Brandon Turbeville

Sunday, October 21, 2012

Episode 4 - Truth on the Tracks with Brandon Turbeville

Friday, October 19, 2012

Occupy the Vote: Guest Bev Harris on Occupy Interview ---Bev Harris Answers Three Questions Posed By Brandon Turbeville Via Email

Tuesday, October 16 Show Archive

Thursday, October 18, 2012

Open War Policy Revealed by Romney's NeoCon Advisers

Brandon Turbeville

Activist Post

October 17, 2012

On October 1, 2012, Presidential hopeful Mitt Romney outlined his own version of imperialist American foreign policy before the Virginia Military Institute. What Romney described was, in its goals, no different than that of any other President since JFK.

As was made clear in his speech, the presentation of the mutated Manifest Destiny to be ushered in by Romney would be significantly more open than the “leading from behind” destabilization and coalition-based Obama treachery, as the candidate has clearly stated this on more than one occasion.

Essentially, while Obama has continued and accelerated every disastrous policy of the Bush Administration, Romney has openly announced his intention to do the same. The only difference is that the Romney doctrine will supplant the deceitful, secretive, and treacherous nature of Obama’s foreign policy for a more ham-fisted and brazenly aggressive position.

However, while the latter option is reminiscent of George W. Bush’s Iraq adventure, the fact is Romney’s presentation of American imperialism will no doubt be more cleverly constructed using the threat against “American interests” and “our friends and allies” as justification.

In his speech, Romney stated,

If America does not lead, others will, others who do not share our interests and our values – and the world will grow darker, for our friends and for us. I am running for president because I believe the leader of the free world has a duty, to our citizens, and to our friends everywhere, to use America’s great influence – wisely, with solemnity and without false pride, but also firmly and actively – to shape events in ways that secure our interests, further our values, prevent conflict and make the world better – not perfect, but better.

Romney’s plan thus echoes yet more of the “American Exceptionalism” that has been used as a cover for imperialist ventures for decades. It is, after all, an illusion that the majority of the American people have bought in to after years of movies, television, and related propaganda.

In this regard, Romney could scarcely be more clear (a rarity) as to what plans he holds for the United States military should he be elected. For instance, he stated, “It is the responsibility of our president to use America’s great power to shape history – not to lead from behind, leaving our destiny at the mercy of events. Unfortunately, that is exactly where we find ourselves in the Middle East under President Obama.”

Aside from the obvious falsity of Romney’s political jockeying regarding “where we find ourselves in the Middle East,” the Republican candidate’s statement seems to offer a brief representation of yet more American Exceptionalism, an even more warped version of Manifest Destiny, and the Freemasonic doctrine of directing nature and controlling the Force of the people.

Of course, the United States is no passive player in the Middle East under Barack Obama. Indeed, even the casual observer should be aware that the United States, along with other Anglo-American NATO powers has directed and controlled the Arab Spring and destabilization of Middle Eastern countries.

However, because of the Obama Administration’s penchant for “leading from behind” and directing the overthrow of sovereign governments via intelligence networks, pawning, destabilization efforts, or coalition-based “kinetic military action,” the talking heads on the Conservative Right are able to play upon the wasteland of the average American mind and subsequently propagandize that the Obama/Brzezinski method exemplifies weakness. The Neo-Con method, being more upfront, aggressive, and direct – is unfortunately the only presentation simple enough to capture the average American attention span and is understood as strength.

Thus, the Romney campaign does not criticize the Obama Administration for waging wars against Islam, sovereign nations, state-owned banks, or secular governments – its criticisms are that it does not do so in a faster, more aggressive manner.

A perfect example of both the political posturing and of the identical nature of both candidates and their respective parties can easily be seen in terms of the Syrian destabilization, itself directed by the Anglo-American, NATO forces in order to weaken and provoke the Iranians and the Russians, implement a system of privatized central banks, exploit the people and resources of Syria, and ignite the subsequent third world war that must inevitably follow.

In this regard, Romney firmly stated in Virginia that he will arm al-Qaeda forces operating inside Syria and will help them “to obtain the arms they need to defeat Assad’s tanks, helicopters and fighter jets.” Of course, Obama is already arming the Syrian terrorists, but the vast majority of Americans are completely oblivious to this fact (as they are to the fact that the “rebels” are actually fanatic terrorists) so the issue exists as a prime opportunity for political grandstanding.

Of course, no Romney foreign policy speech would be complete without some measure of beating the drums for war against Iran.

Needless to say, the Virginia Military Institute foreign policy speech was complete.

In regards to Iran, Romney stated, “we must make clear to Iran through actions – not just words – that their nuclear pursuit will not be tolerated.” He also committed to tighten sanctions and “restore the permanent presence of aircraft carrier task forces in both the Eastern Mediterranean and the Gulf region.” Romney said he would allow no “daylight” between the United States and Israel.

Like the references to war with Iran, it appears that no Romney speech will be complete without reference to the relationship between Israel and the United States and how American foreign policy might be outsourced to the colonial state of Israel.

While many Americans are still caught in the trap of voting for one of the two political parties (which are only different branches of the same tree), more and more are becoming aware of the fact that Presidents and Presidential candidates are nothing more than puppets and tools.

To suggest that these hapless and damaged individuals hold any true sway over the direction of the country in real life, regardless of their potential to do so, would be optimistic to say the least.

With this in mind, it is important to take a look at those individuals doing some of the legwork for the foreign policy presented through the two-sided mouth of Mitt Romney.

Indeed, it is particularly revelatory that many of Romney’s advisers are not only members of organizations like the Council on Foreign Relations but also of Neo-Con think tanks like the Project for A New American Century[1] of 9/11 fame. Specifically, Romney Foreign Policy advisers such as Eliot Cohen, Robert Kagan, John Lehman, Vin Weber, and top adviser Dov Zakheim are all members of PNAC.

Thus, with so many direct connections to an organization like PNAC (among many others), it is much more clear as to why the Romney rhetoric sounds so familiar to what we heard for eight years under the Bush Administration.

Nevertheless, as I wrote in my article “Romney’s Foreign Policy Advisers Exposed As Globalists,”

Considering Romney’s attendance at the 2012 Bilderberg meeting and the apparent tendency of the elite in leaning to Romney as the next president, it is imperative that those who are aware of the forces truly guiding the United States and the rest of the world be prepared to shift gears, even if it is only temporary, and begin to expose Mitt Romney as the criminal globalist that he is.

Still, we must guard against being played like a tennis ball and rushing back into the arms of “Bush on steroids” Barack Obama. Unless we become significantly more streetwise than the general public has been in the past, the condition of the world will only continue to degenerate with every election, regardless of the results.

Read other articles by Brandon Turbeville here.

Brandon Turbeville is an author out of Mullins, South Carolina. He has a Bachelor's Degree from Francis Marion University and is the author of three books, Codex Alimentarius -- The End of Health Freedom, 7 Real Conspiracies, and Five Sense Solutions and Dispatches From a Dissident. Turbeville has published over 175 articles dealing on a wide variety of subjects including health, economics, government corruption, and civil liberties. Brandon Turbeville's podcast Truth on The Tracks can be found every Monday night 9 pm EST at UCYTV. He is available for radio and TV interviews. Please contact activistpost (at) gmail.com.

Monday, October 15, 2012

UK to Introduce National ID Scheme Using Mobile Phones and Social Media Profiles

Brandon Turbeville
Activist Post
October 13, 2012

Click image to enlarge / credit: Independent

Early in 2012, I wrote an article regarding India’s implementation of the Unique Identification (UID) Program for all of its 1.2 billion residents entitled, “Cashless Society: India Implements First Biometric ID Program Despite Growing Concern,” where I detailed the history, mechanisms and ultimate goals of the program. I followed this report by an article entitled, “Japan Proposes Next Phase of Centralized Surveillance,” dealing with the new Japanese UID with a similar analysis. But, while news of India and Japan’s massive National ID program was met with much surprise by many even in the alternative media, it may once again come as a surprise that yet another push for a National ID push is on the way - this time, in the UK.

