wakingtimes--2020-11-04--Tuesday Was A Green Wave For Marijuana Legalization

Get the latest Waking Times articles delivered to your inbox .
Sign up here .
For months , we ’ ve heard about “ blue waves ” and “ red waves.
” Americans saw neither on Tuesday .
Democrats retained their House majority but bled several congressional seats , while Republicans appear poised to keep the Senate .
And nobody knows who the president will be .
That doesn ’ t mean there was no wave , however .
America ’ s march toward ending cannabis prohibition continued on Tuesday , as voters in several states embraced legalization by overwhelming @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Mississippi , Montana , New Jersey , and South Dakota — had ballot initiatives seeking to legalize use of the recreational drug .
Each state voted in favor of legalization .
As of early November 4 , the results were the following : Though marijuana remains a controlled substance under federal law , US Attorney General William Barr has signaled support for a Tenth Amendment-style approach that would allow states to determine the legality of marijuana use .
While states saw some questionable policies pass , on marijuana use Americans spoke loud and @ @ @ @ @ @ @ ’ s vote , some 16 million more Americans will soon be able marijuana smoke freely .
The reasons America has headed in this direction are are manifold .
Studies show marijuana legalization is creating tens of thousands of jobs projected to generate more than a quarter billion dollars of labor income annually by 2024 .
( These projections will only grow as more states adopt legalization policies . )
Marijuana prohibition , on the other hand , has resulted in mass prosecution and imprisonment of non-violent Americans .
According to the ACLU @ @ @ @ @ @ @ than half of all drug busts in the US .
These arrests disproportionately impact African Americans , who are 3.73 times more likely to be arrested for marijuana than whites , despite similar usage rates .
Like alcohol prohibition in the US ( 1920-1933 ) , marijuana prohibition is a well-intentioned policy designed to keep people from using a potentially harmful product .
And like alcohol prohibition , it soon became apparent the prescription was worse than the disease itself .
Jonathan Miltimore is the Managing Editor of FEE.org .
His writing/reporting has @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Street Journal , CNN , Forbes , Fox News , and the Washington Times .
This article was sourced from FEE.org

Tuesday Was A Green Wave For Marijuana Legalization
Jon Miltimore, Activist Post
Waking Times
For months, we’ve heard about “blue waves” and “red waves.”
Americans saw neither on Tuesday.
Democrats retained their House majority but bled several congressional seats, while Republicans appear poised to keep the Senate. And nobody knows who the president will be.
That doesn’t mean there was no wave, however. America’s march toward ending cannabis prohibition continued on Tuesday, as voters in several states embraced legalization by overwhelming margins.
Five states — Arizona, Mississippi, Montana, New Jersey, and South Dakota — had ballot initiatives seeking to legalize use of the recreational drug. Each state voted in favor of legalization.
As of early November 4, the results were the following:
Arizona: 60 – 40 Mississippi: 62 – 38 Montana: 57.5 – 42.5 New Jersey 66 – 34 South Dakota: 53.5 – 46.6*
The Unstoppable Green Wave
Though marijuana remains a controlled substance under federal law, US Attorney General William Barr has signaled support for a Tenth Amendment-style approach that would allow states to determine the legality of marijuana use.
While states saw some questionable policies pass, on marijuana use Americans spoke loud and clear: end prohibition.
Following Tuesday’s vote, some 16 million more Americans will soon be able marijuana smoke freely.
“1 in 3 Americans now lives in a state where recreational marijuana is legal,” Politico points out.
The reasons America has headed in this direction are are manifold.
Studies show marijuana legalization is creating tens of thousands of jobs projected to generate more than a quarter billion dollars of labor income annually by 2024. (These projections will only grow as more states adopt legalization policies.)
Marijuana prohibition, on the other hand, has resulted in mass prosecution and imprisonment of non-violent Americans. According to the ACLU, arrests for pot account for more than half of all drug busts in the US. These arrests disproportionately impact African Americans, who are 3.73 times more likely to be arrested for marijuana than whites, despite similar usage rates.
Like alcohol prohibition in the US (1920-1933), marijuana prohibition is a well-intentioned policy designed to keep people from using a potentially harmful product. And like alcohol prohibition, it soon became apparent the prescription was worse than the disease itself.
About the Author
Jonathan Miltimore is the Managing Editor of FEE.org. His writing/reporting has appeared in TIME magazine, The Wall Street Journal, CNN, Forbes, Fox News, and the Washington Times.
Reach him at jmiltimore@FEE.org.
This article was sourced from FEE.org


wakingtimes--2020-11-03--Whatever the Outcome of the Election, We CAN Revolt Against the Politicians and the Media and the St

Whatever the Outcome of the Election , We CAN Revolt Against the Politicians and the Media and the String-Pullers by UNITING Get the latest Waking Times articles delivered to your inbox .
Sign up here .
We ’ re living in a nation divided .
You need only look at social media or the comments section of nearly any website to see the rage and animosity between people who hold opposing opinions .
Violence has broken out in the streets of many of our cities and it ’ s all the media really wants to talk about .
Some people @ @ @ @ @ @ @ still believe in unity , the goodness of people , and the possibility of peace .
Even on the cusp of an election that many are saying is “ the most important ” of our lifetime , an election that many have vowed violence and destruction over the results , an election that has drawn battle lines right through our own neighborhoods , I believe that it doesn ’ t need to be this way .
I ’ m writing this piece before the election .
I have no idea how it ’ @ @ @ @ @ @ @ is my opinion regardless of which candidate is declared the winner and it is not based on politics .
It ’ s based on my belief that Americans can still unite if we choose to do so .
People are giving politicians control over their relationships .
What I don ’ t understand is how people can allow politicians – people who are in it for power , not for you and me – to divide them from the people they once loved .
How can you look at your son , daughter @ @ @ @ @ @ @ and say , “ You voted for X and therefore I no longer love you ?
” How can you put this politician and what he or she stands for ahead of your own people ?
Do you think those politicians care about you enough to divide their own families ?
To disinvite someone to Christmas dinner ?
To “ unfriend ” somebody on social media and in real life ?
Of course not .
All they want is your vote .
They want your verbal support .
They don ’ t give @ @ @ @ @ @ @ not your family is destroyed because of them and their causes .
And yet , I see it all the time .
I saw a woman proudly declaring she got her dying father to go vote against a candidate as if that was the most important way to spend her last few days with a loved one .
It made me sick .
When my father was dying , all I wanted was to hear his voice , hold his hand , listen to his stories , and tell him my own .
@ @ @ @ @ @ @ his last day , “ You know I love you , right ?
” And I replied , “ Yes , I know because you showed me every single day .
I love you too.
” Politics was the last thing on my mind .
It would be the last thing on any rational human being ’ s mind at a time like that .
This is not a unique case , either .
Families are fractured forever for people who don ’ t even know who they are , and people feel @ @ @ @ @ @ @ people who have their humanity .
There are still plenty of Americans who are in full possession of their humanity .
They ’ ll feed a hungry person without asking where that person stands on Joe Biden .
They ’ ll help a lost child at Walmart get reunited with her mother without wondering whether Mom is a Trump voter .
They ’ ll help a person in a wheelchair get something off a high shelf at the store , and they ’ ll check on their elderly neighbor , all with no @ @ @ @ @ @ @ America is full of people like this .
But they don ’ t make the headlines .
Nobody cares about small acts of service and kindness .
They only want to see Molotov cocktails thrown through the windows of rich peoples ’ homes or brutal crackdowns on rioters .
That ’ s the hunger our media is feeding .
That ’ s what people believe the real USA is all about right now .
My friends outside the US are under the impression that the entire country is burning and we ’ re @ @ @ @ @ @ @ But it ’ s not like that everywhere .
My 20-year-old daughter lives in an apartment building where her best friend is a 61-year-old lady .
They have coffee together every day .
They take walks weather and safety permitting .
They don ’ t discuss politics – they discuss plants and the little patio gardens both of them are growing .
They discuss their day and their family and the little odds and ends of life .
I ’ m friends with a group of women in which we have many widely @ @ @ @ @ @ @ .
We are a tight-knit group and we can discuss anything – including politics and religion – without hard feelings and then get right back to a conversation on home security or food preservation .
That ’ s because we put our humanity and our similarities first , not some politicians that – I repeat – do not care about us personally .
A UNITED States of America isn ’ t some silly utopian fantasy .
It ’ s absolutely possible .
Before the advent of social media and an incredibly biased press @ @ @ @ @ @ @ turkey in the trash when they discovered they were hosting a table full of *insert other political party here* because that wasn ’ t made the center of our universe .
Our children didn ’ t come home ready to snitch on us for having guns because they were indoctrinated at school that guns were bad , Marxism was good , and anyone who thought differently deserved at best scorn , and at worst legal punishment .
Dial things back 30 years or so and the country was not like this .
Sure @ @ @ @ @ @ @ some of them have been violent in the past .
I don ’ t think idealism is necessarily a bad thing .
In fact , I think it ’ s a beautiful part of being young .
I remember when I was 21 years old and wanted to change the world and make it better .
Heck , I still want to change the world and make it better and I ’ m 51 .
But the level to which this beautiful idealism has been perverted and used to further a dark agenda @ @ @ @ @ @ @ have so many young people prepared to wreak violence and destruction in the name of their ideals is that they ’ ve been deeply manipulated .
They ’ ve been manipulated by the school curriculum , by the teachers , by the professors at universities , by the media , and by social media – all of these purport things to be just and true with only a portion of the real story given .
They play on empathy and forsake logic in order to activate young visionaries and to radicalize them .
