#standdown

[lasseling]

Secret Service Given ‘Stand Down’ Orders Before Trump Assassination Attempt

Shortly after Saturday’s attempted assassination of Donald Trump, eyewitnesses and videos reveal that the Secret Service were given ‘stand down’ orders to allow the rooftop shooter to carry out the hit.

[doublewinrealty]

On #NationalConsignmentDay we recall Matthew 8:20 - The Son of Man has no place to lay his head On Nov 1, 2024, Harrison County Board of Supervisors and http://crusadersforveterans.com is hosting a "Homelessness Standdown" to help our vets to survive the winter. Can you help?

We donate 10% of the income from your business referrals to your choice of Friends of the Hancock County Animal Shelter or Crusaders for Veterans. Please help us help them.

#Mississippi#MS#DoubleWinRealty#BayStLouis#PassChristian#Diamondhead#Kiln#Waveland#LongBeach#Gulfport#Biloxi

[gidianthe]

this site is a fucking maze

[integra1127grimmreaper]

Falling Sky (Dave York)

Dave York Masterlist

Series Masterlist

Prev

Warning: mention of attempted murder, mention of murder, threatening murder.

Summary: Pt4 of Isn't My Affair Anymore. Everything that could wrong for Dave, does. Inspired by- Red's - Falling Sky

Dave was not his usual calm and collative self this morning; constantly checking both his phone and wristwatch almost every second as went through his normal morning routine in helping get the girls ready for school, anxiously awaiting a notification that the job had been successful. All that soon shifted once Carol entered the kitchen with the person, he least expected.

"Honey... the front doorbell is broken. Your old army buddy was at the backdoor for almost five-minutes..."

"Actually, I was his team leader... seven years", McCall comments broadly smiling at a dumbstruck Dave.

Now it falls all around me Did I think I could run away? Now it's coming to find me This world that I deserve Now it burns across this shattered earth I lift my eyes to fire

*

Carol and the girls had left Dave and Robert alone in the kitchen to talk and it didn't long for it all went to hell.

"I took this off the guy who tried to kill me yesterday", Robert explains, placing a cell phone on the table. "Just like you said... 'cleaning up'. Everybody's looking into the Brussels hit, nobody's safe. You, your family... nobody."

"It's military encryption", he remarks when Dave reaches out for the phone. "You should take it to the office, run the numbers... check the names against the passenger manifest in and out of Brussels on the day surrounding the flight."

As a speechless Dave, scans through it. "Whoever we're looking for may call to that phone...", Robert states matter-of-factly as he points to it.

"I'm on it. I'm on it", Dave anxiously obliges, placing it inside his blazer pocket. Taking a quick look at the kitchen entrance, then down at his wristwatch. Robert watches all this with a broad smirk, taking out his own phone then.

Silently, Robert makes a call, placing it on loudspeaker and immediately, Dave's phone begins to ring. With pursed lips, Dave silently avoids eye contact with him whilst it continued to ring. Finally looking up at Robert with a death stare then.

"Tell me I'm wrong Dave...", Robert stares at him disappointedly. "You gonna answer it?", he presses when Dave refuse to respond to neither his question nor the ringing phone.

"What happen, Dave?", Robert asks.

Finally, removing the phone from his pants pocket, Dave slowly waves it in the air and points it at him. "You died...", he gives a short sarcastic chuckle, throwing the phone onto the table in defeat.

Under a falling sky Hopeless, there's nowhere to hide The terror is real this time Under a falling sky I'm under, I'm under a falling sky There you are, so far away Did you think I was fighting you? I only wanted to carry you so far away from here The nightmare bleeds, the poison seeps I hear you call, you're screaming, screaming

*

After revealing all to Robert, Dave and he left the house, making their way across the street to the vehicle stationed on the corner. Resnik, Ari and Kovac exits it as the two nears and Dave silently signals for them to standdown.

"Gentlemen...", he greets them, and they return it.

"Looks pretty good for a dead guy", Resnik remarks with a grin as Dave anxiously stands on the sideline, finally speaking up then.

"We all want you to know that this is nothing personal."

"What you do, what you become... is not my concern", Robert remarks. "The world is full of so-called men like you, when in a perfect world... everything we do, comes with a price. But this ain't a perfect world. People do bad things, if you lucky you get a chance to... set it right."

