Governed By Wolves

Moving to Tumblr and Renaming

2010-01-01T00:56:00.000-08:00

New years decision: I've decided to move to Tumblr and am renaming.

Social Memory Complex: Public-Private Co-dependence

2009-12-31T16:56:00.000-08:00

Great article over at Social Memory Complex:

"The radicals of the 19th century saw the state as larger than just the government. The state was composed of all those who benefited from the status quo. Government, business, academia, and other institutions work to stabilize this status quo as the basis of their privilege. So when Mussolini talks about a merger between corporate and state power, he is not talking about fusing business to government - that alliance already exists, and most people back then knew it, too."

http://socialmemorycomplex.net/leftlibertarian/2009/12/23/public-private-codependence/

David Reilly: On the never-ending-bailout scam

2009-12-31T15:20:00.000-08:00

Just one more article on the never-ending-bailout scam. David Reilly gets up close and personal with the current turd winding it's way through the bowels of the Washington beast. HR 4172.

Bankers Get $4 Trillion Gift From Barney Frank: David Reilly
http://www.bloomberg.com/apps/news?pid=20601039&sid=a48c8UpUMxKQ

Dissent, an act of terrorism?

2009-12-29T20:21:00.001-08:00

"Our descent is the familiar disease of decaying empires. Dissent is starting to become defined as an act of terrorism."

"Constitutionally protected statements, beliefs and associations can now become a crime. Dissidents, even those who break no laws, can be stripped of their rights and imprisoned without due process. It is the legal equivalent of preemptive war. The state can detain and prosecute people not for what they have done, or even for what they are planning to do, but for holding religious or political beliefs that the state deems seditious. The first of those targeted have been observant Muslims, but they will not be the last."

http://www.alternet.org/rights/144833/one_day_we%27ll_all_be_terrorists?page=entire

http://video.google.com/videoplay?docid=2618625552091922327&hl=en#

Glenn Greenwald: Cause and effect in the "Terror War"

2009-12-29T17:03:00.000-08:00

Five "fronts" in the "terror war". Iraq, Afghanistan, Pakistan, Somalia and Yemen.

"In the wake of the latest failed terrorist attack on Northwest Airlines, one can smell the excitement in the air -- that all-too-familiar, giddy, bipartisan climate that emerges in American media discourse whenever there's a new country we get to learn about so that we can explain why we're morally and strategically justified in bombing it some more. "

"When it comes to Terrorism, discussions of motive have been declared more or less taboo from the start because of the dishonest equation of motive discussions with justification -- as though understanding the reasons why X happens is to posit that X is legitimate and justifiable. Causation simply is; it has nothing to do with issues of morality, blame, or justification. Yet all that is generally permitted to be said in such situations is that Terrorists try to harm us because they're Evil, and we (of course) are not, and that's generally the end of the discussion."

http://www.salon.com/opinion/greenwald/2009/12/29/terrorism/index.html

Zmag: Political Myths WE Live By

2009-12-28T10:56:00.000-08:00

"We live in a de facto One Party state. We are left with the freedom to choose which current faction of the ruling political elite will probably be less disastrous."

http://www.zmag.org/znet/viewArticle/23403

Two great (and infuriating) articles from the My Budget 360 blog

2009-12-27T17:19:00.000-08:00

While it seems that the author treats capitalism as something different from corporatism, I would argue we are in fact seeing the true effects of capitalism. It's articles like this, whether written by an anarchist or not, that drove me to investigate the ideas of, and call myself an anarchist and question the idea of capitalism.

"[T]he State . . . and Capitalism are facts and conceptions which we cannot separate from each other. In the course of history these institutions have developed, supporting and reinforcing each other.
"They are connected with each other -- not as mere accidental co-incidences. They are linked together by the links of cause and effect." [Kropotkin, Evolution and Environment, p. 94]

First up: The Corporatocracy Systematically Destroying the American Middle Class: In 40 Years the Corporatocracy has Shifted Americans from a Sustainable Middle Class to a Perpetual Cycle of Debt Serfdom.

Second: Top 1 Percent Control 42 Percent of Financial Wealth in the U.S. - How Average Americans are Lured into Debt Servitude by Promises of Mega Wealth.

Hate mail from a psychopath warmonger

2009-12-22T19:18:00.000-08:00

Apparently Phillip A Camera didn't like that I joined a group on Facebook called "Soldiers Are Not Heroes". He apparently didn't like me pointing out the various news stories regarding the illegal occupation of Iraq and Afghanistan.

"ALRIGHT THIS HAS PISSED ME OFF TO THE FULLEST YOU THINK SOLDIERS ARINT HERO'S WELL I ADMIT I DIDNT DO ANYTHING REMOTELY HEROIC IN MY DEPLOYMENT BUT MY REALLY GOOD FRIEND SPC. WHEELER WAS KIA ON A CONVOY KILLING HIM INSTANTLY AFTER RUNNING OVER AN IED MOTHER FUCKER HOW COULD YOU BLATANTLY SAY SOLDIERS IN GENERAL AIRNT HERO'S MY FRIEND WAS KILLED PROTECTING YOUR WAY OF LIFE I HOPE YOU ROT IN HELL YOU FUCKING IDIOT DISRESPECTFUL SON OF A BITCH KEEP YOUR OUTLANDISH OPINIONS TO YOURSELF YOU DON'T DESERVE THE FREEDOM OF SPEECH YOU CAN EVEN SUPPORT OUR MILITARY I AM JUST SHOCKED SOMEONE WOULD SAY SHIT LIKE THAT I HOPE YOU GET HIT BY A FUCKING TANK YOU INCONSIDERATE BASTARD"

Update #1 (my response):

I'm sorry your friend was killed. I'm sure it was senseless and tragic and I'm sorry for your loss. I don't wish that any person should die in such a horrible way. But, understand there are quite a few people who feel the actions of the US government are actually making us much less safe. For every woman and child that is killed in a US drone attack imagine how many more 'terrorists' are being created? For every tank that the US provides to Israel, how many more Palestinian people are killed or forced from their homes? So while many soldiers believe they are making the American people safer, many people at home feel quite the opposite.

Again, sorry for your loss.

Socialism and the State by Rudolf Rocker

2009-12-22T18:26:00.000-08:00

Johann Rudolf Rocker (March 25, 1873– September 19, 1958) was an anarcho-syndicalist writer and activist. A self-professed anarchist without adjectives, Rocker believed that anarchist schools of thought represented "only different methods of economy" and that the first objective for anarchists was "to secure the personal and social freedom of men"

http://sites.google.com/site/governedbywolves/rudolf-rocker/socialism-and-the-state

Incredible Speech by Mike Prysner

2009-12-22T18:08:00.000-08:00

An absolutely powerful and heart wrenching speech by Mike Prysner of Iraq Vets Against the War. I feel absolutely sick...

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=akm3nYN8aG8&feature=player_embedded

update: the original vid: http://www.ivaw.org/wintersoldier/testimony/racism-and-war-dehumanization-enemy-part-2/mike-prysner/video

Paul Craig Roberts: Relocating Guantánamo

2009-12-22T18:02:00.000-08:00

"Americans are more upset by Tiger Woods’ sexual affairs than they are by the Bush and Obama administrations’ destruction of US civil liberty. Americans don’t seem to mind that “their” government for the last 8 years has resorted to the detention practices of 1,000 years ago--simply grab a person and throw him into a dungeon forever without bringing charges and obtaining a conviction."

http://www.counterpunch.org/roberts12222009.html

Bobby Whittenberg: An Open Letter from an Iraq Veteran to Liberals, Progressives, Democrats, and Third Party Voters

2009-12-21T20:57:00.000-08:00

Fantastic post by Bobby Whittenberg:

"It is time to put theory into practice. It is time that we demand that our voices be heard. If we are to take back control of our lives, we must do it ourselves. We need to localize our economies and start focusing on economies that are based on meeting people's needs sustainably rather than being based on markets or production."

http://hammerofliberty.blogspot.com/2009/12/open-letter-from-iraq-veteran-to.html

AlterNet: Are Americans a Broken People?

2009-12-21T16:01:00.000-08:00

Fantastic article over at AlterNet:

"A psychologist asks: Have consumerism, suburbanization and a malevolent corporate-government partnership so beaten us down that we no longer have the will to save ourselves?"

Glenn Greenwald: Cruise missile attacks in Yemen

2009-12-21T15:49:00.000-08:00

Absolutely disgusting...

From Glenn Greenwald

President Obama late last week ordered cruise missile attacks on two locations in Yemen, which "U.S. officials" say were "suspected Al Qaeda hideouts." The main target of the attacks, Al Qaeda member Qasim al Rim, was not among those killed, but: "a local Yemeni official said on Sunday that 49 civilians, among them 23 children and 17 women, were killed in air strikes against Al-Qaeda, which he said were carried out 'indiscriminately'."

"America’s commitment to maintaining Israel’s qualitative military edge was codified directly into U.S. law via 2008 legislation backed by AIPAC. This legislation requires the president to report to Congress periodically on actions taken by the administration to ensure Israel’s advantage."

http://www.salon.com/opinion/greenwald/2009/12/21/terrorism/index.html

Stateless Socialism: Anarchism by Mikhail Bakunin

2009-12-20T22:44:00.000-08:00

Mikhail Bakunin (1814-1876) was one of the intellectual founding fathers of Anarchism. He is often considered to be Marx's historical rival. When Marx headed toward State-run Socialism, Bakunin argued for the abolition of the State as the most fundamental goal for those who want to guarantee freedom.

http://sites.google.com/site/governedbywolves/bakunin/stateless-socialism-anarchism

ICE: We can make you disappear. Secret Prisions in the US

2009-12-20T22:07:00.000-08:00

"If you don't have enough evidence to charge someone criminally but you think he's illegal, we can make him disappear." Those chilling words were spoken by James Pendergraph, then executive director of Immigration and Customs Enforcement's (ICE) Office of State and Local Coordination, at a conference of police and sheriffs in August 2008.

You know who else liked to kidnap, "disappear" people and keep them in secret prisons? Yeah, take a guess.

http://www.thenation.com/doc/20100104/stevens/single

Report on Slovak State Police attacks against Mike Gogulski, 5 September 2009

2009-10-21T16:31:00.000-07:00

Apparently, police are the same the world over. Mike Gogulski was beaten and thrown in a cage by Slovak State Police.

