Whistleblowers Gather for Conference on Being Targeted by the Surveillance State

Activist Post

Whistleblowers are being targeted to an ever greater degree by each successive administration. With the recent 5-year extension of the FISA warrantless spying bill, just signed into law by Obama, whistleblowers will likely be subjected to even more suppression, harassment, and imprisonment.

Three of the most influential whistleblowers in recent years, Jesselyn Radack, Thomas Drake, and  William Binney gathered to speak at the four-day Chaos Communication Conference. Kevin Gosztola writing for Firedoglake offers some of the pivotal quotes at his blog entry on the event, which you can find here.

The coverage of the "dark side of personal data"-  and becoming enemies of the state - from three of the most knowledgeable voices in activism for whistleblower rights is a must-see in its entirety. These three panelists represent the highest level of courage, and offer key insights into what anyone is likely to face in an era where doing the right thing seems to be subject to criminal penalties. 

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Celebrity Gun Control PSA Coupled With Their Own Hollywood Gun Violence

Dees Illustration

Activist Post

Not all celebrities contradict their beliefs, but the 45+ celebrities featured in the video below are stark raving hypocrites.

Have you seen the recent "Demand a Plan" public service announcements with very familiar faces smugly demanding that we tell Congress come up with a "plan" in lieu of recent shooting tragedies like Sandy Hook?

Even more smug is that the burden is on us to figure out . . . something . . . and demand Congress to do . . . something. Although vague, we know that the main point of the PSA is for strict gun control.

Repeatedly, they say "Enough."

I Am Spartacus

Dave Hodges, Contributor
Activist Post

Spartacus is a 1960 American historical drama movie directed by Stanley Kubrick and it is based upon the novel by the same name written by Howard Fast.

There was a phrase in the movie, Spartacus starring Kirk Douglas as Spartacus, which has captured movie goers imagination and is now part of the American lexicon.

Spartacus was a lowly slave who had an indomitable spirit which yearned for freedom. He led a successful rebellion by raising an army of slaves to oppose the Roman tyranny. After the army of former Roman slaves, led by Spartacus, was finally defeated in a decisive battle by several legions of the Roman Empire, a Roman general stands before the captured surviving members of the slave army and demands that they turn over Spartacus. If the slaves identify Spartacus, they live. If the slaves keep Spartacus identity secret, they will be executed. Upon hearing the Roman General’s threat, and trying to prevent his friends and followers from being executed, Spartacus stands up and proclaims “I am Spartacus.” However, the loyalty of his friends and followers is so overwhelming, that each of them comes forward in succession, shouting “I am Spartacus!” The proclamation that “I am Spartacus" spreads until the shouts grow to thousands of former slaves each proclaiming “I am Spartacus!”

Confused and unable to identify the real Spartacus, but impressed by the loyalty he inspires in his army, the Roman general crucifies all Spartacus’ followers in a miles-long display alongside the Appian Way leading back to Rome. Hence, the phrase “I am Spartacus!” is often used to proclaim solidarity with a group of oppressed individuals. The story that follows cries out for millions of people to proclaim “I am Spartacus.”

Is There An Alternative to Toxic-Jab Vaccinations?

Catherine J. Frompovich, Contributor

Activist Post

Vaccines and vaccinations need to be examined for various reasons by everyone, I think.

First and foremost, all vaccines contain chemicals and neurotoxins that should not be injected into infants or adults, e.g., formaldehyde—an EPA-declared carcinogen; mercury in the form of Thimerosal (49.6% Hg)—one of the most toxic elements in chemistry; aluminum—a neurotoxin; polysorbate 80—a proven anti-fertility agent in animal studies; foreign DNA from bovine, pig, dog, chicken, monkey, insects, and aborted human fetal cells (diploid cells), plus a roster of toxic industrial chemicals.

If the premise and practice of medicine is first do no harm, then it is quite obvious that the medical profession apparently is not aware of, nor does it read, the informational literature that accompanies vaccines called vaccine package inserts.

