{"id":18625,"date":"2013-01-07T14:55:40","date_gmt":"2013-01-07T13:55:40","guid":{"rendered":"http:\/\/rinf.com\/alt-news\/?guid=0526bc4579344d9fd2c0821b4e5132ed"},"modified":"2013-01-07T14:55:40","modified_gmt":"2013-01-07T13:55:40","slug":"u-s-government-using-terrorism-against-the-american-people","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"http:\/\/rinf.com\/alt-news\/breaking-news\/u-s-government-using-terrorism-against-the-american-people\/","title":{"rendered":"U.S. Government Using Terrorism Against the American People"},"content":{"rendered":"<div>\n<p><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" width=\"127\" height=\"94\" src=\"http:\/\/www.globalresearch.ca\/wp-content\/uploads\/2013\/01\/policestate.jpg\" class=\"attachment-single-post-thumbnail wp-post-image\" alt=\"policestate\" title=\"policestate\" \/><\/p>\n<p>We\u2019ve documented that \u2014 by any measure \u2014 America is the <a title=\"largest sponsor of terrorism in the world\" href=\"http:\/\/redirect.viglink.com\/?key=11fe087258b6fc0532a5ccfc924805c0&#038;u=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.washingtonsblog.com%2F2013%2F01%2Fby-any-measure-the-u-s-is-the-worlds-largest-sponsor-of-terror.html\" onclick=\"javascript:_gaq.push(['_trackEvent','outbound-article','http:\/\/www.washingtonsblog.com\/2013\/01\/by-any-measure-the-u-s-is-the-worlds-largest-sponsor-of-terror.html']);\">largest sponsor of terrorism in the world<\/a>.<\/p>\n<p>But remember, terrorism is <a title=\"defined\" href=\"http:\/\/redirect.viglink.com\/?key=11fe087258b6fc0532a5ccfc924805c0&#038;u=http%3A%2F%2Fdictionary.reference.com%2Fbrowse%2Fterrorism\" onclick=\"javascript:_gaq.push(['_trackEvent','outbound-article','http:\/\/dictionary.reference.com\/browse\/terrorism']);\" >defined<\/a> as:<\/p>\n<blockquote>\n<p>The use of violence and threats to intimidate or coerce, especially for political purposes.<\/p>\n<\/blockquote>\n<p>The American government has also been using violence and threats to intimidate and coerce the <strong><em>American<\/em><\/strong> public for political purposes.<\/p>\n<p>For example, the U.S. government is doing the following things to terrorize the American public into docility and compliance:<\/p>\n<ul>\n<li><a title=\"Labeling peaceful protest as terrorism\" href=\"http:\/\/redirect.viglink.com\/?key=11fe087258b6fc0532a5ccfc924805c0&#038;u=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.washingtonsblog.com%2F2012%2F12%2Fpeaceful-protest-treated-as-terrorism-by-the-fbi.html\" onclick=\"javascript:_gaq.push(['_trackEvent','outbound-article','http:\/\/www.washingtonsblog.com\/2012\/12\/peaceful-protest-treated-as-terrorism-by-the-fbi.html']);\">Labeling peaceful protest as terrorism<\/a><\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<ul>\n<li>Using <a title=\"homeland security laws to crush dissent\" href=\"http:\/\/redirect.viglink.com\/?key=11fe087258b6fc0532a5ccfc924805c0&#038;u=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.washingtonsblog.com%2F2012%2F12%2Fthe-fbi-drowning-in-counter-terrorism-money-power-and-other-resources-will-apply-the-term-terrorism-to-any-group-it-dislikes-and-wants-to-control-and-suppress.html\" onclick=\"javascript:_gaq.push(['_trackEvent','outbound-article','http:\/\/www.washingtonsblog.com\/2012\/12\/the-fbi-drowning-in-counter-terrorism-money-power-and-other-resources-will-apply-the-term-terrorism-to-any-group-it-dislikes-and-wants-to-control-and-suppress.html']);\">homeland security laws to crush dissent<\/a><\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<ul>\n<li>Threatening to <a title=\"indefinitely detain American citizens without cause and without any due process\" href=\"http:\/\/redirect.viglink.com\/?key=11fe087258b6fc0532a5ccfc924805c0&#038;u=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.salon.com%2F2012%2F09%2F27%2Fndaa_plaintiffs_fear_us_citizens_already_in_military_detention%2F\" onclick=\"javascript:_gaq.push(['_trackEvent','outbound-article','http:\/\/www.salon.com\/2012\/09\/27\/ndaa_plaintiffs_fear_us_citizens_already_in_military_detention\/']);\" >indefinitely detain American citizens without cause and without any due process<\/a><\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<ul>\n<li>Even <a title=\"threatening to kill any U.S. citizen on a