J.J.A Richardson

"The most dangerous man to any government is the man who is able to think things out for himself, without regard to the prevailing superstitions and taboos. Almost inevitably he comes to the conclusion that the government he lives under is dishonest, insane and intolerable, and so, if he is romantic, he tries to change it. And even if he is not romantic personally he is apt to spread discontent among those who are."

~ H.L. Mencken. (via once-over)

@1 year ago with 14 notes
#H.L. Mencken #discontent #empire #government

"For every action there is an equal and opposite government program."

Bob Wells (via @johannal)

(Source: quote-book)

@2 years ago with 368 notes
#politics #government

missdaisyvo:

Follow Dustin.

Beautiful response, no? I think so.

The intellectually void individuals who riot for the sake of it, essentially stand on the side of the state’s oppression through detracting from the efforts of the legitimately concerned cause for freedom.

(via gresa)

@2 years ago with 3 notes
#politics #anarchism #government

"Our government… teaches the whole people by its example. If the government becomes the lawbreaker, it breeds contempt for law; it invites every man to become a law unto himself; it invites anarchy."

Louis D. Brandeis (via bulletinmypocket)

(Source: haereticum, via gresa)

@2 years ago with 9 notes
#government #politics #justice #louis brandeis #anarchism

"The “government” doesn’t care that hemp is the next fuel. They don’t care that you can get two to three harvests per year of it and that it’s seeds and oil are extremely healthy and are used as staple crops in some parts of the world. The government doesn’t care that THC has been proven to inhibit and reverse tumor growth nor do they care that Harvard did a study that proved marijuana reduced the risk of lung cancer by 50%. They don’t care that the fibers of hemp can be used to make clothing, shoes, accessories, etc and can be used to make plastics and automobile parts. Nope, the government doesn’t care that alcohol related deaths, tobacco related deaths, and obesity related deaths account for over 50% of the deaths in American every year and marijuana accounts for hmmm… NONE. The government doesn’t care…yet. You see, behind all of this, someone is profiting, someone is making money, and it’s the government and the multi-billionaires who sponsor our House, Senate, and President elects. What would happen if everyone grew their own fruits, vegetables, nuts, and animals? What would happen if everyone grew their own hemp for biofuel? What would happen if everyone had rainwater storage devices and water purification systems. What would happen if everyone had solar panels and windmills on their roofs or even better yet, used manpower? If these were the cases, the government and it’s billionaire backers would make zero money and have zero power in the world. But unfortunately none of those are the case so the more pressing question is, why is marijuana illegal? The answer is simple. If marijuana were legal, everyone would realize that life isn’t about working 40 or 50 hours a week at a job you hate to pay bills and taxes you don’t owe. Life is about family, friends, leisure, enjoyment, and relaxation. I don’t have the numbers but I’m sure that if marijuana were legal, our Gross Domestic Product would drop like a lead weight. Lower GDP means less income tax means less money for the government and those who own America and eventually the world. Anyway, that is my $.02 and sorry, I had a little to get off my chest as well haha."

Anonymous Commenter (via poortaste, poortaste) (via intrepidwanderer) (via artislovely) (via bridgettelizabeth) (via nathanielstuart)

@2 years ago with 459 notes
#marijuana #drugs #government

Sweden drops Assange rape charge, Accusations against founder of whistleblower website Wikileaks "unfounded".

jonathan-cunningham:

Swedish prosecutors have cancelled an arrest warrant issued for Julian Assange, the founder of controversial whistleblower website Wikileaks.

The warrant was issued following a sexual assault complaint against him.

But on Saturday, as international media outlets were beginning to pick up the story, Eva Finne, Sweden’s chief prosecutor, announced that Assange was no longer wanted.

“I don’t think there is reason to suspect that he has committed rape,” the chief prosecutor said, but declined to go into any more details.

This happened in August. Since August, there has been no new evidence, there have been no new accusations and the only thing that has changed has been the release of the leaked cables.

Assange, by the way, is still “not charged with anything”. He’s wanted on “questioning”. If he is extradited, he will be questioned. Once he is “questioned”, he’s going to be extradited to the United States, where he will face charges for the first time since the August charges were dropped. They will have nothing to do with rape.

