Meh, our cops do it too.

Greek Cops Caught on Video Posing as Anarchists

A Greek television show has revealed how Greek police posed as anarchists and destroyed property. Inciting violence and blaming it on legitimate activists is a favorite tactic of the state in order to crack down on protest and dismiss genuine grievances.

Guilty until fourth amendment shows up

Wash. legislator to introduce DNA testing bill

TACOMA, Wash. -- Rep. Mark Miloscia, D-Federal Way, says he plans to introduce a bill in the 2009 Legislature that will put the state on the same page with the federal government on the subject of DNA testing.

Your right to be secure in your person and your papers includes your DNA. The police may take "non-intimate" body samples from you. These include samples of hair, fingernail or toenail scrapings, and some external body swabs.

However, you cannot refuse to be fingerprinted because it is considered non intimate. Unfortunately we have a long line of prescient set out before now that eviscerates your ability to refuse fingerprinting.

Additionally because of Terry v. Ohio you can be frisked without arrest.

Fingerprints and frisking literally exist on the edge of personal and public space. Personally I argue that subpoena /should/ be required as in order to do either, but that is another subject entirely.

Obtaining DNA is about as intimate as you can get, thus requiring a subpoena to protect against unreasonable search and seizure by the fourth amendment.

Additionally it sets a prescient that can be used to further eviscerate our fourth amendment rights to privacy.

In an age where you are more likely to be jailed then you are to have a crime committed against you (thank you, drug war), this is another nail in the coffin of civil liberties. The creation of a database of citizen's DNA who haven't actually been convicted of crimes opens a door to far greater abuses.

Take for instance that now you can be required to give your fingerprints to the state if you lost your id, putting your thumb print on file for the state/federal government....

Those who fight against Real ID should be the same ones who are queasy right now.

No, /bad/ Canada. Don't follow our example

Canada & US To Exchange Troops During "Unrest"

"Canada and the U.S. have signed an agreement that paves the way for the militaries from either nation to send troops across each other's borders during an emergency, but some are questioning why the Harper government has kept silent on the deal."

"....A very, very bad idea, eh? The reason? Both sides would be more inclined to use violence, since none of it would be directed against their own countrymen."

Probable cause: keeping mass round up of "inconvenient citizens" illegal since 1776

No evidence to convict 10,000 detainees– U.S. commander

BAGHDAD / Aswat al-Iraq: U.S. forces in Iraq have detained 10,000 prisoners without evidence of their wrongdoing, a U.S. detention centers in Iraq commander said on Monday.

So we just rounded up over 10,000 people, or the population of most small towns and detained them. Detained of course because then we can torture them - there are rules about the treatment of prisoners which is why we call them detainees - to get around these rules.

You see, martial law is "bad" because they don't need things like "probable cause."

I am am ashamed and mortified at the actions of my country. To the people of Iraq: I am so freaking sorry my government are such assbags.

Hell will welcome you, Dick Cheney

KBR knowingly exposed troops to toxic dust

"A CBS News investigation has obtained evidence that a subsidiary of Halliburton, the giant energy company formerly headed by Vice President Dick Cheney, knowingly exposed United States soldiers to toxic materials in Iraq."

It's times like this that make me want to believe in Hell.

India Moves troops to Pakistan border (wasn't this a headline last year?)

Pakistan Moves Troops Toward Indian Border, Further Raising Regional Tensions

Have you ever noticed all the bad news gets posted on Fridays? I know I have.

US military dry runs domestic training

Northcom Combat Team Conducts “Humanitarian Support” Exercise in Maryland

The Armed Forces Press Service has initiated a propaganda campaign designed to convince the American people that deploying the 3rd Infantry Division in the United States in violation of the Posse Comitatus Act is a good thing. The propaganda piece appeared on the Hinesville, Georgia, Coastal Courier’s website on December 26.

No matter how pretty you paint the colours, it's still bad to have the god damn military on your home turf. This propaganda is bullshit.

Operation "Let God sort 'em out"

U.S. to arm local Afghans to fight Taliban

I can't state this any better than the Fark title: "U.S. Military announces new strategy in Afghanistan: We armed the extremists in the eighties, now we'll arm the civilians. Commence Operation "Let God sort 'em out""

U.S. Military Preparing for Domestic Disturbances

U.S. Military Preparing for Domestic Disturbances

A new report from the U.S. Army War College discusses the use of American troops to quell civil unrest brought about by a worsening economic crisis.

