Military Commissions Act to be revisted by new Democratic Senate

"It now appears almost certain that the the Military Commissions Act, which among other things suspended habeas corpus for suspected terrorists, will be re-examined. A group of Senate Democrats and one Republican, Sen. Arlen Specter, want to resurrect the bill to fix a provision they say threatens the nation’s credibility on human rights issues."

We need to fix the system so it can't break next time. We need to make constitutional amendments banning the fat lobby groups, and these huge international cartel corporation from infecting our government. We need to amend the constitution so that it doesn't require an ultra rich elite to run the country. I mean the Bush dynasty has been on the ground for quite some time now, and it needs to stop. Even Clinton and John Kerry are super rich. Al Gore isn't really elite, but I shudder at him being president. I certainly don't have all the answers, but we need to remove the money and profit motive from government, and make it impossible for people to profit from our government and the decision we make and need to make.

We also need to get rid of the Federal Reserve and Central banks from the USA and replace them with the US mint, the way it was supposed to be. The US government can federally insure your money just as well as the central (independently run) banks can. Without a profit motive in government we could secure our futures, but that would leave profit to those who really deserve it.

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Saddam Hussein - DEAD

"Saddam Hussein was hanged roughly 10 minutes ago (just before 6 am local time)"

Well, that's what you get for being a New World Order shill. Saddam attempted to unite the Iraqi people (yeah he was pretty brutal), and convert the oil fields back to Iraqi control not US control. Of course working with the CIA and trading weapons with the US over many years he certainly thought he had some pull with us. Never, never double-cross the US foreign policy. All your oil fields are belong to US. So it goes to show you what happens when the US turns on an ally, double-crosses them and sets them up for a major world disaster (9/11). Wait, didn't Rumsfeld start saying that Saddam had nothing to do with 9/11? hmmmm.

So we executed him for being a "bad" guy? Look out China and Iran, and perhaps Putin, here comes the World Police!

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Digg bans PrisonPlanet.com!!!

"I can understand blocking spammers and other that abuse Digg, WTF could PrisonPlanet.com have done?? Tell Digg you're not going to take it, digg this story!!!!"

For whats its worth, prisonplanet.com, infowars.com and other Alex Jones sites are NOT spam. If you actually do the research and take a few minutes with the news he posts, its pretty incredible. The MSM seems to never post articles which point away from the mind control we have grown accustomed to. For instance our economy is doing well (huh?), or we should invade other countries because it makes peace (or freedom), or large multi-national corporations which are built around a pure profit motive will somehow help the common man. Read up on fractional reserve banking, and then watch "America: Freedom to Fascism".

You know what the really big problem in this country is? We don't teach our children any of these topics. We don't teach them the real history of the world, or how governments interact with their citizens. We don't get taught that tyranny is the normal governmental control out there, and freedom is something which takes work and is really, really hard to keep around. We have to be vigilant, and not be spectators in our own government.

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US follows Roman Empire lead, Gives citizenship foreigners if they serve

"The Roman Empire used this tactic in the latter years of the Empire. The Roman Army was made up of foreigners from provinces distant to Rome, who gained Roman citizenship after completing their term of service. The US has just announced the same policy."

If the wars in the Middle East actually had merit, other than fighting for oil and corporate profits I would be 100% behind it. As it stands, our leadership has not proven they can handle this war with the right decisions. Even the generals and commanders "down in the trenches" over there have problems with the way the DOJ is handling the war. Unfortunately decisions are being made by the Whitehouse for political reasons, and not to ensure our freedoms.

Every month that goes by everything gets worse over there, we spend another several billion dollars, more soldiers die and tons more civilians die. We can't supply our troops properly, they aren't getting the right ammunition or protection either. As a nation if we have to go into someones land and prove a point, it has better be for a really good reason. I still can't find one here.

The United States is so far gone because of our out of control corporations and lobby groups for the big military and oil companies. We are not in a free market anymore, we are in a fascist government who works at the bidding of these same greedy men who rot our society day in and day out.

Lets bring our troops home from the Middle East. We need to work on our homefront quite a bit more before we start telling people how to run theirs. I still advocate a presence in the International Theater, just not for war fighting, but for aid and intelligence.

"Capitalism is the astounding belief that the most wickedest of men will do the most wickedest of things for the greatest good of everyone." -- John Maynard Keynes

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He's Back w/ a Vengence Paris Returns! [What Would You Do?]

http://www.daveyd.com/FullArticles/articleN1015.asp

He's Back w/ a Vengence Paris Returns!
by - Davey D
3/21/02 10:41:18 AM

Ten years ago Oscar Jackson, aka Paris the Black Panther of Hip Hop, got jammed up by the United States Secret Service when he decided to step up to the plate and set things off against former President George Bush, Sr. Folks may recall Paris' song 'Bush Killa' which depicts him assassinating the President as he is enroute in a parade. After the gunshots, the song kicks off into a funky head-nodding beat as Paris runs it down why he was a 'Bush Killa'. The record itself was a bold statement and set him apart from the hordes of other rappers who were kicking politics in their rhymes at the time.

