I think this is the beginnings of an economy based on perpetual growth and fossil fuel energy running headlong into geological energy constraints. Basically I see an undulatory downward path for the rest of my life. From here out, I think any rallies in our economic condition are going to be met with spiking commodity prices that knock us right back down.
Does the Bush Administration Sincerely Think It Is Acting In The Best Interest Of The Majority Of Americans?
Absolutely. These people are selfless servants of the American People.
2%
[ 1 ]
Yes. They may not be perfect, but they are lead by the desire to benefit the average American.
0%
[ 0 ]
Yes, but like any politicians, they're somewhat beholden to special interests.
13%
[ 5 ]
No, they serve their base, e.g., the religious right, and aren't very concerned with the needs of the majority.
7%
[ 3 ]
No, they serve their corporate masters, how the American people fare is an afterthought.
44%
[ 17 ]
No, they make the robber barons looks like a bunch of Mother Teresas. They are doing everything they can to fleece the American people.
31%
[ 12 ]
Total Votes : 38
Author
Message
smiffy Tar Sands
Joined: Aug 17, 2005 Posts: 75 Location: Malta
Posted: Tue Jan 24, 2006 3:07 am Post subject: Re: US Justice Department obtains Internet Users' Search Rec
You know it always made me laugh during the 6 years i spent living in New jersey before returning to my native Britain, here is a country called the United states of America, a country that completley indoctrinates it's people to worship the flag and the president, it's almost god like.
The land of freedom and oppertunity, in god we trust, the way your indoctrinated to pledge allegence to the flag and all that tosh, i also remember being taunted and unacepted for being agnostic, and i remember so many people telling me (un-educated) that they have something in America that we dont in britain, and then they quoted the word freedom!
And then i remember returning to britain and thats when i really felt free.
Thats when i really experienced a state that let you get on with things without nannying you to death.
In Britain there was no flag waving, no flags outside peoples houses, no hostility towards people who felt different about god and religion, no school yard indoctronation, hell i could even walk past a policemen with a joint in my hand! A fairly educated general public, one that the government knew it couldnt pull the wool over our eyes by telling us to much bullshit, and now i read this Utter crap regarding google, it almost seems like america is turning facist, it reminds me of what went on in Nazi germany during the 1930's....
frightning and the general public in Britain would never except this kind of private intrusion.
good for google for standing up to this unscrupelous regime in the whitehouse!
Joined: Mar 23, 2005 Posts: 183 Location: Norwood, NY
Posted: Tue Jan 24, 2006 6:51 am Post subject: Re: US Justice Department obtains Internet Users' Search Rec
What is most troubling about this is that it has nothing to do with national security. The purpose of the search is to find out what sexually related material people are searching for over the web. They wanted it for "research" in relation to child pornography. If anyone believes this bunch of loonies will stop there I've got a bridge in San Francisco to sell you. This is just the latest effort to make everyoone fit the "desired" mold of the religious right.
Posted: Tue Jan 24, 2006 10:38 am Post subject: Re: US Justice Department obtains Internet Users' Search Rec
dhfenton wrote:
What is most troubling about this is that it has nothing to do with national security. The purpose of the search is to find out what sexually related material people are searching for over the web. They wanted it for "research" in relation to child pornography.
This is what caught my attention as well. Here we can see the Patriot act leaking out of its intended mandate.
To get the public use to this, they're starting with a very obvious and justifyable use. However how long before it becomes used for downloading music, or making purchases without paying state taxes or making subversive comments on an oil depletion forum.
Ultimately the goal is not to stop music pirates, or increase state tax revenews, its to get everyone "In the System" so that if you run afoul of somebody of authority, you can be charged and detained on a litany of offensives, discredited and ostracized (if not actually jailed)
what is particularly disturbing is google with they're "Don't Be Evil" policy have installed a UNIQUE and PERMANENT cookie on everyones computer so all your searches are completely identifiable. And if you're like 90% of windows users, you have probably entered in your real name in the User name when installing windows (and you don't use a virus checker, spyware remover, or firewall so ALL information on your computer is accessable at all times).
