It is too bad. That poor woman was suffering from post-partum psychosis (aggravated by alcohol abuse). Rich or poor there is not much medicine can do in these situations.

What is truly appalling is the army of people posting on message boards that she deserved to die for raising her voice and “being out of control.”

The performance of the Phoenix police was shocking. Apparently, people routinely die in handcuffs under their tender mercies. There have been 5 such fatalities this year. (One such just yesterday). Is this normal — I mean, how big a city is Phoenix, and how many die like that in larger cities like NY or San Francisco, I wonder?)

TSA screeners don’t even have guns. Somehow, trying to meld one of the few standing government agencies into a private mercenary force seems a bit… of a stretch. Seriously, TSA screeners make little more than what people do at Target. They are hardly foot soldiers for Blackwater. Try to stay a little more on topic, and you will make a more convincing case. Not that you don’t have a point about Blackwater…

Disobey their orders and the people with guns will be right there.

Namomi,
I just now watched that video of the woman in Phoenix. What really brought the hair up on my neck was seeing all the people walk by as if nothing was happening. That shakes what little confidence I keep trying to have that we as a people will take our fates into our own hands, courageously, rather than cowering until our fates our set for us.

What really scared me was not seeing people just walking by, but seeing people running away. At one point, when (I assume)the police were summoned over the PA system, any civilian who was anywhere near that woman started frantically running away so they would not be anywhere near her when the police got there. Seeing their instant capitulation is very frightening.

The fact that Hillary is “advised” by an anti-union goon and (until VERY recently) representative for Blackwater

Cite?

…alarmingly enough, the pr corporation that Hilary Clinton is using – Mark Penn’s Burson Marsteller – advised Blackwater before the hearings.

Worrisome, as is Hillary’s recent bout of cackling.

If they intend to control our travel in and out of the country they could easily prevent their political opponents from escaping or going abroad to talk to friends about what’s happening here.

It might be part of a plan to envelop America in a fog to keep us isolated from the rest of the world — just as most dictatorial countries try to do when there’s a revolution/disturbance/peace-march.

LS @ 147

I think there is real fear in Congress that if they push the cabal too tightly into a corner, something like a false flag will happen, and all will be lost.

Yes. Just how crazy are the Crazies?

They are shedding light on things via oversight, but I believe they are reluctant to take serious action for the reason I just cited. They want the clock to run out “quietly”, however, the problem is…will the cabal really leave?

The cabal will leave, but none of the infrastructure will be dismantled, particularly the “legal” infrastructure.

That has yet to be seen of course.

All three major Democratic candidates have also essentially said we’ll stay in Iraq until the end of their terms.

b.s.

They’ve said we don’t know exactly what we’ll face when we go in and we want to keep options open.

Hillary seems set on Iran.
Barack seems set on nuking northern Pakistan.
Edwards seems most hesitant to specify what he might do.

None have said they’d keep troops in to the end of their terms. At least not that I’ve heard.

There will be next, worse iteration after the Democrats.

This is something we really do have to be concerned with. How to nip it in the roots to avoid a continuation of the VRWC foreign policy after 4 or 8 years.

http://ipoaonline.org/php/

Kathleen @ 60

Here is our New Swat team. …

“Other participants in the training included four active U.S. Marines who train Marine reserves for a living,

…

Since when do active duty military do this kind of thing on US soil?

Posse Comitatus?

Thank you for these links, have been looking for more info since I first heard of this. Far more extensive and ominous than first was told…

One thought I have, watching the unfolding atrocities in Burma, is how easy it would be for a repressive goverment here to “pull the plug” on internet activism, should the need arise.

The internet has been a great tool for alternative information and political organizing, but it is exceedingly vulnerable.

We had better not forget how to print pamphlets, do phone trees, and hold actual physical meetings (not to mention organize clandestinely…).

Under the TSA’s “Advance Passenger Information System (APIS) initiative,” you’ll need to obtain permission from the U.S. government to travel on ANY commercial airliner or ship that goes to or from the United States. You won’t receive your boarding pass until you are cleared by APIS. You’ll also need permission to travel through the United States (e.g., if you’re changing planes at a U.S. airport on a trip between two foreign countries). It doesn’t matter if you’re a U.S. citizen or permanent resident. Everyone will need permission to enter – or leave – the United States.

Then, on Aug. 23, 2007, the TSA issued proposed regulations for its “Secure Flight” program.

The TSA wants commercial airlines to submit passenger information through a single DHS portal for both the Secure Flight and APIS programs. This would result in one DHS system responsible for watch list matching for all aviation passengers. Naturally, the entire process – for both domestic and international travel – will occur in total secrecy. If you’re denied permission to travel, you won’t be able to appeal the decision to any court. Your only recourse will be through the TSA bureaucracy. Essentially, you’ll be reduced to pleading with the TSA to say something like, “pretty please, give me a boarding pass.”

More here

Maybe your wingnut relatives reply to this would be, “good, I’ve got nothin ta hide.” And I’m sure that’s what Senator Widestance thought before he got caught doing his toetapping showtunes in the Minneapolis restroom before he got caught

But they should be reminded that everything about them is now entered into a database, including what they read, and what they have in their possession

Just some food for thought