Orwellian

Why Is Mexico Asking The U.S. Government For A Registry Of U.S. Gun Owners?

"Mexican lawmakers will ask the U.S. Senate to create a registry of all commercialized firearms in border states, which includes California, Arizona, New Mexico, and Texas. Mexico says it will make it easier to trace guns used in violent attacks. The measure was reportedly approved on January 9 by Mexico’s Permanent Commission, a government entity that meets when Mexico’s Senate and the Chamber of Deputies is in recess. Gun owners in Arizona are calling the proposal 'foolish' and an 'invasion of privacy.' A number of the gun owners interviewed also referenced the Obama administration’s disastrous gun-running operation known as 'Fast and Furious.'" Continue reading →

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Drones not just for foreign attacks, will fill up the U.S. skies

"Suddenly drones are everywhere -- not in the skies over the United States, as they will be by the thousands in a few years, and not just hovering over foreign battlefields to strike terror in the heart of al-Qaida -- but as the focus of debate in the U.S. Congress and elsewhere. Inevitably, the U.S. Supreme Court will be asked to determine whether the use of extrajudicial lethal force against those marked as terrorists posing an imminent threat, including U.S. citizens, is constitutional. The court also will be asked to determine how intrusive drones can be when flown over domestic air space by government, law enforcement and private companies." Continue reading →

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Guantánamo commander admits listening devices eavesdropped on lawyer meetings with clients

"The battered credibility of the Guantánamo trials has been further dented by revelations of hidden microphones, intelligence service interference with court proceedings and protests from lawyers who say the US military is preventing a proper defence of the alleged organisers of the 9/11 attacks. In recent days, the commander of the Guantánamo prison, Colonel John Bogdan, was forced to admit on the witness stand that secret listening devices disguised as smoke detectors were installed in the cell where lawyers met their clients, and that he knew nothing about them." Continue reading →

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New UK wealth tax plan to target ALL assets – including jewelry and buy-to-let homes

"Families will be forced to pay tax on jewellery and other heirlooms under controversial new plans drawn up by the Liberal Democrats. Under the scheme, tax inspectors would get unprecedented new powers to go into homes and value rings, necklaces, paintings, furniture and other family treasures. Householders would be forced to pay a new ‘wealth’ levy on the assets – with the threat of fines for those who refused to let snoops value their possessions. A policy document seen by The Mail on Sunday spells out how the taxman ‘may have to visit homes to test values of jewellery, paintings, etc’." Continue reading →

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Police Chief Admits: Our Guns are Offensive Weapons Used to Commit Aggression

"'A gun is not a defensive weapon,' insists Emeryville, California Police Chief Ken James, who claims that his mind, which most likely boggles easily, is 'boggled' by the idea that guns could serve a defensive purpose. 'That is a myth. A gun is an offensive weapon used to intimidate and used to show power. Police officers do not carry a gun as a defensive weapon to defend themselves or their other [sic] officers. They carry a gun in order to do their job in a safe and effective manner, and face any oppositions [sic] that we may come upon.'" Continue reading →

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Redress for Aaron Swartz Is Not on the Way Despite White House Petition

"There is some idea, apparently, that a government petition focused on firing the chief prosecutor of the Aaron Swartz case will begin to redress injustice. We doubt it, however. If ever the US government needed to explain a prosecution, it is this one. However, the petition process in which people seem to place some trust is probably not going to deliver a satisfactory result. The administration of Barack Obama is under no obligation than to do more than respond, whatever that means. The response can take the form of an explanation but presumably it doesn't have to. In this case, we doubt an explanation will be forthcoming." Continue reading →

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Harper government kills controversial Canadian Internet surveillance bill

"Bill C-30 caused a furor when it was introduced a year ago this week. The legislation would have permitted police and other government officials to compel Internet service providers to disclose identifying information linked to clients’ ISP addresses without a warrant. Telecommunications companies would also have been required to collect and store data on clients’ digital activities. The law was fiercely opposed by federal and provincial privacy commissioners as a fundamental intrusion on privacy rights. Instead, the government has carved out a sliver of the bill to ensure warrantless wiretaps during emergencies remain legal." Continue reading →

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Bad cyber security bill CISPA heading back to the House

"Rumors of CISPA’s demise were apparently greatly exaggerated, according to various privacy rights advocates and organizations today. The recently 'deceased' bill is scheduled for a new vote. House Intelligence Committee Chairman Mike Rogers (R-MI) and fellow congressman Dutch Ruppersberger (D-MD) will reintroduce CISPA this Wednesday, which should bear a striking resemblance to last year’s bill and not the amended version that failed to gain even a senate vote of approval." Continue reading →

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Guerrilla surveillance camera destruction hits the U.S.

"It started in Berlin: Anarchists, donning black bloc attire, hit the streets at night in pairs, small groups or alone to smash and dismantle the CCTV surveillance cameras adorning the city streets. The anti-surveillance project quickly spread throughout Germany, to Finland, Greece and hit the U.S. West Coast this month. A group identifying itself as 'the Barefoot Bandit Brigade' released a statement claiming to have 'removed and destroyed 17 security cameras throughout the Puget Sound region,' with ostensible photo evidence published alongside." Continue reading →

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