Reposted from Mike's blog:

REVISION HISTORY

v1.0 – 20090906

Original version, real names, episodes 1-9, 6 image attachments

v1.1 – 20090908

Name labels harmonized in preparation for generation of 2 versions
Forked into full and no-names versions
Minor cleanup throughout
Added WITNESS
Added offense “Abuse of Authority by Public Official”
Introduction added to Episode 1, including first interaction with WITNESS
Episode 9 expanded
Episodes 10 and 11 added
Catalogue of injuries added
Tables of contents and figures added

V1.2 – 20091022

Release version, with relevant, known names

TABLE OF CONTENTS

REVISION HISTORY.. 1

TABLE OF CONTENTS. 2

CAST.. 3

LOCATIONS. 4

CATALOGUE OF INJURIES (created 8 September 2009) 5

EPISODE 1 – Saturday, 5 September 2009, inside building, BAR.. 6

EPISODE 2 – 5 September 2009, courtyard, BAR.. 7

EPISODE 2 – 5 September 2009, courtyard, BAR.. 8

EPISODE 3 – 5 September 2009, courtyard, BAR.. 9

EPISODE 4 – RESIDENCE.. 12

EPISODE 5 – POLICE STATION.. 13

EPISODE 6 – POLICE STATION.. 14

EPISODE 7 – POLICE STATION.. 15

EPISODE 8 – POLICE STATION.. 16

EPISODE 9 – POLICE STATION, Kramáre hospital, RESIDENCE.. 17

EPISODE 10 – RESIDENCE – Saturday, 5 September 2009. 18

EPISODE 11 – RESIDENCE – Sunday, 6 September 2009. 19

EPISODE 12 – RESIDENCE, POLICE STATION – Monday, 7 September 2009. 20

CAST

Michael Jude Gogulski – Bar patron, victim, complainant, victim, prisoner, victim, patient, witness.

WITNESS – Female who frequents/works at BAR. Brunette, short hair, late 20s to early 30s. Knows me by sight and by name.

BARTENDER – Early-30s female, black hair. Bartender/supervisor at BAR.

ATTACKER – Manager/owner of BAR. Early 40s (?), moustache, straight greasy hair. Presumably Ján Kurtulík, owner/officer of KELLE, s.r.o., operator of the BAR.

BLONDE – Unknown blonde female associate of ATTACKER’s, possibly his business partner.

MIROSLAV PAŠEK – Police officer and main police attacker, about 5’10”, muscled, close-cropped hair, early to mid-30s. Standard police uniform. Identified by name tag pinned to uniform chest, left side. Two-stars plus wings rank insignia (uncertain).

CURLY – Police officer with short dark curly hair, fat with prominent belly, early to mid-40s. Equal in rank or superior to MIROSLAV PAŠEK. Standard police uniform.

ROOKIE1 and ROOKIE2 – Early-20s police officers wearing blue jumpsuit type police uniforms.

DISPATCHER – Emergency police dispatcher responding to my call at telephone number 158.

MARTIN – English-speaking police officer assigned to interpreter duty. Late 20s to early 30s.

FRIEND1 – My friend who I called from jail.

GUEST1 and GUEST2 – Two female couchsurfing guests from Slovenia staying at my residence.

FRIEND2 – My friend who met me at the hospital and drove me home.

LOCATIONS

POLICE STATION – Police station where I was taken. Šuňavcova 2, Bratislava – Nové Mesto

BAR – “Erotic Salon” establishment at Mikovíniho 2, Bratislava, Slovakia. Called variously “Wild Angels” and “Nymfa Salon”. Operated by Kelle, s.r.o., operated in turn by its officer, Ján Kurtulík. Location of attack by ATTACKER.

RESIDENCE – My flat.

CATALOGUE OF INJURIES (created 8 September 2009)

2-cm round dermal abrasion, outer left elbow
Possible Source: Falling to ground after being struck by ATTACKER; Falling to ground after being struck by MIROSLAV PAŠEK at bar or in cell
1.5-cm oblong dermal abrasion, inner left elbow
Possible Source: Scraped BAR wall while being held in pain-lock hold against wall by MIROSLAV PAŠEK
Several other dermal and epidermal small abrasions on outer left elbow
Possible Source: Uncertain
2-cm round dermal abrasion, inner right elbow
Possible Source: Falling to ground after being struck by MIROSLAV PAŠEK at bar or in cell
1-cm epidermal cut, right index finger
Possible Source: Uncertain
Two .5 to .75-cm dermal abrasions to head, 3cm above hairline at forehead
Possible Source: Head smashed into wall at BAR by MIROSLAV PAŠEK (multiple times)
3-cm dermal laceration, behind left ear
Possible Source: Uncertain
1-cm dermal abrasion, top of left knee
Possible Source: Falling to ground after being struck by ATTACKER; Falling to ground after being struck by MIROSLAV PAŠEK at bar or in cell
1.5-cm light dermal abrasion, front of left knee
Possible Source: Falling to ground after being struck by ATTACKER; Falling to ground after being struck by MIROSLAV PAŠEK at bar or in cell
6-cm x 5-cm deep contusion, inner side top of left knee. Purpling bruise
Possible Source: Falling to ground after being struck by MIROSLAV PAŠEK at bar or in cell
5-cm x 4-cm light contusion, left thigh, 10-15-cm from kneecap. Light bluish bruise.
Possible Source: Uncertain
8-cm x 4-cm contusion, upper right inner arm. Banded and jointed pattern reflecting 2 or 3 fingers’ grip.
Possible Source: Attack by MIROSLAV PAŠEK in holding cell
6-cm x 2-cm light contusion, right side of back below scapula, near side.
Possible Source: Punched by MIROSLAV PAŠEK or CURLY at BAR
Contusion to right pectoralis.
Possible Source: Punched by MIROSLAV PAŠEK at BAR
Contusions to ribs and connective tissue below right pectoralis.
Possible Source: Punched by ATTACKER1, by MIROSLAV PAŠEK or CURLY at BAR, or by MIROSLAV PAŠEK in cell
Contusion to upper lumbar spine
Possible Source: Punched by MIROSLAV PAŠEK or CURLY at BAR
Contusion to lower tip of right scapula
Possible Source: Punched by MIROSLAV PAŠEK or CURLY at BAR

EPISODE 1 – Saturday, 5 September 2009, inside building, BAR

~4:00 AM: I arrive at BAR and order a whiskey. As I walk to a free table, WITNESS sees me and calls my name. I’ve introduced myself to her by name and spoken to her at length during two previous visits. We greet each other and I offer here some of my whiskey. She drains the glass instantly. I get another from the bar.

~4:35 AM: I am told “You must leave” by BARTENDER. She has been giving me trouble for only buying drinks rather than the other services on the menu as well.

After refusing to leave for no valid reason, and after dashing briefly upstairs in reaction to hearing a woman screaming but finding nothing amiss (WITNESS had gone upstairs with a patron), BARTENDER makes a phone call. Shortly after, ATTACKER appears in BAR with BLONDE. ATTACKER has a conversation with BARTENDER, stands behind bar looking at me. He is clearly the owner or manager. BLONDE also stands behind bar, and I observe her doing paperwork. ATTACKER and BLONDE retire to back room.

There were several other people in the establishment who witnessed me reacting to the scream, and being asked to leave and refused service: three presumably Slovak patrons, and 3-4 female staff.

After relenting to her demand and while asking a final time for a last drink (she told me they had stopped serving, then went to deliver drinks to some guests), I take a photograph of BARTENDER with my mobile phone and exit the building into the courtyard. As I leave, I observe BARTENDER hurrying into the back room.

EPISODE 2 – 5 September 2009, courtyard, BAR

Between Episode 1 and 4:53 AM

I approach the outer gate to the courtyard and find it locked. I turn around to see ATTACKER emerge from door to back office and walking toward me. ATTACKER carries some sort of blunt weapon (metal baton?) in right hand, resting the weapon against the back of his head as he approaches me.

ATTACKER approaches me and a verbal exchange begins. I demand the door be unlocked. ATTACKER demands that I delete the photo of BARTENDER. I refuse. ATTACKER makes threatening gestures and continues approaching me more closely. Exchange continues until ATTACKER strikes me at least once, possibly twice, on right side of upper body with his left hand. He then strikes me open-handed on right side of face, causing my glasses to fly off and clatter to the floor of the courtyard somewhere.

I tell ATTACKER now that I will delete the photo of BARTENDER. I take the mobile phone (Nokia 6120c) from my pocket. He takes it from my hand and begins looking for the photo. I snatch it from his hands, show him the screen, locate the photo of BARTENDER, delete it, then page through other photos until he is satisfied it has been deleted.

ATTACKER now opens the gate to the courtyard and walks back into his the back room office, inside which I can see a number of active video monitors. He sits behind a desk looking toward me, while BLONDE sits in a chair in front of the desk, facing the video monitors. I search for my glasses on the ground and cannot find them.

CHARGEABLE OFFENSES: False Imprisonment, Assault and Battery (all to ATTACKER)

EPISODE 2 – 5 September 2009, courtyard, BAR

Still in the courtyard, I dial 150 on my mobile phone at 4:53 AM. I tell respondent I need police. I’m told this is the fire department, and to call 158. I hang up and call 158 to be answered by DISPATCHER at 4:54 AM.

I tell DISPATCHER that I may have been robbed of my glasses and that I have been physically assaulted, requesting the police to come. I give him the location and address.

I continue searching for my glasses, to no avail, remaining in the courtyard. Several times I approach the open door to the back office where ATTACKER and BLONDE sit as described above, tell them that I’ve called the police. Over the course of ~10 minutes waiting for the police to arrive, I make an escalating series of demands for money from ATTACKER to simply leave and forget the incident, starting at €500 and ending at €3000. ATTACKER is impassive, says nothing. BLONDE never looks in my direction, and I don’t hear them speaking to each other.

EPISODE 3 – 5 September 2009, courtyard, BAR

~5:05 AM. Two police cars arrive, carrying MIROSLAV PAŠEK, CURLY, ROOKIE1 and ROOKIE2.

I stand behind open gate to courtyard, smoking a cigarette. Police stalk past me and enter ATTACKER’s office directly. Presumably a conversation occurs between ATTACKER and/or BLONDE and one or more police officers.

