activistpost--2020-03-24--Suspending the Constitution: Police State Uses Crises to Expand Its Lockdown Powers

You can always count on the government to take advantage of a crisis , legitimate or manufactured .
This coronavirus pandemic is no exception .
Not only are the federal and state governments unraveling the constitutional fabric of the nation with lockdown mandates that are sending the economy into a tailspin and wreaking havoc with our liberties , but they are also rendering the citizenry fully dependent on the government for financial handouts , medical intervention , protection and sustenance .
Unless we find some way to rein in the government ’ s power grabs , the fallout will be @ @ @ @ @ @ @ for years—government overreach , invasive surveillance , martial law , abuse of powers , militarized police , weaponized technology used to track and control the citizenry , and so on—has coalesced into this present moment .
The government ’ s shameless exploitation of past national emergencies for its own nefarious purposes pales in comparison to what is presently unfolding .
Deploying the same strategy it used with 9/11 to acquire greater powers under the USA Patriot Act , the police state—a.k.a .
the shadow government , a.k.a .
the Deep State—has been anticipating @ @ @ @ @ @ @ a wish list of lockdown powers that could be trotted out and approved at a moment ’ s notice .
It should surprise no one , then , that the Trump Administration has asked Congress to allow it to suspend parts of the Constitution whenever it deems it necessary during this coronavirus pandemic and “ other ” emergencies .
It ’ s that “ other ” emergencies part that should particularly give you pause , if not spur you to immediate action ( by action , I mean a loud and vocal , @ @ @ @ @ @ @ apolitical , nonpartisan resistance ) .
In fact , the Department of Justice ( DOJ ) has been quietly trotting out and testing a long laundry list of terrifying powers that override the Constitution .
We ’ re talking about lockdown powers ( at both the federal and state level ) : the ability to suspend the Constitution , indefinitely detain American citizens , bypass the courts , quarantine whole communities or segments of the population , override the First Amendment by outlawing religious gatherings and assemblies of more than a few people @ @ @ @ @ @ @ the economy , muzzle dissidents , “ stop and seize any plane , train or automobile to stymie the spread of contagious disease , ” reshape financial markets , create a digital currency ( and thus further restrict the use of cash ) , determine who should live or die… You ’ re getting the picture now , right ?
These are powers the police state would desperately like to make permanent .
Specifically , the DOJ wants to be able to indefinitely detain American citizens without trial .
The DOJ also wants @ @ @ @ @ @ @ and suspend the statute of limitations on criminal and civil cases .
Both signify a clear violation of every right espoused in the Constitution , including habeas corpus .
Habeas corpus , a fundamental tenet of English common law that guards against arbitrary and lawless state action , does not appear anywhere in the Bill of Rights .
Its importance was such that it was enshrined in the Constitution itself .
And it is of such magnitude that all other rights , including those in the Bill of Rights , are dependent upon @ @ @ @ @ @ @ significance of all other rights crumbles .
The right of habeas corpus was important to the Framers of the Constitution because they knew from personal experience what it was like to be labeled enemy combatants , imprisoned indefinitely and not given the opportunity to appear before a neutral judge .
Believing that such arbitrary imprisonment is “ in all ages , the favorite and most formidable instrument of tyranny , ” the Founders were all the more determined to protect Americans from such government abuses .
Translated as “ you should have the @ @ @ @ @ @ @ legal action , or writ , by which those imprisoned unlawfully can seek relief from their imprisonment .
Derived from English common law , habeas corpus first appeared in the Magna Carta of 1215 and is the oldest human right in the history of English-speaking civilization .
The doctrine of habeas corpus stems from the requirement that a government must either charge a person or let him go free .
While serving as President , Thomas Jefferson addressed the essential necessity of habeas corpus .
In his first inaugural address on March 4 @ @ @ @ @ @ @ I know , indeed , that some honest men fear that a republican government can not be strong ; that this government is not strong enough.
” But , said Jefferson , our nation was “ the world ’ s best hope ” and , because of our strong commitment to democracy , “ the strongest government on earth.
” Jefferson said that the sum of this basic belief was found in the “ freedom of person under the protection of the habeas corpus ; and trial by juries impartially selected .
These @ @ @ @ @ @ @ gone before us , and guided our steps through an age of revolution and reformation.
” Throughout the twentieth century , the importance of the right of habeas corpus has repeatedly been confirmed by the U.S. Supreme Court .
Yet 200-plus years after America ’ s founders risked their lives to secure their freedoms , we find ourselves right back where we started , with a government determined to strip us of every vestige of our freedoms .
The DOJ ’ s latest request to Congress is merely a signal that the police @ @ @ @ @ @ @ the shadows , with the current national emergency being a convenient cover for their dastardly deeds .
Bear in mind , however , that these powers the Trump Administration , acting on orders from the police state , are officially asking Congress to recognize and authorize barely scratch the surface of the far-reaching powers the government has already unilaterally claimed for itself .
Unofficially , the police state has been riding roughshod over the rule of law for years now without any pretense of being reined in or restricted in its power grabs @ @ @ @ @ @ @ citizenry .
As David C. Unger , observes in The Emergency State : America ’ s Pursuit of Absolute Security at All Costs : This rise of an “ emergency state ” that justifies all manner of government tyranny in the so-called name of national security is all happening according to schedule .
The civil unrest , the national emergencies , “ unforeseen economic collapse , loss of functioning political and legal order , purposeful domestic resistance or insurgency , pervasive public health emergencies , and catastrophic natural and human disasters , ” @ @ @ @ @ @ @ armed forces to solve domestic political and social problems , the implicit declaration of martial law packaged as a well-meaning and overriding concern for the nation ’ s security : the powers-that-be have been planning and preparing for such a crisis for years now , not just with active shooter drills and lockdowns and checkpoints and heightened danger alerts , but with a sensory overload of militarized , battlefield images—in video games , in movies , on the news—that acclimate us to life in a police state .
Whether or not this particular @ @ @ @ @ @ @ own making is not the point : to those for whom power and profit are everything , the end always justifies the means .
The seeds of this present madness were sown several decades ago when George W. Bush stealthily issued two presidential directives that granted the president the power to unilaterally declare a national emergency , which is loosely defined as “ any incident , regardless of location , that results in extraordinary levels of mass casualties , damage , or disruption severely affecting the U.S. population , infrastructure , environment , @ @ @ @ @ @ @ the country ’ s Continuity of Government ( COG ) plan , these directives ( National Security Presidential Directive 51 and Homeland Security Presidential Directive 20 ) , which do not need congressional approval , provide a skeletal outline of the actions the president will take in the event of a “ national emergency.
” Mind you , that national emergency can take any form , can be manipulated for any purpose and can be used to justify any end goal—all on the say so of the president .
Just what sort of @ @ @ @ @ @ @ declares a national emergency can barely be discerned from the barebones directives .
However , one thing is clear : in the event of a national emergency , the president will become a dictator because while the COG directives ensure the continuity of executive branch functions , they do not provide for repopulating or reconvening Congress or the Supreme Court .
Thus , a debilitating attack would give unchecked executive , legislative and judicial power to the executive branch and its unelected minions .
The country would then be subjected to martial law @ @ @ @ @ @ @ the Bill of Rights would be suspended .
Originally devised as a plan for quickly restoring constitutional government , the COG concept arose during the Cold War .
The fear was that a nuclear strike would paralyze the federal government .
These concerns continued into the 1980s .
Under President Ronald Reagan , an elaborate plan was created in which three teams consisting of a cabinet member , an executive chief of staff and military and intelligence officials would practice evacuating and directing a counter nuclear strike against the Soviet Union from a @ @ @ @ @ @ @ .
If the president and vice president were both killed , one of these teams would take control , with the ranking cabinet official serving as president .
Among those Reagan handpicked to advise an inexperienced and potentially incompetent successor in a time of crisis were Congressman Dick Cheney and Donald Rumsfeld , then a business executive with G. D. Searle & Co. At least once a year during the 1980s , Cheney and Rumsfeld vanished on top-secret training missions , where each of the teams practiced evacuating and directing a counter nuclear @ @ @ @ @ @ @ after the attacks of September 11 , 2001 , when it became clear that the assumptions that drove COG planning during the Cold War no longer applied : there would be no warning against a so-called “ terrorist ” attack .
