By Ron Paul
Attorney General William Barr recently sent a memo to law enforcement officials announcing a new federal initiative that would use techniques and tools developed in the war on terror, such as mass surveillance, to identify potential mass shooters. Those so identified would be targets of early interventions, which would include the disregarding of Second Amendment rights, as well as the imposing of mandatory counseling and involuntary commitment. The program would likely match data collected via mass surveillance with algorithms designed to identify those with mental problems that would lead them to commit violent crimes. So, this program would deprive Americans of respect for their rights not because they committed, or even threaten to commit, a violent act but because their tweets, texts, or Facebook posts trigger a government algorithm. In order to enhance the government’s ability to conduct mass surveillance, Barr has been trying to force tech companies to allow the government to have a “backdoor” for accessing electronic information. This would allow the government to read all messages — even those that are encrypted, making it all but impossible to escape the government’s watchful eye. Many mental health professionals admit that diagnosing mental health issues involves a degree of subjectivity. So how can we trust a government-designed computer algorithm to accurately identify those with mental health problems? The answer is we can’t. Barr’s program will no doubt result in many individuals who are not a threat to anyone being deprived of respect for their rights. The program will also fail in detecting future mass shooters. Some mental health professionals argue that holding certain political beliefs is a sign of mental illness. Not surprisingly, federal agencies like the FBI agree that those expressing “anti-government extremism”— like supporting a constitutional republic instead of a welfare-warfare state — are potential threats. A recent internal FBI memo warned that a belief in “conspiracy theories” is a sign that someone could be a domestic terrorist. “Conspiracy theorist” is an all-purpose smear used against anyone who questions the government’s official narrative on an event or issue. Tying a belief in “conspiracy theory” to terrorism is an effort to not just stigmatize but actually criminalize dissenting thoughts on matters such as foreign policy, climate change, gun control, and the Federal Reserve. Some people support using political beliefs as a basis for labeling someone as “mentally disturbed” because they think it will mainly affect “right-wing extremists.” These people are ignoring the FBI’s history of harassing civil rights and antiwar activists, as well as the recent controversy over the FBI labeling “black identity extremists” as a threat. A government program to monitor electronic communications to identify potential mass shooters puts all Americans at risk of losing their liberty due to their political views or a few social media posts. All those who value liberty must oppose this dangerous program.
Former Acting CIA Director John McLaughlin, on a panel with former CIA Director John Brennan, responded to a question about whether the "deep state" was trying to take out President Trump with a quote, "thank God for the deep state." Everyone laughed. He went on to say that the "intelligence community" is right to take out presidents like Trump because they are selfless patriots only interested in the truth. Does the CIA and other intelligence agencies in the US have the right to overthrow a president if they don't like him? Is that the kind of government we want? Or should people start going to jail...
The dollars that you work hard for are always buying less and less, yet the government tells you there's 'not enough inflation'. The Federal Reserve is a government-created monopoly that counterfeits dollars by the billions and trillions, and you're supposed to believe that this is "capitalism." Oh, the tangled web they weave...
With broad bi-partisan support, the Pentagon announced a massive purchase of the practically useless F-35 fighter jets. The deeply troubled aircraft might not do much to actually defend this country, but the hundreds of billions spent on development and acquisition go a long way to feathering the nests of the well-connected military-industrial-Congressional-complex. This is the real crime, but all Washington supports it.
Dubbed "The Surge," President Trump through his Attorney General have sent notice to law enforcement across the country that they need to be even MORE militarized and must receive more training on how to identify and punish Americans for crimes they have not (yet) committed. The FBI has a plan to go after "potential" threats by identifying, among others, "anti-government extremists." Who gets to decide?