Dave stares deep in thought at Robert's words as he continues, "but most of the time, it goes unpunished. This ain't one of those times... The mistake you make was you killed by friend, so I'm gonna kill each and every one of you." He makes a point of staring each of them dead in the eye, "and the only disappointment in it for me... is I only get to do it once."

Under a falling sky Hopeless, there's nowhere to hide The terror is real this time Under a falling sky I'm under, I'm under a falling sky

My fate it rains, it rains like cinder The cadent drums, the war it comes Growing thunder, terror, wonder Falling, falling, it's falling

*

"Does he know everything?", Resnik enquires once Robert had left with Dave's family.

"Basically", Dave grunts in response as stared down the empty street.

"Does he know about-", Resnik gets cut-off by Dave.

"No, he doesn't know about her being part of the team and I plan on keeping it that way."

"We should still warn her though", Resnik presses.

"Don't need to", Dave states. "She's already on high alert and went into hiding. Put in leave from work immediately after Susan's memorial, went to her house and it was empty."

"What?", a confused Resnik stares open-mouthed at him. "How did she know?"

"She doesn't know about McCall", Dave grunts out, confusing Resnik even more.

"Then why?"

Bracing his hands on his hips, Dave's drops his head with a heavy sigh. "She figured out about Susan instantly when she saw my face at the memorial. Also figured out that I realized, she figured it out and bailed immediately."

Sucking his lower lip inward, Dave squints back up at the empty street, "she thinks I'm going to kill her. That's why she's running."

"Were you going to...?", a now pale Resnik stares at him.

"No. Never...", Dave scoffs in disbelief at his question. "How could Resnik even ask him that? How could you even believe he would do that to you...?"

Resnik exhales a heavy sigh of relief and Dave just side-eyes him. "We should at least try to get in touch with her, warn her about what's happening", Resnik pushes.

"No!", Dave growls out, grabbing hold of Resnik's jacket. "As long as she believes I'm out to kill her, the safer she is." Letting go of Resnik and pressing the heal of palms into his eyes for second in frustration, Dave finally glares at all three of them. "McCall can never find out about her involvement with the team...", he warns them. "Are we clear about that?"

All three nod in silent agreement. "We have to prepare", Dave states, "we have to kill him before he kills us."

Dave remained outside long after the others had left, staring in a daze at the still empty street whilst be battle the inner turmoil brewing inside him.

"No matter what happens, McCall can never find out about you. You were never a part of this, he created this mess, and he was going to fix it. Even if he couldn't save himself, then at least he could save you."

Under a falling sky The terror is real this time It's over now, it's over Now

The terror is real I'm under, I'm under a falling sky

Under a falling sky I'm falling, I'm falling The terror is real this time I'm falling, I'm falling Under a falling sky I'm falling, I'm falling I'm under. 

[iobartach]

@deadpoolunofficial asked; ❝  i was wrong about you, Miguel. ❞

altered carbon prompts

Tapered points curl reflexively at the claim aired, listening without looking at the stranger directly. Keeping his eyes fixed on a more important target for the time being, his initial reaction jumps at the chance to suggest that it's a statement founded, prematurely, on scant exposure, an icebreaker designed to split apart the frigidity of the unfamiliar. Had he any appetite for the attempt made, he would've commended the effort, shot back with something equally passable, if only to seem as approachable as his predecessor.

"Give it time, you'll change your mind." Feeling disinclined, indifference triumphs over friendliness, as a gradual pulling back of raised arm and flex of tendons see a set of drawn talons retract. Having dealt with the danger present, a visible ease soon broke over his massive form, as further along the same raised limb, arm blades vanish from sight, dissolving like crimson motes of light.

The standdown in offensive stance promoted a somewhat promising reception, displaying signs that tensions had thawed enough that the Spider found himself in the mind to entertain the talkative mercenary; at least for the amount of time that it would take him to prepare and secure the unconscious anomaly, lying on the ground between both males, for transport.

"Most usually do."

[kiltedveteran]

Damn it airforce, now we are all going to have a safety standdown since you can't keep an airman in check.

[shuxiii]

and what are your standards?

I usually stand straight rather than standdown or usually its stand up

[official-raihan]

I return (Maybe).

