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| Unidentified thugs walking the streets |
As human accomplishments go, the rule
of law is a pretty recent invention. Understand I'm taking the entire
scope of Homo sapien existence into consideration for that
statement. For the vast majority of the time modern humans have
walked the Earth, our species pursued a “might is right”
philosophy with regard to small things like justice and decision
making. Since I tend to drone on and become muddled in my own
pomposity, I'll break it down further.
Like other primates, the big alpha male
in human social structures usually decided what was cool and
allowable. If he didn't like a particular individual and wanted him
or her killed or didn't want to move the tribe to better hunting
grounds the rest of the group had to go along. I'd hazard a guess and
say a good bit of this behavior may even be ingrained in our DNA. Now
understand having a big, unquestioned, powerful leader has generally
been an evolutionary advantage for us naked primates. This was
particularly useful when we lived on an ancient African savanna
dealing with predators that had a taste for proto-humans.
But were “civilized” now with
exponentially more complex and nuanced social structures requiring
rules that are suppose to prevent narcissistic and delusional a-holes
from destroying the principles we are supposed to hold dear, like
justice and democratic values. So the Rule of Law was invented to set
down guidelines and prevent Orange Buffoon-like abominations from
running through the Constitutional china shop destroying the work of
far superior men and women.
Well for various reasons since November
2016 we've let a dangerous Orange Buffoon live at the heart of what
is supposed to be the greatest country of the world. And like the
proverbial bull running through a china shop it daily does its best
to destroy everything it doesn't like or understand.
The latest and probably worst offense
to date is taking place in Portland, Oregon. Under the guise of
protecting federal property and stopping rioters, Department of
Homeland Security forces are employing the same tactics used in
tyrannical police-states. Federal agents, wearing no identification,
and driving around in unmarked vehicles are snatching people off the
streets taking them to undisclosed locations for “questioning.”
Back in saner times (pre-November 2016), this country would have
condemned similar actions done anywhere else in the world.
With what amounts to a Secret Police
running around the streets of an American city kidnapping anyone who
they want we've entered a level of scary reserved for dystopian
fiction.
Mark Pettibone, one of the
protesters in Portland told Oregon Public Broadcasting what happened
to him:
Pettibone goes on to admit
that he and his friend were out that night but hadn't done anything
like spray painting buildings of shining lasers into the eyes of law
enforcement officers. Essentially, these agents were grabbing anyone
they saw and taking them to a location to be held in custody.
Officers did eventually read Pettibone his Miranda Rights, without
telling him why he was being arrested, and attempted to get him to
answer questions without an attorney present. After Pettibone
declined he was released about ninety-minutes later without any
“paperwork, citation, or record of his arrest.”
My own thoughts here, but
untold thousands of people have been disappeared under similar
circumstances in other police-state countries around the world. It
wasn't too many years ago that Chile, down in South America, was
spending a lot of time digging up hundreds of mass graves filled with
the disappeared from the Augusto Pinochet regime. Given how things
are developing here, it's not hard at all to imagine Americans simply
falling off the face of the earth after being snatched off the
streets by some KGB or Gestapo-like thugs.
If I write anything further
I would open myself up to Chicken Little-like accusations of the sky
falling. But honestly, yeah it seems like some shit is beginning to
hit our heads now.
5 comments:
And here's the part that drives me bananas: all of the Militia Men types who've been fearing the doomsday of an oppressive government are staring it right in the face without seeing it. The OB fooled them into believing he's on their side. That's what despot thugs do and it worked.
God help us.
A bit scarey and a lot maddening.
We are living in a scary time--what's worse, the OB is scared and, like a rattlesnake with no where to turn, he's striking.
Armchair Squid: Yeah, as someone who knows a few militia-types, their Doomsday fixation always have a strong racial component. In fact, I got rid of all my weapons after the kids were killed in New Town, but lately given how the militia-types, and the trump Federal Government are actin, I've given strong consideration to buying a pistol.
Catalyst: I read a few days ago that some of the "federal officers" in Portland are actually private contractors.
Jeff: I agree with the sentiment that IF trump loses in November, he will not leave office easily.
Scary times. I want to believe there are still enough people fighting against him that we have a chance. What would really help, though, would be to feel reassured that people within his own party have had enough of his s***. I believe they exist! But they're being too quiet for my tastes.
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