I recall Paris performing that song in front of 22,000 people at a sold out Summer Jam concert in August of '92 here in the Bay Area. Before he did the song he stopped the music and gave a speech about racism. He talked about the concept of white world supremacy and how the entire planet was subjected to that particular system. Afterwards he dropped the song and 22,000 people stood up and cheered as he rolled along. Paris told the audience that his album 'Sleeping With The Enemy' would be coming out in a less then a month and for everyone to be on the look out.

It was his intention at the time to impact the upcoming '92 presidential election. At that time Paris was a Top 40 artist. His videos aired on MTV and BET. His records were played on commercial radio. He was always forthcoming in his interviews and exuded a good understanding politics. In '92 he was at a pinnacle in his career, and was set to do what many had hoped rappers in his position would do: say something meaningful and use his influence to make a difference. Kicking up dust around a presidential election was definitely going to make a difference.

Paris was continuing in the tradition of rap artists stepping up and making bold statements. Two years earlier, the rap world was shocked when NWA did the song "Fuck Tha Police" - a song that earned them a condemning letter from the FBI. Public Enemy shook things up the year before when they released their song and video "By The Time I Get To Arizona". This song dealt with that state's refusal to honor Martin Luther King's birthday. Here PE reenacted the assassination of Dr King and also had a fictional Senator's car get blown up. That fictional Senator was supposed to represent those elected officials who refused to go along with making King's Birthday a holiday. That action put PE in media and government crossfires as debates raged about the appropriateness of depicting violence against elected officials.

I recall being a part of several TV news discussions and debates about that song and its video. In fact if memory serves me correctly, Paris and I appeared on a local TV show called 'People Are Talking' where we discussed these types of topics. The question that had everyone concerned was will Hip Hop artists influence young people to go out and do what was shown in the videos.

Paris had succeeded in pushing the envelop even further. Earlier that year he made a trip to Cuba where he met 2Pac's exiled 'aunt'/ 'godmother' Assata Shakur and Fidel Castro. The trip would inspire some of the album's songs like: 'Assata's Song'. That action alone raised eyebrows and put Paris on people's radar screens. Songs like 'Bush Killa' and the album's original cover art which depicted Paris hiding behind a tree with a rifle ready to shoot the president put him over the top. He would eventually be forced to put that infamous picture inside the album jacket, but those collective statements earned him those visits from the US Secret Service.

To better understand the political climate at the time Paris performed 'Bush Killa' at Summer Jam, one has to take a closer look at the back drop. Back in the early 90s, many Bay Area Hip Hoppers took some bold stances around the start of the Persian Gulf War. Local rap artist Chill EB [he did all the Sega commercials] and Industrial rap group Consolidated did an anti-war song which appeared to their album 'Friendly Fascism'. The song was a take off the Edwin Star soul classic 'War'. It appealed to the progressive, alternative rock crowd.

Paris along with Sway and King Tech and Digital Underground came together and did a landmark song called 'Time For Peace' which resonated with cats in the hood and the urban audience. The groups came together in response to the unbalanced media coverage and pro-war sentiments that were being expressed by those who were in key positions to broadcast. The main culprit that inspired the "Time For Peace" song was a popular disk jockey named Rick Chase who did afternoons on urban/Hip Hop station KMEL. He was an older white guy who used his four-hour shift as a soap box to support the war effort to the exclusion of dissenting voices. He would do everything from play Bush speeches to play pro-war songs. He would hang up and clown anyone who called up on his show to oppose the Gulf War. This didn't fit well with many in the Hip Hop community, as well as the larger African American community which took issue with Bush, Sr, launching the war on the birthday of Martin Luther King.

The 'Time For Peace' track was a biting 4 minute song that featured newsclips of news commentators who had questioned Bush's motives for the war. Money B kicked off the first verse by telling everyone he was 21 and there was no way he was going to be drafted and fight a war in his name. Shock G followed by telling people the war effort was simply about oil. Paris came next and keenly pointed out the US' troubling domestic policies and how there was still rampant mistreatment of Black and Brown folks at the hands of the police. It was in this verse that Paris first uttered the term 'Bush Killa'. He rapped 'make way for P-Dog the Bush Killa-Black urban guerilla'. It was a line that definitely caught everyone's attention. Sway followed Paris and rapped about the discrepancies of the US' foreign policy. He noted how we refused to fight in South Africa and now wanted cats to fight in Kuwait. Humpty-Humpended the song with a statement that questioned people's sincerity.

'Time For Peace' got regular airplay here in the Bay Area and became real popular almost overnight. All three groups had hit records and high visibility in the Hip Hop community at that time. The sad part was it received very little press even within the Hip Hop media. There was no discussion. There were no interviews or anything like that. Other radio stations around the country refused to play the song even though it boosted a stellar line up of Hip Hop artists and had created a buzz. Record label politics prevented it from ever being commercially released. I recall personally sending copies of that song out and cats just not being able to play the song. The usual excuse given was it wouldn't fit the format.

This was the political lay of the land and by '92 when Paris performed "Bush Killa". He was definitely about the business of using Hip Hop as a tool to bring about some sort of social change. Many in the media continued to shun him and they definitely ignored the track. At the same time I distinctly remember many in the media asking why the so called 'Hip Hop generation' was not more engaged in politics. How ironic considering Paris was attempting to do more then just be involved. He was trying to use his visibility and popularity to do like Rakim and 'Move The Crowd' in a distinct political direction. I came to the conclusion that many in the media did not want an astute and outspoken Paris to come to the table and blast George Bush sr. and his policies.

