Dangerous for Americans to Relax Civil Liberties to Fight Criminals and Terrorists

 

 Sometimes it is hard to separate fact from fiction when watching television police drama.   Television's  Law and Order, Blue Blood, CSI etc., all tell a good story and portray law enforcement officials as patriotic do gooders up holding American freedoms.   Because it is fiction, we can overlook some of the cop roughness when interrogating the bad guy.  After all, the guy being arrested probably deserved it or at the least met the psychological profile of a sleazy character that if given the opportunity would likely commit a crime.

Watch the reality shows like COPS and you would think that most of law enforcement are just good guys doing their jobs.  As most of the police men and women note that when  they bash someone around during an arrest  it is "nothing personal" and they promise the arrested party some lessening of charges if they are cooperative.

 

 Watch shows as Lock Up and National Graphic Channel's stories about jails and prison life, and you would just like to throw the key away on some of these inmates.

 

 

The list of shows is always increasing and the American public just eats them up---myself inclusive.  

But apparently there is a very real sinister nature of American law enforcement and American intelligence organizations  that rival the best fiction! 

 

On many occasions I would argue the United States is one of the greatest democracies in the world.  I even gave some passes on police behaviors which may have been justified because the alleged criminals were resistant to police orders.

But, oh how I hate being duped by my own government when it comes to how our government treats my fellow citizens as well as people overseas in the name of protecting American interests.

I have strongly advocated the elimination of terrorist groups like ISIS because of their inhumanity against humanity.  Yet our government partners with tyrannical governments if our national interests are threatened.   

The United States has  maintained Guantanamo Bay for alleged (and likely) terrorists and if released the alleged terrorists are sent off to nations where brutal torture is sanctioned with quite support from the United States.

Yesterday I  read about a place called Homan Square operated by the Chicago police department as an equivalent CIA black site.   

All Americans should be sickened that such a place operates in this country. 

Whether one is a conservative or the most extreme progressive, imprisonment without a trial or legal representation or torture  is so totally against all our national principles. 

The more Americans relax domestic civil liberties to fight criminals and terrorists or Americans  look the other way at how American intelligence organizations operate overseas,  we will be relinquishing the good principles this nation was founded on.   

 

 Source of Image: TargetFreedom

Obama Is Correct Not Calling It A War Against Radical Islam

I hate political correctness, but at least it curbs some of the garbage that spews from some people's voice.  If we did not have political correctness words as nigger, faggot, spick, kraut, cracker, honkie, would still be used freely as if they are appropriate ways to speak.   

However often times political correctness goes way over the top.   Go on the internet and one can find numerous examples of political correctness gone mad!   My favorite is the following story:

In 2007, Santa Clauses in Sydney, Australia, were banned from saying 'Ho Ho Ho'. Their employer, the recruitment firm Westaff (that supplies hundreds of Santas across Australia), allegedly told all trainees that 'ho ho ho' could frighten children, and be derogatory to women. Why ?  Because 'Ho Ho Ho' is too close to the American (not Australian, mind you) slang for prostitute.    Source:  11 Examples Of Political Correctness Gone Mad

Now in the latest case of what appears to be political correctness, President Obama has stated the world is not against radical Islam but is against specific terrorists as ISIS and Al-Qaeda which just happen to use the religion of Islam to justify their terrorist activities.   

Initially the news media had a field day with the President's comments of so-called political correctness.   But in this case the President has it correct!   

If the United States were to engage in a war on radical Islam---well it is most definitely sounding like a war on a particular religious belief and that will not win the hearts of any potential allies in what will likely be an ongoing war against terrorist groups.  

Let's face it.  Not all radical Muslims believe in murder and torture of non-believers. 

The United States likes to pick and choose which groups practicing the Islamic faith  to support.   And in reality, many of the United States  so-called Islamic friends as is the case of Saudi Arabia are probably no better than ISIS when it comes to the treatment of their citizens.   

In reality, the Saudi family and other middle east royal families dictators, and tribes  are indeed very responsible for groups as ISIS forming and learning how to terrorize people. 

The Saudi royal family is just a corrupted family of thugs dominating their own citizens. However, the Saudi family controls oil reserves which the West needs.  If oil and Israel did not exist, there would probably be very little Western interest in that crazy part of the world.

But, and I say somewhat cautiously, the difference is Saudi family is not terrorizing the world or engaged in such horrendous savagery on such a large scale.

The President is correct.  We are engaged in a war against specific groups who are indeed very sick mother fuckers using a religion to justify their depravity and political agenda. 

 Saying the United States is fighting radical Islam it too general.  It is indeed a war against specific terrorist groups and it is not a war against a religious way of thinking.