Thus , instead of relying on part-time bureaucrats and evacuation schematics , the Bush administration permanently appointed executive officials , stationed outside the capital , to run a shadow government .
The U.S. military has reportedly already been given standby orders under COG for this present coronavirus pandemic .
The plans for @ @ @ @ @ @ @ run the Deep State are more elaborate than many realize .
Massive underground bunkers the size of small cities are sprinkled throughout the country for the government elite to escape to in the event of a national emergency .
Mount Weather , near Bluemont , Va. , is one of a number of such facilities .
Built into the side of a mountain , this bunker contains , among other things , a hospital , crematorium , dining and recreation areas , sleeping quarters , reservoirs of drinking and cooling water , an @ @ @ @ @ @ @ .
There is also an Office of the Presidency at Mount Weather , which regularly receives top-secret national security information from all the federal departments and agencies .
This facility was largely unknown to everyone , including Congress , until it came to light in the mid-1970s .
Military personnel connected to the bunker have refused to reveal any information about it , even before congressional committees .
In fact , Congress has no oversight , budgetary or otherwise , on Mount Weather , and the specifics of the facility remain top-secret .
@ @ @ @ @ @ @ We are , for all intents and purposes , one crisis away from having a full-fledged authoritarian state emerge from the shadows , at which time democratic government will be dissolved and the country will be ruled by an unelected bureaucracy .
This is exactly the kind of mischief that Thomas Jefferson warned against when he cautioned , “ In questions of power , then , let no more be heard of confidence in man , but bind him down from mischief by the chains of the Constitution.
” Thus far , we @ @ @ @ @ @ @ abides by the Constitution .
Those who wrote our Constitution sought to ensure our freedoms by creating a document that protects our God-given rights at all times , even when we are engaged in war , whether that is a so-called war on terrorism , a so-called war on drugs , a so-called war on illegal immigration , or a so-called war on disease .
The attempts by each successive presidential administration to rule by fiat merely plays into the hands of those who would distort the government ’ s system of checks @ @ @ @ @ @ @ powers beyond all recognition .
Remember , these powers do not expire at the end of a president ’ s term .
They remain on the books , just waiting to be used or abused by the next political demagogue .
So , too , every action taken by Trump and his predecessors to weaken the system of checks and balances , sidestep the rule of law , and expand the power of the executive branch of government has made us that much more vulnerable to those who would abuse those powers in @ @ @ @ @ @ @ the President with very specific , limited powers , in recent years , American presidents ( Trump , Obama , Bush , Clinton , etc . )
have claimed the power to completely and almost unilaterally alter the landscape of this country for good or for ill .
The Trump Administration ’ s willingness to circumvent the Constitution by leaning heavily on the president ’ s so-called emergency powers constitutes a gross perversion of what limited power the Constitution affords the executive branch .
The powers amassed by each successive president through the @ @ @ @ @ @ @ 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 .
As law professor William P. Marshall explains , “ every extraordinary use of power by one President expands the availability of executive branch power for use by future Presidents.
” Moreover , it doesn ’ t even matter whether other presidents have chosen not to take advantage of any particular power , because “ it is a President ’ s action in @ @ @ @ @ @ @ use , that has the precedential significance.
” In other words , each successive president continues to add to his office ’ s list of extraordinary orders and directives , expanding the reach and power of the presidency and granting him- or herself near dictatorial powers .
This abuse of presidential powers has been going on for so long that it has become the norm , the Constitution be damned .
We no longer have a system of checks and balances .
“ The system of checks and balances that the Framers envisioned @ @ @ @ @ @ @ longer in balance , ” concludes Marshall .
“ The implications of this are serious .
The Framers designed a system of separation of powers to combat government excess and abuse and to curb incompetence .
They also believed that , in the absence of an effective separation-of-powers structure , such ills would inevitably follow .
Unfortunately , however , power once taken is not easily surrendered.
” All of the imperial powers amassed by Barack Obama and George W. Bush and now Trump—to kill American citizens without due process , to detain @ @ @ @ @ @ @ , to strip Americans of their citizenship rights , to carry out mass surveillance on Americans without probable cause , to wage wars without congressional authorization , to suspend laws during wartime , to disregard laws with which he might disagree , to conduct secret wars and convene secret courts , to sanction torture , to sidestep the legislatures and courts with executive orders and signing statements , to direct the military to operate beyond the reach of the law , to establish a standing army on American soil , to operate a @ @ @ @ @ @ @ for any manipulated reason , and to act as a dictator and a tyrant , above the law and beyond any real accountability—have become a permanent part of the president ’ s toolbox of terror .
These presidential powers—acquired through the use of executive orders , decrees , memorandums , proclamations , national security directives and legislative signing statements and which can be activated by any sitting president—enable past , president and future presidents to operate above the law and beyond the reach of the Constitution .
Think on this : the presidential @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Suddenly , the improbable possibility of any incumbent president attempting to extend the police state ’ s stranglehold on power by using current events to justify postponing or doing away with an election—forfeiting the people ’ s rights to govern altogether—and establishing a totalitarian regime seems less far-fetched than it did even a few years ago .
The emergency state is now out in the open for all to see .
Unfortunately , “ we the people ” refuse to see what ’ s before us .
Most Americans , fearful and easily @ @ @ @ @ @ @ fight for that last roll of toilet paper than they would their own freedoms .
This is how freedom dies .
We erect our own prison walls , and as our rights dwindle away , we forge our own chains of servitude to the police state .
Be warned , however : once you surrender your freedoms to the government—no matter how compelling the reason might be for doing so—you can never get them back .
As I make clear in my book Battlefield America : The War on the American People , @ @ @ @ @ @ @ we continue down this road , there can be no surprise about what awaits us at the end .
The America metamorphosing before our eyes is almost unrecognizable from the country I grew up in , and that ’ s not just tragic—it ’ s downright terrifying .
Constitutional attorney and author John W. Whitehead is founder and president of .
His new book Battlefield America : The War on the American People is available at .
Whitehead can be contacted at [ email protected ] .
John W. Whitehead ’ s weekly @ @ @ @ @ @ @ and web publications at no charge .
Please contact [ email protected ] to obtain reprint permission .
Subscribe to Activist Post for truth , peace , and freedom news .
Become an Activist Post Patron for as little as $ 1 per month at Patreon .
Follow us on SoMee , Flote , Minds , Twitter , and Steemit .
Provide , Protect and Profit from what ’ s coming !
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By John W. Whitehead
“That was when they suspended the Constitution. They said it would be temporary. There wasn’t even any rioting in the streets. People stayed home at night, watching television, looking for some direction. There wasn’t even an enemy you could put your finger on.”― Margaret Atwood, The Handmaid’s Tale
You can always count on the government to take advantage of a crisis, legitimate or manufactured.
This coronavirus pandemic is no exception.
Not only are the federal and state governments unraveling the constitutional fabric of the nation with lockdown mandates that are sending the economy into a tailspin and wreaking havoc with our liberties, but they are also rendering the citizenry fully dependent on the government for financial handouts, medical intervention, protection and sustenance.
Unless we find some way to rein in the government’s power grabs, the fallout will be epic.
Everything I have warned about for years—government overreach, invasive surveillance, martial law, abuse of powers, militarized police, weaponized technology used to track and control the citizenry, and so on—has coalesced into this present moment.
The government’s shameless exploitation of past national emergencies for its own nefarious purposes pales in comparison to what is presently unfolding.
It’s downright Machiavellian.
Deploying the same strategy it used with 9/11 to acquire greater powers under the USA Patriot Act, the police state—a.k.a. the shadow government, a.k.a. the Deep State—has been anticipating this moment for years, quietly assembling a wish list of lockdown powers that could be trotted out and approved at a moment’s notice.
It should surprise no one, then, that the Trump Administration has asked Congress to allow it to suspend parts of the Constitution whenever it deems it necessary during this coronavirus pandemic and “other” emergencies.
