They lost their mind or US is going the way of military dictatorship. This is why civilian control is important.

The United States military or equipment should NOT be used in operations in the USA!

Someone has some explaining to do and right now!

They won't use them on the border but they are being used on US???

Sounds like a government that is at war with its own citizens. A government of vindictive bureaucrats, that has set up system where aspect of activity requires a fee and a permit or permission. A government that decides what is best for themselves and ignores the wishes of its citizens. We have more people in jail than any other other country, we have more people with criminal records than any other place in the world. Half the local news is about who was arrested for drugs and what government official was indicted for stealing. The purpose of most of the government is to give jobs that actually reduce prosperity.

Geowil: Remember Hollywood a few years ago? Two bank robbers held off the entire police force because the bad guys had better weapons and armor? Well guess what-the bad guys still have better equipment than your average cop.

Near as I can tell from the article, the drones are still US military. What's wrong with using them? Give the operators experience, help protect the ground troops local cops...Look at the given example. Would you rather walk into that situation blind, or would you rather have a clue before charging in? I know what the common-sense answer is...

Honestly, who wouldn't want military drones flying around our neighborhoods, watching us and protecting us from terrorists. Anyone COULD be a terrorist, so everyone SHOULD be watched, right?

If someone does something suspicious, the drone could destroy them, just in case they might be thinking about breaking a law.

Don't worry, your government will protect you from the terrorists.

Now shhh, don't worry about freedom, go back to sleep.

The transformation of the local cops into paramilitary troops has been achieved with little notice or critique. One possible explanation is that the change has been evolutionary rather than revolutionary. Given the fact that a typical police organization is filled with gun-happy, military buffs with authoritarian mentality, it should not come as a surprise that cops have become paramilitary troops armed with heavy-duty military machine-guns, grenades, armor vehicles, and helicopter gunships. The use of military surveillance aircraft, the Predator Drone, is the natural extension of the paramilitary mentality.

The mission of these military weapons is not the deterrence of the common crimes: theft, burglary, rape or even armed robbery. The real objective is the suppression and oppression of the American people.

Gradually, little by little, bits by bits, Americans are losing their liberty almost imperceptibly. TSA has infringed the 4^th Amendment. The assassination of disloyal American citizens living abroad has eroded the 5^th and 14^th Amendment. The power to arrest, torture and long-term incarceration of any person in a US military prison without the right to have counsel and a civilian court hearing violated the 6^th, 5^th, 8^th and 14^th Amendment. The arrest of Occupy Wall Street demonstrators and their eviction from public places are violation of the 1^st Amendment. America has waged wars for almost 10 years in Afghanistan, Yemen and Pakistan without the official Declaration of War as required by the US Constitution. In this Brave New World Order, apparently, some provisions of the US Constitution are more constitutional than others.

Blind-sighted by government propaganda, most Americans do not realize that America has become a garrison state where the authoritarian-style paramilitary troops rule through intimidation and ostentatious display of fire power of heavy weaponry. Pity the American people who live in constant fear of being intimidated, arrested, assaulted, or even killed.

The founding fathers understood that citizens need to have the same military power as the government in order to ensure their freedom. American citizens lost that ability when the government got tanks and jets...however...American citizens would never stand for tanks in our communities and jet strikes are too messy. Seems that the government has found a way around all of that. These little quiet airplanes that buzz around in the sky with the ability to take out anyone who the government deems to be an enemy of the state (the word they use now is 'domestic terrorist').

As long as you're obeying the laws you have nothing to worry about...until they change the laws and tell you that you no longer have the right to assembly and the right to free speech. It wont happen right away...but the (UN)patriot act took a huge step forward for the government having the ability to take our rights away while making us feel good about it.

Just saying...

As long as there aren't huge protests shutting down the capital, it shouldn't make a difference what people actually say.

Fortunately, this seems to be the case, so the government can continue to expand its police state powers without opposition.

If you do not agree, remember to just "BLAME THE OTHER PARTY". It's just politics, right?

Jesus what part of unarmed are you people not understanding?

If I spot one of these things flying anywhere near my house, I'm shooting at it.

Does anyone not see the hypocrisy in these posts? "I want them used around the world, just not in the US." Well, if you don't like them in your back yard, welcome to how the rest of the world feels.

We shouldn't allow our military to use anything we ourselves can't accept within our own borders.

Time to call my broker, apparently the tinfoil market is hot.

I think it is safe to say that Americans no longer reserve the right to sing the last two lines in the national anthem.

Be the first on your block to have drones spying on you and your kids.

Remember, it will keep you SAFE.

We have been headed towards a Military State for decades, only, ever since Bush Jr. took office as the nitwit figure head that he was(and the repbubs ate his sh!t up-twice) we have been told it was coming and everybody was convinced it was for "Our Safety" against first Iraq and then against Al-queda. The Bush family has been involved with the Saudi's and Iran-Iraq since the early mid 70's, even having the Royal Family of Suad over for Christmas dinners while in the White House, but how liberal of me if I point that out. For those that still think that America is the Home of the Brave and Land of the "FREE", your living in a dream world. They keep you complacent with your blackberry's and trashy ipods/ipads/ieverythings, all the while our every day freedoms are rapidly disappearing all in the name of "protecting us". The TSA is one of the biggest jokes out there, and every thing you type, email, text, twitter, snail-mail or say over the cell phone or land line is subject to screening whether you like it or not. It has become such big business(the military industrial complex) both foreign and domestic, that it literally is TOO BIG TO FAIL, least the whole charade comes crashing down and rioting in the streets becomes the norm. Merry Christmas, and I say Merry Christmas hoping that that pisses some of you off, and I say it as I am waving my American Flag at the same height as my Rebel Flag, same colors, same country, totally different meanings.

You think the police are getting more brazen about using drones, just wait till they get authority to make us turn in our guns.

Yes there are laws that limit civilian police from firing weapons and in most cases having weapons in airborne craft, such as helicopters.

However … since homeland is intertwined now so closely with the military and CIA the grey area between catching a fleeing robbery suspect may now be conveniently re-labeled as a suspected robber who robs to support his terrorist habit thus justifying employing armed drones over the USA ready for that emergency kill shot.

For those who say it’s a good thing to continually suspend the US Constitutions amendments protecting United States Citizens rights, in order to more readily protect you from terrorism, I would say the protagonist of tyranny already knows you are a whore, they are just negotiating your price, making you a cheap & %$#, so bend over.

The United States Constitution has already saved the United States from tyranny from within many times since its creation, from the moment it was written men of evil intent have run many evil ideas up the flag pole to see how many would salute their hidden agenda of crippling its message.

The United States Constitution is not fragile, it is a steel fist that has pummeled every offender to its nature, screw with it and it will place you in a shallow unmarked grave.

This idea that somehow today’s world is anymore complex than was the day the United States Constitution was written, is a protagonist of tyranny’s way of say “Try it, surely it will not kill you” … just take a little bite.

Today’s United States of America is a paradise under appreciated by those born into it, those who see it from a distance covet its resources, and freedoms and would make every US Congressmen and Senator a deal of unheard of wealth to sell these resources and freedoms out from under sleepy frightened citizens.

It is an obligation of every US Citizen to challenge any decision made that challenges any amendment to the basic rights guaranteed to US Citizens, period.

I would rather die the quick death at the hands of a terrorist knowing my fellow citizens would avenge my death, than die the slow agonizing death of a coward over and over again in servitude to home grown tyrants.

So Long, Posse Comitatus!

We Hardly Knew Ye.

A Police State we have become...clobber the people!

Was this in Syria or the US? Also in the news, NY has the capability of shooting down civilian aircraft. Welcome to the United Police States of America. We are now no longer a Republic but a dictatorship.

Make sure to blame either the Republicans or the Democrats, then vote for the other party.

And then be happy you live in a democracy.

Oh, and make sure NEVER to protest.

All protesters are either old racist rednecks or commie hippies, right?

I want to take back my vote until America does away with representative government. I want to take my vote back until I can vote directly for the president of my choice and not be highjacked by the electoral college system. I want to take my vote back until I can vote directly on line item legislation via the Internet in order to do away with corruption.

While the state electors are "pledged" to vote for the candidate of the party that chose them, nothing in the Constitution requires them to do so. In rare instances, an elector will defect and not vote for his or her party's candidate.

I want my taxes back until the US gets out of all wars not on US soil. No country has the right or duty to invade another. It is one thing when attacked, wrong altogether when WE invade. The best way to get something another has is to declare them an enemy and then have an excuse to invade. Iraq. Don't they have oil?

Why do local PD's need military grade hardware at all

Have you ever seen a SWAT team? The deploy M-14s, MP5s, and tactical shotguns. They wear kevlar, elbow and knee pads, balaclavas, combat boots and tactical harnesses. They look like a paramilitary group and often have little to know accountablity. (read up on how many people per year are killed on erroneous no-knock warrants served by SWAT teams and then try to find the repercussions (there are none))

The militarization of local and state PDs has been happening for years thanks to the War on Drugs. It's just that no one really noticed or cared until they gained the ability to snuff you from the sky with a robot.

@Alil, 4:06am I mentioned that freedom when the USA PATRIOT ACT was passed and I was told that i was being an alarmist, but my fears have come to pass.

At what point do we get our freedoms back?

Wow wee, Obama and Biden are a couple of real stand up guys!

Sounds like our little lefties just can't get enough of shredding the constitution and using the military for any little thing they want.

Funny, all those leftie loons that bitched about Bush / Cheney taking our rights away didn't realize their own leaders are the actual government criminals.

2012 cannot come soon enough.

As for the electoral college Peter, we are not a democracy, and there is a little thing called STATES RIGHTS that are kind of important. States elect the President. States elect their own representatives and senators. I know this is all a little complicated for you, but it is not some big conspiracy, there is an actual point to doing things the way we do them. Otherwise unless you live in CA, TX or NYC, your vote would be meaningless anyway.