@ @ @ @ @ @ @ from good families who are out there behaving violently have been radicalized just as certainly as any child raised to be a Jihadist .
We have to take our kids back .
We have to take our media back .
We have to take our neighborhoods back .
I ’ m not proposing violent revolution here .
I ’ m talking about lemonade on the front steps , family dinners where real discussions take place , and educating our kids ourselves if the system can not be trusted to do so without distorting @ @ @ @ @ @ @ us .
I know I ’ m just an idealistic , middle-aged hippie chick , and that doesn ’ t always mesh with some of the most vocal parts of the prepper crowd .
I know that I don ’ t have a tactical background or a bad-ass gun collection .
I ’ m unlikely to lead anybody into battle .
But I have some strong beliefs about a different type of revolution .
We can revolt against the media and the politicians and the string pullers by uniting .
Fixing this mess @ @ @ @ @ @ @ .
It starts with families , neighbors , and communities .
What YOU do matters .
How YOU respond to the results of the election matters .
How YOU react to those with whom you disagree matters .
Please understand that I ’ m not suggesting we don ’ t defend ourselves or that we allow others to ride roughshod over our safety and property rights .
Not at all .
We are all born with those inherent rights and I , like you , will do whatever I must to defend my @ @ @ @ @ @ @ of who wins and who loses this election , we could try to do better than we did the last time around .
We could try not to gloat if our “ side ” wins .
We could try not to become enraged if our “ side ” loses .
We could try to just treat our neighbors like our neighbors and get on with our lives .
We could err on the side of kindness whenever it ’ s safe to do so .
Remember that what you see on the news @ @ @ @ @ @ @ entire country , but a few places that make for sensational coverage and high ratings .
Whoever is named the next president of the United States will play political games that are far above our pay grades .
There are things you can control and things you can not .
If you ’ ve gone out and cast your vote , or if you ’ ve withheld your vote because you don ’ t stand behind either of the candidates , then you ’ ve done what you feel is right for the @ @ @ @ @ @ @ is out of our hands .
Turn off the “ news ” and connect with the people around you .
Look at your similarities , not your differences .
Steer the conversation there when it goes astray and into controversial topics .
Cement your friendships .
I hope that we can collectively take a deep breath and focus on our small circles .
Because as things get worse in our country in terms of the economy , supply chain issues , and the unrest that is almost certain to occur , all we @ @ @ @ @ @ @ on those closest to us .
This essay about how we can do better this election probably won ’ t be as widely spread as if I ’ d written something gloomy and terrifying , but I believe that all of our quiet voices calling for peace are important .
Maybe share it with your friends if you , like me , want to see peace .
Let ’ s talk about common ground and our similarities .
Not about politicians .
How can we help keep Election Day peaceful in our necks @ @ @ @ @ @ @ all safety , kindness , and peace .

Whatever the Outcome of the Election, We CAN Revolt Against the Politicians and the Media and the String-Pullers by UNITING
Daisy Luther, The Organic Prepper
Waking Times
We’re living in a nation divided. You need only look at social media or the comments section of nearly any website to see the rage and animosity between people who hold opposing opinions. Violence has broken out in the streets of many of our cities and it’s all the media really wants to talk about.
Some people will call me naive, but I still believe in unity, the goodness of people, and the possibility of peace.
Even on the cusp of an election that many are saying is “the most important” of our lifetime, an election that many have vowed violence and destruction over the results, an election that has drawn battle lines right through our own neighborhoods, I believe that it doesn’t need to be this way.
I’m writing this piece before the election. I have no idea how it’s going to turn out. This is my opinion regardless of which candidate is declared the winner and it is not based on politics. It’s based on my belief that Americans can still unite if we choose to do so.
People are giving politicians control over their relationships.
What I don’t understand is how people can allow politicians – people who are in it for power, not for you and me – to divide them from the people they once loved. How can you look at your son, daughter, parent, cousin, or friend and say, “You voted for X and therefore I no longer love you?” How can you put this politician and what he or she stands for ahead of your own people?
Do you think those politicians care about you enough to divide their own families? To disinvite someone to Christmas dinner? To “unfriend” somebody on social media and in real life? Of course not. All they want is your vote. They want your verbal support. They don’t give a tinker’s damn whether or not your family is destroyed because of them and their causes.
And yet, I see it all the time. I saw a woman proudly declaring she got her dying father to go vote against a candidate as if that was the most important way to spend her last few days with a loved one. It made me sick. When my father was dying, all I wanted was to hear his voice, hold his hand, listen to his stories, and tell him my own. He told me a dozen times on his last day, “You know I love you, right?”And I replied, “Yes, I know because you showed me every single day. I love you too.” Politics was the last thing on my mind. It would be the last thing on any rational human being’s mind at a time like that.
This is not a unique case, either. Families are fractured forever for people who don’t even know who they are, and people feel good about it.
There are still people who have their humanity.
There are still plenty of Americans who are in full possession of their humanity. They’ll feed a hungry person without asking where that person stands on Joe Biden. They’ll help a lost child at Walmart get reunited with her mother without wondering whether Mom is a Trump voter. They’ll help a person in a wheelchair get something off a high shelf at the store, and they’ll check on their elderly neighbor, all with no questions asked.
The United States of America is full of people like this. But they don’t make the headlines.
Nobody cares about small acts of service and kindness. They only want to see Molotov cocktails thrown through the windows of rich peoples’ homes or brutal crackdowns on rioters. That’s the hunger our media is feeding. That’s what people believe the real USA is all about right now. My friends outside the US are under the impression that the entire country is burning and we’re living through a 3-D movie-level apocalypse.
But it’s not like that everywhere. My 20-year-old daughter lives in an apartment building where her best friend is a 61-year-old lady. They have coffee together every day. They take walks weather and safety permitting. They don’t discuss politics – they discuss plants and the little patio gardens both of them are growing. They discuss their day and their family and the little odds and ends of life.
I’m friends with a group of women in which we have many widely different beliefs, both religious and political. We are a tight-knit group and we can discuss anything – including politics and religion – without hard feelings and then get right back to a conversation on home security or food preservation. That’s because we put our humanity and our similarities first, not some politicians that – I repeat – do not care about us personally.
This isn’t some utopian fantasy.
A UNITED States of America isn’t some silly utopian fantasy. It’s absolutely possible.
Before the advent of social media and an incredibly biased press, nobody used to throw the Thanksgiving turkey in the trash when they discovered they were hosting a table full of *insert other political party here* because that wasn’t made the center of our universe. Our children didn’t come home ready to snitch on us for having guns because they were indoctrinated at school that guns were bad, Marxism was good, and anyone who thought differently deserved at best scorn, and at worst legal punishment.
Dial things back 30 years or so and the country was not like this.
Sure, there have always been idealists and some of them have been violent in the past. I don’t think idealism is necessarily a bad thing. In fact, I think it’s a beautiful part of being young. I remember when I was 21 years old and wanted to change the world and make it better. Heck, I still want to change the world and make it better and I’m 51.
But the level to which this beautiful idealism has been perverted and used to further a dark agenda is itself criminal. The reason we have so many young people prepared to wreak violence and destruction in the name of their ideals is that they’ve been deeply manipulated. They’ve been manipulated by the school curriculum, by the teachers, by the professors at universities, by the media, and by social media – all of these purport things to be just and true with only a portion of the real story given. They play on empathy and forsake logic in order to activate young visionaries and to radicalize them. That’s right – these kids from good families who are out there behaving violently have been radicalized just as certainly as any child raised to be a Jihadist.
We have to take our kids back. We have to take our media back. We have to take our neighborhoods back. I’m not proposing violent revolution here. I’m talking about lemonade on the front steps, family dinners where real discussions take place, and educating our kids ourselves if the system cannot be trusted to do so without distorting their perspectives.
The solution lies with us.
I know I’m just an idealistic, middle-aged hippie chick, and that doesn’t always mesh with some of the most vocal parts of the prepper crowd. I know that I don’t have a tactical background or a bad-ass gun collection. I’m unlikely to lead anybody into battle.
But I have some strong beliefs about a different type of revolution. We can revolt against the media and the politicians and the string pullers by uniting.
Fixing this mess that our country is in starts small. It starts with families, neighbors, and communities. What YOU do matters. How YOU respond to the results of the election matters. How YOU react to those with whom you disagree matters.
Please understand that I’m not suggesting we don’t defend ourselves or that we allow others to ride roughshod over our safety and property rights. Not at all. We are all born with those inherent rights and I, like you, will do whatever I must to defend my loved ones.
But perhaps, regardless of who wins and who loses this election, we could try to do better than we did the last time around. We could try not to gloat if our “side” wins. We could try not to become enraged if our “side” loses. We could try to just treat our neighbors like our neighbors and get on with our lives. We could err on the side of kindness whenever it’s safe to do so. Remember that what you see on the news in the following days is not the entire country, but a few places that make for sensational coverage and high ratings.
Whoever is named the next president of the United States will play political games that are far above our pay grades. There are things you can control and things you cannot. If you’ve gone out and cast your vote, or if you’ve withheld your vote because you don’t stand behind either of the candidates, then you’ve done what you feel is right for the big circle. The rest of it is out of our hands.
Turn off the “news” and connect with the people around you. Look at your similarities, not your differences. Steer the conversation there when it goes astray and into controversial topics. Cement your friendships.
I hope that we can collectively take a deep breath and focus on our small circles. Because as things get worse in our country in terms of the economy, supply chain issues, and the unrest that is almost certain to occur, all we can do is focus our positive efforts on those closest to us.
This essay about how we can do better this election probably won’t be as widely spread as if I’d written something gloomy and terrifying, but I believe that all of our quiet voices calling for peace are important. Maybe share it with your friends if you, like me, want to see peace.