IF physicians were to study vaccine package inserts and compare childhood vaccines with the CDC’s VAERS (Vaccine Adverse Events Reporting System) reports filed in the hundreds of thousands, doctors would see the harm they are contributing to by blindly accepting that vaccines are safe and do not cause harm or damage. The medical profession’s acceptance of scientific pap that toxic industrial chemicals can improve the immune system in infants, whose immune systems do not mature until around two years of age, simply is nothing short of Frankenscience.

Oregon Army National Guard and others plan to launch drones from public airport

Madison Ruppert, Contributor
Activist Post

The Oregon Army National Guard has stated that they are planning to launch unmanned aerial vehicles (UAVs), better known as drones, out of the public Eastern Oregon Regional Airport, along with other Oregon agencies, although the Guard already flies drones domestically.

This is hardly surprising, especially given that we already know that the U.S. military is operating drones domestically and sharing intelligence with law enforcement (also see below video), Predator drones are going to soon be operating over North Dakota, and drones have already been openly used to assist law enforcement.



Furthermore, the Department of Homeland Security (DHS) has embraced small surveillance drones and is going to begin testing in Oklahoma, the Pentagon already identified 110 potential drone bases in the U.S. and a new drone training facility is being built in Florida.

Now another facility can be added to the list with the National Guard using the airport to train the 23-troop platoon.

Tri-Command Merges U.S.-Canada Military Policy

Dana Gabriel, Contributor
Activist Post

The Arctic has become an important part of North American perimeter security. Recently, the U.S. and Canada signed two new agreements that will expand bilateral military training, security and defense operations in the region. Both countries are working together to prepare for any real or perceived threats and are moving towards merging their Arctic foreign policies.

On December 11, 2012, the U.S. and Canada signed the Tri-Command Framework for Arctic Cooperation which will further integrate United States Northern Command (USNORTHCOM), Canadian Joint Operations Command (CJOC) and North American Aerospace Defense Command (NORAD). According to a press release, the framework is designed to, “promote enhanced military cooperation in the Arctic and identify specific areas of potential Tri-Command cooperation in the preparation for and conduct of safety, security and defense operations.”

USNORTHCOM, CJOC and NORAD will work more closely in the region with regards to planning, domain awareness, information-sharing, training and exercises, operations, capability development, as well as in the area of science and technology. This also ties in with the Tri-Command Training and Exercise Statement of Intent. The newly signed military document is aimed at, “enhancing joint and combined readiness in support of safety, security and defense missions through combined training and exercises and reinforcing partnerships and collaboration among the Commands.”

Secret Human Testing Revealed in Declassified U.S. Army Documents; Lawsuit Follows

Dees Illustration

Nicholas West
Activist Post

It is always a challenge attempting to describe how sick and power mad are some of the elite who have taken up positions within the military-industrial-scientific complex. However, it is becoming easier, as more of their past demented actions are coming to light with such a preponderance of evidence that even the most naive must take notice. These actions only hint at what is likely going on all around us today, as well as the future plans of those who see the planet Earth as nothing more than a giant Petri dish.

The video below covers Dr. Lisa Martino-Taylor's horrific findings after she submitted hundreds of Freedom of Information Act requests seeking the truth about government experiments on human populations. Martino-Taylor uncovered a mountain of evidence proving that an aerosol spraying campaign was in fact conducted by the U.S. Army during the 1950s and '60s. She has revealed documents clearly showing that sprayers were set up in multiple cities on buildings, deployed from station wagons, and attached to planes.

Despite statements at the time which downplayed the spraying as non-toxic, the evidence shows that the Army knew that what was sprayed consisted of radioactive compounds breathed in by hundreds of thousands of U.S. citizens. Furthermore, they went to great lengths to cover up the information.

Modern Science Confirms Yoga's Many Health Benefits

Modern science now confirms why humans have been practicing yoga since the beginning of recorded history: it is good both for the body and mind.

Sayer Ji, Contributor
Activist Post

There is evidence in the archeological record that yoga has been practiced by humans for at least 5,000 years. Whereas this would constitute sufficient evidence for most folks to consider it a practice with real health benefits, as its millions of practitioners widely claim, skeptics say otherwise. They require any activity deemed to be of therapeutic value run the gauntlet of randomized, controlled clinical trials before it is fully accepted within the conventional medical system.