Paul F is right! ALWAYS blame the other side. NEVER think that BOTH parties are doing it hand in hand.

Next time, just vote for the other side. It's worked out so well for you every election.

Hush, sleep.

Yoo:

First of all, it seems you need to review the CoH!

Second, how is a military drone going to aid anyof the things you list?

I think they are preparing for the inevitable which is starting right now with the OWS patriots. I've been saying that our police look and act too much like gestapo agents. They see the unrest and are preparing to stomp down the average citizen. And by "they" I'm referring to the 1%. This is just another example of the government spying on regular citizens and now they are busy passing legislation saying they can detain and hold indefinitely an American citizen without trial or due process. WTF!!!!!!

@Geowil

In they're minds they are. Thats the sad part. Kind of makes me chuckle when cops refer to citizens as "civilians" though. I knew in my case, most of the kids I grew up with who went on to become cops, were the ones too fat to get in the military. :)

Duh Hortus?

Amber Alert: Eyes in sky searching area for Car tags,
child who seems to be struggling with an adult... anything suspicious like
that.

High speed pursuit: Drone in air tracking vehicle and cops
staying back out of sight until vehicle can be safely stopped.

Home robbery: Neighborhood watch drone spots masked person
crawling through broken window of your home. Or better yet home with silent alarm signaling
for help and drone is there to observe until help arrives.

Simply when there is a need for eyes searching. Eyes in the sky are very valuable.

SOS - Red Meat thrown for Conservatives - back off and let them gnaw on it a little while. They are always the first to yell about Government Intervention in our lives and the first to yell for Government to step up and use its money in a crisis. If you are doing nothing wrong - what is the problem with an aircraft looking down on you?

Simply when there is a need for eyes searching. Eyes in the sky are very valuable.

There is a price to pay for freedom. I personally don't care to be watched, searched and carded every where I go. But if you do there are plenty of countries out there that could be just right for you.

If I spot one of these things flying anywhere near my house, I'm shooting at it.

You do that and they will charge you like you shot at a cop. Just like they charge people with with battery on a cop when they try to defend them self against those vicious attack dogs they have.

Yoo:

“Duh Hortus?

Amber Alert: Eyes in sky searching area for Car tags, child who seems to be struggling with an adult... anything suspicious like that.

High speed pursuit: Drone in air tracking vehicle and cops staying back out of sight until vehicle can be safely stopped.”

There are Helicopters for that and they have been used for those purposes for years.
Thus, there is no need for a Drone.

“Home robbery: Neighborhood watch drone spots masked person crawling through broken window of your home. Or better yet home with silent alarm signaling for help and drone is there to observe until help arrives.”

OK, so you have no problem with a) profiling and b) the government spying upon you?

“Simply when there is a need for eyes searching. Eyes in the sky are very valuable.”

Helicopters again!

What you are proposing is a slippery slope that once started down will be very difficult if not impossible to stop the movement towards no-warrant bugging and the like!

I see you still have not reviewed the CoH!

AKRandy said:

They won't use them on the border but they are being used on US???

Did you read the article?

Congress authorized the U.S. Customs and Border Protection to buy unarmed Predators in 2005, the Times said, to search for illegal immigrants and smugglers on the country's northern and southwestern borders.

It is official..........back in 1949, Mr. Orwell was right.......Big Brother is here, has been here, and will stay here.......I am going to set up a business printing giant roof banners, you can put on your roof, flipping off the satellites, and drones......send me the dimensions of your roof and your address, and I'll Google Earth your house and check out your roof style, whether it be a mansard, hip, gable, etc........

The Devil-1138528

If I spot one of these things flying anywhere near my house, I'm shooting at it.

So?

Next time they will come equipped with loaded missile pods. A 'hell-fire' could take out your whole block, as is happening to Muslim homes on the other sided of the world most nights - out of sight out of mind.

These drones are built to tackle the hardy Taliban warrior. In comparison, your braggadocio not with standing, you are so much pap.

This is a slippery slope or Authoritarian Creep...the end result is a subjugated, servile, obedient, and fearful population. Yours is not the wise, nor potentially the successful method - You are witness to the emergence of the Mighty ZioNaziOverlordFascist State that would make the German GestapoSS proud...

It was heralded by the abrogation of the US Constitution by The Inquisition in its reincarnation as the Patriot Act...You did nothing because you thought it was to protect you against those detested subhuman 'Muslooms'. That was the excuse. Actually it was to curb you. Now it is best to prostrate and obey, or be imprisoned, tortured, and made to die...

...Unless your have the Taliban Elan, who would rather fight to stay free, or die free!

Phil Commander said:

As long as you're obeying the laws you have nothing to worry about...until they change the laws and tell you that you no longer have the right to assembly and the right to free speech. It wont happen right away...but the (UN)patriot act took a huge step forward for the government having the ability to take our rights away while making us feel good about it.

Well, the laws have been changed.

S1867/NDAA sections 1031-1033 basically will give our government the right to have our military indefinitely detain anyone suspected of terrorist activity without charge or trial, American citizen or not, anywhere in the world, on home soil or off. And it's not just limited to anything directly affecting America--it's anyone accused or suspected of terrorist activities against American allies too, which can be interpreted to include conflicts that don't even involve America. The NDAA also gives the department of Defense $600 billion to implement these changes with. Senator Carl Levin (D) and Senator John McCain (R) wrote it, allegedly in secret, and it was sponsored into the House of Representatives by Representative Howard McKeon (R). The House of Representatives passed it in May, 32-96, and the senate passed it on Tuesday 93-7.Since the two versions of the bill are a little different, they just need to reconcile it and send it to President Obama to sign. Obama has said that he is going to veto it, but Congress can override the veto with a 2/3 vote.

"Well, if it's terrorists I could care less if they rot in jail." Most people feel the same way. But DHS has classified a number of activities as indicators of terrorism and is not just about bombs and Muslim extremists. Suspected terrorism includes any of the following:

Alternative media

Anarchist extremism

Animal rights extremism

Anti-abortion extremism

Anti-immigration extremism

Anti-technology extremism

Aryan prison gangs

Black bloc

Black nationalism

Black power

Black separatism

Christian Identity movement

Cuban independence extremism

Decentralized terror movement

Denial-of-service attacks

Direct action (including lawful acts of civil disobedience)

Environmental extremism

Ethnic extremism

Extremist groups

Green anarchism

Hacktivism (technology-enabled social/political activism)

Hate groups

Jewish extremism

Leaderless resistance

Left-wing extremism

Lone terrorists

Mexican separatists

Militia Movements (including conspiracy theorists)

Neo-Nazis

Patriot Movement

Phineas Priesthood

Primary targeting(directly supporting/funding terrorists)

Puerto Rican independence extremists

Radical Norse mysticism practitioners

Racialists

Right-wing extremists

Single-issue/multiple issue extremist groups

Skinheads whose ‘dress may include shaved head/short hair, jeans, thin suspenders, combat boots or Doc Martens and a bomber jacket’

Sovereign citizen movement

Tax resistance movement

Violent anti-war extremism

Violent religious sects (includes those who stockpile food and weapons)

White Nationalists

White Power advocates

White Supremacists

What's the difference between using a helicopter to circle a crime or search for suspects, and using a drone to do the same? None other than the fact it costs a hell of alot less in fuel and manpower.

That's about it, the U.S. has apporximately 29,000 miles of coastal and 7,500 miles of land international boarders. I would think that a small remote control airplane definately increases the capabilities from line of site ability.

Machines (of which drones are one) know no values or morality. Whaty seemed like a good thing when it comes to blowing up AlQaeda doesn't seem so appealing when it comes to blowing up US citizens. (Unarmed now, but for how long?)

Much more of this kind of stuff and even Lefties like myself are going to start insisting on Second Amendment rights!

Jeese Obama - don't they report to you? Isn't this your call to allow this?

Oh yeah, its all Bush's fault... I forgot.

"Home robbery: Neighborhood watch drone spots masked person
crawling through broken window of your home. Or better yet home with silent alarm signaling
for help and drone is there to observe until help arrives."

Unfortunately, burglars don't always wear masks, caps, black-and-white striped shirts, and carry a sack over their shoulder.

Amanda-2017567....

But DHS has classified a number of activities as indicators of terrorism and is not just about bombs and Muslim extremists. Suspected terrorism includes any of the following:

Alternative media

Anarchist extremism

Animal rights extremism

Anti-abortion extremism

Anti-immigration extremism

Anti-technology extremism

Aryan prison gangs

Black bloc

Black nationalism

Black power

Black separatism

Christian Identity movement

Cuban independence extremism

Decentralized terror movement

Denial-of-service attacks

Direct action (including lawful acts of civil disobedience)

Environmental extremism

Ethnic extremism

Extremist groups

Green anarchism

Hacktivism (technology-enabled social/political activism)

Hate groups

Jewish extremism

Leaderless resistance

Left-wing extremism

Lone terrorists

Mexican separatists

Militia Movements (including conspiracy theorists)

Neo-Nazis

Patriot Movement

Phineas Priesthood

Primary targeting(directly supporting/funding terrorists)

Puerto Rican independence extremists

Radical Norse mysticism practitioners

Racialists

Right-wing extremists

Single-issue/multiple issue extremist groups

Skinheads whose ‘dress may include shaved head/short hair, jeans, thin suspenders, combat boots or Doc Martens and a bomber jacket’

Sovereign citizen movement

Tax resistance movement

Violent anti-war extremism

Violent religious sects (includes those who stockpile food and weapons)

White Nationalists

White Power advocates

White Supremacists

Geez, Amanda....you have every single American on the list except, the president, his staff, and the rest of the Federal Government, Congress, and all their Cronies.....So according to DHS, every American is a terrorist but them...... I liked your informative post, but it was a little long to copy and paste though..lol.....and from what I've always been taught, I thought that all airspace above your property lines belong to you, not the USA...so in saying that go fly your R/C planes over national parks, city parks, etc....... :)

The USA PATRIOT Act (commonly known as the "Patriot Act") is an Act of the U.S. Congress that was signed into law by President George W. Bush on October 26, 2001.

