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AMERICA, THE POLICE STATE? LET US COUNT THE WAYS

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By DAN VALENTI

PLANET VALENTI News and Commentary

(FORTRESS OF SOLITUDE, TUESDAY, AUG. 19, 2014) — The lively discussion stimulated by Craig Gaetani‘s petition to the city council giving Pittsfield citizens the right to request that any dealings with a city department be recorded brought THE PLANET into the deeper consideration. That would be the ultimate state of civil liberty in America, in Massachusetts, in Berkshire County, in Pittsfield, and in your home.

The United States, and by extension all of its incorporated governmental entities including the city of Pittsfield, is like the proverbial frog placed in a pan of water on the stove. If you bring the water up slowly to a boil, the frog will not notice until it is too late.

As this country and its cities continue to morph from one that safeguards liberty, especially civil liberty, into a National Security Nanny State (NS2), we will find an increasingly ignorant and bull-headed police force, eager to demonstrate their power. This rush toward NS2 is done for the worst reason of all: For our own good. It’s disconcerting to see local police forces armed to look like military units.

What July 4, 1776 is the the country, Sept. 11, 2001 is for NS2. Prompted by irrational fear of terrorism, NS2 has since its founding (9/11/01) continued to raise the temperature of the water in the pan water. True patriots refused to get in the pan. Awakened patriots have had the sense to jump out. Only those who remain asleep, distracted by Taylor Swift and the like and turned politically inactive and apathetic, will boil to death. Unfortunately, there are enough of them in the pan to bring down the whole shebang.

The NC2 recruit poster for the police academy will not show the friendly cop treating the runaway Huck Finn to a malt in the corner diner as in Rockwell‘s painting. Rather, it will be the big, beefy musclehead with Parris Island white walls, a narrow education, and the cartoonish belief in “right” and “wrong,” “good” and “evil,” making the the chromatic world one of black and white. The NS2 is, bottom line, a police state, defined as a state where government at all levels “exercises rigid and repressive controls over the social, economic, and political life o the population” (source: Wikipedia). Using that definition, Pittsfield is already there, with its “repressive” budget taxing the middle class out of existence.

With this in mind, THE PLANET presents a two-part series dealing with binary aspects of this problem. The first installment deals with the necessary condition for governments to successfully employ police-state tactics with growing success over an apathetic and complacent public — the dumbing down of the population through the public school system.

Part Two looks at the symptoms of the police state.

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PART ONE

THE DUMBING DOWN OF AMERICA: MISSION ACCOMPLISHED?

By ROGER LANDRY

Special to PLANET VALENTI News and Commentary courtesy of the commonsenseshow.com

There was a point in our history when Americans were considered among the most well educated and aware societies on this planet; those days are gone. The American system of education is now a global joke, as it should be … But the most dangerous aspect of this realization is … it is intentional.

Common Core and its supporting curriculum is now the purveyor of the American education standard, and it is growing in influence daily, facilitated by grants (bribes) via the federal government to cash strapped states. This departure from a well proven system of teaching is written and implemented via the corporatocracy and propagated by entities such as Bill Gates, NOT by the long established system of education.

The goal of this endeavor is to churn out average students capable of satisfying the needs of said mega corporations, but without the ambition, knowledge or drive to challenge the system. People who are unaware of what freedom, liberty and unbridled ambition truly are will not strive for it and the end result is a passive and complacent population that knows its place in the hierarchy.

The days of parents’ involvement in the education of their children (helping with homework or staying in contact with their educators), are almost gone as more and more parents must work longer hours and even multiple jobs to maintain a reasonable standard of living. This is a mistake beyond reckoning, but again falls within the plans design.

We trust and except that the education our children are receiving is the best and complimentary to their future needs … and nothing could be further than the truth! The education presented today is no longer in the best interest of these children, it is in the best interest of the corporatocracy facilitating that education, and this does NOT bode well for our children or their future, as you are about to see.

