The Evidence
Exhibit A: Recent NDAA revisions endorsed by President Obama enable the indefinite detainment of U.S. Citizens
– Passed every year, the National Defense Authorization Act often plays host to hidden laws too controversial to pass on their own – the detainment of U.S. citizens being one of them
– 7 individuals, from activists to a Pulitzer Prize-winning reporter, have sued the president, claiming to be unable to carry out their work and activism for fear of violating the terms of the revisions
– President Obama’s response: “The only responsible way to combat the threat al-Qaeda poses is to remain relentlessly practical”
– His “serious reservations” about the provisions are overruled by the argument that “we have to fight al-Qaeda”
Exhibit B: The 2012 DHS/ICE order of 450 million rounds of ammunition can only mean one thing – civil war is near, and it’s time to prepare
– Why you should be concerned:
– These high-performance, hollow-point rounds are designed specifically for killing people!
– Such a large order of highly lethal bullets leads to questions about these organizations’ plans for the future
– The government has killed U.S. citizens engaged in terrorism abroad – maybe they’re arming their forces to assassinate citizens at home
– Taking the other side:
– The 450 million round order is actually a contract for the next 5 years – they don’t have to purchase that many rounds, nor can they exceed the order
– Buying in bulk can save the government millions of dollars
– Given the size and scope of these agencies, the order isn’t all that abnormally large
– The DHS operates many agencies, including the Coast Guard and Secret Service
– A lot of ammunition is needed for firearms training for the agents
– 65,000 – 70,000: Number of law enforcement agents who would use this ammunition
– This would provide 1,384 rounds per agent per year
– That’s only 155 rounds per month
Exhibit C: An increase in social network monitoring by the Feds shows the government is fearful of its constituents
– After the “Arab Spring” and the role social media played in it, our government is wary of the extent to which these networks can help spark revolutions
– Caryn Wagner, undersecretary of the DHS, explicitly stated that the agency has guidelines for monitoring social sites, and that all information is archived
– Senator Dianne Feinstein is concerned that intelligence agencies aren’t monitoring public social sites as much as they could
– Some keywords being monitored:
– Cops
– Airport
– Dirty bomb
– Phreaking
– Virus
– The other side:
– Mary Ellen Callahan, chief privacy officer at the DHS: “We have been doing required privacy compliance reviews that we publish on the website…every six months”
Exhibit D: The Increase of military training exercises on domestic soil in urban areas is evidence the government is preparing to deal with civil uprising
– Is this possible? Yes
– Is it legal for the Military to intervene in the circumstance of civil disorder or uprising? Yes
– Has this goal been confirmed by any government official? No
– Should we expect military intervention in the case of widespread civil strife not controllable by local authorities? Given the law written into the NDAA 2007, yes
– September 26, 2006: President Bush urged Congress to revise federal laws, allowing U.S. armed forces to enforce laws and restore order
– Response from the military?
– “No comment”
How Close Are We To Civil War?
– A look at the historic roots of civil unrest
– Lack of representation
– The American Revolutionary War was a direct result of colonists being unable to represent themselves
– There is a distinct lack of Congressional representation of minorities
– African Americans account for 12.2% of the population
– Only 8.2% of Representatives are African American
– Latinos account for 16% of the population
– Only 5% of Representatives are hispanic
– Asian Americans account for 4.8% of the population
– Only 1.6% of Representatives are Asian American
– At the founding of the U.S., each Representative represented 33,000 citizens
– Today, that number is greater than 700,000
– Only 10% of Americans are satisfied with the job Congress is doing
– Economic distress
– The massive Greek protests were a response to austerity measures and the 110 billion Euro bailout
– 3 people were killed in the protests
– Decline of American median wealth from 2005 – 2009:
– Hispanic households: 66%
– Asian households: 54%
– African American households: 53%
– White households: 16%