lewrockwell--2020-06-03--This Is Not a Revolution. It’s a Blueprint for Locking Down the Nation

There is something being concocted in the dens of power , far beyond the public eye , and it doesn ’ t bode well for the future of this country .
Anytime you have an entire nation so mesmerized by political theater and public spectacle that they are oblivious to all else , you ’ d better beware .
Anytime you have a government that operates in the shadows , speaks in a language of force , and rules by fiat , you ’ d better beware .
Battlefield America : T ... John W. Whitehead Best Price : $ @ @ @ @ @ @ @ you have a government so far removed from its people as to ensure that they are never seen , heard or heeded by those elected to represent them , you ’ d better beware .
What is unfolding before us is not a revolution .
The looting , the burning , the rioting , the violence : this is an anti-revolution .
The protesters are playing right into the government ’ s hands , because the powers-that-be want this .
They want an excuse to lockdown the nation and throw the switch to @ @ @ @ @ @ @ reason to make the police state stronger .
It ’ s happening faster than we can keep up .
The Justice Department is deploying federal prison riot teams to various cities .
More than half of the nation ’ s governors are calling on the National Guard to quell civil unrest .
Growing numbers of cities , having just barely emerged from a coronavirus lockdown , are once again being locked down , this time in response to the growing upheaval .
This is how it begins .
It ’ s that dystopian @ @ @ @ @ @ @ , which anticipates the need for the government to institute martial law ( use armed forces to solve domestic political and social problems ) in order to navigate a world bedeviled by “ criminal networks , ” “ substandard infrastructure , ” “ religious and ethnic tensions , ” “ impoverishment , slums , ” “ open landfills , over-burdened sewers , ” a “ growing mass of unemployed , ” and an urban landscape in which the prosperous economic elite must be protected from the impoverishment of the have nots .
A @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Best Price : $ 2.06 Buy New $ 10.42 The architects of the police state have us exactly where they want us : under their stamping boot , gasping for breath , desperate for freedom , grappling for some semblance of a future that does not resemble the totalitarian prison being erected around us .
This way lies certain tyranny .
For just one fleeting moment , “ we the people ” seemed united in our outrage over this latest killing of an unarmed man by a cop hyped up on his own @ @ @ @ @ @ @ .
Indeed , it didn ’ t take long—no surprise there—for us to quickly become divided again , polarized by the misguided fury and senseless violence of mobs taking to the streets , reeking of madness and mayhem .
Deliberately or not , the rioters have directed our attention away from the government ’ s crimes and onto their own .
Don ’ t allow yourself to be so distracted .
Let ’ s not lose sight of what started all of this in the first place : the U.S. government .
The @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Best Price : $ 2.43 Buy New $ 14.95 More than terrorism , more than domestic extremism , more than gun violence and organized crime , the systemic violence being perpetrated by agents of the government constitutes 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 .
Case in point : George Floyd died at the hands of the American police state .
The callous , cold-blooded murder of the unarmed , 46-year-old black man @ @ @ @ @ @ @ 8 minutes and 46 seconds , police knelt on Floyd ’ s neck while the man pleaded for his life , struggled to breathe , cried out for his dead mother , and finally passed out and died .
Floyd is yet another victim of a broken system of policing that has placed “ we the people ” at the mercy of militarized cops who have almost absolute discretion to decide who is a threat , what constitutes resistance , and how harshly they can deal with the citizens they were appointed to @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Americans are being shot , stripped , searched , choked , beaten and tasered by police for little more than daring to frown , smile , question , challenge an order or just exist .
I ’ m talking about the growing numbers of unarmed people are who being shot and killed for just standing a certain way , or moving a certain way , or holding something—anything—that police could misinterpret to be a gun , or igniting some trigger-centric fear in a police officer ’ s mind that has nothing to do @ @ @ @ @ @ @ .
Killed by police for standing in a “ shooting stance.
” Killed for holding a cell phone .
Killed for holding a baseball bat .
Killed for opening the front door .
Killed for being a child in a car pursued by police .
Killed for approaching police while holding a metal spoon .
Killed for running in an aggressive manner while holding a tree branch .
Killed for crawling around naked .
Killed for hunching over in a defensive posture .
Killed because a police officer accidentally fired his gun instead @ @ @ @ @ @ @ dark pants and a basketball jersey .
Killed for reaching for his license and registration during a traffic stop .
Killed for driving while deaf .
Killed for being homeless .
Killed for brandishing a shoehorn .
Killed for peeing outdoors .
Killed for having his car break down on the road .
Killed for holding a garden hose .
Now you can make all kinds of excuses to justify these shootings , and in fact that ’ s exactly what you ’ ll hear from politicians , police unions , law enforcement @ @ @ @ @ @ @ happy to march in lockstep with the police .
However , as these incidents make clear , the only truly compliant , submissive and obedient citizen in a police state is a dead one .
The Change Manifesto : ... Whitehead , John W Best Price : $ 2.03 Buy New $ 10.60 Sad , isn ’ t it , how quickly we have gone from a nation of laws—where the least among us had just as much right to be treated with dignity and respect as the next person ( in principle @ @ @ @ @ @ @ of law enforcers ( revenue collectors with weapons ) who treat us all like suspects and criminals ?
This is not how you keep the peace .
This is not justice .
This is not even law and order .
This is certainly not freedom .
This is the illusion of freedom .
Unfortunately , we are now being ruled by a government of psychopaths , scoundrels , spies , thugs , thieves , gangsters , ruffians , rapists , extortionists , bounty hunters , battle-ready warriors and cold-blooded killers who communicate using @ @ @ @ @ @ @ The facts speak for themselves .
We ’ re being ravaged by a government of ruffians , rapists and killers .
It ’ s not just the police shootings of unarmed citizens that are worrisome .
It ’ s the SWAT team raids gone wrong that are leaving innocent citizens wounded , children terrorized and family pets killed .
It ’ s the roadside strip searches—in some cases , cavity searches of men and women alike carried out in full view of the public—in pursuit of drugs that are never found .
It @ @ @ @ @ @ @ so-called “ nonlethal ” weapons such as tasers on children for “ mouthing off to a police officer .
For trying to run from the principal ’ s office .
For , at the age of 12 , getting into a fight with another girl.
” We ’ re being held at gunpoint by a government of soldiers—a standing army .
While Americans are being made to jump through an increasing number of hoops in order to exercise their Second Amendment right to own a gun , the government is arming its own @ @ @ @ @ @ @ , ammunition and military-style equipment , authorizing them to make arrests , and training them in military tactics .
Among the agencies being supplied with night-vision equipment , body armor , hollow-point bullets , shotguns , drones , assault rifles and LP gas cannons are the Smithsonian , U.S. Mint , Health and Human Services , IRS , FDA , Small Business Administration , Social Security Administration , National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration , Education Department , Energy Department , Bureau of Engraving and Printing and an assortment of public universities .