Like the Indian and Japanese ice-breaker, the UK program is being developed in concert and collusion between the UK government and international corporations.

To be clear, the English version of the National ID is not the same as the Indian program. Biometrics have yet to enter into the equation.

In fact, at this point, the UK is only attempting to implement a “virtual ID” under the Identity Assurance Programme. Yet, the scheme is still raising some ire amidst privacy advocates and those still conscious enough to be aware that they are passengers on a train headed for a system of total surveillance and control if the engine is not soon shut off.

Others, of course, simply recognize the “public/private partnership” required to develop this type of system as a threat to their personal data and a potential source of unprecedented identity theft.

Nevertheless, the new back-door National ID scheme is being ushered in to the UK using similar justifications as that used by the Indian government when the UID program began – i.e. that the new program will improve and streamline the process of requesting, granting, receiving, and distributing government benefits and/or aid.

While India argued that the UID would cut down on fraud, the UK suggests that the program will free up an already-clogged system (due to a ravaged economy) and allow for a smoother and more streamlined process of distribution.

As Ian Burrell of The Independent writes:

The Government will announce details this month of a controversial national identity scheme which will allow people to use their mobile phones and social media profiles as official identification documents for accessing public services.

People wishing to apply for services ranging from tax credits to fishing licences and passports will be asked to choose from a list of familiar online log-ins, including those they already use on social media sites, banks, and large retailers such as supermarkets, to prove their identity.

Once they have logged in correctly by computer or mobile phone, the site will send a message to the government agency authenticating that user’s identity.

It has been reported that the Cabinet Office has held talks with agencies and organizations such as the “Post Office, high street banks, mobile phone companies and technology giants ranging from Facebook and Microsoft to Google, PayPal and BT.”

The system is supposed to be rolled out for trial in April when the Department of Work & Pensions introduces the system overhaul known as the Universal Credit Scheme.

Essentially, government “services” are being grouped together on one website, Gov.uk, which will be accessible via mobile phone. Those wishing to access the services will able to login with their already-established login IDs set-up with private companies.

The government claims that the ID systems and procedures “have been subjected to security testing before being awarded their ‘Identity Provider (IDP) kitemark, meaning that they have made the list of between five and 20 approved organizations that will be announced on 22 October.”

Those using the new virtual ID program will be asked to identify themselves by picking their preferred corporation from the NASCAR screen, the name of the logo-filled directory on the website.

As Ian Burrell describes:

Major web sites are able to recognise individuals by their patterns of use, the device they are accessing from and its location. Facebook, for example, asks users who sign on from an unusual location to take a series of security questions including identifying friends in photographs.

Much like the Japanese version of the Indian UID, the Basic Resident Register, the IAP is given the perception of being decentralized. For instance, the Cabinet Office has consistently stated that the data provided through accessing the IAP will not be held centrally by any government agency.

However, like the Japanese Juki-net, the fact is that the data will be included inside a centralized database. There is simply no way around it.

Thus, while the Cabinet Office states that the various corporations involved in the program will not know which government agency is requesting information, both the agencies and the Corporations are themselves a part of a centralized database, the very least of which being the Gov.uk website where individuals will go to access their services.

With this in mind, are we really to believe that such information will sit eternally unmolested by the UK central government? The Japanese made the mistake of resting with this assumption early on with the Basic Resident Register and the My Number Bill as well. Unfortunately for them, it was just a few years before the “localized” database became openly centralized.

Furthermore, simply setting up minuscule barriers, such as using the selected corporations as filters for inquiries and distribution of information, is largely meaningless in a world where such a small number of large corporations, banks, and other industry giants essentially own the government.

Again, the question must be asked: Are we really to believe that information sharing between such powerful corporations and governments will not occur due to the high ethical standards of either one? If the answer to this question is affirmative, surely, they jest.

Nevertheless, one must wonder how long it will be before the UK database becomes openly centralized like the Japanese Juki-net and Basic Resident Register program. One must also wonder how long the system will exist before reports of illegal information sharing begin to circulate within the media, subsequently culminating in the confirmation of such information sharing out in the open with no legal repercussions. How long will it be before the information sharing process is then codified into law?

If you think it sounds like the above questions are more a list of predictions than possibilities, you would be right. That’s because, using recent history as a guide, whether it be the Japanese Basic Resident Register, India, Germany, Argentina, Belgium, Colombia, Spain, Peru, or Italy, the same roadmap is almost always followed with the same results almost always being achieved – the establishment of a massive, all-encompassing (biometric) database containing information gleaned from every aspect of life by corporations, government, and other sources.

Of course, government databases and control are not the only concerns arising out of the new UK program.

As 21st Century Fix reports, there is also the issue of the commercial sale of the personal information submitted by the individual accessing his government services by the corporations facilitating that transaction. The report states:

I would, however, add a third reason not to proceed: I simply, frankly, don’t want to access government services using a privately contracted device I use in the rest of my life. That is to say, for me the real issue is the privatization of a virtual ID card system. That companies such as, for example, Facebook – with all its manifest privacy issues – should seriously be considered a partner in such a scheme is indicative of why so many social media sites now want us to use real identities. For there’s real money in them thar hills for owners of real-identity databases.

The really long-term business plan becomes evermore clear, doesn’t it?

Information creep was bad enough when governments suggested real-time Internet snooping. Knowing the efficiency of the private sector in extracting personal data from us to generate private profit, the Lord only knows what might happen when corporations get officially involved – and what’s more, with the full force of the law behind them in their every act and deed.

But while the concerns centered around the privatization of a virtual database are very real, as are those regarding identity theft, hacking, and centralization, the reality of the situation is much more grave than many of the opponents of the UK virtual ID are letting on. The true nature of the virtual ID scheme is rooted in the ultimate goal of creating an all-encompassing, top-down, cashless society combined with a Total Information Awareness network which includes every aspect of individual life.

While a “decentralized” voluntary virtual ID with allegedly built-in protections may seem like a far cry from a forced omnipotent surveillance state or a national ID, the fact is that the new scheme is merely one more step in that direction.

Obviously, the program will not be voluntary for long. As I have discussed in previous articles, the introduction of a program such as a national ID card, biometric data, or cashless payment technologies is always followed by the program becoming mandatory. The ultimate goal of an all-encompassing cashless surveillance program with no opt-out provisions is always introduced by stealth and the Gradualist Technique.

At first, the program is introduced as a way to speed up transactions, increase efficiency, and provide convenience. Soon, however, governments and businesses begin to transition out of the older methods of payment and identification and focus more on the new technology. Identification using the traditional methods remain as an option, but become viewed as cumbersome. Eventually, the alternative methods are phased out completely and mandates replace what was once a personal choice.

In the end, the statements and reassurances issued by the UK government (or any other government for that matter) should hold very little water with the English people. In terms of the development of virtual and/or biometric databases, government agencies have a track record of 0% when it comes to both honesty and integrity or having the best interests of their people at heart.

What governments cannot accomplish out in the open, they will accomplish by the backdoor as any American who has had experience with programs such as IDENT, NGI, and S-COMM can attest to.

History and experience both have shown that government cannot be trusted to tell the truth regarding potentially dangerous technologies and surveillance policies – much less be trusted to operate these programs with responsibility. It is for this reason that the English people must view the new virtual ID scheme with more than just a healthy dose of skepticism.