Either ROOKIE1 or ROOKIE2 remains outside the office. I tell him that I’m the one who called DISPATCHER. He says something to other police officers, who emerge from office.

Officers begin asking me questions, which I have trouble following. I tell them that ATTACKER attacked me, knocked off my glasses and that I can’t find them - presumed stolen.

Main interrogator quickly becomes MIROSLAV PAŠEK, who is short-tempered and aggressive. He asks more questions about incident. I try to respond as best I can in broken Slovak. MIROSLAV PAŠEK grabs my cigarette out of my hand and throws it to the floor. “What are you doing?” I ask (or something to this effect).

MIROSLAV PAŠEK: „Občiansky preukaz.” (“ID card.”)

Me: „To nemám.” (“I don’t have that.”)

MIROSLAV PAŠEK: „Pas.” (“Passport.”)

Me: „To nemám.” (“I don’t have that.”)

There may be more words after this exchange. My memory is cloudy.

At this point, MIROSLAV PAŠEK strikes me several times in the right side. At least the first blow is with his left hand. I cry out in pain and fall to the ground.

I cannot remember the remainder of the sequence of events which occurred at the BAR courtyard clearly.

MIROSLAV PAŠEK demands I stand, and I comply. I tell him this is going to make an interesting story for tomorrow’s SME or Pravda, featuring his name. He becomes enraged, strikes me again at least once, grabs my right arm, pushes me to wall of BAR building between entry door and back office door. Pushing me into the wall causes my head to impact the wall. MIROSLAV PAŠEK pins my upper body to the wall and wrenches my right arm up behind my back, putting extreme strain on my right shoulder and elbow. MIROSLAV PAŠEK says something to the effect that he doesn’t want to hear anything about seeing himself in SME or Pravda.

During all attacks by MIROSLAV PAŠEK, I cry out in pain and terror. Neighbors may have heard, and should be interviewed.

Other incidents during Episode 3:

Police finally understand that I have neither an ID card nor passport because I am a stateless person. They demand to see my Travel Document, which is not with me.

At one point, either CURLY or MIROSLAV PAŠEK makes some sort of threatening remark referring to “Američan.” I laugh. MIROSLAV PAŠEK strikes me again several times, and I collapse again.

I am pressed up against the entry door to the building in the pain-restraint hold as before. With my left hand I attempt to open the door to escape MIROSLAV PAŠEK’s attacks. It is locked. MIROSLAV PAŠEK and others observe me. MIROSLAV PAŠEK strikes me several times in the lower back, right side, and spine. At least one other police officer strikes me in the ribs, spine or lower back.

After more insults and threats, demands for respect and compliance, “speak this way”, etc., I am turned around and released to face MIROSLAV PAŠEK. I gaze at his name tag and memorize his name. MIROSLAV PAŠEK observes this and asks what I am looking at. I don’t respond. MIROSLAV PAŠEK strikes me several times and places me back in the restraint hold, smashing my head into the wall again. He asks again what I was looking at. I laugh. He wrenches my arm much harder, either forcing me up the wall or causing me to rise onto my toes. The pain is extreme. “Nothing,” I say.

At one point after being struck by MIROSLAV PAŠEK, falling to the ground, beaten by MIROSLAV PAŠEK while on the ground and then demanded by MIROSLAV PAŠEK to stand, I remained sitting and raised both arms with wrists crossed, asking to simply be taken to jail. Laughter resulted from MIROSLAV PAŠEK and several other officers, followed by MIROSLAV PAŠEK’s repeated demand to stand.

At some point they may have demanded proof that I deleted the photo of BARTENDER from my mobile phone. I laugh and say that proof of this is impossible, but page through my photos anyway until they are satisfied it is gone.

Ant some point during this encounter in the BAR courtyard, one of the police officers (not MIROSLAV PAŠEK) walked to the outer gate which was standing open. He closed the gate, making exit or observation impossible.

Toward the end of this engagement, one of the female staff, WITNESS, opened the door to the building and looked out. She looked me directly in the eyes, I believe as I was sitting on the ground, freshly beaten. She closed the door quickly.

Eventually, agreement is reached that we will go together to my flat to retrieve my Travel Document so they can verify my identity. I am bundled into a police car, back seat right side. I can’t recall the driver. ROOKIE1 or ROOKIE2 sat in the back to my left.

CHARGEABLE OFFENSES: Assault and Battery plus Abuse of Authority by Public Official (MIROSLAV PAŠEK and unknown officer who struck me in ribs), Failure to Report Crime (other 2 officers)

EPISODE 4 – RESIDENCE

ROOKIE demands I wait in the car, opens car door, demands I exit and stand by car. I am then escorted to front door of RESIDENCE building. I open front door with my electronic key. Officers ask on which floor I live, and I tell them the 5^th. Two officers (one ROOKIE and another not recalled) take the stairs, while I ride the elevator with the others. ROOKIE takes position in front of my door, demands I opened it, asking if anyone else is in the flat. I tell them two couchsurfers are present, GUEST1 and GUEST2.

ROOKIE allows me to open door with my key and reach inside to turn on lights. I call to GUEST1, asking her to bring my backpack to the door. I retrieve my Travel Document from the backpack and give it back to GUEST1. Officers take Travel Document. I tell GUEST1 repeatedly to call FRIEND1, tell her what was happening, that I was going to jail, and that she could find info on my computer.

Police officers demand I come back down stairs with them, load me back into car and drive me to POLICE STATION.

EPISODE 5 – POLICE STATION

My memory is increasingly cloudy. I am trying to hold on to a single fact, the name of MIROSLAV PAŠEK. I am told to sit on a bench while discussion goes on inside an office near the entry to the building of my case. The officers have my Travel Document with them. ROOKIE1 or ROOKIE2 stands in hallway outside office watching me.

ROOKIE1/2 demands I empty my pockets, take off belt, turn off mobile phone, leave all objects on table opposite holding cell door. I comply. I am led into holding cell. I ask for water and to visit the toilet and am told “soon”.

There is part of a bottle of water in the cell. I drink it and place the empty bottle next to another one in the cell.

I lay down on the bench to rest. I notice my jeans are wet on the back side, presumably from falling on to wet ground at the BAR courtyard. I take off my jeans and lay them on the bench to dry, and lay down again. A passing officer tells me I must put my jeans back on. I refuse, telling him they are wet. He says that I must, since other people are passing by the open-bar door of the cell. “Prežijú,” I tell him – “They will survive.” He goes away.

After some time I am led out of the cell into an office. A male officer with short dark hair and a black laptop computer wants to interview me. He is assisted by another officer, female with long blonde curly hair. I answer a few basic questions. Female officer asks me for my mother’s name. I tell her. She doesn’t understand, asks me to write it down. I ask her if I may have paper and pen to make notes. She refuses. I refuse to write anything unless I can take my own notes. Eventually she relents and writes down my parents’ names herself with spelling assistance from me.

The male interrogator is asking a series of questions about the events of the evening. He asks why I took the photograph of BARTENDER. I state that I don’t want to answer. I am told that I must answer. I tell the officers that I’m not going to answer any more questions without an interpreter and an attorney.

During interrogation I state that I was beaten by police at BAR courtyard. Police officers are impassive.

During interrogation CURLY appears at the door to the room. When I turn to look at him he turns away before I can view his name badge, while he looks me in the eyes.

I am taken back to my cell, and lay down again. I am in extreme pain all over the right side of my body. I cannot lay on that side, and moving is painful. I feel extremely cold, and parts of my body are trembling at random.

POTENTIAL OFFENSE: Failure to Report a Crime (two officers)

EPISODE 6 – POLICE STATION

MIROSLAV PAŠEK comes to the door to my cell after a few minutes. MIROSLAV PAŠEK demands that I sit up. I ask why. He says I must obey him. I refuse and lay down. He calls me insulting names and threatens me. I ask if he really wants to do that while on video (camera mounted at back of cell near ceiling) and he snarls. MIROSLAV PAŠEK enters the cell, demands again that I sit up. I ignore him. MIROSLAV PAŠEK grabs my shirt collar and right upper arm with his left hand and attempts to haul me up, loses his grip. MIROSLAV PAŠEK grabs me again, hauls me to my feet, strikes me several times in right side, and on head. I fall to the floor, striking my head on the floor. MIROSLAV PAŠEK demands that I get on the bench and sit. I comply.

CHARGEABLE OFFENSES: Assault and Battery, Abuse of Authority by Public Official (MIROSLAV PAŠEK)

EPISODE 7 – POLICE STATION

An English-speaking police officer who calls himself MARTIN appears at my cell door saying he’s been asked to help me with the interview since my Slovak is not so good.

I ask MARTIN if I’m being charged with anything, and he says no. I ask if I’m free to go, and he says no, I must give a report. I tell him I’m not giving any information without an attorney.

MARTIN goes away and comes back several minutes later. Normally I would give the attorney’s name to them and they would call, because it’s “not like America here”. But they give me my mobile phone. I call FRIEND1, explain situation, ask for help. I turn the mobile phone off and return it to MARTIN, who places it back with my items on the table opposite the cell.

I remain sitting. I am dizzy and in great pain. My head hurts like nothing before. I feel like my temperature is dropping rapidly. I continue to experience tremor in my extremities.

Some time later I stand and go to the cell door. MARTIN sees me, asks if I am all right. I tell him about my symptoms. He asks if I want a doctor. I say yes. He says a doctor will be here shortly. I ask him if there is a rule that I cannot lay down on the bench. He says no. I ask him then if his friend Miro (MIROSLAV PAŠEK) is still here, since he beat me in the cell because I would not sit up. He states that MIROSLAV PAŠEK has left, his shift having ended.

POTENTIAL OFFENSE: Failure to Report a Crime (MARTIN)

EPISODE 8 – POLICE STATION

MARTIN returns to my cell and leads me to another office. Two more senior police officers are there. One is typing something on a typewriter. They ask me a number of questions about answering questions for the report, which I refuse to do. MARTIN interprets. I again state that I was beaten by police officers at BAR, and then by MIROSLAV PAŠEK in the holding cell. They seem incredulous.

POTENTIAL OFFENSE: Failure to Report a Crime (MARTIN, two interrogating officers)

The older officer sitting on the right side of the office at one point says that I can leave if I pay a penalty of €30. I refuse, saying I’m not paying anything.