There @ @ @ @ @ @ @ ) government civilians armed with high-tech , deadly weapons than U.S. Marines .
That doesn ’ t even begin to touch on the government ’ s arsenal , the transformation of local police into extensions of the military , and the speed with which the nation could be locked down under martial law depending on the circumstances .
Clearly , the government is preparing for war—and a civil war , at that—and “ we the people ” are the perceived enemy .
The Invisible Enemy Garrett , Mr. Gregory L ... Buy New @ @ @ @ @ @ @ advantage of by a government of scoundrels , idiots and cowards .
American satirist H.L .
Mencken calculated that “ Congress consists of one-third , more or less , scoundrels ; two-thirds , more or less , idiots ; and three-thirds , more or less , poltroons.
” By and large , Americans seem to agree .
When you ’ ve got government representatives who spend a large chunk of their work hours fundraising , being feted by lobbyists , shuffling through a lucrative revolving door between public service and lobbying , and @ @ @ @ @ @ @ money to secure access to a congressional office , you ’ re in the clutches of a corrupt oligarchy .
Mind you , these same elected officials rarely read the legislation they ’ re enacting , nor do they seem capable of enacting much legislation that actually helps rather than hinders the plight of the American citizen .
We ’ re being locked up by a government of greedy jailers .
We have become a carceral state , spending three times more on our prisons than on our schools and imprisoning close to @ @ @ @ @ @ @ prisoners , despite the fact that crime is at an all-time low and the U.S. makes up only 5 % of the world ’ s population .
The rise of overcriminalization and profit-driven private prisons provides even greater incentives for locking up American citizens for such non-violent “ crimes ” as having an overgrown lawn .
As the Boston Review points out , “ America ’ s contemporary system of policing , courts , imprisonment , and parole … makes money through asset forfeiture , lucrative public contracts from private service providers , @ @ @ @ @ @ @ labor from populations of color and the poor .
In states and municipalities throughout the country , the criminal justice system defrays costs by forcing prisoners and their families to pay for punishment .
It also allows private service providers to charge outrageous fees for everyday needs such as telephone calls .
As a result people facing even minor criminal charges can easily find themselves trapped in a self-perpetuating cycle of debt , criminalization , and incarceration.
” We ’ re being spied on by a government of Peeping Toms .
The government @ @ @ @ @ @ @ is watching everything you do , reading everything you write , listening to everything you say , and monitoring everything you spend .
Omnipresent surveillance is paving the way for government programs that profile citizens , document their behavior and attempt to predict what they might do in the future , whether it ’ s what they might buy , what politician they might support , or what kinds of crimes they might commit .
The impact of this far-reaching surveillance , according to Psychology Today , is “ reduced trust , increased @ @ @ @ @ @ @ ” As technology analyst Jillian C. York concludes , “ Mass surveillance without due process—whether undertaken by the government of Bahrain , Russia , the US , or anywhere in between—threatens to stifle and smother that dissent , leaving in its wake a populace cowed by fear.
” We ’ re being forced to surrender our freedoms—and those of our children—to a government of extortionists , money launderers and professional pirates .
The American people have been repeatedly sold a bill of goods about how the government needs more money , more expansive @ @ @ @ @ @ @ courts , secret budgets , secret military campaigns , secret surveillance ) in order to keep us safe .
Under the guise of fighting its wars on terror , drugs , domestic extremism , pandemics and civil unrest , the government has spent billions in taxpayer dollars on endless wars that have sown the seeds of blowback , surveillance programs that have subjected all Americans to a surveillance society , and militarized police that have turned communities into warzones .
Manufacturing Consent : ... Chomsky , Noam Best Price : $ 10.99 Buy @ @ @ @ @ @ @ robbed blind by a government of thieves .
Americans no longer have any real protection against government agents empowered to seize private property at will .
For instance , police agencies under the guise of asset forfeiture laws are taking property based on little more than a suspicion of criminal activity .
And we ’ re being forced to live in a perpetual state of emergency .
From 9/11 through the COVID-19 lockdowns and now the threat of martial law in the face of growing civil unrest , we have witnessed the rise @ @ @ @ @ @ @ justifies all manner of government tyranny and power grabs in the so-called name of national security .
Whatever else it may be—a danger , a menace , a threat—the U.S. government is certainly not looking out for our best interests , nor is it in any way a friend to freedom .
When the government views itself as superior to the citizenry , when it no longer operates for the benefit of the people , when the people are no longer able to peacefully reform their government , when government officials cease to @ @ @ @ @ @ @ officials no longer represent the will of the people , when the government routinely violates the rights of the people and perpetrates more violence against the citizenry than the criminal class , when government spending is unaccountable and unaccounted for , when the judiciary act as courts of order rather than justice , and when the government is no longer bound by the laws of the Constitution , then you no longer have a government “ of the people , by the people and for the people.
” What we have is a @ @ @ @ @ @ @ against the proverbial wall .
The government and its cohorts have conspired to ensure that the only real recourse the American people have to express their displeasure with the government is through voting , which is no real recourse at all .
The penalties for civil disobedience , whistleblowing and rebellion are severe .
If you refuse to pay taxes for government programs you believe to be immoral or illegal , you will go to jail .
If you attempt to overthrow the government—or any agency thereof—because you believe it has overstepped its @ @ @ @ @ @ @ .
If you attempt to blow the whistle on government misconduct , there ’ s a pretty good chance you will go to jail .
For too long , the American people have obeyed the government ’ s dictates , no matter now extreme .
We have paid its taxes , penalties and fines , no matter how outrageous .
We have tolerated its indignities , insults and abuses , no matter how egregious .
We have turned a blind eye to its indiscretions and incompetence , no matter how imprudent .
We @ @ @ @ @ @ @ of its lawlessness , licentiousness and corruption , no matter how illicit .
How long we will continue to suffer depends on how much we ’ re willing to give up for the sake of freedom .
America ’ s founders provided us with a very specific explanation about the purpose of government and a roadmap for what to do when the government abuses its authority , ignores our objections , and establishes itself as a tyrant .
We must choose between peaceful slavery ( in other words , maintaining the status quo @ @ @ @ @ @ @ and dangerous freedom .
That will mean carving out a path in which we begin to take ownership of our government , starting at the local level , challenging the status quo , and raising hell—nonviolently—whenever a government official steps out of line .
We can no longer maintain the illusion of freedom .
As I make clear in my book Battlefield America : The War on the American People , we are at our most vulnerable right now .
The Best of John W. Whitehead