Read other articles by Brandon Turbeville here.

Brandon Turbeville is an author out of Mullins, South Carolina. He has a Bachelor's Degree from Francis Marion University and is the author of three books, Codex Alimentarius -- The End of Health Freedom, 7 Real Conspiracies, and Five Sense Solutions and Dispatches From a Dissident. Turbeville has published over one hundred articles dealing with a wide variety of subjects including health, economics, government corruption, and civil liberties. Brandon Turbeville is available for podcast, radio, and TV interviews. Please contact us at activistpost (at) gmail.com.

Tuesday, October 9, 2012

Episode 3 - Truth on the Tracks with Brandon Turbeville

Friday, October 5, 2012

Beyond the Propaganda: The Real Reason Why The U.S. and Israel Do Not Want a Nuclear Iran

Brandon Turbeville
Activist Post
October 4, 2012

As the war drums beat faster and louder for an aggressive assault against Iran amidst the shock and horror at the mere thought of Iran gaining an unproven and currently unfeasible nuclear weapon, there remains the occasional kernel of truth that manages to slip through the firewall of the mainstream media.

For instance, in an article published on October 2 in the Guardian entitled, “The true reason US fears Iranian nukes: they can deter US attacks,” Glenn Greenwald points out the fact that the main concern is not necessarily that Iran may be able to attack the United States or its allies (meaning Israel) with a nuclear bomb, but simply the fact that if Iran were to obtain such a weapon, it would be able to resist U.S. dominance and aggression more effectively.

Although clearly not the sole reason for a Western attack on Iran, Greenwald is correct to point out that destroying the ability of Iran to resist American assault is indeed part of the overarching agenda. Thus, soon after introducing the thesis of the article, Greenwald asks an important question.

That Iran will use its nuclear weapons against the US and Israel is rather obviously the centerpiece of the fear-mongering campaign against Tehran, to build popular support for threats to launch an aggressive attack in order to prevent them from acquiring that weapon. So what, then, is the real reason that so many people in both the US and Israeli governments are so desperate to stop Iranian proliferation?

He goes on to answer this question by writing, “Iranian nuclear weapons would prevent the US from attacking Iran at will, and that is what is intolerable.”

Ironically, Senator Lindsey Graham of South Carolina, whom Greenwald accurately refers to as “one of the US’s most reliable and bloodthirsty warmongers,” seems to agree with Greenwald’s thesis.

Dees Illustration

Brandon Turbeville
Activist Post

October 4, 2012

In yet another example of the blurring of the lines between civilian police and US military forces, Columbia, South Carolina police “officials” have announced that US Military Police from Ft. Jackson will be on the streets alongside civilian law enforcement after the South Carolina-Georgia football game this Saturday night, October 6.

According to reports by WISTV, Columbia will be spending more than $11,000 worth of overtime for 50 officers who will be placed in the Five Points and Vista areas after the game. The teams will be made up of University of South Carolina Campus Police, Richland County Sheriff’s Deputies, the South Carolina Highway Patrol, and Military Police from Ft. Jackson.

The plan will involve barricades, surveillance cameras, DUI checkpoints, and even observation towers “to keep the crowd under control.”

WISTV reports that the “Gang Unit,” “Narcotics Unit,” and the “Firearm Prevention Team,” “Quick Reaction Team,” and the “Special Unit For Quick Pickup of Detainees,” will be on hand for the massive police state buildup in Five Points. It should be noted that the “Firearm Prevention Team” will be receiving help from the ATF.

Citing a shooting and two mob assaults in the Five Points area after the South Carolina-Missouri game on Sept. 23 as justification for the Five Points buildup, Police Chief Les Wiser stated that regular police patrols would continue and that police presence in other parts of the city would not be limited.

While WISTV did state that the reason behind the presence of Ft. Jackson Military Police would be “in case any members of the armed forces are arrested,” it should be clear to all that US Military Troops working alongside civilian police is nothing more than a conditioning exercise designed to acclimate the American people to the sight of US Military troops acting as police and to see it as an ordinary event.

Unfortunately, the placement of military soldiers in civilian law enforcement capacity is not only a violation of the Posse Comitatus Act of 1878, it is now an increasingly common occurrence.

In the last few years we have seen US Military troops deployed all over the country for the purpose of assisting domestic law enforcement. For instance, U.S. Army personnel were deployed to the streets of Samson, Alabama in 2009 for the purposes of aiding the local police in patrols after a gunman left 10 people dead.

Even more common, the US Military has been involved in aiding local and state law enforcement conducting roadblocks for some time, even, as was the case in Tennessee, amidst the objections of some state officials.

In Virginia, the National Guard has been involved in conducting “wellness checks” as well as patrolling downtown city locations and residential neighborhoods.

Yet, even more disturbing is the wholesale deployment of US troops inside the United States known as USNORTHCOM. As Susanne Posel of Occupy Corporatism writes:

USNORTHCOM and Leon Panetta, US Secretary of Defense, has readily admitted that US armed forces will collaborate with local law enforcement 'if called upon'.

In fact, more than 20,000 troops were brought home and readied for deployment within the US to assist in 'civil unrest and crowd control'.

The US military will prop up the US Secret Service 'for operational security reasons we do not discuss the numbers of military personnel and resources that are involved. Additionally, we do not share our operational plans,' said U.S. Navy Lt. Cdr. William G. Lewis.

The extent of use of military forces on civilian matters, as reported by mainstream media (MSM) have included the reallocation of hundreds of military police officers being trained to 'assist local authorities' in investigation, crime scene and case building.

An estimated 500 military police and dogs will be used as 'law enforcement battalions'. These soldiers, having served on tours in Afghanistan, will now be activated and based out of military bases across America to help local police forces.

Clearly, the American people are being conditioned to accept the US Military as a domestic police force by the slow acclimation process of introducing military presence in a variety of different circumstances. Unfortunately, if there is any question as to whether or not the average American will be successfully duped by the conditioning effort being implemented by the US oligarchs, we need only look as far as the NFL, whose fans can now be subjected to the invasive TSA-style pat downs before entering the event.

If sports fans are willing to subject themselves to this form of demeaning treatment for the opportunity watch a game, then the mere presence of military personnel in the streets is not likely to alarm them.

Read other articles by Brandon Turbeville here.

Brandon Turbeville is an author out of Mullins, South Carolina. He has a Bachelor's Degree from Francis Marion University and is the author of three books, Codex Alimentarius -- The End of Health Freedom, 7 Real Conspiracies, and Five Sense Solutions and Dispatches From a Dissident. Turbeville has published over one hundred articles dealing with a wide variety of subjects including health, economics, government corruption, and civil liberties. Brandon Turbeville is available for podcast, radio, and TV interviews. Please contact us at activistpost (at) gmail.com.

Monday, October 1, 2012

CFR Report Suggests U.S. Preparing For Upcoming Venezuela Coup, Exploiting Civil Unrest

image source

Brandon Turbeville
Activist Post
September 29, 2012

As election drama intensifies in Venezuela, Anglo-American plans to initiate yet another destabilization effort in a sovereign nation seem to be manifesting via the usual suspects – American ambassadorial staff and the Council on Foreign Relations.

Under the leadership of President Hugo Chavez, Venezuela has been a stalwart source of resistance to the plans of the Anglo-Americans for several years, particularly since the George W. Bush administration and, like all other imperialist policies, continuing through the Obama administration.

Likewise, for just as long, Chavez’ government has been the target of US/NATO-backed destabilization efforts, covert operations, and political pressure.

Although Venezuela and the United States are held together by joint business interests involving petroleum exports and imports, this fact has done nothing to soften the tension between the two governments. Venezuela is, after all, the biggest supplier of petroleum to the United States. In turn, the United States is Venezuela’s biggest customer.