His attempts to use as Hip Hop as a tool to influence the election were put on hold when he suddenly ran into 'problems' on getting the album released. 'Sleeping With The Enemy' was scheduled to drop in September/October of 92, but was delayed and delayed. It didn't come out till two months after the November '92 election. By then Bush was history as he lost to Bill Clinton and "Bush Killa" was no longer relevant.

'92 was the last year that Paris was allowed to perform at Summer Jam. It was also the last year that he got any sort of significant radio airplay. He went on to release a couple of more albums which contained some decent material that caused a buzz on the streets here in the Bay Area, but it was never translated to him having the widespread visibility and popularity he had in prior years. He would bounce by the station on a regular basis hawking his material. At one point he even brought the entire staff jackets as a show of gratitude for support in the past, but that was not enough to grant P-Dog access to the large urban community that was listening to the station in record numbers.

Tracks like "Assata's Song" which paid tribute to Black women, "Coffee Donuts & Death" which dealt with police brutality and the melodic "Days of Old" which reminded us of the more innocent times in our lives were ignored by many who at one time would not hesitate to play a Paris record. At that time it wasn't quite clear as to everything that was going on. Years later you realized Paris was a strong voice being silenced. It was in '92 that voices like Paris began to give way to what we now call "gangsta rap".

All these thoughts ran through my mind when a heavily muscled Paris swung through radio station KPFA the other day and did an interview on Hard Knock Radio. He came with new material in hand and a clear analysis and concerns about our current 'War on Terrorism'. Paris felt like the American public had been duped into believing a lot of lies and falsehoods being pushed forth by the current Bush administration. He explained that a traumatic mind is one that is easily influenced and that many brought into the hype. He noted that after September 11th people were traumatized and the Bush administration played upon people's fears and succeeded in pushing across already held agendas.

Paris explained that the first causality in the War on Terrorism was the 4th Amendment which protects us against unreasonable searches and seizures. He spoke about people being detained and the provisions in the Patriot Act that allow for the use of secret evidence. He predicted that next casualty will be the 1st amendment. Paris ran it down about media companies and their close affiliations with the Bush administration. He said they were being used to silence and control people on all sorts of levels. He explained that we can see this in the lack of diversity on TV and on the airwaves. Media consolidation is resulting in divergent voices being squeezed out. He pointed out how damn near every newscast from MSNBC to CNN runs the same story at the same time. Seemingly, every newscast gets their information from the same source- AP or Reuters. Every newscast brings forth the same set of 'experts' to tell us about the war efforts with little or no variation.

If things continue the way they are we will soon see Colin Powell's son, Michael Powell, who heads the FCC lift all the media ownership restrictions. The end result will be two or three media outlets owning all the newspapers, TV and radio stations. Paris noted that under these conditions if you start really speaking out on certain policies and calling out certain government officials, you can and will find yourself being black-balled in the industry, shut down and eventually removed.

Paris went on to explain that shortly after 9-11 it was important for the Bush administration not to have any dissenting voices get too much play or have high visibility. It was important for them to not allow people a chance to sit back and really think and analyze what was really going on. He pointed out there was a rush to push through policies and pass laws which resulted this administration having a blank check to do whatever it wants in this 'War on Terrorism'. Interestingly, Congresswoman Barbara Lee voted 'No' making her the lone voice in Congress for that same reason. She didn't want to issue a blank check. Now other elected officials are voicing concern about whether or not too much power had been granted to Bush, jr.

Paris pointed out that playing upon people's fears was one of the key methods employed to get the American public to comply. He noted that that pattern continues even now. Just when people start to sit back and start to heal, we are put back in that traumatic mind state with keenly timed 'terrorist alerts' and 'terrorist scares'. He felt that a lot of the alerts and scares were being done to keep up Bush's approval ratings and keep us from seeing what's really going on.

Paris took the conversation even deeper as he spoke about the relationship between Bush's father and Bin Laden via the Carlyle Group. He noted that the 'War on Terrorism' is really about our attempt to control oil reserves in the Caspian Sea. He spoke about how young people in this country were being manipulated and prepped for wars that this administration had in mind all along. Paris also spoke on the Illuminate, Bush's 86% approval rating in California, the love Black folks suddenly found for an abusive Mayor Giuliani and the police after September 11.

All these topics are addressed in his new song. "What Would You Do?" It's off his upcoming album 'Sonic Jihad'... and to put it bluntly - this new song is off the hook. It's one of the best Hip Hop songs I've heard in years. The intensity of the song and subject matter is a breath of fresh air at a time when so many insist on bringing us bling bling material.

Paris starts off the song with an excerpt from a speech given by George Bush. It is a speech that everyone should pay attention to because it ties into the type of media manipulation we are being subjected to. He then kicks it off with a retooled line that was borrowed from Public Enemy's classic anti-war song "Black Steel In The Hour of Chaos".

"I see a message from the government, like every day
I watch it, and listen, and call 'em all suckas
They warnin' me about Osama or whatever
Picture me buyin' this scam I said never"

Paris explained that the concept behind his album is to point out the many ways in which the average US citizen has been duped. As was noted earlier, he felt like the government already had a number of plans and policies that they wanted to put in place and were using scare tactics with the help of a compliant media outlets to create a culture of fear. The end result was people willing to sign away all sorts of civil liberties in the name of national security.

