Conservatives: public enemy number 1

[Nathon Detroit]

After the 9-11 terrorist attacks the federal government instituted the Department of Homeland Security in an effort to prepare for, prevent, and respond to domestic emergencies, particularly terrorism. Now, under the Obama administration it appears that the target of this department has shifted from Islamic Terrorists to farmers, firemen, and fishermen.

Yes folks.... if you are right wing politically you might just be the target of your own Federal Government's Homeland Security Department.

The Homeland Security Department issued a 9 page report to local Police Departments warning against such threats as "Disgruntled Military Veterans ". :shocked:

The report states... "will be working with its state and local partners over the next several months" to gather information on "rightwing extremist activity in the United States."

The joint federal-state activities will have "a particular emphasis" on the causes of "rightwing extremist radicalization."

:think:

I wonder how it will be until websites like TOL are shut down and considered a threat to Homeland Security?

Download the actual Homeland Security report here.

 

[Granite]

I don't remember many conservatives griping about citizens being put on no fly lists for marching in peace parades, nor do I remember conservatives ever being concerned with warrantless searches or wiretaps. When the DHS--which was created by everyone's favorite evangelical chief executive--was created, the right didn't complain. When it investigated eco-terrorists and animal rights extremists, the right didn't care. When we set up prisons filled with prisoners who often hadn't been charged with a crime, the right didn't care. When we waterboarded people, the right said it was necessary.

Now, when the very worst so-called paranoid fears of the left are being fulfilled, the right wing finally complains.

Sorry, but this is nothing more than hypocrisy writ large. So long as the DHS supposedly did its "duty," conservatives were pleased. Now that the department is being abused in exactly the manner its critics predicted, the right's aghast.

 

[elohiym]

I wonder how it will be until websites like TOL are shut down and considered a threat to Homeland Security?

I doubt it will be shut down, but rest assured that you and this website are under surveillance by agencies of the U.S. government.

 

[The Barbarian]

Yes folks.... if you are right wing politically you might just be the target of your own Federal Government's Homeland Security Department.

Remember when I pointed out that putting all that power in the hands of the Executive was a bad idea? Remember when I said that the door can swing both ways?

The "Patriot Act" contains all sorts of things that invite abuses by the president and his people. Now the "wrong" president is in office. You best pray he's a better man than the last one. (which wouldn't be that hard, admittedly)

The Homeland Security Department issued a 9 page report to local Police Departments warning against such threats as "Disgruntled Military Veterans ".

Tim McVey has come and gone. Now we're closing the barn door.

The report states... "will be working with its state and local partners over the next several months" to gather information on "rightwing extremist activity in the United States."

Yep. Did you think they were going to get a pass forever?

I wonder how it will be until websites like TOL are shut down and considered a threat to Homeland Security?

Nope. Most of the nuts here would wet their pants if they encountered the kind of people this memo is talking about.

It's appalling and disturbing that the government has gathered as much power over individuals as it has. But please remember who gave that freedom away. Hopefully, we can now trim some of that executive power back a bit. Those who were all in favor of the Patriot Act might now have the sense to sit quietly while we're doing it.

 

[Nathon Detroit]

I don't remember many conservatives griping about citizens being put on no fly lists for marching in peace parades, nor do I remember conservatives ever being concerned with warrantless searches or wiretaps. When the DHS--which was created by everyone's favorite evangelical chief executive--was created, the right didn't complain. When it investigated eco-terrorists and animal rights extremists, the right didn't care. When we set up prisons filled with prisoners who often hadn't been charged with a crime, the right didn't care. When we waterboarded people, the right said it was necessary.

Now, when the very worst so-called paranoid fears of the left are being fulfilled, the right wing finally complains.

Sorry, but this is nothing more than hypocrisy writ large. So long as the DHS supposedly did its "duty," conservatives were pleased. Now that the department is being abused in exactly the manner its critics predicted, the right's aghast.

It's all about the target.

 

[Granite]

It's all about the target.

Yeah, exactly. And when it's not someone right of center, no prominent conservative, so called, cared or complained.

It's exactly this kind of convenient, situational, and hypocritical gall that's to blame for the GOP and everything it represents--past and present--being in such an absolute shambles.

P.S. By the way, don't be spooked about TOL shutting down. That kind of fear (which sometimes strikes me as half wish fulfillment, for that matter) is completely misplaced. If the DHS is serious, and it's the actual nutcases they're expecting to grow more violent, TOL's gonna be the least of their problems. Actual in the flesh crazies like Mark Koernke and the Nichols brothers are worth the time of authorities. If that is the kind of individual the DHS is wary of, they should be. It doesn't surprise me that the likes of Malkin, et. al., blew this up into something that it's not.

 

[The Barbarian]

It's all about the target.

No kidding. When the Bush administration used it to attack leftwingers who posed no terror threat at all, did it not occur to you that a leftwing president could do the same to rightwingers?

Pray that Obama is a better man than Bush was.

 

[GuySmiley]

No kidding. When the Bush administration used it to attack leftwingers who posed no terror threat at all, did it not occur to you that a leftwing president could do the same to rightwingers?

Pray that Obama is a better man than Bush was.

Where are the DHS documents telling people to focus on the left only in the Bush years? How do you know they only focused on lefty groups in the Bush years. But we know what their orders are now dont we?

 

[Nathon Detroit]

This is all a smokescreen to insinuate to the ignorant masses that these tea party demonstrations might be evidence of right wing extremism.

