Wednesday, February 19, 2014

Wednesday Weenie Roast: Tyranny Edition

 Are Chinese puzzle boxes next...


Wow.  It's against the law to have a hidden compartment in your car?  WTF?


I came across this when I saw an article about some guy who was driving the car of a friend, got pulled over and the police used the, "we noticed the strong smell of marijuana in the vehicle," excuse to search the car.  During the search, they found a hidden compartment.  Nothing whatsoever was in the compartment, the car just had one.
"Without the hidden compartment law, we would not have had any charges on [Gurley]," a state trooper told the local news station.

He was arrested, and is paying legal fees to keep this from going to trial.

Here in California, the law basically says that if the government THINKS you use it for drugs, guns or any other sort of bad-boy activity, you've broken the law.   They don't need evidence to that fact, just the belief.

Let's think about this a bit:  For all intents and purposes, it's illegal to have a secret compartment becuase it's assumed it will be used to transport illegal drugs, illegal guns or [GASP!] be used for terrorist purposes.

"If you've got nothing to hide...." "If you've done nothing wrong..." "If you're a good citizen..." "If you're a true patriot..."  If, if, if...  

And then, of course, there's the juicy morsel known as 'asset forfeiture' - 
With civil forfeiture, police are under no obligation return a seized vehicle if prosecutors decide not to proceed with a criminal case or if the jury decides to acquit. Once police take a vehicle, property owners generally must file a lawsuit to get it back.

Police and prosecutors naturally like this arrangement; they usually get to keep seized vehicles or the profits from auctioning them off. But the process is a nightmare for property owners, who are considered guilty until proven innocent.

Hmm.  Guilty until proved innocent.
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Coming soon to Amerika...

It's called capital controls.  The government wants to control your capital -
[W]e learn that Italy has just ordered banks to withhold a 20% tax on all inbound wire transfers: a decree which on to of everything will apply retroactively to February 1
This happens right now in the US when you sell a house, or cash in a 401(k) before the government says you're allowed to do so.  And of course, they take it out of each and every paycheck you earn.  They get paid up front, and you must justify why you get any of it back.

Hmmm.  I wonder what these type of government actions might lead to?

The government, through their own actions, is making more and more Americans understand the value of privacy with their financial affairs.  The unintended consequences is more and more people being paid in cash, and then hoarding that cash so that they can purchase what they wish, when they wish, without having the purchase being scrutinized.

Look what's going on in Colorado now at the new Pot Clubs.  These businesses can't get bank accounts because the Feds don't recognize them as legal businesses.  So everything is, "cash and carry".  I love it!

The Feds will counter this by gradually eliminating paper currency.  We're already well along that road, with the pervasive use of debit and credit cards, welfare cards, Paypal, and the like.

The eventual elimination of cash will be foisted upon us under the guise of "defending America against terrorists and drug dealers".  They'll also get some traction by saying it will be a cost saver, in that all of that paper currency won't have to be printed up each year, only to be destroyed a few years later.

You see, they're doing it all for you - just keepin' you safe and saving you a couple of bucks in the process.  'Cause you know - if you've got any large amount of cash, you MUST be a terrorist or a criminal.

Hmm.  Guilty until proven innocent
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Seriously... no one else has read the book, 1984???

Wait, what?!  Another database to track where you go, when you go, and even with whom you go there?  It's all for 'national security' of course.  Yep, the DHS wants a National license plate tracking system -
There are several other reasons why Americans should be concerned about DHS’s plans. First, the agency wants to be able to create its own “hot lists” of suspect vehicles from the data. As we’ve seen from ALPR records we received from the Los Angeles Sheriff’s Department, officers are not required to define any individualized suspicion before putting a vehicle on a “hot list,” and it’s unclear how a vehicle would ever get off such a list. DHS proposes sharing its “hot lists” with other agencies. It also wants to be able to communicate with other users, “establish Lists submissions, flag license plates, and conduct searches anonymously.” If ICE agents can create hot lists, flag plates, conduct searches and discuss and share data anonymously, meaningful oversight of the program will be impossible.
Wait a minute:  I was under the impression that according to the fourth amendment, no government entity was able to collect information about a citizen without probable cause and a warrant from a judge.

Really.  I know I read that somewhere.  A history book I read way back when, explained how the British had these things called, 'general warrants' which allowed the government to look at everything in your life in an attempt to find some illegal activity.  Privacy be damned.

The fourth amendment was ratified to prohibit that sort of government intrusion into your life.  Wow, they're really going to town on the Constitution, huh?

It kind of moves me to song.  You know the tune.  Come on kids, and sing along!
You better watch out,
You better not cry,
You better not pout,
You better comply,
DHS is going to town!

They're making a list,
And checking it twice,
Gonna find out who's naughty or nice.
DHS is going to town!

They see you when you're sleeping,
They know when you're awake.
They know when you've been bad or good,
So be good for goodness sake!

OH!...You better watch out,
You better not cry
You better not pout,
You better comply.
DHS is going to town!

Hmm.  Guilty until proved innocent.

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