What you are about to experience is funny from a very sad prospective, and tragic on so many levels. You can’t make this stuff up, and if I were to publish an article describing what you are about to see for yourself, it would be trashed on every forum as a blatant exaggeration or outright fabrication. Yet these children are allowed to graduate because by the standards of our system of education in America today … they are ready?

If you can control the minds of children … within a generation you will control the population.

Witness the successful Dumbing Down of America. And this is just a small sample … WAKE THE HELL UP AMERICA !!!

——– 000 ——–

PART TWO

AMERICA, THE POLICE STATE? LET US COUNT THE WAYS

By HUEY BERK

Special to PLANET VALENTI News and Commentary, courtesy of distractify.com

In 2013, an international survey determined that the country that poses as the single biggest threat to world peace is…The United States Of America. The land of the free–where government is running amok and where citizens feel less and less in control every day. It may still feel safe to live in the US, but we are headed in the direction of a full-blown police state–a reality where we are not welcome to speak out against our own government.

 

1. Police are killing more people every year

ctvnews.caWhile the number of officer deaths is thankfully declining, the number of killings by officers is increasing. In 2013, 33 law enforcement officers were killed by gunfire. While it is a morbid statistic, it is the lowest number since 1887. Meanwhile, in 2012, police committed over 400 justifiable homicides for the first time in more than a decade. This trend would suggest that crime is increasing…but it isn’t. It only means that officers are more frequently resorting to violence.latimes.com

2. Unlawful harassment is becoming the norm

nydailynews.comEarl Simpson, 28, has been stopped 258 times in four years by Florida police. These stops, which he believes to be racially motivated, have resulted in 100 searches and 56 arrests for “trespassing.” The best part? The majority have occurred while he is at work, trying to do his job. His boss at Quickstop, Alex Saleh, told the Daily News “He’s a good guy, a humble guy, a quiet guy. He’s not a convicted felon.” During his long history with the law, Simpson’s only conviction has been for marijuana possession. There really is no cause or purpose for the ongoing harassment.nydailynews.com

3. Even children are seen as criminals

neowin.netWhat might have been considered an issue for teachers and parents in the past…is now a police matter. Recently, 7-year-old Wilson Reyes was handcuffed and interrogated by police for hours. All the commotion was over a missing $5 bill, which Wilson ultimately did not steal.gothamist.com

4. Stop and searches are becoming more common and more invasive

secretsofthefed.comExperts have referred to modern search techniques as “security theater.” In the case of David Eckert, officers may search for non-existent drugs in your anal cavity for a matter of hours and then send you the bill for the gesture. For a New Mexico woman, it meant being stripped down and “searched” so extensively–that lawyers deem it sexual assault.alternet.org

5. New York City’s “Stop and Frisk” program is racial profiling

metro.usMayor Bloomberg’s failed “Stop and Frisk” policy allows NYPD to stop, question, and frisk anyone for contraband and weapons, often times without reasonable suspicion. In 2013 alone, New Yorkers were stopped 179,063 times. In 89% of cases, the person stopped was completely innocent. As well as doing very little to stop crime, the method is clearly racially motivated. Of those stopped in 2013, 56% were black and 29% were Latino, while only 11% were white.nyclu.org

6. Non-criminals are being arrested for ridiculous things

telegraph.co.ukUntil recently, prison was reserved for dangers to society. Now, you can be arrested and imprisoned for making nothing more than a human mistake. George Norris was sentenced to 17 months in prison after he forgot to get the proper paperwork and sold orchids to an undercover agent. Georgia Thompson, a state employee who accidently filled company data incorrectly, spent four months in prison. A bridal shop owner, Judy Wilkinson, was hauled away in cuffs after making a champagne and orange juice cocktail for a customer without having the proper license.alternet.org

7. You can face jail time for not paying rent

wilmothpropertyservices.comIn the nineteenth century, the cruel practice of arresting debtors until they repaid their debt was put to an end. Now, it’s making a comeback. Rental tenants in Arkansas who are allegedly behind on their payments can be sent to criminal courts, where judges will respond to failure to pay with arrest and imprisonment. It’s almost like the judicial system wants to fill prisons with people who shouldn’t be in them.hrw.org