Federal websites are not allowed using permanet cookies because of privacy/spying issues, however Google can, so now the Office of Homeland Security can too
So now with google and the Patriot act, what can the feds do (without actually hacking into your computer):
Compile all your search activity
Identify your computer
Find your real name
Find your city
What can you do
Get a Firewall, spyware remover, virus checker
Use Firefox (or anything but Internet Explorer)
Remove all Google Cookies regularly
And if you use the Google Toolbar don't use "Page Rank". This feature creates a database (on the google server, not your computer) of every single webpage you visited while Page Rank was enabled. Which means Homeland security can not only get your searches, but all webpages you've visited.
Be afraid people, this is about as bad as it gets
edit---
oh hey, and just remebered, this also means that your yahoo, hotmail, and Gmail is also property of the Homeland Security office
George Orwell would be proud _________________ Angry yet?
Joined: Oct 09, 2005 Posts: 39 Location: Tidewater-aka- SE Virginia
Posted: Tue Jan 24, 2006 5:03 pm Post subject: Re: US Justice Department obtains Internet Users' Search Rec
Extremely disturbing. I interned at the FBI during college and hated every minute. If it were not for J Edgar Hoover I would not be here now...my parents met while working at the FBI almost 40 years. LOL. Of course now I am the blacksheep of the family and "causing trouble". So my question is this, will I be "under suspicion" for searching Google with terms as "Bush is the anti-christ"-, impeach bush, etc or how bout Earth Liberation Front??? I worry now that eventually we will become a Police State and everything will be monitored....the groundwork has been laid. Is it me or does everyone just seem to be concerned with their insular lives that they, the sheeple, don't feel that it pertains to them so therefore they are not worried????
Posted: Tue Jan 24, 2006 9:12 pm Post subject: Re: US Justice Department obtains Internet Users' Search Rec
as a general rule, the average person doesn't have a clue of what's going on in their computer and have no idea just how much data they're spewing out all over the internet
And even if they did, they would have no idea how to stop it (even after I warn them, show them, and install all the tools on their computer for them)
A lot of the reaction I get is "Well there so much of it, how could they single out me anyways"
The unfortunate truth is that thanks to Google databasing everything, a simple query can have everyone in your city nicely itemised and the results packaged up and sent to your local sheriff's office.
Will it come to that, probably not really unless they wanted to fill those FEMA holding camps with petty criminals. In the end, all this will do is identify curious teenagers and computer illiterate people.
The real criminals do not use Google to conduct their activities, and if they did, they are clearly too stupid to be a threat to our society. _________________ Angry yet?
Joined: Mar 23, 2005 Posts: 183 Location: Norwood, NY
Posted: Thu Jan 26, 2006 6:45 am Post subject: Bush's latest success at Middle Eastern Democracy
Be careful what you wish for Georgie, you just might get it. Now that Hamas seems to be firmly in control of Palistine via legitmate democratic elections, can Bush truly say that he needed to set up a democratic model in the midddle east? You've got Isreal, and Palistine both practicing democracies. But since he doesn';t like the results of democracy in Palistine it probably doesn't count. With his own personal "democracy" in Iraq heading at best for an Islamic theocracy tightly aligned with Iran, or at worst outright civil war, my guess is we'll hear a lot less about democracy in the middle east for a while. Going to have to do a bit of a re-write on the state of the union.
Posted: Thu Jan 26, 2006 3:39 pm Post subject: Re: Bush's latest success at Middle Eastern Democracy
Reminds me of the head of the parks department in Alaska a few years back who actually said. "Everyone loves nature. But you can't just let it run wild"
Posted: Thu Jan 26, 2006 4:01 pm Post subject: Re: Bush's latest success at Middle Eastern Democracy
A valid democracy running against pro-Western interests in the Middle East? How did this happen; does Diebold not have a field office in Palestine? _________________ "It's called the American Dream because you'd have to be asleep to believe it."
Posted: Thu Jan 26, 2006 4:20 pm Post subject: Re: Bush's latest success at Middle Eastern Democracy
emersonbiggins wrote:
A valid democracy running against pro-Western interests in the Middle East? How did this happen; does Diebold not have a field office in Palestine?
No but there is defiantly one in Ottawa jeez
What in the hell are the Canadians thinking... that and no one suspects the Iraqi 'outcome', wink wink nod. 65% of population and the Shia can't get a clear mandate... you got to give them credit, balls that would make king kong blush.... friggin huge.