whim\" href=\"http:\/\/redirect.viglink.com\/?key=11fe087258b6fc0532a5ccfc924805c0&#038;u=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.washingtonsblog.com%2F2011%2F12%2Fconstitutional-expert-president-obama-says-that-he-can-kill-you-on-his-own-discretion-he-can-jail-you-indefinitely-on-his-own-discretion.html\" onclick=\"javascript:_gaq.push(['_trackEvent','outbound-article','http:\/\/www.washingtonsblog.com\/2011\/12\/constitutional-expert-president-obama-says-that-he-can-kill-you-on-his-own-discretion-he-can-jail-you-indefinitely-on-his-own-discretion.html']);\">threatening to kill any U.S. citizen on a whim<\/a><\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<p>U.S. constitutional law has taught for hundreds of years that <em>chilling<\/em> the exercise of our liberties is as dangerous to freedom than directly suppressing them.<\/p>\n<p><a href=\"http:\/\/redirect.viglink.com\/?key=11fe087258b6fc0532a5ccfc924805c0&#038;u=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.washingtonsblog.com%2Fwp-content%2Fuploads%2F2013%2F01%2FFreda-Sna.jpg\" onclick=\"javascript:_gaq.push(['_trackEvent','outbound-article','http:\/\/www.washingtonsblog.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2013\/01\/Freda-Sna.jpg']);\"><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" title=\"Freda - Sna\" src=\"http:\/\/www.washingtonsblog.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2013\/01\/Freda-Sna.jpg\" alt=\"Freda Sna U.S. Government Using Terrorism Against the American People\" width=\"750\" height=\"817\" \/><\/a><\/p>\n<p><em>Year of the Snake(s) by <a title=\"Anthony Freda\" href=\"http:\/\/redirect.viglink.com\/?key=11fe087258b6fc0532a5ccfc924805c0&#038;u=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.anthonyfreda.com%2F\" onclick=\"javascript:_gaq.push(['_trackEvent','outbound-article','http:\/\/www.anthonyfreda.com\/']);\" >Anthony Freda<\/a><\/em><\/p>\n<p>For example, as we\u2019ve previously noted, <a title=\"reporters censor themselves\" href=\"http:\/\/redirect.viglink.com\/?key=11fe087258b6fc0532a5ccfc924805c0&#038;u=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.washingtonsblog.com%2F2009%2F12%2F5-reasons-that-corporate-media-coverage-is-pro-war.html\" onclick=\"javascript:_gaq.push(['_trackEvent','outbound-article','http:\/\/www.washingtonsblog.com\/2009\/12\/5-reasons-that-corporate-media-coverage-is-pro-war.html']);\">reporters censor themselves<\/a>:<\/p>\n<blockquote>\n<p class=\"c3\">Initially, there is tremendous self-censorship by journalists.<\/p>\n<p>For example, several months after 9\/11, famed news anchor Dan Rather <a title=\"told\" href=\"http:\/\/redirect.viglink.com\/?key=11fe087258b6fc0532a5ccfc924805c0&#038;u=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.bbc.co.uk%2Fpressoffice%2Fpressreleases%2Fstories%2F2002%2F05_may%2F16%2Fdan_rather.shtml\" onclick=\"javascript:_gaq.push(['_trackEvent','outbound-article','http:\/\/www.bbc.co.uk\/pressoffice\/pressreleases\/stories\/2002\/05_may\/16\/dan_rather.shtml']);\" >told<\/a> the BBC that American reporters were practicing \u201ca form of self-censorship\u201d:<\/p>\n<blockquote>\n<p>There was a time in South Africa that people would put flaming <a id=\"_GPLITA_1\" title=\"Click to Continue &gt;; by Text-Enhance\" href=\"http:\/\/redirect.viglink.com\/?key=11fe087258b6fc0532a5ccfc924805c0&#038;u=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.washingtonsblog.com%2F2009%2F12%2F5-reasons-that-corporate-media-coverage-is-pro-war.html%23\" onclick=\"javascript:_gaq.push(['_trackEvent','outbound-article','http:\/\/www.washingtonsblog.com\/2009\/12\/5-reasons-that-corporate-media-coverage-is-pro-war.html#']);\" name=\"_GPLITA_1\">tires<\/a> around peoples\u2019 necks if they dissented. And in some ways the fear is that you will be necklaced here, you will have a flaming tire of lack of patriotism put around your neck. Now it is that fear that keeps journalists from asking the toughest of the tough questions\u2026. And again, I am humbled to say, I do not except myself from this criticism.<\/p>\n<p>What we are talking about here \u2014 whether one wants to recognise it or not, or call it by its proper name or not \u2014 is a form of self-censorship.