If it happens, this is how… and the aftermath.

So, it came to me last night, and I’m not trying to claim any sort of revolutionary thinking, as I’m sure someone has written about this before…

Recently, I’ve been reading, writing and discussing the issues and circumstances we will face when we are next hit by a terrorist attack (foreign or domestic). Most of these discussions have revolved around the concepts of a “9/11″ style attack, which I contend is highly unlikely (I’m still surprised that 9/11 happened or could have happened).

As my thoughts tend to do, they floated towards the conspiracy arena, and I’d like to take you with me for a second, if you’d be so kind.

In order for our government (read: Executive branch) to take the kind of direct control over us they appear to want, if an attack happens (check my previous posts), there would need to be mass chaos and confusion. I want to make it very clear that I will not simply sit back and allow martial law to be declared across the US if anything happens, even on the most massive of scales. So, how would one go about accomplishing the kind of mass disruption to every part of daily society, and stop the masses from communicating with each other about what is going on…

Then it came to me. Not a World Trade Center attack, but many small, tightly coordinated attacks on the communication centers of cities… The destruction (or disabling as I would imagine) of the switching stations that sit in and around most major cities would stop the flow of data we are used to in our everyday lives. In the case of such an event, the Executive branch, through many executive orders (which need NOT be approved by any other branch of government) would take control over all communication media, the airports, the mass transit systems, and I can only guess we would see armed vehicles rolling down city streets blaring messages about staying inside.

I can hear the complaints rolling off the screens of readers right now…

“Alright, 9/11, if they really wanted control (in a police state sense), and I can only guess from your rhetoric that you think they may (at the very least) have had some sort of knowledge of the events of that day, wouldn’t they have started ‘it’ that day?”

My contention would be that they were worried about failing. If they had done it that day, and their grab for power had failed, then they would have faced a country that would have destroyed them… completely. As soon as people realize all the rights we have lost since the horrible events of that day, they will begin to (I hope) question whether of not these loses of liberty and freedom are necessary to protect us. The ability of our government to seize property, bank accounts, and even people without the need for courts or proper procedure of law (Habeas Corpus & more) is disgusting. That is the current state of affairs in our country. If I am deemed an “unlawful enemy combatant” (whose definition is simply “a non-lawful enemy combatant” (very clear language, huh?)) for espousing views this government deemed “dangerous or assisting the enemy (propaganda)” I could be taken to a detention facility and held without being allowed to see the charges leveed against me and without access to a lawyer… indefinitely.

This language was setup to allow the military to grab people on the battlefield of Afghanistan and Iraq, and keep them from harming US troops, but considering the way these people (read: Fredo) interpret law, this is scary stuff… But I believe they wanted some form of a legal backstop, so that if things did go bad after the fact, they would be able to stand before whatever impartial judge could be scraped up and argue that they were protecting the Constitution… “I swear, just another few months, and we would have returned this nation to a republic… It was crazy, you remember how scary it was!”

But I digress… This disruption of our communication would make it so easy to control and dominate this country, it is astounding… I don’t know what I would do if the internet disappeared overnight (not the sources, but the ability to access those sources), if my ability to communicate with my loved ones and my friends disappeared, if my ability to receive news was interrupted. I would be fearful and scared, and might turn to someone, anyone, to protect me and to tell me what was going on. That is when fascism rises.

I continue to say that if “martial law” is ever declared in our streets, that I will call and communicate with other people to come join me in a march against it… but that will be impossible with what will have been imposed on us. I hope this does not happen, and I do not wish this to happen, but if you are willing to open your eyes and see what is happening, I believe this path is almost inevitable. Once you take the people’s rights, they are not easily given back.

A few final observations. Perhaps the most intriguing thing going on in Congress right now is the inability to get legislation through that would return us our right to Habeas Corpus… Check around and you will see that some are trying, but the bills (even the ones with only the Habeas Corpus language) are unable to get onto the floor for a vote. “Wait for the next president” everyone seems to be saying. “Votes, not impeachment.” If we do get past the crisis that is looming, then the next president will simply see what powers the previous President had, see that he was never taken to task for his stepping over the line, and follow in his footsteps. It seems almost inescapable…

“The Habeas Corpus secures every man here, alien or citizen,
against everything which is not law, whatever shape it may
assume.”

“The people of every country are the only safe guardians of their
own rights, and are the only instruments which can be used for
their destruction. And certainly they would never consent to be so
used were they not deceived. To avoid this they should be
instructed to a certain degree.”

“Time indeed changes manners and notions, and so far we must
expect institutions to bend to them. But time produces also
corruption of principles, and against this it is the duty of good
citizens to be ever on the watch, and if the gangrene is to prevail
at last, let the day be kept off as long as possible.”