Let’s talk about common ground and our similarities. Not about politicians. How can we help keep Election Day peaceful in our necks of the woods?
I wish you all safety, kindness, and peace.


wakingtimes--2020-11-03--America After The Election: A Few Hard Truths About The Things That Won’t Change

America After The Election : A Few Hard Truths About The Things That Won ’ t Change Get the latest Waking Times articles delivered to your inbox .
Sign up here .
The American people remain eager to be persuaded that a new president in the White House can solve the problems that plague us .
Yet no matter who wins this presidential election , you can rest assured that the new boss will be the same as the old boss , and we—the permanent underclass in America—will continue to be forced to march in lockstep with the police state @ @ @ @ @ @ @ .
Indeed , it really doesn ’ t matter what you call them—the Deep State , the 1 % , the elite , the controllers , the masterminds , the shadow government , the police state , the surveillance state , the military industrial complex—so long as you understand that no matter which party occupies the White House in 2021 , the unelected bureaucracy that actually calls the shots will continue to do so .
In the interest of liberty and truth , here are a few hard truths about life in the @ @ @ @ @ @ @ matter who wins the 2020 presidential election .
Indeed , these issues persisted—and in many cases flourished—under both Republican and Democratic administrations in recent years .
Police militarization will continue .
Thanks to federal grant programs allowing the Pentagon to transfer surplus military supplies and weapons to local law enforcement agencies without charge , police forces will continue to be transformed from peace officers to heavily armed extensions of the military , complete with jackboots , helmets , shields , batons , pepper-spray , stun guns , assault rifles , body armor , @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Today , 17,000 local police forces are equipped with such military equipment as Blackhawk helicopters , machine guns , grenade launchers , battering rams , explosives , chemical sprays , body armor , night vision , rappelling gear and armored vehicles , ” stated Paul Craig Roberts , former Assistant Secretary of the Treasury .
“ Some have tanks.
” Overcriminalization will continue .
In the face of a government bureaucracy consumed with churning out laws , statutes , codes and regulations that reinforce its powers and value systems and those of the @ @ @ @ @ @ @ we will all continue to be viewed as petty criminals , guilty of violating some minor law .
Thanks to an overabundance of 4,500-plus federal crimes and 400,000-plus rules and regulations , it is estimated that the average American actually commits three felonies a day without knowing it .
In fact , according to law professor John Baker , “ There is no one in the United States over the age of 18 who can not be indicted for some federal crime.
” Consequently , we now find ourselves operating in a strange @ @ @ @ @ @ @ to make unpasteurized goat cheese and share it with members of their community are finding their farms raided , while home gardeners face jail time for daring to cultivate their own varieties of orchids without having completed sufficient paperwork .
This frightening state of affairs—where a person can actually be arrested and incarcerated for the most innocent and inane activities , including feeding a whale and collecting rainwater on their own property—is due to what law scholars refer to as overcriminalization .
Jailing Americans for profit will continue .
At one time , @ @ @ @ @ @ @ idea that dangerous criminals needed to be put under lock and key in order to protect society .
Today , as states attempt to save money by outsourcing prisons to private corporations , imprisoning Americans in private prisons run by mega-corporations has turned into a cash cow for big business .
In exchange for corporations buying and managing public prisons across the country at a supposed savings to the states , the states have to agree to maintain a 90 % occupancy rate in the privately run prisons for at least 20 years @ @ @ @ @ @ @ for the sake of profits , while causing millions of Americans , most of them minor , nonviolent criminals , to be handed over to corporations for lengthy prison sentences which do nothing to protect society or prevent recidivism .
Thus , although the number of violent crimes in the country is down substantially , the number of Americans being jailed for nonviolent crimes such as driving with a suspended license is skyrocketing .
Poverty will continue .
Despite the fact that we have 46 million Americans living at or below the poverty @ @ @ @ @ @ @ households without adequate access to food , and at least 900,000 veterans relying on food stamps ( mind you , these are pre-COVID numbers , which have only got worse during this pandemic ) , enormous sums continue to be doled out for presidential excursions ( taxpayers have been forced to pay at least $ 100 million so that Donald Trump could visit his golf clubs and private properties more than 500 times during his four years in office ) .
Endless wars that enrich the military industrial complex will continue .
Having @ @ @ @ @ @ @ corrupt politicians and incompetent government officials , America ’ s expanding military empire is bleeding the country dry at a rate of more than $ 15 billion a month ( or $ 20 million an hour ) —and that ’ s just what the government spends on foreign wars .
That does not include the cost of maintaining and staffing the 1000-plus U.S. military bases spread around the globe .
Incredibly , although the U.S. constitutes only 5 % of the world ’ s population , America boasts almost 50 % of the @ @ @ @ @ @ @ spending more on the military than the next 19 biggest spending nations combined .
In fact , the Pentagon spends more on war than all 50 states combined spend on health , education , welfare , and safety .
Yet what most Americans fail to recognize is that these ongoing wars have little to do with keeping the country safe and everything to do with enriching the military industrial complex at taxpayer expense .
Consider that since 2001 , Americans have spent $ 10.5 million every hour for numerous foreign military occupations , @ @ @ @ @ @ @ shootings of unarmed Americans will continue .
No matter what our party politics , race , religion , or any other distinction used to divide us , we all suffer when violence becomes the government ’ s calling card .
Remember , in a police state , you ’ re either the one with your hand on the trigger or you ’ re staring down the barrel of a loaded gun .
At least 400 to 500 innocent people are killed by police officers every year .
Indeed , Americans are now eight @ @ @ @ @ @ @ police confrontation than they are to be killed by a terrorist .
Americans are 110 times more likely to die of foodborne illness than in a terrorist attack .
Police officers are more likely to be struck by lightning than be made financially liable for their wrongdoing .
As a result , Americans are largely powerless in the face of militarized police .
SWAT team raids will continue .
More than 80,000 SWAT team raids are carried out every year on unsuspecting Americans for relatively routine police matters .
Nationwide , SWAT teams @ @ @ @ @ @ @ trivial array of criminal activity or mere community nuisances including angry dogs , domestic disputes , improper paperwork filed by an orchid farmer , and misdemeanor marijuana possession , to give a brief sampling .
On an average day in America , over 100 Americans have their homes raided by SWAT teams .
There has been a notable buildup in recent years of SWAT teams within non-security-related federal agencies such as the Department of Agriculture , the Railroad Retirement Board , the Tennessee Valley Authority , the Office of Personnel Management , the @ @ @ @ @ @ @ .
Fish and Wildlife Service , and the Education Department .
The government ’ s war on the American people will continue .
“ We the people ” are no longer shielded by the rule of law .
While the First Amendment—which gives us a voice—is being muzzled , the Fourth Amendment—which protects us from being bullied , badgered , beaten , broken and spied on by government agents—is being disemboweled .
Consequently , you no longer have to be poor , black or guilty to be treated like a criminal in America @ @ @ @ @ @ @ you belong to the suspect class—that is , the citizenry—of the American police state .
As a de facto member of this so-called criminal class , every U.S. citizen is now guilty until proven innocent .
The oppression and injustice—be it in the form of shootings , surveillance , fines , asset forfeiture , prison terms , roadside searches , and so on—will come to all of us eventually unless we do something to stop it now .
Government corruption will continue .
The government is not our friend .
Nor does it @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Americans instinctively understand this .
When asked to name the greatest problem facing the nation , Americans of all political stripes ranked the government as the number one concern .
In fact , almost eight out of ten Americans believe that government corruption is widespread .
Our so-called government representatives do not actually represent us , the citizenry .
We are now ruled by an oligarchic elite of governmental and corporate interests whose main interest is in perpetuating power and control .
Congress is dominated by a majority of millionaires who are , @ @ @ @ @ @ @ the average American .
The rise of the surveillance state will continue .
Government eyes are watching you .
They see your every move : what you read , how much you spend , where you go , with whom you interact , when you wake up in the morning , what you ’ re watching on television and reading on the internet .
Every move you make is being monitored , mined for data , crunched , and tabulated in order to form a picture of who you are , what makes @ @ @ @ @ @ @ control you when and if it becomes necessary to bring you in line .
Police have been outfitted with a litany of surveillance gear , from license plate readers and cell phone tracking devices to biometric data recorders .
Technology now makes it possible for the police to scan passersby in order to detect the contents of their pockets , purses , briefcases , etc .
Full-body scanners , which perform virtual strip-searches of Americans traveling by plane , have gone mobile , with roving police vans that peer into vehicles and buildings @ @ @ @ @ @ @ ’ s growing network of real-time surveillance cameras and facial recognition software , soon there really will be nowhere to run and nowhere to hide .
The erection of a suspect society will continue .
Due in large part to rapid advances in technology and a heightened surveillance culture , the burden of proof has been shifted so that the right to be considered innocent until proven guilty has been usurped by a new norm in which all citizens are suspects .
This is exemplified by police practices of stopping and frisking people @ @ @ @ @ @ @ and where there is no evidence of wrongdoing .
Making matters worse are Terrorism Liaison Officers ( firefighters , police officers , and even corporate employees ) who have been trained to spy on their fellow citizens and report “ suspicious activity , ” which includes taking pictures with no apparent aesthetic value , making measurements and drawings , taking notes , conversing in code , espousing radical beliefs and buying items in bulk .
TLOs report back to “ fusion centers , ” which are a driving force behind the government ’ @ @ @ @ @ @ @ and disseminate information on American citizens .
Government tyranny under the reign of an Imperial President will continue .
