Has anyone been surprised by the events of the last 1 1/2 years?

[Vernon Windsor]

Given the news of the past year and a half, have you been surprised at what has been going on in our country politically? Did you foresee the events that have taken place or are you taken aback for one
reason or another?

[Vernon Windsor]

Thee Slayer Dug writes: "I love my country but I fear my government. I will not hesitate to stand up and fight those who would take away my freedom. I am glad to live in a nation where I will not be spirited away in the dead of night and imprisoned in some concentration/labour camp for having the temerity to speak out against the government and its policies when said policies result in a loss of life or liberty."

Then I would suggest that you have plenty of serious talks with your fellow citizens because generations of them have decided that electing anyone who will fundamentally and rapidly challenge the status quo you rail against, is too risky. The reason for this is primarily that many of your fellow citizens have vested interests in the global corporate elite you so despise. Further, it looks to me that, for all the talk of the United States being innovative and adventurous, it is really quite conventional and reactionary.

Under the former president, the Patriot Act was passed and so, as a result, if someone deigns to label you an enemy combatant, you may very well find yourself spirited away in the dead of night or even in broad daylight to any number of places, both foreign and domestic. Your fate at your destination is unknown. This act was championed by conservatives, who are supposedly so much more likely, in the minds of you and others, to to uphold and protect the Constitution of the United States. Yet, there was no call to "wrest control of your government from the wretched hands" of anyone back then...except liberals. I can only assume you got what you wanted, despite your recent post.

[Slayer Dug]

Thank you, Vernon. I am in agreement with you except on the following points:

1) I am not a conservative.

2) I am a blue-collar worker. I will never get what I want.

3) Since I like to talk about conspiracies, they probably will come for me in the dead of the night.

[Vernon Windsor]

LOL. (I don't recall claiming you were a conservative, but then I'm conservative on some issues)

[Merry]

Knew the recession was coming because of the amount of jobs leaving. Knew there would be a tremendous backlash way back in 06, I recall telling a housing advocate that all we needed to do was "RIDE THE WAVE!" And that happened.I don't know are there certain laws not unlike physics when it comes to human nature? On my myspace account , one of the other accounts that I befriended was the "Count the Black Vote". I don't know when I befriended them but I think that was before Hillary was out of the running. At any rate the black vote was counted and may I say that was long overdue , even though I voted for the other guy. I actually know people who are so pissed off about the economy they want to see the president assassinated, there is an awful lot of that going on. Like I said at the beginning of Obama's presidency, that no matter who won this election , heading the administration in the oval office was not a job anyone should envy during these years. More like a punishment for a job well done or a campaign well run. The anti-war protesters didn't fool me a bit, I knew that the troops would be increased in Ass crackistan. And now I worry about terrorist dee-vices being smuggled through our open doors at the border, well tunnels , ect. And even though the neo-nazis staged a gross display of hatred towards illegal immigrants and other minorities (of which I am one )during their rally in LA recently ,I hope that you are concerned about securing our borders too.

[darroll]

Our present leadership does not care about the borders.
Maybe they are so hard-up for taxes they will accept any tax payer no matter how small they contribute..

[Red One]

They want illegal Alliens to be able to vote to keep the majority that is in power now.

[Vernon Windsor]

I would only remind you that Timothy McVeigh had no need to cross any American borders, nor did the man who flew his plane into the IRS office, nor did the shooter at the Holocaust Museum.

Terrorist devices don't have to be smuggled across the border. They are likely being manufactured in the basement, attic, or garage of that nice looking little house down the street from yours.

The evil agent, (who by the way, doesn't look anything like you) creeping across the border in the dark of night isn't the only person we have to be wary of these days.

[Merry]

So the "GOOD GUYS?" super cyote what have you are leaving piles of dead bodies along the US/ Mexican border but that's alright cause they don't look like me. They only have a bad meth habit and will kill for as little as a hundred dollars / no security threat there . ..... . .......LOL! Why do you think I live in Maine?

[Merry]

I don't know the exact tally but my guess is that the pile of bodies in and around Cuidad Juarez outnumbers the body count of all the acts of domestic terrorism here in the US combined. I tend to look at any large grouping of murdered bodies anywhere in the world as a terrible and tragic occurrance and have the old NIMBY feeling about it. More accurately NIABY. (Not in anyone's back yard)

[Vernon Windsor]

Meth labs and meth addicts are located all across this country (even in Maine). Their violence in likewise distributed across the country. If you have ever faced down a amped up or desperate drug user or dealer, you know what a lack of security is. A dead body is a dead body no matter where it is. The escalation in drug-related violence is a concern, to be sure. Just remember whose demand is fueling that violence. Who do they look like?

[Merry]

http://www.methamphetamine-addiction.net/findmethtreatment/meth-tre...

[CWO3ROBBIE]

Merry, Whoever wrote this report must have been on some drug. It has California bordering Maine, New York and Boston identified as SouthWestern States.