TRAVEL
Saturday, August 30, 2014
Saturday, August 23, 2014
Ferguson, Missouri – This is what Martial Law Looks Like
Ferguson, Missouri – This is what Martial Law Looks Like
The police before a rally Wednesday in Ferguson, Mo., where an unarmed teenager, Michael Brown, was shot by an officer last week. Photo Credit Whitney Curtis for The New York Times Spurred on by 9/11 and the War on Terror, America has become a feared military force of terror but the prime target has always been the American public which is becoming increasingly aware of their Government sponsored militarized police who see and relate to them as Middle East terrorists until proven innocent such as in Ferguson, Missouri. The military-style occupation of Ferguson, Missouri has ripped aside the thin veneer of democracy to expose a budding police state. This is what martial law looks like: Allen L Roland, Ph.DAs I watch, with alarm, the rapidly growing American militarized Police State as well as George W Bush and Dick Cheney’s recent book tours ~ where they rationalize their illegal wars and economic rape of Iraq and Afghanistan as well as justify torture as a means to this criminal end ~ I am immediately reminded of Milton Mayer’s classic THEY THOUGHT THEY WERE FREE (The Germans 1933 – 1945). Mayer’s book describes the slow but sure seduction of the German people as their civil liberties, freedoms and moral values were gradually stripped away by Hitler’s fascist government while waving the flag of national security and patriotism. Pg. 166 / 167 THEY THOUGHT THEY WERE FREE But Then It Was Too Late ~ “What happened here was the gradual habituation of the people, little by little, to being governed by surprise; to receiving decisions deliberated in secret; to believing that the situation was so complicated that the government had to act on information which the people could not understand, or so dangerous that, even if the people could not understand it, it could not be released because of national security. And their sense of identification with Hitler, their trust in him, made it easier to widen this gap and reassured those who would otherwise have worried about it … this separation of government from people, this widening of the gap, took place so gradually and so insensibly, each step disguised (perhaps not even intentionally) as a temporary emergency measure or associated with true patriotic allegiance or with real social purposes. And all the crises and reforms (real reforms, too) so occupied the people that they did not see the slow motion underneath, of the whole process of government growing remoter and remoter.” Apathy increases with each measured step, as it most certainly has in America, and Mayer knowingly describes the consequences for Germany in the early 1930’s~ Pg. 171 THEY THOUGHT THEY WERE FREE “In between come all the hundreds of little steps, some of them imperceptible, each of them preparing you not to be shocked by the next. Step C is not so much worse than Step B, and, if you did not make a stand at Step B, why should you at Step C? And so on to Step D ~ and one day, too late, your principles, if you were ever sensible of them, all rush in upon you. The burden of self-deception has grown too heavy, and some minor incident, in my case my little boy, hardly more than a baby, saying ‘Jewish swine,’ collapses it all at once, and you see that everything, everything, has changed and changed completely under your nose. The world you live in ~ your nation, your people ~ is not the world you were born in at all. The forms are all there, all untouched, all reassuring, the houses, the shops, the jobs, the mealtimes, the visits, the concerts, the cinema, the holidays. But the spirit, which you never noticed because you made the lifelong mistake of identifying it with the forms, is changed. Now you live in a world of hate and fear, and the people who hate and fear do not even know it themselves; when everyone is transformed, no one is transformed. Now you live in a system which rules without responsibility even to God. The system itself could not have intended this in the beginning, but in order to sustain itself it was compelled to go all the way… You have accepted things you would not have accepted five years ago, a year ago, things that your father, even in Germany, could not have imagined … Suddenly it all comes down, all at once. You see what you are, what you have done, or, more accurately, what you haven’t done (for that was all that was required of most of us: that we do nothing).” Read article ~ And that is Mayer’s main point ~ it is the spirit that dramatically changes when we accept if not condone the disintegration of our national moral values and civil liberties through illegal wars and occupations as well as our crimes against humanity such as torture, secret renditions as well as intrusive full body scans and pat downs, which will continue to be