Georgia Now! Will There Be An ‘Emergency’ in the USA Next?
Well…the manner in which the Bush administration is turning a blind eye towards countries declaring ‘emergency’ (in the present case Georgia), can we really rule out the possibility of the Americans themselves getting a taste of ‘emergency’ on their home turf soon? This ‘emergency’ in the US is just waiting to happen…as soon as something that can pass as ‘dramatic’ were to happen on its soil.
Meanwhile the latest reports from the Georgian capital Tbilisi sound so familiar (and compare well with the Bush administration’s approach in Pakistan). Here it goes: “The top U.S. official for the Caucasus praised Georgian President Mikhail Saakashvili on Sunday for his leadership over the last 4 years, but suggested he lift a state of emergency and restore an independent media.”
Matt Bryza, US assistant secretary of state for European affairs, stated: “The President of Georgia has shown remarkable leadership…And the United States would not tell Saakashvili how to govern.”
President Saakashvili shocked his Western allies on Wednesday, ordering police to baton charge and fire tear gas at protesters calling for his resignation and then imposed a state of emergency, justifying it by accusing Russia of stirring unrest.
“NATO and European countries issued strongly worded statements condemning the police action and the emergency law — which bans independent media and meetings — but the United States has adopted a far softer tone.”
“We are not a big brother, we are a big friend,” US senior official Matt Bryza added.
“The opposition has called Saakashvili corrupt and guilty of mismanaging the economy. They also say he is using the emergency laws to give himself an unfair advantage in a January 5 presidential election he called on Thursday.” More here…
Deja vu…What???
Some tell-tale signs from the US. An agency report states: “As Congress debates new rules for government eavesdropping, a top intelligence official says it is time that people in the United States changed their definition of privacy…”
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21 Responses to “Georgia Now! Will There Be An ‘Emergency’ in the USA Next?”
Privacy is privacy, without probable cause AND a warrant, leave my privacy alone. 9-11 was one incident, what would these nut cases have done on 12-07?
Privacy no longer can mean anonymity, says Donald Kerr, the principal deputy director of national intelligence. Instead, it should mean that government and businesses properly safeguard people’s private communications and financial information.
While this is troubling it is not altogether unexpected.
50 years ago Osama Bin Laden would have been an angry man in the desert with a gun. Because of Cell phones, the internet and todays super communications he has become the focal point for a reevaluation of how to protect citizens privacy and yet protect citizens which is the governments prime responsibility.
While I appreciate Rudi’s sentiment….the fact that he is typing it from the privacy of his own home in relative anonimity is precisely why the privacy issue must be addressed with these new technologies bearing gifts…..some wanted and some not so wanted.
The debate will rage for years and the country will ebb towards less privacy because that is what the movement of cultural geopolitics will demand. Kicking and screaming the libertarians and those who believe that this is in violation to the first amendment will be nudged into a new era of privacy and after a couple decades it will not hurt so much.
Welcome to the world of those who oppose change…….aka Conservatives…..
Gosh we would sure like things to remain the way they were. But alas as we are constantly reminded the world it is a changing……get over it.
Horsepuck. Trying to use electronic surveillance of whole populations to catch terrorists is like trying to drink from a fire hose. It’s about scarin’ the folks, pure and simple.
Whatever. I want my MTV.
Somebody – I should be able to say almost any crazy thing from the privacy of my keyboard. When a teenage girl photoshops a Bush picture and SS knocks on her door the powers that be a becoming a little too paranoid.
http://www.prisonplanet.com/articles/October2006/141006MySpace.htm
Never mind about intention or capabilities, I wonder if this Girl Scout earned any badges as a sniper or double-naught spy.
BJ Datamining is going on, just use your credit card outside “the norm”. Your bank will call wondering why a purchase was made at the “
bondagebandage shop”.(slight snark)Lol, I know. I’m sayin’ it’s about mass intimidation, not collectin’ information.
Seriously, every nine months or so it comes out that they’re also scooping up X type of information. It’s total information awareness, knowin’ evrything bout evryone. People don’t see the big picture yet, but trust me, soon it’ll come out that they’re tracking where ya make cellphone calls from (if ya don’t have GPS off). Your coordinates are sent when you make the call, are registered in the ATT computer, then forwarded to the NSA who put it in yr profile. You may say I’m paranoid, but you’d best believe it’s happening.
Terrorism is isolated events in the West. There isn’t enough data to track patterns associated with terrorism. Credit card fraud has a history and sufficient data to establish patterns. But even with this data, false reports pop up. I don’t know what our intell is using with this mountains of data, probably making s/w companies alot of money for useless data.