Paris also spoke about his long absence from the Hip Hop scene. He noted that he had invested his money wisely over the past few years and had been doing a number of business ventures which have pretty much secured his future. Many do not know that Paris graduated from UC Davis with a degree in Economics. For the past few years Paris has spent time working with young cats and making sure they got they money right. He explained that in order for us to be self-sufficient and have true freedom we would have to move in a direction of economic independence which includes ownership.

He went on to explain that when he was dependent upon the success of his music to make ends meet he was put in a stressful situation because there were so many aspects that he had no control over. He couldn't control airplay. He couldn't control video play. He couldn't control whether or not a store would pick up his album and sell it. He didn't control distribution. He referred back to the drama that lead to the delay of "Bush Killa". He noted that nowadays he's beholden to no one and is in a position to say and do what he wants on vinyl. With his new album he is pulling no punches as evident by these verses in his new song.

"You in tune to a Hard Truth soldier spittin'
I stay committed gives a fuck to die or lose commission
It's all a part of fightin' devil state mind control
And all about the battle for your body mind and soul

And now I'm hopin' you don't close ya mind - so they shape ya
Don't forget they made us slaves, gave us AIDS and raped us
Another Bush season mean another war for profit
All in secret so the public never think to stop it

The Illuminati triple 6 all connected
Stolen votes they control the race and take elections
It's the Skull and Bones Freemason kill committee
See the Dragon gettin' shittier in every city"

Paris noted that over the past few years he had grown discontent with the direction Hip Hop was heading. He explained that he had never given up on music. He had simply moved away from Hip Hop for a while and had gone back to his first love which is funk. He's noted that he is constantly in the studio. He noted that his politics have never subsided. He was still the same brotha with a keen understanding and a willingness to speak out... These next verses illustrate that point as he calls out Bush and Attorney General John Ashcroft.

"Now ask yourself who's the people with the most to gain (Bush)
'fore 911 motherfuckas couldn't stand his name (Bush)
Now even brothas waivin' flags like they lost they mind
Everybody got opinions but don't know the time

'Cause Amerikkka's been took - it's plain to see
The oldest trick in the book is MAKE an enemy
Of fake evil now the government can do it s dirt
And take away ya freedom lock and load, beat and search

Ain't nothin' changed but more colored people locked in prison
These pigs still beat us but it seem we forgettin'
But I remember 'fore September how these devils do it
Fuck Guliani ask Diallo how he doin'

We in the streets holla 'jail to the thief' follow
Fuck wavin' flags bring these dragons to they knees
Oil blood money makes these killers ride cold
Suspicious suicides people dyin' never told

It's all a part of playin' God so ya think we need 'em
While 'Bin Ashcroft' take away ya rights to freedom
Bear witness to the sickness of these dictators
Hope you understand the time brother cause it's major

Paris explained how he was taken back when he didn't hear too many artists forcefully speaking out on the war situation. He acknowledged there were some artists like Boots who had stepped up, but for the most part those with higher visbility had been absent from the conversation. Even fewer artists had actually put out songs that raised serious questions. He noted that most of the rap songs he had heard have been pro-war. Nas' track "Rule" which raises questions about our involvement is the one of the few that have been released by a highly visible mainstream artist.

Paris felt like he had a of information and was in a position to where he could afford to step forth and speak his mind and not have to worry about economic repercussions. He felt like a lot of people were buying into the constant media onslaught and even more have simply allowed themselves to go to sleep. He wanted to be one to help kick up dust and remind folks to keep their eyes on the prize. Since many of the media outlets are so tightly controlled he decided to put his message in a song and let it be heard. His song is intense as it harks back to the days when artists were stepping to mic and challenging the status quo in uncompromising terms. Paris rounds out his song by putting forth some ideas that force us to take note and raise questions. To me that's Hip Hop at its best...

"So now you askin why my records always come the same
Keep it real, ain't no fillers, motherfuck a blingin'
Mine eyes seen the gory of the coming of the beast
So every story every word I'm sayin' 'Fuck Peace'

See you could witness the Illuminati bodycount
Don't be surprised these is devils that I'm talkin' bout
You think a couple thousand lives mean shit to killers?
I swear to God we the ones - ain't no villans

Or any other word they think to demonize a country
Ain't no terror threat unless approval ratings slumpin'
So I'ma say it for the record we the ones that planned it
Ain't no other country took a part or had they hand in

It's all a way to keep ya scary so you think you need'em
Praisin' Bush while that killer take away ya freedom
How many of us got discovered but ignore the symptoms?
Brothas talkin' loud but ain't nobody sayin' shit'

And with the 4th Amendment gone eyes are on the 1st
That's why I'm spittin' cyanide each and every verse
I see the Carlyle group and Harris Bank Accounts
I see 'em plead the 5th each and every session now

And while Reichstag burns I see the public buy it
I see the profilin see the media s compliance
War is good for business see the vicious make a savior
Hope you understand the time brother cause it s major

[Chorus]
What would you do if you
knew all of the things we know
Would you stand up for truth
Or would you turn away too?

And then what if you saw
All of the things that's wrong
Would you stand tall and strong?
Or would you turn and walk away...