extended under the pretext of national security and the War on Terror ~ and especially when it extends to our own country, America. Paul Craig Roberts correctly writes that the War on Terror is a Hoax; “In the past decade, Washington has killed, maimed, dislocated, and made widows and orphans millions of Muslims in six countries, all in the name of the “war on terror.” Washington’s attacks on the countries constitute naked aggression and impact primarily civilian populations and infrastructure and, thereby, constitutes war crimes under law. Nazis were executed precisely for what Washington is doing today.” See article ~ Then what was is the Obama/Biden administration so afraid of? They are obviously afraid of the Truth and, in particular, an informed public in possession of the truth. And the truth is that we are owned, lock, stock, and barrel by Wall Street, the Corpocracy and Washington as well as a Congress that is in bed with them. And that the War on Terror is being increasingly being seen, by the world, as a War of Terror on anyone who does not fall in step with a heavily armed Imperialistic fascist state and it’s surrogate states ~ such as Israel. It is interesting to note that the one country on this planet that is seen as the greatest threat to World Peace is the United States. (2014 WIN/Gallup International Poll) Which brings me to Ferguson, Missouri ~ as an obvious example of where we are heading by treating American citizens like terrorists or insurgents in an occupied country. An analysis done earlier this summer by the New York Times found that since 2006, police departments across America have received 435 armored vehicles, 533 planes, 93,763 machine guns, and last, but not least, 432 mine-resistant armored trucks, because you never know when you’re going to run into terrorist laid mines on Main Street USA. FERGUSON, Mo. ~ In the five days since an unarmed young black man, Michael Brown, was fatally shot by a police officer here, the selective release of information about the shooting, and especially the anonymity granted to the officer, has stoked frustrations in this largely African-American community north of St. Louis, where residents describe increasingly tense relations with a militarized police. This is once again what Martial law looks like.
The Ferguson Police Department riot squad moving towards a protester. (photo: Getty Images) As reported by Julie Bowman and Erick Hekholm, NY Times ~ “On Wednesday night, scores of police officers in riot gear and armored trucks showed up to disperse protesters who had gathered on the streets near the scene of the shooting. Some officers perched atop the vehicles with their guns trained on the crowds while protesters chanted, “Hands up, don’t shoot.” A police spokesman said that some demonstrators had thrown Molotov cocktails at officers and that some had tried to set fires. The police used tear gas on demonstrators, and some protesters said rubber bullets had been fired at them. Police said one officer appeared to have suffered a broken ankle after being hit by a brick…Two reporters covering the protests also said they had been arrested inside a McDonald’s for trespassing and later released without charges or an explanation. The reporters, Wesley Lowery of The Washington Post and Ryan J. Reilly of The Huffington Post, both said they had been handled roughly by the police.” See report and video Combat in large cities is central to the military doctrine of Martial Law that is being developed by the US armed forces. This is spelled out in a document entitled “Megacities and the United States Army: Preparing for a complex and uncertain future,” which was released in June by the Army’s Strategic Studies Group and endorsed by its chief of staff, Gen. Raymond Odierno. Describing the conditions that it anticipates will require US military intervention, the report warns, “As inequality between rich and poor increases … Stagnation will coexist with unprecedented development, as slums and shanty towns rapidly expand alongside modern high-rises. This is the urban future. ”Radical income disparity,” is further described as the foremost “driver of instability” in these far-flung urban areas. “In other words, the Pentagon brass is seeking to prepare the US military for directly counterrevolutionary interventions aimed at quelling popular revolts that it sees as the inevitable consequence of the unprecedented social inequality created by world capitalism in crisis.” See WSWS article on same subject . As Carl Gibson correctly points out ~ “The Posse Comitatus Act of 1878 made it clear that military forces are not allowed to be deployed in civilian neighborhoods for law enforcement purposes. While the law originally was meant for branches of the U.S. armed forces, it should also apply to police departments using equipment meant only for U.S. armed forces in war zones. Because of the 2012 National