Activist Post
Despite the fact that there isn't a single act of terrorism prevented or hindered by the Department of Homeland Security-funded “Text Against Terror” program in New Jersey, the state is hilariously claiming that the program is a success.
This $5.775 million federally funded endeavor is quite similar to the myriad of programs operating under the banner of homeland security that prove to be a complete failure like the fusion centers which put out “a bunch of crap” according to a recent Senate panel.
The Department of Homeland Security (DHS) has a propensity for funding fear mongering campaigns, a truth which is hardly surprising given their obsession with the notion of “see something, say something” or, in other words, citizen spying.
This culture of fear is created by making anyone and everyone into a potential terrorist based on nothing more than bodily movements or, according to the military, complaining about bias and believing in government conspiracies.
This truly illogical fear has surfaced in an interesting way in New Jersey where they used a $5.775 million DHS grant to create a program that allows commuters on the New Jersey transit system to “Text Against Terror.”
This program has resulted in 307 messages, 71 of which have “referred to something regarding homeland security,” since the program was launched in June 2011, according to New Jersey Transit Police Chief Christopher Trucillo.
In other words, only roughly 23 percent of the messages mentioned something related to homeland security. The majority of that small percentage of the texts did not lead to any further investigation.
“Someone saw something that made them uncomfortable that required us to take secondary action, like an unattended bag or someone taking pictures in a particular area,” Trucillo said to Asbury Park Press.
According to Trucillo it is only rarely that they “need to follow them up and refer them to the (state) Joint Terrorism Task Force.”
This task force referred to by Trucillo is made up of the DHS, New Jersey State Police, New Jersey Transit Police, Port Authority Police and others.
According to Asbury Park Press, the messages are processed at the New Jersey Transit Police’s communication center.
When a text message is received, the computer screen of the operator turns red and an alarm sounds at which point customers receive a confirmation text regardless of what they said in the message.
Much of the millions of dollars (which we don’t have, of course) provided by DHS were used to pay for advertising on radio, television, trains and buses.
Oddly enough, some of the ads aired on radio and television in New York City, which, according to Homeland Security News Wire, “has some of the highest advertising rates in the country.”
Using the federal funds, they ramped up the number of commercials promoting the campaign from August 27 to September 8, airing a whopping 4,023 ads on radio and television during that period.“We live in a dangerous world and in an area where two significant terrorist events happened (in 1993 and 2001),” said Trucillo. “We ask people to understand that we do it with their best interests in mind and to make the public aware of counterterrorism efforts, so we can keep mass transit safe.”
Unfortunately, in the process they’re diverting non-existent funds from vital needs to advertise a far-from-necessary fear mongering campaign promoting an irrational fear of terrorism.
According to Trucillo, the texts they have received include messages regarding alleged suspicious activity, texts requesting customer service information and even accidental messages.
“Our customers are in a closed, tight environment; we’re asking them to report suspicious behavior, but we have to make it safe for them,” said Trucillo in explaining the rationale behind the program.
“They may not feel comfortable picking up the phone when someone is sitting two seats away,” Trucillo said. “Text tips are convenient.”
Perhaps the most troubling part of this is that Trucillo states he is hoping that the three-year grant will be renewed by the federal government in order to push the program forward.
Trucillo said that they have already started using Facebook and Twitter to allow commuters to send tips, but clearly he wants to see this expand with more funds in the very near future.
I find it tragic that people like Trucillo would rather see the non-existent funds of the United States government go to useless texting programs to fight an imaginary terrorist threat rather than to schools, healthcare, housing, etc.
I guess that’s just par for the course in today’s ultra-paranoid terrorism obsessed homeland security industry.
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This article first appeared at End the Lie.
Madison Ruppert is the Editor and Owner-Operator of the alternative news and analysis database End The Lie and has no affiliation with any NGO, political party, economic school, or other organization/cause. He is available for podcast and radio interviews. Madison also now has his own radio show on Orion Talk Radio from 8 pm -- 10 pm Pacific, which you can find HERE. If you have questions, comments, or corrections feel free to contact him at admin@EndtheLie.com
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4 comments:
Such absurdity and what an obscene waste of money. The DHS is arguably the most egregious example of the sick and twisted Twilight Zone of BS we find ourselves living in.
