[Pops]

Security at the RNC: George Orwell Meets a 'Call of Duty' Cityscape

The men in fatigues and the atmosphere of military occupation is disturbing, but somehow I found the several helicopters hovering in place at all times to be the most unnerving single element.

Wow.

[seahorse3]

Rebirth of the Nazi Brownshirts?

[ritter]

Quite an interesting article on several different levels. Thanks for posting it.

[PrestonSturges]

The GOP should welcome protesters and rioters so they can claim the need for an iron fisted "law and order" president. After all, it was the Democratic convention riots of 1968 that helped elect Nixon in a landslide.

Nixon benefited from 3 things:
1) Rioting
2) War
3) Assassinations

The GOP has dabbled with trashing the economy, but they haven't really embraced the nihilistic chaos that gave us Nixon.

[PrestonSturges]

The other concern for protesters is that if they have a sleep-over it's a "conspiracy," if they have beer bottles in the recycling and a gas can for the mower it evidence of "bomb making," if they had homemade salsa they were running a "bioweapons lab," and all personal electronics will be seized as "evidence." Plus every fifth person in the protest pen was probably a police informant anyway, so having anyone over for pizza may just result in someone planting evidence in your house, such as some heroin or a USB drive.

[careinke]

The other concern for protesters is that if they have a sleep-over it's a "conspiracy," if they have beer bottles in the recycling and a gas can for the mower it evidence of "bomb making," if they had homemade salsa they were running a "bioweapons lab," and all personal electronics will be seized as "evidence." Plus every fifth person in the protest pen was probably a police informant anyway, so having anyone over for pizza may just result in someone planting evidence in your house, such as some heroin or a USB drive.

What are you talking about? Did Obama add some more restrictions to the Patriot Act ....again?

[PrestonSturges]

The other concern for protesters is that if they have a sleep-over it's a "conspiracy," if they have beer bottles in the recycling and a gas can for the mower it evidence of "bomb making," if they had homemade salsa they were running a "bioweapons lab," and all personal electronics will be seized as "evidence." Plus every fifth person in the protest pen was probably a police informant anyway, so having anyone over for pizza may just result in someone planting evidence in your house, such as some heroin or a USB drive.

What are you talking about? Did Obama add some more restrictions to the Patriot Act ....again?

No that's just what local cops do to people to force them to spend tens of thousands of dollars to get frivilous charges thrown out. And that's what happens to people on the left. Meanwhile, there was that cell of right wing nutjobs on Georgia who spent nearly $100,000 on weapons and explosives and killed two people without the feds paying any attention. And I say "right wing" because the leader was an usher at the 2008 GOP convention. Maybe law enforcement should spend more time looking to terrorists inside the convention center.

[autonomous]

From the FBI/DHS bulletin: "Potential for Violence or Criminal Activity by Anarchist Extremists During the 2012 National Political Conventions"

The FBI and DHS assess with high confidence, based on analysis of past similar, high-profile events, anarchist extremists are preparing to use violence and criminal tactics in an attempt to disrupt the Republican National Convention (RNC) planned for 26-30 August in Tampa, Florida and the Democratic National Convention (DNC) planned for 3-6 September in Charlotte, North Carolina.

Anarchist extremists and other domestic extremist groups probably lack the capability to overcome the heightened security measures at the RNC and DNC venues, but could target nearby infrastructure, including local businesses or transportation systems and law enforcement personnel.
— (U//LES) The FBI and DHS assess with medium confidence anarchist
extremists may travel from states outside of Florida and North Carolina to
engage in criminal activity during the conventions.
— (U//FOUO) The most serious threat to persons and property during the
conventions continues to emanate from anarchist extremists willing to use
improvised incendiary devices (IIDs) or improvised explosive devices (IEDs).

Orwell couldn't have said it better...

http://cryptome.org/2012/08/fbi-dhs-spy-bulletin.pdf