The Constitution invests the President with very specific , limited powers : to serve as Commander in Chief of the military , grant pardons , make treaties ( with the approval of Congress ) , appoint ambassadors and federal judges ( again with Congress ’ blessing ) , and veto legislation .
In recent years , however , American presidents have anointed themselves with the power to wage war , unilaterally kill Americans , @ @ @ @ @ @ @ rights , arrest and detain citizens indefinitely , carry out warrantless spying on Americans , and erect their own secretive , shadow government .
The powers amassed by each past president and inherited by each successive president—powers which add up to a toolbox of terror for an imperial ruler—empower whomever occupies the Oval Office to act as a dictator , above the law and beyond any real accountability .
The grim reality we must come to terms with is the fact that the government does whatever it wants , freedom be damned .
@ @ @ @ @ @ @ extremism , more than gun violence and organized crime , the U.S. government has become a greater menace to the life , liberty and property of its citizens than any of the so-called dangers from which the government claims to protect us .
This state of affairs has become the status quo , no matter which party is in power .
The government ’ s manipulation of national crises in order to expand its powers will continue .
“ We the people ” have been the subjected to an “ emergency state ” @ @ @ @ @ @ @ and power grabs in the so-called name of national security .
Whatever the so-called threat to the nation—whether it ’ s civil unrest , school shootings , alleged acts of terrorism , or the threat of a global pandemic in the case of COVID-19—the government has a tendency to capitalize on the nation ’ s heightened emotions , confusion and fear as a means of extending the reach of the police state .
Indeed , the government ’ s answer to every problem continues to be more government—at taxpayer expense—and less individual liberty @ @ @ @ @ @ @ nothing taking place on Election Day will alleviate the suffering of the American people .
Unless we do something more than vote , the government as we have come to know it—corrupt , bloated and controlled by big-money corporations , lobbyists and special interest groups—will remain unchanged .
And “ we the people ” —overtaxed , overpoliced , overburdened by big government , underrepresented by those who should speak for us and blissfully ignorant of the prison walls closing in on us—will continue to trudge along a path of misery .
As I @ @ @ @ @ @ @ : The War on the American People , these problems will continue to plague our nation unless and until Americans wake up to the fact that we ’ re the only ones who can change things for the better and then do something about it .
If there is to be any hope of restoring our freedoms and reclaiming control over our government , it will rest not with the politicians but with the people themselves .
After all , Indeed , the Constitution opens with those three vital words , “ We @ @ @ @ @ @ @ us to understand is that we are the government .
There is no government without us—our sheer numbers , our muscle , our economy , our physical presence in this land .
There can also be no police state—no tyranny—no routine violations of our rights without our complicity and collusion—without our turning a blind eye , shrugging our shoulders , allowing ourselves to be distracted and our civic awareness diluted .
No matter which candidate wins this election , the citizenry and those who represent us need to be held accountable to this @ @ @ @ @ @ @ John W. Whitehead is founder and president of The Rutherford Institute , where this article ( America After The Election : A Few Hard Truths About The Things That Won ’ t Change ) was originally published .
He is the author of A Government of Wolves : The Emerging American Police State and The Change Manifesto .

America After The Election: A Few Hard Truths About The Things That Won’t Change
John W. Whitehead, Rutherford
Waking Times
“If liberty means anything at all, it means the right to tell people what they do not want to hear.” ~George Orwell
The American people remain eager to be persuaded that a new president in the White House can solve the problems that plague us.
Yet no matter who wins this presidential election, you can rest assured that the new boss will be the same as the old boss, and we—the permanent underclass in America—will continue to be forced to march in lockstep with the police state in all matters, public and private.
Indeed, it really doesn’t matter what you call them—the Deep State, the 1%, the elite, the controllers, the masterminds, the shadow government, the police state, the surveillance state, the military industrial complex—so long as you understand that no matter which party occupies the White House in 2021, the unelected bureaucracy that actually calls the shots will continue to do so.
In the interest of liberty and truth, here are a few hard truths about life in the American police state that will persist no matter who wins the 2020 presidential election. Indeed, these issues persisted—and in many cases flourished—under both Republican and Democratic administrations in recent years.
Police militarization will continue. Thanks to federal grant programs allowing the Pentagon to transfer surplus military supplies and weapons to local law enforcement agencies without charge, police forces will continue to be transformed from peace officers to heavily armed extensions of the military, complete with jackboots, helmets, shields, batons, pepper-spray, stun guns, assault rifles, body armor, miniature tanks and weaponized drones. “Today, 17,000 local police forces are equipped with such military equipment as Blackhawk helicopters, machine guns, grenade launchers, battering rams, explosives, chemical sprays, body armor, night vision, rappelling gear and armored vehicles,” stated Paul Craig Roberts, former Assistant Secretary of the Treasury. “Some have tanks.”
Overcriminalization will continue. In the face of a government bureaucracy consumed with churning out laws, statutes, codes and regulations that reinforce its powers and value systems and those of the police state and its corporate allies, we will all continue to be viewed as petty criminals, guilty of violating some minor law. Thanks to an overabundance of 4,500-plus federal crimes and 400,000-plus rules and regulations, it is estimated that the average American actually commits three felonies a day without knowing it. In fact, according to law professor John Baker, “There is no one in the United States over the age of 18 who cannot be indicted for some federal crime.” Consequently, we now find ourselves operating in a strange new world where small farmers who dare to make unpasteurized goat cheese and share it with members of their community are finding their farms raided, while home gardeners face jail time for daring to cultivate their own varieties of orchids without having completed sufficient paperwork. This frightening state of affairs—where a person can actually be arrested and incarcerated for the most innocent and inane activities, including feeding a whale and collecting rainwater on their own property—is due to what law scholars refer to as overcriminalization.
Jailing Americans for profit will continue. At one time, the American penal system operated under the idea that dangerous criminals needed to be put under lock and key in order to protect society. Today, as states attempt to save money by outsourcing prisons to private corporations, imprisoning Americans in private prisons run by mega-corporations has turned into a cash cow for big business. In exchange for corporations buying and managing public prisons across the country at a supposed savings to the states, the states have to agree to maintain a 90% occupancy rate in the privately run prisons for at least 20 years. Such a scheme simply encourages incarceration for the sake of profits, while causing millions of Americans, most of them minor, nonviolent criminals, to be handed over to corporations for lengthy prison sentences which do nothing to protect society or prevent recidivism. Thus, although the number of violent crimes in the country is down substantially, the number of Americans being jailed for nonviolent crimes such as driving with a suspended license is skyrocketing.
Poverty will continue. Despite the fact that we have 46 million Americans living at or below the poverty line, 16 million children living in households without adequate access to food, and at least 900,000 veterans relying on food stamps (mind you, these are pre-COVID numbers, which have only got worse during this pandemic), enormous sums continue to be doled out for presidential excursions (taxpayers have been forced to pay at least $100 million so that Donald Trump could visit his golf clubs and private properties more than 500 times during his four years in office).
Endless wars that enrich the military industrial complex will continue. Having been co-opted by greedy defense contractors, corrupt politicians and incompetent government officials, America’s expanding military empire is bleeding the country dry at a rate of more than $15 billion a month (or $20 million an hour)—and that’s just what the government spends on foreign wars. That does not include the cost of maintaining and staffing the 1000-plus U.S. military bases spread around the globe. Incredibly, although the U.S. constitutes only 5% of the world’s population, America boasts almost 50% of the world’s total military expenditure, spending more on the military than the next 19 biggest spending nations combined. In fact, the Pentagon spends more on war than all 50 states combined spend on health, education, welfare, and safety. Yet what most Americans fail to recognize is that these ongoing wars have little to do with keeping the country safe and everything to do with enriching the military industrial complex at taxpayer expense. Consider that since 2001, Americans have spent $10.5 million every hour for numerous foreign military occupations, including in Iraq and Afghanistan.
Police shootings of unarmed Americans will continue. No matter what our party politics, race, religion, or any other distinction used to divide us, we all suffer when violence becomes the government’s calling card. Remember, in a police state, you’re either the one with your hand on the trigger or you’re staring down the barrel of a loaded gun. At least 400 to 500 innocent people are killed by police officers every year. Indeed, Americans are now eight times more likely to die in a police confrontation than they are to be killed by a terrorist. Americans are 110 times more likely to die of foodborne illness than in a terrorist attack. Police officers are more likely to be struck by lightning than be made financially liable for their wrongdoing. As a result, Americans are largely powerless in the face of militarized police.
SWAT team raids will continue. More than 80,000 SWAT team raids are carried out every year on unsuspecting Americans for relatively routine police matters. Nationwide, SWAT teams have been employed to address an astonishingly trivial array of criminal activity or mere community nuisances including angry dogs, domestic disputes, improper paperwork filed by an orchid farmer, and misdemeanor marijuana possession, to give a brief sampling. On an average day in America, over 100 Americans have their homes raided by SWAT teams. There has been a notable buildup in recent years of SWAT teams within non-security-related federal agencies such as the Department of Agriculture, the Railroad Retirement Board, the Tennessee Valley Authority, the Office of Personnel Management, the Consumer Product Safety Commission, the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service, and the Education Department.
The government’s war on the American people will continue. “We the people” are no longer shielded by the rule of law. While the First Amendment—which gives us a voice—is being muzzled, the Fourth Amendment—which protects us from being bullied, badgered, beaten, broken and spied on by government agents—is being disemboweled. Consequently, you no longer have to be poor, black or guilty to be treated like a criminal in America. All that is required is that you belong to the suspect class—that is, the citizenry—of the American police state. As a de facto member of this so-called criminal class, every U.S. citizen is now guilty until proven innocent. The oppression and injustice—be it in the form of shootings, surveillance, fines, asset forfeiture, prison terms, roadside searches, and so on—will come to all of us eventually unless we do something to stop it now.