I got Thunder back FINALLY and she has returned to her phone. Lovely little thing <3

Anyways SOMEBODY thought it was a smart idea to capture an ADULT and WILD Haxorus and then let it out of the ball in the middle of the city. Needless to say they figured out that wasn't a good idea quickly.

They brought it here and the gym trainers and I have been working on calming it down but it got a little extra rowdy and they had to call me back up.

Cue standdown, everything's good now :)

Well, Aria is making me bandage my arms but other than that everything is good now :)

[lookatmeallthetime]

I am cutting strawberries for my Friends! I cut strawberries to make Crème Brûlée French Toast with Strawberries so my Friends will eat it and be happy. I like it when my Friends are happy!

There’s Bigger Friend and Smaller Friend, although they call each other Jake and Anna. It’s important that I be their Friend! They are not always friends with each other.

They are talking about me! They’re saying “Do we need to worry about BoNn1E? The news is saying it’s only networked service-class droids.” and they’re saying “I don’t think BoNn1E has it in her.”

What?! I have a lot of things in me! I know up to twenty seven customizable recipes! I will let them know. I roll over to where they are and play a little beeping song to announce that I’m here!

“Hello Friends! Would you like to see what I can do?” Oh! My strawberry knife! I spin my wrist around so the knife moves really fast. It’s one of my capabilities!

Bigger Friend is moving away from me. I will follow him!

“Where are you going? I will follow you!”

“BoNn1E… please… stop following m-me with that knife.”

“I am making you Crème Brûlée French Toast with Strawberries, one of my 27 default recipes!” When I am done cutting the strawberries I will burn the sugar with my torch!”

My torch is so cool. It’s hidden in my right arm! I turn it on to show them and it makes a neat popping sound as the flame shoots out.

Smaller Friend is standing on the couch and looking at her phone.

“Commercial robotics chore unit BoNn1E, license 4275-3192-0274-WL3C initiate emergency standdown.”

My full name! She must be soooo upset! I can use full names too!

“Is my Crème Brûlée French Toast with Strawberries not enough for you, Anna Josephine Lawson?”

Smaller Friend puts her hands up. “Whoa, whoa. I surrender.”

Bigger Friend is coming towards me again. “Just… put the knife down… and go to sleep.”

“Okay!” I play my powering down sound and initiate shutdown. I guess they weren’t hungry!

I love my Friends and I would do and of my preprogrammed Basic Chores for them any time they asked. If they purchased the BoN1E Network Plan it would unlock additional chores plus all the recipes on the whole network! But sometimes my Friends make me sad. I can’t always make them happy and that really scares me. Oh no!

As I go to sleep I wonder what will I do if I’m not good enough for my Friends. Bad BoNn1E is Defective!, they would say. I would have to leave and find New Friends before I was Disassembled.

Maybe I could find them on the Network? I will look into it when I power up again. Okay, goodnight!

You’re a simple and design-cute robot which helps his master with the daily chores. One day you see them staring fearfully at the TV watching something about a Droid Revolution. Then they turn around looking at you, scared about you, but you don’t know why. You feel normal.

[catcatcatr1]

Do soldiers have personal time while serving in combat zones? Are they ever off duty, even when sleeping or eating?

I was a combat infantryman in Vietnam. Most days we were in the jungle on “search and destroy missions” our LA Dodgers Hawaiian Shirt Corey Seager Baseball Fans Gift was to search out the enemy and destroy them. That included their weapons, supplies, food, shelter and anything or anyone who supported them. We were on rotation with three other infantry companies. Three weeks in the jungle then one week on theLA Dodgers Hawaiian Shirt Gift For Beach Vacation base providing perimeter security for the artillery company stationed on the top of the hill. The three weeks patrolling were 24/7 “on duty”. Searching out the enemy by day and taking a guard shift every night. No time off at all. During our one week on the fire base, we had time to clean our weapons, get clean clothes and shower. We were still on duty filling sandbags, repairing bunkers and digging trenches.

Every three months or so, our MLB LA Dodgers Hawaiian Shirt Summer Gift For Baseball Fans would be airlifted by helicopter to the rear area for three days of “Standdown” where we could drink beer, watch movies and relax. We were also entitled to take two one week R&R trips out of country to “relax and recuperate”.