The act, a response to the terrorist attacks of September 11th, dramatically reduced restrictions on law enforcement agencies' ability to search telephone, e-mail communications, medical, financial, and other records; eased restrictions on foreign intelligence gathering within the United States;

Lets see. The Patriotic Act was passed by a knee jerking congress consisting mostly of Republicans and signed into law by a Republican president in 2001. The mind set from the right was that anyone who would vote against anything that would help our country fight terrorism was a traitor. Those that opposed the Patriotic Act of 2001 as restrictive of our Constitutional freedom were labeled terrorist appeasers, traitors, liberals, and just about any other insulting name they could muster.

Now an unarmed drone is used to help the police and these same people that were all for the Patriotic Act are now up in arms blaming big government, liberals, and Obama although it was G W Bush and mostly the Republicans that pushed for the Patriotic Act of 2001 in the first place. Go figure. Be careful of what you wish for because it may come back and bite you in the posterior.

Amanda-2017567, gee that list sounds like the 99% . I don't see Criminal bankers,Corrupt CEOS, crony capitalists, Politicians who SWEAR to uphold the Constitution but eroded it(i think the KING called it treason in England), or the blessed oligarchy on that list. I wonder why?

Oh right in a fascist police state if these upstanding AmeriKans F&*K over the "We the people" they get a Big fine that goes to the same fascist government that supports them. Where do we live again? Russia? China? 1940's Italy? 1940's Spain?,Hitlers Germany? The Great Roman Empire in its dying days? I think we have become all of them in someway. But we sure are not the united states of america that dream ended in the 70's. Our government pisses on the document they are supposed to cherish and the peolpe they are supposed to represent?

When they come for our Guns will it finally be time when we say ENOUGH?

If a certain pig-like candidate gets elected, expect this sort of thing to go way up...

This is all about people smoking pot. The cat is outta the bag. The PEOPLE know its an unjust immorral law, but the feds can't man up and let it be. They can't admit all the evil and harm they are guilty of, so they come at us with drones.......Now I have to look over my shoulder to see if a drone is spying on my house. Guess I need to "man up" and buy a bazooka and shoot that evil piece of sh!t down!!!!!!!!

1.11 already hits one fairness issue. Further down that vein, it's known from the forced landing of a P3 after a collision that US flies intelligence runs down the Chinese coast, and I know the reaction would be outrage if the Chinese were hanging off Providence.

At any rate, there is already a huge fleet of local, piloted law enforcement aircraft spotting pot and nude beaches.

The greatest sin of remote drone operation is separation from other aircraft - it is not provided for and a huge liability for the inevitable accident. I believe the US has adroitly demonstrated it's glaring lack of foresight with respect to loss of drone control.

If you need more proof that America is no longer free and that any means will be used to control the population this is it. Wake up America! You live in a police state. We are on the path to an armed confrontation unless we can take the power back through the ballot box. But the ballot box is rigged by the two party state we live in. But there is some hope we can fight back against the political parties that control us...check out the AmericansELECT website. It's a proactive, constructive approach supported by millions of Americans to break the stranglehold of the two party state.

This affirms our nation is becoming a police state. The law just passed, to militarily detain American citizens without sufficient reason, now allowing drones to spy on citizens....

I gotta tell you, when I first read this article, I got to the part where it said that the drones could be used along the boarder to help fight the war on illegal immigration. I was thinking to myself, "Well, the comments section will be full of a bunch of people who think this is a terrific idea.

I am proud to see that about 95% of the posters are furious over this and other slowly changing policies, written by controlling congressmen, that are bringing us in to a marshall law state.

Our police have become paramilitary forces. NYPD now has the capability to down airplanes. Congress is passing laws that basically give these paramilitary police the power to arrest and detain anyone and hold them for any period of time without due process. We all on this post have probably given them enough to arrest and hold us.

Look to the past. Every military dictatorship started this way. We cannot be sheep anymore. Our freedoms are being eroded by the same people who are telling us that they are preserving our freedom by controlling every move we make. If we follow the rules (that will change whenever they see fit) everything will be OK. Step out of line the man come and take you away.

Start writing your congressmen every day. You will help the struggle, and you will be put on a list.

The United States military or equipment should NOT be used in operations in the USA!

Well, we all use what used to be super-secret military technology everyday, or at least most of us do.

GPS, which we almost all have in our cars, was once the sole property of the U.S. Military. Most of us were totally unaware that it existed. Today, we all use it.

The use of drone technology to aid in the surveillance of drug smugglers and illegal immigration. As long when it targets specific, private individuals, it is done after the proper procurement of a warrant, I don't see the problem. It is no more an intrusion than a wiretap, or physically tailing a suspect, and a lot less dangerous.

Congress complaining about the use of Military and Military equipment in domestic matters is akin to; a child who killed his parents pleading for Mercy, because he is now a orphan.

CONGRESS passed the Patriot act, Congress just passed the defense act (allowing the military to arrest and detain without trial American citizens ), Congress is our Constitution greatest enemy. ( no government wants a limit to their powers, they of course know what is best for the great un-washed ).

This is the invasion of privacy we were all talking about many years past it is finally upon us, Drones come in all shapes and sizes and don't require much fuel unlike a helicopter..Let freedom ring.

Hummmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmm Almost thirty years ago, the Rock group Pink Floyd released a album "The Final Cut" .. that was ahead of its time ... below is one song from the album ...

Did they see it coming?

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ITy47L15xbs

"Paranoid Eyes"

button your lip don't let the shield slip
take a fresh grip on your bullet proof mask
and if they try to break down your disguise with their questions
you can hide hide hide
behind paranoid eyes
you put on your brave face and slip over the road for a jar
fixing your grin as you casually lean on the bar
laughing too loud at the rest of the world
with the boys in the crowd
you hide hide hide
behind petrified eyes
you believed in their stories of fame fortune and glory
now you're lost in a haze of alchohol soft middle age
the pie in the sky turned out to be miles too high
and you hide hide hide
behind brown and mild eyes

I believe what most are worried about, some to more of an extent, is the slippery slope theory of this; however, copters are already in use (don't know about the voracity of statements that space sattelites can read your license plates, etc... ) and are costly, moreso than drones. The only difference would be that drones are quieter, and thus perhaps present more of an unknown presence. However, with news and hospital helicopters zooming about urban areas, police ones likely go unnoticed. Drone technology is already in use, and helicopters can be armed as well. In theory this is just saving money doing what's been done for years and years now. It wasn't stopped then, so technology is just doing what it does......

My grandfather had said 'every generation will lose more freedoms; your parents will have less than mine, you less than theirs, your children less than you... because of population increase. Cite any reason, pro or con, but it comes down to this.' I tend to give him credence on this, as I've seen it.

As our freedoms are being chipped away at, I say chip back; collectively demand an end to the bogus war on drugs....this will go a loooonngg ways towards police having excuses to do many, many of the things they currently get away with in the name of 'the law'. Watch violent gang activity drop to next to nothing, watch the border violence drop. Then, secure the borders with the manpower and equipment not being used or needed.

Start with smaller, seemingly insignificant things as well; no more police sitting in church lots with radar guns in small neighborhoods, stopping for one burned out license plate light, etc... . By not fighting these practices as a group, we're allowing for more and more reasons to be in more of a police state by allowing them damn near any and all excuses to stop any one, at any time. Actual patrolling with dashcams will get real motorist infringements, and one burned out license plate light isn't going to cause any accidents. There's other examples, and it's steps towards taking some back.

As was mentioned earlier, one thing that certainly needs done away with in no knock warrants; I've known a few over the years that were family members of those being looked for, hadn't seen the person IN years, and damn near got seriously hurt or shot over those warrants. If you've taken on the job of SWAT, for instance, you also know the risks. (BTW, a great deal of such warrants again involve the bogus war on drugs).

I just think that if we ignore this, it is not going to go away. It will get worse and worse. New people will come into power every 4 or 6 years (congress) and will be able - because we sat back and allowed them to - to run this country right in to the third world.

WE as American citizens cannot let this happen. It is time to fight back.

Deficit? $600 billion over the next 10 years to control (unconstitutionally) the people of this country? Think of all the legitimately hungry people who could benefit from that kind of money. Think of the millions of children living below the poverty level due to no fault of their own. Jobless rates are too high. Jobs are leaving the US like through a sieve.

Our paramilitary police forces are bought and paid for by Congress, who, in turn, are bought and paid for by the corporations. All in the name of "freedom."

Do you think that they are going to listen to you when the jack-booted thugs kick in your door in the middle of the night because you bought a copy of The Turner Diaries? (That comment's going to get me on someone's list!)

To: FatCatGets$700Bil

I like the piece you quoted. Where was that taken from?

How many drones are there? Are they not busy enough? Do we have too many and thus they have time for civilian police matters?

I am fine with drones helping to secure the border which isn't apparently working out so well since those on the border tell a very different story. Sad, imagine having a ranch and being afraid each night to lay your head down to sleep. Imagine strangers trespassing across your lawn during the night. Would you sleep well?

Like most things, government takes a useful tool and goes too far. Everything connected with government gets over expanded and then no longer makes sense.

The current administration definitely is embracing the use of drones to take out individuals that are a threat and to now do police matters. Why? My big issue is that the drones have done enormous damage from a PR standpoint and thus negates their benefits. The reason is they are used too often. So they aren't the last bullet, but the 1st bullet.

"If a certain pig-like candidate gets elected, expect this sort of thing to go way up..."

hey chump...this is happening under YOUR kings watch...wake up and smell what you are shoveling...

Amanda.....

That list is impressive!! Now I'm beginning to see why that purported anti-spam screen, reCaptha, is popping up when I try to post. I couldn't really pick out a pattern for it, even though I suspected that was in some way what it was inteded for ....until you posted that list. Now it has become crystal clear why it's being used.

