Category: Conspiracy

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I’m more than a little uncomfortable with this

This article is disturbing to me on a number of levels.

UAVs

The US government is beginning to use UAVs (Unmanned Aerial Vehicles) to conduct surveillance over the United States. 

First and foremost, I’m mindful that ALL Governments abuse their power. I have no reason to believe that our government is any different.

In the aftermath of 911 our government enacted The Patriot Act. I, like most Americans at the time thought, “Sure, a temporary abridgment of our rights is worth it to provide for the security of our nation.

At the time I thought that the US government would simply contact everyone that was here on expired visas and give them a deadline to leave. I expected that we’d also severely restrict travel from any countries that were known to harbor extremists. Further I thought that all student visas would be cancelled and foreign students would be asked to return to their home countries while we assessed the threat, and came up with a plan to secure our borders.

All of these logical preventative measures while inconvenient to those affected would have allowed the country some breathing room. Yes it sounds xenophobic… However at the time it was pretty damn obvious that the enemy in an as yet undeclared war was already within our borders.

As we now know… none of these logical steps were taken.

In the period after 9/11 to this day our borders are not secured. There are people from every country in the world who have remained here after their visas ran out, and still others who are here after crossing the border like thieves in the night. Some of these people contribute to the economy and some do not…

The one common element is that all of these people are here and remain so illegally.

Obviously The Patriot Act wasn’t what we thought it was, and it’s purpose was not to help protect the country from external threats.

What I and millions of other Americans forgot is;  once rights are taken away by the State, they are never returned. This truism was brought home by none other than President Obama when he signed the extension of The Patriot Act.

Hope and Change? MY ASS!

Obviously, the government wants to maintain the “Special Powers” so that they can continue the inexorable march toward a police state.

Using Drones over American Soil is another step toward a state wherein the enemy of the United States (AKA Our Government) is in fact the people that are being governed.  

Aerial surveillance is a simple way to bypass the expense of having surveillance cameras mounted everywhere as is done in London. A side benefit is that the populace may not notice a UAV flying overhead sending live video data back to law enforcement. 

There are those that argue surveillance of the kind used in London deters crime.

I agree and disagree. Those people marginally tempted to commit an opportunistic crime will probably be deterred by cameras on every street corner.

A hardened criminal will be undeterred and will actively find methods to obfuscate their identities. The ever popular ski mask and hooded sweatshirt come to mind. 

So while you may not have as many purse snatchings, you’ll still have the really hard crimes.

I’m absolutely opposed to a UAV flying over my house taking pictures of my mundane life, and every other American should be too.This is a violation of privacy, and the potential for abuse is far too high.

Currently thanks to The Patriot Act and other more clandestine laws abridging our rights, our government has the right, desire, and ability to watch virtually every aspect of our lives.

Every communication via whatever media (Landline, Cellphone, Internet, radio) can be monitored without warrant or notification right now!

Don’t forget, your cell phone, and many new vehicles with OnStar type systems can also easily be tracked. My car for example, has the ability to report it’s exact location via GPS. Another thing few people consider is that most cars with all their modern electronics can be disabled remotely.

Sure, it’s called anti theft but the other side of that coin is that if, for some reason the government or law enforcement wanted to arrest you it’s a pretty simple matter to immobilize you in your fancy new car. Spike strips, high speed chases? Nahhh a single command transmitted via the cellular network and your engine simply turns off.

Our government using UAVs simply means that in addition to all the above… Any citizen can be followed, observed, their activities recorded, their acquaintances documented and whatever “evidence” is collected can be used against the citizen by an all powerful, all seeing government.

UAVs don’t have to be large. The same technology that allows you to upload a YouTube video from your cellphone, can be used to allow a small inexpensive UAV to spy on you.

George Orwell’s 1984 is happening right now.

So what are We The People going to do about it?

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The SCAM of Gas Prices or HOW to SCREW the Economy

Gas pump

Oh goody!

Gas prices jumped a nickel over the weekend. This rise happened in spite of the fact that the price per barrel of oil dropped by $1.43.

Hey wait a minute, weren’t we told in the last month that gas prices were going up because of the instant linkage between the barrel price and refined price? Shouldn’t the gas prices FALL as quickly when the barrel price drops?

You’d think that… BUT you’d be wrong!

Now, the gas prices are continuing to rise in anticipation that there will be a supply glitch as the refineries switch from Winter to Summer grades. (WHAT???) I know that supposedly the formulation is different depending on season. I’m not sure that I believe it. I’m more convinced that this is another excuse for the oil industry to drive up prices and increase their profits.

Remember some of the other excuses we’ve heard recently?

Oil prices are going up because of tension with Iran, last year it was tensions with the Iraq, the year before that it was tensions because of Chinas sudden prosperity and their burgeoning oil demand, the year before that it was blah blah, before that blah blady blah.

There’s always some almost plausible reason, if you’re not looking too closely…

Images

The point is, if you really look at it there is NO good reason, no quantitative, no REAL reason for the volatility in oil prices. Each year the prices go up due to some trumped up crisis NEVER returning to their (Pre-crisis) price. Yet somehow each year the oil companies post record profits.