Two paramedics arrive. One speaks English and asks me about my condition. They decide to recommend that I go to the hospital, and I agree. They fill out and ask me to sign a Patient Agreement. I comply. I demand a copy of what I signed and they refuse, saying “You don’t need that, that’s just for us,” until finally they give me a blank copy of the same document (ATTACHED).

MARTIN tells me that I’m to be released with a “predvolanie” order to appear at the police station at 8am Monday morning (ATTACHED), and that I’ll be taken to the hospital without escort “So it doesn’t seem like you’re a murderer or something.” I agree, and sign an envelope (ATTACHED) indicating my receipt of the predvolanie document.

The paramedics call the ambulance service. There is trouble because I don’t have my insurance card with me and can’t remember the name of the insurance company. The paramedics require €2 in payment for something. I have a five-euro note, which I give them. They don’t have the proper change. They return a €2 coin to me, and I tell them to keep the change. They give me a cash receipt (ATTACHED).

Knowing I’m released, I ask to make a phone call. My phone and other items are given to me. I phone GUEST1 at 8:34AM, who has already left my residence with her friend.

EPISODE 9 – POLICE STATION, Kramáre hospital, RESIDENCE

I go with the ambulance personnel and am taken to the hospital at Kramáre. Female paramedic takes my blood pressure and presumably pulse prior to departure. At the hospital, I am given an intake examination in the emergency room. I am then X-rayed 3 times for the head, twice for the chest. I am given a physical examination by one doctor. I am given an ultrasound examination of the abdomen and lower chest. I am given a second examination of a sort (see below), during which the doctor reviews the X-rays. I am discharged without admission or treatment, with a medical report (ATTACHED).

Between examinations I lay on seats in the hallway and try to sleep. I cannot sleep. The pain in my right side is debilitating, and I continue to experience peripheral tremors.

During the second general examination (largely verbal) in the emergency room, I point out to Dr. Michal Magala that I have a number of cuts, scrapes and bruises that I received while being beaten by the police. I ask that they be examined and noted in the file. Magala tells me that these are “somariny” (“jackassery”), and that I could have gotten them anywhere. I insist that I’m here for a medical examination after being attacked, and want all of my injuries noted in detail. Magala yells at me, again saying these are “somariny”, approaches me threateningly and smashes his left fist into a cabinet between us for emphasis.

My friend FRIEND2 meets me at the hospital and drives me home, where I arrive about 11:20AM, Saturday, 5 September 2009.

Deficiencies in the medical report:

The notation “Homans negat.” indicates that a physical test for indications of deep vein thrombosis was conducted. No such test was conducted.
“bez vytoku krvi genitalu” indicates there was no discharge of blood from the genitals. No questions about this were asked, nor was I ever asked to remove my trousers for the necessary examination.
The report claims that a pelvic palpation examination was conducted. No such examination was conducted.
The report claims that an examination of the legs was conducted. No such examination was conducted.

EPISODE 10 – RESIDENCE – Saturday, 5 September 2009

I take 800mg of ibuprofen, make some phone calls and fall asleep around 12:30, for about sixteen hours. I’m in extreme pain. I cannot lay on my right side, my head hurts, I feel dizzy, moving my chest in any fashion causes great pain. The tremors have ceased. I am terrified, and can’t think clearly.

EPISODE 11 – RESIDENCE – Sunday, 6 September 2009

I begin writing this report, and share early versions with a number of people.

I photograph some of my injuries with my mobile phone camera and a mirror.

A friend comes and photographs my injuries, and takes with him the unwashed clothing I was wearing during the attacks.

I am supposed to give a statement at 8am on Monday. Numerous contacts to lawyers result in failure. All are either not certified for the criminal system, on vacation, don’t speak English, or otherwise unavailable.

I make contact with a court-certified interpreter, and arrange to meet at her flat at 7:30am.

I go to a restaurant to have dinner around 8pm. A friend’s contact calls to give me the number of a qualified lawyer. I arrange with the lawyer that I will phone him at 7:30am, and he will call the police station to exercise my right to postpone the interview until I can have counsel present.

I go home and make phone calls and other arrangements. I cannot sleep. I am terrified, in pain and can’t think clearly. I set five alarms on my mobile phone to awaken me before 6am, and finally get to sleep around 4am.

EPISODE 12 – RESIDENCE, POLICE STATION – Monday, 7 September 2009

I awaken at 10:40, having not heard 5 alarms or a call from FRIEND1 at 8:11am.

I shower, dress, take 800mg of ibuprofen and go to a restaurant to have coffee. I phone the interpreter and ask her to call the lawyer for me, for him to call the police station, apologize for me and to arrange another time. She phones him and calls me back, saying that I should just contact them myself. He doesn’t want to represent me now, because he does not speak English.

I walk to the POLICE STATION, appearing there around 11:45am. Since I have no interpreter, they will arrange one.

While I am waiting, I briefly catch sight of CURLY entering the building. I am terrified.

The police tell me that the interpreter will arrive at 1:00pm. I leave to meet a friend, and show her an early version of this report in hardcopy.

I return to the police station, part with my friend and enter at 1:00pm.

Around 1:15pm the interpreter arrives.

The interviewing officer is the same one who told me to put my jeans back on while in the cell, and who attempted to conduct the interview previously. The interpreter is presumably another police officer, unknown to me previously.

I apologize profusely for being late. The officers seem to accept this.

I ask if I’m being charged with anything. No. But I could be charged with a breach of public order offense, a misdemeanor which carries a €100 fine.

I tell them that I want to move the interview to a time later in the week when I can have counsel present. It’s not clear whether or not this is permitted, but they insist on carrying out the interview now.

The parameters of the interview are set such that I can discuss things with the interpreter at length, and he will then dictate a summary in Slovak to be entered into the report.

I tell them that I am reluctant to give any information, because I was beaten by the police at the scene and while in the holding cell. They seem incredulous and shrug this off.

I tell them I don’t want to file any charges or register any complaints.

I end up signing a “witness statement” of some sort, which contains a very vague description of events, roughly this:

Around 4:00 AM on Saturday, 5 September 2009 I went to BAR. I had a couple of drinks. There was a conflict between me and the bartender. As I left, I could not find my glasses. I called the police. The police arrived and asked me for my ID, but I didn’t understand. The police took me home to retrieve my ID, and then to the police station to file a report. I was released to the hospital for medical treatment.

I was not resisting the police in not providing my ID, there was a misunderstanding.

I sign two copies of the statement, and ask for one copy. I am refused, the interpreter telling me that they are not allowed to give me a copy.

I leave the police station around 2:30pm. I go home, take 800mg of ibuprofen and sleep for six hours.

Paul Craig Roberts | Americans: Serfs Ruled by Oligarchs

2009-08-19T22:29:00.000-07:00

A few choice quotes from Paul Craig Roberts' latest article:

"Americans think that they have “freedom and democracy” and that politicians are held accountable by elections. The fact of the matter is that the US is ruled by powerful interest groups who control politicians with campaign contributions. Our real rulers are an oligarchy of financial and military/security interests and AIPAC, which influences US foreign policy for the benefit of Israel."

"Will Americans realize that they are not ruled by elected representatives but by an oligarchy that owns the Washington whorehouse?"

http://www.counterpunch.org/roberts08192009.html

The Largest Street Gang in America

2009-08-16T23:46:00.000-07:00

The Largest Street Gang in America

On the Evolution of Anarchy

2009-08-05T22:01:00.000-07:00

As of late, there seems to be a lot of talk of bringing about a free, voluntary society through evolutionary means. While reading the transcript of Roderick Long's 2004 Mises University talk, I ran across the following, and it completely blew my mind. By looking to the past, can we actually see our own societal evolution moving towards freedom and a voluntary society? Lately, it doesn't seem that way, but think about the radicals of the 17th and 18th century. Think of the french revolution and the events and ideas that flowed from that. (this last part needs to be fleshed out more.. Proudhon, Bastiat, Locke? Hobbes?, Marx?!).

Roderick Long:

"And on the question of why we don’t see any industrialized country that has anarchy – of course, we also don’t see any industrialized county that has monarchy. But then industrialized countries haven’t been around all that long. There was a time when people said every civilized country (or just about every civilized country) is a monarchy. You find people in the seventeenth and eighteenth centuries saying: look, all the civilized countries are monarchies; democracy would never work. And by saying democracy would never work, they meant not just that it would have these various bad results in the long run; they just thought it would completely fall apart into chaos in a matter of months. Whatever you may think of democracy, it was more viable than they predicted. It could last longer, at any rate, than they predicted. So, things are in flux. There was a time when it was all monarchies. Now it’s all semi-oligarchical democracies. The night is young."

A twitter "conversation"

2009-07-12T16:11:00.000-07:00

Me to fairtax guy: A tax is a tax. It would still fund murder & violence. Call me when there's a bill to abolish all taxes. http://is.gd/1wd3I

Some conservative guy to me: You want do away with all taxes! How do you propose we fund the nessasary functions of Government? Not all taxes are bad!

Me to conservative guy: Let the market (the true market) take over. Take defense: "defense is a service like any other service" http://is.gd/1webN & http://praxeology.net/GM-PS.htm

Conservative guy to me: If you subscribe to this train of thought, you sir are delusional to believe we can trust the free market to our security anymore than we trust the free market with the running of our prisons. I believe in free markets but unrestricted they are no better than street gangs or drug cartels. Is this the environment in which you wish to live?

(Note the abject fear of a truly free market. Gangs, drug cartels. With out the government who would protect us from the boogie man.)

Me to conservative guy: the drug cartels are a symptom of gov. It's even been stated by cartel leaders the War on Drugs has been good for business. Remove gov from the equation and the drug cartels have no more business. Additionally we already have private security. Remove gov monopoly and the market would fill the void. Gangs? Hire a security firm. With out gov. Your home ins policy would probably include a police security company.

Conservative guy to me: Your wish is anarchy not freedom.

(Exactly!! but of course he's working from what he's been taught; anarchy is chaos)

Me to conservative guy: Anarchy is freedom, not chaos as we've all been so kindly taught in government education institutions.

Conservative guy to me: If you believe this to be true then I will have nothing more to do with this discusion. Good Bye.

(In other words, when presented with ideas that run counter to what you've been taught, run away screaming with your fingers in your ears. I guess the old cliche holds: You can't lead a horse to water....)

