Archive for Surveillance State

LMS Civilian Response Team: Ferguson Conundrum Solved by Community Security

January 21, 2015 Big Brother, Big Government, Constitution, Disaster Preparedness, Domestic Terrorism, Justice Department, Liberty and Freedom, News and Intelligence, Organization, Support, and Advice, Police State, Prepper Organization, Resistance to Tyranny, Second Amendment / Gun Control, Self-Sufficiency, Special Skills, Surveillance State Comments Off on LMS Civilian Response Team: Ferguson Conundrum Solved by Community Security
When police get it right.

When police get it right.

I wanted to take a moment to follow up on Last Minute Survival’s Civilian Response Team initiative.  Our initiative proved that not just in Ferguson, but that in communities around the country a well-organized community response is far better protection and security than anything the state can provide.  Not only did our teams respond to crisis areas completely ignored by government agencies, but provided real protection to businesses and residents unable to provide for their own defense.  Further, our teams were able to accomplish this without heavy handed police state tactics.  Read more

Lessons from Ferguson: Policing goes Paramilitary

August 29, 2014 Big Brother, Big Government, Constitution, Department of Defense, Domestic Terrorism, Justice Department, Liberty and Freedom, Military, Military Industrial Complex, Police State, Politics, Resistance to Tyranny, Second Amendment / Gun Control, Surveillance State Comments Off on Lessons from Ferguson: Policing goes Paramilitary
Paramilitary Police Draw Down on Man in Ferguson, Missouri

Paramilitary Police Draw Down on Man in Ferguson, Missouri

The events leading up to the shooting death of an 18 year old man in Fergusson by a police officer are under investigation and the “facts” appear to be conflicting. What are not in doubt are the events that transpired after the shooting. Citizens genuinely concerned and outraged wanting a full and impartial investigation rose up in peaceful, legitimate protests, but so did the most criminal elements within our society. It appears that not only was the race baiting, rabble rousers such as Jesse Jackson and Al Sharpton ready to pounce and exploit this shooting, but so were many hoodlums that exploited the protests to rob, loot, and destroy. The media was right on their heels to cover the ratings generating violence and President Obama wasted no time wading into what can only be considered divisive racial politics his track record suggests he favors stoking. However, as prepared citizens, what really should concern us is at least two-fold and goes far beyond the distractive on-going racial narrative from Missouri. Read more

Department of Homeland Oppression and the FBI Target Gun Owners in Walmarts across Virginia

July 15, 2014 Big Brother, Big Government, Police State, Resistance to Tyranny, Second Amendment / Gun Control, Surveillance State Comments Off on Department of Homeland Oppression and the FBI Target Gun Owners in Walmarts across Virginia