<\/p>\n<\/blockquote>\n<p>Keith Olbermann <a title=\"agreed\" href=\"http:\/\/redirect.viglink.com\/?key=11fe087258b6fc0532a5ccfc924805c0&#038;u=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.rollingstone.com%2Fnews%2Fstory%2F10432334%2Fwas_the_2004_election_stolen%2F4\" onclick=\"javascript:_gaq.push(['_trackEvent','outbound-article','http:\/\/www.rollingstone.com\/news\/story\/10432334\/was_the_2004_election_stolen\/4']);\" >agreed<\/a> that there is self-censorship in the American media, and that:<\/p>\n<blockquote>\n<p>You can rock the boat, but you can never say that the entire ocean is in trouble \u2026. You cannot say: By the way, there\u2019s something wrong with our \u2026. system.<\/p>\n<\/blockquote>\n<p>As former Washington Post columnist Dan Froomkin <a title=\"wrote\" href=\"http:\/\/redirect.viglink.com\/?key=11fe087258b6fc0532a5ccfc924805c0&#038;u=http%3A%2F%2Fblog.niemanwatchdog.org%2F%3Fp%3D53\" onclick=\"javascript:_gaq.push(['_trackEvent','outbound-article','http:\/\/blog.niemanwatchdog.org\/?p=53']);\" >wrote<\/a> in 2006:<\/p>\n<blockquote>\n<p>Mainstream-media political journalism is in danger of becoming increasingly irrelevant, but not because of the Internet, or even Comedy Central. The threat comes from inside. It comes from journalists being afraid to do what journalists were put on this green earth to do. . . .<\/p>\n<p>There\u2019s the intense pressure to maintain access to insider sources, even as those sources become ridiculously unrevealing and oversensitive. There\u2019s the fear of being labeled partisan if one\u2019s bullshit-calling isn\u2019t meted out in precisely equal increments along the political spectrum.<\/p>\n<p>If mainstream-media political journalists don\u2019t start calling bullshit more often, then we do risk losing our primacy \u2013 if not to the comedians then to the bloggers.<\/p>\n<p>I still believe that no one is fundamentally more capable of first-rate bullshit-calling than a well-informed beat reporter \u2014 whatever their beat. We just need to get the editors, or the corporate culture, or the self-censorship \u2014 or whatever it is \u2014 out of the way.<\/p>\n<\/blockquote>\n<\/blockquote>\n<p>Former Fox News reporters <a title=\"say the same thing\" href=\"http:\/\/redirect.viglink.com?key=11fe087258b6fc0532a5ccfc924805c0&#038;u=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.amazon.com%2FInto-Buzzsaw-LEADING-JOURNALISTS-EXPOSE%2Fdp%2F1591022304\" onclick=\"javascript:_gaq.push(['_trackEvent','outbound-article','http:\/\/www.amazon.com\/Into-Buzzsaw-LEADING-JOURNALISTS-EXPOSE\/dp\/1591022304']);\"  data-cke-saved-href=\"http:\/\/redirect.viglink.com\/?key=11fe087258b6fc0532a5ccfc924805c0&#038;u=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.amazon.com%2FInto-Buzzsaw-LEADING-JOURNALISTS-EXPOSE%2Fdp%2F1591022304\">say the same thing<\/a>.<\/p>\n<p>Any reporters who <em>don\u2019t<\/em> censor themselves <a title=\"are harassed\" href=\"http:\/\/redirect.viglink.com\/?key=11fe087258b6fc0532a5ccfc924805c0&#038;u=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.washingtonsblog.com%2F2012%2F09%2Fin-america-journalists-are-considered-terrorists.html\" onclick=\"javascript:_gaq.push(['_trackEvent','outbound-article','http:\/\/www.washingtonsblog.com\/2012\/09\/in-america-journalists-are-considered-terrorists.html']);\">are harassed<\/a>. <a title=\"Whistleblowers are prosecuted\" href=\"http:\/\/redirect.viglink.com\/?key=11fe087258b6fc0532a5ccfc924805c0&#038;u=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.washingtonsblog.com%2F2012%2F04%2Fobama-has-prosecuted-more-whistleblowers-than-all-other-presidents-combined.html\" onclick=\"javascript:_gaq.push(['_trackEvent','outbound-article','http:\/\/www.washingtonsblog.com\/2012\/04\/obama-has-prosecuted-more-whistleblowers-than-all-other-presidents-combined.html']);\">Whistleblowers are prosecuted<\/a> \u2026 or even <a title=\"tortured by the government\" href=\"http:\/\/redirect.viglink.com\/?key=11fe087258b6fc0532a5ccfc924805c0&#038;u=https%3A%2F%2Fwww.google.com%2Fsearch%3Fq%3D%2522bradley%2Bmanning%2522%2Btortured%26amp%3Bie%3Dutf-8%26amp%3Boe%3Dutf-8%26amp%3Brls%3Dorg.mozilla%3Aen-US%3Aofficial%26amp%3Bclient%3Dfirefox-a%26amp%3Bsei%3DmhDqUInhC8TniwKy6oGwBQ%26amp%3Bgbv%3D2\" onclick=\"javascript:_gaq.push(['_trackEvent','outbound-article','']);\" >tortured by the government<\/a>.