“When it gets down to having to use violence, then you are playing the system’s game. The establishment will irritate you—pull your beard, flick your face—to make you fight. Because once they’ve got you violent, then they know how to handle you.”—John Lennon
Brace yourselves.
There is something being concocted in the dens of power, far beyond the public eye, and it doesn’t bode well for the future of this country.
Anytime you have an entire nation so mesmerized by political theater and public spectacle that they are oblivious to all else, you’d better beware.
Anytime you have a government that operates in the shadows, speaks in a language of force, and rules by fiat, you’d better beware. Battlefield America: T... John W. Whitehead Best Price: $10.95 Buy New $18.80 (as of 10:15 UTC - Details)
And anytime you have a government so far removed from its people as to ensure that they are never seen, heard or heeded by those elected to represent them, you’d better beware.
What is unfolding before us is not a revolution.
The looting, the burning, the rioting, the violence: this is an anti-revolution.
The protesters are playing right into the government’s hands, because the powers-that-be want this. They want an excuse to lockdown the nation and throw the switch to all-out martial law. They want a reason to make the police state stronger.
It’s happening faster than we can keep up.
The Justice Department is deploying federal prison riot teams to various cities. More than half of the nation’s governors are calling on the National Guard to quell civil unrest. Growing numbers of cities, having just barely emerged from a coronavirus lockdown, are once again being locked down, this time in response to the growing upheaval.
This is how it begins.
It’s that dystopian 2030 Pentagon training video all over again, which anticipates the need for the government to institute martial law (use armed forces to solve domestic political and social problems) in order to navigate a world bedeviled by “criminal networks,” “substandard infrastructure,” “religious and ethnic tensions,” “impoverishment, slums,” “open landfills, over-burdened sewers,” a “growing mass of unemployed,” and an urban landscape in which the prosperous economic elite must be protected from the impoverishment of the have nots. A Government of Wolves... John W. Whitehead Best Price: $2.06 Buy New $10.42 (as of 01:25 UTC - Details)
We’re way ahead of schedule.
The architects of the police state have us exactly where they want us: under their stamping boot, gasping for breath, desperate for freedom, grappling for some semblance of a future that does not resemble the totalitarian prison being erected around us.
This way lies certain tyranny.
For just one fleeting moment, “we the people” seemed united in our outrage over this latest killing of an unarmed man by a cop hyped up on his own authority and the power of his uniform.
That unity didn’t last.
Indeed, it didn’t take long—no surprise there—for us to quickly become divided again, polarized by the misguided fury and senseless violence of mobs taking to the streets, reeking of madness and mayhem.
Deliberately or not, the rioters have directed our attention away from the government’s crimes and onto their own.
This is a distraction.
Don’t allow yourself to be so distracted.
Let’s not lose sight of what started all of this in the first place: the U.S. government. The Second American Re... John W. Whitehead Best Price: $2.43 Buy New $14.95 (as of 09:05 UTC - Details)
More than terrorism, more than domestic extremism, more than gun violence and organized crime, the systemic violence being perpetrated by agents of the government constitutes 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.
Case in point: George Floyd died at the hands of the American police state.
The callous, cold-blooded murder of the unarmed, 46-year-old black man by police is nothing new: for 8 minutes and 46 seconds, police knelt on Floyd’s neck while the man pleaded for his life, struggled to breathe, cried out for his dead mother, and finally passed out and died.
Floyd is yet another victim of a broken system of policing that has placed “we the people” at the mercy of militarized cops who have almost absolute discretion to decide who is a threat, what constitutes resistance, and how harshly they can deal with the citizens they were appointed to “serve and protect.”
Daily, Americans are being shot, stripped, searched, choked, beaten and tasered by police for little more than daring to frown, smile, question, challenge an order or just exist.
I’m talking about the growing numbers of unarmed people are who being shot and killed for just standing a certain way, or moving a certain way, or holding something—anything—that police could misinterpret to be a gun, or igniting some trigger-centric fear in a police officer’s mind that has nothing to do with an actual threat to their safety.
Killed by police for standing in a “shooting stance.” Killed for holding a cell phone. Killed for holding a baseball bat. Killed for opening the front door. Killed for being a child in a car pursued by police. Killed for approaching police while holding a metal spoon. Killed for running in an aggressive manner while holding a tree branch. Killed for crawling around naked. Killed for hunching over in a defensive posture. Killed because a police officer accidentally fired his gun instead of his taser. Killed for wearing dark pants and a basketball jersey. Killed for reaching for his license and registration during a traffic stop. Killed for driving while deaf. Killed for being homeless. Killed for brandishing a shoehorn. Killed for peeing outdoors. Killed for having his car break down on the road. Killed for holding a garden hose.
Now you can make all kinds of excuses to justify these shootings, and in fact that’s exactly what you’ll hear from politicians, police unions, law enforcement officials and individuals who are more than happy to march in lockstep with the police. However, as these incidents make clear, the only truly compliant, submissive and obedient citizen in a police state is a dead one. The Change Manifesto: ... Whitehead, John W Best Price: $2.03 Buy New $10.60 (as of 01:25 UTC - Details)
Sad, isn’t it, how quickly we have gone from a nation of laws—where the least among us had just as much right to be treated with dignity and respect as the next person (in principle, at least)—to a nation of law enforcers (revenue collectors with weapons) who treat us all like suspects and criminals?
This is not how you keep the peace.
This is not justice. This is not even law and order.
This is certainly not freedom. This is the illusion of freedom.
Unfortunately, we are now being ruled by a government of psychopaths, scoundrels, spies, thugs, thieves, gangsters, ruffians, rapists, extortionists, bounty hunters, battle-ready warriors and cold-blooded killers who communicate using a language of force and oppression.
The facts speak for themselves.
We’re being ravaged by a government of ruffians, rapists and killers. It’s not just the police shootings of unarmed citizens that are worrisome. It’s the SWAT team raids gone wrong that are leaving innocent citizens wounded, children terrorized and family pets killed. It’s the roadside strip searches—in some cases, cavity searches of men and women alike carried out in full view of the public—in pursuit of drugs that are never found. It’s the potentially lethal—and unwarranted—use of so-called “nonlethal” weapons such as tasers on children for “mouthing off to a police officer. For trying to run from the principal’s office. For, at the age of 12, getting into a fight with another girl.”
We’re being held at gunpoint by a government of soldiers—a standing army. While Americans are being made to jump through an increasing number of hoops in order to exercise their Second Amendment right to own a gun, the government is arming its own civilian employees to the hilt with guns, ammunition and military-style equipment, authorizing them to make arrests, and training them in military tactics. Among the agencies being supplied with night-vision equipment, body armor, hollow-point bullets, shotguns, drones, assault rifles and LP gas cannons are the Smithsonian, U.S. Mint, Health and Human Services, IRS, FDA, Small Business Administration, Social Security Administration, National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration, Education Department, Energy Department, Bureau of Engraving and Printing and an assortment of public universities. There are now reportedly more bureaucratic (non-military) government civilians armed with high-tech, deadly weapons than U.S. Marines. That doesn’t even begin to touch on the government’s arsenal, the transformation of local police into extensions of the military, and the speed with which the nation could be locked down under martial law depending on the circumstances. Clearly, the government is preparing for war—and a civil war, at that—and “we the people” are the perceived enemy. The Invisible Enemy Garrett, Mr. Gregory L... Buy New $26.94 (as of 05:21 UTC - Details)
We’re being taken advantage of by a government of scoundrels, idiots and cowards. American satirist H.L. Mencken calculated that “Congress consists of one-third, more or less, scoundrels; two-thirds, more or less, idiots; and three-thirds, more or less, poltroons.” By and large, Americans seem to agree. When you’ve got government representatives who spend a large chunk of their work hours fundraising, being feted by lobbyists, shuffling through a lucrative revolving door between public service and lobbying, and making themselves available to anyone with enough money to secure access to a congressional office, you’re in the clutches of a corrupt oligarchy. Mind you, these same elected officials rarely read the legislation they’re enacting, nor do they seem capable of enacting much legislation that actually helps rather than hinders the plight of the American citizen.
We’re being locked up by a government of greedy jailers. We have become a carceral state, spending three times more on our prisons than on our schools and imprisoning close to a quarter of the world’s prisoners, despite the fact that crime is at an all-time low and the U.S. makes up only 5% of the world’s population. The rise of overcriminalization and profit-driven private prisons provides even greater incentives for locking up American citizens for such non-violent “crimes” as having an overgrown lawn. As the Boston Review points out, “America’s contemporary system of policing, courts, imprisonment, and parole … makes money through asset forfeiture, lucrative public contracts from private service providers, and by directly extracting revenue and unpaid labor from populations of color and the poor. In states and municipalities throughout the country, the criminal justice system defrays costs by forcing prisoners and their families to pay for punishment. It also allows private service providers to charge outrageous fees for everyday needs such as telephone calls. As a result people facing even minor criminal charges can easily find themselves trapped in a self-perpetuating cycle of debt, criminalization, and incarceration.”
We’re being spied on by a government of Peeping Toms. The government, aided by its corporate allies, is watching everything you do, reading everything you write, listening to everything you say, and monitoring everything you spend. Omnipresent surveillance is paving the way for government programs that profile citizens, document their behavior and attempt to predict what they might do in the future, whether it’s what they might buy, what politician they might support, or what kinds of crimes they might commit. The impact of this far-reaching surveillance, according to Psychology Today, is “reduced trust, increased conformity, and even diminished civic participation.” As technology analyst Jillian C. York concludes, “Mass surveillance without due process—whether undertaken by the government of Bahrain, Russia, the US, or anywhere in between—threatens to stifle and smother that dissent, leaving in its wake a populace cowed by fear.”
We’re being forced to surrender our freedoms—and those of our children—to a government of extortionists, money launderers and professional pirates. The American people have been repeatedly sold a bill of goods about how the government needs more money, more expansive powers, and more secrecy (secret courts, secret budgets, secret military campaigns, secret surveillance) in order to keep us safe. Under the guise of fighting its wars on terror, drugs, domestic extremism, pandemics and civil unrest, the government has spent billions in taxpayer dollars on endless wars that have sown the seeds of blowback, surveillance programs that have subjected all Americans to a surveillance society, and militarized police that have turned communities into warzones. Manufacturing Consent:... Chomsky, Noam Best Price: $10.99 Buy New $13.53 (as of 11:05 UTC - Details)
We’re being robbed blind by a government of thieves. Americans no longer have any real protection against government agents empowered to seize private property at will. For instance, police agencies under the guise of asset forfeiture laws are taking property based on little more than a suspicion of criminal activity.
And we’re being forced to live in a perpetual state of emergency. From 9/11 through the COVID-19 lockdowns and now the threat of martial law in the face of growing civil unrest, we have witnessed the rise of an “emergency state” that justifies all manner of government tyranny and power grabs in the so-called name of national security.
Whatever else it may be—a danger, a menace, a threat—the U.S. government is certainly not looking out for our best interests, nor is it in any way a friend to freedom.
When the government views itself as superior to the citizenry, when it no longer operates for the benefit of the people, when the people are no longer able to peacefully reform their government, when government officials cease to act like public servants, when elected officials no longer represent the will of the people, when the government routinely violates the rights of the people and perpetrates more violence against the citizenry than the criminal class, when government spending is unaccountable and unaccounted for, when the judiciary act as courts of order rather than justice, and when the government is no longer bound by the laws of the Constitution, then you no longer have a government “of the people, by the people and for the people.”
What we have is a government of wolves.
Our backs are against the proverbial wall.
The government and its cohorts have conspired to ensure that the only real recourse the American people have to express their displeasure with the government is through voting, which is no real recourse at all.
The penalties for civil disobedience, whistleblowing and rebellion are severe. If you refuse to pay taxes for government programs you believe to be immoral or illegal, you will go to jail. If you attempt to overthrow the government—or any agency thereof—because you believe it has overstepped its reach, you will go to jail. If you attempt to blow the whistle on government misconduct, there’s a pretty good chance you will go to jail.
For too long, the American people have obeyed the government’s dictates, no matter now extreme. We have paid its taxes, penalties and fines, no matter how outrageous. We have tolerated its indignities, insults and abuses, no matter how egregious. We have turned a blind eye to its indiscretions and incompetence, no matter how imprudent. We have held our silence in the face of its lawlessness, licentiousness and corruption, no matter how illicit.
We have suffered.
How long we will continue to suffer depends on how much we’re willing to give up for the sake of freedom.
America’s founders provided us with a very specific explanation about the purpose of government and a roadmap for what to do when the government abuses its authority, ignores our objections, and establishes itself as a tyrant.
We must choose between peaceful slavery (in other words, maintaining the status quo in servitude to the police state) and dangerous freedom. That will mean carving out a path in which we begin to take ownership of our government, starting at the local level, challenging the status quo, and raising hell—nonviolently—whenever a government official steps out of line.
We can no longer maintain the illusion of freedom.
As I make clear in my book Battlefield America: The War on the American People, we are at our most vulnerable right now.
The Best of John W. Whitehead