8. The NSA is listening to everything and achieving nothing

dailytech.comAccording to the US Government, NSA agents are frisking all of your digital and telephone communications in an attempt to avert terrorism and save lives. However, Senators recently concluded that there’s no evidence that this method of policing is doing anything to stop terrorism. So why exactly are we paying billions to turn into an Orwellian surveillance state?thehill.com

9. More people are being sentenced to life in prison without parole for nonviolent offenses

friendsofjustice.com“Life without parole” is supposed to ensure that the most dangerous criminals are never allowed back into society. However, 3,278 people are currently serving life without parole for crimes in which no one was injured. These include offenses such as acting as a middleman in the sale of $10 of marijuana and stealing a $159 jacket. That doesn’t sound like justice.aclu.org

10. Police officers don’t face the same punishment as civilians

blogspot.comIn April, 2013, Orlando Police Officer Michael Fiorentino-Tyburski hit a homeless man with his police car and drove away without calling for help. Tetris Nunn survived, but saw no justice. The officer who hit him was not charged and received a measly 88 hour suspension. The officer’s defense for the hit and run? He didn’t think Nunn was injured after hitting him with the car–so he didn’t stop. What if someone without a badge had done something this negligent?wftv.com

11. America’s incarceration rate is the highest in the world

washingtonpost.comWith 737 prisoners per 100,000 citizens, the US has the highest incarceration rate of any country in the entire world. That number makes China look like a democratic paradise with their rate of 118 per 100,000. More shockingly, African-American men are five times more likely to be arrested than citizens of the Soviet Union at the height of the gulags. These shocking stats are a direct outcome of having privatized prisons, which allow people to profit off the incarceration of American citizens. Criminals are human beings who need support; they are not an opportunity to make money.alternet.org

12. Peaceful protests are being met with violence

dailymail.co.ukAs an American, the constitution grants you the right to assembly. In October, 2011, the peaceful Occupy Oakland protest turned violent when police forcefully evicted protesters, and in the process, fractured an Iraq veteran’s skull. This is only one example where perfectly lawful protests were disbanded with unnecessary force.dailymail.co.uk

13. The Government is hunting down a national hero

techweekeurope.co.ukEdward Snowden is a hero. It is a not a debate. When he leaked NSA files and revealed the full extent of illegal Government espionage, he was doing his country a service. How has the US repaid his honesty? He has had to seek sanctuary in Russia, and will likely never see his country, friends, or family ever again, for fear of being prosecuted…or worse.csmonitor.com

14. The FBI can watch you whenever, for no reason at all

gawker.comIf you were worried about the NSA listening to your communications, then you’ll be outraged to learn that the the FBI has been able to record you for years. Not only can they take control of your laptop camera, they can activate it without turning the light on.gizmodo.com

 

When you get your paycheck, a chunk is taken out to support programs like these. Policies and technologies that are supposed to protect citizens, which are actually more dangerous than the “security threats” that they’re designed to stop. Right now, our own government is holding us hostage in subtle ways. This is how it starts. We have seen how police states violently ends through history, so let us not get to that point. Know your rights, and refuse to be taken advantage of.

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Folks, The Big Sleep is upon us. At the world, national, and state levels, citizens have become more powerless to fight for their freedom. At the local level, however, there is still time (though not much) to rise up and grab back the power stolen from We The People by spineless politicians. 2015 may be Pittsfield’s last gasp.

———————————————————————————-

“I should have been a pair of ragged claws / Scuttling across the floors of silent seas.”T.S. Eliot, from “The Love Song of J. Alfred Prufrock,” the greatest poem written in English since 1900.

“OPEN THE WINDOW, AUNT MILLIE.”

LOVE TO ALL.