It’s that “other” emergencies part that should particularly give you pause, if not spur you to immediate action (by action, I mean a loud and vocal, apolitical, nonpartisan outcry and sustained, apolitical, nonpartisan resistance).
In fact, the Department of Justice (DOJ) has been quietly trotting out and testing a long laundry list of terrifying powers that override the Constitution.
We’re talking about lockdown powers (at both the federal and state level): the ability to suspend the Constitution, indefinitely detain American citizens, bypass the courts, quarantine whole communities or segments of the population, override the First Amendment by outlawing religious gatherings and assemblies of more than a few people, shut down entire industries and manipulate the economy, muzzle dissidents, “stop and seize any plane, train or automobile to stymie the spread of contagious disease,” reshape financial markets, create a digital currency (and thus further restrict the use of cash), determine who should live or die…
You’re getting the picture now, right?
These are powers the police state would desperately like to make permanent.
Specifically, the DOJ wants to be able to indefinitely detain American citizens without trial. The DOJ also wants to be able to pause court proceedings and suspend the statute of limitations on criminal and civil cases.
Both signify a clear violation of every right espoused in the Constitution, including habeas corpus.
Habeas corpus, a fundamental tenet of English common law that guards against arbitrary and lawless state action, does not appear anywhere in the Bill of Rights. Its importance was such that it was enshrined in the Constitution itself. And it is of such magnitude that all other rights, including those in the Bill of Rights, are dependent upon it. Without habeas corpus, the significance of all other rights crumbles.
The right of habeas corpus was important to the Framers of the Constitution because they knew from personal experience what it was like to be labeled enemy combatants, imprisoned indefinitely and not given the opportunity to appear before a neutral judge. Believing that such arbitrary imprisonment is “in all ages, the favorite and most formidable instrument of tyranny,” the Founders were all the more determined to protect Americans from such government abuses.
Translated as “you should have the body,” habeas corpus is a legal action, or writ, by which those imprisoned unlawfully can seek relief from their imprisonment. Derived from English common law, habeas corpus first appeared in the Magna Carta of 1215 and is the oldest human right in the history of English-speaking civilization. The doctrine of habeas corpus stems from the requirement that a government must either charge a person or let him go free.
While serving as President, Thomas Jefferson addressed the essential necessity of habeas corpus. In his first inaugural address on March 4, 1801, Jefferson said, “I know, indeed, that some honest men fear that a republican government cannot be strong; that this government is not strong enough.” But, said Jefferson, our nation was “the world’s best hope” and, because of our strong commitment to democracy, “the strongest government on earth.” Jefferson said that the sum of this basic belief was found in the “freedom of person under the protection of the habeas corpus; and trial by juries impartially selected. These principles form the bright constellation which has gone before us, and guided our steps through an age of revolution and reformation.”
Throughout the twentieth century, the importance of the right of habeas corpus has repeatedly been confirmed by the U.S. Supreme Court. Yet 200-plus years after America’s founders risked their lives to secure their freedoms, we find ourselves right back where we started, with a government determined to strip us of every vestige of our freedoms.
The DOJ’s latest request to Congress is merely a signal that the police state is ready to step out of the shadows, with the current national emergency being a convenient cover for their dastardly deeds.
Bear in mind, however, that these powers the Trump Administration, acting on orders from the police state, are officially asking Congress to recognize and authorize barely scratch the surface of the far-reaching powers the government has already unilaterally claimed for itself.
Unofficially, the police state has been riding roughshod over the rule of law for years now without any pretense of being reined in or restricted in its power grabs by Congress, the courts or the citizenry.
As David C. Unger, observes in The Emergency State: America’s Pursuit of Absolute Security at All Costs:
“For seven decades we have been yielding our most basic liberties to a secretive, unaccountable emergency state – a vast but increasingly misdirected complex of national security institutions, reflexes, and beliefs that so define our present world that we forget that there was ever a different America. … Life, liberty, and the pursuit of happiness have given way to permanent crisis management: to policing the planet and fighting preventative wars of ideological containment, usually on terrain chosen by, and favorable to, our enemies. Limited government and constitutional accountability have been shouldered aside by the kind of imperial presidency our constitutional system was explicitly designed to prevent.”
This rise of an “emergency state” that justifies all manner of government tyranny in the so-called name of national security is all happening according to schedule.
The civil unrest, the national emergencies, “unforeseen economic collapse, loss of functioning political and legal order, purposeful domestic resistance or insurgency, pervasive public health emergencies, and catastrophic natural and human disasters,” the government’s reliance on the armed forces to solve domestic political and social problems, the implicit declaration of martial law packaged as a well-meaning and overriding concern for the nation’s security: the powers-that-be have been planning and preparing for such a crisis for years now, not just with active shooter drills and lockdowns and checkpoints and heightened danger alerts, but with a sensory overload of militarized, battlefield images—in video games, in movies, on the news—that acclimate us to life in a police state.
Whether or not this particular crisis is of the government’s own making is not the point: to those for whom power and profit are everything, the end always justifies the means.
The seeds of this present madness were sown several decades ago when George W. Bush stealthily issued two presidential directives that granted the president the power to unilaterally declare a national emergency, which is loosely defined as “any incident, regardless of location, that results in extraordinary levels of mass casualties, damage, or disruption severely affecting the U.S. population, infrastructure, environment, economy, or government functions.“
Comprising the country’s Continuity of Government (COG) plan, these directives (National Security Presidential Directive 51 and Homeland Security Presidential Directive 20), which do not need congressional approval, provide a skeletal outline of the actions the president will take in the event of a “national emergency.”
Mind you, that national emergency can take any form, can be manipulated for any purpose and can be used to justify any end goal—all on the say so of the president.
Just what sort of actions the president will take once he declares a national emergency can barely be discerned from the barebones directives. However, one thing is clear: in the event of a national emergency, the president will become a dictator because while the COG directives ensure the continuity of executive branch functions, they do not provide for repopulating or reconvening Congress or the Supreme Court.
Thus, a debilitating attack would give unchecked executive, legislative and judicial power to the executive branch and its unelected minions. The country would then be subjected to martial law by default, and the Constitution and the Bill of Rights would be suspended.
Originally devised as a plan for quickly restoring constitutional government, the COG concept arose during the Cold War. The fear was that a nuclear strike would paralyze the federal government.
These concerns continued into the 1980s.
Under President Ronald Reagan, an elaborate plan was created in which three teams consisting of a cabinet member, an executive chief of staff and military and intelligence officials would practice evacuating and directing a counter nuclear strike against the Soviet Union from a variety of high-tech, mobile command vehicles. If the president and vice president were both killed, one of these teams would take control, with the ranking cabinet official serving as president.
Among those Reagan handpicked to advise an inexperienced and potentially incompetent successor in a time of crisis were Congressman Dick Cheney and Donald Rumsfeld, then a business executive with G. D. Searle & Co. At least once a year during the 1980s, Cheney and Rumsfeld vanished on top-secret training missions, where each of the teams practiced evacuating and directing a counter nuclear strike against Russia.
This all changed after the attacks of September 11, 2001, when it became clear that the assumptions that drove COG planning during the Cold War no longer applied: there would be no warning against a so-called “terrorist” attack. Thus, instead of relying on part-time bureaucrats and evacuation schematics, the Bush administration permanently appointed executive officials, stationed outside the capital, to run a shadow government.
The U.S. military has reportedly already been given standby orders under COG for this present coronavirus pandemic.
The plans for the shadow government administered by those who run the Deep State are more elaborate than many realize. Massive underground bunkers the size of small cities are sprinkled throughout the country for the government elite to escape to in the event of a national emergency. Mount Weather, near Bluemont, Va., is one of a number of such facilities. Built into the side of a mountain, this bunker contains, among other things, a hospital, crematorium, dining and recreation areas, sleeping quarters, reservoirs of drinking and cooling water, an emergency power plant and a radio/television studio.
There is also an Office of the Presidency at Mount Weather, which regularly receives top-secret national security information from all the federal departments and agencies. This facility was largely unknown to everyone, including Congress, until it came to light in the mid-1970s. Military personnel connected to the bunker have refused to reveal any information about it, even before congressional committees. In fact, Congress has no oversight, budgetary or otherwise, on Mount Weather, and the specifics of the facility remain top-secret.