Anyone who gets a chance really needs to check out that 'reCaptcha' site.

It will probably get you to thinking about if you really want to participate in these online discussions. Add that up with Amanda's post and it starts to a little like something from an old movie we thought would never happen to us in our own country.

Thank You for the big 'heads up' on that one.

The difference between a drone and a helicopter is pretty obvious. The bad guys hear them, see them and hide. Often a spot light is employed--they hide some more. A drone is able to fly at a higher altitude and is quiet. If it is employed as they say, I don't have a problem with it. If not, then I do. The bad guys are getting more and more sophisticated in their tactics, ammo, and armor. If a drone can quietly locate them and report to the ground--It makes me feel safer. When they start arming them and use them to "patrol" I will be the first in line to object. Not yet. The bad guys already have too many rights and the victims still suffer. If drones will alleviate some of that suffering, I'm in.....But, then, I don't have any reason to be afraid of a drone. Do some of you?

ROTFLMAO!!!!

I hope all you government worshipping, gun control promoting, Lefties hand your weapons over soon.

I'm sure your "little guy" loving criminals in Washington will respect your Rights when you're unarmed and spied on by a Drone.

Myself, I was one of the millions who was loading up on my Second Amendment Rights on Black Friday. I gift myself every year, just for this reason.

I'm the governments worst enemy. I will cling to my guns and religion, not because of antipathy, but rather because of my Constitutional Rights.

I love my Country, but I fear my government.

Funny how Black Friday broke a record in selling the most guns in 1 day in the USA (132K guns). Iran won't be the only one downing drones

A bunch of silly people getting panties up in a bind. This is about a police force that is outgunned, undermanned trying to even things up with some tech. I have no problem with being used during arrest or hostage situations, but will never endorse another one of our freedoms taken from the wolfs in sheep's clothing. Our rights have been slowly taken away until now they are talking about giving the president and the military the right classify and arrest and detain without due process if they think you are a terrorist, thus doing away with our rights given through the constitution of due process.

The problem I have is we went from bad to worse in administrations and now we have a socialistic ideology that is forcefully trying to convert us to their way of thinking. I think both parties need to rise up and say enough is enough, this is not what our founding fathers wanted and if they were to see what we have become they would become enemies of the state themselves because they would try to overthrow it (I am not advocating this) but do feel that we need to find leaders other then wolf in sheep clothing we have in power now and have someone with the guts and vision to bring us back to the greatness we deserve.

The fact that the machine launched by the GOP over the last three decades continues to operate under the current Administration is no argument to return to its architects. Where the Obama Administration has been able, it has acted to restrain the machine, but honestly, people have been in position and policies in action for years. Those hand-picked GOPmen didn't go away with the election. Some of us have been trying to wake the country up for years, as well. But it slept on. The culture war was won by the 1% a decade ago. There is one easy way to get it all back, as people claim to want, become open hearted. Recognize that we are one community, reject hatred and move together for the good of all. Each do this within for themselves, and it will transform the reality without.

"Predator drones are being used in domestic law enforcement cases, raising concerns that the aircraft are being deployed beyond the missions that Congress originally authorized them for"

Are we so silly and myopic that we wouldn't consider using all logical tools available for the public safety?

That makes about as much sense as saying that none of the technology developed in the Space Program should be used in the private sector because 'it was developed for the Space Program', when one of the things we 'brag' about with the expensive NASA programs was that it dramatically improved our usable technology for civilian purposes.

I'm very glad that the military is working with local police. They should be. American anti-government militias, Tea Party and this latest scourge of OWS protestors are at best on the same level of the terrorist groups. Anyone who stockpiles weapons in a plan to attack and/or overtake their own government needs to be dealt with accordingly.

The majority of U.S. citizens are good, law abiding people. We are glad to have a government and police force to protect us from the crazies that are popping up everywhere. The only people who don't want the military and police to do their jobs are the criminals.

Radical Norse mysticism practitioners? They must be eliminated! Mach schnell!

And the GOPer in the House and Senate are fighting to increase the military budget. Bachmann, Gingrich, Perry, Romney--all want to spend more on the military.

What's the difference between using a helicopter to circle a crime or search for suspects,

The difference is-- do you who operates drones? How many police agencies have the personnel to do this??

What about posse comitatus? (18 USC § 1385)????? Since when do we mobilize military hardware against US Citizens???

The answer to all of this is remarkably simple, obey the law and you have nothing to fear!

Of course the vast majority of Americans are no better than those they profess to despise in that they try to get away with as much as posssible. If not we would not need to police the highways for speeders, drunk drivers ets. and we would not need to worry about some negro standing on the corner selling crack or some druggie breaking into your home or car or some perv molesting your kids.

IDIOTS ALL.

I hope all you government worshipping, gun control promoting, Lefties hand your weapons over soon.

How is having an AK-47 going to help you against the US forces? What are you going to use it on? The USAF guy dropping the smart bomb on you? Or the guy in the tank rolling over you?

We "government worshiping" liberal types actually want better and more efficient government SERVICES. We speak out against government surveillance.

We also support the rights of innocent Muslims - that is how the erosion starts, first you get the public scared of a minority, then you decrease the rights of all Americans under the excuse that any one of us might be a terrorist sympathizer and that it's really just for our safety.

And this is exactly what we liberals have been fighting against all these years. But no..other people think we need an overwhelmingly powerful military to take out a few hundred men squatting in caves in Afghanistan. A military that is now spying on its own people.

Notice the comment preceding mine ... it's all about my safety, huh?

To Colorblind:

Yes. I do. I advocate marijuana legaization.

To SothernGent.

Hats off to ya, man. You are a true American. Clueless, ignorant and dumb as a freaking tree stump, just a sitting duck for when the man comes to your door because someone gave them a false tip. bang, your dog is shot dead! maybe even someone you love. maybe even you. Wake up!

Jeez! Overreact much? Talk about extreme! You should all just stay in your bunkers until you can get a grip on reality.

FatCatGets$700Bil - how about posting a source for the paragraphs that you have italicized, or is it just that you don't want to reveal that you take the word of ultra-right wing nut jobs over the voice of sanity? For that matter, most of the rest of you need to post sources for your ridiculous, paranoid statements, and that includes Amanda.

Depending on how the regulations for approval were written I could be OK with using the drones in the US. For me to agree with it There would have to be a very strict protocol for approval on a case by case basis. Since we know that will never happen (the PTB would insist on a very loose protocol with little oversight) I must oppose the use of military drones in the US except for border defence.

Who's paying for these local yokels to use this multimillion dollar equipment?

the Patriot Act is not patriotic

SouthernGent

The answer to all of this is remarkably simple, obey the law and you have nothing to fear!

Of course the vast majority of Americans are no better than those they profess to despise in that they try to get away with as much as posssible. If not we would not need to police the highways for speeders, drunk drivers ets. and we would not need to worry about some negro standing on the corner selling crack or some druggie breaking into your home or car or some perv molesting your kids.

Yes indeed---step into the area for a shower and your family will join you afterwards. "Negro"--Southern Gent? Aren't you playing the 1960's game of racism and stereotyping?

@Mark...I don't know where I indicated that I was against the legalization of MJ. It wasn't me. I would like them to legalize and tax the hell out of it. It is beneficial for many sick people and home grown is much better than shipped in by the cartels. I am against Meth. It is the scourge of the Earth so far as I am concerned. It destroys entire communities...but, I don't place it any where near MJ...an herb that was used by the ancients for migraines and other ills. It has some bad side effects, but that is for the user to decide. Educate, then let people decide for themselves about MJ. Not meth. BAD, BAD drug.

@Jeffors...Who pays? Who always pays in the end? We do.

It's clear the public is not in agreement with the government.

What are we going to do about changing it?

Readers without a clue. The drone is owned by US Customs, not the US Air Force. Typical simple reader that doesn't let facts get in their way.

Let's not take advantage of high technology.

FARGO, N.D. (AP) - After two failed tries, an unmanned
aircraft expected to be the first to patrol the northern U.S. border completed a
flight from Arizona to North
Dakota.

U.S Customs and Border Protection officials said the Predator B drone touched
down Saturday at the Grand Forks

Maybe all those in fear are the ones looking to help illegals get in easier.
Air Force Base after a six-hour flight from Libby Army Airfield in Sierra Vista,
Ariz.

What does a three person stand-off in ND have to do with customs?

I have no objection to aircraft being used in law enforcement. Unless the suspected perps have triple-a why not use conventional aircraft? You aren't going to try an tell me they are hard to come by in North Dakota? I suspect that the drones are signifigantly more expensive to operate plus they are being paid for by the entire country.

f*ck the police, they're helping to make the US a police state with limited freedoms, that I fought for with my life on the line back in the day....freedom my ASS

And to all those in favor of the drones. I hope you are the ones on a civilian airliner that crashes due to a "drone" getting sucked into the intake or collide with a manned flight due to the drone NOT having a radio, pilot, or ability to be spotted on radar when it gets out of control, or its operator misses that a manned aircraft was in its path..........OOOppps, so sorry, just like we tell the foreigners when we accidentally kill them and label It as "collateral damage".

The problem with the government having the ability to "peep" into my private backyard is everyone is subjected to the suspicions of being a "perp", whether valid or not.

Our boundaries of freedom are being overrun by our own government and the line needs to be pushed back and drawn by the people before there's no turning back.

The difference between drones and helicopters is the same as the difference between a stakeout and GPS tracking. Helicopters and stakeouts require a lot of manpower and are expensive which usually limits their use to situations where the police have plenty of probable cause. Drones and GPS tracking are relatively cheap allowing their use in ways that invade the privacy of the general population.

When the use of drones become more routine, I will probably assume that a circling drone indicates one of my more attractive female neighbors is nude sunbathing in what she assumed was the privacy of her own backyard.

