How far will Bush go toward dismantling our democracy?
This question is on a lot of our minds. Other than the rhetoric in his speeches about spreading democracy and freedom (in places with oil reserves), there is scant evidence that the current administration believes in these principles. They are valued only as propaganda. The reality is that our rights are being stripped away systematically and we see no end - and we don't want to look there.
Bush has stated on more than one occaision that things would be a heck of a lot easier if he were a dictator. Will he go that far? What is it that dictators do, anyway?
What hasn't Bush done yet? What will be "easier" for him if he assumes absolute power?
With all the secrecy in this administration, it might be a good idea to look to the above list to see what is planned that hasn't already been done. For example, where has Bush given us a valid reason to bypass the FISA laws? He has ordered the most massive survellance technology in the world to be deployed domestically. He claims that he is only monitoring terrorists, but the FISA laws already give him the authority to monitor terrorists. Why would he need to bypass that law? Why would he need to stonewall the committees of Congress that oversee the NSA, when these people have adequate security clearance to know what's happening behind the scenes?
The intelligence agencies now have the capability to monitor the entire Internet - all websites and all e-mail. They can organize this information into a massive database to create a complete dossier on every American. It can include medical information, credit card purchases, checks written, phone calls, your family tree, employment history, traffic tickets, civil and criminal court history, newspaper articles and charity contributions: Total Information Awareness. Under the Patriot Act, they can also learn what books you buy and borrow. We now have the Department of Homeland Security, with a budget of many billions. And there are some other government agencies you should know about.
So how many Al Qaeda terrorists have they caught in the United States?
Apparently, only Zacarias Moussaoui, who was already in custody in September 2001. And maybe the "shoe bomber" (who was not detected by Homeland Security, but by an airline stewardess). This is all we get for our billions spent on surveillance?
Now, how is it that peaceful groups exercising their rights to peaceably assemble are receiving so much attention. Why are so many of their meetings infiltrated by the FBI? Why do they always take down our license numbers when we turn out for an anti-war rally? Why are the Riot Police called out, and why is the language of "anti-terrorism" used when training them for such crowd control? How is it that an author who writes a book about Karl Rove gets added to the terrorist watch list at airports? Where is all this leading?
Attorneys General Ashcroft and Gonzales refuse to answer questions before Congress about how the Patriot Act is being applied, or how many American Citizens are being monitored. What if it's NOT about "Terrorism"?
Orange Alert! We have seen these come and go. It is the 2nd highest state of alert among the 5 colors given us by Homeland Security. It is already proven that the evidence used to raise the country to Orange was largely absent or fabricated. Is it coincidence that these alerts have also diverted the public's attention from embarrassing scandals that also hit the news? Of course, the "Terror Alerts" on FoxNews mean absolutely nothing.
What is Red Alert? If a Red Alert is declared, it automatically means Martial Law. The country goes into lockdown. Nobody is allowed to move, and the military takes over the streets. That's the beginning. There are all kinds of measures that go into effect when a National Emergency is declared. Most are authorized by Executive Orders dating all the way back to the 60's. The first thing you need to know is this:
It also means that the government will sieze control of the broadcast media. What do you think would happen to Pacifica?
Labor Camps: However, the most disturbing aspect of our government's broad emergency powers include the capability to arrest and detain huge numbers of citizens. For several decades now, the Army has been authorized to construct and maintain largely vacant prison facilities at or near military installations. They are "Labor Camps". Conspiracy Theory? No! You can download this document directly from the Army's website:
This camp program has a long history, and was planned for a variety of contingencies. In the 80's, there were plans to manage a "national uprising by black militants" involving the detention of "at least 21 million American Negroes" in "assembly centers or relocation camps".
With all the focus now on the NSA's surveillance, attention needs to be drawn to remainder of the picture. Unfortunately, most of the documentation has not come to the attention of the Left. It's time to start connecting the dots.
This is, of course, a worst case scenario. We should, hypothetically, consider the evidence that these camps are in fact authorized and in existence. We should also look at the plans for their implementation (under the authority of FEMA, NorthCom, the Army and the President). We have quotes by our leaders to consider (Ollie North, Ashcroft, Gonzales), and the names of actual implementation plans and exercises (Rex-84, Operation Cable-Splicer, Operation Garden-Plot).
Links: Below are some links that will bring you up to speed. Some are right-wing sources, since that is who is following the story so far. Alex Jones is foremost, so scepticism is also advised. The possiblity of a totalitarian America is a real possibility that should not be ignored. A Red Alert will certainly be declared in the event of a Terrorist Attack, massive dissent over the war, or unrest following an economic collapse.
Video of a FEMA Camp: This is the one near Indianapolis. The video is about 6 minutes long, and you will need software to view the file. The best programs to use would be either Real Player or Nero's ShowTime. The worst would be Microsoft's Media Player.
Is America Preparing for Martial Law? This is the article by Michel Chossudovsky, which outlines the plan in more detail.
Homeland Security: We don't really know much about this agency, which is consuming billions of our tax money. This article by Doug Valentine sheds some light on the situation. He wrote a book on the history of the Vietnam era, specifically the Phoenix program which kept the US backed regimes in power there. It targetted the population, identifying anyone who might oppose the regime so they could be "disappeared" or otherwise neutralized. Every true dictatorship seems to have a department of government that performs this function - a "Secret Police" or "Ministry of the Interior". Valentine has noticed that several former officers of the Phoenix program now hold important Homeland Security posts, and documents that the new agency is organized along the Phoenix model.
More about "Red Alert": This article goes into great detail, and there are a lot of related links. Surf around.
US Military Civil Disturbance Planning: This is an older article (Clinton era), but goes deeper into the origins of the emergency detention program.
Bush's Mysterious "New Programs": The Army Corps of Engineers has recently awarded a $385 Million contract to build detention facilities within the United States. This article discusses what they may be for, and includes evidence that their intended use could be for anti-war dissenters.
The Bush War on a Free Press Intensifies: The recent flap over the NY Times report of our government's surveillance of bank records is ominous. Was it treasonous for them to print this story (when the Wall Street Journal reported it too)? The mainstream media is running stories calling for the Times editors to be tried for the capital crime of treason. in other words, they are asking for the death penalty for journalists who stray from the party line.
Alex Jones (gag!): We apologize for referencing this guy, but he has been on top of the Labor Camp story for a long time. He follows all the footnotes. The link is to a video of him ranting away, and it is worth hearing. The file is in .wmv format, which is one of Microsoft's. These are hard to view, but the best choice of software is Nero's Show Time. Next best is Real Player or VideoLan. Worst choice is Microsoft Windows Media Player (all versions usually crash).
Concentration Camp Locations: This is a state-by-state list that somebody is compiling. They are actively seeking information that either corroborates or refutes the speculation that a listed facility exists and is a detention camp. The list is posted on Rense,but was originally posted on a site which is no longer active. Jeff Rense is Alex Jone's buddy. Much of the information on his site is speculative, and the camp listing does include disclaimers at the end.