Posted on 07/26/2014 7:48:49 AM PDT by servo1969
This is the evil of a dying republic - waving through gangbangers at the southern border, but at the northern border detaining boy scouts for four hours. No novelist or movie director would attempt that contrast - it's too pat, too neat. But it's somehow become American reality in the 21st century.
Just to be clear: that boy scout did nothing wrong. When the CBP officer demanded he hand over the camera, Mr Fox should have refused and asked to see the agent's supervisor.
But it gets better:
Another of the Scouts was taking luggage from the top of a van to be searched when something startling happened.
"He hears a snap of a holster, turns around, and here's this agent, both hands on a loaded pistol, pointing at the young man's head," Fox explained.
Fox said that had them all in fear.
Ultimately no one was hurt or arrested, and after about four hours they were allowed to continue their trip into Alaska.
"No one was hurt or arrested": Two and a third centuries after a great revolution for the right to live in liberty, law-abiding Americans are apparently now grateful not to be shot or incarcerated after interactions with their government. If you're wondering what the short-trousered national-security threat did wrong, he apparently reached for his suitcase "without authorization".
Oh, my. As I always say round about this point in the story, if you need to level a gun at a boy scout's head, you're doing it wrong.
(Excerpt) Read more at steynonline.com ...
Reichland security. You feel safe now, right?
Has there been no apology? No acknowledgement of overreaction? Scary and stupid, a dangerous combination.
When a country elects criminals to high office, it’s not long before that country starts treating criminals like heroes, and the law-abiding like criminals.
I see that too.
Assign that agent to Texas!
JBT ping worthy, IMO.
Is it really a federal crime to take a picture of a federal officer? If so, please give a link, I can’t find one googling it.
American founded to be a classless society is quick legislating and through bureaucratic actions creating a seconded class citizenry.
— Kartographer, posting this thread.There's already a second class of citizen, and a third… in fact, if you count illegal immigrants* there's probably about five.
- The Political Elite — they have made themselves exempt from the general operation of law by tradition, but with ACA have begun to codify it.
- The Enforcement caste — many of the laws exempt enforcement officers (e.g. gun laws), they also enjoy immunity from many of their actions.
- The Burearchy — occupying a middle-ground between political-elite and enforcement, they enjoy a de facto immunity because they operate enforcement according to the wishes of the political elite— and provide the elite with deniability and means for escaping accountability/responsibility. (e.g. EPA's onerous regulations, probably [setting the foundation for] implementing a de facto cap-and-trade; or the Federal Reserve, which enjoys the power of setting the value of the dollar while providing congress a way of saying
it's not uswhen questioned about it.)- Illegal Immigrants — These are more desirable to the Bureaarchy and the political elite than real citizens because what citizens regard as rights are privileges for them, which means that the government can alter or abolish them at will and without repercussion. This is in addition to being able to lord their guilt over them:
“Did you really think we want those laws observed?" said Dr. Ferris. "We want them to be broken. You'd better get it straight that it's not a bunch of boy scouts you're up against... We're after power and we mean it... There's no way to rule innocent men. The only power any government has is the power to crack down on criminals. Well, when there aren't enough criminals one makes them. One declares so many things to be a crime that it becomes impossible for men to live without breaking laws. Who wants a nation of law-abiding citizens? What's there in that for anyone? But just pass the kind of laws that can neither be observed nor enforced or objectively interpreted – and you create a nation of law-breakers – and then you cash in on guilt. Now that's the system, Mr. Reardon, that's the game, and once you understand it, you'll be much easier to deal with.”
― Ayn Rand, Atlas Shrugged- The Citizen — This is the least-desirable member of this hierarchy: they have notions of liberty, and that the government exists at their pleasure and for their benefit rather than that the citizen exists for the benefit of the government… and legal precedence to back it up. For this reason they must be lulled until they can be replaced by members of the illegal immigrant caste — in this manner the whole of society will come under the power of the government.
(Note: according to estimates, 1 in 20 to 1 in 10 people in the US are illegal immigrants — that's 5%-10%.)* — While not technically citizens, they enjoy much of the traditional benefits of citizenship plus an astounding amount of immunity from consequence of law-breaking.
Ping
Just the thought that a border patrol agent or anyone in the govt would tell a kid that he is going to get a fine go to jail for 10 years and then pull a gun on him is just insane. This whole country is so upside down that the only way its going to get put right is through a resolution conflict.
We’ve elected moral imbeciles to rule over us, and most of our neighbors can’t tell the difference.
Elections have consequences, as they say, but they are also themselves consequences of what goes on at a deeper level. What ails us is beyond what can be resolved with mere electoral politics, not when half the electorate can’t tell the difference between dumb and evil.
Our government knows that at least some of us do know the difference, which is why they are replacing us. This is the first time I can think of, ever, that a government has decided to replace its citizenry.
It occurs to me that you can live your life on your knees before God, or live it on your knees before any twerp with a badge and a snappy uniform.
Hey One, where did you get this info? Pretty interesting and downright sobering. Have friends coming over for BBQ and want to make this a topic of discussion. thxs
To say I don’t recognize my country anymore is a massive understatement.
I'm working on a[nother] brochure describing this New American Caste system; I'll try'n remember to ping you to it when I'm done.
You might like this essay. It is similar to what you have written:
http://gunwatch.blogspot.com/2013/10/how-to-become-member-of-new-nobility.html
Ah, thank you — reading it now.
I had a client complain that TSA in Atlanta took some of his precious metal and jewelry at a partial disrobing pat-down at the gate. They denied they took it.
But they refused to release a copy of the visual record. I had to get a congressman involved before the goods—surprise!—showed up.
`Gee mister, big mistake, not sure how that happened, so sorry (not really)’.
Just sub IRS e-mails. or a record of a BP agent wrongfully intimidating a Boy Scout.
`Where the people fear the government you have tyranny. Where the government fears the people, you have liberty.’
What time is it?
It’s time for us to put the fear back in them.
thxs. BTW I agree with how you enumerated the new american caste system. I would alos add LGBT’s and certain minorities to the list under privileged status.
Mark Steyn captures all what is going wrong in America in one short essay. This article should be on the front page of every US newspaper. If we get a conservative for President in our next election. Steyn should be his speech writer and press flack.
Disclaimer: Opinions posted on Free Republic are those of the individual posters and do not necessarily represent the opinion of Free Republic or its management. All materials posted herein are protected by copyright law and the exemption for fair use of copyrighted works.