Satirizing Mohammad Is Like Poking A Stick At A Caged Dog

After the terrorist attack on French newspaper,  Charlie Hebdo,  we should have learned by now that Muslim terrorists will go to extremes to suppress the  freedom of expression.

And though as an American, I would like to think that our press is brave and cannot be intimidated, the cover of Charlie Hebdo after the massacre was not shown on television.  

Because most national news outfits did not print the "offending" caricature,  I had to do a Bing Image search to find the cover which was very subdued  in what the surviving editors could have drawn after their colleagues had been murdered.

Let's face it all the "great" religions (Judaism, Christianity, Islam)  have had their epoch historical moments of terrorizing non-believers.  But I like to think that mankind has advanced and that murder and terrorism  is not an accepted tool for handling those who do not believe in a particular religion's tenants.

But sadly I am wrong.  

Yesterday, in Denmark, Swedish  artist Lars Vilks maintains he was the intended target of a would be terrorist attack at a Copenhagen panel discussion, called "Art, blasphemy and freedom of expression." 

One man was killed at the site of the panel discussion and another at a Jewish synagogue.   Fortunately for the world, the police eliminated a piece of trash by killing the shooter.

Vilks has drawn sketches pictures characterizing the Islam prophet and has been threatened before.

Source of Photo: Aftonbladt

Freedom of expression in art, the press, religion, and speech are rights that citizens of most western nations just take for granted.  Those of us who are Americans should be very alarmed when any of those aforementioned rights are curtailed either by our government or the violent actions of religious fanatics.

But today's flavor of the month for satirists is extreme Islam. 

Participants of ISIS  advocate violence not only against non-believers but also people of their own faith.  ISIS participants are just thugs who enjoy sadistic brutality and  are the lowest piece of human trash.   They are no more religious than a deranged serial killer or the German Nazis.  

But are some satirists and pundits like Vilks and the editors of Charles Hebdo just pushing the envelope  to torment a group of people?  

When a person or a publication keeps attacking a particular group of people has their satire become out and out vindictive viciousness? 

How many caricatures of Mohammad need to be drawn to let the viewer of the cartoon know that the artist has little use for Islam?

The right of free expression needs to be guaranteed no matter how distasteful. And absolutely no one should be brutalized for expressing their opinion.

However, some of the satirists of Islam are much like the fool poking a stick into a cage with a very vicious dog,  They seem to be surprised when the dog gets out and grabs them by the throat.

 

 

Is it a matter of time that the NBC peacock will kick Brian Williams out of the nest

 One of my favorite ads on television is Geico's Did You Know Pinocchio Was a Bad Motivational Speaker?

Pinocchio was caught in a white lie as he tried to assure the member of the audience he has potential to succeed.   

Fortunately our noses don't get long or other body parts elongate when we tell a lie.

There are people who are experts in telling when a person lies as indicated by certain body signs.  In fact, there are several CIA experts who have written a book how to catch someone in a lie without water boarding! 

Once you lie---you have to create a new lie to cover the first lie---and worst yet is remembering what the original lie was about!  

A good memory is needed once we have lied.

PIERRE CORNEILLE, Le Menteur

 Source:  Notable Quotes 

Well NBC commentator Brian Williams  was recently called out on his "white lie." about his adventures in Iraq after claiming he was in a helicopter that came under fire in Iraq. 

 

Admittedly after seeing Brian Williams on SNL and other talk shoes he is indeed a very funny guy---perhaps too funny to be a leading newscaster.    Yet when we turned on the NBC news we expected Williams the funny guy to be a serious journalist. 

 Williams decided to temporarily step down as he claimed his "white lie," was starting to dominate the news. 

 Williams is not the first well paid public figure to lie or exaggerate a story. 

 Politicians lie or evade the truth daily.   Presidents have lied to and drew us into the quagmire of Iraq, Vietnam, Watergate, Monicagate etc., 

Corporate leaders continue to lie to save their profits and have screwed the little guy.  

 If you were to Google, "the top liars in history," you will be directed to almost over 94 million results regarding the topic.  Perhaps Williams will be on the list someday. 

However, putting it in perspective, Williams did not get anyone killed or cost the average Joe thousands of dollars unless all your money was invested in NBC. 

NBC has its own way of dealing with people that embarrass or hurt the network financially. Among the victims of the peacock's wrath are:

• David Gregory was let go from Meet the Press 

• Anne Curry from the Today Show 

• Martin Bashir, Alec Baldwin and Keith Olberman were all let go from MSNBC

As a journalist, Williams should be aggressively be going after men and women who lie----but can he really be trusted again as a newsman? 

Williams is now an embarrassment to the big bird and likely he will be kicked out of the nest.