You know that oil is shipped right? So that means orders have to placed at least a month if not two before it’s needed. What happens when oil is delivered to ports but the demand isn’t as high as anticipated? YOU STORE IT!

It makes no sense to turn the ships around or to offload only a portion of the shipment you’ve ordered unless you can sell that partial shipment somewhere else.

We’ve had a remarkably warm Winter in this country this year. That means that fuel use is down, certainly heating oil and probably electric usage.

Why then are fuel costs going up? Didn’t we stockpile the surplus oil?

This shouldn’t be read as me being anti profit. I’m a capitalist through and through, but there is such a thing as Usury rates and there are laws against that kind of exploitation. The oil companies are not a monopoly, but their prices are obviously fixed. It’s time to bring all the oil companies up on anti-trust charges and let THE PEOPLE not Congress sit in judgement. Maybe then we’d see justice done.

Has it occurred to you that $5 or $6 a gallon gasoline is actually good for the Republican party? So is high unemployment caused by high energy prices.

Why? Think about this… There is a long standing history of collusion between the Captains of industry and politicians.

Now think about high energy prices suppressing the economy making the people restless and how that effect could turn the Presidential race and any congressional seats up for grabs in favor of the Republican party.

Once a candidate preferred by industry is elected, the energy prices go down, employment goes up and it looks like the American people “Made the right choice for the country…” when in fact they made the right choice for industry.

Even if the Democratic party carries the day… Industry still profits, and can slowly lower the energy costs, stimulate the economy and wait another 4 years for a chance to put an “Industry Friendly” President in office.

As I’ve said before, I’m not… or rather I wasn’t a big conspiracy kind of guy.

0302 Newt Gingrich super tuesday gas pump vote full 600

Honestly, I think most politicians are too stupid to carry off a conspiracy and they sure as hell couldn’t keep their mouths shut about it. BUT I can’t help wondering if the politicians are puppets of industry.

I could see industry moving behind the scenes. I could see politicians being compartmentalized, each knowing only enough to carry out their assigned job.

I’ve begun to think this way in part because politics makes no sense.

The majority of Americans couldn’t care less about Gay rights, marriage, or what have you. The majority of Americans don’t care that a woman has access to abortion or to birth control. A large portion of America while being people of faith aren’t willing to shove their faith down the throats of others. Yet all these issues are talking points for politicians.

WHY?

We have far more pressing issues that need to be addressed.

The only explanation I can think of for trotting out the same old tired issues again and again is that our government is trying to put on a Roman Circus.

In that context… all the sudden politics makes sense… It’s a “Reality” show!

“This week on real politics, will Rick Santorum insult the transexuals in Ohio and be glitter-bombed? Find out TONITE at 7!“

Makes a lot more sense that way doesn’t it?

When you think about it this way, you kinda have no choice but to get really cynical about the whole process.

For me, the icing on the cake is the volatility in oil pricing.

Which leads to only one conclusion… it doesn’t matter WHO is in office, they’re all the bitches of one industry or another.

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Gas Prices

Ok,

I know I’m late to the bandwagon.

I was listening to the news last night and got to thinking about this whole gas mess.

The price of oil is being inflated due to fears and rising tensions with Iran. Ok I get that.

What I don’t get is that gas demand has been a bit light over the past couple of months, So if the demand has been light doesn’t that mean that the gas being distributed right now was purchased at the lower (Pre Iranian tensions prices)?

Wolfnew

If that’s true then why are we paying higher prices on fuel right now? Why is it likely that the high prices will continue conveniently through the Summer months?

Wouldn’t you expect for the higher price to hit us when the oil purchased during the tension actually hits the refineries, or was actually delivered to the gas stations?

I found myself thinking this way because there’s a pattern in gas prices that’s developed over the past decade or so.

Each and every Spring we see some crisis that affects oil prices. It’s like the oil companies go to a big hat and pull out an excuse randomly.

I’m all for capitalism, and all for people making money. BUT I completely reject the inconsistencies between the excuses oil companies give when asked why gas or heating oil prices are so high and record profits year after year.

If in fact the oil companies are hurting… then how can they post ever increasing profits? Shouldn’t we expect their profits to be flat, or only incrementally higher?

I, as I suspect a lot of people have begun to believe that Big Oil is lying through their teeth and actually playing with oil pricing as a means to drive up profits at the expense of the economy and the suffering of the American people.

I’m hoping when congress investigates the sudden disproportionate run up of gas prices this year, that someone at least takes the oil giants to task and calls them liars to their faces.

In the mean time… the only thing we as consumers can do is this…

Use as little fuel as we possibly can. Lets see if we can affect Oil company profits by purchasing as little of their product as possible. Leave those cars in the parking lot folks…

Of course the other alternative is…

Invade and conquer the Middle East then destroy OPEC and pump those deserts dry.

I didn’t say it was a GOOD alternative…

——– UPDATE ———-

Was out & about, the price for premium unleaded at several stations was 4.69 per gallon. There was one station advertising 4.85… needless to say the employees were sweeping and cleaning up the station because there was no-one else in the place.

I’m pretty sure we’re going to see $5 and above real dang soon…