lewrockwell--2020-06-03--We Were Told For Months We’d Never Gather In Public Again ‘Because Covid-19.’

The same people who convinced Americans to lock themselves inside for months for fear of a killer virus have forsaken Covid-19 to urge us all to join nationwide protests .
If anyone took them seriously before , those days are over .
Media , politicians and celebrities who spent the past three months lecturing Americans about the importance of staying home and keeping at least six feet away from all other humans lest they catch or spread the deadly coronavirus have suddenly pivoted on a dime – seemingly as one – to cheering on those Americans defying their advice to @ @ @ @ @ @ @ protests against police brutality .
Wall-to-wall Covid-19 coverage gave way overnight to endless footage of police whaling on protesters , rioters burning buildings and looting , and massive crowds in the streets of every major American city .
Nary a word was spoken about social distancing , or lockdowns , or anything relating to the “ new normal ” we ’ d been ordered for months to understand was our only future .
PetSafe Wireless Dog a ... Best Price : $ 226.26 Buy New $ 247.13 Americans who ’ d spent months @ @ @ @ @ @ @ supermarket would land them in the morgue were suddenly told to get out there and fight the power .
News media , politicians , and seemingly every major corporation was suddenly pumping out messages of support for the protests , which were said to be happening not only all over the US , but all over the world .
What happened to “ Stay Home Or Die Trying ” ?
Sure , more and more information was emerging to suggest that the entire lockdown-shutdown response to the virus had been suicidally misinformed at @ @ @ @ @ @ @ ’ s science project reviled by real experts – and nothing excites ( and distracts ) the American public like a good old-fashioned race war .
But where does that leave the people who dutifully shut down their businesses , eating seven-figure losses and forfeiting their savings because they trusted the word of their leaders and the media , who told them this was the only way to save their fellow Americans from suffocating to death in the grips of this new plague ?
What about those who were laid off or “ @ @ @ @ @ @ @ no future for themselves in a socially distanced world ?
These people are no doubt staring open-mouthed at the footage of thousands of protesters packing the streets of most major American cities , no sign of a six-foot distance between them , many masked but otherwise giving no indication that the past three months were anything but a bad dream .
Jackery Portable Power ... Buy New $ 999.99 It ’ s not like the media and political class haven ’ t lied to Americans before – they do it on a daily @ @ @ @ @ @ @ might start to get uneasy if they stopped .
But there has always been an unspoken agreement that , in matters of life and death , like the killer world-ending pandemic Covid-19 was initially presented to be , they ’ d put aside the usual partisan bickering and ratings tug-of-war and tell us what we needed to do in order to stay alive .
That trust convinced many to suppress their survival instincts and close down their lives for three months , believing the authorities knew what was best .
Now they ’ @ @ @ @ @ @ @ a media-political nexus that seems bent on destroying every last shred of credibility it once had .
Americans sacrificed three months of their lives because they were told it was the only way to save their neighbors ’ .
Now they ’ re being made to feel like fools as the same talking heads lecturing them about the critical importance of staying home a month ago are now telling them to get into the streets because racism is tearing their country apart .
Perhaps the sudden abandonment of the social-distancing message would mean @ @ @ @ @ @ @ else to distract it during the pandemic , but lockdown meant everyone was glued to their screens imbibing their daily dose of Covid-19 fear porn .
Now that the supply has been cut off , we can expect the withdrawals to begin setting in at any moment .
Judging by the Atlanta rioters ’ assault on CNN headquarters , they ’ ve already started .
3 Pack POLICE MAGNUM O ... Buy New $ 19.99 It ’ s not clear how the narrative-managers can salvage any credibility from this journalistic equivalent of a @ @ @ @ @ @ @ or even if they want to .
They might hope fear of looters and race war can keep Americans in the same unquestioningly obedient state they were largely able to maintain throughout the pandemic , content to camp out in front of their screens because the outside world is a terrifying , uncertain place .
Perhaps they ’ re counting on a brief respite from all-coronavirus-all-the-time will give people ’ s brains time to recharge their stock of stress hormones , allowing for maximum fear to be unleashed once the dreaded “ second @ @ @ @ @ @ @ fall ( something health officials still say is possible ) .
Or maybe they ’ re just planning to rely on good old learned helplessness – the “ what choice do we have but to trust our leaders ?
” fatalism that settled over this country during the last economic crisis ( speaking of looting… ) and never really left .
But one thing seems certain .
If they don ’ t even make an effort to explain what happened to the “ new normal ” socially distanced dystopia we were told was @ @ @ @ @ @ @ just pretend the lockdown never happened , we can expect howls of outrage from the millions of people who realize they ’ ve been betrayed by their leaders like never before – rage that will make the current unrest look quite tame .
Digital Electronic Cas ... Buy New $ 55.99 Sure , they could simply admit they overhyped the pandemic , even apologize to the people whose lives they ruined with the shutdowns , and try to make amends that way .
But that ’ s not their style .
Indeed , @ @ @ @ @ @ @ class and their media enablers could further tank their credibility would be to blame that Covid-19 “ second wave ” on those “ wildly irresponsible anti-police-brutality protests ” everyone was somehow convinced to join in June .
Wan na bet that ’ s the route they take ?
The statements , views and opinions expressed in this column are solely those of the author and do not necessarily represent those of RT .

