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NYT Article: Police Surveillance of Cyclists as Political Dissidents
http://www.nytimes.com/2005/12/22/ny...rtner=homepage
Some extracts: "Undercover New York City police officers have conducted covert surveillance in the last 16 months of people protesting the Iraq war, bicycle riders taking part in mass rallies and even mourners at a street vigil for a cyclist killed in an accident, a series of videotapes show." "Provided with images from the tape, the Police Department's chief spokesman, Paul J. Browne, did not dispute that they showed officers at work but said that disguised officers had always attended such gatherings - not to investigate political activities but to keep order and protect free speech. Activists, however, say that police officers masquerading as protesters and bicycle riders distort their messages and provoke trouble." "After the 2001 terrorist attacks, officials at all levels of government considered major changes in various police powers. President Bush acknowledged last Saturday that he has secretly permitted the National Security Agency to eavesdrop without a warrant on international telephone calls and e-mail messages in terror investigations. In New York, the administration of Mayor Michael R. Bloomberg persuaded a federal judge in 2003 to enlarge the Police Department's authority to conduct investigations of political, social and religious groups. "We live in a more dangerous, constantly changing world," Police Commissioner Raymond W. Kelly said." "Ryan Kuonen, 32, who took part in a "ride of silence" in memory of a dead cyclist, said that two undercover officers - one with a camera - subverted the event. "They were just in your face," she said. "It made what was a really solemn event into something that seemed wrong. It made you feel like you were a criminal. It was grotesque."" EFR Glad to be in Ile de France |
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NYT Article: Police Surveillance of Cyclists as Political Dissidents
Elisa Francesca Roselli wrote:
http://www.nytimes.com/2005/12/22/ny...rtner=homepage Some extracts: "Undercover New York City police officers have conducted covert surveillance in the last 16 months of people protesting the Iraq war, bicycle riders taking part in mass rallies and even mourners at a street vigil for a cyclist killed in an accident, a series of videotapes show." How long will it take 'em to blame Bush? "Provided with images from the tape, the Police Department's chief spokesman, Paul J. Browne, did not dispute that they showed officers at work but said that disguised officers had always attended such gatherings - not to investigate political activities but to keep order and protect free speech. Activists, however, say that police officers masquerading as protesters and bicycle riders distort their messages and provoke trouble." "After the 2001 terrorist attacks, officials at all levels of government considered major changes in various police powers. President Bush acknowledged last Saturday that he has secretly permitted the National Security Agency to eavesdrop without a warrant on international telephone calls and e-mail messages in terror investigations. Two paragraphs! Qualifies as RESTRAINT for the NYT! Bloomberg persuaded a federal judge in 2003 to enlarge the Police Department's authority to conduct investigations of political, social and religious groups. "We live in a more dangerous, constantly changing world," Police Commissioner Raymond W. Kelly said." "Ryan Kuonen, 32, who took part in a "ride of silence" in memory of a dead cyclist, said that two undercover officers - one with a camera - subverted the event. "They were just in your face," she said. "It made what was a really solemn event into something that seemed wrong. It made you feel like you were a criminal. It was grotesque."" EFR Glad to be in Ile de France Once the bribes run out, be careful! (Or just surrender LOL ) N&F |
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NYT Article: Police Surveillance of Cyclists as Political Dissidents
Elisa Francesca Roselli wrote: Glad to be in Ile de France That wonderful utopia of diversity, opportunity, and police restraint. Liberté, Égalité, Vous Papiers? |
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NYT Article: Police Surveillance of Cyclists as Political Dissidents
Elisa Francesca Roselli wrote: http://www.nytimes.com/2005/12/22/ny...rtner=homepage "Undercover New York City police officers have conducted covert surveillance in the last 16 months of people protesting the Iraq war, bicycle riders taking part in mass rallies and even mourners at a street vigil for a cyclist killed in an accident, a series of videotapes show." Just more evidence that the USA really has sleep-walked its way into a state of Corporate Fascism, as argued by commentators ranging from Noam Chomsky through to the comedian Bill Hicks. No one can doubt that Chomsky is a bona-fide genius and not just some 'conspiracy nut'. When a young man Chomsky virtually invented modern linguistics. There is, surprisingly enough, even a useful wikki page on Chomsky http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Noam_Chomsky Chomsky's book 'Understanding Power' is a good introduction to this political thought. It has it's own web page at http://www.randomhouse.co.uk/understandingpower/ See also: http://www.chomsky.info/ http://www.oldamericancentury.org/14pts.htm http://www.thedeprogrammer.com/fascism.html There are also shed load of books around all from authors who have reached the same conclusion, such as Friendly Fascism : The New Face of Power in America by Bertram Gross. |