"What Would You Do?"
Lyrics and Music Written, Produced and Performed by Paris
2002 Guerrilla Funk Music (ASCAP)
If anyome wants to holla at Paris be sure to drop him an email at
gat_turner@hotmail.com

Check this out too
http://www.911timeline.net/whatwouldyoudo.htm

Christmas in the Concentration Camp [Swift meat plant raids]

"I’m sure many of you are more than aware of the recent DHS/ICE raids at Swift Meatpacking Plants, which hauled away some 1270 or so immigrants for identity theft violations (of which so far only 65 were actually guilty) . This is an update on what’s going on in Texas."

Should we just look the other way because they are illegal immigrants? Sure, I am all for deporting illegal aliens with no right to be here, but the way DHS/ICE raids places is sure to have mistakes built in. They take everyone to a concentration camp and then sort everything out. If you happen to be an American Citizen, then you get held along with everyone else until your turn is up.

I am sure DHS would be happy to imprison everyone who caused problems for the government, and had the slightest bit of dissenting views about the way things are run. That way they can easily "sift through" everyone to make sure they are not terrorists or worse (someone with a brain). The only problem of course is that you are supposed to have Habeus Corpus and be innocent until proven guilty. The concept of the state proving you did something wrong is long since over. You must now shoulder ALL the responsibility to clear your name.

Things will just get worse. Please get involved, write, read and listen.

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conspiracycentral.net blacklists Stewart Best Productions. [Iron Mountain]

"conspiracycentral.net blacklists Stewart Best Productions. A video production company who is selling copies of Iron Mountain, Gateway to Hell, and other such titles has entered a mire of legal hassles with concen's site owner. SBP cares more about profit than freedom. Stewart Best sells videos relating to the New World Order and such."

Everyone has to make a profit, but lets be real. Trackers providing topic specific torrents BOOSTS sales. Just talk with the "Corporation" owners, they asked to get back on the torrent after they realized sales needed a boost. What most of these companies don't realize is that site trackers, search engines, Google video, YouTube and others actually encourage sales.

Beasts like the RIAA and MPAA are among the worst corporate entities to put the very people out of business which could have saved their sorry asses from bankrupcy. Instead they depend of legal lawsuits to intimidate people who cannot possibly afford retaliation.

Companies like Stewart Best Productions may just in fact have bitten off more that they can chew. Conspiracy Central's site owner is suggesting a complete boycott of SBP. Please read the URL link at digg.com for more information.

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Congressman: "I Fear…We Will Have Many More Muslims In The United States"

'In a letter to constituents, Rep. Virgil Goode (R-VA) warns "American citizens" to "wake up" or "there will likely be many more Muslims elected to office."'

We have a Freedom OF Religion in this country. There is no constitutional guarantee on "Freedom FROM Religion". I keep wondering why everyone thinks that religion, and the people's exercise thereof needs to be restricted. The Constitution guarantees the government will not put together a single "national" religion, and it guarantees that everyone can remain free in their beliefs. Unfortunately for some, those religious beliefs may upset some people, TOUGH.

It is also my firm belief that the government NOR schools should be barred from teaching or using religious materials in schools or public places. They should just not make a habit of preaching or siding one way or another. In public education we do a disservice to our kids because we cannot contextualize religion and modern history. We can't even go back in time and talk about how religion got us to where we are today, even though it has played a huge part in history. Take the Muslim religion, or the Jewish religion and the Christian religion. They have played a huge part in history. Jesus Christ was a huge figure in history, we have even modified our calendar after his death.

My point is that we need to take religion for what it is worth, a part of our lives. It serves no purpose to ignore it, or sweep it under the table. We certainly don't want to open the doors for a one-world religion as the UN is trying to invoke. We all need to support people's exercise of religion, but you DON'T have to agree with each particular religious viewpoint.

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Time to Face Facts About Surging Iraq War Costs

"'As one pores through the spending numbers, one thing is clear: The costs will be steep no matter what. The open question is, will Congress continue to act as if that doesn't matter?' - Kevin Hassett of Bloomberg"

We keep hearing from the President that we must "stay the course". "We are bringing freedom to the people of Iraq", and "we are a peaceful nation". I need to step back from time to time and just ponder these thoughts.

Will somebody please tell me a tangible good thing that has come from the Afghanistan or this Iraq war? We have over 3000 some soldiers dead, and that doesn't include the wounded or maimed. We have killed over some 300,000 Iraqi people and those are conservative numbers. Actually, population stats show there were 27 million people in Iraq around 2002, and now they are at 26 million. Iraq was a booming country with modern amenities. Sure, they had a republic which was mostly run by dictators and tyrants, but it kept many waring factions at bay.

Here at the "homeland" we are getting a rising police state, cameras tracking us everywhere, we are moving to a cashless society, our guns are being taken away, FEMA can't seem to understand the reason they exist, homeland security is acting like the SS, we have NO border security, our prisons are packed full, rfid tracks us, cell phones track us, the fbi uses the patriot act for crime (not just terrorism), and our education system sucks.

I happen to live in a nice neighborhood, but how about you? How are your surroundings, how does your police department treat you, how do you get treated by any federal security service? I want to know.

The Iraqi government doesn't know how to run a country, #1. The police force is a joke, and the federal police force is run by thugs. Iraq is pretty much in a civil war, which we provoked. I don't think there is much of a way to get out of it either.