By Chris Rossini
It's World Series time again with the Astros and the Nationals getting ready for a big Game 7. Passions are running high, faces are being painted, and prayers are being made. Yet, no matter which team wins the last game, there is an organization that profits --- Major League Baseball. That's a great position to be in, is it not? Major League Baseball doesn't care who wins. While two opposing forces duke it out, the League wins no matter what the outcome. That's not to say that something nefarious is happening here. There's nothing unethical about it. Baseball is a glorious sport. It's a team sport with a major focus on individuality. For advocates of individual liberty, Baseball really is 'America's Game.' Major League Baseball provides millions of consumers with the finest sports entertainment. The players are paid many millions of dollars because they produce something that is in such high demand. Taxpayers subsidizing stadiums has to stop, of course. Those are unethical. But Major League Baseball largely deals in the voluntary and moral side of human transactions. Now let's turn to The Swamp and the almost-completely unethical world of politics. As opposed to organizations like Major League Baseball, the political class doesn't generate one iota of wealth. The political class takes (by force) from people who create wealth. The Swamp, in order to keep the flow of money pouring in from wealth creators, also has a desire to win no matter what. The Swamp has "teams." -- Republicans & Democrats. The teams have team colors and mascots. They have their own media to keep passions high, and boy are the fans of these teams passionate. They say and do some of the most vile things to members of the other "team." Yet, no matter what happens, and no matter who "wins," The Swamp wins no-matter-what. More wealth is confiscated by The Swamp .... More tyranny is imposed on everyone, no matter which team anyone is on. And wouldn't know that the greatest of ironies is now upon us.... In what started out as the "land of the free," there now resides the biggest Swamp to ever exist on planet Earth! How's that for a complete 180...? The Swamp lives and breathes on one simple emotion --- Fear. That one emotion is the conduit to riches. There's the fear of the foreign boogeyman ... The fear of the weather ... The fear of employers .... The fear of other races ... other sexes ... other religions ... The Swamp has sliced-and-diced it down to the granular level! Why? Because in these battles of "enemies," The Swamp wins no matter what! The government budget never goes down. The legislation never goes away. The wars never end. The welfare never shrinks. The surveillance never stops. This "game" is the exact opposite of something like Major League Baseball. This is the game of the Old World. This is the game that America's Founders wanted to escape, and the New World was the playing field for that escape. Well, let's just say the Old World's ideas hopped across the ocean and took over the game board. But the game isn't over. Liberty is still the nature of every human being, no matter where they live on our planet. Nature doesn't change. The ability to deal with one another without using aggressive force is still an option. The ability of not being afraid of your own shadow is still an option. The ability of not seeing everyone else as an "enemy" because of some inconsequential difference is still an option. The ability to ignore the media has never been more available. The ability not to play the game at all is an option. You can just be you, and not a Republican or Democrat with your pre-assigned "enemies." Liberty is easy. Don't use force to get what you want. It fits on a bumper sticker. Despite its gigantic size, The Swamp is a temporary and ephemeral reality. Every Swamp that exists ultimately reaches its point of exhaustion. Every scheme ultimately runs out of other people's money. But Liberty is eternal. It really does win no matter what. Embrace it!
Today's Liberty Report will rip three top stories from the headlines and break down what the mainstream media is not reporting on them. What's really going on as Lebanon's government continues to melt away in the face of sustained protests? What's the new US goal in Syria and what is the chance of achieving it? And what's going on with the new surprise witness in the House impeachment effort? A Ukraine-born US military officer and ally of John Bolton on the National Security Council Staff? Worried about a drop in US support for Ukraine? Smell bad? Former US diplomat James Jatras joins today's program to go behind the headlines.
By Ron Paul
President Trump is reversing his foreign policy decisions so quickly these days that it almost seems like he overturns himself before making the decision in the first place. Last week he was very clear that the US was pulling its troops out of Syria. “Bringing soldiers home,” he said. “Let someone else fight over this long-bloodstained sand.” But then he overturned himself later in the same speech. He said: “We’ve secured the oil and therefore a small number of US troops will remain in the area where they have the oil. And we’re going to be protecting it and we’ll be deciding what we’re going to do with it in the future.” Where does President Trump think he gets the legal or moral authority to send US troops to illegally occupy foreign territory and determine what that foreign country can or cannot do with its resources? After eight years of Obama’s disastrous “Assad must go” policy, during which the US provided weapons and training to radicals and terrorists with a half million people killed as a result, President Trump had the opportunity to finally close that dark chapter of US foreign policy so the Syrian people could rebuild their country. Instead he sat down on Thursday with Senator Lindsey Graham, who has been wrong in every foreign policy position he’s ever taken, and decided to follow Graham’s advice to take Syria’s oil. Even though Trump himself has said many times that ISIS is 100 percent defeated, he claims we must take Syria’s oil to keep it from ISIS. The real reason the neocons want the US military to occupy Syria’s oil fields is they are still convinced they can overthrow Assad by carving out eastern Syria for the Kurds. They don’t want to keep the oil from ISIS, they want to keep it from the Syrian government. They don’t want the oil revenue to be used to help rebuild the country because they still want to make life more unbearable for the population through sanctions so they will overthrow Assad. They don’t care how many innocent civilians die. So instead of bringing the troops home like he promised, President Trump has allowed himself to be convinced to actually expand the US presence in eastern Syria! Instead of ending a foolish mission, he’s giving them an even more foolish mission – and sending in more troops and weapons. Instead of removing the approximately 200 troops in that region as promised, Trump is going to add more troops to equal about a thousand. He’s also sending in tanks and other armored vehicles, according to the Pentagon. If President Trump believes following neocon advice on Syria is going to produce results different than the past eight years of following neocon advice on Syria, he’s naïve or worse. This new mission is going to cost tens of millions of dollars per month and will only serve to inspire the next generation of radicals. Trump is right that the people of the region, including Russia, Iran, Syria, and Turkey have all the incentive to keep ISIS at bay. So why does he fold like a cheap suit every time the neocons strong-arm him into another dumb foreign policy position? Homeschooler Ardaschir Arguelles shares the secrets to his great academic success with the Ron Paul Homeschool Curriculum. Why let government schools turn kids into drones when there's a much better way? Easy for the parents and inspirational for the students. Interested? Go to: http://www.RonPaulCurriculum.com for more information and to try the program for FREE!
The U.S. government & it's monopoly money-printer known as The Federal Reserve have painted themselves into a bankruptcy corner. Not only are more and more foreign nations rejecting America's aggressive and militant foreign policy, but they're also ripping themselves away from the The Fed's dollar. Foreign central banks are increasingly gravitating to sound money like gold. The Fed is on its last legs. All this and more on today's Liberty Report!
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