What is the bottom line here?
We are, for all intents and purposes, one crisis away from having a full-fledged authoritarian state emerge from the shadows, at which time democratic government will be dissolved and the country will be ruled by an unelected bureaucracy.
This is exactly the kind of mischief that Thomas Jefferson warned against when he cautioned, “In questions of power, then, let no more be heard of confidence in man, but bind him down from mischief by the chains of the Constitution.”
Power corrupts.
Absolute power corrupts absolutely.
Thus far, we have at least pretended that the government abides by the Constitution.
Those who wrote our Constitution sought to ensure our freedoms by creating a document that protects our God-given rights at all times, even when we are engaged in war, whether that is a so-called war on terrorism, a so-called war on drugs, a so-called war on illegal immigration, or a so-called war on disease.
The attempts by each successive presidential administration to rule by fiat merely plays into the hands of those who would distort the government’s system of checks and balances and its constitutional separation of powers beyond all recognition.
Remember, these powers do not expire at the end of a president’s term. They remain on the books, just waiting to be used or abused by the next political demagogue.
So, too, every action taken by Trump and his predecessors to weaken the system of checks and balances, sidestep the rule of law, and expand the power of the executive branch of government has made us that much more vulnerable to those who would abuse those powers in the future.
Although the Constitution invests the President with very specific, limited powers, in recent years, American presidents (Trump, Obama, Bush, Clinton, etc.) have claimed the power to completely and almost unilaterally alter the landscape of this country for good or for ill.
The Trump Administration’s willingness to circumvent the Constitution by leaning heavily on the president’s so-called emergency powers constitutes a gross perversion of what limited power the Constitution affords the executive branch.
The powers amassed by each successive president through the negligence of Congress and the courts—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.
As law professor William P. Marshall explains, “every extraordinary use of power by one President expands the availability of executive branch power for use by future Presidents.” Moreover, it doesn’t even matter whether other presidents have chosen not to take advantage of any particular power, because “it is a President’s action in using power, rather than forsaking its use, that has the precedential significance.”
In other words, each successive president continues to add to his office’s list of extraordinary orders and directives, expanding the reach and power of the presidency and granting him- or herself near dictatorial powers.
This abuse of presidential powers has been going on for so long that it has become the norm, the Constitution be damned.
We no longer have a system of checks and balances.
“The system of checks and balances that the Framers envisioned now lacks effective checks and is no longer in balance,” concludes Marshall. “The implications of this are serious. The Framers designed a system of separation of powers to combat government excess and abuse and to curb incompetence. They also believed that, in the absence of an effective separation-of-powers structure, such ills would inevitably follow. Unfortunately, however, power once taken is not easily surrendered.”
All of the imperial powers amassed by Barack Obama and George W. Bush and now Trump—to kill American citizens without due process, to detain suspects (including American citizens) indefinitely, to strip Americans of their citizenship rights, to carry out mass surveillance on Americans without probable cause, to wage wars without congressional authorization, to suspend laws during wartime, to disregard laws with which he might disagree, to conduct secret wars and convene secret courts, to sanction torture, to sidestep the legislatures and courts with executive orders and signing statements, to direct the military to operate beyond the reach of the law, to establish a standing army on American soil, to operate a shadow government, to declare national emergencies for any manipulated reason, and to act as a dictator and a tyrant, above the law and beyond any real accountability—have become a permanent part of the president’s toolbox of terror.
These presidential powers—acquired through the use of executive orders, decrees, memorandums, proclamations, national security directives and legislative signing statements and which can be activated by any sitting president—enable past, president and future presidents to operate above the law and beyond the reach of the Constitution.
Think on this: the presidential election is right around the corner.
Suddenly, the improbable possibility of any incumbent president attempting to extend the police state’s stranglehold on power by using current events to justify postponing or doing away with an election—forfeiting the people’s rights to govern altogether—and establishing a totalitarian regime seems less far-fetched than it did even a few years ago.
The emergency state is now out in the open for all to see. Unfortunately, “we the people” refuse to see what’s before us. Most Americans, fearful and easily controlled, would sooner rouse themselves to fight for that last roll of toilet paper than they would their own freedoms.
This is how freedom dies.
We erect our own prison walls, and as our rights dwindle away, we forge our own chains of servitude to the police state.
Be warned, however: once you surrender your freedoms to the government—no matter how compelling the reason might be for doing so—you can never get them back.
As I make clear in my book Battlefield America: The War on the American People, no government willingly relinquishes power.
If we continue down this road, there can be no surprise about what awaits us at the end.
The America metamorphosing before our eyes is almost unrecognizable from the country I grew up in, and that’s not just tragic—it’s downright terrifying.
ABOUT JOHN W. WHITEHEAD
Constitutional attorney and author John W. Whitehead is founder and president of The Rutherford Institute . His new book Battlefield America: The War on the American People is available at www.amazon.com . Whitehead can be contacted at johnw@rutherford.org.
Publication Guidelines / Reprint Permission
John W. Whitehead’s weekly commentaries are available for publication to newspapers and web publications at no charge. Please contact staff@rutherford.org to obtain reprint permission.
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activistpost--2020-03-24--COVID19: US Stimulus Bill = Digital Dollar & Rapid 5G Roll Out?

Derrick Broze breaks down recent news regarding the creation of a digital dollar backed by the Federal Reserve and reports of 5G being rolled out during the lockdown .
• Coronavirus Stimulus Offered By House Financial Services Committee Creates New Digital Dollar • Why the coronavirus pandemic may fast-forward 5G adoption in the US • Are 5G / Biometric Systems Being Covertly Installed During the Lockdown , Where YOU Live ?
• This is How You Fight Back Against the COVID19 Power Grab Help Keep The Conscious Resistance Network alive !
https : //fundrazr.com/supportconsciousresistance Please help us advance truth , @ @ @ @ @ @ @ the people to wake up and build a better world : https : //www.Patreon.com/DerrickBroze The Conscious Resistance Network can be found here : The Conscious Resistance Network is an independent media organization focused on empowering individuals through education , philosophy , health , and community organizing .
We work to create a world where corporate and state power does not rule over the lives of free human beings .
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By The Conscious Resistance
Derrick Broze breaks down recent news regarding the creation of a digital dollar backed by the Federal Reserve and reports of 5G being rolled out during the lockdown.
Show Notes:

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The Conscious Resistance Network is an independent media organization focused on empowering individuals through education, philosophy, health, and community organizing. We work to create a world where corporate and state power does not rule over the lives of free human beings.
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activistpost--2020-03-24--Media Watch: Groundbreaking UN Torture Report Shunned by Mainstream

The United Nations Special Rapporteur on Torture , Nils Melzer , has issued a report which gives official acknowledgement—possibly for the first time—to aspects of a torture program that has been launched covertly in the US and elsewhere .
But you wouldn ’ t know it if you read mainstream media .
There has been not a word concerning Melzer ’ s report in the Associated Press , Reuters , the NY Times , the Washington Post , ad nauseum .
The report , entitled “ Torture and other cruel , inhuman and degrading treatment , ” deals primarily with @ @ @ @ @ @ @ and psychological torture .
In so doing , the report devotes a section to what Melzer is calling “ cyber torture.
” Melzer writes : In a nod to the multiplicity of reports that the SR recently received claiming gang stalking and electronic torture , the report goes on to state that “ cybertechnologies can also be used …through intimidation , harassment , surveillance , public shaming and defamation.
” The report also expresses concern that cybertechnology may be employed to torture through ….
” medical implants , and , conceivably nano- or @ @ @ @ @ @ @ could locate only two established news outlets which even covered the SR ’ s report , The Guardian and Al Jazeera .
At the time of this writing , the large human rights NGOs , which generally include addressing torture as part of their mandate — Amnesty International , Human Rights Watch , Human Rights First , Physicians for Human Rights , Center for Victims of Torture — have not given any acknowledgment to the SR ’ s report on their websites or in press releases .