So what started as a "debate" on Fair Tax turned into me wanting chaos. These little conversations just further prove that conservatives aren't any more freedom loving than liberals; they both hide behind government afraid to face a truly free world. At least with liberals, one knows what to expect. Conservatives live in a state of cognitive dissonance and fear screaming about freedom and liberty yet are too afraid to leave the shackles of government behind.

And to think, all I wanted to do was to quote Murray Rothbard: "There can be no such thing as 'fairness in taxation.' Taxation is nothing but organized theft, and the concept of a 'fair tax' is therefore every bit as absurd as that of 'fair theft.'"

Delegitimization and the process of unlearning

2009-06-27T08:28:00.000-07:00

Now that Cap and Trade has passed and I'm sure Single Payer Health Care is soon to follow, I'm just wondering if people will *now* start ignoring government and the political class (not like there were thousands of reasons before). While watching the reactions on twitter, many conservatives were stunned that it passed and even more so to learn that some of their own "switched sides". Of course there was the typical wailing and gnashing of teeth, "vote 'em out!", "those traitors!". When will people learn? Isn't the definition of insanity doing the same thing over and over again and expecting a different result? The democrat partisans had eight years to learn about the horrors of government, but that all seems lost now that their "team" is in office. Obama and the democratic majority continue two atrocious wars, domestic spying continues and torture has been swept under the rug. Now that the republican partisans are in the minority maybe just maybe they will learn of the horrors their "team" wrought and experience what it's like to be the 49% that gets stomped to death. Maybe, some of the current "conservative" minority and the disillusioned antiwar, anti-torture, Obama supporters will take the time to educate themselves to the fact there is neither a left nor a right but a single political class bent on murder, assault and theft. There is only the state versus freedom. If everybody just started ignoring the political class, what could they do? Pass more laws? Even if the police were sent to control the masses, eventually they would run out of resources trying to arrest everyone. Public opinion of the police would erode after seeing peaceful individuals being arrested for doing nothing more than exerting their natural rights as human beings. What everybody needs to do now is start a delegitimization campaign or a campaign of "unlearning" about government and recognize what the political class really is. If the government becomes illegitimate in the minds of enough people, what power will they have? How will they enforce their laws, collect their taxes and fight their wars when they're viewed as a violent parasitic gang? Because of this realization, I've recently started on my own personal journey to study the ideas of liberty and to unlearn what has been forced upon me via the state. While I have just begun this process of unlearning, I can at least point others to the same places where my journey began. Hopefully these few initial steps will help others in their own personal journey.

To begin your own campaign of unlearning:

The Online Freedom Academy
Video: The Philosophy of Liberty
Audio Book:The Market for Liberty
Fundamentals of Volutaryism
Audio Book: For a New Liberty
Audio Book: Ethics of Liberty
Article by Rick Flame: The Rejection of Liberty
Audio: New Libertarian Manifesto
Audio: Agorist Class Theory

For more podcasts go visit nostate.com. Mike Gogulski has generously donated his time and energy to create several podcasts of essential libertarian essays. Definitely worth a listen.

Edit: spelling. de-legitimiz-ation.
Update: I guess this bill has not passed the senate yet. It passed the house.
Update: 2009-07-10: Looks like Cap and Trade has been postponed (probably waiting until nobody is looking)

Thomas L. Knapp: The Political Class Is In Session

2009-06-26T15:33:00.000-07:00

A few choice quotes from Thomas Knapp's C4SS commentary "The Political Class is in Session":

"The purpose of all, or nearly all, functions of the modern state is to facilitate and maximize the transfer of wealth from the pockets of the productive class to the bank accounts of the political class."

'The profiteering members of the political class reward their government-affiliated counterparts with campaign contributions, the delivery of constituent blocs to the polls, and lucrative employment opportunities after “retirement” from government “service.”'

Good article. Check it out here: http://c4ss.org/content/707

Who are the parasites?

2009-05-31T22:50:00.000-07:00

This was blatantly stolen from the Mutualist FAQ at http://www.mutualist.org/id23.html:

In Volney's Ruins of Empire, the nation was divided between those who "by useful laborus contribute to the support and maintenance of society," and the parasites who lived off them: "none but priests, courtiers, public accountants, commanders of troops, in short, the civil, military, or religious agents of government."

People.... What labour do you perform in the society?

Privileged Class. None: we are not made to labour.

People. How then have you acquired your wealth?

Privileged Class. By taking the pains to govern you.

People. To govern us!... We toil, and you enjoy; we produce and you dissipate; wealth flows from us, and you absorb it. Privileged men, class distinct from the people, form a class apart and govern yourselves. [quoted in Ibid. 99]

Think about this for a moment. Who are the people who live off of the rest of us today? I'd say the state; government; politicians, the corporations with help from the political elite. Those would use a gun to remove the fruits of your labor from your wallet or purse; from the mouth of your child. Is it any different today than it was in the 1790s? If you think we are any more free than the peasants of the feudal past, think again. It's a different time, same kind of slavery.

Retake: What kind of libertarian are you?

2009-05-31T21:43:00.000-07:00

Decided to re-take the "What kind of libertarian are you?" test again. Looking back I feel like my views on the subject are changing and it would be interesting to see if any thing has changed.

You Scored as Anarcho-capitalist

Anarcho-capitalists are libertarians who oppose the state entirely and propose to have a free market in the provision of security and arbitration. The term anarcho-capitalism derives from Murray Rothbard to describe a stateless society based on the principles of laissez-faire or the philosophy in support of such a proposition. Anarcho-capitalists may tend to still associate more with the political right and make use of the political process, unless they are agorists or left-libertarians at the same time.

While the results came up "anarcho-capitalist" both times, it's interesting to see the differences in the break down.
Whereas last time it was:

Anarcho-capitalist 100%
Agorist 100%
Left-libertarian 92%
"Small L" libertarian 67%

and this last time it was:

Left-libertarian 100%
Anarcho-capitalist 100%
Agorist 100%
"Small L" libertarian 83%

Not a whole lot of difference there, but to see what has changed after a months of reading is definitely interesting.

http://quizfarm.com/quizzes/new/Brainpolice/what-kind-of-libertarian-are-you

Letting old posts stand

2009-05-31T20:08:00.000-07:00

I've been evaluating my political beliefs a lot recently. Within the last several months those beliefs have continued to evolve. Instead of deleting old posts that in my opinion are blatantly statist while at the same time calling others "statist", I've decided to keep them around so others may see the evolution. Of these decisions the one some might call more radical is to abstain from voting (I say abstain, as I'm not sure how to de-register). Instead of listing the reasons for non-voting, I'll direct the reader to http://www.voluntaryist.com/nonvoting/. While the decision to stop voting may be the most seemingly radical to some, I've chosen to learn more and invest more in the ideas of agorism and the libertarian-left(http://agorism.info/ and http://all-left.net/). Finally, in an attempt to expand my ideas of libertarian-anarchism, I've decided to invest some time in Mulualism (http://www.mutualist.org/id23.html). So as a testament to the evolution of ideas, let the old posts stand!

What is War? - Harry Browne

2009-05-21T16:11:00.000-07:00

What Is War?

The politicians’ stirring phrases are meant to keep our eyes averted from the reality of war – to make us imagine heroic young men marching in parades, winning glorious battles, and bringing peace and democracy to the world.

But war is something quite different from that.

It is your children or your grandchildren dying before they’re even fully adults, or being maimed or mentally scarred for life. It is your brothers and sisters being taught to kill other people – and to hate people who are just like themselves and who don’t want to kill anyone either. It is your children seeing their buddies’ limbs blown off their bodies.

It is hundreds of thousands of human beings dying years before their time. It is millions of people separated forever from the ones they loved.

It is the destruction of homes for which people worked for decades. It is the end of careers that meant as much to others as your career means to you.

It is the imposition of heavy taxes on you and on other Americans and on people in other countries – taxes that remain long after the war is over. It is the suppression of free speech and the jailing of people who criticize the government.

It is the imposition of slavery by forcing young men to serve in the military.

It is goading the public to hate foreign people and races – whether Arabs or Japanese or Cubans. It is numbing our sensibilities to cruelties inflicted on foreigners.

It is cheering at the news of foreign pilots killed in their planes, of young men blown to bits while trapped inside tanks, of sailors drowned at sea.

Other tragedies inevitably trail in the wake of war. Politicians lie even more than usual. Secrecy and cover-ups become the rule rather than the exception. The press becomes even less reliable.

War is genocide, torture, cruelty, propaganda, dishonesty, and slavery.

War is the worst obscenity government can inflict upon its subjects. It makes every other political crime – corruption, bribery, favoritism, vote-buying, graft, dishonesty – seem petty.

What kind of libertarian are you?

2009-04-25T21:42:00.001-07:00

You Scored as Anarcho-capitalist

Anarcho-capitalists are libertarians who oppose the state entirely and propose to have a free market in the provision of security and arbitration. The term anarcho-capitalism derives from Murray Rothbard to describe a stateless society based on the principles of laissez-faire or the philosophy in support of such a proposition. Anarcho-capitalists may tend to still associate more with the political right and make use of the political process, unless they are agorists or left-libertarians at the same time.

Anarcho-capitalist

100%

Agorist

100%

Left-libertarian

92%

"Small L" libertarian

67%

Minarchist

42%

Paleo-libertarian

25%

Geo-libertarian

17%

Libertarian socialist

17%

Neo-libertarian

= A Declaration of Separation =

2009-04-11T17:39:00.000-07:00

= A Declaration of Separation =

==== To The Governments & People of Earth: ====
We claim the right to exist, and we will defend it. We do not seek to overthrow anything. We do not seek to control anything. We merely wish to be left alone. All we ever wanted was to live in peace with our friends and neighbors. For a long, long time we bore insults to our liberty; we took blows, we did what we could to avoid injury and we worked through the system to get the offenses to stop. That has now changed.We no longer see any benefit in working through the world’s systems. At some point, working within a system becomes cowardly and immoral; for us, that point has arrived. Regardless of the parties in power, their governments have continued to restrict, restrain and punish us. We hereby reject them all. We hereby withdraw from them all. We hold the ruling states of this world and all that appertains to them to be self-serving and opposed to humanity. We now withdraw our obedience and reclaim the right to strike back when struck. We will not initiate force, but we do reserve the right to answer it. We did not choose this – it was forced upon us.