I would like to think the money we forfeit to the government is being used to protect our freedoms, educate our kids, feed the poor, even help other countries. I don't see any of this happening right now. Instead we get a billion dollars a day being wasted on provoking a civil war and getting more of our kids dead.

I am sure the war profiteers are going yeah! bring it on. Our friendly oil companies are going yeah! bring it on. While our soldiers just say, "I want to come home now please".

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90 Million Americans Believe Government Behind 9/11

"CBS News: According to a July poll conducted by Scripps News Service, one-third of Americans think the government either carried out the 9/11 attacks or intentionally allowed them to happen in order to provide a pretext for war in the Middle East. This is at once alarming and unsurprising. Alarming, because..."

@omatsei you mentioned that in a confined space the fire got hotter. huh? Fire would have been snuffed out with little air, especially in a confined space. If there was enough explosive material, like jet fuel or whatever, there would have been an explosion which would have then simply died out also. Nothing could have created those pools of melted steel other than temperates exceeding 2000+ degrees for a sustained period of time.

In case you didn't know, NIST already disproved the pancake theory on their website. They said that the building did collapse, but were unable to provide a further explanation other than structural failure. The pancake theory itself was not possible, and is certainly not shown in the wreckage. With a pancake of the floors, there would have been 100 some floors all stacked up on each other and the 40 steel core columns would have been standing straight up in the air. As it was after the crash of the building, the 40 steel columns all collapsed into a messy pile below with fairly uniform lengths to haul them away. All the floors on the other hand, including all the debris, was pulverized into small little pieces and the concrete was all dust.

http://wtc.nist.gov/pubs/factsheets/faqs_8_2006.htm

No other explanation for the concrete dust would be explained other than explosive compression and the cutting of the central columns. I personally have done a lot of research on this and kept an open mind. I don't believe in all the theories put forward, but I do believe the towers came down with assistance. The planes just did not have enough explosive power throughout the building. I am not the only person doing research, there are scientists saying the same things. Just do a little Google searching and you will find the research.

Just because we may feel it unbelievable the towers could have been assisted in falling down, does not make it false. I don't want to believe the government is capable, but who knows maybe it wasn't the government. Maybe Silverstein and his bunch of goons took out the towers, and the government capitalized on it. Think about it. The Twin towers needed all the asbestos removed, it would have cost Silverstein way more money to retrofit the towers than he paid on his insurance. He then made additional money in the tune of billions when they came down. It seems like all eyes should be pointing over there.

Of course if you think Silverstein did it, then you have to wonder who made Norad stand down. Silverstein knew lots of people, so it could have been a conspiracy between industry and a few radical groups in the government.

I am not willing to let this go, because there is an explanation beyond 19 hijackers being told what to do from an old guy on dialysis sitting somewhere in a cave in Afghanistan. That to me is the bigger lie. I hope everyone can agree there are questions, and we want answers to those questions. How we get there should not be important. How we ask the questions, and that we get answers IS important.

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The Liberty Amendment

"Individual liberty, freedom and sovereignty of the people will be restored in a representative republican form of government by clarifying the original spirit and intent of the Constitution. The Liberty Amendment will give back to the Constitution its full force and effect in limiting the powers and activities of the Federal Government..."

This is a great idea. However with all great ideas several people must get together and make sure they agree. The Constitution had many signers, and we should get together many people just like in the early 1700's and put together a rock-solid proposal.

For instance, I would be careful with the following statement "Section 4. Three years after the ratification of this amendment the sixteenth article of amendments to the Constitution of the United States shall stand repealed and thereafter Congress shall not levy taxes on personal incomes, estates, and/or gifts."

The 16th amendment CURRENTLY does not allow for a federal incoming tax on labor. It only allows for an incoming on gains and profits of a business, but this could include a personal business as well.

I believe the government should be able to collect taxes on individuals, but only in a profit mode. For instance, if I have a home business, or work out of the house, or run a home-based business, etc, I should pay taxes. If I make money from labor based on someone elses business then I should not pay taxes on it.

I am sure there will be many revisions of this, but we need to keep the original founders in mind. Thomas Paine and John Locke come to mind. Now we need a protagonist, lets call them "Demosthenes" and get on with it!

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Freedom is Not Compliance with the Govt: They're the Gun & You're Screwed

"When the police come to arrest you, you will be severely discouraged from acting in self-defense, despite the fact that their actions are identical to a "home invasion." When the policemen break your door down, if you pull out a gun to protect yourself, you will very likely get shot. Even if you do not get shot, your prison stay will be greatly extended."

@AngryRepublican There are so many things wrong with your statement, I am not quite sure where to start. First of all, police have many times stormed into peoples houses for right reasons, mistakes, and sometimes wrong reasons. Sometimes they come in without knocking or something the search warrant is a "knock and announce" version. However, in either case there is not ample time given to a citizen to properly determine if they want to open the door, or in some cases the home owner may not even hear the police announce themselves. If you are prepared for a home invasion, then why not use force?

When entering a house police should automatically assume they are going to be met with gunfire, and the homeowners should also expect gunfire in return, because that is what an armed gang of thugs would do anyway. For instance, the old lady in Georgia who got gunned down actually fired and hit all three cops before getting gunned down herself. Her only problem up til the point of getting killed, was not providing enough cover for herself in the first place.