Nor did they respond to requests @ @ @ @ @ @ @ use of electronic and internet-based devices for the purposes of harassment and worse of ordinary citizens has exploded in the last decade or so .
While a few local TV networks have ventured into new territory by running some segments on this phenomenon , this has largely been seen as the dominion of “ tin foil hats.
” A couple examples of rare TV coverage follow : When the NY Times covered this issue , they were savage , however .
The fact that Melzer ’ s report seems to have fallen into @ @ @ @ @ @ @ questions as to the alliances made by media and NGOs .
For example , it is known that the US State Department contributes heavily to some human rights organizations , as do other allied governments .
One wonders if their silence has been bought or if there are more complicated political scenarios at play .
As the report delineates , States , corporate actors and organized criminals are listed as those who have the capacity to use cybertechnology to torture .
In other words , powerful interests have aligned themselves with the development @ @ @ @ @ @ @ military .
There is a close relationship between torture and human experimentation .
When the Church Committee uncovered details implicating the CIA in using citizens as unwitting guinea pigs in pursuit of creating the “ perfect spy , ” the agency destroyed their files and the programs continued on , quietly .
A recent lawsuit , Edgewood Test Vets , reveals a US government disinterested in the welfare of those soldiers put into these chemical and biological human experimentation programs .
After decades of neglect , the Army finally agreed to provide medical @ @ @ @ @ @ @ .
More recently , allegations have surfaced that UCLA Neuropsychiatric Hospital was running a human experimentation program in an inpatient unit , A-South .
The program , which was certainly active in the late nineties , appeared to focus on studies of brain electricity and is alleged to have nonconsensually shocked mental patients , as well as giving providing “ pharmaceuticals ” which resulted in seizure activity .
UCLA has brazenly violated the California Public Records Act in failing to respond to requests for routine information about the unit , such as a @ @ @ @ @ @ @ building plans for the unit , which was reportedly demolished circa 2006 .
In her change.org petition , Dr. Millicent Black elucidates the connection between human experimentation and electronic weapons .
Black met with Juan Mendez , the former SR on Torture concerning this issue and writes that Dr. Black is a pastor and was also part of Techno Crime Fighters , a weekly broadcast which aired on YouTube for the targeted community .
In 2007 , an ACLU attorney in Oregon told me that the “ climate wasn ’ t right ” @ @ @ @ @ @ @ attorney stated this after documents were leaked to me indicating that the Medford Police Department was taking no action on citizen Internal Affairs complaints , while stating to the complainants that the officers in question had been disciplined .
If one expands the definition of police abuse to include systematic abuse of citizens with covert weaponry by government and corporate actors , one may conclude that by tackling these concerns in his report , Dr. Melzer has done a brave and remarkable thing .
At this juncture , surveillance abuse ( which is @ @ @ @ @ @ @ ) is getting headlines , as the US Senate readies itself to vote on reauthorizing sections of the PATRIOT Act which allow rampant spying on US citizens .
Also making headlines is a lawsuit by CAIR , a Muslim Civil Rights organization , questioning the constitutionality of the “ Terrorist Watchlist , ” a list which clearly now includes non-Muslim journalists and activists and may have connections to a cyber torture program .
Parenthetically , the court sided with CAIR .
The Department of Justice is appealing the decision .
A confluence of @ @ @ @ @ @ @ perils of the surveillance state .
One might only hope that Big Media and Big Human Rights could drop their defensive guard and help to shine a light on this issue , in the hopes of reinstating a culture where both privacy and freedom might again take root and thrive .
Janet Phelan is an investigative journalist and author of the groundbreaking exposé , EXILE .
Her articles previously appeared in such mainstream venues as the Los Angeles Times , Orange Coast Magazine , Long Beach Press Telegram , etc .
In 2004 @ @ @ @ @ @ @ now exclusively writes for independent media .
She is also the author of two collections of poetry—The Hitler Poems and Held Captive .
She resides abroad .
You are invited to support her work on Buy Me A Coffee here : https : //www.buymeacoffee.com/JanetPhelan Subscribe to Activist Post for truth , peace , and freedom news .
Become an Activist Post Patron for as little as $ 1 per month at Patreon .
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Provide , Protect and Profit from @ @ @ @ @ @ @ free issue of Counter Markets today .

By Janet Phelan
The United Nations Special Rapporteur on Torture, Nils Melzer, has issued a report which gives official acknowledgement—possibly for the first time—to aspects of a torture program that has been launched covertly in the US and elsewhere.
But you wouldn’t know it if you read mainstream media. There has been not a word concerning Melzer’s report in the Associated Press, Reuters, the NY Times, the Washington Post, ad nauseum.
The report, entitled “Torture and other cruel, inhuman and degrading treatment,” deals primarily with delineating the differences and commonalities between physical and psychological torture. In so doing, the report devotes a section to what Melzer is calling “cyber torture.” Melzer writes:
State, corporate actors and organized criminals not only have the capacity to conduct cyber operations inflicting severe suffering on countless individuals, but may well decide to do so for any of the purposes of torture.
In a nod to the multiplicity of reports that the SR recently received claiming gang stalking and electronic torture, the report goes on to state that “cybertechnologies can also be used …through intimidation, harassment, surveillance, public shaming and defamation.” The report also expresses concern that cybertechnology may be employed to torture through ….” medical implants, and, conceivably nano- or neurotechnological devices.”
However, this reporter could locate only two established news outlets which even covered the SR’s report, The Guardian and Al Jazeera. At the time of this writing, the large human rights NGOs, which generally include addressing torture as part of their mandate — Amnesty International, Human Rights Watch, Human Rights First, Physicians for Human Rights, Center for Victims of Torture — have not given any acknowledgment to the SR’s report on their websites or in press releases. Nor did they respond to requests for comment on the report.
The use of electronic and internet-based devices for the purposes of harassment and worse of ordinary citizens has exploded in the last decade or so. While a few local TV networks have ventured into new territory by running some segments on this phenomenon, this has largely been seen as the dominion of “tin foil hats.” A couple examples of rare TV coverage follow:
When the NY Times covered this issue, they were savage, however.
The fact that Melzer’s report seems to have fallen into some sort of black hole raises some questions as to the alliances made by media and NGOs. For example, it is known that the US State Department contributes heavily to some human rights organizations, as do other allied governments. One wonders if their silence has been bought or if there are more complicated political scenarios at play.
As the report delineates, States, corporate actors and organized criminals are listed as those who have the capacity to use cybertechnology to torture. In other words, powerful interests have aligned themselves with the development of these weapons, including the US military.
There is a close relationship between torture and human experimentation. When the Church Committee uncovered details implicating the CIA in using citizens as unwitting guinea pigs in pursuit of creating the “perfect spy,” the agency destroyed their files and the programs continued on, quietly. A recent lawsuit, Edgewood Test Vets, reveals a US government disinterested in the welfare of those soldiers put into these chemical and biological human experimentation programs. After decades of neglect, the Army finally agreed to provide medical care for the test subjects in 2017.
More recently, allegations have surfaced that UCLA Neuropsychiatric Hospital was running a human experimentation program in an inpatient unit, A-South. The program, which was certainly active in the late nineties, appeared to focus on studies of brain electricity and is alleged to have nonconsensually shocked mental patients, as well as giving providing “pharmaceuticals” which resulted in seizure activity. UCLA has brazenly violated the California Public Records Act in failing to respond to requests for routine information about the unit, such as a list of residents who worked there and building plans for the unit, which was reportedly demolished circa 2006.
In her change.org petition, Dr. Millicent Black elucidates the connection between human experimentation and electronic weapons. Black met with Juan Mendez, the former SR on Torture concerning this issue and writes that
Patents for military technology have been identified as the cause of many claims of psychological, physical and emotional harassment. Thousands of people in the United States of America are reporting to be targets of the military training missions and government research and contractors for remote neural monitoring, neural warfare and behavior influence technology via the use of Directed Energy Weapons and electronic harassment.
Dr. Black is a pastor and was also part of Techno Crime Fighters, a weekly broadcast which aired on YouTube for the targeted community.
