. troops in law enforcement duties is a complete violation of the Posse Comitatus Act and the Insurrection Act, which substantially limit the powers of the federal government to use the military for law enforcement unless under precise and extreme circumstances.

Section 1385 of the Posse Comitatus Act states,

“Whoever, except in cases and under circumstances expressly authorized by the Constitution or Act of Congress, willfully uses any part of the Army or the Air Force as a posse comitatus or otherwise to execute the laws shall be fined under this title or imprisoned not more than two years, or both.”

As Alex Jones exposed back in the late 1990’s, U.S. troops have been training to impose martial law for a considerable amount of time. During numerous urban warfare drills that Jones attended and reported on, troops were trained to raid, arrest and imprison U.S. citizens in detention camps as well as taking over public buildings and running checkpoints. During role playing exercises, actors playing prisoners would scream “I’m an American citizen, I have rights” as they were being dragged away by troops.

The fact that such drills are now set to involve Russian soldiers training on U.S. soil to hunt “terrorists” has also caused consternation.

Federal authorities in the United States have clearly been preparing for domestic civil unrest for a number of years. The Department of Homeland Security recently purchased a staggering 450 million rounds of hollow point bullets as well as bullet-proof checkpoint booths that include ‘stop and go’ lights.

Click here for images that show U.S. troops and National Guard working with local police to incarcerate Americans into internment camps during drills Alex Jones covered in 1999 in Oakland, California.

Google-owned Youtube Shuts Down Popular Ron Paul Channel

YouTube Sends Hundreds of Ron Paul Videos to Memory Hole

May 1, 2012

Infowars.com - Google property YouTube has closed down a popular Ron Paul channel after “multiple third-party notifications of copyright infringement,” most notably establishment media tool CNBC.

Most of the videos scrubbed from YouTube were not CNBC property.

The effort to reduce Ron Paul’s presence on YouTube follows the deliberate under-coverage of the Paul campaign by the establishment media during the 2012 primaries.

In October of last year, a study conducted by Pew Research Center confirmed that the establishment was terrified of Ron Paul’s presidential campaign gaining momentum. An earlier report by the polling organization revealed a concerted effort to ignore Paul.

As we noted in 2009, YouTube and Google are CIA assets. Both serve as gatekeepers for the establishment.

“Google is a corporate member of the Council on Foreign Relations. In late 2006, Google bought YouTube for US$1.65 billion in stock, so it is fair to say YouTube is also pushing the CFR’s one-world government agenda,” we noted at the time.

It makes sense that the CFR would send videos featuring Ron Paul to the memory hole. Ron Paul, after all, is a contagion for liberty and constitutional principles which send the elite into allergic paroxysms.