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NYT Article: Police Surveillance of Cyclists as Political Dissidents
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NYT Article: Police Surveillance of Cyclists as Political Dissidents
Jon is Away! wrote: wrote: That wonderful utopia of diversity, opportunity, and police restraint. Liberté, Égalité, Vous Papiers? ITYM: "Liberté, Égalité, Vos Papiers?" ;-) Jon See? Those lousy American schools! This must be W's fault, because it certainly isn't mine. |
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NYT Article: Police Surveillance of Cyclists as Political Dissidents
wrote: Liberté, Égalité, Vous Papiers? You should look at the treatment many people receive from the US customs when visiting the USA... This is from Graham Obree's book 'The Flying Scotsman', speaking of his treatment when travelling to a world cup track meeting. 'When we reached Miami, I was hauled into immigration, which clearly meant that I would miss my onward flight... I was forced to sit in a room full of other detainees for an inordinate amount of time in unbearable heat, and when I went up to ask about my case, I was rebuffed in a manner that could start a prison riot. Between expletives he said that if I did not shut the f*** up, the US government would have me in handcuffs.' A few links for your entertainment to illustrate a few other differences between the USA and France... http://www.american-pictures.com/english/ http://www.americanlynching.com/ http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Lynching http://www.post-gazette.com/sprigle/default.asp http://www.eastbayexpress.com/Issues...news/news.html http://www.thenation.com/docprint.mh...he_porn_of_war And that's without even considering the real cranks like the KKK, Survivalists, TV evangelists, gun nuts and all the rest, not to mention the behaviour of the USA in Iraq... |
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NYT Article: Police Surveillance of Cyclists as Political Dissidents
wrote in message oups.com... You should look at the treatment many people receive from the US customs when visiting the USA... And the UK is a paradise of freedom? http://news.independent.co.uk/uk/tra...icle334686.ece Cheto |
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NYT Article: Police Surveillance of Cyclists as Political Dissidents
Cheto wrote: And the UK is a paradise of freedom? Hell no! Blair and Bush are both corporate puppets leading their respective countries into a corporation-dominated hierarchical-authoritarian future. In fact you might have noticed that Blair was just about the only world leader to have his tongue firmly up Bush's backside when it was clear that Bush was going to go ahead with his illegal invasion of Iraq. What's more many of the policies Blair is enacting were taken right off the Republican shelf. What was it Mussolini said? "Fascism should rightly be called Corporatism as it is a merge of state and corporate power." Or, as the UK comedian Bill Bailey said, it's a mystery why the UK 'hangs around' with America, unless it stems from a mutual taste for violence. America is the bully of the world going around and threatening other countries that if they don't hand their sweets over they will have their face smashed in. Meanwhile Britain hides behind waving its fist and going 'Yeah!... What we should be doing instead is developing our links with Europe and adopting their more egalitarian and inclusive social values before the UK ends up, as Gerorge Orwell predicted as 'Airstrip One' and not only do we end up with American levels of crime and violence, we also end up spending more on locking people up than treating thier illnesses. (By the way, I note that Microsoft's 'Office' suite does not even recognise the word 'egality' and for 'egalitarian give the definition' ....a belief that all people are, in principle, equal and should enjoy equal social, political and economic rights and opportunities.' This does contrast somewhat with the UK dictionary definition which says that egalitarianism is 'the doctrine of the equality of mankind and the desirability of political, social and economic equality'. Yup, the American brainwashing machine operates in some very subtle ways...). That said, the report you mention does not give me many worries. There are many types of 'freedom' and in the UK you are certainly not free to cycle on the roads free of fear due to the generally dreadful standard of driving and the high level of driving crime, all made worse by the number of uninsured and unlicenced cars on the road. The technology in the report may well address some of these issues, thereby giving back freedom to cyclists and law-abiding drivers by taking it away from the motoring criminal, which is fine in my book. |
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