More reports of preparations for martial law.

Why do I keep posting these?

Because the reason for the constitution and habeas corpus (which would be suspended during martial law) was so that the government didn't just go around detaining those who disagreed with it.

Because a government needs to adhere to laws, the most wholesome and necessary for the public good. Because taxes imposed need to have the consent of the people so as not to enslave them through debt. Because of the benefits of trial by jury, as during martial law there is no difference between judge, jury, and executioner.

Because freedom does not mean the ability to choose between a variety of breakfast cereals.


To quote from USConstitution.net martial law is defined as:

In strict dictionary terms, martial law is the suspension of civil authority and the imposition of military authority. When we say a region or country is "under martial law," we mean to say that the military is in control of the area, that it acts as the police, as the courts, as the legislature. The degree of control might vary - a nation may have... Read more a civilian legislature but have the courts administered by the military. Or the legislature and courts may operate under civilian control with a military ruler. In each case, martial law is in effect, even if it is not called "martial law."

Article 1, Section 9 states, "The privilege of the Writ of Habeas Corpus shall not be suspended, unless when in Cases of Rebellion or Invasion the public Safety may require it." Habeas corpus is a concept of law, in which a person may not be held by the government without a valid reason for being held. A writ of habeas corpus can be issued by a court upon a government agency (such as a police force or the military). Such a writ compels the agency to produce the individual to the court, and to convince the court that the person is being reasonably held. The suspension of habeas corpus allows an agency to hold a person without a charge. Suspension of habeas corpus is often equated with martial law.

9/11 (TM)

USA needs nuclear explosion to turn the world into dictatorship

Is the United States going to put dictatorship into effect under the guise of the anti-terrorist struggle? What may trigger another major transformation in 2009? The answer is obvious: another 9/11 in the USA.

Define irony: Russian newspaper reporting that America is going to put itself into a dictatorship. As vote to allow Putin to remain in office after extending presidency limits goes through. Putin found whistling innocently.

Joking aside, this is after 9/11 truth got nominated for a Nobel Prize

Move ALONG citizen there is NOTHING to see here.

at-Largely: One of my sources died in a plane crash last night... 1

I don't usually reveal sources, but I think this is incredibly important. Michael Connell died in a plane crash last night. He was a key witness in the Ohio election fraud case that I have been reporting on.

So, there was this high level Repub consultant who worked in 2004 doing IT during the elections. In September of this year he was subpoenaed to go in front of Congress and talk about how the 2004 elections were stolen. Subsequently he received death threats and Rove himself was pissed at the guy. Then, right before testifying the guy ends up dead in a mysterious plane crash. Move along citizen, nothing to see here.

This link is a journalist who had been talking to the guy for the last year.

Big Brother is still watching you and now he's cataloging your DNA

The Bill Nobody Noticed

"In April of 2008, President Bush signed into law S.1858 which allows the federal government to screen the DNA of all newborn babies in the U.S. This was to be implemented within 6 months meaning that this collection is now being carried out. Congressman Ron Paul states that this bill is the first step towards the establishment of a national DNA database."

S. 1858:
110th Congress: Newborn Screening Saves Lives Act of 2007

Purpose:

To establish, maintain, and operate a system to assess and coordinate treatment relating to congenital, genetic, and metabolic disorders.

disseminate such report on as wide a basis as practicable, including through posting on the internet clearinghouse established under section 1112.


Those with access to the database:

(b) Eligible Entity- In this section, the term `eligible entity' means--
(1) a State or a political subdivision of a State;
(2) a consortium of 2 or more States or political subdivisions of States;
(3) a territory;
(4) a health facility or program operated by or pursuant to a contract with or grant from the Indian Health Service; or
(5) any other entity with appropriate expertise in newborn screening, as determined by the Secretary.

