Quite the little country we’re becoming.

[no_such_reality]

What’s the other half of this story? What Mark Steyn attributes here to behavior of the IRS in the audits, leaking of info to rival groups isn’t just scandalous.

http://www.ocregister.com/articles/irs-508961-government-tax.html

“Miss Strassel wrote that on April 26, 2012. Five weeks later, one of the named individuals, Frank VanderSloot, was informed by the IRS that he and his wife were being audited. In July, he was told by the Department of Labor of an additional audit over the guest workers on his cattle ranch in Idaho. In September, he was notified that one of his other businesses was to be audited. Mr. VanderSloot, who had never previously been audited, attracted three in the four months after being publicly named by El Presidente. More to the point, he attracted that triple audit even though Miss Strassel explicitly predicted in America’s biggest-selling newspaper that this was exactly what the Obama enforcers were going to do. The “separate, sinister entity” of the Government of the United States went ahead, anyway. What do they care? If some lippy broad in the papers won’t quit her yapping about it, they can always audit her, too – as they did to Miss Strassel’s sometime colleague Anne Hendershott, a sociology professor who got rather too interested in Obamacare and wrote about it in the Journal and various small Catholic publications. The IRS summoned professor Hendershott to account for herself, and forbade her husband from accompanying her, even though they filed jointly. She ceased her political writing.

…

Mr. VanderSloot is big enough, just about, to see off the most powerful government on the planet. Most of those who’ve caught the eye of the IRS share nothing in common with him other than his political preferences. They’re nobodies – ordinary American citizens guilty of no crime except that of disagreeing with the ruling party. Yet they were asked, under “penalty of perjury,” to disclose the names of books they were reading and provide the names and addresses of relatives who might be planning to run for public office – a kind of pre-enemies list. Is that banana-republic enough for you yet? Not apparently for Juan Williams, fired from NPR for thought crime a couple of years ago, but who was nevertheless energetically defending the IRS exertions on Fox News on Thursday evening.

Left-wing groups had their 501(c)(4) applications approved in weeks; right-wing groups were delayed for months and years and ordered to cough up everything from donor lists to Facebook posts, and those right-wing groups that were approved had their IRS files leaked to left-wing groups like ProPublica. The agency’s commissioner, Steven Miller, conceded before Congress that this was “horrible customer service” – which it was, in the sense that your call is important to him and may be monitored by George Soros for quality control.”

Here’s the original O’campaign piece http://www.barackobama.com/truth-team/entry/behind-the-curtain-a-brief-history-of-romneys-donors/

[SD Realtor]

Hey now, nothing to see here NSR. Besides now we know why DHS needed all those hollow points. So they could make sure the tea party terrorists didn’t cause any harm at the IRS rallies.

I tell you man, better start watching what you say, and where you say it.

No holds barred these days.

[no_such_reality]

Kern county coroner rules the 33 year old beaten by Sheriff deputies died of heart disease.

He had a blood alcohol level of 0.095 (oh my, the incredibly outrageous drunken bastard

and meth in his system

and most importantly, in the news conference, Sheriff claimed no deputies hit him in the head.

I don’t buy it, what a reeking cesspool.

http://www.latimes.com/local/lanow/la-me-ln-autopsy-man-killed-in-police-altercation-died-of-heart-disease-20130523,0,4663075.story

[spdrun]

I’m sure everyone is shocked in disbelief. Deputies accused of deleting one of the videos

This is why everyone who has a smartphone should have it set up to upload video to a cloud service. ACLU has actually put out an app, and there are other tools that allow for the same function.

Also, a lot of LEOs aren’t very bright, and don’t know that videos that were “deleted” from a mobile can be relatively UN-deleted by a determined user. Hope that the people’s lawyers are savvy enough to know this, and that we see a few corrupt cops fry in the near future. (Pity they’ll only go to jail or lose their jobs, not actually get a seat in an electric chair.)

[FlyerInHi]

[quote=Allan from Fallbrook]Dumbrenter: Wow. Great post and you nailed it. It’s also cool that you can maintain your optimism, and that’s not said sarcastically. In a conversation with an Army buddy, he said it’s the first time in his life that he’s actually worried about the potential future of the US.

I’ll admit that the last 10+ years have been rough, especially when one considers how much our essential rights and liberties have eroded.