The same people who convinced Americans to lock themselves inside for months for fear of a killer virus have forsaken Covid-19 to urge us all to join nationwide protests. If anyone took them seriously before, those days are over.
Media, politicians and celebrities who spent the past three months lecturing Americans about the importance of staying home and keeping at least six feet away from all other humans lest they catch or spread the deadly coronavirus have suddenly pivoted on a dime – seemingly as one – to cheering on those Americans defying their advice to pour into the streets and join nationwide protests against police brutality.
Wall-to-wall Covid-19 coverage gave way overnight to endless footage of police whaling on protesters, rioters burning buildings and looting, and massive crowds in the streets of every major American city. Nary a word was spoken about social distancing, or lockdowns, or anything relating to the “new normal” we’d been ordered for months to understand was our only future. PetSafe Wireless Dog a... Best Price: $226.26 Buy New $247.13 (as of 03:35 UTC - Details)
Americans who’d spent months worried that their furtive trips to the supermarket would land them in the morgue were suddenly told to get out there and fight the power. News media, politicians, and seemingly every major corporation was suddenly pumping out messages of support for the protests, which were said to be happening not only all over the US, but all over the world. What happened to “Stay Home Or Die Trying”?
Sure, more and more information was emerging to suggest that the entire lockdown-shutdown response to the virus had been suicidally misinformed at best, based on a high-school student’s science project reviled by real experts – and nothing excites (and distracts) the American public like a good old-fashioned race war.
But where does that leave the people who dutifully shut down their businesses, eating seven-figure losses and forfeiting their savings because they trusted the word of their leaders and the media, who told them this was the only way to save their fellow Americans from suffocating to death in the grips of this new plague? What about those who were laid off or “indefinitely” furloughed because their employers saw no future for themselves in a socially distanced world?
These people are no doubt staring open-mouthed at the footage of thousands of protesters packing the streets of most major American cities, no sign of a six-foot distance between them, many masked but otherwise giving no indication that the past three months were anything but a bad dream. Jackery Portable Power... Buy New $999.99 (as of 04:50 UTC - Details)
It’s not like the media and political class haven’t lied to Americans before – they do it on a daily basis, so much so that we might start to get uneasy if they stopped. But there has always been an unspoken agreement that, in matters of life and death, like the killer world-ending pandemic Covid-19 was initially presented to be, they’d put aside the usual partisan bickering and ratings tug-of-war and tell us what we needed to do in order to stay alive. That trust convinced many to suppress their survival instincts and close down their lives for three months, believing the authorities knew what was best.
Now they’re getting the exact opposite message from a media-political nexus that seems bent on destroying every last shred of credibility it once had.
Americans sacrificed three months of their lives because they were told it was the only way to save their neighbors’. Now they’re being made to feel like fools as the same talking heads lecturing them about the critical importance of staying home a month ago are now telling them to get into the streets because racism is tearing their country apart.
What will regular Americans think? I shuttered my dream business, my life Then the same people telling me to shut the fuck up told the rioters to come on out Michael Tracey makes a great point below https://t.co/di98jiODZs — Tim Pool (@Timcast) June 1, 2020
Perhaps the sudden abandonment of the social-distancing message would mean less if the country had had something else to distract it during the pandemic, but lockdown meant everyone was glued to their screens imbibing their daily dose of Covid-19 fear porn. Now that the supply has been cut off, we can expect the withdrawals to begin setting in at any moment. Judging by the Atlanta rioters’ assault on CNN headquarters, they’ve already started. 3 Pack POLICE MAGNUM O... Buy New $19.99 (as of 02:24 UTC - Details)
It’s not clear how the narrative-managers can salvage any credibility from this journalistic equivalent of a self-handicapping gunshot wound to the foot, or even if they want to. They might hope fear of looters and race war can keep Americans in the same unquestioningly obedient state they were largely able to maintain throughout the pandemic, content to camp out in front of their screens because the outside world is a terrifying, uncertain place.
Perhaps they’re counting on a brief respite from all-coronavirus-all-the-time will give people’s brains time to recharge their stock of stress hormones, allowing for maximum fear to be unleashed once the dreaded “second wave” of Covid-19 hits in the fall (something health officials still say is possible). Or maybe they’re just planning to rely on good old learned helplessness – the “what choice do we have but to trust our leaders?” fatalism that settled over this country during the last economic crisis (speaking of looting…) and never really left.
But one thing seems certain. If they don’t even make an effort to explain what happened to the “new normal” socially distanced dystopia we were told was inevitable just two weeks ago, and just pretend the lockdown never happened, we can expect howls of outrage from the millions of people who realize they’ve been betrayed by their leaders like never before – rage that will make the current unrest look quite tame. Digital Electronic Cas... Buy New $55.99 (as of 02:44 UTC - Details)
Sure, they could simply admit they overhyped the pandemic, even apologize to the people whose lives they ruined with the shutdowns, and try to make amends that way. But that’s not their style.
Indeed, just about the only way the political class and their media enablers could further tank their credibility would be to blame that Covid-19 “second wave” on those “wildly irresponsible anti-police-brutality protests” everyone was somehow convinced to join in June. Wanna bet that’s the route they take?
The statements, views and opinions expressed in this column are solely those of the author and do not necessarily represent those of RT.


lewrockwell--2020-06-03--German Official Leaks Report Denouncing Corona as ‘A Global False Alarm’

Germany ’ s federal government and mainstream media are engaged in damage control after a report that challenges the established Corona narrative leaked from the interior ministry .
Some of the report key passages are : Plague of Corruption : ... Mikovits , Judy Buy New $ 16.51 • The dangerousness of Covid-19 was overestimated : probably at no point did the danger posed by the new virus go beyond the normal level .
• The people who die from Corona are essentially those who would statistically die this year , because they have reached the end of their lives @ @ @ @ @ @ @ cope with any random everyday stress ( including the approximately 150 viruses currently in circulation ) .
• Worldwide , within a quarter of a year , there has been no more than 250,000 deaths from Covid-19 , compared to 1.5 million deaths [ 25,100 in Germany ] during the influenza wave 2017/18 .
• The danger is obviously no greater than that of many other viruses .
There is no evidence that this was more than a false alarm .
• A reproach could go along these lines : During the Corona @ @ @ @ @ @ @ one of the biggest producers of Fake News .
So far , so bad .
But it gets worse .
The report focuses on the “ manifold and heavy consequences of the Corona measures ” and warns that these are “ grave ” .
More people are dying because of state-imposed Corona-measures than they are being killed by the virus .
The reason is a scandal in the making : A Corona-focused German healthcare system is postponing life-saving surgery and delaying or reducing treatment for non-Corona patients .
Initially , the government tried @ @ @ @ @ @ @ work of one employee ” , and its contents as “ his own opinion ” – while the journalists closed ranks , no questions asked , with the politicians .
Virus Mania : How the M ... Kennedy , Robert Best Price : $ 23.32 Buy New $ 18.31 But the 93-pages report titled “ Analysis of the Crisis Management ” has been drafted by a scientific panel appointed by the interior ministry and composed by external medical experts from several German universities .
The report was the initiative of a department of @ @ @ @ @ @ @ in charge with the “ Protection of critical infrastructures ” .
This is also where the German official turned whistleblower , Stephen Kohn , work ( ed ) , and from where he leaked it to the media .
The authors of the report issued a joint press release already on Mai 11th , berating the government for ignoring expert advise , and asking for the interior minister to officially comment upon the experts joint statement : “ Therapeutic and preventive measures should never bring more harm than the illness itself .
Their @ @ @ @ @ @ @ groups , without endegearing the availibilty of medical care and the health of the whole population , as it is unfortunately occurring ” “ We in the scientific and medical praxis are experiencing the secondary damages of the Corona-measures on our patients on a dialy basis.
” “ We therefore ask the Federal Ministry of the Interior , to comment upon our press release , and we hope for a pertinent discussion regarding the [ Corona ] measures , one that leads to the best possible solution for the whole population ” At @ @ @ @ @ @ @ government had yet to react .
But the facts are – sadly – vindicating the medical experts ’ worries .
On Mai 23 the German newspaper Das Bild titled : “ Dramatic consequences of the Corona-Measures : 52,000 Cancer Ops delayed.
” Plague : One Scientist & ... Mikovits , Judy Best Price : $ 29.55 Buy New $ 17.99 Inside , a aeading medical doctor warns that “ we will feel the side-effects of the Corona crisis for years ” .
As Der Spiegel reported on Mai 15th : “ Stephen Kohn @ @ @ @ @ @ @ suspended from duty .
He was advised to obtain a lawyer and his work laptop was confiscated.
” Kohn had originally leaked the report on May 9th to the liberal-conservative magazine Tichys Einblick one of Germany ’ s most popular alternative media outlets .
News of the report went mainstream in Germany during the second week of Mai – but already in the third week media and politicians alike stopped discussing the issue by refusing to comment upon it .
Emblematic was the approach taken by Günter Krings , the representative for Interior @ @ @ @ @ @ @ s boss : Asked it he would treat the document seriously , Krings replied : “ If you start analyzing papers like that , then pretty soon you ’ ll be inviting the guys with the tin foil hats to parliamentary hearings.
” Men in tin foil hats – Aluhut in German – is a term used to describe people who believe in conspiracy theories .
Indeed one article by Der Spiegel adressing the Corona protest movement and the consequences of the leaked report contained the word “ conspiracy ” no fewer than @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Vaccine Bookchin , Debbie Best Price : $ 16.95 Buy New $ 16.96 And no discussions of the issues raised by the report itself .
Outside Germany the news has virtually gone unreported .
Germans begun demonstrating against Lockdowns as early as April .
And thousands of citizens keep showing up at demos every week-end , even as the government is easing the restrictions .
The demos are not merely against restrictions , which have actually been comparatively mild compared to many other Western countries .
The demos question the entire Corona Narrative @ @ @ @ @ @ @ especially the role Bill Gates is playing , as the WHO second biggest donor ( the first one since Trump suspended U.S. contribution ) .
Indeed the biggest such demos took place in Stuttgart on May 9th , where tens of thousands people assempled to say no – to the NWO .
Germans are saying no to any orwellian solution the government might one day impose out of a questionable “ emergency status ” , from mass surveillance Apps to mandatory vaccinations .
The leaked report has proved their fears to be well @ @ @ @ @ @ @ the fake nature of the “ Corona pandemic ” is concerned .
The rest might soon follow .
The views of individual contributors do not necessarily represent those of the Strategic Culture Foundation .
Machiavelli : The Art o ... Boucheron , Patrick Best Price : $ 6.19 Buy New $ 5.99 The True Story of Fake ...
Dice , Mark Best Price : $ 13.06 Buy New $ 17.94