This tendency towards scientism in medicine, or what some call medical monotheism, runs diametrically opposed to the standards of lived-experience – so called "subjectivity" – or anecdotal experience (learning from the experience of others) which is what the majority of the world uses to determine if something has value, or is worth doing or not.

Yoga, of course, is no longer exclusively practiced by a particular religious group.  It is considered a form of low-impact exercise and stress-reduction, and is estimated to be practiced by 20 million people in the US alone.  This burgeoning interest among Westerners happens to be why so much human clinical research has now been performed on yoga. The US National Library of Medicine's bibliographic database shows that in 1968, seven studies were published on yoga. This year, there have been over 250. So much research, in fact, has accumulated that even systematic reviews of the literature have now been published.

End of 2012 and the Unleashing of Evil

Bernie Suarez, Contributor
Activist Post

It’s almost 2013 and the globalist monkeys of terror are moving as fast as they can to oppress humanity, individual freedom, the Constitution and human rights. Politicians everywhere are moving their feet as fast as they can to undermine the Constitution. Those committed to a lifetime of slavery to the federal system are consumed with their false paradigms, leading them to believe that those who are doing everything they can to destroy humanity’s dignity are doing something benevolent like providing “safety”; such is the result of mass brainwashing and media propaganda.

If you are a pessimist you can see nothing positive heading our way, but to all pessimists I say please take a minute and consider this.

Welcome to the Apocalypse and Unveiling of Truth

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The Coming Food Police

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Council on Foreign Relations Plan for Global Governance in 2013

Council of Councils Members

Nicholas West
Activist Post

It is incredible that mention of a one-world government in many circles is still considered to be conspiracy talk. Fortunately, the global political awakening that arch-globalist Zbigniew Brzezinski has referred to is forcing ever-increasing justifications for their use of globalist language.

One would hope that a relatively new Council on Foreign Relations initiative that is expanding can lay to rest any debate about the desire to form a global government in the name of supposedly solving global problems.

The initiative called The Council of Councils was featured in a recent round table discussion of the central problems facing the world that they believe require multilateral cooperation. The discussions and recommendations released from this convention of experts is important to keep available the next time you hear the label conspiracy theorist hurled in your direction. The title of the round table was Challenges for Global Governance in 2013.

Just as we have seen from other think tanks such as the Project For a New American Century, The Royal Society, and the Brookings Institution, among others; their thoughts translate to reality on a less-than-coincidental frequency, so we would do well to listen to what they are saying.

2012 in Review: Biometric ID Systems Grew Internationally … And So Did Concerns About Privacy

As the year draws to a close, EFF is looking back at the major trends influencing digital rights in 2012 and discussing where we are in the fight for free expression, innovation, fair use, and privacy. Click here to read other blog posts in this series.

image source

Rebecca Bowe
EFF

Around the world, systems of identification that employ automatic recognition of individuals’ faces, fingerprints, or irises are gaining ground. Biometric ID systems are increasingly being deployed at international border checkpoints, by governments seeking to implement national ID schemes, and by private-sector actors. Yet as biometric data is collected from more and more individuals, privacy concerns about the use of this technology are also attracting attention. Below are several examples of the year’s most prominent debates around biometrics.

• FRANCE: In early March, the French National Assembly (Assemblée Nationale) passed a law proposing the creation of a new biometric ID card for French citizens, saying the measure would combat “identity fraud.” Embedded in the cards would be a compulsory chip containing personal information such as fingerprints, a photograph, home addresses, height, and eye color. All of this information would be stored in a central database. French Senator François Pillet called the initiative a time bomb for civil liberties. Near the end of March, however, the French Constitutional Council ruled that the new law proposing the introduction of a new biometric ID for French citizens was unconstitutional.

Food Safety Modernization: Interview With Activist Post Writer Heather Callaghan

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Activist and Staff Writer for Activist Post, discussing the Food Safety Modernization Act, the FDA's invasion into various areas of food production, the truth about organic foods and more. End the Lie Radio airs from 10:00 PM - 12:00 AM EST/7:00 PM - 9:00 PM PST every Monday evening at http://UCY.TV/EndtheLie.



