I think that you referring to Bloomy as a Totalitarian would very much upset him. He doesn't like labels don't you know.
Posted on 05/18/2011 10:56:30 AM PDT by r0ckhamm3r
New York City Mayor Michael Bloomberg Profile of a Totalitarian
Michael Bloomberg is one of the richest men in the world. His personal net worth was estimated at $18.1 Billion and he is rated the 30th richest person in the world by Forbes in 2011. Mr. Bloomberg was assumed the office of Mayor of New York City in January of 2002, in the wake of 9/11. He replaced Rudy Giuliani, because Mr. Giuliani was not able to run, having already served two terms in office.
Michael Bloomberg owns 88% of a company called Bloomberg L.P. This company owns a global news service called Bloomberg Television and a New York radio station called WBBR. The company also owns a newspaper and a magazine. His views are broadcast on Sirius/XM. His media empire also extends into the internet. The media outlets that Michael Bloomberg owns are decidedly biased in favor of Michael Bloomberg’s policies and activities. Control of media coverage is something dreamed of by every totalitarian who has lived in the age of radio and television. When a politician owns a controlling interest in media outlets that are supposed to hold him accountable, no accountability is possible. The Bloomberg media empire is pro Michael Bloomberg, all the time.
What other totalitarians have exercised this kind of control over media? Hugo Chavez in Venezuela has done exactly that. His moves were far more blatant. He nationalized some media outlets and crushed those who dared voice any dissent. Mahmoud Ahmadinejad in Iran exercises total control over the state run media. Kim Jong-il in North Korea has complete control over all media in his country. Raul Castro has the same control in Cuba. The list goes on and on. Michael Bloomberg has said he intends to build his media empire into the most influential network in the world. The First Amendment freedom of the press is something Mayor Bloomberg would love to control.
New York City has, excuse me had, a term limit law. This law limited the Mayor, City Council and a few other Municipal Offices to two terms of four years each. When Michael Bloomberg was nearing the end of his second term, he introduced legislation to the City Council to change the law in his favor. This was of course a “you scratch my back and I’ll scratch yours” kind of deal. Mayor Bloomberg proposed that the City Council change the law to allow him and the City Council a third term. When all the dust settled, the City Council voted 22 against and 29 for giving themselves and Mr. Bloomberg third terms. That was awfully nice of them to vote themselves an extra term. What is the difference between this action and Hugo Chavez doing away with term limits in Venezuela? What is the difference between Bloomberg’s actions and Uganda's President Yoweri Museveni scrapping term limits? Honduras’ President Manuel Zelaya did the same, what’s the difference? There is no difference. Totalitarians despise term limits, it limits the amount of time they can exercise power.
On 01/01/02, Mr. Bloomberg assumed the office of Mayor and appointed Raymond Kelly as Commissioner of the New York Police Department. Bloomberg and Kelly now preside over a Police Department that employs almost 50,000 people. It is larger than the Federal Bureau of Investigations, who only employ 35,394 people. It is larger than the Central Intelligence Agency, who are estimated to employ about 20,000 people. The NYPD has an annual budget of $3.9 Billion. These facts make the NYPD the largest police department in our country.
On 01/24/02, Michael Bloomberg formed the New York Police Department’s Intelligence Division. He appointed David Cohen as the Deputy Commissioner of Intelligence to run this division. Mr. Cohen was undoubtedly a good choice for this position, as he was formerly the Deputy Director of Operations for the Central Intelligence Agency. By law, the CIA cannot operate within the borders of the United States. There is a very good reason for this, the CIA is not bound by the Bill of Rights or any civil liberties. Allowing the CIA to operate domestically was forbidden because their activities routinely ignore the First, Fourth and Fifth Amendments. These are not applicable to non US citizens outside the borders of our country. They are however applicable inside the United States. Secret police are yet another characteristic of Totalitarian regimes. The Intelligence Division, headed by David Cohen routinely operates outside of it’s jurisdiction. They attempted to conduct an investigation of gun shows in Arizona. They have “liaison officers” stationed in cities across the globe. They routinely show up at any terrorist incident around the globe. Since when does a City Police Department conduct it’s own foreign policy? Prior to the Republican National Convention in 2004, the NYPD sent undercover officers to infiltrate groups across the country and in other countries. The Intelligence Div. of NYPD does not recognize any limits on it’s jurisdiction. Again, secret police are the favorite tools of a totalitarian.
