He may not have a terrorist before but could you blame him if he became one now?
Bravo U.S. District Judge Morrison C. England Jr.
Once eco-terrorism charges start making the headlines more regularly, I think weâre in big trouble. After all this security state apparatus has been tuned to perfection, it isnât much of a stretch that âeco-terrorismâ is going to be the next bogey-man. The FBIâs not-surprisingly vague definition:
Domestic terrorism is the unlawful use, or threatened use, of violence by a group or individual based and operating entirely within the United States (or its territories) without foreign direction, committed against persons or property to intimidate or coerce a government, the civilian population, or any segment thereof, in furtherance of political or social objectives.
So youâre at a rally and someone breaks a car window? Congratulations, you just graduated to the big leagues.
Edit: Off topic, but Citizenfour was amazing. Considering the sacrifice Ed Snowden made in bringing this information to the attention of the public, I sort of felt like it was my civic duty to see this film. I hope you feel the same, you wonât regret it. I saw your name in the credits Xeni, and Coryâs book on the table.
Yes, yes we could.
Would it be acceptable or right for him to become what the FBI painted him as? No.
If he did would I understand why? Yes.
And I eagerly await hearing that the FBI agents involved in withholding the evidence will be held accountable for these actions by giving them lengthy prison sentences commiserate with the amount of prison time they helped secure for this manâŚer, I mean the promotions and raises and comfortable pensions theyâve probably already enjoyed sinceâŚ
Why do you think we are in trouble? The US federal government lives up to its own definition of terrorism far more than most citizens do. The US doesnât do anything unlawful? Doesnât use violence or destruction or threats to further political or social objectives? Congratulations - it sounds like theyâve signed their own death writ!
I look forward to McDavid filing a civil suit for $9 million and collecting it from the FBI retirement fund.
Somehow, I suspect that government wrongs being paid for in taxpayer money wonât change anything, it will take real accountability.
Which is why I suggest that the money comes, not from the taxpayer but -literally- from their personal retirement funds. Thatâs a kind of âaccountabilityâ that they will notice.
We (citizens in the US) are in trouble, because activists (and anyone expressing dissent) can very likely be arbitrarily labeled an âeco-terroristâ. I meant that once we start hearing about eco-terrorism in the pop-culture media, itâs likely that it will be the mechanism by which the United States security apparatus will begin to stifle activism and free-speech.
Just my two cents.
âOn January 13, 2006, the three were arrested outside a store where they
had purchased household chemicals, presumably for bomb-making. None of
the three had prior convictions.â --Wikipedia
Banana republic
I get what you are saying, but why are arbitrary labels troubling if they donât say much of anything? If you think it will be a nasty fight, strategy suggests that you not wait until they bring it to your front door. Go on the offensive while you are able to. The citizens vastly outnumber the FBI.
How?
Yeah buddy. You donât sound like an agent provocateur. Not at all. /tinfoil New Era with the tags still on it.
Then suck it up! Typical asshat rhetoric that youâre going to complain that youâre treated unfairly until everybody comes to their senses. Do everything except direct actions which will make a difference because a minority of self-important bureaucrats might disapprove. And you tell me that Iâm fronting⌠Well, go wave a sign around if it makes you feel like you are doing something useful.
I might hate the US âsecurityâ establishment for what they do, but at least they are acting within what their blinkered perceptions define as being their interests, so they get some negligible amount of respect. People who claim to know what needs to be done but lack the strength of conviction to even consider doing it, probably donât deserve even that much.
Please do continue.
Iâm all ears.
This is basically my nightmare scenario.
Overzealous prosecution from the hint of a whiff of a grain of truth and the poor bastard spends 9 years in jail for being disagreeable.
And of course eco-terrorism is the next big thing: http://www.judibari.org/revolutionary-ecology.html
I credit Judi Bari, aside from being brilliant, with teaching EarthFirst! to stop being so violent. Their current bogeyman status is 30 years out of date, as is usual with caricatures.
Thank you for putting that in better terms than I did.