I personally choose not to have guns in the house, but that is probably a mistake. I have three small children and a wife to protect. My only saving grace is that I am in a good area, and good part of town, I am lucky.

"I have no reason to believe that they would pay their taxes were it not for eventual threat of force" Well guess what, that is exactly what the federal government wants you to believe also. The Federal income tax is actually an illegal tax brought about by the central banks (Federal Reserve) which spawned the IRS. Take a look at "Freedom to Fascism" and you will get the bigger picture. The United States Constitution and federal code allows for taxes on gains and profits derived from a business, but taxes in labor is not legal. In fact, please show me the actual law stating that we have to file a 1040 or pay an income tax on labor. There is no such law anywhere. Even in the tax code no law is referenced. State income tax is different, as the constitution grants states to collect income tax on labor, but not the federal government.

If you fight filing a 1040 or the labor tax you will actually win your case, because there is no law. The problem is, the guns. They will attempt to take your house, attach your wages, physically harm you, send you through a tax court (and not a legal court), and all kinds of other games. If you actually can put up with that, then you have a pretty good chance of winning. Many people fight the federal income tax and many people win.

Being an anarchist means you don't want any government at all, and let the people govern themselves. Well, even the old wild west had a sheriff to "keep the peace". Those of us who actually want to follow constitutional law, and have our federal government keep the peace and take care of things like money, etc. really do want government, but just the way our founders intended. This is a constitutional republic, but that is not what our current government is acting like. We need some pretty radical changes.

For starters, we need to abolish the "Federal Reserve" which is just a bunch of privately controlled banks anyway. We pay them interest on money which they print in the first place. We then need to get rid of the corporate lobby. No lobby for money, that is the best policy. Lobby for principles and ideas, but when money gets involved it is no longer political but for profit. By accomplishing the last two items we would then not have a government capable of spending 4 trillion dollars (and then losing it) on defense relating spending. We would not be spending almost a billion dollars a day on foreign policy amounting to not much more than invading other sovereign nations.

We can actually take back this country for the people. We just need everyone to think they really own the country, and give a darn about it.

@AngryRepublican since you obviously think low of the Lewrockwell author, and obviously disagree, how would you make our government better? How can we remove profit motive from politicians, and how can we eliminate all kinds of gross overspending in Homeland Security, FEMA and the defense department. Do you think everything is great, or can there be improvements?

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Feds disrupt terror attack?

"ABC News has learned a Chicago-area man has been charged with plotting a terrorist attack. Sources say the man is accused of planning to use firearms and explosives to attack a specific mall in Rockford, Ill. The alleged plan was to target this mall during the holiday shopping season."

It sounds to me like this is one more guy who wants to commit CRIME in America. It also seems to me that all crime is turning into terrorism. We are so paranoid of the "terrorists" down the street that we can't think straight when a normal low life criminal walks in.

There are no terrorists "defined as agents working for another government or group who wish to change the course of our political structure" working here. There may be wack jobs who want to threaten people, and certainly criminals who will kill you for your purse. However, the real terror in this country comes from the media and government who over-hype situations and make us think there are terrorists under every stone.

Just recently I saw a news article about a college student who was minding his own business and running between classes ON CAMPUS, and was thrown to the ground and interrogated by an ATF agent who also just happened to be on campus (digg story). What are we coming to? Can't college kids run across campus anymore without the fear they "look suspicious"? How about local law enforcement becoming para-military tribes?

We need to seriously step back and review the police state we seem to have gotten ourselves into. It doesn't serve anyone any good (at least citizens) to be on such an edge all the time. Terrorism should stay the object of international foreign policy, and crime the domain of local law enforcement. We need these greedy internatioal companies to stop being given the chance to become larger and more dangerous as well. Our civil liberties and even safety are being eroded in front of our eyes as we speak.

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Russert: Why does Bush keep saying 'al Qaeda, al Qaeda, al Qaeda' while dis

"On NBC's Meet the Press, host Tim Russert asked National Security Adviser Stephen Hadley to explain why President George W. Bush keeps harping on al Qaeda while discussing the insurgency in Iraq."

What does the word "Al-Qaeda" mean ? In Arabic, "Al-Qaeda" has a different meanings, among them “Base", "Ground", "Norm", "Rule", "Fundament", "Grammar". The exact meaning is dependent on the context in which it is used. It depends on the word which follows “Al-Qaeda” in the sentence. "Qawa'ad Askaria" is an Army Base, "Qawa'ad Lugha" stands for Grammar Rules (the Bases of Grammar).

"Qa'ada" is the infinitive of the verb "to sit". "Ma-Qa'ad" is a chair. "Al-Qaeda" is the base or fundament of something. "Ana raicha Al Qaeda" is colloquial for "I'm going to the toilet". A very common and widespread use of the word “Al-Qaeda” in different Arab countries in the public language is for the toilet bowl. This name comes from the Arabic verb “Qa'ada” which mean “to sit”, pertinently, on the “Toilet Bowl”. In most Arabs homes there are two kinds of toilets: “Al-Qaeda” also called the "Hamam Franji" or foreign toilet, and "Hamam Arabi" or “Arab toilet” which is a hole in the ground. Lest we forget it, the potty used by small children is called "Ma Qa'adia" or "Little Qaeda".

