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1984 in 2002
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Senator Richard Shelby is telling us that another terrorist
attack is “absolutely going to happen”. In
fact, he promises us it will be “spectacular”.
This interview is given the day before President Bush officially signs
the Homeland Security Act into law.
This massive reorganization of the Federal Government,
whispered to be headed by Tom Ridge, is to keep the United States safe from
terrorist attacks. (Just like the color-coded warning system of Ridge’s kept
us safe for the past year.)
The term “terrorism” finally receives a definition in the H.S.A.;
“The term ‘‘terrorism ’’means any activity that involves
an act that is dangerous to human life or potentially destructive of critical
infrastructure or key resources; and is a violation of the criminal law of
the United States or of any State or other subdivision of the United States;
and appears to be intended to intimidate or coerce a civilian population,
to influence the policy of a government by intimidation or coercion; or to
affect the conduct of a government by mass destruction, assassination, or
kidnapping.”
That sure cleared it right up for me!
There are certain provisions in the bill that I have to question
exactly how they apply to protecting our National Security.
“Allows immunity from liability for companies that make faulty
anti-terrorism devices or technology and would make it difficult to sue companies
that make smallpox vaccinations if the vaccines cause illness. Thanks to Rep
Dick Armey, it also specifically includes lawsuits over Thimerosal, a mercury-based
vaccine preservative that some parents believe has caused autism in their
children.” (This would also make cases
already in the courts retroactive and most certainly dismissed.)
“It revises a provision that prohibited contracts with American
offshore tax-evading companies, allowing the department to waive the ban in
the name of saving American jobs and be eligible for contracts with Homeland
Security Department.”
“Allows protection against liability suits for airline screening
companies.” ß- What??
They allow a bomb to pass through and blow up an airplane but they cannot
be held liable? Sorry—that one really gets me!
“Protection against liabilities for any business having a contract
with the Homeland Security Department.”
“Protection has been cut back for Civil Service workers allowing
them to be fired or transferred quite easily and there is another little ditty
in there against whistleblowers”. ( I guess that will teach them FBI agents
to speak the truth when it is not acceptable to do so. )
“The department
would not be required to release information under the Freedom of Information
Act. This would eliminate the agency's responsibility to answer questions
from the public.”
What does any
of this have to do with protecting American citizens against terrorists? It
appears to have more to do with protecting corporations than in securing the
vulnerabilities we are facing from the terrorists. (Well, to be fair, there is an order to terminate third party visa’s
of Saudi’s and to finish the 14-mile border wall in San Diego. Yep I feel
safer already.)
“Every purchase
you make with a credit card, every magazine subscription you buy and medical
prescription you fill, every Web site you visit and e-mail you send or receive,
every academic grade you receive, every bank deposit you make, every trip
you book and every event you attend — all these transactions and communications
will go into what the Defense Department describes as "a virtual, centralized
grand database." -- This is enough to even give right-wing fanatic William
Safire the heebie-jeebies.
It is time we
think about exactly what is the real threat to America. The very things purported
to “protect” us may very well be our downfall.
If
we are to believe Senator Shelby that an attack is “absolutely going to occur”
what the hell are we wasting 35 billion of taxpayers dollars on a 170,000
employee Titanic-like new Department of Security that obviously will not prevent
this “spectacular” attack from happening? Is it truly a guise for some other
agenda other than to “protect us against evil terrorists”? And yes, the word
evil is specifically used in the bill.
I read George
Orwell’s book “1984” back in 1977 and never expected it to come true in 2002.