Okay, so who is manning the "comment collapsed by the community" button ...Jack Daniels? Not only do I not see anything wrong with those singled-comments I also feel that they are entitled to their opinion.

If you want to read this post, click on the (+) sign next to "this comment collapsed by the community"

Team....did you try to reply to a collapsed comment? I'm getting a feeling that it has something to do with that 'anti-spam' site that pops up on occasion. I'm thinking that it may pay special attention to people who post to the collapsed comments. I was wondering why some of comments were collapsed for no apparent reason. The only thing I can think of is because you expand it you somehow become a different type of user.

There was a list of things posted above that raise flags for anti-terrorism efforts. The list is long and it covers almost anyone who discusses just about anything on the Internet. I think these 'for no apparent reason collapsed comments' are the hook to get people on the line.

Team Captain: I'm curious too, being the first one in the thread collapsed. Funny, two emails and 24 hours later, nobody's bothered to reply. Just like they don't bother to read what they're collapsing.

I would say it's a conspiracy by the mods to promote certain political points, but then I'd be as big an idiot as most posters here.

johnnyt: Comments get collapsed because someone doesn't like what's said. They report it, whether it's in violation or not. It seems the site mods quit reading said posts and just banhammer.

Eugene

It seems like there used to be some rhyme or reason for posts to be collapsed or deleted. I started to notice a change just as soon as that 'anti-spam' business started. I e-mailed newsvine and didn't receive anything back. But I'm thinking that they're somehow using that reCaptcha program to do the reading for them.

If what I'm thinking about is correct, the program recognizes complaints and then analyzes the post and if some key words or whatever they're looking for pops up the post is collapsed.

I might be very far afield with my thinking on this, but for sure, major changes started taking place when that reCaptcha program showed up.

Today I made three attempts to post to a comment that I was already replying to and each time it ended up on the end of thread as a comment instead of a reply. Somethings changed, of that I'm sure.

FreedomRingsLoud; 1.67

I hope all you government worshipping, gun control promoting, Lefties hand your weapons over soon.

Can only speak for myself but I do not own any weapons. Now I possibly do if swords are still considered weapons in this day and age of high powered projectiles.

Disgusted-in WV; 1.75

What's the difference between using a helicopter to circle a crime or search for suspects,

The difference is-- do you who operates drones? How many police agencies have the personnel to do this??

What about posse comitatus? (18 USC § 1385)????? Since when do we mobilize military hardware against US Citizens???

The National Defense Authorization Act essentially has removed that law in its entirety. The military is now allows to operate within the USA on Congressional orders with local PD's.

Are we so silly and myopic that we wouldn't consider using all logical tools available for the public safety?

Roy Wilson - I'll have to circle Sunday's date on the calendar as the only time you voiced an opinion with which I agree.

I've no problem with the use of Drone-technology, as long as it is done in accordance with our constitutional protections. Like any means of surveillance, it has the potential for abuse, but so too do wire-taps and good old fashioned, on the ground police work.

They are not fighting Al-Qaeda or the Taliban on the streets of America.

Nonconformist to the US Government are those that question it. They are what the fearmongering-based tactics of fighting Al-Qaeda/Taliban/US Militia/Common Citizens shall progess towards the second US Citizens begin to Revolt against Our Masters.

Drones are only one weapon to be utilized. Practice now will make perfect later.

The difference between an Armed and an Unarmed Drone? About an hour of arming an Unarmed Drone.

Question Everything.

Peace

They are not fighting Al-Qaeda or the Taliban on the streets of America.

They are also not launching cruise missiles and other deadly ordinance at the individuals being watched.

The difference between an Armed and an Unarmed Drone? About an hour of arming an Unarmed Drone.

Which about as much time as it takes to issue police automatic weapons, and a little less than it would take to call out the army and declare marshal law.

Drones are very useful for conducting covert surveillance and for conducting military attacks in enemy-held territory. They really are not necessary for domestic crowd control.

Yes, question everything, including your own dark fears regarding the government.

dman-353357 Hello!

I do not live in fear, I do see a dark government. Glad if you do not!

I still am proud that America is my home and birthplace.

Drones are very efficient killing and spying machines.

I do question the (further) militarizing of Domestic Police Forces.

9-11 was NOT the turning point in which our Liberties have been suffocated, it was just the justification for the Patriot Act, which legalizes spying on Americans with impunity.

One question, if I may.

What do you give as an example of a drone's surveillance usage as a legitimate need or likely scenario for crime fighting?

Peace

It will have to be manana. I'm done for the night.

Wake up America! You live in a police state.

How about you go to a real "police state" and explain to the locals why you think we are one. When they get done laughing at you, come back here and fill us in. Cracks me up that because you fear the cops finding your backyard pot grow, you equate us with something like North Korea, Iran, etc etc. Some of you really need to get off the f__king computer and go travel.

One question, if I may.

What do you give as an example of a drone's surveillance usage as a legitimate need or likely scenario for crime fighting?

Covert surveillance of drug traffickers?

Interception of illegal immigrants?

Hey Chris from Yucaipa,

I have travelled a lot. YOU are WAY OFF BASE. America is INDEED a police state. WAKE UP!

I've traveled alot too! 27 countries in 38 years and you know what? Anyone thinking the US is a police state is acting like an immature child. Let me give you a few examples of what actual police states do:

-In Cuba, 22 journalists who attempted to publicise non-government authorised news remain imprisoned. Arrested in March 2003, the journalists are serving prison terms of up to 27 years.

-North Korean radio and TV play nothing but praise for their Dear Leader. Requiring each home to have a picture of him hung on the wall. Cell phones were banned and no cell phone can dial in or out of the country. If you want to buy a TV or radio you are required to get permission first and they must be modified to receive only government channels. All 3 of them.

-Then there is Iran. They have an elected president, but all his actions have to be approved be the head of their church, who can over ride him at anytime. A church with its own military. A country who can decide your clothes or your hair cut is too foreign/Western looking and is allowed to beat you in the streets for it. Legally. Who can walk into a store and decide Valentine's Day promotes too much male/female interaction, so they burn it down. Legally.

I can cite example after example but this topic is beginning to bore me. What's sad is the fact that most of the claims about America being a police state stem from the fact weed is still illegal or that some rogue cop abuses his position. Or more recently when the cops remove a bunch of 99% squatters from a makeshift camp, then clean the place, then allow them back in.

Yep just keep giving up all your rights, as long as they keep you safe..

It's called "authoritarian creep"...each breach of civil rights and expectation of privacy makes the next level more plausible. There has never been a military weapon invented that wasn't eventually used against the public. Police departments now have tanks, sonic & microwave weapons and it won't be long before it becomes "only reasonable" that the drones are armed.

Soon these drones will be conducting "intelligence" operations over the US. It is more convenient.

Well, we have all these drones and Pakistan won't let us use them there,

so why not in the U.S.?

They could fly past peoples windows and check for illegal activity.

Wouldn't that be great?

There's no need to call Cooper or Muthatrucker a coward...wipe the spittle off your mouth, Z man

I am definitely to the left of center, but despite that, I'm sure there are a lot of areas we'd agree on...I just don't like the hate you spew in place of a rational discussion

Both lefties and righties are going to object to being 'spied on' by their own government...there is nothing, short of a domestic terrorist cell (Tim McVeigh and other militias), that requires using drones...just like that stupid Patriot Act and invading Iraq (the 911 commission determined that Hussein had nothing to do with 911, and it's fact that he never did try to by yellow cake, the intelligence was easily disproved), our citizens want to be wrapped in cotton and saved from any risk or consequence of personal choices and our government's foreign policy.

And now, with these drones and having people arrested for exercising first amendment rights, we might as well just hand it over to the frigging corporations and government, because it's no longer a country OF the people, by the people, and for the people...

Like said just keep giving up your rights so you can have a false sense of security. Just Tuesday the Senate voted to extended the part of The National Defense Authorization Act. THis would allow authorities to detain any US citizen under the guise of being a terrorist. When doing so they could detain you indefinitely(forever). You would get one hearing(military) and then the military could lock you up for life without ever formally being charged. Thank God or whoever for Ron Paul who was the number one opponent.

I will also bet that most citizens did not even know they were voting on this or that it was even possible. Here is some info(link on it if you care.) Please look around the site, some of the stuff is bit of a stretch but most of it is spot on. There was also a ver small article on this from some of the other news agencies.

cryptogon.com/?p=26295

The US government is busy trying to get it's citizens fighting against each other over Dems and Repub parties, while they strip away your rights and pass bills that benefit themselves and there buddies(1%)

So whats it take for them to consider you a terrorist, not much. It could be that you have stocked up more than 7 days of 'survival food', own guns, hit on some of their key phrases they look for in threads like this and so many other things.

“The enemy is all over the world. Here at home. And when people take up arms against the United States and [are] captured within the United States, why should we not be able to use our military and intelligence community to question that person as to what they know about enemy activity?” Sen. Lindsey Graham (R-S.C.) said.

“They should not be read their Miranda Rights. They should not be given a lawyer,” Graham said. “They should be held humanely in military custody and interrogated about why they joined al Qaeda and what they were going to do to all of us.”

So they have the right to kill an American citizen in a non-combat zone in a country in which we are not at war. They have the right to seize our records, information, etc without a search warrant as long as it doesn't physically involve the entering our home. Now they are spying on us with predator spy planes. Not much left other than to start taking out those whose ideas differ from those in power. But then WACO greatly involved doing that as they killed dozens when the person they wanted to arrest was readily available outside of the raid. The sad part is I'm not one of the survivalist whack-jobs who is terrified of the UN... but starting to wonder.

I am willing to bet that a lot of the so called "UFO's" that people think they have seen, have been the U.S.'s testing and perfecting of drones since the late 60's early 70's. They were and are used to a great advantage in the middle east, and our govt now knows that they work great. We have ZERO choice but to get used to it. And then you get the self confessed cons(ervatives) who clap and high five each other about it, and then call any one else who wants to maintain as much freedom as possible, liberals. Well, you cons(ervatives), tell us all again how you want smaller government and less regulation, and then you give us douche bags like the tsa and now silent drones that only god and spying eyes know where.