Nevertheless, both countries have been without ambassadors since 2010 due to Chavez’ rejection of the nomination of Larry Palmer by the Obama administration and Washington’s subsequent dismissal of the Venezuelan ambassador in response. Furthermore, the imperialist US sanctions regarding countries, banks, businesses, and individuals that do business with Iran were applied to the Venezuelan state oil company, Petroleos de Venezuela (PDVSA), in May 2011 after the US State Department claimed that PDVSA delivered two cargo shipments of refined petroleum products worth approximately $50 million to Iran between the months of December and March 2010-2011.

In addition, as NewsMax reports,

The U.S. also imposed penalties on Venezuela's Military Industries Co. for violating the Iran, North Korea and Syria Nonproliferation Act by selling or buying sensitive equipment and technology related to nuclear, chemical and biological weapons and ballistic missile systems.

Episode 2 - Truth on the Tracks with Brandon Turbeville

Wednesday, September 26, 2012

"Text-a-Tip" Snitch Program Invades Small-Town America

Brandon Turbeville
Activist Post
September 25, 2012

image source

In yet another example of the Big Brother-style snitch culture being fostered and implemented all across the country, the city of Marion, South Carolina, is now demonstrating how the oppressive surveillance state is no longer limited to large metropolitan areas and bigger cities already conditioned to living under the watchful eye of government. Now, even small towns such as Marion, with a population of 6,939 people, are getting in on the act.

According to WMBF News, the Marion Police Department is launching a new program that allows citizens to report “crimes” via text message.

The Department’s new “Text-a-Tip” program is scheduled to be operational by the end of September of this year. Much like the now infamous “See Something, Say Something” program being implemented by DHS in Wal-Marts, Hotels, and other available television screens, the MPD is encouraging everyone to text message (843) 430-0938 if they see a crime in progress or even so much as what they deem to be “suspicious activity.”

Unfortunately, one can assume that gangs of police preying upon the already economically destitute citizens of Marion day in and day out does not constitute reportable suspicious activity. After all, such has been the case in Marion for some time, as any unfortunate driver will easily attest to.

In regards to the launch of “Text-a-Tip,” Marion Mayor Rodney Berry stated, “This is just another option for citizens in our combined efforts to stop crime in the City of Marion. Together we can work to make Marion safer and to make a difference in our communities.”

Regrettably, Mayor Berry’s and the Marion Police Department’s plan will do virtually nothing to keep Marion safer. However, it will undoubtedly increase the number of snitching incidents resulting from vengeful individuals looking for quick returns on their or anger, or from otherwise nosy and frightful citizens whose paranoia is only increased by the incessant replays of police dramas and terror warnings paraded in front of them on television every single night.

“Text-a-Tip” is yet another technological program, much like the recently introduced CrimePush and PatriotApp smartphone programs aimed at providing the general public with all the tools necessary to
enslave themselves and their fellow citizens.

The Text-a-tip program is by no means unique to Marion, South Carolina, however. The fact is that low-tech programs of this type are becoming common place in cities large and small all across the country.

For instance, the cities of Springfield Massachussetts, Evanston, Illinois, and Boston have all implemented Text-a-Tip.

Even college campuses like the University of Southern California have introduced the program as well as High Schools such as Pottsgrove High in Pennsylvania.

In the end, “Text-a-Tip” is just one more snitch program to enable police to spy on the population they have sworn to protect, and justify even more confrontations with individuals they would otherwise have no authority to harass. Undoubtedly, this program will be used by a domesticated and terrorized citizenry to rat on their neighbors in yet one more embarrassing display of just how far the American people have fallen.

If you would like to contact the Marion Police Department and/or Marion Mayor Rodney Berry and express your dissatisfaction at the rollout of this new program, you can contact them using the following information:

Mayor Rodney Berry
(843) 423-5961
Fax: 843-423-8620
107 South Main Street
Marion, SC 29571

Marion Police Chief Jim Gray
(843) 423-8616
Fax: (843) 423-8604
Email: mpolice@marionsc.gov
1024 South Main St.
Marion, SC 29571
Read other articles by Brandon Turbeville here.

Brandon Turbeville is an author out of Mullins, South Carolina. He has a Bachelor's Degree from Francis Marion University and is the author of three books, Codex Alimentarius -- The End of Health Freedom, 7 Real Conspiracies, and Five Sense Solutions and Dispatches From a Dissident. Turbeville has published over one hundred articles dealing with a wide variety of subjects including health, economics, government corruption, and civil liberties. Brandon Turbeville is available for podcast, radio, and TV interviews. Please contact us at activistpost (at) gmail.com.

Thursday, September 20, 2012

Armed FBI Raid Targets Activist's Political Literature

Brandon Turbeville
Activist Post
September 18, 2012

Leah-Lynn Plante
photo: National Lawyers Guild

If anyone has any doubt as to whether or not the United States has earned the designation of “police state,” one need only look at the case of 24-year-old Leah-Lynn Plante, a Portland woman whose home was recently raided by paramilitary police in search of ordinary household items including “anarchist literature.”

Plante is currently enduring an affair with a special grand jury which risks seeing her imprisoned for civil contempt if she refuses to comply and possibly indicted for other, less-defined crimes.

In Plante’s case, the entire grand jury theatre is based on the stated attempt of the FBI and federal prosecutors to trace the root of several acts of vandalism in downtown Seattle on May Day of last year targeting several different banks and stores, particularly those of Niketown and Wells Fargo and a door of a federal court house. The vandalism is largely considered to be politically motivated and anarchists are the number one suspect. At least, that is the position of law enforcement.

But, while legitimate anarchists may very well have committed the criminal acts, the fact is also that police have been caught disguising themselves as activists, particularly of the anarchist variety, and committing violent acts for some time – all this for the purpose of placing the blame on activists and subsequently cracking down on protestors using the very acts committed by the police as justification for brute force and violation of rights. Interestingly enough, it was in Seattle where police were first widely exposed for such despicable behavior.

Not only that, but considering the history of the FBI in encouraging and facilitating outright acts of terror, one is clearly justified in second guessing the ability of the FBI or any other law enforcement agency to tell the truth in regards to an act of violence that precipitates the wholesale investigation of philosophically related activists.

The subsequent investigation of “anarchists” in the Seattle area following the vandalism thus makes us view the entire incident with skepticism, particularly in light of the fact that the FBI has conducted several militarized raids in both Seattle and Portland in recent months which are openly targeting political activity and Constitutionally protected paraphernalia.

As a result, Plante was served a federal summons to appear in front of a grand jury in Seattle. Yet, instead of a typical arrest warrant delivery style, Plante was awakened in the early hours of July 25 by an FBI raid. The agents, she claimed, smashed in her front door with a battering ram, rushed in, complete with drawn assault rifles and, according to Plante, “looking paramilitary.”

Plante’s claims are backed up by witnesses to other raids conducted by the FBI in Seattle and Portland which also state that both federal and local police burst into private homes while the occupants were sleeping, held them at gunpoint, and searched through their belongings, particularly their bookshelves, looking for evidence of political affiliation as opposed to evidence of a crime.

According to Brendan Kiley of The Stranger, a copy of the search warrant shows that the paramilitary intruders were in search of “black clothing, paint, flags, computers and cell phones, and ‘anti-government or anarchist literature.’”

Kiley points out the absurdity of issuing a warrant for such items by writing, “For the record, I executed a quick search of my home early this morning and found black clothing, cans of paint, sticks, cloth, electronics, and ‘anarchist literature.’”