Posted: Thu Jan 26, 2006 5:09 pm Post subject: Re: Bush's latest success at Middle Eastern Democracy
bartholland wrote:
Bush already stated that he respects the outcome as long as Hamas doesn't deny existence for Israel.
I guess that's most positive remark he could force himself speak out.
I notice the American administration respects the outcome of Israeli elections, though the ruling party repeatedly denies Palestine's right to exist. Strange double standard.
AMOK CANUK. No Deibold yet, but Vancouver B.C has an American drug enforcement agency office right downtown, and we know a war on drugs often accompanies or precedes a war on terrorism, for colonists who get uppity.
Canadians also welcome "Focus on the family" a fundamentalist Christian lobby presently planting it's crucifix in Ottawa.
Posted: Sat Jan 28, 2006 7:00 am Post subject: Bush claims broad new powers
Bush claims broad new powers
Quote:
President Bush yesterday said he has exclusive authority over a broad range of issues -- including forbidding White House officials to testify before Congress about the government's Hurricane Katrina response and ordering warrantless electronic surveillance within the United States.
"Conducting war is a responsibility in the executive branch, not the legislative branch," the president said at a 46-minute press conference. "Most presidents believe that during a time of war that we can use our authorities under the Constitution to make decisions necessary to protect us."
Quote:
Mr. Bush acknowledged that "there will be a legal debate about whether or not I have the authority to do this," but added, "I'm absolutely convinced I do. And I'm going to continue using my authority."
In response to a question from The Washington Times, Mr. Bush said: "We're going to do what is necessary, within the Constitution and within the law, and at the same time guaranteeing people's civil liberties, to protect the people."
Quote:
"It's important for people to understand that this program is so sensitive and so important that if information gets out to how we run it or how we operate it, it'll help the enemy," he said.
Asked why his administration has refused to allow senior staff, including his former FEMA director, Michael Brown, "to testify, to interview or talk with congressional leaders" about the federal government's response to Hurricane Katrina, Mr. Bush cited his executive authority.
"If people give me advice and they're forced to disclose that advice, it means the next time an issue comes up I might not be able to get unvarnished advice from my advisers," he said. "It will have a chilling effect on future advisers if the precedent is such that when they give me advice that it's going to be subject to scrutiny."
Joined: Jun 18, 2004 Posts: 800 Location: Western North Carolina
Posted: Sat Jan 28, 2006 7:42 am Post subject: Re: Bush claims broad new powers
Quote:
If more people would actually read history books, they would be quite alarmed about articles like this...
While I couldn't agree with you more (and I'm one of those oddballs that likes reading history books), I'm afraid an old saying from Louisiana applies here:
"If IF was a skiff, we'd float down the river"....
Good post NG, and the fact that most people don't even see what's happening here makes the prospects for our individual freedoms in the future extremely grim IMO.
Posted: Sat Jan 28, 2006 7:52 am Post subject: Re: Bush claims broad new powers
As you say, NevadaGhosts, if more people would read history, they would be alarmed. But we don't read history; and even if someone pulled a dusty tome from the shelf and troubled themselves with a few pages, more and more of our people lack the intellectual tools to make use of the information.
Will the current president do the various things those history books point to? I don't know. But I am sure that the path has been well and truly cleared for a horror. I am also sure that the dull-eyed sheep that constitute the majority of our population will not bestir themselves to do anything but bleat as they are herded on their final journey.
More and more, I suspect that divine providence will conclude that we are not the most worthy to survive the upcoming challenges. And so, we will not.
Joined: May 14, 2005 Posts: 2123 Location: Along the banks of the muddy Mississippi
Posted: Sat Jan 28, 2006 9:15 am Post subject: Re: Bush claims broad new powers
Just a few days ago, Bush justified spying on Americans by noting that the Foreign Intelligence Surveillance Act (FISA) - which specifically prohibits US spy agencies from targeting US citizens - was written in 1978 and that we now live in a different world where the law no longer works.
When I heard him say that, I asked myself, couldn't the same thing be said of the US Constitution? It's even 200 years older than FISA!
By the very same reasoning, couldn't Bush move to do whatever he wants in the name of his war on terrorism, Constitution be damned? _________________ “Humankind has not woven the web of life. We are but one thread within it. Whatever we do to the web, we do to ourselves.” (Ted Perry)
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