In 2007, an ACLU attorney in Oregon told me that the “climate wasn’t right” to address police abuse issues. The attorney stated this after documents were leaked to me indicating that the Medford Police Department was taking no action on citizen Internal Affairs complaints, while stating to the complainants that the officers in question had been disciplined. If one expands the definition of police abuse to include systematic abuse of citizens with covert weaponry by government and corporate actors, one may conclude that by tackling these concerns in his report, Dr. Melzer has done a brave and remarkable thing.
At this juncture, surveillance abuse (which is certainly part and parcel of cyber torture) is getting headlines, as the US Senate readies itself to vote on reauthorizing sections of the PATRIOT Act which allow rampant spying on US citizens. Also making headlines is a lawsuit by CAIR, a Muslim Civil Rights organization, questioning the constitutionality of the “Terrorist Watchlist,” a list which clearly now includes non-Muslim journalists and activists and may have connections to a cyber torture program. Parenthetically, the court sided with CAIR. The Department of Justice is appealing the decision.
A confluence of attention is now emerging to highlight the perils of the surveillance state. One might only hope that Big Media and Big Human Rights could drop their defensive guard and help to shine a light on this issue, in the hopes of reinstating a culture where both privacy and freedom might again take root and thrive.
Janet Phelan is an investigative journalist and author of the groundbreaking exposé, EXILE. Her articles previously appeared in such mainstream venues as the Los Angeles Times, Orange Coast Magazine, Long Beach Press Telegram, etc. In 2004, Janet “jumped ship” and now exclusively writes for independent media. She is also the author of two collections of poetry—The Hitler Poems and Held Captive. She resides abroad. You are invited to support her work on Buy Me A Coffee here: https://www.buymeacoffee.com/JanetPhelan
Subscribe to Activist Post for truth, peace, and freedom news. Become an Activist Post Patron for as little as $1 per month at Patreon. Follow us on SoMee, Flote, Minds, Twitter, and Steemit.
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activistpost--2020-03-24--We’re Living in 12 Monkeys

We’re Living in 12 Monkeys

Brand new mini-documentary We ’ re Living in 12 Monkeys was released today by Truthstream Media outlines the agenda that @ @ @ @ @ hysteria .
The full New World Order agenda of complete control over humanity is in @ @ @ @ @ Aaron & Melissa Dykes are the founders of TruthstreamMedia.com , Subscribe to them on YouTube @ @ @ @ @ follow on Twitter , support on Patreon .
Watch their mini-documentary Obsolete here and their @ @ @ @ @ MEN here .
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@ @ @ @ @ Counter Markets today .

By Truthstream Media
Brand new mini-documentary We’re Living in 12 Monkeys was released today by Truthstream Media outlines the agenda that is unfolding from the coronavirus hysteria.
The full New World Order agenda of complete control over humanity is in play.
Watch below:
Aaron & Melissa Dykes are the founders of TruthstreamMedia.com, Subscribe to them on YouTube, like on Facebook, follow on Twitter, support on Patreon. Watch their mini-documentary Obsolete here and their full-length documentary THE MINDS OF MEN here.
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Provide, Protect and Profit during this crisis! Get a free issue of Counter Markets today.


activistpost--2020-03-24--Facial Recognition Companies Profit From COVID-19 By Adding Thermal Imaging

The biometrics industry has never been known to miss an opportunity to make a profit .
Especially when it comes at the expense of everyone ’ s privacy .
Since the outbreak of COVID-19 , facial recognition companies have been hard at work creating a new sales pitch that will allow them to maximize their profits .
Across the globe , facial recognition companies are hard at work trying to convince politicians , law enforcement and the public that thermal imaging cameras will help stop the spread of COVID-19 .
Forbes.com is all too eager to jump on the thermal @ @ @ @ @ @ @ ’ s facial recognition/thermal imaging software can scan 1000 people per hour .
In fact , Athena Security has gone so far as to combine fever detection , facial recognition and gun detection into an all-in-one screening system .
As Forbes.com points out , what makes Athena ’ s software so unique is their ability to send out real-time alerts to authorities .
The scariest thing about the proliferation of facial recognition/thermal imaging cameras is it gives law enforcement near god-like powers to identify and quarantine anyone they choose .
DroneUp suggests that @ @ @ @ @ @ @ as an excuse to monitor people for COVID-19 .
That same scenario is being played out across the country , with more than 1,500 police departments using drones to monitor the public .
In Michigan , the Hillsdale Sheriff ’ s Office recently purchased a DJI Matrice 210 drone equipped with thermal imaging .
Three police departments in particular have taken drone surveillance to a whole new level .
The Owensboro Police Department in Kentucky has created a 10-member thermal imaging drone surveillance team .
In Texas , the Public Safety Unmanned Response @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Response Team to help expand police drone surveillance .
The Vista Police Department ( CVPD ) , arguably the most famous drone surveillance police department in the country , is creating a 52-square-mile drone surveillance zone .
The worldwide fear of the coronavirus is so widespread that MIT , Harvard and The Mayo Clinic have designed a new COVID-19 warning app called “ Private Kit.
” As Fast Company explains , Private Kit will allegedly alert a user when someone infected with the COVID-19 is close .
Maybe they could use this app @ @ @ @ @ @ @ zombie is close by ?
Of course there is a catch to using Private Kit : users will lose their privacy .
Facial recognition companies like Veriff show how little they care about everyone ’ s privacy by offering universities and health care providers 1 million free identity verifications .
If corporations , politicians and law enforcement can convince an apathetic public that facial recognition , thermal imaging and gun detection cameras can keep us safe , then our privacy will vanish before COVID-19 runs its course .
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By MassPrivateI
The biometrics industry has never been known to miss an opportunity to make a profit. Especially when it comes at the expense of everyone’s privacy.
Since the outbreak of COVID-19, facial recognition companies have been hard at work creating a new sales pitch that will allow them to maximize their profits.
Across the globe, facial recognition companies are hard at work trying to convince politicians, law enforcement and the public that thermal imaging cameras will help stop the spread of COVID-19.
Forbes.com is all too eager to jump on the thermal imaging bandwagon, claiming that Athena Security’s facial recognition/thermal imaging software can scan 1000 people per hour.
“With Covid-19, you see the problem at airports today,” Athena Security CEO Lisa Falzone explains. “Passengers are waiting in lines to manually take their temperatures, which slows traffic down. With our technology, we can analyze 1000 people per hour.”

In fact, Athena Security has gone so far as to combine fever detection, facial recognition and gun detection into an all-in-one screening system.
Our Fever Detection COVID19 Screening System is now a part of our platform along with our gun detection system which connects directly to your current security camera system to deliver fast, accurate threat detection – including guns, knives, and aggressive action. Our system can also alert you to falls, accidents, and unwelcome visitors.
As Forbes.com points out, what makes Athena’s software so unique is their ability to send out real-time alerts to authorities.
What’s different about Athena’s system, explains Falzone, is its ability to send out immediate alerts to the appropriate parties, who can then make an informed decision on how to act.
Updated 3/25:
Real-time facial recognition being offered to universities and hospitals for free
The facial biometrics industry has put a new spin on marketing by offering universities and hospitals free real-time facial recognition.
A recent Jumio press release revealed that they are donating their facial recognition identity verification service to U.S. and U.K. hospitals and universities.
Starting today, Jumio will provide free identity verification services through our AI-powered, fully automated solution, Jumio Go, to any qualifying organization directly involved in helping with COVID-19 relief including (but not limited to): Hospitals and Universities. This free offer is powered by Jumio Go, our real-time, fully automated identity verification solution.
The scariest thing about the proliferation of facial recognition/thermal imaging cameras is it gives law enforcement near god-like powers to identify and quarantine anyone they choose.
DroneUp suggests that law enforcement could use thermal imaging drones as an excuse to monitor people for COVID-19.
Assurance is key in uncertain times. That is why DroneUp is functioning in conjunction with FAA regulatory precautions as we collaborate with state and local officials to ensure safety for all. We strongly encourage our fellow drone operators to also become keenly aware of the protocol and regulations as the pandemic evolves.
That same scenario is being played out across the country, with more than 1,500 police departments using drones to monitor the public. In Michigan, the Hillsdale Sheriff’s Office recently purchased a DJI Matrice 210 drone equipped with thermal imaging.