Well said Rudi. Ultimately it boils down to this. Create a mass fear psychosis (fear of the unknown) and then start milking the system…whoever you are…be it the big guy in the government, the corporate world or guy with a gun or muscle power…whoever can manage it. Who cares if the world goes to dogs…
Unbriddled greed and lust for power of the rulers has been the undoing of many a nations in the past…
Psychologically Swaraaj, the greed for power beyond good, is thought by some, myself included, to be a cover for a massive sense of inferiority, sometimes by the ruler, sometimes by the people who allow the ruler to take drastic steps to make them all feel superior. It’s a concept in analystical psychology, called ‘the collective unconscious,’ when it relates to to a culture, and called ‘the shadow’ when it relates to an individual. In both cases, the inferiority mechanism lies outside of conscious awareness, but is followed in great huffs and chuffs of seizing energy and power… over the cliffs regardless.
Great post Swaraaj
dr.e
Well like I said my friends. Welcome to the world of the conservative.
Things they are a changing. We kick, we scream, we complain, we beg, we ask that you rethink your positions but in the end the society moves away from where it was towards something new.
Kill Bush is against the law. No one has the right in this country to post such stupidity. There are limits to your first amendment rights. You cannot threaten lives. That is not freedom. This is hardly Data Mining……she posted it on MySpace and I hate to tell you this but thats about as subtle as putting poster on my house saying the same thing……..umm…..its going to get attention.
Times they are a changing. Right now my lifes savings, all that I am, all that I possess monetarily is only protected by a password and ID. Clever theives could make me wish I was a bigger supporter of Welfare in seconds.
There are much more reasons for the heightened security and data mining as you put it then finding bad guys………….CrImE has become Cyber……you fight informational crime with information.
Times they are a changing……….get over it.
Somebody – I agree it’s against the law, but when jack booted SS kick in the door at school and drag out Anne Frank for her Myspace, we’ve gone to far.
They could’ve contacted Myspace to shut down her page and made a phone call for the family to bring her in. This is a good example of paranoia and over reaction. She had less than 1% capacity to actually “Kill Bushie”. Because of 9-11 we turn into the KGB and Soviet Lite.
No my friend she commited a crime………A CRIME. IT is against the law to do that.
What you are advocating is that well if a 14 year old robs a bank we should call the principal and tell them to politely escort the girl to the office so that we can have a sensitivity trainning seminar to help the girl understand that robbing banks is not acceptable behavior.
She COMMITTED A FELONY…….FELONY…….I dont care how old she is, who she is or what her political affilitation…..Saying “KILL BUSH” ON a website or anywhere else is a FELONY.
She is lucky that she will prolly not spend time in jail for such an egregious act of criminal intent. Secondly when you commit extremely SERIOUS crimes in this nation the police most likely dont bring along the sensitivity counselors when they arrive bearing gifts(handcuffs)
The times they are a changing……perhaps our schools need to keep the students appraised of what is and is not proper behaviour. It seems parents want to relinquish that responsibility these days.
This is a good example of paranoia and over reaction. She had less than 1% capacity to actually “Kill Bushieâ€.
Secondly what if she had said “Kill Principal So and So” or lets massacre the 10th grade gym class”
What then? Treat her as a confused little girl and ignore her calls for Murder?
No Im afraid your argument in her defence has no merit whatsoever. 911 did indeed change a lot. So did Gays coming out of the closet.
As Im repeatedly told over and over……times are changing…….Get over it.
LOL – Are gays going to suck the life out of POTUS?
Wow, they walked in an said we need to speak to “Anne Frank” I guess I missed where they kicked in doors and beat people about the head. Really this is absurd to thrash any pres. for things like this. The Pres has nothing to do with it. The secret service must investigate every known threat against the Pres. No matter how half assed or stupid it seems. Drunk ass that writes a letter or fourteen yo girl that says “everyone stab Bush” you will be on the list to get a visit. This has been the rule for over 30 years and it is well known to be the case. These guys probably just wanted to get the interview over with and move on to the next one so they went to the kids school, said some scary things, and asked the standard questions on the “so you want to kill the President?” worksheet. Everyone knows damn well they will also show up if Hillary is elected so stop with the hypocritical BS.
Bones – I was using a little snark, but why drag the girl out of class without her parents knowlege? Here’s a little info:
http://usgovinfo.about.com/library/weekly/aa040398.htm
Bones – I was using a little snark, but why drag the girl out of class without her parents knowlege? Here’s a little info:
when you commit a felony you do not need the parents permission to confront the girl.
Rudi whose point are you trying to argue? My point being that this isn’t a “Bush sucks” issue, and people trying to make it seem like it are disingenuous at best. You respond by posting two examples of Secret Service detaining people in the Clinton years. Which reinforces my statement that they will also show up if Hillery wins. Did you get confused or are you just arguing for fun and forgot which side you picked?
Did you get confused or are you just arguing for fun and forgot which side you picked?
Hey I do that from time to time. Sometime I argue something and then suddenly think about how stupid I sound and then try desperately to deflect or change the subject.
And thats just at home with my wife. Never do I have that problem here.
Somebody said:
While they may not need the parent’s permission to confront the girl, she is a minor and at least one of her parents should’ve been present for the questioning. Would you want any police questioning your minor child without your knowledge or you being present to ensure your minor child’s rights are protected?