For more of Heather's work, see here:
http://www.activistpost.com/search/label/Heather%20Callaghan

Stories Discussed:
GMO Global Alert - The Truth Has Been Revealed
Kenya's Recent Ban on All GMOs Draws Cheers and Jeers
Cheerios Removes App During Fury of Anti-GMO Backlash
FAIL: World's First Fat-Sugar Tax In Denmark To Be Dismantled
Kid Suspended, Interrogated by Cop For Healthy Kombucha Drink In Lunch Box
Farmer Wins Stressful 3-Year State Legal Battle -- Raw Dairy Sales Upheld
7 Recent Victories for Raw Milk Freedom Advocates
Meat Industry to Retaliate for Pink Slime Exposure with Higher Prices

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Back to the Future: What History Teaches About Gun Confiscations

Dave Hodges, Contributor
Activist Post

It is clear that Obama, Boxer, a host of other elected representatives, the media, and Hollywood stars are coming after our guns. Leading the media charge is none other than Michael Moore; he implores the nation to let the murders of 20 Sandy Hook elementary students not “be in vain and stand for gun control.” Moore seems to forget that he and his family have several armed bodyguards.

Then there is Obama who refuses to mandate that gun free zones at schools be replaced with armed guards designed in order to protect our children. And Obama also seems to forget to mention that he has 11 armed guards protecting his children while they attend school in a “gun free zone.”

Oh, I think Obama and Moore think that our children are important. It is just that their children are much more important than our children. Simply put, Obama and Moore advocate for “rules for thee but not for me.”

Outright Gun Bans Are Looming

Japanese security firm to rent surveillance drones for use in private homes

Madison Ruppert, Contributor
Activist Post

Just when you thought the rapid advance of drone technology couldn’t get any more unbelievable, a Japanese security firm has announced that they will offer surveillance drones on a rental basis for a meager $58 per month starting some time after April, 2014.

Offering rental drones for private use is quite novel, although it seems to be part of a larger trend towards using or planning to use drones in non-military applications ranging from broadcast television news-gathering to traffic monitoring and police use (also see below video):



Yet with the development of drone sensors capable of capturing 36 square miles in a single blink, the rise of long-distance solar-powered electric drones along with drone-based systems capable of employing EMP missiles and automatically spotting and tracking people from 25,000 feet and drones with facial recognition, biometrics and threat assessment capabilities, these drones seem like child’s play.

Understanding Indefinite Detention in the 2013 NDAA - Part 2

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Ron Paul: Republicans And Democrats Are a Bunch of Drug Addicts Looking for Their Next Fix

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Feinstein's Gun Control Bill Will Trigger The Next American Revolution

Brandon Smith, Contributor
Activist Post

All political power comes from the barrel of a gun. The communist party must command all the guns, that way, no guns can ever be used to command the party - Mao Tse Tung

After a shooting spree, they always want to take the guns away from the people who didn't do it. I sure as hell wouldn't want to live in a society where the only people allowed guns are the police and the military - William Burroughs

Revolution? Yes, it all sounds rather “extreme”, but the cold hard reality of our era is not going to comfort us with diplomacies and niceties, so honestly, why should I have to sugar coat anything? We live in extreme times and there is no longer room for prancing around the ultimate consequences of that which is taking place in America today. This country is increasingly sliding towards the edge of internal conflict. The Liberty Movement and true Constitutionalists see it, subsections of Republicans and Democrats see it, and most of all, the federal government sees it. In fact, they may even be counting on it.

Congress Disgracefully Approves the FISA Warrantless Spying Bill for Five More Years, Rejects All Privacy Amendments

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Trevor Timm
EFF

Today, after just one day of rushed debate, the Senate shamefully voted on a five-year extension to the FISA Amendments Act, an unconstitutional law that openly allows for warrantless surveillance of Americans' overseas communications.

Incredibly, the Senate rejected all the proposed amendments that would have brought a modicum of transparency and oversight to the government's activities, despite previous refusals by the Executive branch to even estimate how many Americans are surveilled by this program or reveal critical secret court rulings interpreting it.

The common-sense amendments the Senate hastily rejected were modest in scope and written with the utmost deference to national security concerns. The Senate had months to consider them, but waited until four days before the law was to expire to bring them to the floor, and then used the contrived time crunch to stifle any chances of them passing.