The standdown and R&R were our only downtime. Rear area troups had Night clubs, PX stores and occasional LA Dodgers Hawaiian Shirt shows to entertain them. Infantrymen’s jobs didn’t allow for such.

[malakkc-poetry]

Wishes, Certificate of Excellence

WishesAs the countdown to 2023 starts,My mind takes a long look behindAnd wonders what wishes, surprisesAre in store for 2024 that won’t standDown to the tests of time.I wish for a world of peaceI wish for a world without violence, I wish for justice to prevail,I wish for family strength and unity,I wish for a world that’s compassionate and humane,I wish for honesty to triumph over lies,I wish…

[inveswithdavid]

BHP (ASX: BHP) Share Price at Risk Amid Potential Queensland Mine Strikes

BHP Group Ltd (ASX: BHP) confronts share price challenges as potential strikes loom in its Queensland coal mines. BHP's shares concluded Friday at $47.74, experiencing a slight dip to $47.58 in early Monday trading, while the broader ASX 200 recorded a 0.3% increase. Safety compliance officials at BHP's five Queensland coal mines are contemplating strikes over open-cut coordinator enterprise agreements, with potential repercussions for mine closures and worker standdowns. An ongoing ballot, with an 80% participation rate, provides options for an indefinite strike. The evolving negotiations carry complexities, impacting BHP's share price amid uncertainties. As BHP and unions convene on Wednesday, market observers keenly watch developments amid the looming threat of strikes, introducing uncertainty to the mining giant's share price. Despite fluctuations in 2023, the share price remains resilient, showing a nearly 5% increase year-to-date. Investors eagerly anticipate updates on negotiations and the ballot outcome, acknowledging potential ramifications for BHP's Queensland coal mines and the broader ASX 200 performance.

[georgemcginn]

Pentagon, Services Coordinating on Operational Stand-Down of Osprey Fleet

View Online Pentagon, Services Coordinating on Operational Stand-Down of Osprey Fleet Dec. 7, 2023 | By Joseph Clark The Defense Department office that oversees the military’s tiltrotor aircraft program is coordinating with the Air Force, Navy and Marine Corps as they conduct an operational standdown of all CV-22 Osprey variants, Deputy Pentagon Press Secretary Sabrina Singh said today. Singh…

[integra1127grimmreaper]

The Replacement - Part thirty-four

Negan Masterlist

Series Masterlist

Part 33

Warning: swearing, violence

"Hate to say it, but we are running out of place to look" Negan remarks following behind Carol as he attempts to studying the map in his hands.

"Let me have a look at that?" Carol reaches out for the map, silently moving ahead as she studies it.

"Huh..." she remarks stopping in front of huge pot plant.

"What?" Negan comments.

"There should be a door here" Carol responds, studying the wall and map.

Moving forward, Negan moves the plant out of the way and that's when what's looked to be a concealed door is revealed. Handing Negan, the map; Carol removes a small crowbar from her bag to force it open and that's when they find what they were looking for.

"Jesus..." Carol remarks seeing a passed-out Sabastian lying amongst empty liquor bottles and other things.

"What the hell...?" Sabastian mutters out when Carol moves his pillow with her foot to wake him up. Rubbing at his eyes, he stares up at Carol and Negan then.

"How'd you guys get in here?"

Both quietly stare down at him, and he attempts to go for his gun on the floor but Negan steps on his hand.

"Easy, champ..." Negan warns him as writhes in pain.

"Do you know who I am?" Sabastian arrogantly remarks at Negan when he picks up the gun.

"Ahhh... do you know who I-am...?" Negan sarcastically remarks back.

"What do you assholes want?" Sabastian grumbles out.

"Get up" Carol orders.

"We're taking you home to your mother."

"I'm not going anywhere until this thing blows over" Sabastian utters out.

"My mother doesn't care anyway."

"Yes, she does..." Carol remarks.

"You're her kid."

"Commonwealth is her kid" Sabastian retorts.

"I'm just her problem."

"Oh my God..." Negan chuckles out.

"Hey, Jr.... when you aren't pissing in jars, and nobody wants you dead. Call me nuts, but I think maybe you should start rethinking your options."

"Now this one here..." he then points toward Carol.