Think your latest purchase of a firearm or ammunition from Wal-Mart was innocent? The Department of Homeland Security (DHS), aka Department of Homeland Oppression, in coordination with the FBI doesn’t think so and wants to know who you are. In fact, they believe you may be a potential domestic terrorist according to reports from Wal-Mart sales managers.
Over the last two weeks our field reporters dispersed across Northern Virginia to question sales representatives selling sporting goods throughout Virginia after rumors surfaced of agents questioning sales representatives. What they found should is shocking. In Wal-Mart after Wal-Mart, our reporters were able to verify that FBI and or DHS special agents had recently visited the stores requesting information on any suspicious buyers. According to sales managers working in the retail chain Wal-Mart, special agents requested information about anyone that appeared suspicious, attempted to buy ammo in bulk, or made anti-government comments. The special agents inquired specifically about anyone that made statements relating to sovereign citizen movements and buyers that seemed out of place to the sales manager warning that they could be potential domestic terrorists. In the event the sales manager had information, they were instructed to contact various agents from the FBI and DHS.
Make no mistake; DHS and the Justice Department consider you a threat to the US. If you buy ammunition in bulk to save money, exercise your constitutionally protected First Amendment, or are otherwise having a bad day your name and information could be passed on to the FBI or DHS for investigation as a potential terrorist. This information then goes to fusion centers across the nation where you are labeled and placed on watch lists as a domestic threat. Often this information is then used to generate faux “probable cause” to obtain a search warrant that will be justified under the nebulous national security exceptions to the rule of law and basic civil “RIGHTS.” Once a warrant is obtained, agents will execute a high risk, “no-knock” warrant most likely in the middle of the night and heavily armed to arrest you and ransack your home looking for anything they can construe as a threat. Often things as innocent as duct tape, old wire, and water barrels that many of us have in abundance are cited as “bomb making” materials or evidence of “terrorist” activities. God forbid if you are caught with a book that is politically incorrect on top of the duct tape and old wire.
If you think you have nothing to hide because you are “innocent” and have done nothing wrong, don’t be fooled because you are not exempt. Remember, all it takes is the impression of a Wal-Mart sales clerk to get labeled. Who knows, perhaps, you came across as unfriendly, maybe you were disturbed that they didn’t have any 9mm ammunition in stock, or maybe the sales clerk is just a bad judge of character. Either way, it doesn’t matter in a spy state where intimidation tactics abound and citizens are coerced into spying on their fellow neighbors by the government. Many honest Americans have had their lives ruined by being “swatted” or by unjustly becoming the subject of investigation by an overly militaristic gestapo agent at DHS or the FBI. Being “watch listed” is an extremely dangerous threat. We have seen numerous examples of how these “tips” have led to egregious acts on the part of law enforcement. At best you are questioned and labeled for surveillance. However, the worst examples include raiding the homes on innocent victims, which led to the incarceration of harmless citizens, pets being shot, children kidnapped by Child “Protective” Services, and even the killing of the unsuspecting homeowner that reached for a gun in self-defense as gestapo agents broke down their door in the middle of the night.
You need to protect yourselves. Option one is to maintain a low profile and not use traceable means of commerce such as credit cards instead of cash when purchasing guns or ammunition from retailers. However, that alone apparently constitutes you being a potential threat according to memos released by DHS and doesn’t solve the issue. A better method may be to use sunlight to disinfect and inoculate your local stores before the feds can hijack your information. Use the size and finances of these companies to fight our battle for freedom. To do this, directly contact your local sporting goods retailers and have a frank, honest, and open discussion about these gestapo tactics with their management. Make it clear to store managers that you are not comfortable shopping at their stores if you know you are going to be spied on and your information potentially handed to the government. Insist that your privacy is respected and demand proof. Further, ensure their employees are briefed on the underhanded government tactics and how that violates basic civil liberties.
Contrary to what the government desires, companies still require profits to exist and no matter what the government wants, the companies; especially large retailers like Wal-Mart, will begin to push back against the government (legally if necessary), when they are boycotted and their profits begin to shrink. We have witnessed this in the case of internet companies and NSA spying. Even Google and AT&T have begun to legally push back against government spying as they recognize their profits are not immune and free men and women across the globe will take their business elsewhere if their privacy is not ensured. The bottom line is if the management pushes back on protecting our basic civil rights, organize local and regional boycotts of the retailer. Make it impossible for them to conduct profitable business if it becomes clear that they are supporting domestic targeting of innocent Americans. When the knowledge of what the retailer is doing goes viral, contemporary precedents suggest that the retailer will cave to customer demands.

By Guiles Hendrik
All rights reserved.
July 14, 2014

Why are Armored Guard Posts in Target’s Parking Lot?

December 15, 2013 Big Brother, Big Government, Constitution, Exclusive Story, Justice Department, Liberty and Freedom, News and Intelligence, Police State, Politics, Surveillance State, Terrorism 4 comments

Today while shopping at Target I noticed something unusual in the parking lot.  Rising above the middle of the parking lot was a large, mobile guard post.  It had many cameras, dark tinted windows, and appeared armored.  Further, there was a police cruiser parked at its base.  Seeing this, I wondered, what could possible justify making the parking lot of Target look like a federal penitentiary.  Perhaps it was just a new “Supermax” Target?  Was there some imminent terrorist threat against Target?  Should I pack my kids up and flee now for safety?  No one in management seemed to have any comment so it must have just materialized out of thin air.

The reality is the Department of Homeland Security (DHS) is becoming ever more overt in its actions toward implementing a complete police state.  As the tower attests, DHS has been working overtime to militarize our local police forces.  In fact, DHS has spent billions of taxpayer dollars to provide local police with equipment designed for full scale warfare.  In short, they are using your money to build the infrastructure to totally control you and every aspect of your life.  The DHS provided equipment includes items like Mine Resistant Ambush Protected (MRAP) armored vehicles, microwave and ultra low frequency emitting “crowd control” devices, high tech intelligence and surveillance equipment to include drones, and mobile guard towers.  Previously these items were only seen on overseas battlefields and used against America’s most unsavory enemies, but now in keeping with the militarization and takeover of local police, DHS has handed these items out like candy to local cops.  The unstated, but nonetheless real effect of the change in police demeanor from peace officers to storm troopers has been to imbalance the delicate Constitutional balance between the power of the State and the collective power of the people to challenge the State effectively in the event the State becomes illegitimate.

