The Tipping Point Has Passed: Sweeping Change Is at Hand
by Michael Edwards Recently by Michael Edwards: The Tipping Point Has Passed: Sweeping Change Is at Hand
It has been revealed that tear gas canisters and ammunition being used to suppress a popular uprising in Egypt against the dictator, Mubarak, were clearly labeled as "Made in the USA." Nevertheless, Obama felt that it was necessary to lay out the ground rules recently for the government of Egypt to obey when dealing with protesters, and for the protesters to obey while dealing with their dictatorship. Given the track record of U.S. government response to protest on American soil, this stands as one of hypocrisy's finest achievements. The video below speaks volumes, but to enumerate Obama's suggestions:
Comments will follow the video to address violations by the U.S. government of each of these six points: Comments:
1. Violence has in fact been used toward peaceful protesters on many occasions in the United States. Modern tactics now include tear gas, stun grenades, bean bag guns, dogs, sound and water cannons, and good-old-fashioned random beatings. All of these tactics were used at the G20 protests in Pittsburgh shown in the video above, mostly on unarmed college students and the elderly, including women. 2. The right to peaceful assembly has often been cordoned off within free speech zones in the United States. Permits can be required, restricting when, where, and how a protest can be conducted. In other words, you may protest, but be careful that you are not violating any regulations. The right to free association has increasingly come under attack with activists of many stripes being targeted with surveillance and intimidation. 3. Obama's directive to protesters is to keep things peaceful. However, there has been widespread use of agents provocateur both to infiltrate activist groups themselves, as well as to stage violent actions at events in order to justify a police-state crackdown. Obama should call upon agents of the police and the federal government to use the same discretion in maintaining the peace. 4. False media coverage, particularly as to the true scope of a physical protest has been used to discredit ideas, or render them as insignificant. It is quite easy to film a crowd of ten thousand and creatively make it seem like a few hundred. This concept is now being taken to the Internet, where legislation has been introduced to restrict the playing field to one where the message of mainstream outlets will rise to the top of search engine rankings, also to be combined with the "fairness doctrine" which will superimpose government and mainstream messaging along "electronic sidewalks" over the alternative media.
5. The American government clearly is not listening to, or responding to its citizens. In poll after poll, people did not approve of the bank bailouts, do not approve of continuing the endless wars, and do not approve of TSA tyranny. Nonetheless, The Department of Homeland Security not only has ignored the public, it has increased its rollout of the police state with surveillance drones, robots, and VIPR teams in a demonstration of total disregard for the will of the people. DHS is even implementing the East German model of citizen spies by partnering with private businesses in an attempt to have Americans snitch on one another as a "soft" addition to their mechanized, digital control grid. 6. It is clear that the American government is behaving in a coercive way against its people, similar to the dictatorial regime in Egypt and elsewhere who are being educated by Barack Obama as to the rules of conduct. It has forgone consent of the people in its mission to loot the nation's productivity and fill the coffers of unelected bureaucrats in the United States, as well as the offshore banksters who fund all sides of wars, revolutions, and manipulated economies. With an Internet kill switch set to be placed firmly in the White House, there is very little difference in the structure of oppression between the supposed Land of the Free and Home of the Brave, and countries which are in open revolt against such a system. The only consent being given to the current course of events in the U.S. is ignorance and apathy. Reprinted with permission from the Activist Post. February 4, 2011 Michael Edwards [send him mail] is co-editor of Activist Post. He is a writer and copyeditor who has worked on a wide range of books, magazines, online journals, and advertising campaigns. Copyright © 2011 Activist Post
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