Florida's Governor Ron DeSantis has signed a bill into law that will protect Floridians from deplatforming and censorship by social media networks and other big tech companies. The Wall Street Journal reports: Florida Gov. Ron DeSantis signed a bill on Monday aimed at making big tech platforms more accountable for their content decisions, a move with political overtones that appeared likely to draw legal challenges. Mr. DeSantis, a potential GOP presidential contender with ties to former President Donald Trump, said the legislation could help conservatives defend themselves from unfair … [Read more...]
Pandemic Creates Virtual Panopticon
“In the 1600s a series of civilization-threatening plague epidemics gave birth to one of the most heavy-handed surveillance states in the Western world,” writes Annie Jacobsen in First Platoon. “In order to impose the rule of law, the government ordered the full-scale cataloging of people.” You felt like you were being watched because you were, especially by your neighbors.
Historian Michel Foucault draws the parallel between the surveillance state during the plague, in Discipline and Punish: The Birth of the Prison, and a prison called the Panopticon or “all seeing.” It was a circular prison with a guard tower in the middle from which a single guard could observe the prisoners—but where they couldn’t see him. They felt like they were constantly watched, creating a fear that produced obedience.
The technology is growing at the speed of science fiction, faster than your Fourth Amendment rights. Technology can be used against you before you even commit a crime just by using A.I. and analysis of your patterns to examine how you live your life.
Americans are now caught in a "Virtual Panopticon" created by the pandemic. Read more below about this scary new reality.
Minority Leader McCarthy Hammers Rep. Liz Cheney for “Relitigating the Past”
House Minority Leader Kevin McCarthy castigated Rep. Liz Cheney for her continued pestering of President Trump, rather than focusing on winning the House back in 2022, something that should be at the top of Cheney's mind given her role as Republican Conference Chairwoman. Rather than recognize the anger of GOP voters towards her, Cheney has opted instead to please big corporate donors and neocon Never-Trumpers who are friends with her father. Brittany Bernstein reports in National Review: Representative Liz Cheney (R., Wyo.) doubled down on her criticism of former President Donald … [Read more...]
Your Survival Guy’s Survival Stock/Blockchain & Bitcoin
Your Survival Guy's survival stock for you today is a company using blockchain technology to help bring you a better product. You may have heard of it: McDonald’s. Want to know how those two sizzling Big Mac patties get to you? Well, one supplier, Golden State Foods, uses blockchain through IBM’s Food Trust (see below). But before we dig into this feast, what you and I need to know is: does it pay a dividend? And the answer is a big YES—since 1976. Like hot french fries dipped in ketchup—one, after another, after another. And one year before that dividend began, some clever operator in … [Read more...]
LEAKED: Sensitive U.S. Troop Movement Details Exposed
U.S. Defense contractor Planet Risk, Inc. discovered sensitive U.S. mission data buried in app data that is sold to data brokers. The data was pulled from popular apps such as weather, games, dating services, and social media apps that collect a user’s location. The sensitive data showed U.S. troops traveling to Syria from abroad and gathering at Lafarge cement factory in northern Syria. The contractor was working on a software prototype when its employees came across the sensitive data. Byron Tau of The WSJ writes (abridged): WASHINGTON—In 2016, a U.S. defense contractor named PlanetRisk … [Read more...]
Cybersecurity—Ignore at Your Own Risk: Tim Yee, FBI
A client sent me this video “Cybersecurity—Ignore at Your Own Risk,” by SA Tim Yee, FBI New Orleans. The presentation is around a half-hour, followed by questions. You can watch the entire presentation below. If you’re pressed for time, go to my top three sections at minutes: 12:30, 24.00, and 32.00. P.S. If you want to feel better about yourself go to minute 44.00. … [Read more...]
To Whom You’re Really Paying Property Taxes
Right on cue, more chaos in Portland: An Officer is surrounded and punched in the face and ends up on the ground on his back with the suspect on top. This was a very dangerous situation. Subject was arrested. https://t.co/JbkDSWybFE — Portland Police (@PortlandPolice) April 21, 2021 Originally posted April 21, 2021. OK, we’ve seen how some governors can and will go wild, turning a virus into their personal crusade. Governors went wild in states like California, Michigan, and New York, and that’s not even counting the mayors of cities like Portland. How can you survive the … [Read more...]
PANOPTICON: Is Your Phone Spying on You?
You probably have dozens of apps on your smartphone. Chances are they are collecting your personal information en masse, and either selling it to third parties or keeping it for themselves. Most likely both. You have read here about the widening surveillance state I'm calling the virtual panopticon. The efforts by the government to surveil Americans are expanding quickly as technologies make it easy to watch every part of your life. But how much surveillance are you inviting right into your home? Apps on your phone are collecting massive amounts of information about you every day. Some … [Read more...]
Secession: Impossible? Not if You Think Locally
If it’s so easy to rule the world at Amazon.com, how hard would it be to change the rules? The states figured out how to get their piece of the pie by taxation. What other barriers to entry are there? There was a time when hanging out at the mall on a Friday night was a thing. Now you mention that to a teenager, and you’re met with blank stares. Why would you do that when you can shop online? Yes, Amazon can get a package to your door, but it’s still a challenge. It’s still hard to get up and down your driveway. They haven’t solved the “local” last mile challenge quite yet. And that’s … [Read more...]
UPDATE: Your Gun Rights and Freedom Are Under Assault
UPDATE 2.23.21: You've read here recently that Montana and Utah have recognized their citizens' inalienable rights to self-defense, and passed laws protecting their rights to carry a firearm without a permit. Indiana could be the next state to join the "Freedom Corridor" by doing the same. The Indy Star reports (abridged): The Indiana House on Monday voted to eliminate the license to carry a handgun in Indiana. House Bill 1369 passed the House by a 65-31 vote and now heads to the Senate, where its already picked up key endorsements. Under the legislation, sometimes called … [Read more...]
Tucker Carlson: Big Tech Censors COVID-19 Vaccine Dissent
Getting the Covid vaccine is a personal health decision. If you have questions about it you should be able to get some straight answers, don’t you think? But that’s not what’s happening. Tucker Carlson explains (abridged): Anyone who tells you the details of the ongoing Potemkin impeachment trial are important is probably trying to distract you from something that actually is, like our ongoing COVID pandemic. After months of hearing that life could never return to normal until we get a vaccine, we got a vaccine (two, actually), but life did not return to normal. In fact, life got worse. We … [Read more...]