There are neither credible threats against Target to justify this militarized checkpoint nor is there any chance this waste of tax payer dollars would prevent an attack should there actually be one.  This ominous icon of a war zone is designed to desensitize the population to the fact they are monitored, spied on, recorded, and no longer free to even shop for socks without the government’s all seeing eye prying upon their every move.  This type of emerging soft tyranny must be identified, highlighted, resisted, and ultimately shut down at every single emergence.

This particular tower in Potomac Yard Shopping Center (Alexandria, Virginia) was procured by wasting taxpayer dollars and put into use by the Alexandria, Virginia Police Department.  After discussing the tower with local law enforcement the consensus seems to be that the tower was emplaced to thwart a rise in thefts during the holidays around store parking lots.  After all, who wouldn’t want better “public safety?”  However, that rationale fails the logic test.  First of all, after follow-on observation it appears the tower is an overpriced scarecrow because it wasn’t manned and perhaps the video monitoring wasn’t even active.  As such, there was no one actually present to “prevent” a crime.  At best this would only support follow-on investigation if the cameras were operational and pointed in the right direct.  Thus, an unmanned tower provides no more security than store cameras already in place.  Second, the policing is being done on commercial property with your tax dollars.  If Target parking lots are not safe, it is incumbent upon Target to bear the burden of the cost of making their premises safe and secure for shoppers and not Alexandria Police Department.  If the threat is really that high to shoppers as the government would like to scare you into believing, then where is the data to support this and why would we dare take our families out Christmas shopping?  Third, the cost of purchasing, maintaining, moving, emplacing, monitoring, and manning these towers must run into the millions of dollars.  This is an extremely high price tag for what the tower provides and approaches a complete waste of tax dollars.  Fourth, to actually make it effective for its purported purpose of preventing thefts in parking lots during the holiday season, it would have to be manned with a minimum of two officers for at least two shifts a day to cover the shopping hours.  This surveillance would effectively remove significant manpower from a police department’s normal shifts and result in a reduced ability to respond to actual calls for help and criminal activity.  Finally, one must ask whether they want this type of life.  People must use their god given mind to envision where this leads in the future.  A life where the pettiest of crimes results in a justification for a police state is abhorrent to a free society.  There is no freedom of anything when on every corner, at every moment of our lives, armed government goons are ready to swoop in and enforce the smallest of infractions with overwhelming violence.

I ask all of you to contact Target and demand these icons of our emerging police state be immediately removed from their premises or we will boycott their store.  We have already begun a local campaign and to date, Target management has only officially responded by email with a generic “sorry for the inconvenience.”  This is unacceptable and we must make our voices the loudest in the room.  Further, we need to educate the management of Target and other retail stores on what is unacceptable to us as their customers in respect to further police state actions.  By combining our efforts and getting the word out to other internet outlets, talk radio, TV, and our friends and family about these excesses we can expose these tyrannical actions and stop them.  Please take action today and use all your personal clout to impress others to action.

Target’s contact information is as follows:

Potomac Yard Shopping Center

Target

3101 Jefferson Davis Hwy

Alexandria, VA 22305-3042

(703) 706-3840

https://www-secure.target.com/HelpFormLinkPageView?catalogId=10051&langId=-1&storeId=10151&krypto=cQcHDksCxhgmutHxyjlq48%2BIHqzAFPvRjj%2BCK5QVyor4h0nGk1rMzeFOGnDn4aO%2FNM%2F4KjfHQ4%2BK%0AdgJRkZ2wBjKToFcNk5ho24f6ObC44dg%3D&ddkey=http:HelpFormLinkPageView

 

By Guiles Hendrik

December 15, 2013

All rights reserved.

Why You Should Fear the Government When You are Not Doing or Saying “Anything Wrong”

May 12, 2013 Big Brother, Big Government, Constitution, Danger Alerts!, Domestic Terrorism, Justice Department, Liberty and Freedom, Politics, Surveillance State Comments Off on Why You Should Fear the Government When You are Not Doing or Saying “Anything Wrong”
Source: http://www.newworldnews.com/news/tag/irs/

Source: http://www.newworldnews.com/news/tag/irs/

When educating people about the dangers of broad and unchecked government surveillance, sadly, it is all too often that “educated” people will say that they are not concerned because “they have nothing to hide” or that “they aren’t saying or doing anything wrong.”  To say these people are missing the point is a dangerous understatement.  Naiveté aside, these people are parroting media programmed responses without applying the least bit of intellectual rigor to their statement.  Not only is history full of very good reasons to fear overly intrusive police states spying into your private life, but current events also provide more than enough justification to worry.  The truth is that the United States Government has been and will continue to egregiously violate law-abiding citizens’ rights and terrorize political opponents until it is checked on all fronts by a united population that demands accountability and punishment for the criminal abuses of power.

