Enemies In Our Midst: Think the Patriot Act is Bad? Take A Look At This

Just when you thought it couldn't get any worse. The new Intelligence Reform Act makes the Patriot Act look harmless. If we the people don't start making noise right now, and I mean LOUD, the USA we all grew up loving is gonna be toast. No bull.

The Enemies Among Us
by Mike Whitney

published by The Progressive Trail

The new Intelligence reform bill is a more stunning attack on the Bill of Rights than the Patriot Act. Most people have no idea how dramatically their "inalienable" rights have been savaged, or to what extent the Congress has sold them out. It's no exaggeration to say that the foundation of personal liberty, guaranteed in the law, is cracking at the base. It'll be a miracle if we can put it back together in time to pass it on to our children.

As usual, the role of the media has been pivotal in obfuscating the details of the bill. They've fed the hysteria over the establishment of a NID; (National Intelligence Director) a glamour position that has been represented as vital to stopping another 9-11. What rubbish. Teaching Condi Rice how to read a simple e-mail from bin Laden would be twice as effective.
www.progressivetrail.org...

You know, at this point, why the hell doesn't the government just come right out and do it. Formally admit to banning the US Constitution, in favor of their way. At least that way we could all know what side we're on. Unfortunately, they ended up with all the firepower. At least that's what they think. Remember, public servants are sworn to uphold and defend the constitution. As a military person, you better figure it out. Because you either serve the constitution, or you serve the regime who is systematically tearing it apart. You were given your arms by the people to protect them and the ideals that this country was founded upon.

Our workable form of government outlined in the constitution is being hijacked right in front of you, in your face. Dear military men and women, have you indeed READ the constitution? Are you aware of what you are sworn to uphold? From your enlistement contract, I quote:
H. CONFIRMATION OF ENLISTMENT OR REENLISTMENT
22a. IN A REGULAR COMPONENT OF THE ARMED FORCES:
I,________________, do solemnly swear (or affirm) that I will support and defend the Constitution of the United States against all enemies, foreign and domestic; that I will bear true faith and allegiance to the same; and that I will obey the orders of the President of the United States and the orders of the officers appointed over me, according to regulations and the Uniform Code of Military Justice. So help me God.

Well, it seems we have a problem here. You swore to uphold the Constitution first, and to protect it against all enemies, foreign and domestic. And second, you swore to obey the orders of the President and your superiors. This asserts that the President and your superiors are in themselves upholding the constitution- because without the constitution, there would be no President, or armed forces under the US constitution itself. But when the President and Congress are not upholding the constitution, and on the contrary, are contriving laws that counter constitutional provision, guess what? They have become the very domestic enemies the constitution provides for to protect itself against.

How is it that we can let an administration, that rose through the very system provided by the constitution, turn right around and destroy it to suit their own needs? There's a reason that an ammendment to the constitution takes so much time and legal hassle. It is necessarily so, because any governmental act which subverts in any way a constitutional provision, should be a real hassle. Or shouldn't be at all.

FOR CHRISTS SAKES, BUSH, DECLARE YOURSELF THE DICTATOR AND LETS GET THE DAMNED TRUTH OUT IN THE OPEN- SOME OF US MIGHT RESPECT YOU MORE.

sick, just sick.

Since all these new bills and agencies has been poping out in the name of the "war on terror" I feel that our nation will never be the same.

And in the name of "war on terror" we have all these things come to be.

[edit on 19-12-2004 by marg6043]

EastCoastKid,

It makes me laugh to read this garbage like you and Mike Whitley spout. This far left radical BS is so rediculous, it's funny.

What are guys ever going to do for the next 4 years !!

Originally posted by JimboE
EastCoastKid,

It makes me laugh to read this garbage like you and Mike Whitley spout. This far left radical BS is so rediculous, it's funny.

What are guys ever going to do for the next 4 years !!

Maybe they will be some of the few to stand up and fight for your once "land of the free" country!

First the Patriot acts, now the Inteligence reform Bill. Why are Americans so ignorant as to what the government does behind thier backs? It's as if they were willing to sacrifice personal liberties, so the corrupt Bush could just become a passive dictator. The man should just admit that he wants to be a dictator.

Deep

As far as I can gather from this thread, there is opposition to the Intel Bill because of the NID, who would be a political (Bush) appointee. That makes Bush a dictator in your eyes. Correct?

I've also heard that the government is banning the constitution.
Can you explain how that is happening? Specific examples, please.

From the article, I read:

Democracy Now elaborates on the new national ID: "There's all sorts of new technologies that could be incorporated into the driver's license to link it to all sorts of public and private-sector databases. And you could also imagine putting an RFID chip in the license that would allow it to be tracked remotely.

Using an RFID chip to track us remotely? I will welcome any discussion on this, using either passive or active RFID chips. Otherwise, it is sheer paranoia such as Chicken Little cried about.

ZeroDeep is worried about this:

Why are Americans so ignorant as to what the government does behind thier backs? It's as if they were willing to sacrifice personal liberties, so the corrupt Bush could just become a passive dictator.

To him, I offer this:

[One of Rep. James Sensenbrenner's] victor[ies] was the so-called lone wolf provision. Under current law, tracking terrorists who are believed to be acting separate from a terrorist organization � or as a lone wolf � must be pursued and investigated under criminal, not counterterrorism, law. This places often-severe hurdles in the path of investigators, with a silly double standard of affording civil liberties protections only to suspected terrorists who appear to be acting alone. Yet Democrats opposed this reform. The Judiciary chairman also won passage of stringent mandatory-minimum sentences for certain terrorism-related convictions. The production, construction, import, export, possession or use of dirty bombs, nukes, surface-to-air missiles and smallpox will now carry a statutory sentence of 25 years to life. If someone is killed, the penalty becomes either life in prison or a death sentence. Democrats opposed these mandatory minimums.

powerlineblog.com...