Government corruption will continue. The government is not our friend. Nor does it work for “we the people.” Americans instinctively understand this. When asked to name the greatest problem facing the nation, Americans of all political stripes ranked the government as the number one concern. In fact, almost eight out of ten Americans believe that government corruption is widespread. Our so-called government representatives do not actually represent us, the citizenry. We are now ruled by an oligarchic elite of governmental and corporate interests whose main interest is in perpetuating power and control. Congress is dominated by a majority of millionaires who are, on average, fourteen times wealthier than the average American.
The rise of the surveillance state will continue. Government eyes are watching you. They see your every move: what you read, how much you spend, where you go, with whom you interact, when you wake up in the morning, what you’re watching on television and reading on the internet. Every move you make is being monitored, mined for data, crunched, and tabulated in order to form a picture of who you are, what makes you tick, and how best to control you when and if it becomes necessary to bring you in line. Police have been outfitted with a litany of surveillance gear, from license plate readers and cell phone tracking devices to biometric data recorders. Technology now makes it possible for the police to scan passersby in order to detect the contents of their pockets, purses, briefcases, etc. Full-body scanners, which perform virtual strip-searches of Americans traveling by plane, have gone mobile, with roving police vans that peer into vehicles and buildings alike—including homes. Coupled with the nation’s growing network of real-time surveillance cameras and facial recognition software, soon there really will be nowhere to run and nowhere to hide.
The erection of a suspect society will continue. Due in large part to rapid advances in technology and a heightened surveillance culture, the burden of proof has been shifted so that the right to be considered innocent until proven guilty has been usurped by a new norm in which all citizens are suspects. This is exemplified by police practices of stopping and frisking people who are merely walking down the street and where there is no evidence of wrongdoing. Making matters worse are Terrorism Liaison Officers (firefighters, police officers, and even corporate employees) who have been trained to spy on their fellow citizens and report “suspicious activity,” which includes taking pictures with no apparent aesthetic value, making measurements and drawings, taking notes, conversing in code, espousing radical beliefs and buying items in bulk. TLOs report back to “fusion centers,” which are a driving force behind the government’s quest to collect, analyze, and disseminate information on American citizens.
Government tyranny under the reign of an Imperial President will continue. The Constitution invests the President with very specific, limited powers: to serve as Commander in Chief of the military, grant pardons, make treaties (with the approval of Congress), appoint ambassadors and federal judges (again with Congress’ blessing), and veto legislation. In recent years, however, American presidents have anointed themselves with the power to wage war, unilaterally kill Americans, torture prisoners, strip citizens of their rights, arrest and detain citizens indefinitely, carry out warrantless spying on Americans, and erect their own secretive, shadow government. The powers amassed by each past president and inherited by each successive president—powers which add up to a toolbox of terror for an imperial ruler—empower whomever occupies the Oval Office to act as a dictator, above the law and beyond any real accountability. The grim reality we must come to terms with is the fact that the government does whatever it wants, freedom be damned. More than terrorism, more than domestic extremism, more than gun violence and organized crime, the U.S. government has become a greater menace to the life, liberty and property of its citizens than any of the so-called dangers from which the government claims to protect us. This state of affairs has become the status quo, no matter which party is in power.
The government’s manipulation of national crises in order to expand its powers will continue. “We the people” have been the subjected to an “emergency state” that justifies all manner of government tyranny and power grabs in the so-called name of national security. Whatever the so-called threat to the nation—whether it’s civil unrest, school shootings, alleged acts of terrorism, or the threat of a global pandemic in the case of COVID-19—the government has a tendency to capitalize on the nation’s heightened emotions, confusion and fear as a means of extending the reach of the police state. Indeed, the government’s answer to every problem continues to be more government—at taxpayer expense—and less individual liberty.
The bottom line is this: nothing taking place on Election Day will alleviate the suffering of the American people. Unless we do something more than vote, the government as we have come to know it—corrupt, bloated and controlled by big-money corporations, lobbyists and special interest groups—will remain unchanged. And “we the people”—overtaxed, overpoliced, overburdened by big government, underrepresented by those who should speak for us and blissfully ignorant of the prison walls closing in on us—will continue to trudge along a path of misery.
As I point out in my book Battlefield America: The War on the American People, these problems will continue to plague our nation unless and until Americans wake up to the fact that we’re the only ones who can change things for the better and then do something about it. If there is to be any hope of restoring our freedoms and reclaiming control over our government, it will rest not with the politicians but with the people themselves.
After all, Indeed, the Constitution opens with those three vital words, “We the people.”
What the founders wanted us to understand is that we are the government.
There is no government without us—our sheer numbers, our muscle, our economy, our physical presence in this land. There can also be no police state—no tyranny—no routine violations of our rights without our complicity and collusion—without our turning a blind eye, shrugging our shoulders, allowing ourselves to be distracted and our civic awareness diluted.
No matter which candidate wins this election, the citizenry and those who represent us need to be held accountable to this powerful truth.
About the Author
Constitutional attorney and author John W. Whitehead is founder and president of The Rutherford Institute, where this article (America After The Election: A Few Hard Truths About The Things That Won’t Change) was originally published. He is the author of A Government of Wolves: The Emerging American Police State and The Change Manifesto.


wakingtimes--2020-11-03--Don’t Panic About Politics – Here’s Where Your True Power Lies

Don ’ t Panic About Politics – Here ’ s Where Your True Power Lies Get the latest Waking Times articles delivered to your inbox .
Sign up here .
This year ’ s presidential election is not for the faint of heart .
In fact , over the past several months , mental health professionals have noted a significant uptick in anxiety and emotional distress related directly to today ’ s elections .
According to a survey1,2 by the American Psychology Association ( APA ) published October 7 , 2020 , 68 % of Americans say the upcoming elections @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Those with chronic health conditions are faring the worst , with 71 % reporting feeling stressed about the elections , compared to 64 % of those who do not have a chronic health condition .
A clear majority , 77 % ( up from 66 % in 2019 ) , also say they worry about the country ’ s future , and 71 % say this is the lowest point in U.S. history that they can remember .
As noted by the APA , uncertainty tends to foster stress , so it ’ @ @ @ @ @ @ @ that you do have control over .
Recommendations provided include : Revealing government and industry corruption as it impacts our personal health and security has been part of my educational mission since I started this newsletter .
It has been my observation that such corruption invariably and inevitably ends up harming people ’ s ability to take control of their health .
Sadly , the problems have gotten progressively larger and more pervasive despite these attempts .
Now , with the rollout of a clever technocratic agenda under the guise of COVID-19 pandemic @ @ @ @ @ @ @ the problem is becoming more readily apparent , and it ’ s probably more disturbing than anything we ’ ve previously seen .
It doesn ’ t matter if the wrongdoers are Democrats or Republicans , my chief aim has always been to identify the root cause of the problem , which is that the United States is largely run by corporations , to the detriment of us all .
The censorship implemented by Big Tech in the last couple of years is a strategy to spread their technocratic narrative and implement even @ @ @ @ @ @ @ liberty .
Today , we find ourselves struggling to access crucial information about topics that have significant bearing on our health and our lives : information about SARS-CoV-2 ’ s origin and COVID-19 treatments being just two of many examples .
Despite all of that , I urge you to foster optimism toward the future and how we can use our individual power to collectively foster positive change — regardless of the outcome of the U.S. presidential election .
The US Has Become a Corporate Oligarchy Unfortunately , positions of power have always @ @ @ @ @ @ @ , and today we have many morally flawed people working in a corrupt government .
The goal of the technocratic agenda is to continue concentrating power at the global level .
Ultimately , the goal is to take power away from the individual and concentrate it at the highest level possible , in the hands of unelected leaders .
It ’ s really all about controlling the global population .
In a 2014 study,3 two political scientists explained that the U.S. is really an oligarchy , not a democracy , with the wealthiest @ @ @ @ @ @ @ control over the issues Congress and the White House ultimately take action on .
Career politicians and the allowance of massive corporate political contributions ensure this oligarchy will be a dominant force everyone needs to be aware of .
Now , however , we ’ re starting to realize that it ’ s even worse than that .
There ’ s an even greater power grab at work .
As detailed in several recent articles , including “ The Global Takeover Is Underway , ” “ New World Order Is Advancing Rapidly , @ @ @ @ @ @ @ ” and “ What You Need to Know About ‘ the Great Reset ’ ” the pandemic is being used as justification for the implementation of an entirely new world order that encompasses every aspect of human life , from health and education to business and finance .
Ultimately , the technocratic plan is to govern society through technology , programmed by scientists and technicians and automated through the use of artificial intelligence , rather than through democratically elected politicians and government leaders .
It is an alarming plan , once you begin @ @ @ @ @ @ @ its entirety , but it ’ s crucial to remember that only a fearful public can allow the technocratic elite to dictate our future and rip away our personal freedoms .
It ’ s fear itself that allows tyranny to flourish .
There are more of us than there are of them , but enough of us must be willing to stand up and say no , we won ’ t accept this plan .
Fortunately , scientists , lawyers , medical professionals and academics are increasingly recognizing that the deliberate fear-mongering that @ @ @ @ @ @ @ threatens to replace democracy with “ fascist totalitarian models ” of government , and more are now trying to speak out and inform others .
In Germany , a Corona Extra-Parliamentary Inquiry Committee4,5 is also preparing the biggest class-action lawsuit in history6,7,8,9 to expose the COVID-19 fraud .