This is an important point because none of these objects were alleged to be the same objects that were used in the commission of a crime nor are they illegal to possess on their own. However, the raids and the subsequent possible indictments that will be based upon them continue to set a dangerous precedent that the government can and will target anyone who not only actively or tacitly opposes its conduct, but also those who simply do not conform to the “new normals” provided to the general public by the culture creators in Hollywood and tax-free foundations.

Interestingly enough, Plante said that some of the agents involved in the raid, while initially very aggressive, eventually started to appear confused at not finding a cache of guns and violent anarchists hiding in their lair. She said, “It seemed like what they expected was some armed stronghold. But it’s just a normal house, with normal stuff in the pantry, lots of cute animals, and everyone here was docile and polite.”

As President of the Seattle chapter of the National Lawyers Guild, Neil Fox, stated, “When I see a search warrant that targets political literature, I get nervous.”

Fox also stated that raids like those made on Plante’s home may have a chilling effect on free speech and an even longer lasting “negative effect on the country – you want to have robust discussions about political issues without fear.”

He went on to say “’Anti-government literature’ is so broad. What does that include? Does that include the writings of Karl Marx? Will that subject me to having my door kicked in and being dragged in front of a grand jury?”

If Plante’s case is anything to go by, then the answer to Fox’s question might very well be “yes.”

While grand juries have the potential to be used for good, the fact is that, in 2012, all they have is potential. As Riley writes,

Nowadays, Fox said, grand juries are often used by prosecutors and investigators who have run out of leads. But grand juries are secret, so it’s difficult to know what the prosecutor is really doing. And the effects of raids and subpoenas like the ones in Seattle and Portland may be more about putting on the dramatic public spectacle of dragging people through the mud than investigating a crime.

Will Potter of GreenIsTheNewRed has documented numerous accounts of abuse of power and the violation of activists’ rights since the 1990s to the present. In cases like Plante’s, Potter suggests that law enforcement is actually trying to silence free speech.

In an interview with Brendan Kiley of The Stranger, Potter stated, “Sometimes, law enforcement believes this knocking-down-the-door, boot-on-the-throat intimidation is part of a crime-prevention strategy.” Meaning, simply frightening off potential “offenders.” However, Potter also suggests that one goal may be “social mapping,” or the gleaning of information, contacts, and connections between activists via obtaining “address books, cell phones, and hard drives.”

Yet Potter also points out the distinct differences between what law enforcement is told they are being trained to combat and what they are really being trained to combat. “There’s a huge disconnect between what the FBI and local police are being told and trained for, and what the reality is,” he says. “There are presentations about ominous, nihilistic, black-clad, bomb-throwing, turn-of-the-century caricatures – the reality is that many anarchists are just organizing gathering spaces, free libraries, free neighborhood kitchens.”

Indeed, Potter is largely correct. Much like how law enforcement was once trained to violate the Constitution based upon the fear of Muslim al-Qaeda terrorists, law enforcement is now trained to take on “white al-qaeda,” Christians, and Constitutionalists as well as animal rights advocates and environmentalists.

Yet, when law enforcement confronts these individuals, with few exception, the reality is much different from the perception held by the agents of the state who rush in with reckless abandon to deal death and destruction upon their unsuspecting victims.

Plante’s case, in this context, is not surprising. After all, police have been trained for some time that literature which questions the legitimacy of the state or even the mere manifestation of that legitimacy is grounds for search, seizure, or even arrest. For instance, one need only take a look at the now famous video of police conducting a post-arrest car search where, upon discovering “anarchist” literature in the back seat, they ponder as to whether or not the book is legal.

Nevertheless, in the face of potential loss of her liberty, Leah-Lynn Plante is taking a very courageous stand in regards to the federal grand jury proceedings. Beyond providing her name and birth date, Plante is refusing to testify to the grand jury for reasons of personal conviction. In short, Plante says she is refusing to cooperate with an FBI that has repeatedly violated the rights of innocent people.

Prior to her second appearance in front of the federal grand jury, Plante issued a statement explaining her position and her refusal to cooperate. She said:

This will be the second time I have appeared before the grand jury, and the second time I have refused to testify. The first time was on August 2nd. I appeared as ordered and identified myself. I was asked if I would be willing to answer any questions. I said, 'No' and was dismissed after being served a second subpoena. Over a month later, my answer is still the same. No, I will not answer their questions. I believe that these hearings are politically motivated. The government wants to use them to collect information that it can use in a campaign of repression. I refuse to have any part of it. I will never answer their questions, I will never speak.

She continued:

I know that if I am taken away, I will not be alone. We have friends and comrades all around the world standing behind us, and even though this has been one of the most traumatizing experiences of my life, I have never felt so supported or loved. I can only speak for myself, but I have every faith that the others subpoenaed to these hearings will likewise refuse. And I know that hundreds of people have called the US Attorney demanding that they end this tribunal. Hundreds of organizations, representing thousands of people, signed onto a statement expressing solidarity with those of us under attack and demanding an end to this sort of repression. I know that those people will continue to support me, the others subpoenaed, and the targets of the investigation. That spirit of solidarity is exactly what the state fears. It is the source of our strength, yours and mine. And that strength shows itself in every act of resistance.

Unfortunately, if Plante is found guilty of civil contempt for refusing to answer the jury’s questions, she faces a possible lengthy prison sentence -- theoretically life behind bars. Considering the paranoia and iron-fisted nature of the judicial system ever since 9/11, Plante undoubtedly faces more than a weekend in jail.

In the end, Plante’s case is emblematic of the now standard operating procedure of law enforcement agencies like the FBI. That is to say, heavy-handed, aggressive tactics which target political activity and thoughtcrime justified by an increasingly questionable sequence of events. Whatever one thinks of the political tenants of anarchy, the fact is that Plante appears to be just another victim of an increasingly free speech-resistant police state. We should certainly be watching her case closely.

Read other articles by Brandon Turbeville here.

Brandon Turbeville is an author out of Mullins, South Carolina. He has a Bachelor's Degree from Francis Marion University and is the author of three books, Codex Alimentarius -- The End of Health Freedom, 7 Real Conspiracies, and Five Sense Solutions and Dispatches From a Dissident. Turbeville has published over one hundred articles dealing with a wide variety of subjects including health, economics, government corruption, and civil liberties. Brandon Turbeville is available for podcast, radio, and TV interviews. Please contact us at activistpost (at) gmail.com.

Brandon Turbeville - Agenda 21 & the COG Strategy Pt. 3

Brandon Turbeville - Agenda 21 & The COG Strategy Pt. 2

Wednesday, September 19, 2012

Truth on the Tracks with Brandon Turbeville - Episode 1

Tuesday, September 18, 2012

Med Gas Fields Discovery Leading to Battle for Wealth in Volatile Middle East

Brandon Turbeville
Activist Post
September 18, 2012

As virtually the entire Muslim world erupts in violent protest over a very questionable anti-Islam propaganda video, the Syrian destabilization continues, the murder of the US ambassador to Libya is a world headline, and the impeding war with Iran looms heavier, one can easily see the build-up to a literal clash of civilizations of unprecedented proportions. Coupled with the worldwide economic depression and the constant edging closer of a confrontation between the West and Russia and China, one can only wonder when the world will plunge into an unfortunate and totally destructive third world war.

However, with so much focus placed upon the issues mentioned above, it seems that we may add yet another potential tinderbox for the total disintegration of world civilization. This new tinderbox is the underreported Med gas fields – a grouping of natural gas fields that are claimed, at least in part, by Israel, Lebanon, Palestine, and Cyprus, with vested interests held by Turkey and Russia. Iran, Syria, and Egypt are also paying very close attention to developments made in this particular region, as any military conflicts resulting from controversy would affect these nations in a very personal fashion.