Those who founded the glorious "International of Islamic Terror, Al-Qaeda, probably knew too little about common use of Arabic language to know that by using this name for their organization, they risked becoming the laughing stock of everybody who speaks the Arabic "public" language.

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From the reading I have done I would suggest that back in the early 1970's is when the CIA started thinking about using the Mujahadeen (MAK) to destabilize the Soviet Union. Remember that George H.W. Bush led the CIA around 1976, during this period. It was Jimmy Carter who gave the go-ahead for the operation in 1979. The "al-Qaeda" team was really a finance arm for the Afghan rebellion. They didn't even call themselves "al-Qaeda", it was the CIA who took the name off a filing cabinet because it was something Bin Laden used to refer as "the base" one time.

Bin Laden wished to extend the conflict to nonmilitary operations in other parts of the world after the costly Afghan war ending in 1989. After the Soviet union withdrew from Afghanistan, Osama bin Laden returned to Saudi Arabia, while training operations in Afghanistan continued. (mind you he returned to Saudi Arabia, which is where he was based). After careful deliberation the Saudi Monarch (King Fahd) opted to allow United States (and coalition forces) to protect his country. Bin Laden considered this a treacherous deed; allowing infidels to set foot on the soil of the land of the two mosques.

From here on is when Bin Laden does a lot of questionable stuff, and returned to Afghanistan and hooked up with the Taliban in roughly 1991.

As you can see there is a lot of history of which could easily be written into a book (which I am sure there are many). The bottom line is that when anyone refers to Al-Qaeda today, keep in mind they are talking about a group culled together using the CIA and US funds. This is most upsetting to me, as nobody in the government talks about this now, they don't talk about how US foreign policy created most all these situations we have to live through. It is our money being spent by warlords, gangs, and intelligence groups worldwide to further opium and wars. Who benefits? The corporations who make war happen, and the oil profiteers. Don't forget that the Bush family has a ton of stake in the oil business. They know what they are doing and nothing is by accident.

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9/11 Photos taken from air by Russian pilot

"Here is a shocking story of a Russian pilot, now living in the USA who was in the air 11th September 2001 and have taken photos from the air when the second plane hit the WTC."

We are not moving anywhere. I personally love this country, and it is our duty to stand up and demand answers and make the government accountable. That means about facts relating to 9-11, the commission, reasons for Afghanistan, and Iraq.

The 9-11 commission itself stated that the Pentagon was lying to them about many facts. The 9-11 commission report itself does not have all the facts correct, nor complete. Those two things in themselves are fact.

This country was founded and is still guided by the principles of questioning and keeping the government in check. It is our duty to do so. The Declaration itself requires us to keep vigilant against government. How do you do that but keep asking questions, writing FOIA requests, and keep on top of everything they do.

I personally keep an RSS ticker with government news, laws passed/signed, and current world news to stay current. I write a blog to keep things straight in my head. I also talk to people about the country, and where they think it is headed. I get involved the best I can with the resources I can muster. I recommend everyone doing the same thing.

A democratic republic is HARD work to keep alive. The worst thing that happened during 9-11 is this:

American Citizens After 9-11 said to the president "…what could we do. What can we do to become engaged and take some responsibility"? President Bush unfortunately said,

"Go Shopping, Go Back to the Mall, Go back to your normal lives, we'll take care of it".

Spectatorship is an invitation to fear. Citizenship is how we fight the politics of fear. The politics of citizenship, the politics of engagement, taking responsibility is a much better way to deal with terrorism -- than hunkering down and being spectators and allowing the government to rob us of our liberties, to rob us of our multi-culturalism in the name of protecting us.

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Washington Post Op-Ed: Bush is Worst President Ever

"Historians are loath to predict the future. It is impossible to say with certainty how Bush will be ranked in, say, 2050. But somehow, in his first six years in office he has managed to combine the lapses of leadership, misguided policies and abuse of power of his failed predecessors. I think there is no alternative but to rank him the worst ever"

We can all say the American people are to blame, or the partisan congress, or the Republicans, or maybe even some Democrats. (Keep in mind that I am a Republican, or at least what is supposed to be a conservative) However, all it takes are a few bad apples at the top, and those who run things in the background to really make a difference. The PNAC boys, the Trilateral Commission and the Carlye Group (among others) really knew what they were doing.

"Of course the people don't want war. But after all, it's the leaders of the country who determine the policy, and it's always a simple matter to drag the people along whether it's a democracy, a fascist dictatorship, or a parliament, or a communist dictatorship. Voice or no voice, the people can always be brought to the bidding of the leaders. That is easy. All you have to do is tell them they are being attacked, and denounce the pacifists for lack of patriotism, and exposing the country to greater danger." -- Herman Goering at the Nuremberg trials

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Cheney: Pushing for Unfettered Executive Powers Since 1987

"The Iran-Contra scandal was not the first time the future vice president has articulated a philosophy of unfettered executive power -- nor would it be the last. He has consistently embraced a belief that presidents have vast "inherent" powers, not spelled out in the Constitution, that allow them to defy Congress."

You are totally on the right track here. Cheney and Rumsfeld have been working with a secretive COG team since the Reagan era and before. I think it is pretty clear that the PNAC boys would really like to see a dictatorship in order for their "master plan" to take effect.

http://www.finalcall.com/.../

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