NEWS: We Take A Small Step Closer To Fahrenheit 451

POLITICS: We Take A Small Step Closer To Fahrenheit 451

The book Fahrenheit 451 was originally a novella called The Fireman. It was written by Ray Bradbury and was meant as a critique of American society. In the book, critical thinking is suppressed and firemen are actually book burners. Bradbury explained what the book was about.

Sounds pretty on target as far as where we are today, except for the role of firemen in our society. They are regarded as heroes, who sacrifice their lives to save what we hold dear. Firemen are the ultimate example of good in our society. But the Bush administration loves to ruin everything and they now have their sights set on firemen.

Uh, what? What the fuck is happening? The government is already monitoring our phone calls, our emails, where we fly, our purchases and can turn our cell phones into a listening device whenever they want and now they want to turn our firemen in spies and narcs. Fuck off.

The Homeland Security Department is now testing their new fireman as narcs program in New York City. Firemen are being taught how to “identify material or behavior” of terrorists. If things go well, it will be expanded across the United States of Creepy.

Yeah, no shit, asshole. Now, why do I think that firemen don’t actually need to be trained to turn someone in if they find RPG’s in a basement? Nice try with the spin, but I’m not a fucking moron. This program is about snooping and getting around warrants; using men who should be doing no such thing.

Huh, so they already do all that. What a surprise. Now, what exactly are firemen not doing that Homeland Security wants them to do? Here’s a scenario: There is a call to 911 of a fire in a home. On there way there, firemen get a call over the radio telling them it is a possible terrorist home and to search the property. The firemen get there and tear the place up looking for information. Turns out the poor guy is not a terrorist, but his house has been ransacked. And hey, who made the 911 call in the first place? Because the guy who lives there didn't.

911 calls have been abused for years by police trying to get into a home, bringing firemen into the equation is bad fucking news. Although, some firemen seem to be okay with the idea.

Oh, good. Then don’t be too upset if a dislike of firemen follows.

Yes, you do. And hopefully after this program is in place, we can get the cable guys going next.

The spin that this administration puts on everything is amazing. It's almost more than the tilt-a-whirl, though it makes me want to puke earlier and more often.

And chances are this new firefighter biz will be implemented steadily without any kind of opposition until we don't remember what it was like before.

So warrant less searches of houses are one prank phone call away? Nice.

note to self: move death ray to secret location.

"The right of the people to be secure in their persons, houses, papers, and effects, against unreasonable searches and seizures, shall not be violated, and no Warrants shall issue, but upon probable cause, supported by Oath or affirmation, and particularly describing the place to be searched, and the persons or things to be seized."

I guess not

This article would be a lot funnier if by "a bunch of RPG rounds in somebody's basement," they meant "a bunch of kids playing rounds of role-playing games". But then everyone knows D&D turns kids into satanists, so gamers should probably be spied on anyways.

Guess that guy won't be calling the fire department if he does ever have a house fire


This is all sorts of fucked up.

Firemen have enough bonus points to let this one slip. And also:

Not exactly surprising or anything, but it still makes me want to cry. I'm all for taking the "fiction" out of sci-fi where awesome space travel is concerned, but when you take it out of Bradbury's brand of the genre it's usually bad news and societal anihlilation.

Oooh, I wonder what Cash has to say about this.

/sigh

So, I can still call the ghost busters right?

seriously? expressing discontent = terrorist? i don't even know how to respond to this shit anymore.

Yeah, welcome to the jungle.


I think I'm just going to start leaving my doors unlocked. Whoever wants in is apparently going to get in anyway, and if I get robbed, well. . . . that's just less shit to have ransacked by our "protectors" or to cause suspition of unpatriotic activity.

Its okay folks, calm down, we're all just trapped inside one of Jell-o Biafra's nightmares. Any moment now he'll wake up and things will go back to normal. Wake up Jell-o...wake up!

There are so many things that I want to say about this that I don't want to say any of them. I know it's fashionable around here and a bit of a cliche', but outrage fatigue really does sum it up nicely. I'm just so sick of being ashamed of, appalled, and disgusted by this administration. I want it to be over so badly, but the lack of confidence I have in our governmental system because of the last 8 years makes me think that whoever comes next won't be much better.

Like this, I think:

Wow, so how many television programs do that right now? Does that make them terrorists? And hey, does the fact that we strongly disagree with this make us terrorists as well?

One thing is for certain. The government is trying to use make us afraid and Im sad to say they have won with me. Im afraid of them.

_DictionaryGirl_ said:

d20 said:

...or expressing hate or discontent with the United States

seriously? expressing discontent = terrorist? i don't even know how to respond to this shit anymore.

Like this, I think:

SPOILERS! (Click to view)

The best part about that image is that it's from "Monster Trucks UK"

The next administration wont make anything better because they are going to be too busy cleaning up the shit left behind by this one.

It's like going to open up the store where you work only to find out that the closing crew decided to smear the entire place with piss, shit, and all other sorts of bodily fluids.

Plz keep yr Redcoats out of my home, King George.
Kthanx.

Firefighters are the new, hot untapped resource for governments. Here in Minneapolis, our Inspections department has tapped the fire department to drive their stinky diesel-guzzling fire trucks up and down the alleys looking for, say, garages with peeling paint. Minneapolis homeowner, your citation is in the mail....

But I diverge....

Back in the good ol' days, like the first year or two after 9/11, I thought that worry about our privacy was overstated-this Dubya guy is a dolt, his way of thinking won't be around long after what I presumed would be a single term in office. Someone with better sensibility would correct things....

Six years later, I worry more and more that as privacy rights continue to be invaded, we won't be able to restore those rights any time soon--perhaps for decades even under new non-Bush administrations.

Cabinet-level departments like Homeland Security (which always make me think of the Nazi's "Fatherland") get renamed and absorbed by other departments, but they seldom disappear. These institutions have incredible momentum even after their original intended purpose is fulfilled-momentum that can carry on for decades, as with the Rural Utilities Service, originally formed as the Rural Electrification Administration in 1935 and still carrying a $3 billion budget.

Be afraid, very afraid.

I don't want to spoil the ending of Scream 3 for everyone who hasn't seen it, but when it ended and Sidney was still alive I stood up and screamed, "HORSESHIT!!" as loud as I could, in the theatre. That was the only time I have ever screamed an obscenity aloud, especially in a public place. This is how I felt when I read the above article. I feel once again, that unpleasant urge to scream out...HORSESHIT!