I can’t comment on the CS stuff, but I did recently hear about the Sovereign Citizens (SC) movement. From (duhn duhn duhnnnnnn) the FBI:
One prevalent sovereign-citizen theory is the Redemption Theory, which claims the U.S. government went bankrupt when it abandoned the gold standard basis for currency in 1933 and began using citizens as collateral in trade agreements with foreign governments. These beliefs can provide a gateway to illegal activity because such individuals believe the U.S. government does not act in the best interests of the American people. By announcing themselves as sovereign citizens, they are emancipated from the responsibilities of being a U.S. citizen, including paying taxes, possessing a state driver’s license, or obeying the law.And how does the FBI identify some of the SC folks (other than being shifty eyed weirdos):
- References to the Bible, The Constitution of the United States,
U.S. Supreme Court decisions, or treaties with foreign governments. - Personal names spelled in all capital letters or interspersed with colons (e.g., JOHN SMITH or Smith: John)
- Signatures followed by the words “under duress,” “Sovereign Living Soul” (SLS), or a copyright symbol (©)
- Personal seals, stamps, or thumb prints in red ink
- The words “accepted for value"
They’re nuttier than the Tea Party people, and that’s saying a lot.
This is a stretch, but I wonder if Arpaio is okay with bleeding the taxpayers dry in the same fashion that Tea Partiers and folks of that ilk want to drown the American gov’t (to paraphrase that other nut, Grover Jackass Norquist)?