Literally tens of millions of people have been put to death in China, the Soviet Union, and Germany for doing, saying, or believing things that are perfectly legal, lawful, and peaceful.  Under Stalin, being educated was enough to have you shipped off to the gulags.  In China, the mere appearance of not adhering to the government’s political agenda earned you a bullet to the head.  In East Germany something as simple as a neighbor reacting improperly to a political speech or a child’s comment about his parents’ dinner time conversation to a teacher could earn the unsuspecting offender a night time visit from the Stasi.  Many would quickly say this is not a comparable case since the U.S. is far different than these governments.  However, more and more frequently, it appears that the U.S. Government is indeed singling out peaceful, law-abiding citizens for nothing more than their personal beliefs, religious convictions, or political ideology.  The targeted citizens are many and includes veterans, gun owners, Christians, those that do not believe in condoning abortion or homosexual activity, whistleblowers, conservatives, farmers, hunters, fisherman, coal miners, war re-enactors, small businesses, and parents that believe in home schooling.  The price these law-abiding citizens, businesses, and organizations are paying for their beliefs are becoming steeper and steeper as the government incrementally consolidates powers and eliminates any opposition.

The pattern of U.S. Government sponsored terrorizing of citizens to force political agendas is disturbing and is becoming more and more common.  Most recently, it was exposed that the Obama Administration has known since 2011 that the Internal Revenue Service (IRS) has been systematically targeting conservative political groups and Jewish organizations for additional tax scrutiny.[i]  These people were targeted for government harassment not because of illegal activity, but because of their constitutionally protected beliefs that were contrary to those held by the ruling elite.  Instead of demanding resignations and criminal trials for the blatantly illegal actions by members of the IRS and Obama Administration, the White House has instead chose to label the actions as “inappropriate.”  “Inappropriate” is by default the White House condoning the terrorizing of citizens that hold different political or religious beliefs.  Remember, Jewish groups were also targeted by the government.  One need only remember what happened in Germany to see where this kind of unchecked activity leads.  Even businesses as innocent and innocuous as Chick-fil-A have been recently targeted for holding firm to their legal and constitutionally protected religious beliefs.  Chick-fil-A’s refusal to cave to government harassment and terrorizing threatened to put a widely loved American restaurant chain out of business for nothing more than opposing the cult of Obama’s political correctness.

If the Obama Administration is allowed to get away with these repeated criminal abuses of power, there will no longer be any legal obstacles to the ruling elite using whatever government force it wants to “force” compliance with its agenda and ideology.  No matter what political party one may currently affiliate with, you have a responsibility to hold your party to account and should demand they take action.  Failing now means that when another party comes to power, as it inevitably does, you will be the one whose political or religious beliefs are targeted.  If you fail to act now, then you can guarantee your cries for help will go unheard and you will have no one to blame, but yourself.  Those that think that “doing nothing wrong” means they will be safe are not only ignorant, but also will be some of the first victims when government oppression progresses from harassment to total control and terrorism.  Please act daily to inform your circle of friends and urge action.  Contact your elected representatives and demand they take legal action immediately.  If the politicians fail to listen and act, make sure that they know this will be the end of their political careers and make doubly sure they are not re-elected.  In fact, if the party as a whole refuses to act, make sure to vote for none of the above and find a qualified independent candidate that is willing to break the death grip the parties have on our country.

By Guiles Hendrik

How to Protect your Privacy in the World of Smart Phones

October 26, 2012 Big Brother, Liberty and Freedom, News and Intelligence, Special Skills, Surveillance State, Tactics, Techniques, and Procedures Comments Off on How to Protect your Privacy in the World of Smart Phones

You are being watched.

Spy technology has advanced at an incredible pace.  Capabilities today make Cold War era spy tradecraft not only obsolete, but silly.  However, perhaps the most remarkable espionage gadgetry ever employed against a target has been self-inflicted.  Our digitized world of wireless communications and uploaded lives has given intelligence collectors a bonanza of information that only a couple of decades ago they couldn’t have imagined in their wildest dreams.  Imagine the capability to turn on all of the phone cameras in a given area such as an airport or even a city and run facial recognition software to identify a targeted person?  This technology exists and is in use today.  This rapid advance in spy technology has not only been used by intelligence agencies, but criminals, media outlets, police, and marketers.  This growing obsession to acquire your personal information has made you a target for collectors of all sorts.  If you value your privacy and do not want to be completely vulnerable the following tips will help you protect yourself when using a smart phone.