Seems like, "shoot first...and explain later."

Cpt Kirk to You

Look at the occupy groups. They sit there peacefully in most places, have never threatened anyone, yet they send armmed SWAT teams in with batons

Cpt Kirk,

You are right.

Those were militarized raids that were used against the Occupy Wall Street demonstrators.

Maybe the government will send drones to watch the people who resist on this thread.

After all, isn't it the government that has the power, NOT the people?

Since when did the people of North Dakota become such bug pussies that they can't put their Governor Jack Dalrymple, on the hot seat for being such a wussie and allowing a military action in his state without his permission?

Z man Please contain yourself . You act as if you have never learned control . You have been trained better than these Weak responses you have displayed . Just because the diapers are off does not mean you have to go around trying to pee on others .

Z-man is right! They must be hippies and scumbags. Why? Because he said so, that's why.

Protesters in other countries even have guns. You can't trust a protester.

Drones would be a good way to protect REAL Americans from the terrorists who want freedom of speech.

Denny what "right" is being taken from you by a Drone? The "right" to run around nude outdoors? The "right" to grow reefer in your backyard?

I live on five acres; I take a leak outside when the urge strikes me. If I am seen, someone is where he or she should not be! That includes the dead of winter when there are no leaves on the vast majority of the trees that surround our home.

Further, we do not close the blinds. There is no need, no one can see into the house nor can anyone see the house from the street.

If they start flying drones in our area then my right to live with the blinds up and to pee pretty much where ever I please is taken away.

Just because most people live in neighborhoods and have little or no privacy by choice does not mean that everyone utilizes that choice or wants to live that way!

Drones flying over U.S. soil for the sole purpose of stopping crime is to slippery ofa slope!

BTW, if I had the money we would live where we could run around the whole yard front and back naked if we wanted!

@ Z-man-601352 " they are the most foul mouthed POS I have seen." So you calling someone who protests 40k of debt with a 20% unemployment rate for their age group, foulmouthed POS. I wonder who they learned that language from? Black, meet kettle.

Remember back to a time when people actually did work themselves? That's what I need as a taxpayer, a billion dollar plane with a military fighter pilots pay (they are the only ones authorized to fly drones., compared to a cops salary and a cop car (35k might be too generous and car maybe another 40k), wow, I'm still like way ahead.

Everything has been pricetagged. Nothing is cheap or free anymore. Humans are priced (life insurance), we are meat for the grinders of industry. You cowardly sheep gave all our freedoms away because they told you the boogieman was coming for us. They blew up 4 planes, 2 buildings, damaged a third and put a hole in a farmers field. We have non nuclear tactical bombs that could blow up 100k and wipe out half a city. I would have dropped one of these and told the world to police their people and if you're citizens get out of hand, this is what we will do too you.

In case you can't think for yourself, here is a novel approach. Politicians are paid by Corporations through "Donations". These donations are used to push to the people that I am better than him, and here is why... They can use these donations to pay other politicians who think like they do. Then they pretend to dislike one side and make it seem like it is us vs. them. All the while they can't agree on this but all of a sudden they can ALL agree on that (which is stealing liberty and freedom in the name of money).

@ about that, I am in agreement with previous post about peeing outside. I grew up on a farm in Missouri and if you are a few hundred acres from a bathroom, you go where you can. Same for sex with my wife in a car. I'm 40 and no damn person is going to tell me I can't get it on with my hot wife in my car if I want too. I don't park it at ToysRus or near kids but if someone sees you, you have now committed a sex crime. How goddamn stupid is that? I don't need some jealous @ss youtubing it from a friggin plane for his personal enjoyment. If you need proof, youtube mall security camera's, you'll get the idea.

Jungleboogie asked why not use these drones here in the U.S. - well, the obvious answer is that there is a danger of them flying in our airspace where they can be collision hazards. There is no adequate collision avoidance S/W in them yet and there are no FAA regulations allowing them, although that is being discussed.

Jungleboogie

Maybe the government will send drones to watch the people who resist on this thread.

After all, isn't it the government that has the power, NOT the people?

Drones are not required. Resistance is futile. Thought crimes are the new felony. You can stay alone in bed and be committing crimes in your head. And woe to the budding crime and thriller writers, they will be nipped in the bud while at school before they ever think of being published.

And even as we speak, all comments and posts are accumulated and referenced by EMail and these compiled posts are put under surveillance by authorities - This is the major reason for these Blogs and Forums.

Everyone here and on other Blogs are under surveillance and categorised according to a number of predetermined criteria. Innocence is irrelevant.These avenues are not for free speech, venting, or for free and open discussions and exchange of ideas. In fact these forums can best be described as Traps for real American Patriots who point out flaws in the system, criticise authority and status quo in whatever form, or want to improve the all American life style and condition.

Occasionally Home Security trolls and auto-bots are let loose in the threads to ferret out and identify various types of individuals and their thinking pattern. NewsVine probably is one such trap and filtering system that accumulates such data and potential thought crimes and syphons them automatically off to Homeland Security Computers for further analysis.

And you thought the Nazi were bad...drones are nothing, you wait for those terror jackboots of horror knocking on your bedroom door in the middle of the night, especially if you are of the 'Musloom' persuasion or look any thing like an Arab or middle easterner, or whathaveyou - your are done!

Wait till the new supersized steroidized ZioNaziMossad Gestapo gets its hands on you...as it already has on our good old US of A.

Many of you folks are getting way ahead of yourselves. The article stated that the drones were not armed and that they were used for intelligence purposes. Before you decide that you are giving up your rights, maybe, we have the right to be protected from home invasions, and hostage situations using the highest technology available. Maybe, the bad guys are getting away with murder and we pay to house them for decades. Maybe, we have the right to have law enforcement use what is available to provide evidence and that will convict these scum bags. I do understand your reasoning, but let's get a grip here and not read too much into this until there is evidence that there is something to fear.

Colorblind, our Military was intended to protect us from FOREIGN adversaries, NOT to spy and harass our OWN citizenry.

You mean we must WAIT for evidence that our rights are being abused before we "have something to fear"??

SO, following your logic, we must wait until a Gestapo forces the installation of spy chips in our bodies in order to act on our rational fears????

Sorry, Colorblind, you're dead wrong on this one, with all due respect to you.

Vote tea party candidates in, they are the only ones who are going to defend our constitutional rights. As much as I don't like some of ron pauls ideas, he will fight for americans constitutional rights above all else. You can bet he will stop obamas dictatorship and anyone else who tries to trample the constitution or the bill of rights!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

Start checking the voting records of your'e delegates and see which one of them voted in favor of the patriot act and other misuses of government force against americans. Above all try to get the TSA closed down, it is another one of the governments instuments which violates our 4th amendment rights. Now thier trying to set the TSA loose on our highways, can't you just see those wannabee power hungry idiots thinking they can do whatever they want to violate our rights!!!!!!

Hey, who makes the drones---darn it, I know I should have invested in that company and made off with a pile of dough. No joke here folks and I'm not making fun--this is serious and all of our freedom is being taken away.

Never, never, never, never, never, give up (the good fight!) (Sir Winston churchill)

An elder American and Ocuppy Seattle person. Fight on!! See you all in the nationwide May Day national parades--Si se Puede!!

An elder American and Ocuppy Seattle person

You must be a great asset to the cause. you didn't even spell it correctly. What are you guys looking for free this week? What a joke.

Wow, Hotticket, the tinfoil is definitively on too tight.

As the drones have little to do today, keeping them active as the TAXPAYERS are the ones paying the tab for them sitting idle is a good thing. Six missions providing nothing more than some info isn't the downfall of the country. What do you plan on fighting next. binoculars?

Maybe they should just close down the base. Then all those civilians can cry about lost jobs.You make it sound like they call up they routinely launch one.

Typical MSNBC shoddy reporting.After meeting many of those losers in person, I can see why their reporting is fourth rate.

wherescommonsense McVeigh was not a part of a terrorist cell he was a lone wolf. Did he commit a terrorist type act? Absolutely but in his mind it was revenge for the federal actions at Waco not a terrorist act. As far as the militias are concerned the FBI did a study several years ago and concluded that 95% of them were just "good ole boys" who liked to get together do some target practice, shoot the bull, and maybe drink a little beer over the weekend then on Monday go back to their jobs and be good little citizens until the next time. The only ones to be concerned about are the 5% which I am sure the FBI keeps a close watch on.

@HOTTICKET...BTW...Where in the article does it say that the military is using these DRONES to harass and spy on our citizenry? It says that they are called on by local law enforcement to ASSIST in certain cases. If that is what they are being used for, I would agree. They are using other things to spy on and harass our citizenry and don't need drones to do that. Your computer is a good example. The media and our corrupt politicians are another one. I'm not saying it isn't happening. I'm just saying that I don't think that is the purpose of the drones at this time. When I know different, I will have a different opinion. Now, I just see that advanced technology is being used when law enforcement is trying to catch and gain information on the bad guys. Not a problem for me.

To those asking what is different between a drone and a manned police helicopter. A friggin LOT. The police helicopter shows up on radar to other pilots. The police chopper has EYES ON BOARD that scan the sky for other aircraft. The police chopper has a radio for the police to communicate directly with other aircraft. The police chopper can take IMMEDIATE evasive action to avoid a collision. The drone has none of these options. You want one flying around you when you are on your next flight to grandma's that happens to not know a drone is off course, out of control, or just doesn't see you.........

They could use them to help break up 'protest' rings, so there are no more protester terrorists,

and keep tabs on anyone who thinks about disagreeing with the government.

Of course, we will need bigger jails to hold more Americans, but that would create JOBS, isn't that great?

