Land Of The Flea

Eric Holder: Drone strikes against Americans on U.S. soil are legal

"Attorney General Eric Holder can imagine a scenario in which it would be constitutional to carry out a drone strike against an American on American soil, he wrote in a letter to Sen. Rand Paul, R-Ky. 'It is possible, I suppose, to imagine an extraordinary circumstance in which it would be necessary and appropriate under the Constitution and applicable laws of the United States for the President to authorize the military to use lethal force within the territory of the United States,' Holder replied to Paul’s question about whether Obama 'has the power to authorize lethal force, such as a drone strike, against a U.S. citizen on U.S. soil, and without trial.'" Continue reading →

Continue ReadingEric Holder: Drone strikes against Americans on U.S. soil are legal

FATCA, Place of Birth in Passports & Second Class Citizenship

"Place of birth was first added to the U.S. passport designed in 1917. An October 4, 1963 staff study by the Passport Office on 'Place of Birth' information in the United States Passport reflects 'the passport used during World War I was the first in which including the place of birth of the passport holder was mandatory as part of the identification of the bearer, probably was a wartime travel control measure. The item was included in all subsequent revisions of the passport format, down to and including the present issuances.'" Continue reading →

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Jeff Thomas Responds: Questions on Gold Ownership

"Any US import greater than $2500 thru FedEx is newly subject to a Customs regulation requiring a SS #. This requirement was put in place Jan 7th or 8th of this new and wonderful year. The FedEx customs representative/agent was embarrassed to call the 'importer' with this request, by their newfound responsibility." Continue reading →

Continue ReadingJeff Thomas Responds: Questions on Gold Ownership

Some Troops Asked If They Would Kill U.S. Citizens If Ordered

"It's a hell of a question, and it goes to show how badly our constitutional rights have been eroded in the name of the War on Terror. On to the question itself: I have a good friend in-the-know with the military who told me that some troops are indeed being asked this question. If the troops reply that they would not kill U.S. citizens if ordered, says my friend, they are immediately honorably discharged on other grounds. This supports Internet rumors about the existence of such of question. I trust my friend, and now I, too, believe that the question is being posed within our military." Continue reading →

Continue ReadingSome Troops Asked If They Would Kill U.S. Citizens If Ordered

Lew Rockwell: The US Corporate State

"It didn’t take long for opponents of the market to pounce after the events of 2008. The crash was said to prove how destructive 'unregulated capitalism' could be and how dangerous its supporters were – after all, free-marketeers opposed the bailouts, which had allegedly saved Americans from another Great Depression. In The Great Deformation, David Stockman – former US congressman and budget director under Ronald Reagan – tells the story of the recent crisis, and takes direct aim at the conventional wisdom that credits government policy and Ben Bernanke with rescuing Americans from another Great Depression." Continue reading →

Continue ReadingLew Rockwell: The US Corporate State

UN investigator: Obama must release details of Bush kidnapping and torture program

"Ben Emmerson, the U.N. special rapporteur on the promotion and protection of human rights while countering terrorism, will release a new report on Tuesday detailing his findings about the Bush-era program, according to Reuters. The report was not published online ahead of a planned hearing set for Tuesday, and a spokesperson was unavailable for comment. He added that there is 'credible evidence' that the CIA under the Bush administration had 'black sites' in Thailand, Poland, Morocco, Lithuania and Romania. Emmerson’s report is expected to urge lawmakers in those countries to fully investigate the matter and prosecute former officials if necessary." Continue reading →

Continue ReadingUN investigator: Obama must release details of Bush kidnapping and torture program

Americans – Like Nazi Germans – Don’t Notice that All of Our Rights Are Slipping Away

"More and more commonly, the government prosecutes cases based upon 'secret evidence' that they don’t show to the defendant … or sometimes even the judge hearing the case. The government uses 'secret evidence' to spy on Americans, prosecute leaking or terrorism charges (even against U.S. soldiers) and even assassinate people. And see this and this. Secret witnesses are being used in some cases. And sometimes lawyers are not even allowed to read their own briefs. Indeed, even the laws themselves are now starting to be kept secret. And it’s about to get a lot worse." Continue reading →

Continue ReadingAmericans – Like Nazi Germans – Don’t Notice that All of Our Rights Are Slipping Away

“The TSA Blues”

"It seems Eric Clapton is as disgusted with the sexual assault and irradiation at the airports as the rest of us. He announced plans to boycott aviation in an interview with Rolling Stone and specifically blamed the TSA's 'security' sham: '...for me, the struggle is the travel. And the only way you can beat that is by throwing so much money at it that you make a loss. So ... [w]hen I'm 70, I'll stop. I won't stop playing or doing one-offs, but I'll stop touring, I think. ... And security. I never get it right. I forget to take off my belt, or I have change in my pocket. Next thing I know, 'Can you come over here please?' I just don't want to do that anymore.'" Continue reading →

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Wendy McElroy: Only Places Have Rights?

"The queue of 'rights that depend on geography' is growing. Texting while walking has become the new social sin. Portland, Oregon just made it illegal for a man to whistle on public streets unless he keeps walking and, so, distributes the noise pollution. Bloomberg's ban on donations of food to homeless shelters because the city could not guarantee the salt, fat and fiber content. Bureaucrats want to yank rights out from under individuals and make them a matter of place, not people. All you need to do is be in the wrong place, and you have no rights. Speak out, drink a large soda, hand out literature, walk your dog, or whistle too long in one place…crime is everywhere." Continue reading →

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Homeland Security Purchases 2,700 Light-Armored Tanks to Go With Their 1.6 Billion Bullet Stockpile

"According to one estimate, since last year the Department of Homeland Security has stockpiled more than 1.6 billion bullets, mainly .40 caliber and 9mm. DHS also purchased 2,700 Mine Resistant Armor Protected Vehicles (MRAP)." Continue reading →

Continue ReadingHomeland Security Purchases 2,700 Light-Armored Tanks to Go With Their 1.6 Billion Bullet Stockpile