Ron Paul says:

“Those of us in the medical profession should be particularly concerned about policies allowing government officials and state-favored interests to access our medical records without our consent … My review of S. 1858 indicates the drafters of the legislation made no effort to ensure these newborn screening programs do not violate the privacy rights of parents and children, in fact, by directing federal bureaucrats to create a contingency plan for newborn screening in the event of a ‘public health’ disaster, this bill may lead to further erosions of medical privacy. As recent history so eloquently illustrates, politicians are more than willing to take, and people are more than willing to cede, liberty during times of ‘emergency.”

Europe is having their 1960s

Greek Syndrome' is catching as youth take to streets

If Greek students sneeze, or catch a whiff of tear-gas, young people take to the streets in France and now Sweden. Yesterday, masked youths threw two firebombs at the French Institute in Athens. Windows were smashed but the building was not seriously damaged. Then youths spray-painted two slogans on the building. One said, "Spark in Athens. Fire in Paris. Insurrection is coming". The other read, "France, Greece, uprising everywhere".

Rule by corporations is called a what, a Plutocracy? Corportocracy? Corrupt?

Bush attempts to nullify an entire branch of government

They state this better than I can. It kinda makes me ill.

Olbermann states it well: in Europe they vigorously regulate everything and ensure that things are safe before they hit the market. Here, we don't regulate them before hand so much as sue after they're defective: i.e. in Europe you have to prove that it's safe, in America you have to prove that it's not.

Since we do /not/ have strict regulations before something goes out (better than some countries, however Regan reduced the size of the FDA by 2/3s), the way that we have a check on corporations is through the ability to pursuit legal action.

Before you start whining about frivolous lawsuits, remember that this is the third check on our government. This country is unique in that a lone person on the streets may stand before the courts and their government and say "Hey, that's not right," and the courts can look at their case and say "Yeah, you're right, that's /not/ right."

You, citizen, have power. It's not a perfect system, but there are a heck of a lot worse.

Churches should stay out of politics or be TAXED.

Prop 8 Sponsors Want to Nix 18,000 Gay Marriages

The sponsors of Proposition 8 are asking the California Supreme Court to nullify the marriages of the estimated 18,000 same-sex couples who exchanged vows before voters last month approved the ballot initiative"

Look, sorry you fascists, but that's simply impossible.

1.) It's called a Grandfather clause and that means you can't just make something illegal or void something with an ex post facto law.

2.) Prop 8 has zero legal standing. It was a Constitutional Amendment passed as a proposition by simple majority without ever having gone through the state legislative bodies. Even in the legislature you need to have a two thirds majority to pass.

3.) You do not have the required "compelling justification" for the nullification of 18,000 marriages, especially when it would cost the state millions

4.) Stick it, assholes.

Shoe tosser imprisoned, battered in custody, status unknown

Iraqi parliament in turmoil over shoe tosser

"Chaos erupted in Iraq's parliament Wednesday over the jailing of a reporter who threw his shoes at President George W. Bush, with lawmakers loyal to a radical anti-American cleric demanding his freedom."


Lawmakers argued that there needed to be a session addressing the case and the allegations he had been beaten in custody.

When the arguments turned into a screaming match speaker Mahmoud al-Mashhadani, shouted: "There is no honor in leading this parliament and I announce my resignation."

Government Censoring Health Information

U.S. Funded Health Search Engine Blocks 'Abortion'

A U.S. government-funded medical information site that bills itself as the world's largest database on reproductive health has quietly begun to block searches on the word "abortion," concealing nearly 25,000 search results.

Never mind the censorship issue that this completely obliterates freedom of the press or information, how about that health issue?

You know, things like "Uterine Infections" or "Hemorrhaging" or other things that might be legit reasons for the health need of terminating a pregnancy.

Not giving someone the ability to choose with a full range of facts? Bad. Censoring health information that could endanger people's lives? Fucked up.

Are you no longer a US citizen when you walk into a school?

Former Student Who Created Facebook Group Critical of Teacher Sues High School Over Suspension

A former Florida high school student who was disciplined for "cyberbullying" a teacher on Facebook is suing the school principal on allegations of violating her free speech rights.

Before you start whining about frivolous lawsuits, remember that this is the third check on our government. This country is unique in that a lone person on the streets may stand before the courts and their government and say "Hey, that's not right," and the courts can look at their case and say "Yeah, you're right, that's /not/ right."

You, citizen, have power. It's not a perfect system, but there are a heck of a lot worse.

