–So you think it couldn’t happen in America: The wages of “law and order”

Mitchell’s laws: Reduced money growth never stimulates economic growth. To survive long term, a monetarily non-sovereign government must have a positive balance of payments. Austerity breeds austerity and leads to civil disorder. Those, who do not understand the differences between Monetary Sovereignty and monetary non-sovereignty, do not understand economics.
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A recent poll says a majority of Americans have a negative view of #Occupy Wall Street,” more negative even than of the Tea Party. Perhaps you are one who believes #OWS is a bunch of lazy, rabble-rousing troublemakers, who would rather camp out, make a mess, smoke pot and cocaine, have sex and disturb honest, hardworking Americans, than become honest, hardworking Americans themselves. If the poll represents America, I think the people are wrong. But let’s say they’re right.

Let’s say these people protesting against the huge wealth gap between the 1% richest people and the other 99%, are all of the above and worse. What should be done about them?

Should we admire them for putting their lives on the line, for protesting the clear injustice of the growing gap, not only in wealth but in political power? Or shall we condemn them for inconveniencing us and for being dirty, messy beasts?

Here is the city of Tampa’s expensive answer:

What is this thing, who owns it, and what is its purpose?

For a complete description, see: Militarization Of Police Exemplified By Virtually Unstoppable Armored Personnel Carrier At Occupy Tampa. Check a few excerpts from that article.

Madison Ruppert, Contributing Writer, Activist Post

One of the many disturbing trends in America in the post-September 11th, 2001 era is the steady militarization of domestic police forces who are supposed to “protect and serve” not “intimidate and attack” the people of the United States.

A glaring example of this steady march toward de facto martial law in which police are so militarized there is little to no difference between them and the military itself occurred at Occupy Tampa recently.
[…]
The (photo is of) “Rescue 2,” a massive “12-ton Armored Personnel Carrier (APC)” according to the official city of Tampa website, but the question remains, why on Earth does a domestic police force need a 12-ton APC at a small-scale peaceful protest?

The behemoth vehicle is bullet resistant and “virtually unstoppable,” can drive through five feet of water, handle winds up to 130 miles per hour, carry 13 passengers, and reach 60 miles per hour.

The Rescue 2 is billed to be used for “search and rescue during a natural disaster or a terrorist attack.” Yet, there was neither a terrorist attack nor a natural disaster justifying the deployment of the Rescue 2, instead it was done in a clear attempt to intimidate the protesters.

This wholly unnecessary item is a “one of a kind APC” which “was purchased from the military and it was paid for with a Federal security grant,” according to the City of Tampa website.
[…]
. . . it represents just one instance of police across the nation buying tanks and other military vehicles to carry out ordinary activities.

These are deployed for one reason and one reason only: to strike fear into the hearts of peaceful protesters attempting to express the fact that they are fed up with the police who protect the corporations and not the people whom they are sworn to serve.

Now this weapon exists, and when a weapon exists, it will be used. One day you will read how the “Rescue 2” ran over some protesters, or at minimum, ran over their belongings, destroying everything in its wake. And one day, those protesters will not be #OWS, but people protesting some other losses of freedom, like the use of tanks against civilians.

And one day, laws will be changed to outlaw protesting altogether — which effectively is the purpose of the “Rescue 2.”

And many will cheer these losses of our freedoms, for by its nature, protesting is messy, inconvenient, loud, and not done by the 1%, but rather by the 99%, who tend to be rude, unpleasant creatures.

And then you’ll wonder what happened to America, what happened to freedom, how did we get to this police state? You’ll grieve at the loss of liberty and the perversion of the Constitution that makes corporations=people and money=votes. You’ll grieve at the tyranny of the police and of their masters.

Oh, you may not like being ruled by the iron hand of the military, but you won’t protest. You wouldn’t dare.

Rodger Malcolm Mitchell
http://www.rodgermitchell.com

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No nation can tax itself into prosperity, nor grow without money growth. Monetary Sovereignty: Cutting federal deficits to grow the economy is like applying leeches to cure anemia. The key equation in economics: Federal Deficits – Net Imports = Net Private Savings

MONETARY SOVEREIGNTY