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Luke
Luke
9 years ago

There is no comment to make to this. It defines the loss of innocence of an entire nation. As a child of the 1950s I believed in America’s goodness, national moraility, justice for all – We watched Roy Rogers and Superman care for the weak. Today we watch Breaking Bad. While the world I grew up in was to some extent an illusion, it tried for goodness. We have sunk to lows that would make Huey Long and Warren Harding blush in shame.

I see no hope, no way to find a path to the shining city on the hill that JFK and Martin Luther King dreamed of. We are going the way of all civilizations from the Roman Empire onward.

God help us all

hurdygurdy Man
hurdygurdy Man
Reply to  Luke
9 years ago

I remember that tme well Luke of Leave It to Beaver and Roy Rogers. What happened to us in the meantime? Where did it go?

nostrodumbass
nostrodumbass
9 years ago

Yes Dan,

Excellent article.

This one world order has been a plan in the works for a very long time. They are behind in their agenda timeline and speeding things up at record pace. The US Constitution is an obstacle to them.

The laws enacted since the events of 911 designed to protect the American people are now being used against the American people. The plan all along?

I read the other day that all the money that has been spent since the economic collapse of 2008 to “save” the economy (which is failing miserably) if divided up among the American people, would have given each and every American citizen over $500,000.00. Every man, woman and child.

It seems that while this monetary is still working, they are sparing no expense and pulling out all stops to get this Police State grid in place. When this unsustainable economic system does come crashing down (and its very close now) there will be riots in the streets all accross America.

It almost seems like there is some secret memo sent to police department heads accross this nation to go ahead and abuse the people with immunity.

The rest of the world is now painfully aware that the almighty US dollar is a sham and they are all making moves away from it.

This country is less than 300 years old. It hs gone from the greatest country to being one of the worst. Its wealth has been stolen. Freedom is illusion. The one true freedom we have left is the right to bear arms. This too will be taken away. They are willing to fight another Civil War to get this freedom away from the people.

Whats in store for the people of this once great nation is not going to be pretty.

outfox
outfox
9 years ago

There is, and I am sure there will be, much to be said on this topic in coming days. Pittsfield excels at nanny state-ness; I recently was unable to purchase a lighter or receive a complimentary book of matches at Rite Aid because new Pittsfield ordinances require that We the People must now show photo i.d. in order to purchase a lighter or get some matches. Meanwhile,in lieu of foot patrold teenagers patrol our streets for course credit at the community college, and PPD writes off almost all the reports of “shots fired” as unfounded. Come on, city government, get your priorities …no, make that get WE THE PEOPLE’S priorities straight. n.

ShirleyKnutz
ShirleyKnutz
Reply to  outfox
9 years ago

Don’t worry though because you can still vote without showing an ID…remember vote early and vote often…the Chicago way!!

dusty
dusty
9 years ago

I was at the Social Security office the other day and there were three armed security men and a scanner like in the airport. I imagine there are thousands of these across the country. Can you imagine the cost? Just what are they protecting anyway? I imagine we have spent hundreds of billions of dollars on security since 9/11 and I just can’t believe it was all necessary.

I am a fan of Snowden. If you don’t hear from me for a while it was because I was dumb enough to put that in writing.

Deb S
Deb S
Reply to  dusty
9 years ago

They were put in place after the bombing of a Federal Building in Oklahoma back in the 90’s Dusty.

Scott
Scott
Reply to  Deb S
9 years ago

Yeah well Mcveigh never entered the building he parked the bomb outside!!!

ed shepardson
ed shepardson
Reply to  Scott
9 years ago

“. The government is continually growing bigger and more powerful and the people need to prepare to defend themselves against government control”. Timothy McVeigh

Psychiatrist John Smith concluded that McVeigh was, “a decent person who had allowed rage to build up inside him to the point that he had lashed out in one terrible, violent act.” McVeigh’s IQ was assessed at 126.