Germany’s federal government and mainstream media are engaged in damage control after a report that challenges the established Corona narrative leaked from the interior ministry.
Some of the report key passages are: Plague of Corruption: ... Mikovits, Judy Buy New $16.51 (as of 02:59 UTC - Details)
The dangerousness of Covid-19 was overestimated: probably at no point did the danger posed by the new virus go beyond the normal level.
The people who die from Corona are essentially those who would statistically die this year, because they have reached the end of their lives and their weakened bodies can no longer cope with any random everyday stress (including the approximately 150 viruses currently in circulation).
Worldwide, within a quarter of a year, there has been no more than 250,000 deaths from Covid-19, compared to 1.5 million deaths [25,100 in Germany] during the influenza wave 2017/18.
The danger is obviously no greater than that of many other viruses. There is no evidence that this was more than a false alarm.
A reproach could go along these lines: During the Corona crisis the State has proved itself as one of the biggest producers of Fake News.
So far, so bad. But it gets worse.
The report focuses on the “manifold and heavy consequences of the Corona measures” and warns that these are “grave”.
More people are dying because of state-imposed Corona-measures than they are being killed by the virus.
The reason is a scandal in the making:
A Corona-focused German healthcare system is postponing life-saving surgery and delaying or reducing treatment for non-Corona patients.
Berlin in Denial Mode. The scientists fight back.
Initially, the government tried to dismiss the report as “the work of one employee”, and its contents as “his own opinion” – while the journalists closed ranks, no questions asked, with the politicians. Virus Mania: How the M... Kennedy, Robert Best Price: $23.32 Buy New $18.31 (as of 03:58 UTC - Details)
But the 93-pages report titled “Analysis of the Crisis Management” has been drafted by a scientific panel appointed by the interior ministry and composed by external medical experts from several German universities.
The report was the initiative of a department of the interior ministry called Unit KM4 and in charge with the “Protection of critical infrastructures”.
This is also where the German official turned whistleblower, Stephen Kohn, work(ed), and from where he leaked it to the media.
The authors of the report issued a joint press release already on Mai 11th, berating the government for ignoring expert advise, and asking for the interior minister to officially comment upon the experts joint statement:
“Therapeutic and preventive measures should never bring more harm than the illness itself. Their aim should be to protect the risk groups, without endegearing the availibilty of medical care and the health of the whole population, as it is unfortunately occurring”
“We in the scientific and medical praxis are experiencing the secondary damages of the Corona-measures on our patients on a dialy basis.”
“We therefore ask the Federal Ministry of the Interior, to comment upon our press release, and we hope for a pertinent discussion regarding the [Corona] measures, one that leads to the best possible solution for the whole population”
At the time of writing, the German government had yet to react.
But the facts are – sadly – vindicating the medical experts’ worries.
On Mai 23 the German newspaper Das Bild titled: “Dramatic consequences of the Corona-Measures: 52,000 Cancer Ops delayed.” Plague: One Scientist&... Mikovits, Judy Best Price: $29.55 Buy New $17.99 (as of 04:10 UTC - Details)
Inside, a aeading medical doctor warns that “we will feel the side-effects of the Corona crisis for years”.
Shooting the Whistleblower. Ignoring the Message.
As Der Spiegel reported on Mai 15th: “Stephen Kohn [the whistleblower] has since been suspended from duty. He was advised to obtain a lawyer and his work laptop was confiscated.”
Kohn had originally leaked the report on May 9th to the liberal-conservative magazine Tichys Einblick one of Germany’s most popular alternative media outlets.
News of the report went mainstream in Germany during the second week of Mai – but already in the third week media and politicians alike stopped discussing the issue by refusing to comment upon it.
Emblematic was the approach taken by Günter Krings, the representative for Interior Minister Horst Seehofer – the whistleblower’s boss:
Asked it he would treat the document seriously, Krings replied:
“If you start analyzing papers like that, then pretty soon you’ll be inviting the guys with the tin foil hats to parliamentary hearings.”
Men in tin foil hats – Aluhut in German – is a term used to describe people who believe in conspiracy theories.
Indeed one article by Der Spiegel adressing the Corona protest movement and the consequences of the leaked report contained the word “conspiracy” no fewer than 17 times! The Virus and the Vaccine Bookchin, Debbie Best Price: $16.95 Buy New $16.96 (as of 02:40 UTC - Details)
And no discussions of the issues raised by the report itself.
Outside Germany the news has virtually gone unreported.
The Protest Movement – or “Corona-Rebellen”.
Germans begun demonstrating against Lockdowns as early as April.
And thousands of citizens keep showing up at demos every week-end, even as the government is easing the restrictions.
The demos are not merely against restrictions, which have actually been comparatively mild compared to many other Western countries.
The demos question the entire Corona Narrative, and even more its principals, especially the role Bill Gates is playing, as the WHO second biggest donor (the first one since Trump suspended U.S. contribution).
Indeed the biggest such demos took place in Stuttgart on May 9th, where tens of thousands people assempled to say no – to the NWO.
Germans are saying no to any orwellian solution the government might one day impose out of a questionable “emergency status”, from mass surveillance Apps to mandatory vaccinations.
The leaked report has proved their fears to be well founded.
At least as far as the fake nature of the “Corona pandemic” is concerned.
The rest might soon follow.
The views of individual contributors do not necessarily represent those of the Strategic Culture Foundation.
Machiavelli: The Art o... Boucheron, Patrick Best Price: $6.19 Buy New $5.99 (as of 03:30 UTC - Details) The True Story of Fake... Dice, Mark Best Price: $13.06 Buy New $17.94 (as of 04:52 UTC - Details)


lewrockwell--2020-06-04--Finally, a Sane Libertarian Voice on Rioting

Yesterday I talked to a well-known libertarian personality who is distraught over the libertarian response to the rioting and looting .
Most of it has been along these lines : “ Yes , yes , looting is bad , but what do you expect ?
These are people seeking justice !
” This is what people seeking justice act like , in your opinion ?
If we can ’ t even be reliable on the destruction of our cities , what the hell good are we ?
Real Dissent : A Libert ... Thomas E. Woods Jr. Best Price : @ @ @ @ @ @ @ personality said , “ Libertarians can ’ t call out a violent mob destroying property and beating old people up .
What ’ s the point of us if we can ’ t do that ?
” He said one of his friends had just spoken to a first responder in New York City who said , “ We ’ ve completely lost the city.
” Meanwhile , libertarian social media accounts seem about 8 % different from Hillary Clinton ’ s right now .
On episode 1664 of the Tom Woods Show @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Eric July — metal and rap vocalist , and longtime libertarian content creator — about all these topics , and he ’ s about had it with nearly everyone who ’ s been commenting on the situation .
In our discussion we covered nine things that would reduce if not eliminate the problem of police abuse .
And we also went after “ I can understand why frustrated people might want to terrorize cities , destroy innocent people ’ s dreams , and then turn around and expect other people to rebuild what @ @ @ @ @ @ @ they ’ re angry !
I wouldn ’ t do it myself , of course , so I ’ m implicitly saying these people aren ’ t as good as I am , but who can blame them ?
” Not going down that road .
The Politically Incorr ... Thomas E. Woods Jr. Best Price : $ 1.51 Buy New $ 8.71 Look at the scenes you can find practically anywhere .
Did the police provoke that ?
Not impossible in some cases , I suppose .
Did they provoke it everywhere @ @ @ @ @ @ @ can you imagine yourself looting a store — ever — no matter who the alleged provocateur was ?
I am seeing libertarians claiming there ’ s no such thing as Antifa — but if there were , it ’ d be fighting against fascism , and we need to fight against fascism .
You have to be kidding me .
This is analysis unworthy of a third-grader .
You need Eric July in your life .
The Best of Tom Woods