Jungleboogie, every time I see your screen name, I want to go, dow-da-dow dow-da-dow dow dow....Jungleboogie... ha....

I am working on a blueprint for a WMD (Wicked Music Drone) which subverts political rhetoric and terrifies bureaucrats.

I hope it works, and it makes them shake in their collective little booties.... haha dow-da-dow dow-da-dow, dow dow......

Hey, Jungleboogie, we already have those 'bigger jails'. Fatherland Security has been setting them up all over the U.S, apparently complete with family accomodations. And when those are full, we'll just bulldoze a block or two of houses somewhere and string up razor wire, add a few gun towers and lights and cameras, and Voila!, our new homes. Hard to say now if George Orwell was a phophet or the psychopaths just saw a good plan and ran with it but, whichever the case, we are WELL on our way to the new world order unless we start a serious elitectomy right now, because it all comes from there. But they, our parasitic elite, are way ahead of us and expect that maybe slavery isn't as much a part of our plans as it is part of their's and are being appropriately proactive in protecting their property, the United States of America. And you can see by many of the comments here that it won't be much of a challenge for them to protect their claim. Remember, by natural statistical law, 50% of all humanzees are of 'below average' intelligence and average humanzee intelligence is no great shakes. And probably 50% of those of above average intelligence are still convinced it's THE GOVERNMENT! It's not. The government is a machine run by they who owns it. We gave it away. It's the bullfighter's cape and sword and it's the bullfighter that we want to disembowel and hang with their own intestines. 18-25 feet of small intestine will make a nice drop from a lamp post, no? Not as clean as the thermobarics that will get us when we begin the housecleaning, but I think our guys in the military will remember their oaths as I do "...to defend the [People] against all enemies foreign and DOMESTIC...". If not, so long America. But, so what...it's just somebody else's history. Be nice if that somebody else were FREE, but that is not required by either history or Darwin. 一寸先は闇‡... one inch ahead, darkness... Maybe more than we can imagine.

Let's not forget ALEC American Legislative Exchange Council is run by rich Republicans and writes the legislation for most of this 1% stuff.

When OCCUPY went to their offices they had their own police force to keep them away.

These are the people that broker legislation for BIG BUSINESS, RELIGIOUS FUNDI'S AND EVERYTHING 1%.

Sorry, HOTTICKET, we will have to agree to disagree on this one. I don't advocate for gestapo tactics either, but I also don't see using advanced technology that does not alert the bad guys as a bad thing. They have armor piercing bullets, and full auto weapons and we need to counteract those things. It would be nice if no one got hurt in the process. I understand your objection, I just think it is a bit premature at this time.

I actually saw some photos a few months back somewhere of Border Patrol Agents and National Guardsmen deploying the smaller class drones along the Mexican border. The kind that can be deployed by hand. I do get your point though and not trying to detract from the meaning.

If there was a law drawn up where you could not cover your windows, then the drones could see what everyone is doing,

we would all be so SAFE then.

Remember, the government will take care of you.

Trust me,...if the Gov wants to see through your walls they can. They can turn your TV and telephones into microphones very easily, thank you Mr Bush and your homeland security BS

dsmears said:

Lets see no drones on the border to protect our country...

Did you read the article? Fifth paragraph:

Congress authorized the U.S. Customs and Border Protection to buy unarmed Predators in 2005, the Times said, to search for illegal immigrants and smugglers on the country's northern and southwestern borders.

mears...It has been reported in the news repeatedly that there are drones on our borders and that Mexico has agreed to allow us to use them to assist with intelligence gathering regarding the cartels.

Denny...The top 1% are already controlling us. They don't need to use drones. They do it with corruption and the inequity of the money distribution. It isn't hard to figure out that hungry people will make it a priority to feed themselves and their families rather than join some extremist militant group. The Welfare system controls America much more effectively than any drone could. I really believe that some of you are way over the paranoia line on this. Let law enforcement use what ever they have available to find, arrest, prosecute, and convict those that would harm us. No...I'm not blind and I certainly don't live in a rose colored world. Clearly, the bad guys have stepped up their technology to turn us into victims. Let law enforcement use what they have to turn them into convicts.

Yes, the best is yet to come. Make sure to blame Democrats or Republicans.

It's just 'politics'.

Let it happen.

You are so right. We're already living in a police state. It's just that most people haven't realized it yer.

I have to disagree, the beginning began along time ago, well before 9/11 ever happened, that was just example or ploy needed to finally begin the big grab towards the end of the U.S. as we and the world new it. The N.W.O. is here and the common man of the U.S. isn't included.

Mary...What evidence do you have to support that assumption? What are you afraid of? That a drone may capture you on a video? That would bore the observer to tears in my case. The beginning was when the bad guys started wearing bullet proof vests and firing full auto and armor piercing ammo. That was the beginning. Law enforcement has an obligation to keep up with new technology in order to stop some of these shoot outs that result in lost lives and broken families.

I have no problem using the drones, as long as the police departments are paying for it out of their budgets.

Pakistan sucks, the US rules.

Now you know why.

It might be slippery slope. Certainly I don't want surveillance plane flying over my home everytime when I go outside. It is just weird.

The Pakistani people LOVED the drones so much, they had to ban them.

Now we get some love too.

What we do to others we do to ourselves.

Pakistan is as much an ally of ours as is both Iran and North Korea, we should pull out now, before we truly shoot our load in them filthy skanks.

tom...There are probably a lot more than one...but that doesn't bother me. The computer bothers me more. They want to look around on my block? Go ahead. They find a meth cooker that I didn't know about. Good for them...and me.

Uncontested, that's a good philosophy. If you feel you MUST protest,

then protest as a left wing group like OWS or as a right wing group like the Tea Party.

That way, the mainstream media can call you a political fringe group.

If you are a right wing protester, you are a racist redneck, if you are a left wing protester,

you are a commie sucking hippie. Because the media said so, and pits the groups against

each other.

Then no one will listen.

Steve, the cartels and the spree killers aren't doing too much for our rights either. The meth cookers are destroying whole communities and the rapists are ruining the lives of children and adults. So far, there is no evidence that the drones are shooting down people in the streets, unlike the cartels. Let them take a look. Let them report what they see....Besides, if they really want to, they can use a satellite to read your license plate. Bad guys hide when they hear and see the police coming...some take hostages. What if they couldn't tell if they were there or not? Might keep people safer. Might aid in getting convictions. Might be you are over reading this article. Maybe, not, but would you keep an open mind to what I am proposing? I do understand your frustration and anger over recent events and our govt. in general. What a bunch of corrupt, greedy b@stards they have become...And the contenders are pretty much the goodly, badly, and the ugly. Even if our vote counted, who would we vote for, given the options. Maybe, the drones can be used to convict some of them...Yeah, I know, that was way over the top. Never happen. Still, technology among the criminals has advanced and we need to do the same.

Clueless readers seem to miss the fact that this aircraft is not owned or operated by the US military but the US Customs Service.

They who can give up essential liberty to obtain a little temporary safety, deserve neither liberty nor safety.

• This was written by Franklin, within quotation marks but is generally accept as his original thought, sometime shortly before February 17, 1775 as part of his notes for a proposition at the Pennsylvania Assembly, as published in Memoirs of the life and writings of Benjamin Franklin (1818). A variant of this was published as:
  • Those who would give up Essential Liberty to purchase a little Temporary Safety, deserve neither Liberty nor Safety.
    • This was used as a motto on the title page of An Historical Review of the Constitution and Government of Pennsylvania. (1759); the book was published by Franklin; its author was Richard Jackson, but Franklin did claim responsibility for some small excerpts that were used in it.

via WikiQuote

Who needs Franklin and Jackson when we have William Kristol, Ann Coulter, and David Brooks?

Shush child, sleep.

Who is this Franklin that you take his statements seriously? Glenn Beck or something?

If I am not mistaken, and I am not, Glenn Beck is a drone used by Faux News(well, he used to be used by F.N.) and the far right dingle berries. Hmmm, did I just type that, wait, what is that noise, oh Sh!t, it's a drone outside my window right now, oh my god, what are they doi

I don't think that the lost loved ones in the Twin Towers would have agreed with ole Ben. A different time and a different cause. Out of context, it sounds great and I would agree--on its' face. Not with the criminals that we have today--They are too sophisticated and feel entitled to whatever they want. The playing field was a bit more level in Franklin's time.

First, de-militarize local bad guys.

That is the truth. As a liberal(independent) who loves the fact I can own a gun as a law abiding citizen(that must make the cons freak out) I truly believe we are close to bottoming out as a nation, very sad. When they finally do knock on the door and say, "Surrender your guns sir, or else" we will know for certain that we have been taken.

And then what will you do, Bryan?

The point being...that it was "long ago" when he said that and it wasn't about this issue.

Confused is right. You have no idea what it would take to move a sat. to a specific target. Not to mention the millions it would cost.
Even rotary wing aircraft costs hundreds per hour. Drones have been in use for years using same lightweight units.

Quite frankly is there anything in ND worth seeing? Sounds like a lot of people worried their meth labs will be spotted. Six drone missions is going to watch EVERYONE, EVERYWHERE 24/7. Get real.

And to the idiot that will shoot it down...they operate at an average of 15,000 feet. Let me know how shooting at it works out. No wonder we are hearing so many dogs shooting hunters lately.

Drones are real time, the satellites only on the overhead pass.

You DO NOT USE GEOSYNCHRONOUS SATELLITES FOR SURVEILLANCE.

Surveillance satellites are low earth orbit and will only be reading that newspaper if you are sitting there when they pass overhead.

Drones cost far less and can transfer far more useful telemetry than just visual pictures. Most of the time these are the little toss in the air and take a look RC type stuff.

If you are on a "watch list", you can at least rest assured that we are in a vast, fine company of some of the best citizenry America has to offer.