The official announcement of the existence of the Med gas fields was announced as far back as 2000, when it was discovered that major gas fields were found off the Palestinian Gaza strip. Typically, Israel is blocking efforts to develop these fields out of fear that such natural resources will provide an injection of economic activity and funding to the embattled Palestinian people.

In 2009-2010, Israel announced that yet more natural gas fields were found in the Eastern Mediterannean sea, which has become one of the largest natural gas finds in the region. Two of the largest fields, known as Tamar and Leviathan (quite interesting and foreboding names when one considers the Jewish and Christian religious texts and traditions), are largely accepted as belonging to Israel.

However, in addition to the dispute surrounding the fields off the Palestinian Gaza Strip, the Lebanese also claim some rights to the natural gas under the Mediterannean sea. In fact, the Lebanese claim that some of the natural gas belonging to Israel encroaches upon Lebanese maritime waters.

260 miles west of Israel, Cyprus also sits atop a massive natural gas field. According to Cypriot figures, the fields hold enough natural gas to make the tiny nation energy independent for the next 200 hundred years even while Cyprus becomes a gas exporter.

Yet, in what could become yet another facet to the controversy between natural gas field claims centering around Israel, the Israeli maritime waters directly adjoin those of Cyprus. Even more so, Israel’s biggest natural gas field, Leviathan, appears to extend all the way into Cyprus’ waters, presenting the world with yet another potentially explosive maritime claim confrontation.

In anticipation of such a row, Israel announced early last year that the Israeli Navy was preparing plans to defend the fields. The plan is by no means miniscule as the mass of the gas fields is twice as big as the Israeli state itself – no short order for any military. With that in mind, the naval plan must carry with it the ability to defend offshore drilling vessels, undersea pipelines, production platforms, transportation ships, and other types of gas drilling equipment.

As UPI reported in 2011, “Israel's military command has been planning to expand the 7,000-person navy, the smallest of the country's armed services, for some time. Priority has gone primarily to acquiring three more Dolphin-class submarines from Germany to double the size of this strategic force capable of hitting Iran.”

This announcement came as Iranian warships moved into the area on what the Iranians deemed a “training and flag-showing operation.” While there were no altercations in this particular circumstance, the tension between Israel and Iran has only grown sharper in the year since.

As Israel moves to develop defensive plans for its natural gas find, Egypt has also stated that it will be watching the Mad Dog of the Middle East closely to ensure that it will not infringe upon sovereign Egyptian territory.

Yet interest in the Med gas fields is by no means confined to a small circle of Middle Eastern nations plus Cyprus. Russia, too, is seriously concerned over the potential challenge these gas finds may pose to their virtual monopoly over the natural gas supply to Western Europe. If Cyprus, Israel, Lebanon, or Palestine become gas exporters, Russia would then see its control over the Western European customer base threatened.

Thus, Moscow has been courting both Israel and Cyprus, in the form of massive energy company Gazprom who is now reportedly in talks with Israel regarding a possible deal involving a large injection of funds to encourage and facilitate further gas exploration in the region.

Furthermore, Turkey also may have a vested interest in the decisions being made over the Med fields. Although Turkey seized the Northern part of Cyprus after an invasion in 1974, the southern part of Cyprus remains under Greek-Cypriot control. Given the level of imperialist behavior being exhibited by Turkey in recent months over the NATO-backed Syrian destabilization, one can only wonder just how long the divided nation will be able to resist the temptation to lay its own claim to the gas fields in some way or another.

All in all, the Med gas fields discovery only add yet another dimension to an already volatile situation in the Middle Eastern region. With so many players having direct financial and energy-related interests in the fields, others with indirect interests, and others still who have the potential to be drawn in to any potential confrontations that might result, one thing is clear – the Med is a geopolitical time bomb just waiting to explode.

Read other articles by Brandon Turbeville here.

Brandon Turbeville is an author out of Mullins, South Carolina. He has a Bachelor's Degree from Francis Marion University and is the author of three books, Codex Alimentarius -- The End of Health Freedom, 7 Real Conspiracies, and Five Sense Solutions and Dispatches From a Dissident. Turbeville has published over one hundred articles dealing with a wide variety of subjects including health, economics, government corruption, and civil liberties. Brandon Turbeville is available for podcast, radio, and TV interviews. Please contact us at activistpost (at) gmail.com.

Friday, September 14, 2012

The American Corporate Party and the Derailing of Revolution

Brandon Turbeville
Activist Post
September 13, 2012

As the Presidential campaigns begin to heat up, it is thoroughly apparent that the vast majority of Americans will once again fall into the trap of political bickering, party affiliation, and personality cults.

One only needs to talk with their friends and family, watch social media sites, or listen to the callers of talk radio to understand that 2012 will be yet one more year where the populace is further divided and conquered by a force that spans both political parties.

Although the reason for the effectiveness of the steam valve known in the United States as elections goes much deeper than the mere greed and corruption of political parties and the complicity of the mainstream media, the fact is that, if we are to avoid a repeat of every other election year in American history and a continued dominance of the status quo, the American people must soon take drastic steps to ensure it.

This, however, is much easier said than done. Most Americans are not truly aware of the levels to which they are controlled as pawns on the political chessboard, much less the lengths to which they are controlled in their culture and personal lives. Yet, even those individuals who are largely awake to the forces directing society are both consistently and easily pulled back into the counterproductive game of political debate and supporting candidates whose best description by their supporters can only be that they are “the lesser of two evils.” Thus, individuals who are aware of larger conspiracies regarding 9/11, world government, Zionism, corporate finance oligarchy, and many others are caught in a web of pointlessly defending a candidate who is wholly owned by the very forces they seek to overthrow.

Generally, this reaction is produced by the inherent evil of the progression of events having taken place during the tenure of the current President or other elected politician briefly in the crosshairs of the exasperated voter. The tragedy of the Bush years was itself enough to produce a revolution of “swarming youth” weary of eight years worth of economic degradation, war, imperialism and a growing police state who now yearned for the “change” they were told would come if they would throw their faith and support behind the supposed opposite of George W. Bush. Yet, after four years of not only a continuance of these very same policies, but an acceleration of them, many are confronted with a similar non-choice in 2012.

While it is true that many on the left will simply not vote for Mitt Romney, it is also true that many on the right – mainstream republicans, conservatives, and even some libertarians – will inevitably go to the ballot box and support a man who embodies the same finance oligarchy, war machine, and austerity measures as the President they so despise. They will, as they put it, vote “NoBama” in 2012. Indeed, after the dismal past four years, it will seem to many of these individuals that almost anything will be better than the current administration.

On the left, however, after watching numerous speeches made by the Republican candidate crying for genocidal spending cuts, confrontation with Russia, and praise for the wealthy, a sizable portion of mainstream Democrats, Liberals, and Greens will be thoroughly frightened into voting for a man who represents what they perceive as an enormous threat. What may have, at first, prompted many of these individuals to simply stay home on Election Day will prompt them to run to the polls and support “their” President who, in turn, embodies these very same principles.

As a result, any shred of principles that the Libertarian/True Conservative and True Liberal/Green crowd may have laid claim to will evaporate as the propaganda intensifies. To support Obama, the left will also support perpetual war, shredding the social safety net, and banker bailouts. To support Romney, ironically, the right will use the very same arguments.

Yet the obsession with the two parties does not begin and end with the Presidential or U.S. Congressional elections. The intentionally divisive party politics continues all the way down to the local level in cities and towns across the country with unwitting voters supporting and opposing policies deemed acceptable by the system which are, in reality and unbeknownst to the useful idiots below, virtually identical to one another.

Regardless of one’s political pedigree, the fact is that there is a real temptation to return to the particular political party tailored to one’s bias during trying times, or when victory seems within the realm of possibility.