Defense Authorization Act,the so-called “War on Terror” included all of the United States as part of the “battlefield,” making it fair game for Posse Comitatus to be eliminated. It also allows for the indefinite detention in a military facility for anyone deemed to be a potential terrorist under loosely-defined parameters. This sets a dangerous precedent for the future of a democratic society.” We are now seeing direct evidence of Mayer’s vision of civil liberties, freedoms and moral values being gradually stripped away by our neo- fascist government while waving the flag of national security and patriotism ~ and Ferguson may soon be joined by many more communities unless we make the Demilitarizing of police forces an election-year issue in all municipalities for candidates who are running for mayor, city council, alderman, or selectman. Police officers shouldn’t be breaking down any citizen’s door at 3 a.m. armed with AR-15s and flash bang grenades in search of a small amount of drugs, while an MRAP idles in the driveway. The anti-militarists, however, are in the minority right now. And until that changes, violent paramilitary police raids will continue to break down the doors of nearly 1,000 American households a week:
American Spring? Now Egypt puts the boot in as it urges U.S. authorities to 'exercise restraint' in dealing with Missouri riots
Egypt has taken the unusual step of urging the U.S. to exercise restraint in dealing with racially charged demonstrations in Ferguson, Missouri. Echoing language Washington used to caution the Cairo government as it cracked down on Islamist protesters last year, Egypt's Foreign Ministry said it was 'closely following' the escalation of violent protests following the shooting dead by police of unarmed black teenager Michael Brown. It is highly unusual for Egypt to criticise such a major donor, and it was not immediately clear why the government would have taken such a step at this stage. The development came as ISIS militants used social media to encourage protesters in Ferguson to embrace radical Islam and fight against the U.S. government.
+12 Tense: Police attempt to control demonstrators protesting in Ferguson, Missouri last night. Officers shot smoke and tear gas in to the crowd in order to disperse furious demonstrators after they became unruly
+12 Resembling a war zone: Heavily armed police attempt to control demonstrators protesting the killing of teenager Michael Brown
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+12 Making a statement: Egypt's president Abdel Fattah el-Sisi (left) has taken the unusual step of urging the U.S. Preisdent Barack Obama (right) to exercise restraint in dealing with demonstrations in Ferguson Ties between Washington and Cairo were strained after Egyptian security forces killed hundreds of Muslim Brotherhood supporters following the army's ousting of freely elected President Mohamed Morsi in July 2013. Western allies have voiced concern about the democratic credentials of President Abdel Fattah al-Sisi, the army chief who toppled Mursi and went on to win elections. The United States has, however, continued to provide military and other support to Cairo. In a statement released today, however, Egypt's Foreign Ministry's urged the U.S. government to exercise restraint when dealing with the Ferguson protesters. The wording of the statement read similarly to a message issued by Barack Obama's administration in July 2013, when the White House 'urged security forces to exercise maximum restraint and caution' in dealing with demonstrations by Morsi supporters.
+12 Turn of events: Echoing language Washington used to caution the Cairo government as it cracked down on Islamist protesters last year (pictured)
+12 Comparison: A member of the Egyptian security forces speaks to a woman holding a stick as he helps clear a sit-in by supporters of ousted Islamist President Mohammed Morsi amid protests in Cairo last year
+12 As officers sat with guns pointed atop armored vehicles, the authorities used LRAD (Long Range Acoustic Device) crowd control systems to send out a painful noise to try and disperse the crowd
+12 Anger: A demonstrator reacts during a protest on West Florissant Avenue in Ferguson after police fired tear gas in his direction Egypt today said it was 'closely following the escalation of protests' in Ferguson, which began after the fatal shooting of an unarmed 18-year-old black teenager Michael Brown by white policeman Darren Wilson, 28, on August 9. Nine days of violent protests have since taken place, with demonstrators shooting at police at officers criticised for a 'heavy handed' effort to disperse the crowds. Human Rights Watch said in a report last week that Egyptian security forces systematically used excessive force against Islamist protesters after Morsi was ousted in 2013. Egypt said the report was 'characterised by negativity and bias'.