Hey nothing personal NPhxAZ but America has become a joke. No Jobs, Corrupt Government, Unsound Monetary policies, and fading personal liberties. Mexicans are actually illegally crossing the border in the other direction. Why drones? Do any Americans have the balls to question that? I don't think so outside some sh!tty website like this. France, Canada, Finland, hell even China is starting to look less insane than America. Did you know that if you took every prisoner on the planet and put them in one prison America would own 1/4 of that prison? That doesn’t sound bad until you realize we have less than 5% of the world population. WTF? Do we need more inmates? What dickhead neo-con or Obamacrat actually wants to live in a society like that?

Drones are cheap and highly efficient surveillance platforms. They can be flown any time of day or night, with greater endurance than manned vehicles. Why not use them? Would be a huge savings and might catch more bad guys.

Major Burnham is right! We should also put cameras in every home since state surveillance might catch more bad guys!

If the Feds are allowed to bug every car and truck, we might catch more bad guys!

If we shoved a GPS tracking device up everyone's ass, we might catch more bad guys!

Major Burnham is smart!

Wow. If your's is the average intelligence of this country's citizen, we really are in trouble. One toy airplane floating around and you run around like a nut. Better if they spent a few thousand to use a helicopter. Hopefully they got the three dirt bags. No doubt you would have been happier if if ended in a bloody mess.

Joe, you're right. Most Democrats and most Republicans...lets just say the majority of Politicians, have succeeded in having the American people believe there are differences between the two parties. That is evident by how polarized we citizens have become. While we are busy insulting Republicans, and Democrats, they are busy putting in place the infrastructure for our imprisonment. (literally and figuritively). Take a look at recent history. Bush and the Patriot Act, Obama and ObamaCare, the Defense Auth. Act...whereby citizens can be arrested by the military and held indefinately without charges. Our most basic rights are being stripped away quietly, a little at a time, by both parties. The Tea Party is labeled ignorant, racist, extremist and terrorist. The Occupy Wall Street group is labeled as lazy losers, communists, racist, extremist and terrorist. The two groups have more in common than either side would wish to admit. Both groups are fed up with the ruling elite...so they have to be discredited because both parties want us to be mindless sheep, marching in lockstep with them.

I am a member of the Tea Party, but there are many things I agree with the OWS people. We all need to find the common ground we share...which is reducing the power of the government, rooting out the rampant corruption, and lifting up the common man. There are differences we have that may not be able to be resolved, BUT...we can certainly fight together on the common causes we share.

Merry Christmas all...and God Bless America.

I bet CNN really chaps your hide then! Sadly enough, the media is much to blame for this nation's demise. I don't know if most people actually see through the trash but some do!

Waaaaahhhh NBC is so biased they won't report Faux News unsupported Obama smearing talking points as fact. Waaaaaaaaah.

Planes with pilots are flying over you every single day, Whats the difference?

Scared of your own shadow or maybe,,,,,,Afraid to be caught for something illegal?



simple fact i see a drone flying aroundme? i will shoot it down then setit on fire and burn it, i have my rights to privacy as a american citizen, no problem shooting it down, is a promise, say goodby to your drone if i see one

That's irresponsible as Hell. First of all, if you put a bullet in the air then what goes up, must come down. They call it the "Law of Gravity". Secondly, even if you have the shooting skills it would take to hit a drone from twenty five thousand feet (moving target, 4 miles away, not even a skilled sniper would try that) the bullet wouldn't have enough velocity to reach it. If it did, you couldn't shoulder fire it because Newtons Third Law would mean you're squished like a bug by the equal and opposite force.

Finally, if you did manage to shoot down a drone, and it crashed and killed somebody, then that would make you a convicted murderer. You go to prison. Claiming "self-defense" while shooting down an unarmed, unmanned aircraft five miles away from you is going to be a mighty thin defense. You knew your actions would cause debris to fall over a populated area from an altitude of five miles high. Any reasonable person would know that debris falling from five miles high is a threat to life and limb. So, the conviction would be for aggravated manslaughter at the very least.

Enjoy your drive on the freeway in the morning. Look on the poles while you're motoring around, and see the things that look like cameras. Do you know what they are? They're cameras. They're tracking your every move. And you're worried about drones?

Here's a fun exercise... go to Wal-Mart and count the cameras surveilling the business. I've never seen one with less than 40. There are usually 16 on the parking lot alone before you even get into the store. There's one for every cash register (another 20) and 5 in the bank, 3 in customer service, and that's not even getting into the store proper.

The average American is photographed 300 times per day.

You're going to take a pot shot at a camera 5 miles high in the sky, for doing something that happens to you hundreds of times a day anyway. That's not very smart, and I don't believe you've thought the situation through very well.

Obviously, drones have pilots. They are merely higihly sophisticated, remote controlled aircraft. Depending on the model, they can be very expensive to purchase but the maintenance, compared to traditional aircraft, is relatively cheap. Some can actually fly for up to 16 hours.

zippy...Please leave a forwarding address to your prison after you get out of intake. I'll send you a post card...from my home. You must be one hellava shot...those things fly at 15,000 feet, I'm told. "You feel lucky, Punk?"

It would have to remove itself from its present location in the waste outlet in order to do that.

Bo, why do you bother closing your door to your own house at night? If you have nothing to hide you have nothing to fear, and it would make surveilance on you a lot easier if the police could just walk in without knocking or breaking and entering. In fact, then we wouldn't need the expense of drones. SOmeone should pass a law for this, or better yet, just interpre the Patriot Act that way today so we can make you remove your lock tomorrow. You've done nothing wrong, you have nothing to fear.

Since you don't allow this, I can only assume you're a terrorist.

If not that, you're at minimum a coward who needs a nanny state to keep him safe and who would have been better served living in communist USSR.

Sean...I close my door because it is colder than a witches T!t in He!! here. Don't lock it...If they break in, I don't want them to damage my door in the process. They would likely just call me and tell me they were coming to talk to me....You should try small town living. It's nice here.

Sean I don't know about you but I close and lock my doors to keep criminals out and keep guns handy if they do get in.

The drones verified they were unarmed. That allowed the tactics to reflect that. No doubt everyone crying here has a hitect phone with a gps chip.

Why take advantage of these inventions. We should all stay in the 50's. I see articles where they are crying now that they are being used in Texas by some agencies. Maybe those drying are the ones sneaking across the border destroying that state.

DAK...You go right after that, Sunshine. While you are at it, take the armor away from the bad guys, first, Ok?

Too bad they NEVER shot one down.

If you live in an area close to the Mexican border it's probably not too far out in the future. If the drug lords attack your neighborhood with heavy arms wouldn't you want our boy's to be better armed?

Ok then you are a target like it or not

too bad u dont see what is happening your freedom was gone awhile ago, just more is going to be taken away piece by piece

Dont forget the rich want to protect their wealth

Protect it from losers who want everything for free...yes they do.

Our freedom ended when the bad guys killed over 3,000 innocent people on 9/11. Corrupt politicians and drug cartels have taken our freedoms--as well as extremist religious groups that are hell bent on annihilating us.

They were brought in to patrol the northern borders. I have no problem with that.

You said it perfectly. Our government has given the green light to the Gestapo tactics of American law enforcement. Our cops are better armed and equipped than our soldiers in war. These no-knock search warrants allow the police to break down your door without even knocking. The days of the Constitutional guarantee of a right to a speedy trial are gone. Now you just rot in prisons until you sign a false confession just to get a sentence, so that you don't die of old age waiting to go to trial.

Thats right. USSR! United States Socialist Repulic, or USSA! United Socialist States of America. and it all starts with redistribution of wealth. scary @!$%#.

Yeah it started with the redistribution of wealth upwards to the 1%.

Wish I had the tin foil concession.

Yet you mention nothing about protecting the borders? I wonder??? You make it sound like hundreds are flying around daily.

The Posse Comitatus Act does not prohibit the military from performing law enforcement acts or assisting law enforcement if they have approval from Congress. The question is, did Congress approve it? If they did, well, they are our elected representatives.

Posse Comitatus Act goes way beyond that Jim. They better have a extreme need to use military on home soil. And Only 2 branches of the military can be involved.

The Posse Comitatus Act is the United States federal law (18 U.S.C.§ 1385) that was passed on June 18, 1878, after the end of Reconstruction. Its intent (in concert with the Insurrection Act of 1807) was to limit the powers of local governments and law enforcement agencies from using federal military personnel to enforce the laws of the land. Contrary to popular belief, the Act does not prohibit members of the Army from exercising state law enforcement, police, or peace officer powers that maintain "law and order"; it simply requires that any orders to do so must originate with the United States Constitution or Act of Congress.

They are not enforcing laws. they are providing some visual assistance. They should stop using the Army aircraft to look for lost hikers up here in the north. My tax dollars wasted on assisting law enforcement.

Maybe you should actually get the facts. Obviously MSNBC didn't bother to but what else is new.

FARGO, N.D. (AP) - After two failed tries, an unmanned
aircraft expected to be the first to patrol the northern U.S. border completed a
flight from Arizona to North
Dakota.

U.S Customs and Border Protection officials said the Predator B drone touched
down Saturday at the Grand Forks
Air Force Base after a six-hour flight from Libby Army Airfield in Sierra Vista,
Ariz.

As they are owned and operated by US Customs, they aren't military. So you tell me how a few of these are watching EVERYONE. What a clueless bunch.

@Kilkannon

They better have a extreme need to use military on home soil.

Or what? You'll go wag your finger at them? I was in the military and we were used several times to look for lost hunters/hikers/etc. I say if you got the manpower to save a life, use it. For most of them we volunteered our assistance like when a small Canadian town got hit by a flood. We helped in the clean up and we were the USAF, not the RAF.

For all you others. What better way to help defend the US than by operating domestically to secure our borders? Is that not what the military is really for? To help protect us and not Germans, Japanese, South Koreans, etc.? You think it makes more sense for our drones to patrol their airspace and not ours? FOREIGN AND DOMESTIC!!!! Makes perfect sense to me.