“A strict observation of the written laws is doubtless one of the
high duties of a good citizen, but it is not the highest. The laws
of necessity, of self-preservation, of saving our country when in
danger, are of higher obligation. To lose our country by a
scrupulous adherence to written law, would be to lost the law
itself, with life, liberty, property, and all those who are
enjoying them with us; thus absurdly sacrificing the end to the
means.”

All Thomas Jefferson quotations…

I would finally like to say that I will never simply stand by if the issues I discuss in this writing come to pass, and I hope I will see all of you, whose eyes grace this page, standing beside me when the time comes. We must stand up for that which we think is right and just, to combat that which is corrupt and villainous. This is not a political ideology and it is not a religious ideology… It is, in this writers opinion, common sense to not allow ones rights to be trampled (or in this scenario crushed) in order to be kept “safe”.

We must never again rush to the conclusions and judgments we did right after the events of September 2001. We must never again allow our leaders to scapegoat an entire country, and in so doing create a scenario whereby we are spending 1 billion dollars a week towards a war effort. We must make our leaders see that it is not we the people who should be afraid, it is indeed they who should be fearful of us. They should be very, very fearful of we the people at this time. For we contain within ourselves the power to overthrow this very power structure at a moments notice, and all the guns, bombs, and police will not save them from our wrath if the time ever comes when we must make clear again our rights as human beings…

And so I relieve you of your journey into a tinfoil covered brain, and I wish you a good day.

“Do no worry, your government is in control. You are safe. Go back inside your homes.”

New Recording by Sons of Susan

Last night we put together a few new songs. Here is the recording of “Who Walks In When I Walk Out”. Turn up your speakers and enjoy!

New @Home Project

This is important stuff… If you have extra computing cycles on your computer (and everyone does…) help NASA look for Earth killing asteroids… Click…

(Note: This project has simply been approved by NASA and work units aren’t being distributed yet, but I’m really excited and I’m sure Carl Sagan would be as well (if you know his views on our potential demise as a species)) I’ll let everyone know as soon as I know they are sending out the units.. in the meantime, there are quite a few other @Home projects that need your cycles… (Mr. Quadcore)…

Total time of speakers at debate…

Awesome… Glad to see no one was excluded or favored during the debates… Really wonderful stuff… (Just for full disclosure I am a Gravel supporter (with some Kucinich tossed in for flavor (mmMmmmm elf-y goodness)))

This is a great resource that someone put up to see where your favorite candidates stand on the issues… 2008 Presidential Election Candidates on the Issues

Aqua Teen Hunger Force Colon Movie Film for Theaters

This is the intro to the film… Fucking awesome…

The band’s name? Mastodon

Hillary Duff - What I know about men…

You must read this whole interview, but… a few jems…

I’m not really a flirt, but I am a girl. I’m not a tramp, or a whore, but I do manipulate men when I feel like it. Girls bat their eyelashes, and act like they don’t know anything in front of guys they like, or give a little bit of eye contact, but not too much, or a bit of touching. Or being coy. Sure, I do a bit of that. Men do it too, though. They have different games they play, which can be fun, but I’m not too into game-playing.

I see…

I’m not, like, a crazy feminist. I think women definitely need men. Like, I couldn’t imagine having a girlfriend!

Alright…

I was talking to a girlfriend the other day who hasn’t had a boyfriend in a really long time, and she was like, ‘Why can’t I get a boyfriend? I’m going to write down a list of all the things I want in a guy, and I’m not going to waste my time with anyone who doesn’t tick all the boxes.’ And the list had everything from ‘not leaving clothes on the floor’ to his deep morals and stuff. It’s kind of a good idea.

I thought you said you couldn’t imagine having a girlfriend… My brain hurts…

Women are definitely home-makers. We’re obviously very different from men. But everyone’s looking for love, in the end. Men aren’t as strong as women. And they don’t have as big an attention span. They want things immediately, from food to girls. The women I know are more successful than the men. It’s hard for me to meet someone. I don’t need someone who, like, has as much as me, but I don’t want someone who has much less because then you never really feel taken care of. And it would always make a guy feel not like a man.

Oh, her album “Dignity” is out now, in case you were looking for that…

I’m in a commercial…sort of.

Heinz ketchup is having a contest for people to make commercials. Entries are put on youtube and the winners get to have their commercial on television. My friend and roomate’s cousin, Josh Binder, directed an entry. It fuckin rocks. My band The Sons of Susan recorded the tune and thats me singing it in the commercial. I’ll post it again at a later date when its time for public voting on the entries.