And, no, I don’t blame Obama. He’s a symptom of the overall disease. As Lord Acton put it, “Power corrupts; absolute power tends to corrupt absolutely.”
[/quote]

So do you want to end the state of perpetuatal war and come back to some normalcy? Or would you rather expand the security state ever more?

The war on terrorism is what allows the government to review every person’s movements for potential threats.

As dumbrenter says, technology allows the governemrnt to run routine data through vast databases looking for exceptions. With Interpol data and border entry and exit passport scans, governments can already easily track passenger movements.

Does our government have any business tracking where we go?

[Allan from Fallbrook]

FIH: No, the government has no business nosing into any of our business. I am adamantly opposed to the National Security State, and all of its attendant functions.

The various legislative components, including the Patriot Acts, AUMF, NDAA, continue to erode our rights and liberties and we need to roll them back and reclaim our rights.

[CA renter]

[quote=Allan from Fallbrook]FIH: No, the government has no business nosing into any of our business. I am adamantly opposed to the National Security State, and all of its attendant functions.

The various legislative components, including the Patriot Acts, AUMF, NDAA, continue to erode our rights and liberties and we need to roll them back and reclaim our rights.[/quote]

Amen.

Now, how do we go about getting this done? Is it even possible?

[Allan from Fallbrook]

[quote=CA renter][quote=Allan from Fallbrook]FIH: No, the government has no business nosing into any of our business. I am adamantly opposed to the National Security State, and all of its attendant functions.

The various legislative components, including the Patriot Acts, AUMF, NDAA, continue to erode our rights and liberties and we need to roll them back and reclaim our rights.[/quote]

Amen.

Now, how do we go about getting this done? Is it even possible?[/quote]

CAR: I believe it’s actually quite simple. People take back their role as active, involved citizens and start asking questions, demanding answers and accountability.

Watching the media wake up (finally) was tremendously heartening. Seeing polls wherein people overwhelmingly responded that their own government was a threat to their rights and liberties was also uplifting.

Whether you agree with the Tea Party or Occupy, it’s especially gratifying to see the average American rouse their fat ass off the couch and get involved. With the rise of social media, the tools are in place to effect significant change and do so non-violently.

I’m no cock-eyed optimist, but I also have great faith in the enduring strength of the American “experiment”.

[CA renter]

Let’s hope so, Allan.

I was involved in the early Tea Party and Occupy demonstrations/movements, and it was VERY obvious to see how both of those movements were co-opted/dismantled by some very powerful groups. That’s the problem, and they will continue to be able to divert the energies of any popular movements until more people (including the well-meaning but fairly naive activists) wake up.

[paramount]

[quote=CA renter][quote=Allan from Fallbrook]FIH: No, the government has no business nosing into any of our business. I am adamantly opposed to the National Security State, and all of its attendant functions.

The various legislative components, including the Patriot Acts, AUMF, NDAA, continue to erode our rights and liberties and we need to roll them back and reclaim our rights.[/quote]

Amen.

Now, how do we go about getting this done? Is it even possible?[/quote]

Madison clearly argued the need for the Republic to return to Constitutional Conventions when our Federal Government steps beyond its enumerated boundaries. However, “We the People: Whose Constitution is it Anyway” asserts there is no need to send delegates and assemble in a central location for what could become a target of opportunity for enemies to undermine or attack the Republic. Brilliantly, “We the People: Whose Constitution is it Anyway” pushes the conventional roles of a Republic into twenty-first century technology to return more controls back to the States and the people.

[dumbrenter]

[quote=FlyerInHi][quote=Allan from Fallbrook]Dumbrenter: Wow. Great post and you nailed it. It’s also cool that you can maintain your optimism, and that’s not said sarcastically. In a conversation with an Army buddy, he said it’s the first time in his life that he’s actually worried about the potential future of the US.

I’ll admit that the last 10+ years have been rough, especially when one considers how much our essential rights and liberties have eroded.

And, no, I don’t blame Obama. He’s a symptom of the overall disease. As Lord Acton put it, “Power corrupts; absolute power tends to corrupt absolutely.”
[/quote]

So do you want to end the state of perpetuatal war and come back to some normalcy? Or would you rather expand the security state ever more?