Be the Hero, Not the Victim

Fredrik Broman/Getty Images

Daisy Luther, Contributor
Activist Post

Preparedness. It’s a state of mind.

When you are a prepper, you begin to think differently than the other folks on the block. Not only do you take steps to become physically prepared, with food, medical supplies and tools – but you are mentally prepared. You develop a problem-solving mindset.

Part of the reason for that is that preparedness is predicting problems before they occur. Let’s take a snowstorm for example, because where I live, this is a very common occurrence. We’re used to it, nobody panics about it and we have come to expect it.

We know that if there is heavy ice and snow accompanied by high winds the following events are likely to occur.

• We may lose power.
• We may not be able to safely get out of our driveways for a few days.

Next, we take each of these issues and break them down to their components. We play through the possibilities in our minds.

Added Avocado Fat Cancels Harm From Damaging Fats

Sayer Ji, Contributor
Activist Post

There are good fats, and then there are not so good fats ... but it is a bit more complex than that.

Some good fats can do bad things (go rancid), and sometimes, a fat will sacrifice its goodness to keep another fat from doing harm.

Take for example, a recent study that looked at what happened when avocado was added to a heart-stopping American favorite, the hamburger meal.[i]

Researchers at the UCLA Center for Human Nutrition took eleven healthy subjects, and on two different occasions, fed them either 250 gram hamburger patty alone (ca. 436 cal and 25 g fat) or together with 68 grams of avocado flesh (an additional 114 cal and 11 g of fat for a total of 550 cal and 36 g fat).

The researchers then measured the degree of vasoconstriction following hamburger ingestion 2 hours later in test subjects given a hamburger meal either with our without avocado. The hamburger meal resulted in significant vasoconstriction, whereas the avocado+hamburger meal saw no change at all.

Fund Set Up to Help Save Drakes Bay Oyster Company

Read The Role of Shellfish in Drakes Bay

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Earlier this month, we featured an article by James Bennett that highlighted the plight of an 80-year-old California family business with 30 full-time employees which drew 50,000 visitors per year that was shut down based on provably false environmental data. Through a non-renewal of their land lease, Drakes Bay Oyster Company was effectively shut down as of Nov. 30th under the contrived science that is typical of Agenda 21 and its many ancillary organizations that masquerade under their definition of "sustainability."

The Farm-to-Consumer Legal Defense Fund has issued the following press release in a determined effort to help save the company. We encourage those who can afford it to assist in the defense of this American treasure and integral part of California's food security and economy.

***

The Farm-to-Consumer Legal Defense Fund (FTCLDF) has agreed to administer a litigation fund to be used to help finance the Drakes Bay Oyster Company’s lawsuit against the United States National Park Service. Drakes Bay Oyster Company (DBOC) is a family-owned, environmentally sustainable oyster farm on the shores of Drakes Estero within the confines of the Point Reyes National Seashore in Marin County, California. The Lunny family has been farming and ranching in Point Reyes for more than three generations.

CONFIRMED: Feinstein's Gun Control Legislation Will Ban Most Guns

Activist Post

Just as many Second Amendment advocates have anticipated, gun control legislation being proposed by Senator Feinstein has gone far beyond what has become known as "assault rifles". In fact the proposed law would ban almost every type of semiautomatic gun on the market including handguns and shotguns.

Feinstein is clearly trying to expand the definition of assault weapons to just about every firearm by claiming if they have "high-capacity ammunition feeding devices" then they are "military-style assault weapons".

The following is a summary of the 2013 legislation:

Bans the sale, transfer, importation, or manufacturing of:

• 120 specifically-named firearms;
• Certain other semiautomatic rifles, handguns, shotguns that can accept a detachable magazine and have one or more military characteristics; and
• Semiautomatic rifles and handguns with a fixed magazine that can accept more than 10 rounds.

James Corbett presents to the '9/11 Revisited: Seeking the Truth' Conference

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James Corbett, editor of The Corbett Report, presents to the "9/11 Revisted: Seeking the Truth" conference in Kuala Lumpur on November 19, 2012.