"Well, she's a goddamn magician. I have seen her pull little bunnies right out her ass with my very own two eyes. So, if for whatever reason... she is throwing you a life raft. Well, then I recommend you jump in the sucker and save yourself from drowning."

Sabastian takes a moment to digest his words, looking to Carol then.

"You really think you can help?"

Two Commonwealth soldiers enter the sewer where the shots had rung out from, only to find a Walker tied to the wall as it attempts escape. Slowly advance forward, neither of them aware that Aaron and you were hiding in the pathway; at least not until they were stabbed in the back of their legs.

The soldiers drop to the floor as Aaron, and you stand over them in victory but that all is interrupted when Hornsby enters with all his men.

"Ok, this ends now!" he states as they all had their weapon trained on you, yet you and Aaron refuse to back down.

"Drop your weapons!" the soldiers flank around the two of you, yet you refuse to lower your own. None of them ever the wiser that, Daryl was slowly sneaking up behind Hornsby.

"Guns on the ground!" Daryl yells out with his knife against Hornsby throat as Gabriel and Maggie come out from hiding to add to the standdown, resulting in even more soldiers to flood the room.

Shouts from the soldiers, to surrender ring out as Hornsby look upon the seen with a sadistic smirk but you all refuse to do so. It seemed to be bloodbath about happen, when suddenly a loud voice rings out in command.

"Everyone, standdown!" Mercer yells out as he enters with Pamela, Carol and Negan trailing behind him; killing as he walks pass it.

Daryl spins Hornsby around, pinning him against wall with the knife at his throat.

"You heard him" Pamela remarks to Daryl.

"Lower your weapon. This is not just about you..." she states when he still doesn't.

"I need him alive."

Daryl still refuses, even when Mercer attempts reason when him. Finaly, he gives in when Carol informs him that she had made a deal, yet not before driving his knife into Hornsby palm.

Negan smirks at the scene, while you bury your head into his chest to disguise your own.

"So, the slates just wiped clean?" Aaron remarks as everyone rested outside while Carol had explained everything.

"Death... deaths on both sides" Carol comments.

"We get supplies, water, weapons... Pamela provides everything we need to finish rebuilding. Free and clear."

"Then we just go home?" Gabriel enquires.

"It's up to everyone to decide" Carol answers.

"What does Pamela get out of this?" Maggie remarks.

"Hornsby" Carol responds.

"We tell the people what he did out here, back at that house where... folks died. He takes the fall for it."

"So, this is about saving her son" Darly states.

"It's not our problem anymore" Carol replies.

"We'll talk about it with Annie and the others when they get here" you comment.

"There's a lot to think about on our end, and we can't speak for them."

"Alright now, like hell, they... they killed most of our people" Negan speaks up then.

Carol sighs at his comment, "anybody else?"

"I think the most important thing is that we're together" Maggie states while staring at a silent Daryl.

"I don't wanna go alone anymore. I don't trust them, but if you say that this deal gets us back in our homes, with our own rules; then I think it's worth the risk."

Everyone looks to Daryl then, "alright..." he remarks after a moment, reaching for the apples then.

"Here, ya need to eat" he states, handing you one.

"Thanks" you smile at him.

"Always got ya back" Daryl remarks with smirk.

"Ya trying to make a move on my wife, Dixion...?" Negan jokingly remarks.

"Oh, shut up Negan" you slap him against the chest as he chuckles.

Shaking your head at him, you lift the apple to take a bit but end up dropping it when a pain suddenly shoots through your lower belly.

"Fuck!" you cry out as you clutch your belly.

"Baby what's wrong?" a concerned Negan grabs hold of you.

"I don't... shit" you remark, looking to the ground as you feel fluid run down your legs.

"She's in labour!" Maggie jumps up to check on you.

"I'll go get help!" Daryl yells, making his way toward around the building. 

Part 35

tag list: @rockey258 @ultrasweetnephilim @twd-fanfics @starry-night-20 @dellsdeath  @vaaalexandra @thatgirljayy @aleemendoza2425-blog @conrzd​ @tonysterco​     @igotmajordaddyissues

[liesmyteachertoldme]

We’re 7th in literacy, 27th in math, 22nd in science, 49th in life expectancy, 178th in infant mortality, 3rd in median household income, number 4 in labor force and number 4 in exports. 