<\/p>\n<p>The fact that the government is spying on all Americans \u2014 and using the information to <a title=\"launch political witch hunts\" href=\"http:\/\/redirect.viglink.com\/?key=11fe087258b6fc0532a5ccfc924805c0&#038;u=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.washingtonsblog.com%2F2012%2F12%2Ftop-nsa-spying-chief-if-you-ever-get-on-their-enemies-list-like-petraeus-did-then-you-can-be-drawn-into-that-surveillance.html\" onclick=\"javascript:_gaq.push(['_trackEvent','outbound-article','http:\/\/www.washingtonsblog.com\/2012\/12\/top-nsa-spying-chief-if-you-ever-get-on-their-enemies-list-like-petraeus-did-then-you-can-be-drawn-into-that-surveillance.html']);\">launch political witch hunts<\/a> \u2014 makes us all watch what we say, and makes us careful about who we talk to. As the ACLU <a title=\"notes\" href=\"http:\/\/redirect.viglink.com\/?key=11fe087258b6fc0532a5ccfc924805c0&#038;u=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.aclu.org%2Foppose-government-surveillance-peaceful-protesters\" onclick=\"javascript:_gaq.push(['_trackEvent','outbound-article','http:\/\/www.aclu.org\/oppose-government-surveillance-peaceful-protesters']);\" >notes<\/a>:<\/p>\n<blockquote>\n<p>Peaceful protesters should not be treated as potential terrorists nor spied upon by federal government agents. Not only is this a misuse of public funds that could be used to find real terrorists, it chills free speech activities and inhibits the public debate on important issues.<\/p>\n<\/blockquote>\n<p>A federal judge found that the NDAA\u2019s provision allowing indefinite detention of Americans without due process has a <a title=\"\u201cchilling effect\u201d on free speech\" href=\"http:\/\/redirect.viglink.com\/?key=11fe087258b6fc0532a5ccfc924805c0&#038;u=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.businessinsider.com%2Fndaa-permanently-blocked-2012-9\" onclick=\"javascript:_gaq.push(['_trackEvent','outbound-article','http:\/\/www.businessinsider.com\/ndaa-permanently-blocked-2012-9']);\" >\u201cchilling effect\u201d on free speech<\/a>. And see <a title=\"this\" href=\"http:\/\/redirect.viglink.com\/?key=11fe087258b6fc0532a5ccfc924805c0&#038;u=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.rawstory.com%2Frs%2F2012%2F04%2F03%2Fhedges-ndaa-is-chilling-the-practice-of-journalism%2F\" onclick=\"javascript:_gaq.push(['_trackEvent','outbound-article','http:\/\/www.rawstory.com\/rs\/2012\/04\/03\/hedges-ndaa-is-chilling-the-practice-of-journalism\/']);\" >this<\/a> and <a title=\"this\" href=\"http:\/\/redirect.viglink.com\/?key=11fe087258b6fc0532a5ccfc924805c0&#038;u=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.guardian.co.uk%2Fcommentisfree%2Fcifamerica%2F2012%2Fmar%2F28%2Fhelping-chris-hedges-lawsuit-ndaa\" onclick=\"javascript:_gaq.push(['_trackEvent','outbound-article','http:\/\/www.guardian.co.uk\/commentisfree\/cifamerica\/2012\/mar\/28\/helping-chris-hedges-lawsuit-ndaa']);\" >this<\/a>.<\/p>\n<p>The <a title=\"threat of being labeled a terrorist\" href=\"http:\/\/redirect.viglink.com\/?key=11fe087258b6fc0532a5ccfc924805c0&#038;u=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.washingtonsblog.com%2F2012%2F12%2Fthe-fbi-drowning-in-counter-terrorism-money-power-and-other-resources-will-apply-the-term-terrorism-to-any-group-it-dislikes-and-wants-to-control-and-suppress.html\" onclick=\"javascript:_gaq.push(['_trackEvent','outbound-article','http:\/\/www.washingtonsblog.com\/2012\/12\/the-fbi-drowning-in-counter-terrorism-money-power-and-other-resources-will-apply-the-term-terrorism-to-any-group-it-dislikes-and-wants-to-control-and-suppress.html']);\">threat of being labeled a terrorist<\/a> certainly dissuades and chills our willingness to exercise our rights.<\/p>\n<p>Especially when power has become so concentrated that <a title=\"the same agency\" href=\"http:\/\/redirect.viglink.com\/?key=11fe087258b6fc0532a5ccfc924805c0&#038;u=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.washingtonsblog.com%2F2012%2F10%2Fthe-same-secret-government-agency-which-spies-on-all-americans-also-decides-who-gets-assassinated-by-drones.html\" onclick=\"javascript:_gaq.push(['_trackEvent','outbound-article','http:\/\/www.washingtonsblog.com\/2012\/10\/the-same-secret-government-agency-which-spies-on-all-americans-also-decides-who-gets-assassinated-by-drones.html']);\">the same agency<\/a> which spies on all Americans <em>also decides<\/em> who should be assassinated.<\/p>\n<p>The bottom line is that the U.S. government is using violence and threats to intimidate and coerce its <em>own<\/em> people for political purposes \u2026 to consolidate power and suppress dissent.