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Agenda Prevails Over Truth

Anthony Freda Art

Paul Craig Roberts, Contributor
Activist Post

In the Western world truth no longer has any meaning. In its place stands agenda.

Agenda is all important, because it is the way Washington achieves hegemony over the world and the American people. 9/11 was the “new Pearl Harbor” that the neoconservatives declared to be necessary for their planned wars against Muslim countries. For the neoconservatives to go forward with their agenda, it was necessary for Americans to be connected to the agenda.

President George W. Bush’s first Treasury Secretary, Paul O’Neil, said that prior to 9/11 the first cabinet meeting was about the need to invade Iraq.

9/11 was initially blamed on Afghanistan, and the blame was later shifted to Iraq. Washington’s mobilization against Afghanistan was in place prior to 9/11. The George W. Bush regime’s invasion of Afghanistan (Operation Enduring Freedom) occurred on October 7, 2001, less than a month after 9/11. Every military person knows that it is not possible to have mobilization for invading a country half way around the world ready in three weeks.

Are You Prepared for a Major Port Strike – Like the One That Might Happen In a Few Days?

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Earl Griffin, Contributor
Activist Post

In a recent article I asked the question, “Are You Prepared for a Nationwide Strike?” I hope you were not one of those who scoffed – as it now appears likely that this Sunday could see 14,000 dock workers walk off the job at container ports from the east coast to the gulf coast.

Do you work in manufacturing or retail? What will you do if you are furloughed or laid off from your job because there is no work as a result of the resources and products you need sitting idle in port?

Have you been saving for just such an emergency? Can you pay your bills even if you are out of work for a while? Remember you won’t be eligible for unemployment benefits until you are out of work for as long as 30 days. Even then the benefit usually only covers 60% of the pay you are accustomed to – that’s just over half – and you may still have to pay taxes on it!

The fact is most of us are not saving and preparing for hard times. Will you just throw your hands up and accept whatever fate awaits you? I don’t recommend it. Waiting in line for FEMA handouts – if there are any FEMA handouts, is no fun. Set money aside for hard times. Do what your grandparents did: Save your money – even if it means doing without the cool toys that many of us have come to believe are necessities.

On the Cusp of Ending Big Pharma

Gene therapy threatens to disrupt forever Big Pharma's profiteering, but not without a fight. 

Tony Cartalucci, Contributor
Activist Post

Imagine being diagnosed with cancer, a genetic disease, or even age-related deterioration in the morning, given a single injection in the evening, and beginning your recovery the next day. No prescriptions, no lengthy treatments, no difficult decisions between finances and getting better. This is the promise of gene therapy, a promise already being fulfilled.

Image: One method of gene therapy - taking human cells, "editing" them genetically, and reinserting them into the human body where they will replicate and carry out their newly designed functions. (Microsoft Encarta Online Concise Encyclopedia)

Gene therapy is the identifying of faulty genes, be they inherent or mutations in the form of cancer or aging, and designing a vector to replace the faulty genes with fully functional, repaired versions of your genetic code. Once introduced, the corrected genes replicate themselves, displacing aged, mutated, or faulty versions. The technology is a double-edged sword however - and can be used to harm just as well as help - in very profound ways. Public awareness and engagement in the emerging field of genetics is an absolute necessity to ensure this technology is used for good rather than profit, or worse yet, increasing death and disparity.

You Are Playing In a Game With No Rules

Dave Hodges, Contributor
Activist Post

We sit in the aftermath of Sandy Hook debating what to do about the murder of innocent men, women and children in America’s gun free zones.

There are some politicians, two in Arizona, who want to protect our children while they attend schools. Arizona State Attorney General, Tom Horne, has unveiled a plan in which each school campus in my home state would be required to have at least one armed staff member. In my opinion that is not enough, but at least it is a productive start.

Hypothetically, can anyone argue that schools would be the safest place in America if 10 staff members on each campus were trained and armed? The question is rhetorical because the answer is obvious.

