There's a big difference between the natural authority you're talking about and the sort of imposed tyranny we have here.
Americans managed just fine without professional police for hundreds of years. What we have now is the oppressive standing army the Founders feared so much (no, it isn't technically military, but it might as well be).
That part's already been tested. As long as it should be obvious that recording is taking place, like with a camera crew, it's good.
The argument here seems to be that a cell phone's nowhere near as obvious.
This isn't really what's being tested here, though. The city's lawyers wanted the case thrown out for some stupid reason. The judge decided to hear it. Now the city's appealing. This test probably won't be over for years.
Apparently the argument is that this is a secret recording. Since you might be doing something else with the phone. Or, in this case, the cops didn't notice him until after the arrest was finished.
If cities, counties, or even states decide they want to provide public education, that should be up to each. Government should be focused at a local level. The federal government has absolutely no business being involved.
People really should think about what "our" current school system actually provides and does, though. Sure, it teaches some fundamental basics (the 3 R's) to most. But then they spend years making kids memorize a bunch of boring and useless facts that will probably never have any relevance in their life. It indoctrinates them to believe that the government is here for our benefit. And it beats any sort of curiosity and pleasure in learning out of almost all.
As far as the government existing, at least in part, to protect the rich from the poor, this is true to an extent. Is this really a good thing?
Or someone (could very well be me) along the story-telling chain doesn't really have a clue. I suspect there was something along the lines of jail time followed by a reported probation violation. But that's just a guess.
Along the same lines, this is why so many innocent people wind up striking plea bargains.
A friend of a friend is currently serving the second year of a one year sentence (!) for a crime he didn't commit. He didn't take it to trial, because the prosecutor threatened him with 10 years, and his lawyer convinced him that it just wasn't worth the risk.
I'm not claiming he's an innocent man. Just that he didn't commit the particular crime he's actually serving time for. It's a "Sleep with the dogs and pick up their fleas" sort of thing.
Tell that to people like Ed and Elaine Brown, Irwin Schiff, Wesley Snipes, Willie Nelson, and David Koresh. Or, for that matter, Al Capone.
The gun's pointed at your head too. Go ahead. Write your congressmen and the department of the treasury. Tell them you're done supporting a government that is blatantly unconstitutional. Tell your employer to quit withholding taxes because they're voluntary. Prove me wrong.
Go ahead. Pull this off in public, and I'll totally admit that I'm being a drama queen.
Until then...you're just another parasite who's too chickenshit to admit it.
We have a tiny percentage of the population who control the vast majority of the wealth. We have enforcers who can get literally away with murder with impunity. We have a class of wage-slaves who spend their lives living from hand to mouth, but, hey, they have a big-screen TV to enjoy the gladitorial games on.
We have one guy in charge who can send our military to invade foreign countries with impunity. Money printers who are totally willing to debase our money supply (meaning inflation, which screws over the poor even further) to pay for those wars. We've pretty much thrown out the entire Constitution. The Powers That Be can now grab anyone they like, declare them an enemy combatant, and throw them into some secret cell and torture them without a trial.
Sure, we still have the illusion that we get to pick our monarch. But Obama's "hope and change" turned out to be "more of pretty much exactly the same."
I really couldn't care less about how much taxes the rich have to pay. Jobs have left this country in landslides because it's more lucrative (and safer) to do business elsewhere, but that's a different discussion. My real concerns go way beyond the fact that Americans pay ridiculous amounts of taxes (well, except for the 40%-ish who pay nothing) for shoddy government services that most of us don't want.
The US has a modern, civilized, industrial society despite a government that seems dead-set on returning us to the feudal system. Not because of it.
Go ahead and believe that paying tribute to massa is the same thing as buying a new laptop, if that makes you feel better about it. Don't be surprised that people are starting to get fed up with that particular delusion.
There's absolutely nothing wrong with your reasoning, except for the part you don't mention: the tax system, as currently implemented, forces everyone else to also agree with you about whether the benefits are worth the cost.
i.e. Your countrymen had guns put to the back of their heads to force them to pay for your education. AFAIC, that's nothing more than the majority picking which highway robbers they prefer.
I believe in two basic things, freedom and helping those that cannot provide for themselves.
One of the basic cornerstones of freedom is deciding what to do with the property you own. This includes the money you've earned by trading away part of your life at a job.
In a free country, the government isn't in place to spread compassion or education. These are valuable and wonderful things, but they have to come from individuals, or they turn vile. It's the government's job (in a free country) to protect freedom. Not play Robin Hood.
Pretty much by definition, ants don't want to do their own thing.
The "open playground for organized elites" happens when people start trusting others with power and sacrificing freedom for safety or (worse yet) convenience.
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Of course he did. Or he'd have been charged for that, too.
There's a big difference between the natural authority you're talking about and the sort of imposed tyranny we have here.
Americans managed just fine without professional police for hundreds of years. What we have now is the oppressive standing army the Founders feared so much (no, it isn't technically military, but it might as well be).
That part's already been tested. As long as it should be obvious that recording is taking place, like with a camera crew, it's good.
The argument here seems to be that a cell phone's nowhere near as obvious.
This isn't really what's being tested here, though. The city's lawyers wanted the case thrown out for some stupid reason. The judge decided to hear it. Now the city's appealing. This test probably won't be over for years.