The war on terrorism is what allows the government to review every person’s movements for potential threats.

As dumbrenter says, technology allows the governemrnt to run routine data through vast databases looking for exceptions. With Interpol data and border entry and exit passport scans, governments can already easily track passenger movements.

Does our government have any business tracking where we go?[/quote]

My point is that the same technology allows you, the person who has put this government in place to avoid the same tracking methods. It allows you to organize with other folks with same opinion, make it hard for the government to do things they do and allows for coordinated action with others.
That is assuming you can read, are aware of your rights, and have stomach for a fight.
Unfortunately, it is amazing on how much the above qualities are lacking in people I interact with it. If the first two check out, the last does not.

[dumbrenter]

[quote=CA renter][quote=Allan from Fallbrook]FIH: No, the government has no business nosing into any of our business. I am adamantly opposed to the National Security State, and all of its attendant functions.

The various legislative components, including the Patriot Acts, AUMF, NDAA, continue to erode our rights and liberties and we need to roll them back and reclaim our rights.[/quote]

Amen.

Now, how do we go about getting this done? Is it even possible?[/quote]

Step 1: Never ever, I mean ever vote for the representative/senator that voted for or extended the Patriot act. If enough folks do that, the message will be delivered. I don’t care about the party or political ideology, but a vote for the fellow who did his part in extending that act is a vote for evil.
Step 2: Complain loudly about these laws, if you can get five of your family/friends to make this a single point of issue for voting, you have done an awesome job. Learn from Obama campaign on how they used technology and statistics in their favor. Classic grassroots democracy. You can do the same too.
Step 3: Start with a default NO on all new laws when you vote unless you really feel a YES is in your interests. Make your rights (of freedom, privacy, property, bear arms) the foundation of all your voting decisions. Things like abortion, unions, foreign stuff, economy can come later after the core issues are satisfied. I am anti-union, but I will vote for a person who satisfies the rights criteria even if he is pro-union. Unfortunately, most people vote emotionally and give away their rights in return.

Wonder at what point will Americans figure out that these draconian laws are not made for some arab terrorist boys who families are related to our political establishment anyway. These laws are meant for you and you voted for them yourself. The politicians have used your tribalism (we’ll get those foreign terrorists with these laws), your insecurity (these laws will keep you safe) and your laziness (you don’t need those guns when we are here to protect & serve).

[curiousmind]

Allan, when’s the Fallbrook meetup?

[Allan from Fallbrook]

[quote=curiousmind]Allan, when’s the Fallbrook meetup?[/quote]

Friday night at the Red Eye Saloon on Main Street. I’ll be the one with the red carnation in my lapel, sitting next to the John Birch Society poster.

[FlyerInHi]

[quote=dumbrenter]

My point is that the same technology allows you, the person who has put this government in place to avoid the same tracking methods. It allows you to organize with other folks with same opinion, make it hard for the government to do things they do and allows for coordinated action with others.
That is assuming you can read, are aware of your rights, and have stomach for a fight.
Unfortunately, it is amazing on how much the above qualities are lacking in people I interact with it. If the first two check out, the last does not.[/quote]

Yea, tech allows people to organize. But the tracking cannot be avoided unless the infrastructure that allows it is dismantled and forbidden.

Unfortunately, if we want to track potential Muslim terrorists, then everyone has to be run through the databases.

People just need to understand how computers work. Data is cross referenced in databases and when something out of the norm happens, an exception report is generated. If you travel to Afghanistan , you’ll probably automatically be included on a watch list. Your phone records could then be referenced against another list of numbers.

Face and body recognition technology is advancing fast. It won’t be long until people walking through public places are routinely be scanned.

Politicians are blamed when they don’t provide 100% security. So they cover their asses not to be labeled weak on terrorism. We then end up with an ever expanding security state.

As a country, we got what we deserve. Unless we can accept that freedom comes at the price of some troubles, sometimes, we will continue to compromise our privacy and civil liberties. It’s as simple as that.

How many voters really care that American citizens were killed by drones? If the opportunity to kill those “terrorists” were forfeited there would likely be an investigation as to why not and who gave the orders to let them slip away. What if there were some attack afterwards?

If I were the decision maker, I would stretch the limits of the law to cover my ass. And more power to me too.

[Author]

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