Shop all books by Tom Woods
From the Tom Woods Letter:
Yesterday I talked to a well-known libertarian personality who is distraught over the libertarian response to the rioting and looting.
Most of it has been along these lines:
“Yes, yes, looting is bad, but what do you expect? These are people seeking justice!”
This is what people seeking justice act like, in your opinion?
If we can’t even be reliable on the destruction of our cities, what the hell good are we? Real Dissent: A Libert... Thomas E. Woods Jr. Best Price: $8.48 Buy New $7.93 (as of 03:10 UTC - Details)
This personality said, “Libertarians can’t call out a violent mob destroying property and beating old people up. What’s the point of us if we can’t do that?”
He said one of his friends had just spoken to a first responder in New York City who said, “We’ve completely lost the city.”
Meanwhile, libertarian social media accounts seem about 8% different from Hillary Clinton’s right now.
On episode 1664 of the Tom Woods Show, just released, I spoke to Eric July — metal and rap vocalist, and longtime libertarian content creator — about all these topics, and he’s about had it with nearly everyone who’s been commenting on the situation.
In our discussion we covered nine things that would reduce if not eliminate the problem of police abuse. And we also went after “I can understand why frustrated people might want to terrorize cities, destroy innocent people’s dreams, and then turn around and expect other people to rebuild what they burned down. After all, they’re angry! I wouldn’t do it myself, of course, so I’m implicitly saying these people aren’t as good as I am, but who can blame them?”
Nope.
Not going down that road. The Politically Incorr... Thomas E. Woods Jr. Best Price: $1.51 Buy New $8.71 (as of 06:15 UTC - Details)
Look at the scenes you can find practically anywhere.
Did the police provoke that?
Not impossible in some cases, I suppose.
Did they provoke it everywhere?
Obviously not.
And even if they did: can you imagine yourself looting a store — ever — no matter who the alleged provocateur was?
I am seeing libertarians claiming there’s no such thing as Antifa — but if there were, it’d be fighting against fascism, and we need to fight against fascism.
You have to be kidding me. This is analysis unworthy of a third-grader.
You need Eric July in your life.
Secretly listen while at work:
https://tomwoods.com/ep-1664-on-looting-and-police-brutality-with-eric-july/
The Best of Tom Woods


lewrockwell--2020-06-04--All Races Suffer From Police Violence

All Races Suffer From Police Violence

Americans are so brainwashed that even some of my readers can not believe that police violence affects more white people than black people .
The majority of victims are white ; but disproportionately ( blacks are a smaller percent of the population ) they are black .
In turn , this disproportion can be explained by the fact that according to US Department of Justice statistics , blacks commit a disproportion of homicides .
Being only 13 % of the population , blacks commit 52 % of murders .
Consequently , police regard confrontations with blacks as being more dangerous @ @ @ @ @ @ @ behavior .
See this .
Here are recent statistics provided by Statista .
As I have explained , Americans are unaware of the facts for these reasons : ( 1 ) The presstitutes do not report ( except locally ) police violence against white people , because it does not fit the white racism explanation .
( 2 ) Unlike blacks , white people do not protest .
Whites have not been educated to regard violence against themselves as racism or as something specifically to do with being white .
Moreover , there @ @ @ @ @ @ @ national news coverage of police violence used against whites , so no one , white or black , is aware of the extent of police violence against white people .
Therefore , white people tend to give the police the benefit of the doubt .
White complaints are also restrained by the fear that coming down too hard on police will make the police more hesitant and less effective in law enforcement .
( 3 ) The Identity Politics that dominates our time has no interest in destroying its white racist explanation of @ @ @ @ @ @ @ of the racist explanation of America is the purpose of the New York Times 1619 Project .
The Tyranny of Good In ... Paul Craig Roberts , La ... Best Price : $ 6.96 Buy New $ 8.95 DARK AGENDA : The War t ... Horowitz , David Best Price : $ 16.84 Buy New $ 18.39 The Best of Paul Craig Roberts

Americans are so brainwashed that even some of my readers cannot believe that police violence affects more white people than black people. The majority of victims are white; but disproportionately (blacks are a smaller percent of the population) they are black. In turn, this disproportion can be explained by the fact that according to US Department of Justice statistics, blacks commit a disproportion of homicides. Being only 13% of the population, blacks commit 52% of murders. Consequently, police regard confrontations with blacks as being more dangerous to police, and this affects police behavior. See this.
Here are recent statistics provided by Statista.
As I have explained, Americans are unaware of the facts for these reasons:
(1) The presstitutes do not report (except locally) police violence against white people, because it does not fit the white racism explanation.
(2) Unlike blacks, white people do not protest. Whites have not been educated to regard violence against themselves as racism or as something specifically to do with being white. Moreover, there is no national reporting or days of national news coverage of police violence used against whites, so no one, white or black, is aware of the extent of police violence against white people. Therefore, white people tend to give the police the benefit of the doubt. White complaints are also restrained by the fear that coming down too hard on police will make the police more hesitant and less effective in law enforcement.
(3) The Identity Politics that dominates our time has no interest in destroying its white racist explanation of US society. Indeed, the strengthening of the racist explanation of America is the purpose of the New York Times 1619 Project.
The Tyranny of Good In... Paul Craig Roberts, La... Best Price: $6.96 Buy New $8.95 (as of 07:10 UTC - Details) DARK AGENDA: The War t... Horowitz, David Best Price: $16.84 Buy New $18.39 (as of 03:16 UTC - Details)
The Best of Paul Craig Roberts


lewrockwell--2020-06-04--Trump’s Executive Order for Tech Companies

Donald Trump ’ s executive order issued earlier this week purports to prevent online censorship by effectively instructing federal agencies to reinterpret the Communications Decency Act of 1996 ( CDA ) .
In particular , Trump has a well-founded complaint with the infamous section 230 of the CDA , which grants tech companies a certain level of immunity from various civil lawsuits , including defamation lawsuits .
By doing so , section 230 not only attempts to preempt state law to the contrary—federal preemption is almost always bad— but also creates a class of actors that enjoys the status of @ @ @ @ @ @ @ exercises editorial discretion .
Remember , in 1996 social media did not exist .
Search engines like Alta Vista and Netscape were rudimentary ; most people still typed site addresses into their browsers .
The CDA was aimed primarily at internet service providers such as AOL , which Congress ostensibly wanted to shield from any liability for the actions , communications , or content of users .
After all , when two individuals engage in a criminal conspiracy by phone prosecutors don ’ t indict the cellular network provider .
The CDA made @ @ @ @ @ @ @ was in its infancy .
Unfreedom of the Press Levin , Mark R. Best Price : $ 2.41 Buy New $ 10.34 But fast-forward twenty-five years , and social media companies have been thrust into the role of “ community standards ” police .
Search engines , particularly Google , are the gatekeepers and curators of the information we consume .
These tech companies now appoint themselves arbiters of truth and propriety , and not only with regard to politics and campaigns .
Hate speech and harassment , both ambiguous and ever shifting @ @ @ @ @ @ @ from platforms .
Unorthodox or politically incorrect views on scientific issues surrounding global warming , vaccines , and COVID-19 are regulated by invisible algorithms or unaccountable employees of tech companies .
“ Bad ” websites and blogs disappear from search results , or are buried so deep as to become invisible .
By any measure , these actions by technology companies—banning , suspending , shadow banning , and demonetizing—are based on the content involved or the identity of the user .
In both cases , editorial judgment is applied .
This is inescapable @ @ @ @ @ @ @ CDA immunizes editorial decision-makers or their tech company employers against liability for damages from lawsuits otherwise recognized by state law or common law , libertarians have every reason to object .
But as with most cases of favoritism in law , the answer is repeal of special privileges rather than more legislation .
• Executive orders are inherently suspect and generally bad , not simply because of ( at this point laughable ) constitutional concerns , but because they establish another layer of de facto “ laws ” for which you and I @ @ @ @ @ @ @ CDA needs amending , let Congress do it .
Better yet , scrap it .
• Yes , Facebook , Google , Twitter , Amazon et al .
are private companies , despite their deep entanglements ( including contracts ) with the federal government .
Virtually every industry and every large company is in bed with Uncle Sam , from subsidies and lobbying to protectionist legislation .
If we allow such entanglements to justify even deeper levels of regulation , we only further erode what ought to be a bright-line distinction between private @ @ @ @ @ @ @ these companies have deeply illiberal biases , and even outright illiberal agendas , from a libertarian perspective .
• No , private companies are not required to give you or anyone else access to their platforms .
• No , the First Amendment does not apply to private companies .
• “ Fact checking ” is inherently and inescapably political .
Who are the disinterested angels charged with performing these checks ?
Which facts are checked , and whose facts are checked ?
What about half-truths and distortions , as opposed to outright @ @ @ @ @ @ @ media ” in an age of instantaneous social sharing platforms and camera phones .
The First Amendment did not create or contemplate a special class of institutional press that enjoys enhanced protections from government .
Kids on bikes have as much right to “ cover ” the situation in Minneapolis as CNN , and your Facebook posts deserve the same protections as Wolf Blizter ’ s nightly show .
What to do , then ?
Peter Klein lays out one path forward : • Remove government-created entry barriers for new entrants ( including @ @ @ @ @ @ @ t treat information as property ( e.g.
, don ’ t act as if users “ own ” “ their data ” and enforce regulations on portability ) .
• Finally , Trump simply should move to Gab or a similar platform .
Many of his 85 million followers would follow , and this would do more to “ punish ” Twitter ( and encourage new competitors ) than any legal action .
Note : The views expressed on Mises.org are not necessarily those of the Mises Institute .
The Best of Jeff @