<\/p>\n<p>Postscript: <a title=\"fear of terror makes people docile and stupid\" href=\"http:\/\/redirect.viglink.com\/?key=11fe087258b6fc0532a5ccfc924805c0&#038;u=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.washingtonsblog.com%2F2009%2F11%2Finvestor-psychology-fear-turns-people-into-sheep.html\" onclick=\"javascript:_gaq.push(['_trackEvent','outbound-article','http:\/\/www.washingtonsblog.com\/2009\/11\/investor-psychology-fear-turns-people-into-sheep.html']);\">fear of terror makes people docile and stupid<\/a> \u2026 and the government has also <a title=\"intentionally whipped up an exaggerated hysteria\" href=\"http:\/\/redirect.viglink.com\/?key=11fe087258b6fc0532a5ccfc924805c0&#038;u=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.washingtonsblog.com%2F2011%2F06%2Ffear-of-terror-makes-people-stupid.html\" onclick=\"javascript:_gaq.push(['_trackEvent','outbound-article','http:\/\/www.washingtonsblog.com\/2011\/06\/fear-of-terror-makes-people-stupid.html']);\"><em>intentionally<\/em> whipped up an exaggerated hysteria<\/a> of terror by <a title=\"\u201cothers\u201d\" href=\"http:\/\/redirect.viglink.com\/?key=11fe087258b6fc0532a5ccfc924805c0&#038;u=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.washingtonsblog.com%2F2012%2F10%2Fthe-real-reason-america-is-drifting-towards-fascism.html\" onclick=\"javascript:_gaq.push(['_trackEvent','outbound-article','http:\/\/www.washingtonsblog.com\/2012\/10\/the-real-reason-america-is-drifting-towards-fascism.html']);\">\u201cothers\u201d<\/a> in order to scare the people. This is <em>another<\/em> form of terrorism.<\/p>\n<\/div>\n<p><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" src=\"http:\/\/pixel.quantserve.com\/pixel\/p-89EKCgBk8MZdE.gif\" border=\"0\" height=\"1\" width=\"1\" \/><\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"<div>\n<p><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" width=\"127\" height=\"94\" src=\"http:\/\/www.globalresearch.ca\/wp-content\/uploads\/2013\/01\/policestate.jpg\" alt=\"policestate\" title=\"policestate\"\/><\/p>\n<p>We&rsquo;ve documented that &ndash; by any measure &ndash; America is the <a title=\"largest sponsor of terrorism in the world\" href=\"http:\/\/redirect.viglink.com\/?key=11fe087258b6fc0532a5ccfc924805c0&amp;u=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.washingtonsblog.com%2F2013%2F01%2Fby-any-measure-the-u-s-is-the-worlds-largest-sponsor-of-terror.html\">largest sponsor of terrorism in the world<\/a>.<\/p>\n<p>But remember, terrorism is <a title=\"defined\" href=\"http:\/\/redirect.viglink.com\/?key=11fe087258b6fc0532a5ccfc924805c0&amp;u=http%3A%2F%2Fdictionary.reference.com%2Fbrowse%2Fterrorism\" target=\"_blank\">defined<\/a> as:<\/p>\n<blockquote>\n<p>The use of violence and threats to intimidate or coerce, especially for political purposes.<\/p>\n<\/blockquote>\n<p>The American government has also been using violence and threats to intimidate and coerce the <strong><em>American<\/em><\/strong> public for political purposes.<\/p>\n<p>For example, the U.S. government is doing the following things to terrorize the American public into docility and compliance:<\/p>\n<ul>\n<li><a title=\"Labeling peaceful protest as terrorism\" href=\"http:\/\/redirect.viglink.com\/?key=11fe087258b6fc0532a5ccfc924805c0&amp;u=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.washingtonsblog.com%2F2012%2F12%2Fpeaceful-protest-treated-as-terrorism-by-the-fbi.html\">Labeling peaceful protest as terrorism<\/a><\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<ul>\n<li>Using <a title=\"homeland security laws to crush dissent\" href=\"http:\/\/redirect.viglink.com\/?key=11fe087258b6fc0532a5ccfc924805c0&amp;u=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.washingtonsblog.com%2F2012%2F12%2Fthe-fbi-drowning-in-counter-terrorism-money-power-and-other-resources-will-apply-the-term-terrorism-to-any-group-it-dislikes-and-wants-to-control-and-suppress.html\">homeland security laws to crush dissent<\/a>\n<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<ul>\n<li>Threatening to <a title=\"indefinitely detain American citizens without cause and without any due process\" href=\"http:\/\/redirect.viglink.com\/?key=11fe087258b6fc0532a5ccfc924805c0&amp;u=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.salon.com%2F2012%2F09%2F27%2Fndaa_plaintiffs_fear_us_citizens_already_in_military_detention%2F\" target=\"_blank\">indefinitely