As noted in my interview with investigative journalist Whitney Webb this past Sunday , “ the line between Silicon Valley and the national security state has become so blurred , you really can ’ t distinguish where one begins and what were the other ends.
@ @ @ @ @ @ @ in this scheme , as they are refusing to report the truth about what ’ s happening , and won ’ t lay out the ramifications of going along with the various plans currently being introduced .
As just one example , in my interview with Webb , she describes the undisclosed implications of Operation Warp Speed , a program funded and operated primarily by the CIA and the U.S. military .
It ’ s not just about the rapid creation of therapeutics and vaccines for COVID-19 .
The program includes a whole @ @ @ @ @ @ @ to be a key component of a new biosurveillance system in which our very biology is being monitored and capitalized upon .
All of this is of course in addition to all the other conflicts of interest that have permeated our society , such as agricultural policies that feed into the agendas of Big Pharma and the pesticide industry .
The media has also been consolidated — to the point that 90 % of what you read in newspapers , magazines and see on TV is now controlled by six media giants.10 This @ @ @ @ @ @ @ matters , and has led to censorship being more the rule than the exception .
True unbiased , in-depth investigative journalism has joined the hairy-nosed wombat as an incredibly rare and near-extinct species , and you ’ d be wise to not swallow whole everything you read in mainstream media .
American internet giants have also proven themselves to be a core part of the U.S. surveillance apparatus , as detailed in “ Harvard Professor Exposes Surveillance Capitalism.
” Big Data is the new Big Oil , and Google leads the pack as @ @ @ @ @ @ @ data mining is a crucial component of technocracy .
Without this vast data stream , the plan simply can not work .
This is why I ’ ve been urging everyone to eliminate Google and Facebook from your life .
There are now plenty of alternatives that are not engaged in massive personal data mining and theft .
Regardless of who wins the presidency , please realize that your power as an individual lies in your day-to-day decisions , and that no matter who bears the title of president of the United States @ @ @ @ @ @ @ as will the threat of the technocratic agenda .
Also realize that creating divisiveness among people is part of a carefully orchestrated plan that works in the oligarchy ’ s favor , so we really need to get smarter about how we engage in the political process and avoid falling for their carefully constructed and sophisticated propaganda that limit us from having any really hopeful choices .
As long as we ’ re at each other ’ s throats over things we have little or no control over , it distracts us from @ @ @ @ @ @ @ is creating the problems in the first place .
So , let people have their opinion , whether we ’ re talking about political or presidential candidates , because these are all false choices anyway .
Ultimately , controlling interests are writing the laws and paying the politicians to pass them .
But knowledge is power , so use your knowledge to take control .
I believe it ’ s crucial to understand where the technocrats are trying to take us , so if you haven ’ t read through the articles I @ @ @ @ @ @ @ them .
Avoid Victim Mentality by Realizing Where Your Power Lies The power of the individual is alive and well , even in this deeply flawed system , and even in the face of growing totalitarianism .
It becomes yours by stepping outside of the system with every decision and purchase you make .
With every action you take , you also set the example for others to follow , thereby making you a change-agent within your own small circle of family , friends and acquaintances .
In the end , our collective @ @ @ @ @ @ @ so desperately needed , and thinking locally will eventually have a global effect , not just in terms of commerce , but in terms of safeguarding our constitutional rights as well .
It ’ s important to realize that the only reason technocracy has not yet been able to overtake the U.S. — although they ’ re getting incredibly close — is because of our Constitution .
This is why we must fight to protect our Constitution at all costs .
One of the most effective ways to do this is through grassroots @ @ @ @ @ @ @ .
What the technocrats are doing is making an end run around national sovereignty .
Rather than a frontal assault on the system , which has never been successful , they ’ re simply eroding national sovereignty piece by piece .
In “ The Pressing Dangers of Technocracy ” ( hyperlinked above ) , American constitutionalist Patrick Wood reviews what we can do to save our republic and thwart the steady march of technocracy : One of the most important elected local officials that you should concern yourself with is your sheriff .
@ @ @ @ @ @ @ Sheriffs Are the Difference Between Freedom and Tyranny ” : If enough people get involved and make sure they elect sheriffs who follow the Constitution , we can create Constitutional counties and take back America , county by county , one sheriff at a time .
Eventually , all the police forces will be on the same page as well , and will no longer enforce unlawful , unconstitutional orders , whatever they may be , including unconstitutional mask and vaccination mandates .
Another way you can have a significant impact is by @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Aside from those two key areas of influence , remember the industries that are currently buying our politicians and writing their own laws can not maintain power without your ongoing support .
While we may not have a significant choice in how our tax contributions are distributed to these industries through subsidies and contracts , we do have a very powerful influence by making responsible purchases each and every day .
Withdraw your financial support by not buying what they ’ re selling ( or using their product if it ’ s free @ @ @ @ @ @ @ where your personal data is what they make their money on ) and you automatically redistribute financial power to more benevolent businesses that are aligned with your core principles .
An example of this is when you buy locally-grown foods from an organic farmer .
You ’ re empowering that farmer to continue growing foods for the community that support environmental regeneration and human health , and you ’ re disempowering the big junk food manufacturers that wield undue influence over agricultural policy .
This is how you wield your collective power , @ @ @ @ @ @ @ every day therefore matter .
We should not play the game and choose to be part of this false narrative of “ left versus right , ” or “ Democrat versus Republican.
” Technocracy is not a political system and it does not belong to or support either side .
It is an economic system based on technological control and digital surveillance .
Most people are still trapped in the mindset of opposition and there are great people across the board that need to come together .
Readers of Mercola.com are split almost @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Democrat , and working collectively has produced tremendous results by strategically organizing consumer marketplace pressure .
We must keep in mind that it is the concentration and accumulation of power that is a clear and present danger to our individual rights , and that this accumulation of power is attracting the worst kinds of people who seek control and power .
Take Bill Gates , for example .
Gates ’ influence has ballooned along with his wealth , to the point he now exerts incredible control over not just the tech industry but @ @ @ @ @ @ @ and agricultural policy .
To learn more about how a tiny minority of people , the ultra-wealthy elite , have caused a majority of the environmental , financial and health challenges currently facing us , see my recent interview with Vandana Shiva , Ph.D. , featured in “ Oneness Versus the 1 % .
” Food Independence Is Key to Other Forms of Independence It ’ s time to dissent , to step out of the globalist technocratic system .
I ’ ve already listed some key ways to do that : Get @ @ @ @ @ @ @ getting a constitutional sheriff ; and buy or use products made by companies whose core values align with your own and don ’ t further the technocratic agenda of totalitarian control .
Another key area of focus would be your food .
If you can not grow your own , then get to know the farmer that can .
Keep your money in your community ; the closer the better .
Kissinger said it best:11 “ Control oil and you control nations ; control food and you control the people.
” If you @ @ @ @ @ @ @ the nation ( or the world ) , stop eating processed and ultra-processed junk foods .
Some may initially think this decision would have nothing to do with anything that is wrong in the world , but if you give it some thought , you ’ ll realize that the more independence you gain with your food , the more independence you will create in other areas as well .
Because food is such a potent form of control , breaking that control mechanism will have a ripple effect that extends outward into @ @ @ @ @ @ @ , including the political arena .
Food is important for another reason too .
We now know that insulin resistance is a key risk factor for severe COVID-19 and death .
Since diet-related comorbidities are responsible for 94 % of all COVID-19-related deaths , taking control of your diet is a simple , common-sense strategy to lower the risks associated with this infection .
So , instead of fretting about the election , use it as motivation to step into your personal power , and join the revolution to create independence and break @ @ @ @ @ @ @ later everyone must decide which is more important : personal liberty or false security ?
The good news is that many are in fact starting to see the writing on the wall and starting to choose liberty over brutal totalitarianism in the name of public health .
Bioterrorism is now used to keep us in fear , and fear is what allows the technocrats to implement their agenda .
Part of the answer , therefore , is to educate yourself about this supposed threat .
In previous articles , I ’ ve addressed @ @ @ @ @ @ @ against biowarfare research .
I ’ ve also reviewed data showing this pandemic really isn ’ t something to fear , as the lethality of this virus is no greater than that of seasonal influenza .
I ’ ve also covered many prevention and treatment strategies that have shown tremendous success .
At the end of the day , the more knowledgeable you are , the less fearful you ’ ll be .

Don’t Panic About Politics – Here’s Where Your True Power Lies
Dr. Mercola, Guest
Waking Times
This year’s presidential election is not for the faint of heart. In fact, over the past several months, mental health professionals have noted a significant uptick in anxiety and emotional distress related directly to today’s elections.
According to a survey1,2 by the American Psychology Association (APA) published October 7, 2020, 68% of Americans say the upcoming elections are a significant source of stress. Those with chronic health conditions are faring the worst, with 71% reporting feeling stressed about the elections, compared to 64% of those who do not have a chronic health condition.
A clear majority, 77% (up from 66% in 2019), also say they worry about the country’s future, and 71% say this is the lowest point in U.S. history that they can remember. As noted by the APA, uncertainty tends to foster stress, so it’s important to focus on the things that you do have control over. Recommendations provided include:
Avoid ruminating on worst-case scenarios
Engage in meaningful activities
Stay socially connected
Stay physically active
Unsettling Truths
Revealing government and industry corruption as it impacts our personal health and security has been part of my educational mission since I started this newsletter. It has been my observation that such corruption invariably and inevitably ends up harming people’s ability to take control of their health.