Is this what you object to, ZeroDeep? And what personal liberties are we sacrificing?

Finally, I would ask: do any of you know who authored this bill?

This could be a good topic, if we leave the emotion and Bush-bashing out of it.

Next there will be check point charlie's along every roadway... and Bush
will be declared ..an out of closet dictator. Go ahead come out of the closet!
We know you're in there.......

Editted: Please refrain from making personal attacks...as requested when I U2Ued you following the Warn issued. You have been issued another Warn for this attack also.

Continue to do so and you will be Post Banned, if not banned outright.

-Alien (ATS SuperModerator)

[edit on 19-12-2004 by alien]

Originally posted by JimboE
Deep,

You are an absolute moron. Do you really think the government cares about anything someone as insignificant as you does.
Reality is not a subject your familiar with, is it.

Is there no stopping you from your personal insults???

Mods- I would say this person is not going to quit with the personal attacks- 1 warning wasnt sufficient, i guess.

What is it with all this Bush bashing. You obviously all voted for Kerry. YOU LOST, GET OVER IT. America is the greatest country. If you don't agree, YOU CAN ALL LEAVE. Canada takes all malcontents, no questions asked.

*Editted: Whoopsie...finger slipped on the Ban Button...

[edit on 19-12-2004 by alien]

I will ask the members in this thread, has any of you ever stop and tried to make sense of all the "new agencies" and "new bills" that this administration is getting away with.

Really what is the purpose of all of these, I see not consequences from all these on terror actually it seems to me more of civil right taking that anything else.

This is beyond Bush basing this is about all Americans our rights, our freedom.

Don't you get it.

It seems every american has a right to be paranoid, tracking chips in their bio-metric id cards... what next??? thought police?? youd think the constitution would be set in stone or had some law that it couldnt be undone, the goverment will keep taking rights until theres nothing left.

Originally posted by JimboE
What is it with all this Bush bashing. You obviously all voted for Kerry. YOU LOST, GET OVER IT. America is the greatest country. If you don't agree, YOU CAN ALL LEAVE. Canada takes all malcontents, no questions asked.

*Editted: Whoopsie...finger slipped on the Ban Button...

[edit on 19-12-2004 by alien]

whoopsie

thats the best laugh I've had all night thanks for the humor alien.

[edit on 19/12/2004 by Sauron]

Originally posted by Mr Lukas
It seems every american has a right to be paranoid, tracking chips in their bio-metric id cards... what next??? thought police?? youd think the constitution would be set in stone or had some law that it couldnt be undone, the goverment will keep taking rights until theres nothing left.

You do know we British are next, right Lucas? I don't know how long it takes for Blah to become dicataor of the European superstate.

As regards to Bush. I fear for all of you people, as I do for myself. As soon as a dicatorship is declared. You will never be able to express dissent on a public forum again. In fact, I think in all likiness, ATS will be shut down. It has started, this maybe our last festive Christmas. The time has changed:

WELCOME POLICE STATE

[edit on 19-12-2004 by Indigo_Child]

Yeah, the UK does seem to follow the US in far to many ways, i think we should update the magna carta or something before Blair whores that to the europen union, there are alot of 'terrorism laws' that have been passed in the UK without anyone knowing about it, i know the goverment monitor phone calls, emails, text messages, but thats all i know

Originally posted by jsobecky
I've also heard that the government is banning the constitution.
Can you explain how that is happening? Specific examples, please.

jso, come on now, please. Clauses in PA1 and PA2, and now this Intelligence bill are directly in conflict with freedoms provided by the constitution. If you need specific examples, try this thread:

www.abovetopsecret.com...

If you want to see the actual PA2 legislation and decide for yourself, here is the document:
www.pbs.org...

Hey I got a great idea. All of you that want to live in a police state, go get your own island. This one's taken already by freedom loving people with a sovereign constitution. And nuh uh, you can't have it.

Originally posted by Mr Lukas
i know the goverment monitor phone calls, emails, text messages, but thats all i know

I have a first hand account of this from a friend. She is Jamican, and sends some money over to the her family in Jamica. Recently, the government probed her demanding to know where she was sending it. Another account from her, is of friend of her daughter in college, who was recently thrown into jail. His crime was he had too much money to not be working.

We've had more then three terrorist attack drills in our city alone. I have no idea what we people are going to do when it happens. There is nowhere to hide, there is nothing to defend ourselves with, and we too dependent on supermarkets and takeways for our food.

Originally posted by TrueAmerican
jso, come on now, please. Clauses in PA1 and PA2, and now this Intelligence bill are directly in conflict with freedoms provided by the constitution.

All I'm asking for are specific examples where this Intel bill is banning the Constitution.

Who authored this bill, TrueAmerican?

Hey I got a great idea. All of you that want to live in a police state, go get your own island. This one's taken already by freedom loving people with a sovereign constitution. And nuh uh, you can't have it.

Not a very original comeback, TrueAmerican. And your implication that you are the only "freedom loving people with a sovereign constitution" is sadly mistaken and divisive. Our country was built on dissent and discussion, not divisiveness. We need healthy discourse and debate. We don't need hostile partisanship.