Police spy on peaceful climate activist while dangerous warming goes unarrested
November 21st, 2008
My very peaceful friend Mike Tidwell has a long post at Grist on how the Maryland State police shamefully spied on him. It updates the story I reported on earlier, “Maryland climate campaigners on terrorist list.”
Note to the police, the CIA, the Department of Homeland Security, and anyone else watching and listening — the threat to the health and well-being — the security — of Americans isn’t from those peacefully protesting climate inaction. It’s from the climate inaction, as even our intelligence community understands (see “The moving Fingar writes: Reduced Dominance Is Predicted for U.S“).
As our future Commander in Chief has said: “The science is beyond dispute… Delay is no longer an option. Denial is no longer an acceptable response.“
November 21st, 2008 at 4:02 pm
And here I thought that only the U.S. government was involved in this kind of illegal spying! The involvement of state police in shameful activities such as this does confirm the “trickle down” theory, though.
November 21st, 2008 at 5:17 pm
They actually had time to spy on climate activists when they weren’t evesdropping on Iraq deployed veterans’ ‘pillow talk.’
November 21st, 2008 at 6:42 pm
Shades of KGB! For those who think it couldn’t happen here . . .
November 21st, 2008 at 6:52 pm
Where is the Most Wanted poster for Mr. Warming, who is so dangerous and still on the lose?
November 21st, 2008 at 7:20 pm
I and several others demonstrated for emission limits in front of a ‘Sooty Six’ power plant in CT (2001). We let the police know in advance, made our point, got media coverage, no hassles. A guy in a suit and trenchcoat was taking our pictures from next to the cop cars.
One of the cops later told us he was from the FBI.
I don’t want to get carried away with Obama-hopefulness, but the mood in this country, IMHO, is like the scene in the Lord of the Rings when Gandalf exorcises Saruman from King Theoden.
November 21st, 2008 at 8:49 pm
I have recently (last few of years) assumed that all protest in the US is monitored this way. Hadn’t everybody else?
November 21st, 2008 at 8:56 pm
Paulm,
That’s the message I got!
November 22nd, 2008 at 2:23 am
With regard to the federal aspects of this kind of thing (and federal cooperation with such lower-level “law enforcement”), we’ll see if anything changes with the next administration.
Sorry to rain on the Obama love-fest, but I predicted many years ago that when the next Democratic administration comes in, it will do little to roll back the Bush admin’s assault on civil liberties, authorizing torture, arrogation of unconstitutional executive power in general.
The Dems’ main objection to all of this has mostly been not on principle, but because they weren’t the ones wielding the power.
I hope I turn out to be wrong about Obama, but all of history tells me to stick with my forecast. We’ll see.
November 22nd, 2008 at 12:25 pm
Russ, perhaps you should read Obama’s statements about torture, etc.
Then reflect on the fact that he has a great tendency to do what he says he is going to do….
November 22nd, 2008 at 1:01 pm
Then reflect on the fact that he has a great tendency to do what he says he is going to do….
Well, I’m not sure where such a tendency has yet had a chance to manifest, given that he hasn’t yet assumed office. I do notice that “change” seems to have been replaced by new, contradictory watchwords like “continuity” and “smooth transition”.
(And how deliriously the Wall St crackheads celebrated Geithner’s nomination! It made me think of the line from the movie: “He’s a goodfella. He’s one of us.”
Well, they’ll have all weekend for the manic phase to wear off as they work themselves back into depressive phase. My bet is they’ll decide:
1. Is Geithner really our savior?
2. We got a good rally. But who knows how long that’ll hold up? I better seize my chance and get out now.
With that, they’ll be all set for Monday.)
November 22nd, 2008 at 1:38 pm
Kind of related to all the trouble they were gearing up for at the polls. Oh there well be big trouble with all the people truning out. It just has to lead to trouble, fights in line, assults we will need riot police. I really think Home land security was shocked when they saw how it truly was. This mantallity has really become outdated with so much worry about Global Recession. I thinkl there really is a feeling that if we don’t work together on all the major problems facing us today we can’t solve them. Obama has at least brought us together enought to have hope. I see in that hope a condemnation of these pratices, so things can change.
November 22nd, 2008 at 4:00 pm
What “dangerous warming” ? What “warming” and why “dangerous”?
November 22nd, 2008 at 9:47 pm
This warming…
Global Temperature Record
http://www.cru.uea.ac.uk/cru/info/warming/
Which is dangerous for lots of reasons like this…
Name Storms Vs Temperature
November 22nd, 2008 at 10:47 pm
“Putting global warming laggards on trial” — a US$1 billion lawsuit filed at the ICC in the Hague. Spy on that you laggards!
November 22nd, 2008 at 10:50 pm
http://www.desmogblog.com/ putting-global-warming-laggards-trial
Here is the full story by Mitchell Anderson….
RE: …..” the threat to the health and well-being — the security — of Americans isn’t from those peacefully protesting climate inaction….It’s from the climate inaction….”
Thus, OUR lawsuit above……
November 23rd, 2008 at 1:55 am
Hey, Can we file a suite here in Canada too? Any one up for this?
January 7th, 2009 at 12:13 pm
Hey, Can we file a suite here in Canada too? Any one up for this?
June 2nd, 2009 at 10:39 pm
Hi! oAMMYMLm