Indeed, the ultimate goal of recent political action seems to be centered around the victory of some electable messiah who will enter his office and enact timid and watered-down versions of the desires of those sweating blood for his campaign.

The oligarchy then watches in confidence as the two political parties wait in the wings to co-opt and redirect whatever movement arises, knowing that it will be only a matter of time before whatever legitimate opposition they face will soon fade into the recesses of history. Thus, it is safe to say that every political movement in the country is better off without the Republican or Democratic Parties.

For those on the political right, the most obvious examples of the deleterious nature of the Republican party might be the Ron Paul campaign that, ironically, took place inside of it; and the Tea Party protest movement which raised the eyebrows of the establishment long enough for it to take serious notice.

The amount of energy expended by devoted Ron Paul supporters was, in large part, the sole reason that Ron Paul’s presidential campaign was as successful as it was. Doing more with less, Paul’s campaign was able to take advantage of diehard supporters, activists, organizers, and the Internet to provide (at least at one point) serious contention for the Republican nomination.

Regardless of what one thinks of Paul’s economic theories, or the subsequent cozying up to the Romney campaign and Republican establishment, the fact is that, at every step of the way, the Ron Paul campaign was sabotaged at every turn. Despite Paul having been a legitimate member of the Republican party and a consistently-successful one in terms of elections, Paul’s campaign was represented as an interloper from the Libertarians and was treated accordingly. Again, despite bringing record numbers of young people into the Republican Party, an unfortunate result of his candidacy but one which the Republicans sorely needed, Paul was still ostracized and mocked in the meetings of Republican elites and Party operatives.

Numerous statements were openly made to the press by the Republican Party officials that Ron Paul would not receive the nomination even if he were to win the elections. Voter fraud abounded. When Paul did when the vote, it was not announced to the public until the wind had been sufficiently removed from his sails.

Even after the damage was done and the campaign’s death knell had tolled, the Republican leadership directing the RNC delegate count would not even allow the Paul camp to count the votes in a legitimate fashion as the delegates for Ron Paul were automatically counted as being for Mitt Romney.

Yet the truth is that the campaign was dead on arrival. The Ron Paul Revolution never had any hope. But it was not because the Ron Paul supporters were incompetent or not dedicated enough or even because the campaign was inserting itself into the Republican machine – it was because the campaign sought to become the Republican machine instead of seeking to defeat it. Likewise, it was because the Republican machine sought to consume the Ron Paul Revolution. Once the merger began to take place, with the Paul campaign’s cozying up to Romney, Neo-con Rand Paul becoming the face of the movement, and the obsession with convention speaking slots, recognition as the new face of the party, and other Republican-based trophies, the Ron Paul Revolution became the Republican Co-opt.

Such was also the fate of the Tea Party, ironically, another Ron Paul-related event. Beginning as far back as the tail-end of the Bush years, the Tea Party initially was a dedicated grouping of true Conservatives and Libertarians who were opposed to the Neo-Con ideology. The Tea Party only grew stronger after the election of Barack Obama who both continued and intensified all of the Neo-Con policies under left cover. The Tea Party, however, while of a more right-aligned stance, was neither Republican nor Democrat.

As the movement grew, however, particularly around the time of the debate centering around the Patient Protection and Affordable Care Act (Obamacare), the mainstream media began portraying the Tea Party as racist, rightwing Republicans. This portrayal became the perception of an entire nation of television fanatics and, eventually, a self-fulfilling prophecy. As more and more rightwing Republicans saw the reports regarding the Tea Party and became convinced that it was, in fact, a grouping of rightwing Republicans, the Tea Party itself became infiltrated by the mainstream Republican contingent that supports the same policies as Barack Obama, yet opposes him only because of the “D” in front of his name.

When the Tea Party made an attempt to infiltrate the Republican Party, it was soon discovered that the Republican Party cannot be used for good in any real sense of mass movement. Coupled with the fact that the Tea Party was being flooded with mainstream Republicans, the demise of the true Tea Party, of which there is very few outposts left and virtually no politically relevant remnants, was only a matter of time. Indeed, it was in very short order that the Tea Party became an organizing platform for Glenn Beck, Sarah Palin, and Paul Ryan – individuals who are the complete antithesis of everything the Tea Party stood for when it first began.

Thus, as in the case of the Ron Paul Revolution, the Tea Party’s attempt to infiltrate the Republican Party, coupled with the desire to be accepted by it, ultimately resulted in the complete co-opt and absorption of the movement.

As mentioned earlier, however, the act of co-opting a legitimate movement by specific wings of the American Corporate Party is by no means specific to the right. The left-wing branches of organic peoples’ movements have themselves been co-opted and derailed with lightning speed in recent years.

The first and most obvious example of this is the abject failure of the Occupy movement. Indeed, in the case of the Occupy Movement, it is apparent that the culture creators and intelligence community were well-prepared to counter any popular uprising, particularly one functioning as an offshoot of the union protests in the Midwest, movement which itself was derailed directly by the Democratic Party and the opportunists and agents working within it.

When the Occupy movement first began in the fall of 2011 as a semi-organic uprising with populist tendencies, the protesters understood one of the keys to drawing attention through physical demonstration, meaning that one should not leave the area of demonstration until one’s demands are met. For weeks, the protesters in New York and other cities fought inclement weather, typical brutish police, and other poor conditions which come with camping out in city streets. Yet the mainstream media completely ignored the movement. Even as the protests grew to cities all across the country, it was at least two weeks before any mention was made by major news networks.

Because Occupy was crippled by lack of cohesion from the start, there was an inherent inability to form concrete demands for such an effective method of protest. Thus, as it has been stated before, where no leader exists, one will be provided.

The leaders provided were, of course, were organizations like AdBusters, David Graeber, and George Soros’ Open Society Institute and Tides Foundation. The Occupy movement was theneffectively derailed by these organizations and turned into a caricature of social protest with ridiculous methods of decision making such as the General Assembly, hand signals, and an utterly laughable determination to refuse making actual demands. Occupy unfortunately became an exercise in fit- throwing whose biggest moral struggle was for the right to camp in the city park.

With typical opportunism, the Democratic Party soon began repeating the talking points given to Occupy via the Foundations and phony spokesman provided to the movement. As traditionally Democratic-based operative organizations began endorsing Occupy, the movement became more and more focused on Republican treachery and much more tolerant of that perpetrated by the Democrats. In the end, Occupy was reduced to staging protests in support of political correctness and wedge issues, and against vague social ills such as sexism.

Like the Tea Party and Ron Paul Revolution correlation, the derailing of Occupy Wall Street was devised much earlier on with the Democratic Party Co-opt of the Wisconsin pro-union/anti-austerity protests. The Occupy movement was, after all, a development that resulted largely from the fallout of the collective bargaining protests which had erupted in Wisconsin regarding the fascist Governor Scott Walker and his attempt to impose austerity and union-busting programs upon state workers.

What resulted from Walkers’ assault on worker’s hard won rights was a protest movement of unprecedented proportions. As other fascist Governors such as Kasich of Ohio, Snyder of Michigan, and Mitch Daniels of Indiana, began launching simultaneous attacks against workers in their respective states, resistance began popping up in these areas of the country as well. The swelling of opposition to fascism was such that the protests in Wisconsin are, at this point, the largest protests to ever have taken place in Wisconsin.

But it was only a matter of time before opportunists within the Wisconsin Democratic Party began to smell the blood boiling in the veins of the people in the street and began positioning themselves to appear as if they had been in solidarity with them all along.

Yet, unfortunately, one cannot attribute the failure of the Wisconsin resistance entirely to Democratic Party treachery. There was, after all, a desire among many of the protesters to achieve recognition by the Democratic Party to begin with. Others, of course, may have already been attached to the Democrats before the protests even began.

