[Blunderov] I underestimated this. I though It would be a flash in the pan but the pepper spray incident seems to have sent it viral. Now there is talk of a credible counterweight to the Tea Party and, very interestingly, also talk of a collaboration between Ron Paul and Ralph Nader. Unlikely bedfellows do I hear you cry? Perhaps, but a confrontation between a united Tea Party and Occupy America Movement and the vested Republocrat Janus is an enticing prospect. Perhaps not so much an American Spring as an American Fall though?
The green shoots of the American Spring: New York; Austin; New Orleans; Boston; Portland; San Francisco; Los Angeles; Sacramento; Atlantic City; Richmond; Atlanta; Seattle; Boise; Baton Rouge; Mississippi; Illinois; Detroit; Oklahoma; Kansas; ... and, of course, Madison, Wisconsin. (And there's more where that came from. Just google 'occupy x' where 'x' is any major US city or town). This isn't east coast-west coast. It isn't red state-blue state. It isn't north-south. It isn't Democrat-Republican, Cheech-Chong. It's class war, the 99% against the 1%.
Coming to London next week, and worldwide. Strike, march, occupy. Build the new model commune!
[Fritz]If this is, as it appears; "Huston we have a problem" !
[Blunderov] Foolish coppers. Names are being taken and come the revolution there will be a reckoning - or maybe even before then.
I have great hopes of the Occupy movement because it's clear that the majority of the electorate have now finally realised how much the wool has been pulled over their eyes by the fascist duopoly. And if Tahir Square is any witness, wise coppers (and soldiers) soon realise which side of the revolution they would prefer to be found standing when the dust settles.
Can the movement make it throught the Winter to the next election cycle? If so, it could transform the body politic. A consummation devoutly to be wished!
Re:Occupy America
« Reply #4 on: 2012-03-07 09:37:46 »
"Skeet shooting USA" now could take on a new twist
Cheers
Fritz
Police agencies in the United States to begin using drones in 90 days
Source: DGR News Service Author: Watertown Daily Times Date: 2012.02.26
Coming soon to the skies above you — drones, drones and more drones.
And all giving police and who knows who else the chance to peek into your backyard.
Legislation just signed by President Obama directs the Federal Aviation Administration to open the skies to remotely controlled drones within the next three years. It will begin in 90 days with police and first responders having authority to fly smaller drones of less than 4.4 pounds at altitudes under 400 feet. Gradually, all drones are to be allowed by Sept. 30, 2015.
The use of drones had been restricted out of civilian aviation safety concerns created by a sky full of drones flown by untrained operators in the same space as aircraft. But that was overridden by successful lobbying of drone makers and customers who will reap the financial benefits for commercial purposes. “The market for drones is valued at $5.9 billion and is expected to double in the next decade,” the New York Times reported.
They can be used by real estate agents to snap aerial photos. But then, given costs and ease of use, what will stop a member of the paparazzi or any other prying photographer from using them to get more personal snapshots? The Times report said a $300 drone can be flown from an iPhone.
The planned expansion extends the militarization of law enforcement that has been going with the adaptation of military technology and strategies to civilian law enforcement. Police see several advantages to drones over other surveillance.
The pilotless craft cost less, are cheaper to operate and can remain airborne longer. They can be used as a crimefighting tool to patrol from the skies. Authorities can monitor traffic, search remote areas for missing persons or watch criminal suspects. But, then, police can watch a political rally, silently from 30,000 feet overhead.
But also alarming is the danger of escalating their use to include weapons. Drone builders are researching the use of nonlethal weapons such as tear gas, tasers and stun guns fired from a drone, and lethal weaponry can be an easy next step on the slippery slope.
The drones will add to the erosion of privacy that has come with the ubiquitous cameras and global positioning systems that can monitor our whereabouts.
The new law is concerned with safety in establishing guidelines and training requirements for operators. It will be up to governments and even the courts to enact constitutional safeguards on their use.
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