+12 Violence: The jihadists and their sympathisers in the West have taken to Twitter to send messages of support to hundreds of demonstrators taking part in a ninth night of angry protests in Ferguson (pictured)
+12 A lone man walks in front of police lines in Ferguson as 31 people are reported to have been arrested
+12 Demonstrators have once again taken to the streets of Ferguson with their faces covered to protect against tear gas attacks by police News of Egypt's intervention in the protests come as ISIS militants and their supporters used social media to encourage demonstrators to embrace radical Islam and fight against the U.S. government. Jihadists in Syria and Iraq and their sympathisers in the West have taken to Twitter to send messages of support to hundreds of demonstrators taking part in a ninth night of angry protests. The militants' tweets denounce local officers for the way they have attempted to quell the violence, make reference to historic acts of police brutality, and even use the hashtag #FergusonUnderISIS in an attempt to get angry young men in the city to declare allegiance to the Islamist group. Additionally, footage purportedly taken from the scene of the Ferguson protests appeared to show one demonstrator marching along a street holding a sign reading 'ISIS is here'.
+12 'Chilling': Footage purportedly from a CNN live stream of the protests appeared to show one young demonstrator marching along a street holding a sign reading 'ISIS is here'
Salena Zito - a political columnist for the Pittsburgh Tribune-Review newspaper - described as 'chilling' the footage of a Ferguson demonstrator purportedly holding an ISIS banner while standing behind a CNN reporter One ISIS sympathiser calling himself Mujahid Miski, who claims to be from Minneapolis–Saint Paul but suggests he is now based in 'the horn of Africa', has led the campaign to encourage those taking part in the protests to embrace radical Islam. In one message he tweets: 'So how is democracy treating you guys? #FergusonUnderIS #Ferguson. He adds: 'I thought u guys back in #Ferguson were supposed to be Free & that u had equal rights. I'd really like to know what changed? #FergusonUnderIS'. Miski goes on to retweet dozens of messages by a Twitter user with the handle @AmreekiWitness, who claims to monitor and support the growth of radical Islam in the U.S..
Threat: One Twitter user with the handle @AmreekiWitness, who claims to monitor the growth of radical Islam in the U.S., has led the calls for Ferguson protesters to embrace ISIS' brutal branch of radical Islam
Encouragement: Amreeki Witness' Twitter messages focus on the treatment of black people in the U.S. and urge angry young black men to take up Islamic extremism National Guard called in after week of chaos in Ferguson Amreeki Witness' messages focus on the treatment of black people in the U.S., praise Malcolm X for embracing Islam and urge angry young black men to take up the religion as it means the police 'will fear you'. In one message Amreeki Witness mocks the curfew police have imposed in Ferguson to bring an end to the disorder, saying: 'We IS guys hate you for your freedom, eh? Just like that freedom uplifting curfew in #Ferguson? Wake up, or they'll never let you outside.' As the social media campaign began to take hold, with dozens of radical Islamists commenting on the Ferguson protests, Amreeki Witness tweeted: 'May be time to organize the Muslims in America upon haqq and mobilize to #Ferguson. Defend the oppressed, start jihad here.' The message attracted a large response, with one Islamist calling himself Amarka Al-Ahlam responding: 'Preach, brother. We must organize brigades in preparation for the oncoming storm. #FergusonUnderIS #JihadinFerguson.'