This particular case regards the fact that minors and students still have rights, /especially/ when they are not at school.

Freedom of speech does not protect /popular/ speech, it protects that which is /unpopular./ If we take away one right, where will that lead us?

And students have the ability to speak out. They should not be censored. Freedom of speech is your right, and it is their right too. You do /not/ give up your rights as a citizen to the moment you enter a school, and you ESPECIALLY do not give up your rights /away/ from it!

How /would/ a patriot act?

Court Narrows National Security Secrecy, Limits Oversight

A unanimous federal appeals court on Monday narrowed the scope of when telecommunications companies must keep the self-issued FBI search-warrant requests secret.But the court limited when it was necessary for judges to review a secrecy order.

The appeal concerned various counter-terrorism statutes and the 2006 USA Patriot Act, which allows the FBI to demand information concerning telephone and e-mail communications (among other things) without a warrant under a national security letter, or NSL. The law forbids companies to let a customer know that the bureau has sought information concerning their telephone and e-mail traffic.

THOMAS TAMM, YOU ARE A HERO.

New York Times' NSA Whistleblower Reveals Himself

It's been three years since The New York Times first broke the news of the NSA's warrantless wiretapping program, based on information provided by an anonymous source. Today the identity


I'll answer the question posed: NO! THIS MAN SHOULD /NOT/ BE PROSECUTED.

Why do we not have better whistleblower protections in this country? Why is it that the greatest acts of patriotism are considered treason?

Without Daniel Ellsberg we would never have known about the Pentagon Papers, crucial in ending the Vietnam War, as well as Nixon's career. Ellsberg was prosecuted for his heroism along with Mike Gravel who helped put these papers - which demonstrated government corruption - into the public record.

Without Thomas Tamm we would have never known about the government's far overreaching and ILLEGAL spying program. This man is a hero!

The reason that we are supposed to have a free press is to be a check on the government. Whistleblowers are critical within that. We are a free people! When corruption is evident within our government it is our RIGHT and our DUTY to expose it!

THOMAS TAMM, YOU ARE A HERO.

Free speech is ok, so long as none of the other little snowflake's feelings are hurt

FIRE Report: Public Universities Overwhelmingly Violate First Amendment

PHILADELPHIA, December 15, 2008—Today the Foundation for Individual Rights in Education (FIRE) has released its 2009 report on campus speech codes, revealing that American colleges and universities systematically violate students' and faculty members' right to freedom of expression.

Bullshit! Colleges should be hotbeds of free speech, not attempting to stifle it.

I may not like what you have to say, but blast it, you have the right to say it, "hate speech" or not. You have the right to be an idiot and I have the right to call you a bigot.

Grow a pair!

Google, you little ragamuffin, what do you need my information for 9 months for, anyways?

Yahoo to anonymize logs after 90 days

"The Electronic Frontier Foundation's Kevin Bankston discusses the news that Yahoo! will radically reduce the retention period for its logs, anonymizing them after just 90 days (compared with Google's 9 months)."

I admit to being a hard core Google-ite, however, if this is true, I will probably switch.

Demonstrating the Need for Prison Reformation

Charles Platt on life in prison - Boing Boing

"The man by the metal detector looks like somebody’s benevolent uncle. White-haired, folksy and jovial, he could be in a TV commercial selling hearing aids. You’d never guess he controls access to a concrete-walled correctional facility."

"The list of ominous indicators is long and getting longer, including warrantless wiretaps, innocent people killed or traumatized during no-knock drug busts based on bogus tipoffs, random traffic stops in search of drivers who have had two beers and will be hauled straight to jail, search-and-seizure of laptops by immigration officers, suspension of constitutional rights for anyone suspected of “terrorist acts,” tasering of citizens who ask why they’re being arrested"

"...Among the adult population of the United States, 1 person out of every 100 is now behind bars. Thus the unweighted odds of going to jail are greater than the odds of being a crime victim."

"...It’s important to understand just how extreme the situation is. We now incarcerate a larger proportion of our citizens, and a larger absolute number of them, than any other nation in the world. The United States has less than 5 percent of the global population yet has almost one-quarter of all the world’s prisoners."

posse comitatus - preventing martial law

Wikileak: Homeland Security Planning

This link is a PDF on Wikileaks - a leaked official document regarding the homeland security measures at the RNC.