If the charges are brought again without new evidence, I’d argue that it would be a perfect example of how the State can abuse prosecution and a great case for the existence of Double Jeopardy laws. The charges against Assange have already failed to meet the criteria for conviction, but we’re still debating it. Not because he’s more likely to be guilty now, or because we have new and revelatory information, but because he did something that the Government did not like: he told the truth.

@2 years ago with 41 notes
#julian assange #wikileaks #rape #justice #government

ladyatheist:

msmalcontent:

kemetically-ankhtified:

18 Signs That Life In U.S. Public Schools Is Now Essentially Equivalent To Life In U.S. Prisons

#1 Virginia Attorney General Ken Cuccinelli has announced that school officials can search the cell phones and laptops of public school students if there are “reasonable grounds for suspecting that the search will turn up evidence that the student has violated or is violating either the law or the rules of the school.”

#2 It came out in court that one school district in Pennsylvania secretly recorded more than 66,000 images of students using webcams that were embedded in school-issued laptops that the students were using at home.

#3 If you can believe it, a “certified TSA official” was recently brought in to oversee student searches at the Santa Fe High School prom.

#4 A few years ago a class of 3rd grade students at one Kentucky elementary school were searched by a group of teachers after 5 dollars went missing. During the search the students were actually required to remove their shoes and their socks.

#5 At one public school in the Chicago area, children have been banned from bringing their lunches from home. Yes, you read that correctly. Students at that particular school are absolutely prohibited from bringing lunches from home. Instead, it is mandatory that they eat the food that the school cafeteria serves.

#6 The U.S. Department of Agriculture is spending huge amounts of money to install surveillance cameras in the cafeterias of public schools so that government control freaks can closely monitor what our children are eating.

#7 A teenager in suburban Dallas was recently forced to take on a part-time job after being ticketed for using bad language in one high school classroom. The original ticket was for $340, but additional fees have raised the total bill to $637.

#8 It is not just high school kids that are being ticketed by police. In Texas the crackdown extends all the way down to elementary school students. In fact, it has been reported that Texas police gave “1,000 tickets” to elementary school kids over a recent six year period.

#9 A few months ago, a 17 year-old honor student in North Carolina named Ashley Smithwick accidentally took her father’s lunch with her to school. It contained a small paring knife which he would use to slice up apples. So what happened to this standout student when the school discovered this? The school suspended her for the rest of the year and the police charged her with a misdemeanor.

#10 A little over a year ago, a 6 year old girl in Florida was handcuffed and sent to a mental facility after throwing temper tantrums at her elementary school.

#11 In early 2010, a 12 year old girl in New York was arrested by police and marched out of her school in handcuffs just because she doodled on her desk. “I love my friends Abby and Faith” was what she reportedly wrote on her desk.

#12 There are actually some public schools in the United States that are so paranoid that they have actually installed cameras in student bathrooms.

#13 Down in Florida, students have actually been arrested by police for bringing a plastic butter knife to school, for throwing an eraser, and for drawing a picture of a gun.

#14 The Florida State Department of Juvenile Justice has announced that it will begin using analysis software to predict crime by young delinquents and will place “potential offenders” in specific prevention and education programs.

#15 A group of high school students made national headlines a while back when they revealed that they were ordered by a security guard to stop singing the national anthem during a visit to the Lincoln Memorial.

#16 In some U.S. schools, armed cops accompanied by police dogs actually conduct surprise raids with their guns drawn. In this video, you can actually see police officers aiming their guns at school children as the students are lined up facing the wall.

#17 Back in 2009, one 8 year old boy in Massachusetts was sent home from school and was forced to undergo a psychological evaluation because he drew a picture of Jesus on the cross.

#18 This year, 13 parents in Duncan, South Carolina were actually ticketed for cheering during a high school graduation.

(number 14 makes me want to destroy computers.)

source»

(via mujerinterrumpida)

Enjoy your school year, kids.

Can I add a number 19? My high school’s surveillance and intercom system was designed by the same company who did the jail and prison camp that was down the street. We had Sheriff deputies patrolling the halls and they brought in drug sniffing dogs in to do sweeps every month. They also conducted surprise searches. During the searches you could only enter the school through the front doors. All of the other entrances were guarded either by teachers or officers. You had to go through metal detectors and if they went off they used the wand and searched your bags. High school. The best years of your life.