Sadly, the problems have gotten progressively larger and more pervasive despite these attempts. Now, with the rollout of a clever technocratic agenda under the guise of COVID-19 pandemic responses, the depth and breadth of the problem is becoming more readily apparent, and it’s probably more disturbing than anything we’ve previously seen.
It doesn’t matter if the wrongdoers are Democrats or Republicans, my chief aim has always been to identify the root cause of the problem, which is that the United States is largely run by corporations, to the detriment of us all. The censorship implemented by Big Tech in the last couple of years is a strategy to spread their technocratic narrative and implement even further restrictions of our freedoms and personal liberty.
Today, we find ourselves struggling to access crucial information about topics that have significant bearing on our health and our lives: information about SARS-CoV-2’s origin and COVID-19 treatments being just two of many examples.
Despite all of that, I urge you to foster optimism toward the future and how we can use our individual power to collectively foster positive change — regardless of the outcome of the U.S. presidential election.
The US Has Become a Corporate Oligarchy
Unfortunately, positions of power have always attracted people who most want that power, and today we have many morally flawed people working in a corrupt government.
The goal of the technocratic agenda is to continue concentrating power at the global level. Ultimately, the goal is to take power away from the individual and concentrate it at the highest level possible, in the hands of unelected leaders. It’s really all about controlling the global population.
In a 2014 study,3 two political scientists explained that the U.S. is really an oligarchy, not a democracy, with the wealthiest elites in American society wielding the most control over the issues Congress and the White House ultimately take action on.
Career politicians and the allowance of massive corporate political contributions ensure this oligarchy will be a dominant force everyone needs to be aware of. Now, however, we’re starting to realize that it’s even worse than that. There’s an even greater power grab at work.
“Ultimately, the technocratic plan is to govern society through technology, programmed by scientists and technicians and automated through the use of artificial intelligence, rather than through democratically elected politicians and government leaders.”
As detailed in several recent articles, including “The Global Takeover Is Underway,” “New World Order Is Advancing Rapidly,” “The Pressing Dangers of Technocracy” and “What You Need to Know About ‘the Great Reset’” the pandemic is being used as justification for the implementation of an entirely new world order that encompasses every aspect of human life, from health and education to business and finance.
Ultimately, the technocratic plan is to govern society through technology, programmed by scientists and technicians and automated through the use of artificial intelligence, rather than through democratically elected politicians and government leaders.
It is an alarming plan, once you begin to wrap your mind around it in its entirety, but it’s crucial to remember that only a fearful public can allow the technocratic elite to dictate our future and rip away our personal freedoms. It’s fear itself that allows tyranny to flourish. There are more of us than there are of them, but enough of us must be willing to stand up and say no, we won’t accept this plan.
Fortunately, scientists, lawyers, medical professionals and academics are increasingly recognizing that the deliberate fear-mongering that has kept the COVID-19 pandemic alive now threatens to replace democracy with “fascist totalitarian models” of government, and more are now trying to speak out and inform others. In Germany, a Corona Extra-Parliamentary Inquiry Committee4,5 is also preparing the biggest class-action lawsuit in history6,7,8,9 to expose the COVID-19 fraud.
Media, Big Tech and the Military-Industrial Complex
As noted in my interview with investigative journalist Whitney Webb this past Sunday, “the line between Silicon Valley and the national security state has become so blurred, you really can’t distinguish where one begins and what were the other ends.” Media also play a crucial role in this scheme, as they are refusing to report the truth about what’s happening, and won’t lay out the ramifications of going along with the various plans currently being introduced.
As just one example, in my interview with Webb, she describes the undisclosed implications of Operation Warp Speed, a program funded and operated primarily by the CIA and the U.S. military. It’s not just about the rapid creation of therapeutics and vaccines for COVID-19. The program includes a whole lot more than that, and appears to be a key component of a new biosurveillance system in which our very biology is being monitored and capitalized upon.
All of this is of course in addition to all the other conflicts of interest that have permeated our society, such as agricultural policies that feed into the agendas of Big Pharma and the pesticide industry.
The media has also been consolidated — to the point that 90% of what you read in newspapers, magazines and see on TV is now controlled by six media giants.10 This consolidation allows for tremendous influence on all matters, and has led to censorship being more the rule than the exception.
True unbiased, in-depth investigative journalism has joined the hairy-nosed wombat as an incredibly rare and near-extinct species, and you’d be wise to not swallow whole everything you read in mainstream media.
American internet giants have also proven themselves to be a core part of the U.S. surveillance apparatus, as detailed in “Harvard Professor Exposes Surveillance Capitalism.” Big Data is the new Big Oil, and Google leads the pack as a key data mining operation, and data mining is a crucial component of technocracy.
Without this vast data stream, the plan simply cannot work. This is why I’ve been urging everyone to eliminate Google and Facebook from your life. There are now plenty of alternatives that are not engaged in massive personal data mining and theft.
Don’t Panic — Refocus
Regardless of who wins the presidency, please realize that your power as an individual lies in your day-to-day decisions, and that no matter who bears the title of president of the United States, the corporate influence will remain, as will the threat of the technocratic agenda.
Also realize that creating divisiveness among people is part of a carefully orchestrated plan that works in the oligarchy’s favor, so we really need to get smarter about how we engage in the political process and avoid falling for their carefully constructed and sophisticated propaganda that limit us from having any really hopeful choices.
As long as we’re at each other’s throats over things we have little or no control over, it distracts us from analyzing and addressing the underlying system that is creating the problems in the first place. So, let people have their opinion, whether we’re talking about political or presidential candidates, because these are all false choices anyway.
Ultimately, controlling interests are writing the laws and paying the politicians to pass them. But knowledge is power, so use your knowledge to take control. I believe it’s crucial to understand where the technocrats are trying to take us, so if you haven’t read through the articles I linked to earlier, consider going through them.
Avoid Victim Mentality by Realizing Where Your Power Lies
The power of the individual is alive and well, even in this deeply flawed system, and even in the face of growing totalitarianism. It becomes yours by stepping outside of the system with every decision and purchase you make.
With every action you take, you also set the example for others to follow, thereby making you a change-agent within your own small circle of family, friends and acquaintances. In the end, our collective actions will create the changes that are so desperately needed, and thinking locally will eventually have a global effect, not just in terms of commerce, but in terms of safeguarding our constitutional rights as well.
It’s important to realize that the only reason technocracy has not yet been able to overtake the U.S. — although they’re getting incredibly close — is because of our Constitution. This is why we must fight to protect our Constitution at all costs. One of the most effective ways to do this is through grassroots movements and getting involved in local politics.
What the technocrats are doing is making an end run around national sovereignty. Rather than a frontal assault on the system, which has never been successful, they’re simply eroding national sovereignty piece by piece. In “The Pressing Dangers of Technocracy” (hyperlinked above), American constitutionalist Patrick Wood reviews what we can do to save our republic and thwart the steady march of technocracy:
“I believe very strongly that local activism is the only way to rebuild our country, if there is going to be any rebuilding at all. Local activism — because this is how they got us. They built [the technocratic system] from the bottom up. We cannot tear their house down from the top down. It’s simply is just not going to happen. They’re too powerful.
There is no national government or any element of national government that’s going to save us from these technocrats and technocracy. There’s no state government, either, or local government, the way it stands now, unless that local government gets influenced and populated by people who know better and who are willing to tell these others:
‘Go away, you don’t belong here. This is not the way we’re going to run our community, our town, our city,’ whatever it is, and we have access to those people.”
One of the most important elected local officials that you should concern yourself with is your sheriff. As noted by Richard Mack in “Sheriffs Are the Difference Between Freedom and Tyranny”:
“This is a crucial time in American history, and we actually have a peaceful and effective solution to it. The only thing that needs to happen is your local officials, especially your sheriff, keep [their] oath of office. That’s the only thing he has to do … The sheriff is here to protect your civil liberties, your God given rights.”
If enough people get involved and make sure they elect sheriffs who follow the Constitution, we can create Constitutional counties and take back America, county by county, one sheriff at a time.
Eventually, all the police forces will be on the same page as well, and will no longer enforce unlawful, unconstitutional orders, whatever they may be, including unconstitutional mask and vaccination mandates. Another way you can have a significant impact is by getting personally involved in local government.
Aside from those two key areas of influence, remember the industries that are currently buying our politicians and writing their own laws cannot maintain power without your ongoing support. While we may not have a significant choice in how our tax contributions are distributed to these industries through subsidies and contracts, we do have a very powerful influence by making responsible purchases each and every day.
Withdraw your financial support by not buying what they’re selling (or using their product if it’s free, such as Google and Facebook, where your personal data is what they make their money on) and you automatically redistribute financial power to more benevolent businesses that are aligned with your core principles.
An example of this is when you buy locally-grown foods from an organic farmer. You’re empowering that farmer to continue growing foods for the community that support environmental regeneration and human health, and you’re disempowering the big junk food manufacturers that wield undue influence over agricultural policy. This is how you wield your collective power, and the decisions each of us make every day therefore matter.
Realize ‘Left Versus Right’ Is a False Narrative
We should not play the game and choose to be part of this false narrative of “left versus right,” or “Democrat versus Republican.” Technocracy is not a political system and it does not belong to or support either side. It is an economic system based on technological control and digital surveillance.
Most people are still trapped in the mindset of opposition and there are great people across the board that need to come together. Readers of Mercola.com are split almost evenly between those identifying as Republican or Democrat, and working collectively has produced tremendous results by strategically organizing consumer marketplace pressure.
We must keep in mind that it is the concentration and accumulation of power that is a clear and present danger to our individual rights, and that this accumulation of power is attracting the worst kinds of people who seek control and power.