Three police departments in particular have taken drone surveillance to a whole new level.
The Owensboro Police Department in Kentucky has created a 10-member thermal imaging drone surveillance team.
The Owensboro Police Department recently created a 10-member Unmanned Aerial Vehicle Team who were trained and certified to fly the department’s $2,300 drone inside city limits.
In Texas, the Public Safety Unmanned Response Team has partnered with the Airborne Incident Response Team to help expand police drone surveillance.
“The objective is to create a robust network of drone responders and geographic information systems experts capable of rendering direct assistance and location intelligence during complex emergencies, rapidly expanding incidents, and major disasters. Increased communication and cooperation are essential to the successful deployment of drones and other unmanned systems in support of public safety operations,” said Travis Calendine, chairperson of the Public Safety Unmanned Response Team North Texas.
The Vista Police Department (CVPD), arguably the most famous drone surveillance police department in the country, is creating a 52-square-mile drone surveillance zone.
“The CVPD can proactively cover about 17 of the 52 square miles of our city with drones launched from two sites. Our goal this year is to add launch sites to provide 100% aerial support coverage during daylight hours 7 days a week by the end of the year,” Vern Sallee, patrol operations captain said.
The worldwide fear of the coronavirus is so widespread that MIT, Harvard and The Mayo Clinic have designed a new COVID-19 warning app called “Private Kit.”
As Fast Company explains, Private Kit will allegedly alert a user when someone infected with the COVID-19 is close. Maybe they could use this app to alert them when a Walking Dead zombie is close by?
Researchers just released an app in beta that alerts people when they come into contact with someone who’s been diagnosed with COVID-19, potentially reducing the virus’s spread if the app is downloaded by a large chunk of the population.
Of course there is a catch to using Private Kit: users will lose their privacy.
After you download the app and consent to sharing your location (which is necessary in order for the app to work), the app starts tracking you. Should you cross paths with someone who’s been diagnosed with the coronavirus who also has the app, you’ll receive a notification telling you when and for how long.
Facial recognition companies like Veriff show how little they care about everyone’s privacy by offering universities and health care providers 1 million free identity verifications.
Potential beneficiaries of free verification’s range from universities who need to verify people taking exams to marketplaces that have volunteers who help people in need and to registries that could tackle fake accounts and set up reliable databases about people in quarantine. But also, digital health care service providers, organizations fighting fake news and beyond.
If corporations, politicians and law enforcement can convince an apathetic public that facial recognition, thermal imaging and gun detection cameras can keep us safe, then our privacy will vanish before COVID-19 runs its course.
Article source: MassPrivateI Blog
Image credit: BGR
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activistpost--2020-03-24--How to Practice Proper Social Distancing – Propaganda Watch

We are being told to flatten the curve by practicing social distancing .
We are being told to quarantine shame @ @ @ @ @ societal taboos .
So how exactly do you introduce entirely new cultural norms across much @ @ @ @ @ space of just a few weeks ?
Watch and learn .
• New Yorkers Do @ @ @ @ @ Flatten the Curve ’ … by Yelling Out Their Windows • We ’ re not @ @ @ @ @ The Propaganda Report – Normalizing Our Virtual Future , Olympics Postponed , New York Sex @ @ @ @ @ Social Distancing ’ to ‘ Physical Distancing ’ Subscribe to Activist Post for truth , @ @ @ @ @ .
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By corbettreport
We are being told to flatten the curve by practicing social distancing. We are being told to quarantine shame those who break the new societal taboos.
So how exactly do you introduce entirely new cultural norms across much of the world in the space of just a few weeks? Watch and learn.
SHOW NOTES:
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activistpost--2020-03-24--States Across the US, Attacking 2nd Amendment by Forcing Gun Stores to Close

In case you are just waking up from a coma , America is currently in utter turmoil .
Panic buying has emptied shelves across the country , millions of unemployed people are spending their last dollar on food , hundreds of cities have been placed on lockdown , and cops are using Chinese-made patrol drones to monitor citizens 24-hours a day .
In a matter of just 2 weeks , America has shifted from the land of the free to the land of the economic collapse and newly ushered in police state .
As if things couldn ’ t get @ @ @ @ @ @ @ are now stripping people of their constitutional right to bear arms by forcing gun stores to close .
With so much uncertainty on the horizon , there has never been a better time for a citizen to be prepared to defend themselves and their family .
The market is reacting appropriately to this demand and business has boomed for the gun industry in the past week , with long lines stretching outside gun stores across the country .
The Wall Street Journal reports that on March 16 , background checks were up 300 @ @ @ @ @ @ @ year , according to federal data shared with the National Shooting Sports Foundation .
However , this is becoming increasingly harder to do thanks to executive orders and court rulings that have shuttered gun stores from coast to coast .
While liquor stores and fast food restaurants are considered “ essential business ” and allowed to stay open , stores that allow people to purchase tools for self-defense are closed .
This is creating a storm of backlash against the state .
New Jersey Gov .
Phil Murphy forced all gun stores to @ @ @ @ @ @ @ s being sued for it .
The lawsuit was filed Monday in federal court by the New Jersey Second Amendment Society and Legend Firearms shop in Monroe .
“ The exigencies surrounding this viral pandemic both justify and necessitate changes in the manner in which people live their lives and conduct their daily business , ” the lawsuit said .
“ However , this emergency ( like any other emergency ) has its constitutional limits .
It would not justify a prior restraint on speech , nor a suspension of the right to @ @ @ @ @ @ @ does not justify a ban on obtaining guns and ammunition.
” On Sunday night , the Pennsylvania Supreme Court ruled in favor of the governor ’ s order to close all gun stores too .
Gov .
Tom Wolf ordered all gun stores shut down claiming they were not “ life-sustaining.
” The decision was challenged all the way to the state ’ s highest court and the people lost — but not without descent from two of the justices .
“ In my view , it is incumbent upon the Governor to @ @ @ @ @ @ @ citizens to continue to exercise this constitutional right , ” Justice David Wecht said noting that the order , as written , represented an “ impermissible intrusion upon a fundamental constitutional right.
” “ Such an accommodation may be effectuated while preserving sensible restrictions designed to slow the spread of COVID-19 , but nonetheless provide a legal avenue for the purchase and sale of firearms , thus avoiding an impermissible intrusion upon a fundamental constitutional right.
” Adam Kraut , a lawyer representing the plaintiffs in the case and the director of legal @ @ @ @ @ @ @ , telling the Washington Free Beacon he is unhappy with the court ’ s decision .
Los Angeles County Sheriff Alex Villanueva issued a similar attack on the 2nd Amendment this week , ordering all gun stores to close their doors .
In a glaring case of doublespeak , the sheriff claimed removing the citizens right to self-defense “ is about taking care of people.
” California Gov .
Gavin Newsom — who is inches closer to dictatorship status each day — issued a list of essential businesses and left off gun stores @ @ @ @ @ @ @ , that gun store owners are refusing to close .
“ We have no plans to close , ” said David Chong , who owns AO Sword Firearms in El Cajon .
“ We have not heard any lawful order to shut down.
” Chong , like the rest of the pro-gun rights individuals above , recognizes that the closure of gun stores is a direct attack on your Second Amendment right to bear arms .
“ We have to be very careful not to get into a ridiculous situation where we are @ @ @ @ @ @ @ ‘ Oh you can keep and bear arms but you can ’ t acquire any , ’ ” Chong said .
“ People are purchasing firearms because they ’ re in fear for their safety , ” said Michael Schwartz , executive director of the San Diego County Gun Owners .
“ If you shut down that ability I think it ’ s a potentially dangerous situation.
” Indeed , one of the major primers of the American Revolutionary War was the British crown ordering colonists to be disarmed through the act of @ @ @ @ @ @ @ They ’ re definitely being threatened and they want to make sure that they ’ re complying with the law , but also want to make sure that they are fulfilling the responsibility to the community and people that want to be safe and protect themselves , ” Schwartz said .
When government is systematically removing your right to defend yourself during one of the most defining crises of our lifetime , that government is not looking out for you .