First, understand that anything you do electronically can be monitored if you carry and use a smartphone.  This includes tweets, posts, purchases, bank transactions, text messages, conversations, pictures, and where you go.  Your smart phone can also communicate with other wireless enabled devices to trade information from your pocket or purse without your knowledge.  Even more Orwellian is the fact all of these data are mined and run through algorithms to create profiles of you.  These profiles are used for everything from learning your shopping habits and targeting marketing to flagging you as a terrorist.  Of course some of you are saying “well I have nothing to hide so I am not worried.”  If you think you have nothing to hide and are that dumb or naïve, read closely.  This is important to you and you DO have a vested interest in privacy…that is unless you wouldn’t mind a thief knowing your credit card numbers and when you purchase a new TV, a pedophile knowing when and where you drop off your kids, an ex-girlfriend or spouse reading your emails, your family photos being posted on the world-wide web, your private medical data being made public, or being placed on a terrorist watch list.  Oh, and for those that think you could never be falsely placed on a terrorist watch list or no fly list, suffice to say we all know algorithms “never” make a mistake or fail.  Just ask around how the late “Senator” Ted Kennedy wound up on a no fly list!

The bottom line if you insist on using a smart phone, but want to maintain as much of your privacy as possible, follow these rules:

  • Don’t take pictures with anything that transmits a wireless signal or GPS tags it;
  • Don’t store pictures on your phone or take any pictures you don’t want others to see;
  • Remove the battery when not in use;
  • Always remove the battery from the phone during private face-to-face conversation;
  • Don’t speak about sensitive issues over the phone;
  • Cover your phone’s camera with a Band-Aid when not using it;
  • Disable and do not use Bluetooth devices;
  • Use complex passwords;
  • Do not store passwords on your phone;
  • Encrypt data
  • Do not download or enable GPS software on your phone;
  • Use rechargeable throwaway phones bought with cash;
  • Don’t conduct financial transactions over a phone;
  • Avoid using email on a phone;
  • Never auto update your position to social network sites;
  • Avoid downloading social media to your phone;
  •  And make sure others around you employ the same safeguards.

Following these rules will go a long way in protecting your privacy.  Disregard them at your own peril.  For example, everyone should know that with the right gear, wireless conversations via a Bluetooth device (Wi-Fi) can be listened to from well over a mile away under the right conditions.  With scanners, your entire cell conversation can be listened to anywhere it is in range of repeating towers.  Further, a phone can be turned on remotely to listen to your conversation, record conversation, film video, take pictures, and then send them to the hacker.  To protect this in your home, the simplest fix is to pull the battery out of your phone.  However, to be completely sure, you can also place your smart phone in a metal box that shields it from any electronic transmissions.  The thicker the metal the better, just make sure the inside of the box is lined with something non-conductive such as cardboard or plastic and it closes tightly.  Otherwise, you may inadvertently make a bigger antenna for your smart phone if your phone is in direct contact with the metal.  You can use aluminum foil layers to add to the shielding capability of the box.  Test this by sealing your phone tightly in the box and then attempting to call it or connect to it with Bluetooth.  If that fails, you have effectively shielded your phone.  Just place a box by your door and drop your phone in it when you come into the office, car, or your home.  Establishing this pattern will prevent much of your unwanted eavesdropping.

For those that want maximum security, but can’t do without a cell phone, use the lowest tech disposable phone you can find.  Buy it in cash and anonymously activate it.  Never place the battery in it or turn it on near your residence.  Not even once.  Only place the battery in the phone and use it when ready and in a public place so that you maintain location anonymity.    Never use a data plan or attempt to use it for instant messaging, chat, tweets, or email.  Never store personal numbers or any other information on it.  Instead, keep a hand written black book of contacts.  Change the phone regularly or use it only once for the most sensitive conversations.  When done with the phone, wipe it clean and place it in a public trash can or leave it on a bench for someone else to pick up and use.

Using spy lingo, your phone is a literally self-implanted bug that is better than anything the KGB could have ever hoped to plant on a person.  It tracks, it listens, it records, it takes pictures and video, and it even reads your email!  Ultimately, your best privacy will be to totally unplug from digital items, but in today’s world, that is nearly impossible within the United States and Europe.  Nonetheless, being cognitive of your digital signature and taking smart precautions will go far to protect your privacy.

http://www.washingtontimes.com/news/2012/oct/2/new-software-uses-smartphone-camera-spying/#.UIhuLJT9WXk.email

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