Mayor Bloomberg has markedly increased surveillance capabilities in New York City. He rammed through a program to install 3000 cameras in Lower Manhattan and Mid Town New York. His NYPD Intelligence Division has pushed the DOJ for more and more wiretaps and National Security Letters to access private information on citizens. Constant surveillance of citizens is a hallmark of totalitarians. The Fourth Amendment is nothing but an obstacle to Mayor Bloomberg.
Mayor Bloomberg fully supports Senator Chuck Schumer (D-NY) and Senator Frank Lautenberg’s (D-NJ) proposals to use the Terrorist Watch List to deny rights to citizens of the United States, without due process of law. The TWL denies people the ability to board an airplane currently. Sen. Lautenberg wants to use this same list to deny citizens the right to purchase firearms. Sen. Schumer wants to use this same list to deny citizens the ability to use trains. This list is assembled in secret, by bureaucrats with no accountability to the public. A citizen has no right to know if they are on this list, they have no way to challenge their inclusion on this list and they have no way to appeal the decision. The Fifth Amendment states in part “nor be deprived of life, liberty, or property, without due process of law.” This list takes away liberties, without due process of law. The people on this list have not been tried and convicted, they have simply had their names included on a list, yet they are being stripped of rights, without a trial. There are over 1 million people on this list now, could your name be next? People may be included on the Terrorist Watch List, based on a tip from one single person. So much for Michael Bloomberg’s respect for the Fifth Amendment.
Michael Bloomberg has demonstrated over and over that he is absolutely opposed to firearms. He said, during a press conference on 07/23/03 “I don’t know why people carry guns, guns kill people”. That about sums up his position on the Second Amendment. Mayor Bloomberg is a co founder and co chair of Mayors Against Illegal Guns. The problem with this group is they are not against illegal guns, they are against all guns. Mayor Bloomberg has done everything they can to repeal or marginalize the Second Amendment. As I mentioned earlier, he sent undercover NYPD detectives to Arizona to conduct a sting operation at a gun show. They were over 2000 miles outside their jurisdiction, but that did not stop Mayor Bloomberg from using their “investigation” to further his own agenda. I believe Aristotle said something very applicable on this issue, “Both oligarch and tyrant mistrust the people, and therefore deprive them of arms.” The Second Amendment is something that Michael Bloomberg despises.
Mayor Bloomberg has gone further with the concept of “food police” than any mayor in history. He rammed through a complete ban on trans fats in restaurants in 2006. He fully supports a ban on the use of salt in restaurants in New York City. He has asked the federal government for their ok in banning the use of food stamps to purchase soda. He banned lots of different food choices for New York City Health Department Employees. How long can other freedoms last when the government is allowed to strip you of a right as fundamental as the ability to choose what you eat?
In summary, Mayor Michael Bloomberg sees the First Amendment freedom of press, the Second Amendment right to keep and bear arms, the Fourth Amendment right of the people to be secure in their persons, houses, papers, and effects, against unreasonable searches and seizures, the Fifth Amendment right to due process and the fundamental right to choose what you want to eat to be obstacles to his agenda. He exercises control of media, by ownership. He has his own secret police to violate the rights of citizens and enforce his will. He is steadily regulating away your ability to make your own choices.
Totalitarian: A form of government that recognizes no limits on it’s authority and seeks to regulate every aspect of public and private life. Does this definition fit Mayor Michael Bloomberg? I believe it does.