New cause: As the social media campaign began to take hold, dozens of radical Islamists began commenting on the Ferguson protests
Ambition: This Twitter user appears to explain the reason ISIS sympathisers are attempting to hijack the Ferguson protest is because the militant group hope it will allow them to take control of the city Amreeki Witness added: 'They cower in fear of us whilst they massacre and oppress you! It's time to strike fear into the hearts of the oppressors. #FergusonUnderIS'. News of the militants' campaign to encourage Ferguson demonstrators to embrace radical Islamism comes as footage purportedly from a CNN live stream of the protests appeared to show one young man holding a sign reading 'ISIS is here.' It is not known whether the banner - footage of which has not yet been independently verified - was in support of the militant group or, as seems more likely, it was an attempt to compare ISIS to the local police force or the U.S. government. Nevertheless stills of the alleged CNN footage were embraced by jihadists who have claimed they prove jihadists are already playing their part in the protests. Obama: No excuse for violence from police or protesters in...
Worrying: One ISIS sympathiser calling himself Mujahid Miski, who claims to be from Minneapolis-Saint Paul but suggests he is now based in 'the horn of Africa', has led the campaign to encourage those taking part in the protests to embrace radical Islam Chilling images of the alleged ISIS banner being carried by demonstrators have been widely shared by ISIS sympathisers on social media, who have used them to encourage supporters based in America to travel to Ferguson to further stoke the violence in the city. News of ISIS' attempt to hijack the Ferguson protests come as Palestinian Twitter users sent messages of support to the demonstrators and gave advice on the best way to cope with the tear gas police are using to disperse crowds. As images emerged of heavily armed police and armoured tanks on the streets of nearby St Louis, many Palestinian Twitter users expressed their solidarity with demonstrators. The messages of support from Palestinians come amid reports that many of the Ferguson protesters were heard chanting 'Gaza Strip' as they marched through the heart of the city.
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Ferguson, Missouri, has been racked by protests since an unarmed black teenager, Michael Brown was shot and killed by Ferguson police officer Darren Wilson last week. Over the weekend, despite calls for peaceful demonstrations by Brown's parents, several protests became violent. Protesters were not only angry about the shooting, but were outraged by the heavy police response to the demonstrations. The militarized tactics taken by Ferguson police were widely criticized, and officials are still struggling to control the situation. On Sunday U.S. Attorney General Eric Holder ordered a federal medical examiner to perform an autopsy, in addition to one being conducted by state medical examiners, and earlier today, Missouri's governor said he was calling in the National Guard to help restore order. Gathered here are photos of the chaos in Ferguson over the weekend.
A law enforcement officer in a tactical vehicle watches after a device was fired to disperse a crowd on Sunday, August 17, 2014, during a protest for Michael Brown, who was killed by a police officer last Saturday in Ferguson, Missouri. As night fell Sunday in Ferguson, another peaceful protest quickly deteriorated after marchers pushed toward one end of a street. Police attempted to push them back by firing tear gas and shouting over a bullhorn that the protest was no longer peaceful. (AP Photo/Charlie Riedel)
Smoke trails tear gas canisters fired into the air after protests in reaction to the shooting of Michael Brown turned violent near Ferguson, Missouri on August 17, 2014. (Reuters/Lucas Jackson) #
Police advance after tear gas was used to disperse a crowd during a protest in Ferguson, Missouri, on August 17, 2014.(AP Photo/Charlie Riedel) #
Demonstrators hold up their hands as police fire tear gas at them as they protest the shooting death of Michael Brown on August 17, 2014 in Ferguson, Missouri. (Joe Raedle/Getty Images) #
Tear gas rises from the ground after having been fired upon protesters in Ferguson on August 17, 2014.(Reuters/Lucas Jackson) #
Police wait to advance after tear gas was used to disperse a crowd on August 17, 2014. (AP Photo/Charlie Riedel) #