Take Bill Gates, for example. Gates’ influence has ballooned along with his wealth, to the point he now exerts incredible control over not just the tech industry but also the health industry and global food and agricultural policy.
To learn more about how a tiny minority of people, the ultra-wealthy elite, have caused a majority of the environmental, financial and health challenges currently facing us, see my recent interview with Vandana Shiva, Ph.D., featured in “Oneness Versus the 1%.”
Food Independence Is Key to Other Forms of Independence
It’s time to dissent, to step out of the globalist technocratic system. I’ve already listed some key ways to do that: Get involved in local government; focus on getting a constitutional sheriff; and buy or use products made by companies whose core values align with your own and don’t further the technocratic agenda of totalitarian control.
Another key area of focus would be your food. If you cannot grow your own, then get to know the farmer that can. Keep your money in your community; the closer the better. Kissinger said it best:11 “Control oil and you control nations; control food and you control the people.”
If you don’t like the state of the nation (or the world), stop eating processed and ultra-processed junk foods. Some may initially think this decision would have nothing to do with anything that is wrong in the world, but if you give it some thought, you’ll realize that the more independence you gain with your food, the more independence you will create in other areas as well.
Because food is such a potent form of control, breaking that control mechanism will have a ripple effect that extends outward into many other industries and fields of activity, including the political arena.
Food is important for another reason too. We now know that insulin resistance is a key risk factor for severe COVID-19 and death. Since diet-related comorbidities are responsible for 94% of all COVID-19-related deaths, taking control of your diet is a simple, common-sense strategy to lower the risks associated with this infection.
Break the Chains of Control
So, instead of fretting about the election, use it as motivation to step into your personal power, and join the revolution to create independence and break the chains of control.
Sooner or later everyone must decide which is more important: personal liberty or false security? The good news is that many are in fact starting to see the writing on the wall and starting to choose liberty over brutal totalitarianism in the name of public health.
Bioterrorism is now used to keep us in fear, and fear is what allows the technocrats to implement their agenda. Part of the answer, therefore, is to educate yourself about this supposed threat. In previous articles, I’ve addressed the importance of outing and pushing back against biowarfare research.
I’ve also reviewed data showing this pandemic really isn’t something to fear, as the lethality of this virus is no greater than that of seasonal influenza. I’ve also covered many prevention and treatment strategies that have shown tremendous success. At the end of the day, the more knowledgeable you are, the less fearful you’ll be.


wakingtimes--2020-11-03--Michigan Businesses Face 6 Months In Jail if They Don’t Track ALL Customers For Contact Tracing

Michigan Businesses Face 6 Months In Jail if They Don ’ t Track ALL Customers For Contact Tracing Get the latest Waking Times articles delivered to your inbox .
Sign up here .
Earlier this year , Michigan Gov .
Gretchen Whitmer made headlines with the arbitrary dictates that poured from her office to ostensibly limit the spread of COVID-19 .
Showing how arbitrary and tyrannical the dictates were , Michigan citizens were banned from buying a can of paint or a bag of seeds for a vegetable garden , but they could still go to stores to buy lottery @ @ @ @ @ @ @ the “ greedy ” move to ban people from doing home improvements at their own home but allowing people to squander their paychecks on as many state lottery tickets as they want .
In October , the Michigan Supreme Court fired back and ruled that Gov .
Gretchen Whitmer ’ s arbitrary bans on things that had no rational basis for limiting the spread of COVID-19 , were unconstitutional .
Given the fact that the people do not elect a Governor to create legislation , the orders from all Governors across the country @ @ @ @ @ @ @ this in his great Second Treatise of Civil Government ( 1689 ) , which provided the basis for the American Declaration of Independence .
The legislative power , he wrote , “ being but a delegated power from the people , they [ the legislators ] , who have it , can not pass it over to others , ” like Whitmer .
The people granted power only to make laws , not to make legislators .
The legislature can not turn the governor into a lawmaker .
The legislature can not transfer @ @ @ @ @ @ @ place it in other hands , Locke wrote .
Despite the ruling from the Supreme Court , however , the state of Michigan has found another way to inject their tyranny into the day to day lives of citizens , this time , using the Michigan Department of Health and Human Services ( MDHHS ) .
And , it is Orwellian as it gets .
Now that the MDHHS is creating the rules under the guise of public health , the line of constitutionality is blurred even further .
MDHSS claims that they @ @ @ @ @ @ @ and promulgate rules to safeguard properly the public health ; to prevent the spread of diseases and the existence of sources of contamination ; and to implement and carry out the powers and duties vested by law in the department.
” If the business refuses to track every single customer for the government by collecting their personal information , the businesses face fines , jail , or both .
“ Consistent with MCL 333.2261 , violation of this order is a misdemeanor punishable by imprisonment for not more than 6 months , or @ @ @ @ @ @ @ 200.00 , or both , ” the dictate states .
We will now likely see undercover state agents going into these establishments and putting up resistance to giving their names and phone numbers in an attempt to entrap the business owners .
Indeed , this is the type of move we ’ ve seen from other states with similar arbitrary tyrannical legislation .
As TFTP previously reported , Texas police officers went undercover in an elaborate sting operation to catch citizens giving salon services for money in their own home .
The cops @ @ @ @ @ @ @ a manicure .
Laredo police arrested Ana Isabel Castro-Garcia , 31 , at the 1200 block of Harding Street after she allegedly agreed to provide an undercover officer with a manicure .
Castro-Garcia was arrested and charged with “ Violation of Emergency Management Plan C/B ” and was taken to the Webb County Jail where she was offered a $ 500 bond .
In a separate and unrelated case Brenda Stephany Mata , 20 , was arrested at the 1100 block of Hubner Street after she allegedly offered to do an undercover cop @ @ @ @ @ @ @ , she was charged with “ Violation of Emergency Management Plan C/B ” and was also taken to Webb County Jail for booking .
Michigan business owners trying to feed their families now face similar threats of arrests if they don ’ t act as the state ’ s surveillance arm and track every citizen ’ s move in and out of their establishment .
Welcome to the “ new norm .
”

Michigan Businesses Face 6 Months In Jail if They Don’t Track ALL Customers For Contact Tracing
Matt Agorist, The Free Thought Project
Waking Times
Earlier this year, Michigan Gov. Gretchen Whitmer made headlines with the arbitrary dictates that poured from her office to ostensibly limit the spread of COVID-19.
Showing how arbitrary and tyrannical the dictates were, Michigan citizens were banned from buying a can of paint or a bag of seeds for a vegetable garden, but they could still go to stores to buy lottery tickets. Whitmer was quickly criticized for the “greedy” move to ban people from doing home improvements at their own home but allowing people to squander their paychecks on as many state lottery tickets as they want.
In October, the Michigan Supreme Court fired back and ruled that Gov. Gretchen Whitmer’s arbitrary bans on things that had no rational basis for limiting the spread of COVID-19, were unconstitutional. Given the fact that the people do not elect a Governor to create legislation, the orders from all Governors across the country are essentially unconstitutional.
John Locke expressed this in his great Second Treatise of Civil Government (1689), which provided the basis for the American Declaration of Independence. The legislative power, he wrote, “being but a delegated power from the people, they [the legislators], who have it, cannot pass it over to others,” like Whitmer. The people granted power only to make laws, not to make legislators. The legislature cannot turn the governor into a lawmaker. The legislature cannot transfer their authority of making laws, and place it in other hands, Locke wrote.
Despite the ruling from the Supreme Court, however, the state of Michigan has found another way to inject their tyranny into the day to day lives of citizens, this time, using the Michigan Department of Health and Human Services (MDHHS). And, it is Orwellian as it gets.
Now that the MDHHS is creating the rules under the guise of public health, the line of constitutionality is blurred even further. MDHSS claims that they may “[e]xercise authority and promulgate rules to safeguard properly the public health; to prevent the spread of diseases and the existence of sources of contamination; and to implement and carry out the powers and duties vested by law in the department.”
To “prevent the spread of disease,” the MDHHS now requires Michigan restaurants, barbershops, tattoo parlors, recreational facilities, and entertainment establishments maintain “accurate records, including date and time of entry, names of patrons, and contact information, to aid with contact tracing, and den(y) entry for a gathering to any visitor who does not provide, at a minimum, their name and phone number.”
If the business refuses to track every single customer for the government by collecting their personal information, the businesses face fines, jail, or both. “Consistent with MCL 333.2261, violation of this order is a misdemeanor punishable by imprisonment for not more than 6 months, or a fine of not more than $200.00, or both,” the dictate states.
We will now likely see undercover state agents going into these establishments and putting up resistance to giving their names and phone numbers in an attempt to entrap the business owners. Indeed, this is the type of move we’ve seen from other states with similar arbitrary tyrannical legislation.
As TFTP previously reported, Texas police officers went undercover in an elaborate sting operation to catch citizens giving salon services for money in their own home. The cops posed as regular citizens needing to get a manicure.
Laredo police arrested Ana Isabel Castro-Garcia, 31, at the 1200 block of Harding Street after she allegedly agreed to provide an undercover officer with a manicure. Castro-Garcia was arrested and charged with “Violation of Emergency Management Plan C/B” and was taken to the Webb County Jail where she was offered a $500 bond.
In a separate and unrelated case Brenda Stephany Mata, 20, was arrested at the 1100 block of Hubner Street after she allegedly offered to do an undercover cop’s lashes. Just like Castro-Garcia, she was charged with “Violation of Emergency Management Plan C/B” and was also taken to Webb County Jail for booking.
Michigan business owners trying to feed their families now face similar threats of arrests if they don’t act as the state’s surveillance arm and track every citizen’s move in and out of their establishment. Welcome to the “new norm.”