detain American citizens without cause and without any due process<\/a>\n<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<ul>\n<li>Even <a title=\"threatening to kill any U.S. citizen on a whim\" href=\"http:\/\/redirect.viglink.com\/?key=11fe087258b6fc0532a5ccfc924805c0&amp;u=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.washingtonsblog.com%2F2011%2F12%2Fconstitutional-expert-president-obama-says-that-he-can-kill-you-on-his-own-discretion-he-can-jail-you-indefinitely-on-his-own-discretion.html\">threatening to kill any U.S. citizen on a whim<\/a>\n<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<p>U.S. constitutional law has taught for hundreds of years that <em>chilling<\/em> the exercise of our liberties is as dangerous to freedom than directly suppressing them.<\/p>\n<p><a href=\"http:\/\/redirect.viglink.com\/?key=11fe087258b6fc0532a5ccfc924805c0&amp;u=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.washingtonsblog.com%2Fwp-content%2Fuploads%2F2013%2F01%2FFreda-Sna.jpg\"><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" title=\"Freda - Sna\" src=\"http:\/\/www.washingtonsblog.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2013\/01\/Freda-Sna.jpg\" alt=\"Freda Sna U.S. Government Using Terrorism Against the American People\" width=\"750\" height=\"817\"\/><\/a><\/p>\n<p><em>Year of the Snake(s) by <a title=\"Anthony Freda\" href=\"http:\/\/redirect.viglink.com\/?key=11fe087258b6fc0532a5ccfc924805c0&amp;u=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.anthonyfreda.com%2F\" target=\"_blank\">Anthony Freda<\/a><\/em><\/p>\n<p>For example, as we&rsquo;ve previously noted, <a title=\"reporters censor themselves\" href=\"http:\/\/redirect.viglink.com\/?key=11fe087258b6fc0532a5ccfc924805c0&amp;u=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.washingtonsblog.com%2F2009%2F12%2F5-reasons-that-corporate-media-coverage-is-pro-war.html\">reporters censor themselves<\/a>:<\/p>\n<blockquote>\n<p>Initially, there is tremendous self-censorship by journalists.<\/p>\n<p>For example, several months after 9\/11, famed news anchor Dan Rather <a title=\"told\" href=\"http:\/\/redirect.viglink.com\/?key=11fe087258b6fc0532a5ccfc924805c0&amp;u=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.bbc.co.uk%2Fpressoffice%2Fpressreleases%2Fstories%2F2002%2F05_may%2F16%2Fdan_rather.shtml\" target=\"_blank\">told<\/a> the BBC that American reporters were practicing &ldquo;a form of self-censorship&rdquo;:<\/p>\n<blockquote>\n<p>There was a time in South Africa that people would put flaming <a title=\"Click to Continue &gt;; by Text-Enhance\" href=\"http:\/\/redirect.viglink.com\/?key=11fe087258b6fc0532a5ccfc924805c0&amp;u=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.washingtonsblog.com%2F2009%2F12%2F5-reasons-that-corporate-media-coverage-is-pro-war.html%23\" name=\"_GPLITA_1\">tires<\/a> around peoples&rsquo; necks if they dissented. And in some ways the fear is that you will be necklaced here, you will have a flaming tire of lack of patriotism put around your neck. Now it is that fear that keeps journalists from asking the toughest of the tough questions&hellip;. And again, I am humbled to say, I do not except myself from this criticism.<\/p>\n<p>What we are talking about here &ndash; whether one wants to recognise it or not, or call it by its proper name or not &ndash; is a form of self-censorship.<\/p>\n<\/blockquote>\n<p>Keith Olbermann <a title=\"agreed\" href=\"http:\/\/redirect.viglink.com\/?key=11fe087258b6fc0532a5ccfc924805c0&amp;u=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.rollingstone.com%2Fnews%2Fstory%2F10432334%2Fwas_the_2004_election_stolen%2F4\" target=\"_blank\">agreed<\/a> that there is self-censorship in the American media, and that:<\/p>\n<blockquote>\n<p>You can rock the boat, but you can never say that the entire ocean is in trouble &hellip;. You cannot say: By the way, there&rsquo;s something wrong with our &hellip;. system.<\/p>\n<\/blockquote>\n<p>As former Washington Post columnist Dan Froomkin <a title=\"wrote\" href=\"http:\/\/redirect.viglink.com\/?key=11fe087258b6fc0532a5ccfc924805c0&amp;u=http%3A%2F%2Fblog.niemanwatchdog.org%2F%3Fp%3D53\" target=\"_blank\">wrote<\/a> in 2006:<\/p>\n<blockquote>\n<p>Mainstream-media political journalism is in danger of becoming increasingly irrelevant, but not because of the Internet, or even Comedy Central. The threat comes from inside. It comes from journalists being afraid to do what journalists were put on this green earth to do. . . .