Demonstrators face off against the police as they are cleared from the street on August 17, 2014. (Joe Raedle/Getty Images) #
A law enforcement officer watches as tear gas is fired to disperse a crowd protesting last week's shooting of teenager Michael Brown on August 17, 2014. (AP Photo/Charlie Riedel) #
A woman has her face doused with milk after being tear gassed by police during a protest on August 17, 2014.(Joshua Lott/Getty Images) #
An FBI agent walks past a memorial erected where teenager Michael Brown was shot as the FBI interviewed residents of the neighborhood in Ferguson, Missouri, on August 16, 2014. (Reuters/Lucas Jackson) #
Michael Brown Sr., the father of slain teenager Michael Brown, attends a rally at Greater Grace Church on August 17, 2014. His son was shot and killed by a Ferguson police officer on August 9, 2014. Despite the Brown family's continued call for peaceful demonstrations, violent protests have erupted nearly every night in Ferguson since his death. (Scott Olson/Getty Images) #
People attend an event for slain 18-year-old Michael Brown at the Greater Grace Church on August 17, 2014.(Joe Raedle/Getty Images) #
A woman dances during church services at the Greater St Mark Family Church as the community discusses reactions to the shooting of teenager Michael Brown in Ferguson, on August 17, 2014. (Reuters/Lucas Jackson) #
From left, Imani Harris, Cathryn Fraction, Zoi Williams (with hand at her face, bottom), Destiny Barnett and Zion Jamerison pose for a portrait with their signs during a protest of Michael Brown's murder on August 17, 2014 in Ferguson, Missouri.(Joshua Lott/Getty Images) #
A man wearing a police hat protests in Ferguson on August 17, 2014. (AP Photo/Charlie Riedel) #
Gabrielle Walker, 5, protests the killing of teenager Michael Brown on August 17, 2014 in Ferguson. (Scott Olson/Getty Images) #
A woman looks into the camera during a demonstration to protest the shooting of Michael Brown and the resulting police response to protests in Ferguson on August 15, 2014. (Reuters/Lucas Jackson) #
Police officers stand in position by the 911 Hair Salon as they watch demonstrators protest Michael Brown's murder on August 16, 2014. (Joshua Lott/AFP/Getty Images) #
A protester kicks a tear gas canister back towards police after protests turned violent on August 17, 2014. Shots were fired and police shouted through bullhorns for protesters to disperse, witnesses said, as chaos erupted Sunday night in Ferguson, Missouri, which has been racked by protests since an unarmed black teenager was shot by police last week. (Reuters/Lucas Jackson) #
Police officers react at the scene of a looting at the Dellwood Market after protests near Ferguson on August 17, 2014.(Reuters/Lucas Jackson) #
People protest in Ferguson on August 17, 2014. (AP Photo/Charlie Riedel) #
Police wait to advance after tear gas was used to disperse a crowd on August 17, 2014. (AP Photo/Charlie Riedel) #
Masked individuals carry items out of a store, during on-going demonstrations against the shooting of Michael Brown, on August 16, 2014. (Reuters/Lucas Jackson) #
Demonstrators attempt to stop masked individuals from entering a store that had been broken into, during demonstrations in Ferguson on August 16, 2014. (Reuters/Lucas Jackson) #
Demonstrators protesting the killing of teenager Michael Brown by a Ferguson police officer try to stand their ground despite being overcome by tear gas on August 17, 2014. (Scott Olson/Getty Images) #
Missouri State Highway Patrol Captain Ron Johnson holds a photo of Michael Brown while being interviewed during a peaceful demonstration, as communities react to Brown's shooting on August 14, 2014. (Reuters/Mario Anzuoni) #
Highway Patrol Captain Ron Johnson speaks to protesters as he walks through a peaceful demonstration in Ferguson on August 14, 2014. (Reuters/Lucas Jackson) #
Demonstrators raise their arms and chant, "Hands up, Don't Shoot", as police clear them from the street as they protest the shooting death of Michael Brown on August 17, 2014. (Joe Raedle/Getty Images) #
People leave a McDonald's restaurant after taking refuge from tear gas after a protest in Ferguson on August 17, 2014.(AP Photo/Charlie Riedel) #
Demonstrators protesting the shooting death of Michael Brown hold signs on August 16, 2014 in Ferguson, Missouri.(Joe Raedle/Getty Images) |
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