Tuesday, February 18, 2014

Paranoia: the New Normal

My post from a couple days ago about the Army making a training facility that looks just like Middle America seems to have gotten some attention.  In the past, I'd have given the benefit of the doubt to the Army.  Now, I'm reserving judgement.

Quite frankly, I don't see this as being paranoid.  And remember, I was trained to be paranoid by the finest minds in the Free World.  However, after years of:
  1. Hearing repeatedly that all men are "potential rapists"; and
  2. Hearing repeatedly that people who believe in what were not so long ago considered to be traditional American values are "potential terrorists"; and
  3. Hearing repeatedly that, srlsy, people who velieve in what were not to long ago considered to be traditional American values are srlsy "potential terrorists"; and
  4. Hearing that the NSA is collecting all the data on who you call, and who you email, and who you skype, and all the web sites you browse because you are a "potential terrorist";
  5. Hearing that the Fed.Gov knew about terrorist attacks and didn't stop them because of incompetence or Political Correctness, but still think that you are a "potential terrorist"; then ...
... I simply no longer see any good reason to give Government Agents the benefit of the doubt.  I actually think that a lot of them are trying to keep us safe.  I actually think that many of them are doing what they think the country needs.

But I also look at the IRS targeting the Administration's enemies, and the Justice Department targeting journalists, and the ATF running guns to drug lords.   And I haven't even scratched the surface of what's going on: INS traffic stops 100 miles from the boarder, TSA pat downs of Grandmothers and toddlers, "no knock" raids on the wrong houses.  The bill of indictment is long indeed.  The whole rotten lot of them look like they are maybe on the Other Side.

Maybe.

Are they?  Five years ago I would have personally hand folded you a tin foil hat.  Now?  I'm not at all sure.  Welcome to the New Normal.  If you aren't wondering, you're not paying attention.

6 comments:

drjim said...

"But when a long train of abuses and usurpations........"

Or as my Dad used to say, "If it walks like a duck...."

Harry Flashman said...

The fellow who writes Total Survivalist Libertarian Rant Fest is a serving Army officer who just got back from Afghanistan not so long ago. I've known him for years. You could ask him what he thinks. Of course, there are limitations on what he can say on a blog but he's an honest guy.

John Balog said...

It's a MOUT town. They always look like wherever they're built (see the decidedly German looking one at Baumholder etc) because the local builders aren't up on their Iraqi building codes. And really, a town in a town from a MOUT perspective.

I'm not saying that the Obamessiah wouldn't (try) to use the .mil against citizens if he felt the need, but I will say this is a complete non-story about that.

And let's face it, it's not like there's a widespread movement to actually do anything other than vote for whatever stooges get offered up. R or D is essentially meaningless, both sides are hardline statists.

Anonymous said...

You need to get on their list, try talking to friends abroad on skype about the sexual proclivity's of our glorious leaders, you will first notice an echo appear on the line after a while,mention you are being listened in on,call drops as the goon hurriedly disconnects in a panic. Next time it's three letter agency bingo as I try to get the nice men in suits and dark glasses parked nearby, again.

FrankC said...

"you will first notice an echo appear on the line after a while"

True story: I was the London end of trying to get a phone line to connect two Wyse terminals, the far end was in Moscow. Very much pre-internet.

We just couldn't sort out the trouble until I typed "Boris, use a high impedance tap."

Suddenly it all started working.

Veeshir said...

Of course I'm paranoid, but am I paranoid enough?

You should add in the Coast Guard going after the Washington Times reporter for 2 counts of aggravated journalism.

It was despicable that they used the Coast Guard who, before that, I absolutely admired.