Dangerous Freedom vs. Peaceful Slavery

Over the weekend a close friend sent me the following image, which was found spray-painted somewhere in Brooklyn:

Peacefulslavery

The words above reflect a state of mind and disposition that has been expressed by philosophers and revolutionaries for thousands of years. It is not a novel or new concept, but it is a concept that seems to have been forgotten across much of these United States. The population has largely been domesticated and this is the primary reason why there has been such little pushback to the global oligarchs looting the landscape. A pathetically large percentage of the population would rather not think, they’d prefer to be told what to believe. They would rather not have any risk in their lives, they’d prefer to have shiny gadgets handed to them. They would rather not explore the wonderful expansive world around them, they’d rather sit on the couch and watch television.

Planet earth is a truly incredible place. Majestic mountains, glistening and seemingly endless blue seas, powerful dense forests. Its beauty is too profound for me to accurately put into words. At the same time, there are terrible tsunamis, horrific hurricanes, devastating floods and countless other natural disasters that pose a constant deadly threat.

I moved to Colorado in December 2010 for many reasons, but one of the main ones was the burning desire to get away from the big city. As a kid who had grown up in Manhattan and spent 90% of my life in that environment, I felt a deep longing to move closer to nature and vast open spaces. When weather permits I like to go on lengthy hikes at least once or twice a week. On essentially all of these hikes there are both bears and mountain lions active, amongst a host of other creatures. I mention the first two because of their ability to do severe bodily harm to me at any moment should they choose to. Being aware of such dangerous animals creates a sense of fear but also thrill. Do I carry a gun on my hikes? No, I don’t. Do I want the Colorado state government to go into the woods and hunt down all the bears and mountain lions so that I can be 100% sure of my safety? Of course not. I understand this part of the world is wild and potentially dangerous, and that’s a large part of what I love about it.

Two typical signs at Boulder trailheads:

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The same could be said for the world at large and society itself. Beyond the obvious reality that we are all going to die anyway, there is the point that no matter how hard you try to avoid harm or hard times, those things can come to your doorstep any time they choose. At the end of the day, it really isn’t up to you. What is up to you is how you spend each day. The things you think about, the stuff you create, the people you love. All of those things can only reach their highest potential in a free society.

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Video of the Day: Veterans Arrested at Vietnam Memorial in NYC

The following is a powerful, touching and very well done video that includes veterans of various wars, ranging from World War II to Vietnam as well as some of our recent imperial adventures. It is entirely clear that this is no stunt, but rather a heartfelt and genuine expression of grief and disillusionment from Americans … Read more

Mayor Bloomberg Wants to “Reinterpret the Constitution” After Boston Bombings

“The people who are worried about privacy have a legitimate worry,” Mr. Bloomberg said during a press conference in Midtown. “But we live in a complex word where you’re going to have to have a level of security greater than you did back in the olden days, if you will. And our laws and our interpretation of the Constitution, I think, have to change.”

“Look, we live in a very dangerous world. We know there are people who want to take away our freedoms. New Yorkers probably know that as much if not more than anybody else after the terrible tragedy of 9/11,” he said.

From the quotes above it has become quite clear that NYC Mayor Michael Bloomberg is just playing his typical role in the aftermath of a national tragedy.  That is to immediately manipulate it to justify his civil liberties snatching agenda and “sell the population” on implementing a total police state like the one he is eagerly putting in place in NYC.  He says “we live in a very dangerous world.”  Ok…well the world has always been very dangerous, so thanks for the tip.  However, the worst part is that he states “there are people who want to take away our freedoms.”  So I guess the answer to that is to let Bloomberg take them away before the “terrorists” have a chance to.  What a total authoritarian this guy is.  He is doing exactly the opposite of what security expert Bruce Schneier implored us to do in the wake of Boston.

The best writeup of this story I have seen is by Tim Cushing of Tech Dirt.  Below are some excerpts:

Good news, everyone. The terrorists will win and New York City Mayor Michael Bloomberg wants to help. Of course, his speech is all about not letting the terrorists win. But he’s giving them exactly what they want.

But Bloomberg sees something else, something much more malignant than more cameras and fewer immigrants. He sees this attack as an indication that our country has outgrown its founding principles and that we can’t be truly “safe” without altering the fabric of the nation.

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West Point Issues Report on the “Far Right” Terrorists in America

If this article does not serve as a wakeup call for all those on the fence regarding who your loving government now considers a “terrorist” I don’t know what will.  The power structure loves to use language to divide and conquer their subjects, and this report is a perfect example of that technique.  These days, when the term “far right” is used in the mainstream media or in government/military reports, they are talking about those that believe in the Constitution as the supreme law of the land.  A preeminent set of laws that must be followed by everyone, including the President, Congress, large corporations and the military.  Meanwhile, the “moderate right” is defined as Neo-cons.  You know, the torture loving, Constitution-ignoring, militaristic chicken-hawks that still hold on to the reins of power within the Republican establishment.  This is supposedly the “moderate right,” while the “far right” just wants to uphold the Constitution and Bill of Rights.  Of course, the power structure doesn’t want to have to deal with the Constitution any longer, so of course those that defend it are “far right” or “terrorists” in the mind of the state.

The report I am referring to was just released by the Combating Terrorism Center at the U.S. Military Academy and it is titled: “Challengers from the Sidelines: Understanding America’s Violent Far-Right.”  From the Washington Times:

A West Point think tank has issued a paper warning America about “far right” groups such as the “anti-federalist” movement, which supports “civil activism, individual freedoms and self-government.”

Those seem like the types of things only an America terrorist would support, right? (see my piece You Know You Are a Conspiracy Theorist If…)

The report issued this week by the Combating Terrorism Center at the U.S. Military Academy at West Point, N.Y., is titled “Challengers from the Sidelines: Understanding America’s Violent Far-Right.”

The center — part of the institution where men and women are molded into Army officers — posted the report Tuesday.

The West Point center typically focuses reports on al Qaeda and other Islamic extremists attempting to gain power in Asia, the Middle East and Africa through violence.

But its latest study turns inward and paints a broad brush of people it considers “far right.”

No more Al Qaeda, you are the terrorist now.  I and others have been predicting this for many, many years.  We have arrived.

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My Most Popular Post of 2012: You Know You Are a Conspiracy Theorist If…

While Piers Morgan’s interview with Jesse Ventura brought the most visitors to my site for any single post, the most read post I did all year from all sources was You Know You Are a Conspiracy Theorist If…

The post was read 71,382 times on Zerohedge alone and just missed the site’s Top 25 Posts for 2012 List.

So…in case you missed it the first time, here it is!

You Know You Are a Conspiracy Theorist If…

You are capable of critical thinking.

You distrust mainstream media.

You like nature.

You think it’s a good idea to spend the Friday after Thanksgiving with your family rather than camping outside Best Buy to get a cheap plasma television made in China.

You think it’s a little strange that WTC building 7 came down at free fall speed on 9/11 yet it was never hit by a plane.

You think that drones in America might not be for Al Qaeda.

You would like to be able to get on a plane without having to engage in a mandatory radiation bath and digital strip search.

You have read a book in the past year.

You think you have the right to protest.

You think the War on Terror is a scam.

You think the War on Drugs is a scam.

You think the anger directed at America from the Middle East could possibly be related to our foreign policy rather than hating how amazingly free we are.

You think the Republicans and Democrats are exactly the same on the important issues affecting our country.

You think believing in The Constitution does not constitute a terrorist act.

You have heard of the Bill of Rights and can even name what some of them are.

You question whether the government loves you.

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