References:
Forbes 2011 net worth: http://www.forbes.com/profile/michael-bloomberg 2008 Term Limits change: http://council.nyc.gov/html/releases/SpeakerQuinn_termlimits_10_12_08.shtml Bloomberg.com coverage of term limits: http://preview.bloomberg.com/apps/news?pid=newsarchive&sid=a4g2gfKMu9AA http://preview.bloomberg.com/apps/news?pid=newsarchive&sid=aIFJHAgau83s Bloomberg appoints David Cohen: http://www.nyc.gov/portal/site/nycgov/menuitem.b270a4a1d51bb3017bce0ed101c789a0/index.jsp?pageID=nyc_blue_room&catID=1194&doc_name=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.nyc.gov%2Fhtml%2Fom%2Fhtml%2F2002a%2Fpr020-02.html&cc=unused1978&rc=1194&ndi=1 Bloomberg’s Gun Show Sting in Arizona: http://www.foxnews.com/opinion/2011/02/02/mayor-bloombergs-arizona-gun-pr-stunt/ NYPD Liaison Officer Program: http://www.nycpolicefoundation.org/NetCommunity/Page.aspx?pid=322 NYPD Undercover investigations prior to Republican National Convention, outside NYC: http://www.nytimes.com/2007/03/25/nyregion/25infiltrate.html?ex=1179460800&en=002f5b9c8fb8f9c4&ei=5070 Bloomberg’s 3000 Surveillance Camera Plan: http://www.nypost.com/p/news/local/bloomberg_checks_out_london_security_YqjmzbL3XEEFvggMpJt8JI Bloomberg’s Gun Control Position on the Terrorist Watch list: http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/content/article/2010/05/05/AR2010050503670.html Mayors against illegal guns: http://www.mayorsagainstillegalguns.org/html/about/about.shtml Bloomberg bans trans fats: http://www.nyc.gov/html/doh/html/cardio/cardio-transfat.shtml Bloomberg supports salt ban: http://www.myfoxny.com/dpp/news/local_news/new_york_state/chefs-call-proposed-new-york-salt-ban-absurd-20100310-akd Bloomberg’s Health Department rules: http://www.foxnews.com/health/2011/04/04/fried-food-perfume-banned-new-health-dept-guidelines/
Excellent First Post Newbie :>)
Bloomy is also a Pigouvian.
And there’s nothing worse than a Totalitarian Pigouvian.
Oh, how times have changed. I remember when Bill Gates was considered the richest man in the world with a little over 3 billion bucks. How do these guys’ net worth keep growing while they hold office?
I think that you referring to Bloomy as a Totalitarian would very much upset him. He doesn't like labels don't you know.
Mr. Bloomberg has kept his little illegal anti-gun ‘investigations’ out of Virginia since he got “the letter” from then-Attorney General Bob McDonnell in 2007.
In 2009 he sent a bunch of money to the democrats in Virginia, and spent a bunch of money on ads in Virginia, in his all-out effort to prevent Mr. McDonnell from becoming Virginia’s governor...
So far, GOVERNOR McDonnell is still standing his ground on gun rights.
Thank you, I worked hard putting it together.
Thank you for the addition to my vocabulary as well. I had never heard the term pigouvian before. I just looked it up and I am certain it will find use in future posts.
I completely forgot about Bloomberg’s investigation in VA, thanks.
NYPD personnel operating in foreign countries are liasons. They talk to foreign law enforcement officials and pass the info back to the NYPD. It eliminates a great deal of information barriers. Sometimes a cigar is just a cigar.
Excellent! The Pigouvian/Pigovian model/tax/cub is relatively esoteric term - it works in the back rooms - it permeates our society. Bloomberg is in the Pigouvian Society, he’s a card carrying member.
Great first post again. Have fun with this site - post in the comment threads too (newbies first posting being a post, instead of a few comments before, are usually frowned upon, but you did good)
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