The Obama administration wants marginalize his opposition.

 

[Granite]

This is all a smokescreen to insinuate to the ignorant masses that these tea party demonstrations might be evidence of right wing extremism.

The Obama administration wants marginalize his opposition.

Are you serious?

No offense but this explanation is just absurd.

 

[GuySmiley]

This is all a smokescreen to insinuate to the ignorant masses that these tea party demonstrations might be evidence of right wing extremism.

The Obama administration wants marginalize his opposition.

Yeah, I've been wondering if this wasn't released publicly on purpose for some reason.

 

[Aimiel]

What we suffer today, in regards to taxes without representation, is far worse than what the colonists suffered leading up to the Boston Tea Party in 1773. We need to be angry, and we need to protest, hoping that our plight will change without requiring the type of violence the 'right-wing extremeists' known as clolonists had to resort to in order to accomplish our task: to make things right. If we're spied upon and even arrested in a 'round-up' it is only going to galvanize us even further towards action to accomplish that task.

 

[annabenedetti]

I don't remember many conservatives griping about citizens being put on no fly lists for marching in peace parades, nor do I remember conservatives ever being concerned with warrantless searches or wiretaps. When the DHS--which was created by everyone's favorite evangelical chief executive--was created, the right didn't complain.

There were a lot of conservatives concerned about DHS and the Patriot Act, knowing what that kind of power in the wrong hands could do. It began under Bush and there's no telling where it will lead under Obama.

When it investigated eco-terrorists and animal rights extremists, the right didn't care.

I wouldn't have a problem with investigating either of the above. I would think a lot of non-conservatives might agree

When we set up prisons filled with prisoners who often hadn't been charged with a crime, the right didn't care. When we waterboarded people, the right said it was necessary.

A debacle. Can't much disagree.

Now, when the very worst so-called paranoid fears of the left are being fulfilled, the right wing finally complains.

The mere fact that some of those fears may indeed be fulfilled should give all of us pause.

Sorry, but this is nothing more than hypocrisy writ large. So long as the DHS supposedly did its "duty," conservatives were pleased. Now that the department is being abused in exactly the manner its critics predicted, the right's aghast.

That's painting with a pretty broad brush. There is a wide range of disagreement among so-called conservatives these days, especially during Bush's second term.

 

[TomO]

I'm a Vet. lain:


:think:

lain: Actually, I'm kind of disgruntled too....







:noid: Uh-Oh

 

[elohiym]

Yeah, I've been wondering if this wasn't released publicly on purpose for some reason.

From the report:

Federal efforts to influence domestic public opinion must be conducted in an overt and transparent manner... (emphasis mine).

So that is the purpose of the report, to influence domestic public opinion.

 

[The Barbarian]

There were a lot of conservatives concerned about DHS and the Patriot Act, knowing what that kind of power in the wrong hands could do. It began under Bush and there's no telling where it will lead under Obama.

This is true. A very few conservatives remembered what conservatism is supposed to be about. Ron Paul, for example, was strongly against the majority of his fellow conservatives who trashed the Bill of Rights in their rush to appear patriotic.

The sad thing is, many liberals joined in, or were intimidated into voting for the act, because of the well-orchestrated pressure to vote first and read the act later. The liberals have a measure of culpability, too.

That being said, we should all be openly scornful of those "conservatives" who voted for the Patriot Act,( in spite of warnings by people like Ron Paul), and are now terrified that Obama may have the same sort of moral code as Cheney and Bush.

Granite is right; the people responsible for this debacle are now quivering in fury at the injustice of the whole thing. What goes around, comes around, so they say. Let's pray it doesn't.

 

[DocJohnson]

I don't remember many conservatives griping about citizens being put on no fly lists for marching in peace parades, nor do I remember conservatives ever being concerned with warrantless searches or wiretaps. When the DHS--which was created by everyone's favorite evangelical chief executive--was created, the right didn't complain. When it investigated eco-terrorists and animal rights extremists, the right didn't care. When we set up prisons filled with prisoners who often hadn't been charged with a crime, the right didn't care. When we waterboarded people, the right said it was necessary.

Now, when the very worst so-called paranoid fears of the left are being fulfilled, the right wing finally complains.

Sorry, but this is nothing more than hypocrisy writ large. So long as the DHS supposedly did its "duty," conservatives were pleased. Now that the department is being abused in exactly the manner its critics predicted, the right's aghast.

Granite, no true Conservative in his right mind was in favor of the PA. You didn't hear any true Conservatives complaining about it, though, because we don't have a voice in the media.

 

[The Barbarian]

This is all a smokescreen to insinuate to the ignorant masses that these tea party demonstrations might be evidence of right wing extremism.

The "tea party demonstrations" turned out to be well-planned and financed by the usual political whackos. And they were massive failures, mostly because the truth quickly leaked out as to who was paying for them.

Obama would no more want to end them, than the democrats wish Bush hadn't hung out that "mission accomplished" banner.

 

[DocJohnson]

The "tea party demonstrations" turned out to be well-planned and financed by the usual political whackos. And they were massive failures, mostly because the truth quickly leaked out as to who was paying for them.

Obama would no more want to end them, than the democrats wish Bush hadn't hung out that "mission accomplished" banner.

How can they be failures if they haven't even happened yet? Most of the demonstrations are planned for the evening... because it involves tax payers (a.k.a. the people who work for a living).

 

[Aimiel]

We've got one tonight: http://www.cincinnatiteaparty.org/