Horne’s idea is not new. In fact, he is copying what my friend, former Arizona State Senator Jack Harper proposed four years ago. Harper’s idea was soundly defeated and continued to leave Arizona’s students defenseless. I call Harper a friend because he was helpful in helping me save my community of 2000 rural residents from having their homes stolen by the State of Arizona without a plan in place to pay one dime in compensation. Why was this done to us? Because my community sits near a planned CANAMEX Highway, as well as the fact that we sit on the state’s largest underground water aquifer. We are in the way; the powers that be wanted us gone, and they did not want to pay anything for the planned loss of our properties.

Tracking Students and Citizens With Globally Connected Biometric Databases

Susanne Posel, Contributor
Activist Post

The Biometric Database Law, originated in Israel, determines fingerprints and facial recognition software use to collect data on Israeli citizens as justified by decree of the Israeli government. This data is used for identification purposes by law enforcement and governmental agencies to deter criminal activity. However, the Israeli government collects massive amounts of data on its citizens that violate their inherent right to privacy.

Israeli residents are subject to biometric tracking through passports and identification cards.

In the UK, the National Pupil Database (NPD) houses biometric information about British students for use of the government. The Administrative Data Liaison Service describes the NPD as “one of the richest education datasets in the world, holding a wide range of information about students who attend schools and colleges in England. The NPD combines the examination results of pupils with information on pupil and school characteristics and is an amalgamation of a number of different datasets, including Key State attainment data and Schools Census data (formerly known as PLASC) which are linked using a unique identifier for each pupil.”

The Biometrics Institute (BI), an international coalition of biometric users, academics and industry members want the UK government to rethink their widening use of the NPD as well as their burgeoning use of biometric technologies to create database profiles on citizens. BI is concerned that private sector corporations would now have access to the NPD, which would open the door for Facebook and Google to use this information for nefarious purposes.

16 Dismal Trends Likely to Continue for 2013

Anthony Freda Art

Michael Snyder, Contributor
Activist Post

The beginning of the year has traditionally been a time of optimism when we all look forward to the exciting things that are going to happen over the next 12 months.  Unfortunately, there are a whole bunch of things about 2013 that we already know are going to stink.  Taxes are going to go up, good paying jobs will continue to leave the country, small businesses will continue to be destroyed, the number of Americans living in poverty will continue to soar, our infrastructure will continue to decay, global food supplies will likely continue to dwindle and the U.S. national debt will continue to explode.

Our politicians continue to pursue the same policies that got us into this mess, and yet they continue to expect things to magically turn around.  But that is not the way that things work in the real world.  Bad decisions lead to bad outcomes.

Instead of realizing that what we are doing is not working, our "leaders" continue to give us more of the same.  As a result, there are going to be a lot of things about 2013 that will not be great.  Sticking our heads in the sand and pretending that everything will be "okay" somehow is not going to help anyone.  We've got to make people understand exactly what is happening and why it is happening if we ever hope to see real changes.

UN Syria 'Peace Plan' a Fraud

Tony Cartalucci, Contributor
Activist Post

UN "peace envoy" Lakhdar Brahimi  is attempting to broker a transitional government ahead of proposed elections in Syria. For Brahimi, his efforts are not only in vain, they are entirely disingenuous. The proposal of a "transitional government" in the midst of what is in fact a foreign invasion, funded, armed, and perpetuated openly by foreign interests violates both Syria's sovereignty and the UN's own founding charter. It would be not unlike a UN envoy visiting Poland at the beginning of World War II, and proposing a transitional government in the midst of the Nazi invasion. The UN would clearly be a facilitator of injustice, not a broker of peace.

The LA Times reports in their article, "Lakhdar Brahimi works to revive Syria peace plan": 

Peace envoy Lakhdar Brahimi made a new push Thursday to draw Syrian officials and rebels into negotiations, aiming to revive a plan for a transitional government and elections that faltered because of disagreements over the future of President Bashar Assad.

The UN has categorically failed to delineate between legitimate opposition inside of Syria, and bands of roving armed terrorists committing wide scale atrocities against the Syrian people - many of whom are not even from Syria, all of whom are heavily armed by the US, NATO, and its regional allies including Israel, Saudi Arabia, and Qatar as part of a long standing plan to affect regime change in both Syria and Iran. The Western press is not only supporting the UN's disingenuous efforts, it has gone through great lengths to delegitimize any opposition in Syria that refuses to pick up arms, or that speaks out against foreign intervention.