NSA whistleblower William Binney said that with the emergence of the Global War on Terror and the resulting escalation of government spying, new data collection and analysis methods were sorely needed because intelligence agencies were "going blind" with the flood of information coming in. Programs that urge dimwitted citizens to report baseless suspicions of "terrorism" are only going to exacerbate this problem and send law enforcement and DHS on wild goose chases. Once again, the law of diminishing returns rears its head.
Thank you, Madison Ruppert, for keeping us informed and providing some great perspective.
We are told that an obscure Video made months ago was the reason that there was rioting at the American Embassies in Libya, Egypt, and elsewhere in the Muslim World.
If this is true, then the CIA would have made that assessment, and advised the Government to increase security for Ambassadors in Muslim Countries, especially in Sharia Law Countries like Libya.
The murder of Ambassador Stevens and other Americans was a planned Terrorist attack on September 11, and it was revenge for Osama bin Laden, because the Terrorists were saying that they were Osama bin Laden.
Barack Obama and Hillary Clinton knew of the Video, and they knew that it could always be used as a lazy excuse in order to cover up their incompetence, or laziness, or a lack of real commitment to America.
The American Democrats have the Main Stream Media to cover up for them, and the Media which is supposed to be the Essential Fourth Estate in a Democracy has become the Bribed Fifth Column.
This is because they are not doing their job in a Non Partisan way, because a Non Partisan Media makes the Elected Representatives and other Appointed Officials perform at their maximum, and these People are Paid to do their jobs, and it is wrong for them to Volunteer to become Politicians if their intentions are to be lazy, and therefore become incompetent.
Benghazi Gate is the only to view the incidents that occurred in Libya, which was Obama’s Illegal and Unconstitutional War, where Al-Qaeda is the New Government installed by Obama and Clinton, and this why the Video was convenient excuse, rather than saying that American Democrats think that Islamic Sharia Law is the New Human Rights and Democracy, because Obama, Hillary Clinton, and the American Democrats have a Secret Agenda to transform America into a Military Dictatorship.
The Video that Obama, Hillary Clinton, and the Democrats say was responsible for the September 11 Terrorist attack on America’s Embassy in Libya, was certainly less known before the Government kept speaking of it at the United Nations and elsewhere.
The Intelligence Agencies have had a month to suggest that Ambassadors come back to America from Islamic Countries because of that Video.
Perhaps the Democrats want to blame America’s Constitution which allows Free Speech for the revenge that Al-Qaeda took for the death of Osama, because the Democrats really do not like the American Constitution, as they have demonstrated and proven on numerous occasions.
The Democrats are just pretending to like the American Constitution until the Elections are over, and they will lay low on this matter until the day of the Elections.
There are People who say that the American Republicans are the same as the Democrats on the Constitution, and they might be right, but I my opinion is that the Republicans like the American Constitution more than the Democrats.
ALERT: Local neighborhood watch networks are recruited into citizen spy syndicates, trained and coordinated by Fusion Centers to spy, fabricate and frame bogus national threat alerts against law abiding, liberty promoting American patriots. Here's a peek into the underworld of citizen spies trained to report, harass, mob target and violate America's Civil and Constitutional rights.
Check out the following links
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=iOiK9MdlYBo&feature=colike
next link ...
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Cj1iK397zDk&feature=colike
And the next link illustrates the "modern", Fusion coordinated, cult-hate groups hating all law abiding, liberty promoting American patriots ...
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=DJqz8HtyoCc&feature=colike
and there's much more expose about their incredible, brazen, daylight racketeering.
The 72 Threat Fusion Centers Were Designed To Threaten You
http://www.infowars.com/the-72-threat-fusion-centers-were-designed-to-threaten-you/
Best Regards,
ogs-silentcrimes.com
ogs-silentcrimes.blogspot.com
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