This is extremely true. Even lawyers should get outside help when dealing with LEOs. Much like a doctor not treating his own family.
I don't much like watching videos in general. But absolutely everyone should take the time to watch this: Cop and law prof agree.
Apparently the argument is that this is a secret recording. Since you might be doing something else with the phone. Or, in this case, the cops didn't notice him until after the arrest was finished.
Yeah, it's weak.
In this case, this is apparently what happened.
Well, sort of. He saw them punch the suspect and started recording.
Just for reference, that's pretty much *exactly* the question here.
Huh. Yet another example of judges being completely illiterate and ignoring the plain language of the Constitution. Why does this ever surprise me?
The argument here is whether this qualifies as a secret recording. They decided long ago that using "real" video cameras is perfectly fine.
You're almost definitely doing *something* illegal. That's the biggest reason there are so many laws on the books.
These days, where do you draw the lines between government and corporations?
C'mon mods...this is funny (even if it is buried pretty deep)
If cities, counties, or even states decide they want to provide public education, that should be up to each. Government should be focused at a local level. The federal government has absolutely no business being involved.
People really should think about what "our" current school system actually provides and does, though. Sure, it teaches some fundamental basics (the 3 R's) to most. But then they spend years making kids memorize a bunch of boring and useless facts that will probably never have any relevance in their life. It indoctrinates them to believe that the government is here for our benefit. And it beats any sort of curiosity and pleasure in learning out of almost all.
As far as the government existing, at least in part, to protect the rich from the poor, this is true to an extent. Is this really a good thing?
Or someone (could very well be me) along the story-telling chain doesn't really have a clue. I suspect there was something along the lines of jail time followed by a reported probation violation. But that's just a guess.
Along the same lines, this is why so many innocent people wind up striking plea bargains.
A friend of a friend is currently serving the second year of a one year sentence (!) for a crime he didn't commit. He didn't take it to trial, because the prosecutor threatened him with 10 years, and his lawyer convinced him that it just wasn't worth the risk.
I'm not claiming he's an innocent man. Just that he didn't commit the particular crime he's actually serving time for. It's a "Sleep with the dogs and pick up their fleas" sort of thing.
Tell that to people like Ed and Elaine Brown, Irwin Schiff, Wesley Snipes, Willie Nelson, and David Koresh. Or, for that matter, Al Capone.
The gun's pointed at your head too. Go ahead. Write your congressmen and the department of the treasury. Tell them you're done supporting a government that is blatantly unconstitutional. Tell your employer to quit withholding taxes because they're voluntary. Prove me wrong.
Go ahead. Pull this off in public, and I'll totally admit that I'm being a drama queen.
Until then...you're just another parasite who's too chickenshit to admit it.
We have a tiny percentage of the population who control the vast majority of the wealth. We have enforcers who can get literally away with murder with impunity. We have a class of wage-slaves who spend their lives living from hand to mouth, but, hey, they have a big-screen TV to enjoy the gladitorial games on.
We have one guy in charge who can send our military to invade foreign countries with impunity. Money printers who are totally willing to debase our money supply (meaning inflation, which screws over the poor even further) to pay for those wars. We've pretty much thrown out the entire Constitution. The Powers That Be can now grab anyone they like, declare them an enemy combatant, and throw them into some secret cell and torture them without a trial.
Sure, we still have the illusion that we get to pick our monarch. But Obama's "hope and change" turned out to be "more of pretty much exactly the same."
I really couldn't care less about how much taxes the rich have to pay. Jobs have left this country in landslides because it's more lucrative (and safer) to do business elsewhere, but that's a different discussion. My real concerns go way beyond the fact that Americans pay ridiculous amounts of taxes (well, except for the 40%-ish who pay nothing) for shoddy government services that most of us don't want.
Tax laws are enforced at gun point. I don't have any idea how that pointing out that fact makes me a drama queen, but whatever.
The US has a modern, civilized, industrial society despite a government that seems dead-set on returning us to the feudal system. Not because of it.
Go ahead and believe that paying tribute to massa is the same thing as buying a new laptop, if that makes you feel better about it. Don't be surprised that people are starting to get fed up with that particular delusion.
Just the ugly truth behind your pretty justifications.
There's absolutely nothing wrong with your reasoning, except for the part you don't mention: the tax system, as currently implemented, forces everyone else to also agree with you about whether the benefits are worth the cost.
i.e. Your countrymen had guns put to the back of their heads to force them to pay for your education. AFAIC, that's nothing more than the majority picking which highway robbers they prefer.
I believe in two basic things, freedom and helping those that cannot provide for themselves.
One of the basic cornerstones of freedom is deciding what to do with the property you own. This includes the money you've earned by trading away part of your life at a job.
In a free country, the government isn't in place to spread compassion or education. These are valuable and wonderful things, but they have to come from individuals, or they turn vile. It's the government's job (in a free country) to protect freedom. Not play Robin Hood.
Excellent! I wish I had mod points.
Pretty much by definition, ants don't want to do their own thing.
The "open playground for organized elites" happens when people start trusting others with power and sacrificing freedom for safety or (worse yet) convenience.
This is nitpicking, but humans raised by animals generally don't ever (never?) learn to talk.