<\/p>\n<p>There&rsquo;s the intense pressure to maintain access to insider sources, even as those sources become ridiculously unrevealing and oversensitive. There&rsquo;s the fear of being labeled partisan if one&rsquo;s bullshit-calling isn&rsquo;t meted out in precisely equal increments along the political spectrum.<\/p>\n<p>If mainstream-media political journalists don&rsquo;t start calling bullshit more often, then we do risk losing our primacy &mdash; if not to the comedians then to the bloggers.<\/p>\n<p>I still believe that no one is fundamentally more capable of first-rate bullshit-calling than a well-informed beat reporter &ndash; whatever their beat. We just need to get the editors, or the corporate culture, or the self-censorship &ndash; or whatever it is &ndash; out of the way.<\/p>\n<\/blockquote>\n<\/blockquote>\n<p>Former Fox News reporters <a title=\"say the same thing\" href=\"http:\/\/redirect.viglink.com\/?key=11fe087258b6fc0532a5ccfc924805c0&amp;u=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.amazon.com%2FInto-Buzzsaw-LEADING-JOURNALISTS-EXPOSE%2Fdp%2F1591022304\" target=\"_blank\" data-cke-saved-href=\"http:\/\/redirect.viglink.com?key=11fe087258b6fc0532a5ccfc924805c0&amp;u=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.amazon.com%2FInto-Buzzsaw-LEADING-JOURNALISTS-EXPOSE%2Fdp%2F1591022304\">say the same thing<\/a>.<\/p>\n<p>Any reporters who <em>don&rsquo;t<\/em> censor themselves <a title=\"are harassed\" href=\"http:\/\/redirect.viglink.com\/?key=11fe087258b6fc0532a5ccfc924805c0&amp;u=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.washingtonsblog.com%2F2012%2F09%2Fin-america-journalists-are-considered-terrorists.html\">are harassed<\/a>. <a title=\"Whistleblowers are prosecuted\" href=\"http:\/\/redirect.viglink.com\/?key=11fe087258b6fc0532a5ccfc924805c0&amp;u=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.washingtonsblog.com%2F2012%2F04%2Fobama-has-prosecuted-more-whistleblowers-than-all-other-presidents-combined.html\">Whistleblowers are prosecuted<\/a> &hellip; or even <a title=\"tortured by the government\" href=\"http:\/\/redirect.viglink.com\/?key=11fe087258b6fc0532a5ccfc924805c0&amp;u=https%3A%2F%2Fwww.google.com%2Fsearch%3Fq%3D%2522bradley%2Bmanning%2522%2Btortured%26amp%3Bie%3Dutf-8%26amp%3Boe%3Dutf-8%26amp%3Brls%3Dorg.mozilla%3Aen-US%3Aofficial%26amp%3Bclient%3Dfirefox-a%26amp%3Bsei%3DmhDqUInhC8TniwKy6oGwBQ%26amp%3Bgbv%3D2\" target=\"_blank\">tortured by the government<\/a>.<\/p>\n<p>The fact that the government is spying on all Americans &ndash; and using the information to <a title=\"launch political witch hunts\" href=\"http:\/\/redirect.viglink.com\/?key=11fe087258b6fc0532a5ccfc924805c0&amp;u=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.washingtonsblog.com%2F2012%2F12%2Ftop-nsa-spying-chief-if-you-ever-get-on-their-enemies-list-like-petraeus-did-then-you-can-be-drawn-into-that-surveillance.html\">launch political witch hunts<\/a> &ndash; makes us all watch what we say, and makes us careful about who we talk to. As the ACLU <a title=\"notes\" href=\"http:\/\/redirect.viglink.com\/?key=11fe087258b6fc0532a5ccfc924805c0&amp;u=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.aclu.org%2Foppose-government-surveillance-peaceful-protesters\" target=\"_blank\">notes<\/a>:<\/p>\n<blockquote>\n<p>Peaceful protesters should not be treated as potential terrorists nor spied upon by federal government agents. Not only is this a misuse of public funds that could be used to find real terrorists, it chills free speech activities and inhibits the public debate on important issues.<\/p>\n<\/blockquote>\n<p>A federal judge found that the NDAA&rsquo;s provision allowing indefinite detention of Americans without due process has a <a title=\"&ldquo;chilling effect&rdquo; on free speech\" href=\"http:\/\/redirect.viglink.com\/?key=11fe087258b6fc0532a5ccfc924805c0&amp;u=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.businessinsider.com%2Fndaa-permanently-blocked-2012-9\" target=\"_blank\">&ldquo;chilling effect&rdquo; on free speech<\/a>. And see <a title=\"this\" href=\"http:\/\/redirect.viglink.com\/?key=11fe087258b6fc0532a5ccfc924805c0&amp;u=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.rawstory.com%2Frs%2F2012%2F04%2F03%2Fhedges-ndaa-is-chilling-the-practice-of-journalism%2F\" target=\"_blank\">this<\/a> and <a title=\"this\" href=\"http:\/\/redirect.viglink.com\/?key=11fe087258b6fc0532a5ccfc924805c0&amp;u=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.guardian.co.uk%2Fcommentisfree%2Fcifamerica%2F2012%2Fmar%2F28%2Fhelping-chris-hedges-lawsuit-ndaa\" target=\"_blank\">this<\/a>.