==== To The Governments of Earth: ====
You are building cages for all that is human. In the name of protection, you have intruded into all areas of human life, far exceeding the reach of any Caesar. You claim ultimate control of our property and our decisions, of our travels and even our identities. You claim ownership of humanity far beyond the dreams of any Emperor of any previous era. Understand clearly: We reject your authority and we reject your legitimacy. We do not believe that you have any right to do the things you do. You have massive power, but no right to impose it upon us and no legitimacy. We have forsaken you. We are no longer your citizens or your subjects. Your systems are inherently anti-human, even if all their operators are not. We are not merely angry young people. We are fathers and mothers; aunts, uncles and grandparents; we are business owners and trusted employees; we are mechanics and engineers and farmers. We are nurses and accountants and students and executives. We are on every continent.

This is not a burst of outrage; this is a sober declaration that we no longer accept unearned suffering as our role in life. For long decades we sat quietly, hoping that things would turn around. We took no actions; we suffered along with everyone else. But after having our limits pushed back again and again, we have given up on your systems. If our fellow inhabitants of this planet wish to accept your rule, they are free to do so. We will not try to stop them. We, however, will no longer accept your constraints upon us. From now on, when you hurt us, we will bite back. If you leave us alone we will leave you alone and you can continue to rule your subjects. We are happy to live quietly.But if you come after us, there will be consequences. You caused this because of your fetish for control and power. The chief men and women among you are pathologically driven to control everyone and everything that moves upon this planet. You have made yourselves the judge of every human activity. No god-king of the ancient world ever had the power that your systems do. You have created a world where only the neutered are safe and where only outlaws are free.

==== To The People of Earth: ====
We seek nothing from you. We do not want to rule you and we do not want to control you. All we wish is to live on earth in peace. As always, we will be helpful neighbors and generous acquaintances. We will remain honest business partners and trustworthy employees. We will continue to be loving parents and respectful children. We will not, however, be sacrificial animals. We reject the idea that others have a right to our lives and our property. We will not demand anything from you, and we will no longer acquiesce to any demands upon us. We have left that game. We reject all obligations to any person or organization beyond honesty, fair dealing and a respect for human life. We will shortly explain what we believe, but we are not demanding that you agree with us. All we ask is that you do not try to stop us. Continue to play the game if you wish; we will not try to disrupt it. We have merely walked away from it. We wish you peace.

==== To Those Who Will Condemn Us: ====
We will ignore you. We welcome and seek the verdict of a just God, before whom we are willing to expose our innermost thoughts. Are you similarly willing? We would stand openly before all mankind if it were not suicidal. Perhaps some day we will have to accept slaughter for our crime of independence, but not yet. Your criticism and your malice are much deeper than mere disagreements of strategy or philosophy. You do not oppose our philosophy, you oppose our existence. Our presence in the world means that your precious ideals are false. Some of you would rather kill us than face the loss of your ideologies, just as those like you have either hated or killed every sufficiently independent human. You present yourselves to the world as compassionate, tolerant and enlightened, but we know that your smooth words are costumes. Oh yes, we know you, servant of the state; don’t forget, we were raised with you. We played with you in the schoolyard, we sat next to you in the classroom. Some of us studied at the same elite universities. We watched as you had your first tastes of power. We were the boys and girls standing next to you. Some of us were your first victims. We are not fooled by your carefully crafted public image.

==== What We Believe ====
#1: Many humans resent the responsibilities that are implied by consciousness. We accept those responsibilities and we embrace consciousness. Rather than letting things happen to us (avoiding consciousness), we accept consciousness and choose to act in our own interest. We do not seek the refuge of blaming others, neither do we take refuge in crowds. We are willing to act on our personal judgment, and we are willing to accept the consequences thereof.

#2: We believe in negative rights for all: That all humans should be free to do whatever they wish, as long as they do not intrude upon others; that no man has a right to the life, liberty or property of another; that we oppose aggression, fraud and coercion.

#3: We do not believe that our way of life, or any other, will make life perfect or trouble-free. We expect crime and disagreements and ugliness, and we are prepared to deal with them. We do not seek a strongman to step in and solve problems for us. We agree to see to them ourselves.

#4: We believe in free and unhindered commerce. So long as exchanges are voluntary and honest, no other party has a right to intervene – before, during or after.

#5: We believe that all individuals should keep their agreements.

#6: We believe that honestly obtained property is fully legitimate and absolute.

#7: We believe that some humans are evil and that they must be faced and dealt with. We accept the fact that this is a difficult area of life.

#8: We believe that humans can self-organize effectively. We expect them to cooperate. We reject impositions of hierarchy and organization.

#9: We believe that all humans are to be held as equals in all matters regarding justice.

#10: We believe that the more a man or woman cares about right and wrong, the more of a threat he or she is perceived to be by governments.

#11: We believe that there are only two true classes of human beings: Those who wish to exercise power upon others - either directly or through intermediaries - and those who have no such desires.

#12: Large organizations and centralization are inherently anti-human. They must rely upon rules rather than principles, treating humans within the organization as obedient tools.

==== Our Plans: ====
We are building our own society. We will supplement traditional tools with networking, cryptography, sound money, digital currency and anonymous messaging. Our society will not be centrally controlled. It will rely solely on voluntary arrangements. We welcome others to join us. We are looking for people who are independent creators of value, people who act more than talk, and people who do the right thing because it is the right thing. We will develop our own methods of dealing with injustice, built on the principles of negative rights, restitution, integrity and equal justice. We do not forbid anyone from having one foot in each realm - ours and the old realm -although we demand that they do no damage to our realm. We are fully opposed to any use of our realm to facilitate crime in the old realm, such as the hiding of criminal proceeds. We expect to be loudly condemned, libeled and slandered by the authorities of the old regime. We expect them to defend their power and their image of legitimacy with all means available to them. We expect that many gullible and servile people will believe these lies, at least at first. We will consider traps laid for us to be criminal offenses. Any who wish to join us are encouraged to distribute this declaration, to act in furtherance of our new society, to voluntarily excel in virtues and to communicate and cooperate with other members of the new society.

Free, unashamed men cannot be ruled.

We are The Free and The Unashamed.

Repudiate the Debt!

2009-02-04T13:33:00.000-08:00

Don't let politicians stick you with their debt!

http://repudiatethedebt.org/2009/02/instead-of-a-manifesto/

The Freeman: Bailing out Statism

2009-02-04T13:32:00.000-08:00

A good article over at The Freeman: Bailing out Statism.

http://www.thefreemanonline.org/columns/peripatetics/bailing-out-statism/

You Are Not Free: The Supreme Court Rules to Allow evidence from illegal arrests

2009-01-16T13:31:00.000-08:00

From the you-are-not-free file, the Supreme Court has ruled that evidence obtained from illegal arrests or based on careless record keeping is admissible in court.

So what's to keep the police from arbitrarily breaking down someone's door or falsifying records after the fact? Apparently nothing now.

You Are Not Free: Man serves 14 years behind bars without ever being charged with a crime

2009-01-15T10:23:00.000-08:00

In an example state power having complete your life, a former Philadelphia-area lawyer has served 14 years behind bars with our ever being charged.

http://online.wsj.com/article_email/SB123137263059962659-lMyQjAxMDI5MzAxOTMwNzkyWj.html#

US Government Outsourcing Domestic Spying

2009-01-13T09:38:00.000-08:00

Sen Dorgan: Federal Reserve Refuses To Identify Recipients Of 2 Trillion In Emergency Loans!

2009-01-09T22:28:00.001-08:00

Letterman: How'd George W. Bush Do?

2009-01-04T11:34:00.000-08:00

CEO Salaries of Wall Street

2008-12-24T18:04:00.000-08:00

List of CEO Salaries of the CEOs that have been involved or partook of the bailout.

Here is Henry Paulson's 2006 salary when he ran Goldman Sachs: $163,987,000

http://abcnews.go.com/Business/Economy/story?id=5876413

Homeland Security USA the TV show: Double Plus Good!

2008-12-24T13:03:00.000-08:00

Sickening. Just more propaganda to get us use to the new world order. Get us use to having our freedoms trampled having our homes stormed in cases of "mistaken identity".

"In one scene, guns are drawn against a man trying to drive across the U.S.-Mexico border with his family, terrifying his wife and young children, until agents discover it's a case of mistaken identity."

The department saw the show "as a great opportunity to help the American public understand what their government does and what the Department of Homeland Security, the youngest department, does,"

... and help indoctrinate the citizens with government propaganda.

http://www.google.com/hostednews/ap/article/ALeqM5hXj0ZeF7mcnlIpu9i_d8dg-XtMrQD958KKOG0

What to expect in the coming days

2008-12-23T10:12:00.000-08:00

Okay file this one under conspiracy. I do like how the author provided links to everything. Read it, digest it and think about it. It may sound very conspiratorial, but it's better to stay aware of the possibilities and not have them happen than remain asleep and have the world crumble around you.

http://www.williammcgill.com/worlds-biggest-ponzi-scheme-currently-unfolding

More Thug Cops Abusing Citizenry: Killing the Family Pet

2008-12-23T09:54:00.000-08:00

Just another example of the Police State we are facing.

http://reason.com/blog/show/130714.html

Benoit Mandelbrot and Nassim Taleb on the economic collapse

2008-12-22T19:51:00.000-08:00

Nassim Taleb and THE Benoit Mandelbrot speak about the economic collapse.

Bloomberg issues FOIA Request, Fed says to FO.

2008-12-14T20:32:00.000-08:00

In an effort to get information on the recipients of the 2 Trillion dollar bailout, Bloomberg issued a Freedom of Information Request to the Fed in which the Fed promptly told Bloomberg to frag off.

http://www.bloomberg.com/apps/news?pid=20670001&refer=economy&sid=aGvwttDayiiM

PAUL B. FARRELL: Wall Street's 'Disaster Capitalism for Dummies'

2008-12-12T21:41:00.000-08:00

I couldn't have said it better myself.

http://www.marketwatch.com/news/story/14-reasons-main-street-loses/story.aspx?guid={F63EC448-D9C1-4138-AC18-97BF0FE68EE3}

Who Profits from the War on Drugs?

2008-11-23T19:30:00.000-08:00

Dick Cheney Indicted?!!