Donald Trump’s executive order issued earlier this week purports to prevent online censorship by effectively instructing federal agencies to reinterpret the Communications Decency Act of 1996 (CDA). In particular, Trump has a well-founded complaint with the infamous section 230 of the CDA, which grants tech companies a certain level of immunity from various civil lawsuits, including defamation lawsuits. By doing so, section 230 not only attempts to preempt state law to the contrary—federal preemption is almost always bad— but also creates a class of actors that enjoys the status of a neutral platform or common carrier but exercises editorial discretion.
Remember, in 1996 social media did not exist. Search engines like Alta Vista and Netscape were rudimentary; most people still typed site addresses into their browsers. The CDA was aimed primarily at internet service providers such as AOL, which Congress ostensibly wanted to shield from any liability for the actions, communications, or content of users. After all, when two individuals engage in a criminal conspiracy by phone prosecutors don’t indict the cellular network provider. The CDA made sense in an era when the internet was in its infancy.
Unfreedom of the Press Levin, Mark R. Best Price: $2.41 Buy New $10.34 (as of 09:00 UTC - Details) But fast-forward twenty-five years, and social media companies have been thrust into the role of “community standards” police. Search engines, particularly Google, are the gatekeepers and curators of the information we consume. These tech companies now appoint themselves arbiters of truth and propriety, and not only with regard to politics and campaigns. Hate speech and harassment, both ambiguous and ever shifting, are grounds for removal or suspension from platforms. Unorthodox or politically incorrect views on scientific issues surrounding global warming, vaccines, and COVID-19 are regulated by invisible algorithms or unaccountable employees of tech companies. “Bad” websites and blogs disappear from search results, or are buried so deep as to become invisible.
By any measure, these actions by technology companies—banning, suspending, shadow banning, and demonetizing—are based on the content involved or the identity of the user. In both cases, editorial judgment is applied. This is inescapable. So to the extent that the CDA immunizes editorial decision-makers or their tech company employers against liability for damages from lawsuits otherwise recognized by state law or common law, libertarians have every reason to object. But as with most cases of favoritism in law, the answer is repeal of special privileges rather than more legislation.
A few additional summary comments:
Executive orders are inherently suspect and generally bad, not simply because of (at this point laughable) constitutional concerns, but because they establish another layer of de facto “laws” for which you and I have little legal recourse. If the CDA needs amending, let Congress do it. Better yet, scrap it. Obsession: Inside the ... York, Byron Buy New $28.99 (as of 03:14 UTC - Details )
Yes, Facebook, Google, Twitter, Amazon et al. are private companies, despite their deep entanglements (including contracts) with the federal government. Virtually every industry and every large company is in bed with Uncle Sam, from subsidies and lobbying to protectionist legislation. If we allow such entanglements to justify even deeper levels of regulation, we only further erode what ought to be a bright-line distinction between private sector and state.
Yes, these companies have deeply illiberal biases, and even outright illiberal agendas, from a libertarian perspective.
No, private companies are not required to give you or anyone else access to their platforms.
No, the First Amendment does not apply to private companies.
“Fact checking” is inherently and inescapably political. Who are the disinterested angels charged with performing these checks? Which facts are checked, and whose facts are checked? What about half-truths and distortions, as opposed to outright falsehoods?
We are all “media” in an age of instantaneous social sharing platforms and camera phones. The First Amendment did not create or contemplate a special class of institutional press that enjoys enhanced protections from government. Kids on bikes have as much right to “cover” the situation in Minneapolis as CNN, and your Facebook posts deserve the same protections as Wolf Blizter’s nightly show. Witch Hunt: The Story ... Jarrett, Gregg Best Price: $15.38 Buy New $13.99 (as of 03:20 UTC - Details )
What to do, then? Peter Klein lays out one path forward:
Repeal the CDA.
Enforce contractual agreements between platforms and users.
Avoid all attempts at viewpoint neutrality regulation.
Remove government-created entry barriers for new entrants (including the CDA).
Don’t treat information as property (e.g., don’t act as if users “own” “their data” and enforce regulations on portability).
Finally, Trump simply should move to Gab or a similar platform. Many of his 85 million followers would follow, and this would do more to “punish” Twitter (and encourage new competitors) than any legal action.
Note: The views expressed on Mises.org are not necessarily those of the Mises Institute.
The Best of Jeff Deist


lewrockwell--2020-06-04--An Accidental Incongruity? Lockdowners Love Riots

President Trump is getting grief from the leftie press for threatening to bring out the military to stop the riots spreading across the country like , well , a virus .
But why isn ’ t the leftie press caterwauling about the indifference of the Lockdown Mafia – i.e.
, the governors and mayors , et al who ’ ve been siccing armed government workers on moms walking their kids in public parks in the name of a virus they claim is an open-ended threat to “ public safety ” – to the very real threat posed by this virus @ @ @ @ @ @ @ the Lockdown Mafia hasn ’ t got the stomach to use force to “ stop the spread.
” It ’ s a question of who the Lockdown Mafia deems worthy of stopping .
Apparently , moms taking their kids to a public park for a walk are worthy .
TACKLIFE KP120 1200A P ... Buy New $ 79.97 Also gym owners who open their doors to people who want to work out ; restaurants that want to serve .
People just trying to make a living .
People just trying to live .
@ @ @ @ @ @ @ are dealt with severely .
Deadly riots , on the other hand .
Apparently , it ’ s ok to be upset about the Hut !
Hut !
Hutting !
of one man .
But the Hut !
Hut !
Hutting !
of millions is .
.
.
what was it Stalin said ?
Is it an accidental incongruence that the most ardent Lock Downers are also the most laissez faire when it comes to rioters ?
The Coonman in Virginia , for instance , hasn ’ t done much to enforce his @ @ @ @ @ @ @ that descended upon Richmond .
But he sicced armed government workers on the owner of a gym in Roanoke who threatened his authority by ignoring his decree to keep his doors shut to people who weren ’ t being forced to walk through them .
Atlanta is under siege by a latter-day Golden Horde that has been given leave to open businesses .
.
.
with bricks .
The same businesses that were closed with threats of government force two months ago .
There are scenes of AGWs in full riot gear standing @ @ @ @ @ @ @ rioters .
.
.
but enter a train without a Fear Mask and you ’ ll be “ taken down ” by a Tacticooled storm trooper without mercy , because of an assertion that you might be sick .
The Best of Eric Peters

President Trump is getting grief from the leftie press for threatening to bring out the military to stop the riots spreading across the country like, well, a virus.
But why isn’t the leftie press caterwauling about the indifference of the Lockdown Mafia – i.e., the governors and mayors, et al who’ve been siccing armed government workers on moms walking their kids in public parks in the name of a virus they claim is an open-ended threat to “public safety” – to the very real threat posed by this virus?
It’s not as though the Lockdown Mafia hasn’t got the stomach to use force to “stop the spread.”
It’s a question of who the Lockdown Mafia deems worthy of stopping. Apparently, moms taking their kids to a public park for a walk are worthy. TACKLIFE KP120 1200A P... Buy New $79.97 (as of 03:21 UTC - Details)
Also gym owners who open their doors to people who want to work out; restaurants that want to serve.
People just trying to make a living. People just trying to live.
These affronts to “publics safety” are dealt with severely.
Deadly riots, on the other hand.
Apparently, it’s ok to be upset about the Hut! Hut! Hutting! of one man. But the Hut! Hut! Hutting! of millions is . . . what was it Stalin said?
A statistic. Adamu2019s UV Ceramic ... Buy New $51.00 (as of 03:21 UTC - Details)
Is it an accidental incongruence that the most ardent Lock Downers are also the most laissez faire when it comes to rioters? The Coonman in Virginia, for instance, hasn’t done much to enforce his social distancing diktats upon the violent mob that descended upon Richmond. But he sicced armed government workers on the owner of a gym in Roanoke who threatened his authority by ignoring his decree to keep his doors shut to people who weren’t being forced to walk through them.
Atlanta is under siege by a latter-day Golden Horde that has been given leave to open businesses . . . with bricks.
The same businesses that were closed with threats of government force two months ago.
There are scenes of AGWs in full riot gear standing not more than 20 yards away from rioters . . . but enter a train without a Fear Mask and you’ll be “taken down” by a Tacticooled storm trooper without mercy, because of an assertion that you might be sick.
Which is sickening.
Read the Whole Article
The Best of Eric Peters