<\/p>\n<p>The <a title=\"threat of being labeled a terrorist\" href=\"http:\/\/redirect.viglink.com\/?key=11fe087258b6fc0532a5ccfc924805c0&amp;u=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.washingtonsblog.com%2F2012%2F12%2Fthe-fbi-drowning-in-counter-terrorism-money-power-and-other-resources-will-apply-the-term-terrorism-to-any-group-it-dislikes-and-wants-to-control-and-suppress.html\">threat of being labeled a terrorist<\/a> certainly dissuades and chills our willingness to exercise our rights.<\/p>\n<p>Especially when power has become so concentrated that <a title=\"the same agency\" href=\"http:\/\/redirect.viglink.com\/?key=11fe087258b6fc0532a5ccfc924805c0&amp;u=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.washingtonsblog.com%2F2012%2F10%2Fthe-same-secret-government-agency-which-spies-on-all-americans-also-decides-who-gets-assassinated-by-drones.html\">the same agency<\/a> which spies on all Americans <em>also decides<\/em> who should be assassinated.<\/p>\n<p>The bottom line is that the U.S. government is using violence and threats to intimidate and coerce its <em>own<\/em> people for political purposes &hellip; to consolidate power and suppress dissent.<\/p>\n<p>Postscript: <a title=\"fear of terror makes people docile and stupid\" href=\"http:\/\/redirect.viglink.com\/?key=11fe087258b6fc0532a5ccfc924805c0&amp;u=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.washingtonsblog.com%2F2009%2F11%2Finvestor-psychology-fear-turns-people-into-sheep.html\">fear of terror makes people docile and stupid<\/a> &hellip; and the government has also <a title=\"intentionally whipped up an exaggerated hysteria\" href=\"http:\/\/redirect.viglink.com\/?key=11fe087258b6fc0532a5ccfc924805c0&amp;u=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.washingtonsblog.com%2F2011%2F06%2Ffear-of-terror-makes-people-stupid.html\"><em>intentionally<\/em> whipped up an exaggerated hysteria<\/a> of terror by <a title=\"&ldquo;others&rdquo;\" href=\"http:\/\/redirect.viglink.com\/?key=11fe087258b6fc0532a5ccfc924805c0&amp;u=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.washingtonsblog.com%2F2012%2F10%2Fthe-real-reason-america-is-drifting-towards-fascism.html\">&ldquo;others&rdquo;<\/a> in order to scare the people. This is <em>another<\/em> form of terrorism.<\/p>\n<\/div>\n<p><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" src=\"http:\/\/pixel.quantserve.com\/pixel\/p-89EKCgBk8MZdE.gif\" border=\"0\" height=\"1\" width=\"1\"\/><\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":1213,"featured_media":0,"comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"closed","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[487],"tags":[],"class_list":{"0":"post-18625","1":"post","2":"type-post","3":"status-publish","4":"format-standard","6":"category-breaking-news"},"_links":{"self":[{"href":"http:\/\/rinf.com\/alt-news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/18625","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"http:\/\/rinf.com\/alt-news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"http:\/\/rinf.com\/alt-news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"http:\/\/rinf.com\/alt-news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/1213"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"http:\/\/rinf.com\/alt-news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=18625"}],"version-history":[{"count":0,"href":"http:\/\/rinf.com\/alt-news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/18625\/revisions"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"http:\/\/rinf.com\/alt-news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=18625"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"http:\/\/rinf.com\/alt-news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=18625"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"http:\/\/rinf.com\/alt-news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=18625"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}