2008-11-18T17:03:00.000-08:00

A Willacy County (Texas) Grand Jury has indicted Vice President Dick Cheney??

http://www.krgv.com/2008/11/18/1001429/Willacy-County-Grand-Jury-Indicts-Vice-President

more

http://blogs.houstonpress.com/hairballs/2008/11/dick_cheney_indicted_kinda.php

Revolution Action

2008-11-16T18:37:00.001-08:00

To Reduce The Chances Of Being A Terror Victim

2008-11-15T23:49:00.000-08:00

Food Riots, Tax Rebellions By 2012

2008-11-14T09:17:00.000-08:00

"The man who predicted the 1987 stock market crash and the fall of the Soviet Union is now forecasting revolution in America, food riots and tax rebellions - all within four years, while cautioning that putting food on the table will be a more pressing concern than buying Christmas gifts by 2012."

I really hope he's wrong....

http://www.liveleak.com/view?i=1ad_1226630673

Glenn Greenwald: On Maureen Dowd equating Clinton scandals with Bushes.

2008-11-06T10:35:00.000-08:00

"The stain Bill Clinton left on Monica Lewinksy's dress isn't remotely comparable to the stain George Bush and Dick Cheney have left on the Constitution, our political values and our national image -- to say nothing of the indelible bloodstains on their hands."

http://www.salon.com/opinion/greenwald/2008/11/06/dowd/index.html

Peter Schiff on an Obama Presidency

2008-11-04T21:17:00.000-08:00

Now that Obama is President-elect things are going to get interesting. With the economy in the crapper, Peter Schiff doesn't think an Obama presidency will be a good a good thing. Let's hope he's wrong, but Mr. Schiff did predict the current crisis.

This is what happens when you don't pay the Thugocracy

2008-10-31T11:38:00.000-07:00

Remember Ed Brown from New Hampshire? The guy and his wife were convicted of tax evasion. You can guess how that ended... (http://blog.mises.org/archives/006190.asp)

Now it turns out that even helping tax evaders, can land you in prison.

http://ap.google.com/article/ALeqM5h9lU0Jg7tWDZnV1u3ynqZJGuuyAAD943S9IG2

Naomi Klein on Bush and the looting of public wealth

2008-10-31T08:05:00.000-07:00

"every day it becomes clearer that the bail-out was sold to the public on false pretences. Clearly, it was never really about getting loans flowing. It was always about doing what it is doing: turning the state into a giant insurance agency for Wall Street, a safety net for the people who need it least, subsidised by the people who will most need state protections in the economic storms ahead."

The Bush Administration and the Federal Government selling the bailout on false pretenses, why does that sound so familiar?

http://www.guardian.co.uk/commentisfree/2008/oct/31/useconomy-banking

Terrorism laws can be abused to stifle dissent: UN rights expert

2008-10-24T09:11:00.000-07:00

This one if from the "No shit?! Really?"/"Glaringly Obvious" file.

"Britain's use of anti-terror laws to freeze the assets of failing Icelandic banks shows how such legislation can be abused for purposes other than originally intended, according to a UN independent expert."

He warned that such practices "can easily be abused for the purpose of curtailing protest opposition (and) demonstrations."

http://afp.google.com/article/ALeqM5iHZe_gHx3Ayv5Bu2R-ec9icxbjyA

ACLU Demands Information on Military Deployment Within US Borders

2008-10-21T20:12:00.000-07:00

Glad to see the ACLU getting involved on the reports that the US military is being deployed with in the US. If these reports are true they would violate the Posse Comitatus Act.

http://www.commondreams.org/newswire/2008/10/21-4
http://www.aclu.org/safefree/general/37274prs20081021.html

Obama: Baby eater

2008-10-20T10:55:00.001-07:00

Another good article over at Lew Rockwell.

http://www.lewrockwell.com/swanson/swanson9.html

Karen Kwiatkowski: Reflections on the 'Crisis'

2008-10-20T08:57:00.000-07:00

"The empire has come home, and it has made us the occupied, the enslaved. Just as the American empire abroad has been motivated and animated by corporate interests, it is so here at home."

Peter Schiff: Not Your Grandfathers Depression

2008-10-19T19:27:00.000-07:00

Nice article and a bit of a history lesson by Peter Schiff.

http://www.financialsense.com/fsu/editorials/schiff/2008/1017.html

Political Dissent and Terrorism

2008-10-17T10:50:00.000-07:00

Great article on recent protests and political dissent in the US. Very Orwellian indeed.

http://www.guardian.co.uk/commentisfree/cifamerica/2008/oct/15/terrorism-civil-liberties-surveillance

That's a nice looking parrot.

2008-10-14T08:41:00.000-07:00

John Cleese on Sarah Palin:

"Monty Python could have written this."

Government Leviathan: It keeps on growing

2008-10-13T19:31:00.000-07:00

As if bailing out and nationalizing a bunch of banks and corporations wasn't enough, Comrade Bush found time in his busy schedule to sign a wicked new anti-piracy law. While Lehman and AIG execs are sunning themselves on the beach drinking Mai Tais, mom and pop are having their their computer seized and taken to court thanks to junior. But don't worry, this really isn't about teenagers downloading mp3s and movies.... it's about organized crime and counterfit car parts. Just ignore the fact that the RIAA and MPAA and creaming themselves right now.

http://www.reuters.com/article/technologyNews/idUSTRE49C7EI20081013?sp=true

Update: Been reading lots of comment on this and people are saying that the congressional version of this bill was much worse. Lots of democrats involved. I guess it's easy to blame Bush when in reality congress is just as big a threat. As one person has stated "This Congress is our enemy as much as Bush".

Rage Against the Machine

2008-10-10T13:35:00.000-07:00

I wonder how long it will take for Americans to wage "revolutionary war against their oppressive U.S. backed government"?

The Fed Is "Unleashing an Inflationary Holocaust'

2008-10-10T07:54:00.000-07:00

Found on the Lew Rockwell blog.

http://www.lewrockwell.com/blog/lewrw/archives/023439.html

Uncle Sam Goddamn

2008-10-10T07:01:00.000-07:00

"It's a showtune, but the show ain't been written yet". Hate to break it to ya, it's being written now.

Get back to work slave. We've got a few wars and a corporate bailout to pay for.

U.S. Eavesdropping on Americans

2008-10-09T08:54:00.000-07:00

"There is a constant check to make sure that our civil liberties of our citizens are treated with respect," said President Bush.

Ummm, nooo... you've already taken those away, Mr. Bush.

http://abcnews.go.com/print?id=5987804

McCain: My fellow prisoners...

2008-10-08T14:43:00.000-07:00

My fellow prisoners, indeed.

chillout and nod ya head

2008-10-05T22:32:00.000-07:00

Naomi Wolf Interview: Fascism in the US

2008-10-05T15:51:00.000-07:00

Very interesting interview with Naomi Wolf:

Brad Sherman on Martial Law:

Troops within the US:

http://www.armytimes.com/news/2008/09/army_homeland_090708w/

What is Fascism?

2008-10-03T15:00:00.000-07:00

As we have the $700 Billion bailout jammed down our throats here's something to ponder as Washington tries to fix the US financial situation.

http://www.econlib.org/library/Enc/Fascism.html

Senate Passes Bailout

2008-10-02T19:15:00.000-07:00

Looks like we're getting this whether we want it or not. Big Brother knows best. From what I've heard and read about this new and improved bailout, it has a lot more porktastic.

http://money.cnn.com/2008/10/01/news/economy/senate_rescuebill2/index.htm?cnn=yes

VP Debates

2008-10-02T19:04:00.000-07:00

Wow... just watching the VP Presidential debates and both are advocating more war and more military interventionism.

House Rejects Bailout Package, 228-205; Stocks Plunge

2008-09-29T13:23:00.000-07:00

"Members of both parties, doing a quick political post-mortem, said those who voted no had encountered too much hostility for the bill among their constituents, and were worried that a vote in favor would be political suicide."

http://www.nytimes.com/2008/09/30/business/30bailout.html?bl&ex=1222833600&en=78e47e85adbe5725&ei=5087%0A

You better believe it's political suicide. I will most definitely be voting against my Representative next time around.

Check how your Representative voted: http://clerk.house.gov/evs/2008/roll674.xml

FAIL: 700 Billion Bailout

2008-09-29T11:13:00.000-07:00

This is getting very very interesting.

http://www.bloomberg.com/apps/news?pid=20601087&sid=aw4zWIp05Sq8&refer=home

Reason.tv: Welcome to Nanny State Nation!

2008-09-28T11:40:00.000-07:00

JUMP!

2008-09-26T09:59:00.000-07:00

edit:
Here's Lindsay Beyerstein's photo stream of one of the Bailout protests in NYC.

Great Depression II: WaMu seized by Feds

2008-09-25T20:42:00.000-07:00

The Feds seize WaMU!

http://www.nytimes.com/2008/09/26/business/26wamu.html?_r=1&hp&oref=slogin

http://www.fdic.gov/bank/individual/failed/wamu.html

St. Paul Arrests:

2008-09-19T10:24:00.000-07:00

Welcome to the USSA. Here's more on the arrests in St. Paul. Apparently people were being arrested who weren't even protesting!

http://www.alternet.org/blogs/peek/99433/incredible_documentary_footage_of_mass_arrest_in_st._paul/?id=123

Plutocratic Kleptocracy

2008-09-19T07:49:00.000-07:00

With all the goings on in the financial markets and the Feds attempt to control the market, I've decided to run with James Ostrowski's name for our current regime: Plutocratic Kleptocracy.

"where the rich use the state to steal from the rest of us"

Anyway here are some articles describing all the great things the tax payers get to pay for.

Government program could take hundreds of billions of dollars worth of bad debt off Wall Street's books (and pass it on to the taxpayer).

S.E.C. Temporarily Blocks Short Sales of Financial Stocks (it's not really a free market)

http://www.marketwatch.com/news/story/banning-short-sales-market-manipulation/story.aspx?guid={25892212-57FF-4F74-B20A-C404BBD13A9D}

Glenn Greenwald: Privacy for the elite but not for you

2008-09-18T09:35:00.001-07:00

Glenn Greenwald points out the hypocrisy of the right wing and our political leaders when their privacy is compromised. Apparently it's okay for the government to spy on the citizenry, but as soon as the privacy of our leaders and the right wing is compromised they start screaming about privacy rights.

http://www.salon.com/opinion/greenwald/2008/09/18/privacy/index.html

Although Glenn doesn't agree with what the Anonymous hackers did, I do and believe one good turn deserve another. These creeps in our government should be exposed for the hypocrite criminals they are.