It is protecting itself .
Hopefully , they are kept in check @ @ @ @ @ @ @ to obey .
After all , most positive change comes through good people disobeying bad laws .
Matt Agorist is an honorably discharged veteran of the USMC and former intelligence operator directly tasked by the NSA .
This prior experience gives him unique insight into the world of government corruption and the American police state .
Agorist has been an independent journalist for over a decade and has been featured on mainstream networks around the world .
Agorist is also the Editor at Large at the Free Thought Project .
Follow @ MattAgorist @ @ @ @ @ @ @ on Minds .
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By Matt Agorist
In case you are just waking up from a coma, America is currently in utter turmoil. Panic buying has emptied shelves across the country, millions of unemployed people are spending their last dollar on food, hundreds of cities have been placed on lockdown, and cops are using Chinese-made patrol drones to monitor citizens 24-hours a day. In a matter of just 2 weeks, America has shifted from the land of the free to the land of the economic collapse and newly ushered in police state. As if things couldn’t get bad enough, governments across the country are now stripping people of their constitutional right to bear arms by forcing gun stores to close.
With so much uncertainty on the horizon, there has never been a better time for a citizen to be prepared to defend themselves and their family. The market is reacting appropriately to this demand and business has boomed for the gun industry in the past week, with long lines stretching outside gun stores across the country. The Wall Street Journal reports that on March 16, background checks were up 300% compared with the same day last year, according to federal data shared with the National Shooting Sports Foundation.
However, this is becoming increasingly harder to do thanks to executive orders and court rulings that have shuttered gun stores from coast to coast.
While liquor stores and fast food restaurants are considered “essential business” and allowed to stay open, stores that allow people to purchase tools for self-defense are closed. This is creating a storm of backlash against the state.
New Jersey Gov. Phil Murphy forced all gun stores to close on Saturday and now he’s being sued for it. The lawsuit was filed Monday in federal court by the New Jersey Second Amendment Society and Legend Firearms shop in Monroe.
“The exigencies surrounding this viral pandemic both justify and necessitate changes in the manner in which people live their lives and conduct their daily business,” the lawsuit said. “However, this emergency (like any other emergency) has its constitutional limits. It would not justify a prior restraint on speech, nor a suspension of the right to vote. Just the same, it does not justify a ban on obtaining guns and ammunition.”
On Sunday night, the Pennsylvania Supreme Court ruled in favor of the governor’s order to close all gun stores too. Gov. Tom Wolf ordered all gun stores shut down claiming they were not “life-sustaining.” The decision was challenged all the way to the state’s highest court and the people lost — but not without descent from two of the justices.
“In my view, it is incumbent upon the Governor to make some manner of allowance for our citizens to continue to exercise this constitutional right,” Justice David Wecht said noting that the order, as written, represented an “impermissible intrusion upon a fundamental constitutional right.”
“Such an accommodation may be effectuated while preserving sensible restrictions designed to slow the spread of COVID-19, but nonetheless provide a legal avenue for the purchase and sale of firearms, thus avoiding an impermissible intrusion upon a fundamental constitutional right.”
Adam Kraut, a lawyer representing the plaintiffs in the case and the director of legal strategy for the Firearms Policy Coalition agreed, telling the Washington Free Beacon he is unhappy with the court’s decision.
I am disappointed the Pennsylvania Supreme Court declined an opportunity to protect the fundamental rights of all Pennsylvanians during this time of uncertainty, when many are deciding that the ability to defends one’s home and family is more necessary than ever. The Governor’s Order amounts to an absolute and indefinite prohibition on the acquisition of firearms by citizens of the Commonwealth. Such a prohibition cannot withstand constitutional scrutiny and directly infringes upon the core of the Second Amendment.
Los Angeles County Sheriff Alex Villanueva issued a similar attack on the 2nd Amendment this week, ordering all gun stores to close their doors. In a glaring case of doublespeak, the sheriff claimed removing the citizens right to self-defense “is about taking care of people.”
California Gov. Gavin Newsom — who is inches closer to dictatorship status each day — issued a list of essential businesses and left off gun stores. The good news is, however, that gun store owners are refusing to close.
“We have no plans to close,” said David Chong, who owns AO Sword Firearms in El Cajon. “We have not heard any lawful order to shut down.”
Chong, like the rest of the pro-gun rights individuals above, recognizes that the closure of gun stores is a direct attack on your Second Amendment right to bear arms.
“We have to be very careful not to get into a ridiculous situation where we are sterilizing the Second Amendment by saying, ‘Oh you can keep and bear arms but you can’t acquire any,’” Chong said.
“People are purchasing firearms because they’re in fear for their safety,” said Michael Schwartz, executive director of the San Diego County Gun Owners. “If you shut down that ability I think it’s a potentially dangerous situation.”
Indeed, one of the major primers of the American Revolutionary War was the British crown ordering colonists to be disarmed through the act of closing stores that sold arms.
“They’re definitely being threatened and they want to make sure that they’re complying with the law, but also want to make sure that they are fulfilling the responsibility to the community and people that want to be safe and protect themselves,” Schwartz said.
When government is systematically removing your right to defend yourself during one of the most defining crises of our lifetime, that government is not looking out for you. It is protecting itself. Hopefully, they are kept in check by people like David Chong who refuse to obey. After all, most positive change comes through good people disobeying bad laws.
Article source: The Free Thought Project
Matt Agorist is an honorably discharged veteran of the USMC and former intelligence operator directly tasked by the NSA. This prior experience gives him unique insight into the world of government corruption and the American police state. Agorist has been an independent journalist for over a decade and has been featured on mainstream networks around the world. Agorist is also the Editor at Large at the Free Thought Project. Follow @MattAgorist on Twitter, Steemit, and now on Minds.
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activistpost--2020-03-24--LA Mayor To Cut Off Water & Power Of “Irresponsible, Selfish” Stores That Remain Open

Earlier , Los Angeles County Sheriff Alex Villanueva ordered all gun stores closed ( fearing that too many first-time gun-owners were getting access to weapons ) , and now LA Mayor Eric Garcetti lashed out at non-essential stores that refuse to close , making an ominous threat .
After reflecting on the first COVID-19 death of a teenager in L.A. County , he went on to announce actions against nonessential businesses that don ’ t close .
He said the Department of Water and Power will shut off water and power for the businesses that don ’ t comply with @ @ @ @ @ @ @ .
Neighborhood prosecutors will implement safety measures and will contact the businesses before issuing further action , according to Garcetti .
This all seems to be accelerating down the extremely slippery slope towards full authoritarian control – something the politicians will be unwilling to easily give up once this crisis blows through .
Finally , the mayor said L.A. is six to 12 days behind New York in being hit with a wave of positive cases .
L.A. County had 669 confirmed coronavirus cases as of Tuesday , with 11 deaths .
The @ @ @ @ @ @ @ .
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By Tyler Durden
Earlier, Los Angeles County Sheriff Alex Villanueva ordered all gun stores closed (fearing that too many first-time gun-owners were getting access to weapons), and now LA Mayor Eric Garcetti lashed out at non-essential stores that refuse to close, making an ominous threat.
After reflecting on the first COVID-19 death of a teenager in L.A. County, he went on to announce actions against nonessential businesses that don’t close.
“This behavior is irresponsible and selfish,” he said of those that remain open.
He said the Department of Water and Power will shut off water and power for the businesses that don’t comply with the “safer at home” ordinance.
Neighborhood prosecutors will implement safety measures and will contact the businesses before issuing further action, according to Garcetti.
“The easiest way to avoid a visit is to follow the rules,” he said.
This all seems to be accelerating down the extremely slippery slope towards full authoritarian control – something the politicians will be unwilling to easily give up once this crisis blows through.
Finally, the mayor said L.A. is six to 12 days behind New York in being hit with a wave of positive cases.
“The peak is not here yet,” he said. “It will be bad… We need to be prepared for some of the darkness that is ahead.”
L.A. County had 669 confirmed coronavirus cases as of Tuesday, with 11 deaths. The state had 2,566 cases with 51 deaths.
Article source: ZeroHedge
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