Regardless of the political pedigrees of many of the protesters, the fact is that the protesters were largely successful in putting pressure upon elected officials, particularly Governor Scott Walker, where enough signatures were gathered by protesters and activists so that he was actually recalled and a another vote was required.

However, with such a golden opportunity, everything the protesters had fought for was thrown away when the resistance joined forces with the Democratic Party. As soon as the champion of the Wisconsin protests became former Mayor Tom Barrett, a typical Wall Street Democrat in the mold of the Obama/Romney dichotomy, the revolution had certainly ended. A legitimate stirring of revolution had now become just another divisive political circus with an outcome that would be largely irrelevant in the long run. Barrett lost but, even if he had won, the big tent of the Wisconsin State House would have only substituted one clown for another.

Nevertheless, when the dust had settled, Scott Walker survived his recall challenge, and the right of state workers to collectively bargain was shredded. Even more so, Walker was now able to claim that he was given a mandate – twice – to continue his assault on the living standards of the American people.

In the end, he aforementioned co-opted and derailed movements are only four of many who never truly got off the ground as a result of the pandering to and insidious nature of the two major American political parties.

Thus, one must come to the conclusion from the unfolding of events discussed in this article that any social or political movement that seeks to use or allows itself to be used by the two major political parties is doomed from the start. Indeed, it should be absolutely clear that all social and political movements, whatever they may be, are better off without the Republican or Democratic parties.

While strategic infiltration at times may be necessary at this stage of the game, both the Republican and Democratic Parties are entirely too corrupt to be changed from within and any attempt to do so is simply fighting a losing battle. In addition, it must be understood that neither can any movement cooperate with the two Parties without itself being consumed and co-opted by that respective wing of the corporate oligarchy.

Ultimately, both the Republican and Democratic parties must be absolutely rejected and discarded from any legitimate social or political resistance. It is high time that protesters, activists, and dissenters alike realize that the two parties do not represent potential vehicles for change but a roadblock obstacle to it.

If a political party is a necessary piece of the puzzle to realizing political progress, then an entirely new party must be formed. It cannot be the Republican Party. It cannot be the Democratic Party. And it cannot be the Libertarian or Green Parties. These establishments are over and done with as an effective or even potential vehicle for political change and they are not coming back. That is, if they were ever here to begin with. It is high time for all activists to acknowledge this fact.

It is also time for Libertarians, Union activists, Ron Paul supporters, anti-austerity protesters, and all others to acknowledge that their movements have, heretofore, been completely derailed.

Ron Paul supporters must acknowledge that the Ron Paul Revolution, as an attempt to push Paul into office, is over. In this regard, the Revolution has failed. It absolutely must be realized that the Republican Party was a major factor in the Revolution’s destruction. Likewise for Tea Party activists, it is imperative to understand that your movement no longer exists and that it has been absorbed by the Republican Party. You do not have to desert the principles, but you do have to desert the Party.

Socialists, Greens, Unions, and anti-austerity champions must also acknowledge that the Wisconsin anti-austerity, pro-worker’s rights rallies achieved nothing in terms of political capital. The Democratic Party was the central reason for this failure. Likewise, the Occupy movement participants must realize that Occupy has now become irrelevant as a political force. With a combination of other factors, the Democratic Party has played a role in its demise as well.

Activists taking part in both movements must now sit down and acknowledge the fact that they have been betrayed by their respective political pedigree establishments. Subsequently, they must ask themselves, “How is this the case?” How have movements on the two different sides of the political spectrum been betrayed by their respective parties? The answer should be abundantly clear – because the parties are simply a tentacle of the same governing force that these movements are working so hard to oppose. The parties are only different in their manner of presentation – not in substance. They are both owned by Corporations, Wall Street, Secret Societies, and other branches of the Shadow Government.

There is no saving the Parties and there should no longer be any attempt to do so. These institutions thrive on the hard work of determined activists and, for this reason among many others, determined activists must remove themselves from their midst. You must allow the tired talking points and discredited directors do their own dirty work while pushing yet another repetition of the same system. You must focus on creating an entirely new structure for political change, a feat which can only be accomplished when all ties to the Republicans and Democrats have been severed.

With that in mind, it is wise to be aware of the fact that the most important aspect of a true political change driven by a political or social movement is not just leadership, it is a program. It is the demands of that movement.

Any movement that seeks to accomplish something more than mere television time absolutely must develop a program that provides the participants a goal to strive for and provides those on the fence with a possibility to judge. Any protest without demands is nothing more than a temper tantrum.

No activist can ever be content to simply complain about the state of the current system, he must provide solutions to it. He must be prepared to answer the question of “what will you do differently?” He must be prepared to address the concern which is, simply put, “Once you seize power, what will you do?”

With that being said, it is paramount to understand the goal of protest, activism, and revolution – the seizing of power. As Webster Tarpley has stated on many occasions, “Protest is for wimps. Revolutionaries seize power!”

Indeed, Tarpley is correct. We can no longer take to the streets for a day and hope that our voices have been heard. They haven’t.

We can no longer engage in coordinated action and demand that those in power simply figure out the solutions, whatever they are, and implement them. They won’t.

We must engage in coordinated political action which is sustained and based upon clear and concrete demands.

We must provide the solutions to the system that is currently broken and we must provide an alternative to the system we seek to abolish.

The control system exists because of our cooperation with it and it will end as soon as we refuse to comply.

Read other articles by Brandon Turbeville here.

Brandon Turbeville is an author out of Mullins, South Carolina. He has a Bachelor's Degree from Francis Marion University and is the author of three books, Codex Alimentarius -- The End of Health Freedom, 7 Real Conspiracies, and Five Sense Solutions and Dispatches From a Dissident. Turbeville has published over one hundred articles dealing with a wide variety of subjects including health, economics, government corruption, and civil liberties. Brandon Turbeville is available for podcast, radio, and TV interviews. Please contact us at activistpost (at) gmail.com.

Brandon Turbeville

Pages

Sunday, October 21, 2012

Episode 4 - Truth on the Tracks with Brandon Turbeville

Friday, October 19, 2012

Occupy the Vote: Guest Bev Harris on Occupy Interview ---Bev Harris Answers Three Questions Posed By Brandon Turbeville Via Email

Thursday, October 18, 2012

Open War Policy Revealed by Romney's NeoCon Advisers

Monday, October 15, 2012

UK to Introduce National ID Scheme Using Mobile Phones and Social Media Profiles

Tuesday, October 9, 2012

Episode 3 - Truth on the Tracks with Brandon Turbeville

Friday, October 5, 2012

Beyond the Propaganda: The Real Reason Why The U.S. and Israel Do Not Want a Nuclear Iran

Military Employed For Crowd Control At College Football Game This Saturday

Monday, October 1, 2012

CFR Report Suggests U.S. Preparing For Upcoming Venezuela Coup, Exploiting Civil Unrest

Brandon Turbeville on End The Lie Radio - Episode 34

Episode 2 - Truth on the Tracks with Brandon Turbeville

Wednesday, September 26, 2012

"Text-a-Tip" Snitch Program Invades Small-Town America

Thursday, September 20, 2012

Armed FBI Raid Targets Activist's Political Literature

Brandon Turbeville - Agenda 21 & the COG Strategy Pt. 3

Brandon Turbeville - Agenda 21 & The COG Strategy Pt. 2

Wednesday, September 19, 2012

Truth on the Tracks with Brandon Turbeville - Episode 1

Tuesday, September 18, 2012

Med Gas Fields Discovery Leading to Battle for Wealth in Volatile Middle East

Friday, September 14, 2012

The American Corporate Party and the Derailing of Revolution