Groups involved in the security measures include ICE: Immigration and Customs Enforcement, Department of Defense's Army Northern Command, and the NGA -
National Geospatial-Intelligence Agency (NGA provides mapping tools and imagery intelligence that are obtained from the United State's military spy satellites which are controlled by the National Reconnaissance Office).

If NORTHCOMM was assisting in the planning was the military involved in crowd control strategies in violation of posse comitatus? Was military intelligence used to watch the protesters at the RNC? If so, that is A LITTLE TINY BIT illegal.

Or, Milwaukee could print it's own money... one of the two.

Milwaukee neighborhoods could print own money

"Residents from the Milwaukee neighborhoods of Riverwest and East Side are scheduled to meet Wednesday to discuss printing their own money. The idea is that the local cash could be used at neighborhood stores and businesses, thus encouraging local spending. The result, supporters hope, would be a bustling local economy, even as the rest of the nation deals with a recession."

Well... okay... a little unconstitutional but I suppose that doesn't matter anymore since the Federal Reserve isn't constitutional either.

...Fascinating. I am genuinely unsure of what to make of this.

Making the public domain public

Public Records: now with availability to the public!

"If you want to search federal court documents, it's not a problem. Just apply online for an account, and the government will issue you a user name and password.

Through the postal service.

And once you log in, the government's courthouse search engine known as Public Access to Court Electronic Records or PACER, will charge you 8 cents a page to read documents that are in the public domain — a fee that earned the federal judiciary $50 million in profits in 2006."

This guy is taking the records and posting them online for free.

Imagine that: public records available to the public. For free.

Greece learns what France already knows: shooting children is bad

Riots rage in Greece

ATHENS (Reuters) - Protesters hurled fire bombs at riot police, who answered with teargas, as 4,000 Greek students marched on Thursday in a sixth straight day of anti-government violence

Remember in V for Vendetta when the Fingerman shoots the kid running around in the Guy Fawkes mask causing riots and anarchy? Yeah.... about that.

Fingerprinting of Cell phone users

Mexican congress approves widening police powers

MEXICO CITY (AP) — Mexico's Congress on Tuesday voted to broaden police powers, allowing law enforcement agencies to use undercover agents and taped conversations as evidence in a bid to help them fight increasingly bloody drug cartels.
"Also Tuesday, the Senate voted to create a registry of cell phone owners to combat kidnappings and extortions in which gangs often use untraceable mobile phones to make ransom demands.

Telecoms would be required to ask purchasers of cell phones or phone memory chips for their names, addresses and fingerprints, and to turn that information over to investigators if requested."

Don't worry, that could /never/ happen in our country.

North Dakota makes you an offer you cannot refuse

Fark title: "USA Today publishes the most corrupt states in the nation. Who takes the top spot? Well, let's just say your Buffalo wants 90,000 dollars in unmarked bills"

"While Illinois Gov. Rod Blagojevich is embroiled in a corruption case, his state ranked 18th in a state-by-state analysis of public corruption convictions. On a per-capita basis, North Dakota came in at No. 1."


Ok, so sure, Florida is huge, but when you have 824 corruption convictions in a state, you're not making a good case to take away the Florida Fark tag.

Because some news stories can only be explained by "It's Florida."

Bomb bomb bomb [insert country]

Zbigniew Brzezinski: Israel's push for Iran strike may hurt U.S. ties - Haaretz - Israel News

"Israel will do harm to its relations with the United States if it insists on lobbying Washington for an American military strike on Iran."

Seriously? What the hell is wrong with you people. Grow a pair and do your own dirty work.

Terrorist socks

Case May Test How Courts Handle Terror Suspects

Fahad Hashmi's case is coming under scrutiny at a time when a new administration will begin taking a hard look at how the U.S. deals with terrorism suspects. Hashmi hasn't been accused of violence; the question is whether his ties to Islamic fundamentalist groups amount to terrorism.

Prosecutors said storing that suitcase was tantamount to providing material support for a terrorist organization, said Hashmi's lawyer, Sean Maher.

The contents of the suitcase? Rain ponchos, waterproof socks.