The Great Depression of '08

2008-09-18T07:39:00.000-07:00

I might be over the top on this headline, ehh... what the hell.... EVERYBODY PANIC!!!!
Okay... Now that's off my chest, here are a few articles on what's going on in the market right now:

http://edition.cnn.com/2008/BUSINESS/09/18/world.markets/index.html

http://online.wsj.com/article/SB122169431617549947.html

Lew Rockwell interview on this situation:
http://www.howestreet.com/index.php?pl=/goldradio/index.php/mediaplayer/961

Bailout: AIG

2008-09-16T20:48:00.000-07:00

Looks like the Fed has now bailed out AIG with our tax dollars.

"the bailout is likely to prove controversial, because it effectively puts taxpayer money at risk while protecting bad investments made by A.I.G. and other institutions it does business with."

http://www.nytimes.com/2008/09/17/business/17insure.html?hp

Just remember, taxation is just another form of slavery.

McCain's Health Tax

2008-09-16T08:34:00.000-07:00

There's an interesting Op-ed in the New York Times regarding McCain's proposal for the nation's health care system. Normally this is not something I get into but tend to believe that employer sponsored health care should be a contractual issue between the employee and employer; it's why employers advertise their health plans as a benefit to potential employees. Employer sponsored health care is a way to attract potential employees that might be of benefit to the employer. What is disturbing about McCain's health care plan, according the to the author, is that "McCain health plan would treat employer-paid health benefits as income that employees would have to pay taxes on". Sweet way to get around that whole not raising taxes thing, huh? But wait! Under McCain's proposed health care plan, you would get a tax credit at the end of the year "to help pay for your health care". So if I understand this, the government is basically imposing a health care tax on employer sponsored health care, but will give us a credit to help cover our health care expenses. So the government would be taking with one hand and generously giving back with the other.

http://www.nytimes.com/2008/09/16/opinion/16herbert.html?ex=1379304000&en=002e12e7e04e2233&ei=5124&partner=permalink&exprod=permalink

Your tax dollars at work.

2008-09-15T14:33:00.001-07:00

"About 60 countries get annual military aid from the United States, $4.5 billion a year, to help them buy these American weapons. Israel and Egypt receive more than 80 percent of that aid. The United States has also recently given Iraq and Afghanistan large amounts of weapons and other equipment and has begun to train fledgling military units at no charge" all thanks to the Bush Administration and your tax dollars. Enjoy working and knowing that you are safe, slave.

http://www.iht.com/bin/printfriendly.php?id=16141846

Emperor Bush and Pakistan

2008-09-15T08:32:00.000-07:00

Looks Emperor Bush is screwing around in Pakistan now. Reports from Sept. 11th-12th state that Bush secretly authorized an order to send special forces troops into Pakistan.

http://www.guardian.co.uk/world/2008/sep/12/usforeignpolicy.usa

The Washington Post is actually calling it The War in Pakistan

Unsurprisingly, the Pakistan government is none to happy about this.

edit: More on the The War in Pakistan: http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/south_asia/7396366.stm

2008-09-14T16:24:00.000-07:00

I've posted on this before, but here it is again. Now the Washington Post is reporting on it.

"The Justice Department will unveil changes to FBI ground rules today that would put much more power into the hands of line agents pursuing leads on national security, foreign intelligence and even ordinary criminal cases. "

http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/content/article/2008/09/11/AR2008091103306.html

U.N. agency eyes curbs on Internet anonymity

2008-09-14T12:03:00.000-07:00

Article from CNN about how a U.N. agency "is quietly drafting technical standards, proposed by the Chinese government, to define methods of tracing the original source of Internet communications and potentially curbing the ability of users to remain anonymous. "

Not only is China involved but guess who else has taken the lead in setting technical standards?

"When NSA takes the lead on standard-setting, you have to ask yourself how much is about security and how much is about surveillance," said the Electronic Privacy Information Center's Rotenberg. "You would think (the ITU) would be a little more sensitive to spying on Internet users with the cooperation of the NSA and the Chinese government."

http://news.cnet.com/8301-13578_3-10040152-38.html?tag=nl.e703

Garrison Keillor takes on the corrupt big government Republicans

2008-09-13T16:04:00.000-07:00

Garrison Keillor takes on the lying big government Republicans and the farce that is John McCain's campaign to reform Washington. Great read!

http://www.albertleatribune.com/news/2008/sep/13/will-pork-barrel-mayor-become-president/

Bailout Blues

2008-09-12T09:56:00.000-07:00

Dick Cheney wishing you a merry 9-11 day.

2008-09-11T07:57:00.000-07:00

Cheney Waits Until Last Minute Again To Buy Sept. 11 Gifts

Poison Dart

2008-09-10T09:08:00.001-07:00

Just a little something to get you pumped up. Has nothing to do with Politics.

Big Brother goes to France

2008-09-08T21:25:00.000-07:00

Looks like France is trying to get into the domestic spying game now.

http://www.timesonline.co.uk/tol/news/world/europe/article4703054.ece

You know who else had "prisons" in Poland?

2008-09-06T22:12:00.001-07:00

We all know that Poland had some pretty infamous "secret jails". Did you know that the CIA also has some as well? Apparently a few Polish agents have come forward to tell of secret CIA prisons in Poland and Romania.

http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/europe/7601899.stm

Freddie Mac and Fannie Mae: Privatized Profits, Socialized Losses

2008-09-06T10:55:00.000-07:00

First Bear Sterns and now this. Once again we see the federal government stepping in where it's not needed. Looks like the feds are going to take control of Freddie Mac and Fannie Mae (again see last paragraph of article). Chalk up another one for big government intervention.

http://www.reuters.com/article/newsOne/idUSN0527801420080906?pageNumber=4&virtualBrandChannel=0&sp=true

edit: Ahhh... Looks like Lew Rockwell has already commented on this:
http://www.lewrockwell.com/blog/lewrw/archives/022712.html

edit #2: I'm really starting to like Happily Oblivious! Check out their comments on Freddie and Fannie
http://www.happilyoblivious.com/blog/government-poised-to-take-control-of-fannie-freddy_654/

UK: Super Nanny State

2008-09-03T11:33:00.000-07:00

I've written about this before but here's more information from the gang at redditorial. Looks like the UK might be getting more domestic surveillance. What is incredibly spooky about this is that it's an EU Directive that is being pushed as UK Law. If this passes in the UK, it's only a matter of time until the US gets a full blown version of this (we are practically there anyway). Maybe I'm being a bit conspiratorial, but this just reaks of one world global fascism and the more news reports I read on this kind of stuff it seems to be sweeping the globe. Okay, maybe that was a bit over the top, but just keep an eye out and see which other countries institute programs to spy and track citizens.

http://www.redditorial.com/2008/09/communications-data-and-how-to-stop-it/

Fascism: It's happening, It's here now.

2008-09-03T07:03:00.000-07:00

Great article from redditorial.

http://www.redditorial.com/2008/09/its-happening-under-your-noses/

UK: 1984 was not supposed to be an instruction manual

2008-09-01T11:32:00.000-07:00

It seems as if I've been beating the Police State/Big Brother drum a lot lately, but when presented with so much overwhelming evidence it's hard not to.

Apparently in Hampshire, city councils are recruiting "environmental volunteers" to spy on anyone who doesn't properly recycle, pickup after their dogs or drops litter. Admittedly, it's pretty irritating when someone doesn't pickup after their dog or litters, but it's a whole separate issue when your neighborhood is filled with busybodies reporting your every move to the police. Who needs CCTV when your neighbor is reporting every little infraction.

For more on the UK big brother state, take a look at this article:
http://www.telegraph.co.uk/news/2648384/Environmental-volunteers-will-be-encouraged-to-spy-on-their-neighbours.html

On a slightly separate note, I've been seeing the London Metro Police anti-terrorism posters popping up a lot on the web, and all I have to say is that the UK has turned into a truly terrifying place. How free are the British people when everybody is spying on everybody else?
http://www.met.police.uk/campaigns/campaign_ct_2008.htm

Updates on the St. Paul/Minneapolis Police Raids

2008-08-31T16:19:00.000-07:00

Looks like the NY Times is starting to take notice of the raids in Minneapolis and St. Paul.

http://www.nytimes.com/2008/08/30/us/politics/30arrests.html?adxnnl=1&adxnnlx=1220104985-Dcl+Tjoc3eipfJB8HL+HPQ

For detailed coverage of the raids go to TheUptake: http://theuptake.org/en/

Glenn Greenwald: Police Raids in Minneapolis coordinated by FBI?

2008-08-31T11:46:00.000-07:00

If you don't think we live in a police state now, read this post by Glenn Greenwald and let it sink in for a while. From Glenn's assessment it seems that the FBI was involved in the police attacks in St. Paul. Acts like this on the part of the federal government are not unlike the acts of the Chinese government on its own citizens.

http://www.salon.com/opinion/greenwald/2008/08/31/raids/index.html

More on the St. Paul Police Raids

2008-08-30T19:44:00.000-07:00

Here's more on the Police Raids in St. Paul.

http://www.tcdailyplanet.net/article/2008/08/30/police-break-down-doors-night-time-raid-anarchist-meeting.html

RFID, Mythbusters and Big Credit

2008-08-30T13:46:00.000-07:00

Looks like Mythbusters had planned on doing an episode on RFID and its limitations/hackability/what-have-you. When they met with Texas Intruments, lawyers from AMEX, Visa, Discover, etc, were present. Discovery Channel was told to back down and to not do the episode. Really now? I wonder what Big Credit has to hide? Seems like this would be a great opportuninty for some enterprising individuals.

Take a look at Adam Savage discussing the issue.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=-St_ltH90Oc&eurl=http://blog.wired.com/sterling/2008/08/arphid-watch-my.html

Glenn Greenwald: Police Raids in Minneapolis

2008-08-30T13:08:00.000-07:00

Holy crap! Right after posting the Lew Rockwell entry, here's Glenn Greenwald talking about police home invasion raids in Minneapolis.

http://www.salon.com/opinion/greenwald/2008/08/30/police_raids/

Remember, citizen, you are safe and free here in the United States.