Chile Forum

I think we are all using it in the more pedestrian sense of point of no return.

I think the real point of no return literally occurred in 1984. Not to draw too many parallels between the book and the date, but that was the year the microprocessor became cheap and available to everyone. Most importantly the government agencies big and small. Before that the ability to gather, categorize, and use the data needed to control a population of several million, and now several billion simply did not exist. It might have been some sort of pipe dream for some in power, but not a reality. The Germans infamously used such calculating machines for organizing the extermination of the jews, but with only limited success because of the limits of the technology. You can now build a super computer with the parts of the shelf at best buy or wall mart capable of achieving TOTAL INFORMATION AWARENESS.

I am not really much a believer in the whole smoky room plots to take over the World. Perhaps there has been a few small ones from time to time, that have added up to a couple big ones from time to time.

I believe what we are seeing are more faults in the design of the constitution. As wonderful a document as it was, who among the signers could anticipate fast computer networks and databases when they where drafting the privacy clauses and limits on government invasion hundreds of years ago. I think there was also a lot of oversight in the separation of powers between the branches. Bush has pushed every single one of them to the breaking point and beyond. The assumption among the checks and balances was that everyone was going to play fair, and be loyal to the spirit of the constitution.

I recently read a report on how in Florida the State legislator has been steadily cutting the money for the courts, to a point where they can barely function. We have Bush rewriting laws as they come across his desk, without even a vote. corruption in the executive branch, that should be investigated and prosecuted by the executive branch. And so on .... It was far from a perfect document, and the mechanisms to fix those problems have been disassembled or disregarded. The democratic and republic parties are not mentioned in the constitution, or their power over the entire democratic process that essentially negates the constitution. The U.S. government was overthrown in a coupe many years ago, and no one even noticed.

Joe six pack's 6 shooter does not protect him from having his life savings stolen with the stroke of button by an IRS agent or mortgage broker, and most of all being programmed and conditioned by media spin doctors to believe that willing giving up everything including all constitutional rights is being patriotic and that he should use his 6 shooter and his life to protect the people that did it. You see Joe was defeated by the very fact that he no longer can lift that six shooter, or even has the will to get off the couch and log off the internet, turn off his ipod, and the TV to pick it up anymore. So, when the guys in the body armor with their automatic wepons come to the front door to take Joe away to Gitmo or our domestic equivalents Joe will just go quietly while saying to his wife Susy Six Pack, "don't worry honey, I am sure it is all just a big mistake".

Mean while, he has just lost his right to own and carry a firearm, because now he is a felon. He has also lost his right to Vote, and perhaps a few other things. Most likely between 10 and 20% of the population no longer have the right to keep and bear arms because they where arrested, and most for none violent crimes such as smoking a joint. That portion of the population that would most likely be foot soldiers in any sort of revolt. The poor, working to lower class, minority, and the others most likely to be dissatisfied with society because they where never given much in the way to access to the benefits. So, best to make sure they do not have guns.

He could not afford a Lawyer, so he was left with a public defender. That did not matter, because Bob Seven pack, and his other jury members believed it was their patriotic duty to convict him because, "the police arrested him, he must be guilty." That last sentence was a real world quote from a juror that my father interviewed after a trial during the post-trial reviews.

The King of England did not have such an effective public relations team, and thus was booted. Hitler understood you could make a population do the unthinkable with a smile, if you make them feel good about themselves as they are doing it. And so the Jews said, "I am German, I love Germany, and I am sure this is all just a big mistake".

I think it is, and many of our members already believe the same I would say, a whole different place. Hence, this forum.