Conditioning the American People

Every weekday morning I scan alternative news and pick some stories to post here. Sometimes patterns emerge. Now this morning, I could not help but notice the various ways Americans are being conditioned to accept a dramatically increased police presence in our lives.

First off, here's a picture of a DHS bus, which you can see is full of people. I never knew until today that DHS has their own buses. Did you? And look...it's full of people.



These people were taken into custody at a kosher meatpacking plant in Postville, IA and then transported to the Cattle Congress complex in Waterloo, IA.


This story gets very interesting, as the sources who tipped off federal officials complained about both the workers and the management. It's hard to tell who is really the target here, but it appears that the owners and managers of this plant behaved with impunity and disregard for the law.

According to search warrants, ICE agents interviewed a former plant supervisor – identified as “Source 1” – in November 2007, who told them that the plant employed foreign nationals from Mexico, Guatemala and Eastern Europe. Roughly 80 percent of those workers were living illegally in the U.S., the supervisor said.

“Source 1” told federal agents that some employees were running a methamphetamine lab in the plant, and were bringing weapons to work. The supervisor confronted a higher-level manager about the drugs, and shortly after was fired.

The supervisors also described an encounter with the plant’s human resources manager about three separate Social Security cards from different employees with the same number. The human resources manager "laughed when this matter was brought to her attention," the supervisor told federal agents.

In February 2008, a confidential informant identified as "Source 7," who has worked with federal agents in past immigration cases, detailed several incidents of alleged worker abuse at the plant.

The workers were bussed to Waterloo, IA, where DHS had already taken over a portion of a large park, the National Cattle Congress fairgrounds. The federal government leased the grounds from approximately May 6th through May 25th. Ventilation systems and generators have been installed, windows have been covered up, and no information was made available -- allegedly not even to US congresspeople.

Think about that. DHS leases and takes over a fairgrounds, starts conducting a bunch of mysterious preparations that frighten people, and does not even have to inform the people's elected representatives to Congress. How can that be right? Oh, get used to it.

Setting all this aside for a moment, as the purpose of this post is to show you how we are being conditioned to accept a police state, let's just move on to some other examples.

In El Paso, TX, KFOX TV reports (breathlessly) that citizens were invited to watch elite FBI teams train.

They deal with drug dealers, hostage takers and crazed gunman -- all to keep people safe. And KFOX got a firsthand look at how the El Paso FBI trains. As part of the El Paso FBI's Citizens Academy, average citizens got to stand and watch just feet away as the elite, FBI Swat Team practiced how they would handle a sniper situation. "We invite citizens to take an inside look at the FBI. We explain the investigations we conduct, some of the methods we use, and really the why of what we do," Special Agent In Charge David Cuthbert said. Topics in the six-week-long academy range from white-collar crime to terrorism. Citizens come from all backgrounds, eager to learn firsthand how the FBI handles a number of different crimes. "I've always wanted to do something like this; it just looked exciting," GECU employee Becky McDorman said. Many who participated said they gained newfound respect for what the FBI goes through to help keep everyone safe.

Men in uniforms, with guns, training, and all just to keep Becky safe. She believes!! She believes!! She will worship at the temple of military and police power, gaining 'newfound respect'. She is just a lowly 'average citizen', but she will be allowed to 'stand and watch just feet away' from the 'elite FBI Swat Team'.

Bow your heads, people. You are but lowly worms. Pay your taxes and be grateful if any public servant shall deign to protect you. Who do you think you are?

Here's the answer to that question. Look at this illustration accompanying an apologia for Greenspan and Bernanke's policies, the very policies that have destroyed the dollar and the middle class.

Yes. This is a picture of gun-toting military or police men traipsing across the detritus of a ruined Wall St.

I guess the message is that Wall Street failure shall lead to martial law.

In other words, if We the People want these greedy bastards held accountable for wrecking the American economy, then We the People shall have 'unthinkable consequences'. That's what the man says. Go ahead. Read it yourself. I couldn't make this shit up if I tried.

Oh by the way, this was in the New York Times. Subtle? Not so much.