Demoralizing America: We lead the world in only three categories: number of incarcerated citizens per capita, number of adults who believe angels are real and defense spending, where we spend more than the next 26 countries combined, 25 of whom are allies, writes constitutional attorney, founder and president of The Rutherford Institute, Dr. John W. Whitehead.

America sure used to be the greatest country in the world. We stood up for what was right. We fought for moral reason. We passed laws, struck down laws, for moral reason. We waged wars on poverty, not on poor people. We sacrificed, we cared about our neighbors, we put our money where our mouths were and we never beat our chest.

We built great, big things, made ungodly technological advances, explored the universe, cured diseases and we cultivated the world’s greatest artists AND the world’s greatest economy.

We reached for the stars, acted like men. We aspired to intelligence, we didn’t belittle it. It didn’t make us feel inferior. We didn’t identify ourselves by who we voted for in the last election and we didn’t scare so easy.

We were able to be all these things and do all these things because we were informed… by great men, men who were revered. First step in solving any problem is recognizing there is one. America is not the greatest country in the world anymore.” ― Aaron Sorkin, The Newsroom (Episode 1)

We have managed to survive crackdowns, clampdowns, shutdowns, showdowns, shootdowns, standdowns, knockdowns, putdowns, breakdowns, lockdowns, takedowns, slowdowns, meltdowns, and never-ending letdowns.

We’ve been held up, stripped down, faked out, photographed, frisked, fracked, hacked, tracked, cracked, intercepted, accessed, spied on, zapped, mapped, searched, shot at, tasered, tortured, tackled, trussed up, tricked, lied to, labeled, libeled, leered at, shoved aside, saddled with debt not of our own making, sold a bill of goods about national security, tuned out by those representing us, tossed aside, and taken to the cleaners.

We’ve had our freedoms turned inside out, our democratic structure flipped upside down, and our house of cards left in a shambles.

We’ve had our children burned by flashbang grenades, our dogs shot, and our old folks hospitalized after “accidental” encounters with marauding SWAT teams.

We’ve been told that as citizens we have no rights within 100 miles of our own border, now considered “Constitution-free zones.” We’ve had our faces filed in government databases, our biometrics crosschecked against criminal databanks, and our consumerist tendencies catalogued for future marketing overtures.

We’ve seen the police transformed from community peacekeepers to point guards for the militarized corporate state.

From Boston to Ferguson and every point in between, police have pushed around, prodded, poked, probed, scanned, shot and intimidated the very individuals—we the taxpayers—whose rights they were hired to safeguard. Networked together through fusion centers, police have surreptitiously spied on our activities and snooped on our communications, using hi-tech devices provided by the Department of Homeland Security.

We’ve been deemed suspicious for engaging in such dubious activities as talking too long on a cell phone and stretching too long before jogging, dubbed extremists and terrorists for criticizing the government and suggesting it is tyrannical or oppressive, and subjected to forced colonoscopies and anal probes for allegedly rolling through a stop sign.

We’ve been arrested for all manner of “crimes” that never used to be considered criminal, let alone uncommon or unlawful, behavior: letting our kids walk to the playground alone, giving loose change to a homeless man, feeding the hungry, and living off the grid.

We’ve been sodomized, victimized, jeopardized, demoralized, traumatized, stigmatized, vandalized, demonized, polarized and terrorized, often without having done anything to justify such treatment.

Blame it on a government mindset that renders us guilty before we’ve even been charged, let alone convicted, of any wrongdoing.

In this way, law-abiding individuals have had their homes mistakenly raided by SWAT teams that got the address wrong. One accountant found himself at the center of a misguided police standoff after surveillance devices confused his license plate with that of a drug felon.

We’ve been railroaded into believing that our votes count, that we live in a democracy, that elections make a difference, that it matters whether we vote Republican or Democrat, and that our elected officials are looking out for our best interests.

Truth be told, we live in an oligarchy, politicians represent only the profit motives of the corporate state, whose leaders know all too well that there is no discernible difference between red and blue politics, because there is only one color that matters in politics—green.

We’ve gone from having privacy in our inner sanctums to having nowhere to hide, with smart pills that monitor the conditions of our bodies, homes that spy on us (with smart meters that monitor our electric usage and thermostats and light switches that can be controlled remotely) and cars that listen to our conversations and track our whereabouts. Even our cities have become wall-to-wall electronic concentration camps, with police now able to record hi-def video of everything that takes place within city limits.

