End the War on Freedom

"But if it's going to be (Insert Name of Shithead Here) in the White House, I prefer that it be the Shithead of the party whose Shitheads don't have a congressional majority. That way, the Shitheads will fight each other at least a little, instead of spending all of their time Shitting directly on our heads." -- Tom Knapp

Kevin Tuma - Hole in the Head - cartoon commentary on the Democrat take on the sunset of the AWB. Hahahahaha.

# I finished Dragon's Fury: Eagle's Talons, the fifth volume of Jeff Head's World War III series. Very exciting, and gruesome, ending. I hope reality isn't as bad as his imagination. I don't agree with Mr. Head on everything, but if the Chinese were to ever attack the U.S. as they do in the first volume of this series, then a war like he imagined will be in order. Unfortunately, they'll probably just sit back and watch us destroy ourselves. The book was a good read, well worth my $12 (for the Microsoft Reader eBook version). The dead trees version isn't available yet, but it should be soon.

# Russell Madden - The Freedom Quiz - some simple questions about how much you think government should do. I acheived the Gold Standard using Nancy Reagan's advice: Just say, "NO!"

# Jacob Richards and Connie Murillo at The Memory Hole - Photos and Videos From Inside New York's Pier 57 Detention Center - most cameras were confiscated, but these two managed to get some pictures and video. [whatreallyhappened]

# Emmanuel Goldstein at 2600 Magazine - 2004 Republican National Convention in NYC - a long account, plus photos and video, of being arrested, held at Pier 57, and released. Kafkaesque. Linked from the page above.

The shock of what happened on August 31 is still wearing off for those of us unfortunate enough to be caught up in what can only be described as a desperate act by law enforcement. It seems silly to say that these were traumatizing events when there's so much more going on in the world - and in our own backyards - that's far worse. We were lucky, after all. We had the whole world watching and we had our friends outside who never stopped trying to get us out. We had the National Lawyers Guild working around the clock. And of course, we had lots of company since there were so many of us stuck together in one place. But despite all of this - and I think I speak for the majority here - what we went through shook us to the core and will take quite a bit of time to get out of our systems. If you were there then you probably already understand this. If you weren't, then this is an opportunity to share one perspective of what happened.

Now when I say August 31, I refer to the date that 1200 or so people were swept off the streets of Manhattan by the police, myself included. There were many others who were snatched on other days (the total being 1821 at last count) but August 31 has come to represent the enormity of the operation so that's how I'll always refer to it.

...

There were all kinds of demonstrations, marches, and acts of civil disobedience in New York throughout the week. You would think that al Qaeda was behind them all with the heavy artillery and military presence that was brought into the city. This alone was enough to shake up a lot of people and make them seriously reconsider standing out in any way. Which I suppose was the purpose. After all, not one of the tens of thousands of armed cops and commandoes could have stopped a plane from flying into a building or prevented a hidden bomb from blowing up. What they could and did do was send a powerful message that this city was now an armed camp and that those with the arms would do as they pleased and the rest of us would just have to deal with it. For many New Yorkers, it was like living under occupation.

But the message didn't get through to everyone. Especially not down at Union Square Park, where people insisted on being themselves despite all the warnings not to. They held rallies, stood on boxes shouting out to whoever would listen, got into passionate arguments with others, meditated, played music, sold literature, signed people up to vote, and never stopped. This was the place where New Yorkers gathered after September 11 to remember the victims and pray for the future without all the rhetoric and flag waving. It was the place you didn't see on television. In moments of crisis, people just tend to gravitate here.

# Ron Paul at LewRockwell.com - The Therapeutic Nanny State - more on the "New Freedom Commission on Mental Health". [smith2004]

Soviet communists attempted to paint all opposition to the state as mental illness. It now seems our own federal government wants to create a therapeutic nanny state, beginning with schoolchildren. It's not hard to imagine a time 20 or 30 years from now when government psychiatrists stigmatize children whose religious, social, or political values do not comport with those of the politically correct, secular state.

# Leslie Miller at My Way News - The Former Cat Stevens Gets Plane Diverted - Yusuf Islam, a peace activist, was not allowed to enter the U.S. Maybe the fedgoons believe his peace train a real threat to their forever war. [smith2004]

After the Sept. 11 attacks, Islam issued a statement saying: "No right thinking follower of Islam could possibly condone such an action: The Quran equates the murder of one innocent person with the murder of the whole of humanity."

# TBRNews - The Voice of the White House - said to be from a reporter assigned to the White House press corps. Chilling. [saltypig]

September 19, 2004: This afternoon, while schmoozing a minor aide, I saw a copy of a Pentagon memo concerning the forthcoming draft. I could not copy this and it took me about twenty minutes, in brief segments, to read it through. The White House and the Pentagon have worked out a plan to call up all reservists and National Guard units if and when Bush is reelected. The moment that the election results are poured in concrete, orders, now drawn up and waiting, will be issued throughout the United States. I am not speaking of a few units but all US Guard and Reserve units. On the same subject, the pending Universal Draft is also a done deal. Everything is place awaiting the President's signature. This is planned for June of 2005 and contains some real shockers.

# Steve Kubby at Liberty for All - Reefer madness still alive in British Columbia - the Kubby's were evicted from their apartment with short notice and no apparent reason other than their landlord being afraid of Mr. Kubby's medicine. Child Protective Services was on their case, too, until a doctor found through the Canadian Compassion Club made them go away. [smith2004]

Tomorrow will be our last day here, as we prepare to put all of our belongings in storage and move to a small cabin without electricity on a small nearby island. You probably won't hear from me for awhile. Both Michele and I need a chance to recover from all this insanity. Reefer mania may have won the day, but I will return, stronger and more determined than ever.

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