Scott
Scott
Reply to  ed shepardson
9 years ago

Yes he’s an interesting guy. Not condoning what he did but the case to rationalize and justify what he did can be made. Look at what he did and his consequence as opposed to what the feeds did at Wacco Texas. Di you know they had over ten million rounds of ammo and full auto Ar’s thanks to the m16 bolt carriers David Koresh obtained. Initially they let the Feds walk away with thier dead that was a noble move that wasn’t returned. Mcveigh was a product of our govt and the first Iraq war. What he did was in retaliation for Wacco and Ruby ridge. It’s clear the govt police or other agencies have no problem killing children.

Pat
Pat
9 years ago

There are people predicting that the United States will eventually turn into an actual police state with harsh treatment for everyone. Supposedly when this happens we will be near the end of times. Many religious organizations have been predicting this. I am definitely religious, but am always skeptical of those who try to make predictions especially about the end of the world, but many of the things they were predicting 50 years ago are beginning to happen. Nobody wants to believe that it could happen here in our country, but then I never thought half of the things that are happening now in America would ever happen.

Gene
Gene
9 years ago

Today coming out of Dotties three young men (not kids) barreled around corner of Maplewood on to North pulling wheeliers nearly bowling me over.
Riding those small trick bike. Two blacks one white, all of job age.
Citys zero-tolerance bike ordinance and the decals are really doing their job. Creates a great environment for would be shoppers too.

Scott
Scott
9 years ago

I was happy to read that George Lucas donated a half of million dollars to the Norman Rockwell museum to promote civic duty, explain the importance of town hall meetings and voting. The money is being used by the NRM to fund an online educational database for educators and children. I help my son with his home work I talk to his educators and when we vote all of us go as a family. Individual freedom and free thinking are allowed and encouraged in my house. The welfare police state disgusts me. Not all cops are bad just like not all teachers are bad but through things Ike common core an zero tolerance we’re creating a one size fits all solution when certain things need to be addressed on an individual basis. Like labeling your kid ADD just cause thy need help reading but admins only see dollar signs and won’t give your kid extra help with out the label which guarantees federal money. Law enforcement is the same. Everyone is just treated like a criminal. Big articles in the eagle on new gun bills backed by GOAL (f them and the NRA!) and how great they are yet two days later a 15 year ild kid shoots another kid with a pistol. This shot is a joke. Hold right rob your family and your freedom. Keep your eyes on St. Louis they should revolt an we should all have thier backs this will continue to happen as long as we let it.

Scott
Scott
Reply to  Scott
9 years ago

Sry for typos… Hold tight to your freedom and your families!!!!!

amandaWell
amandaWell
9 years ago

Hold tight to your wallets.

Scott
Scott
Reply to  amandaWell
9 years ago

Yes Amanda! Fortunately for me there’s some control over that being self employed and all. Of course one should never cheat the govt I would NEVER suggest that but def don’t pay them any more than you rightfully should!

amandaWell
amandaWell
9 years ago

Don’t know how you small business entrepreneur’s do it? tax to death, most have to insure workers? the state needs to be more proactive with our small business, there the backbone of our country!

Scott
Scott
Reply to  amandaWell
9 years ago

By following the law and drawing happy faces in the check memo! 😉

Pussy Galore
Pussy Galore
9 years ago

Thank you Planet, for being here for the readers, and for sharing transparency that is rarely seen in politics as we know it. If Dan V runs for Mayor, you can count on my support.

ShirleyKnutz
ShirleyKnutz
9 years ago

Berkshire County has the best antidote for this police state, we have judges that just let everybody off with court costs as the only consequence!!

amandaWell
amandaWell
9 years ago

@ Scott, happy to see you ‘re doing well. Go to Karen Allen Fiber Arts, check out the sweaters, they’re really cool, get the wife one!

Mad Trapper
Mad Trapper
9 years ago

Dan, I am disappointed in your support of the second amendment, there is ONLY one amendment that assures ALL the others. The second.

I am sorry in their debates by the founding Fathers, freedom of speech won out , the right to be free and defend oneself, that is to bears arms.

Your mouth will be silenced easily with a stronger mit. But you should be able to defend against such mits.

Mad Trapper
Mad Trapper
9 years ago

Let me clarify. Right to bear arms should have been the first amendment.