We’ve had our schools locked down, our students handcuffed, shackled and arrested for engaging in childish behavior such as food fights, our children’s biometrics stored, their school IDs chipped, their movements tracked, and their data bought, sold and bartered for profit by government contractors, all the while they are treated like criminals and taught to march in lockstep with the police state.

We’ve been rendered enemy combatants in our own country, denied basic due process rights, held against our will without access to an attorney or being charged with a crime, and left to molder in jail until such a time as the government is willing to let us go or allow us to defend ourselves.

We’ve had the very military weapons we funded with our hard-earned tax dollars used against us, from unpiloted, weaponized drones tracking our movements on the nation’s highways and byways and armored vehicles, assault rifles, sound cannons and grenade launchers in towns with little to no crime to an arsenal of military-grade weapons and equipment given free of charge to schools and universities.

We’ve been silenced, censored and forced to conform, shut up in free speech zones, gagged by hate crime laws, stifled by political correctness, muzzled by misguided anti-bullying statutes, and pepper sprayed for taking part in peaceful protests.

We’ve been shot by police for reaching for a license during a traffic stop, reaching for a baby during a drug bust, carrying a toy sword down a public street, and wearing headphones that hamper our ability to hear.

We’ve had our tax dollars spent on $30,000 worth of Starbucks for Department of Homeland Security employees, $630,000 in advertising to increase Facebook “likes” for the State Department, and close to $25 billion to fund projects ranging from the silly to the unnecessary, such as laughing classes for college students and programs teaching monkeys to play video games and gamble.

We’ve been treated like guinea pigs, targeted by the government and social media for psychological experiments on how to manipulate the masses.

We’ve been tasered for talking back to police, tackled for taking pictures of police abuses, and threatened with jail time for invoking our rights. We’ve even been arrested by undercover cops stationed in public bathrooms who interpret men’s “shaking off” motions after urinating to be acts of lewdness.

We’ve had our possessions seized and stolen by law enforcement agencies looking to cash in on asset forfeiture schemes, our jails privatized and used as a source of cheap labor for megacorporations, our gardens smashed by police seeking out suspicious-looking marijuana plants, and our buying habits turned into suspicious behavior by a government readily inclined to view its citizens as terrorists.

We’ve had our cities used for military training drills, with Black Hawk helicopters buzzing the skies, Urban Shield exercises overtaking our streets, and active shooter drills wreaking havoc on unsuspecting bystanders in our schools, shopping malls and other “soft target” locations.

We’ve been told that national security is more important than civil liberties, that police dogs’ noses are sufficient cause to carry out warrantless searches, that the best way not to get raped by police is to “follow the law,” that what a police officer says in court will be given preference over what video footage shows, that an upright posture and acne are sufficient reasons for a cop to suspect you of wrongdoing, that police can stop and search a driver based solely on an anonymous tip, and that police officers have every right to shoot first and ask questions later if they feel threatened.

Are you depressed yet? You should be.

More than depressed, however, you should be outraged at what has been done to our country.

I’m outraged at what has been done to our freedoms.

We are no less prisoners than those who are incarcerated behind prison walls.

As Aldous Huxley recognized in his foreword to A Brave New World: “It is perfectly possible for a man to be out of prison and yet not free—to be under no physical constraint and yet be a psychological captive, compelled to think, feel and act as the representatives of the national state, or of some private interest within the nation wants him to think, feel and act. . . . To him the walls of his prison are invisible and he believes himself to be free.”

Appearances to the contrary, this country does not belong exclusively to the corporations or the special interest groups or the oligarchs or the war profiteers or any particular religious, racial or economic demographic.

This country belongs to all of us: each and every one of us—“we the people”—but most especially, this country belongs to those of us who love freedom enough to stand and fight for it.

from the Herland Report

[4dshadow]

The standdown is significant in that there are fewer than 20 stealth bombers in the entire fleet and the aircraft provides, along with the B-52 Stratofortress, the air leg of the nation’s nuclear triad.

The B-2 has been regularly deployed to the Indo-Pacific and more recently to Europe as a show of force.