Who benefits from post office anthrax infestations?

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Ok, I'm feeling more and more suspicious. Maybe I'm just getting to be more and more of a cynic; I don't know.

I do know that "the government" has been encouraging electronic funds transfers for at least 20 years.

Why is this? Is it to save "resources" (I'm skeptical, since I receive so many unsolicited five hundred page reports from "the government".

Is it because "the government" wants to have total control over the economy--total knowledge of all of our spending habits, and hence, our lives?

If the latter, could the anthrax attacks, seemingly directed at politicians, actually be a method of causing so much fear of mail that the average Joe is persuaded to accept electronic "everything" in place of snail mail?

Probably I'm just being unusually paranoid today. Definitely I'm getting m ore and more anxious. Bad patriot. Bad.

JOJ

-- joj (jump@off.c), October 29, 2001

Answers

Are you trying to say we are doing it to ourselves? Sad to say but in a way I think so also. The one reason I think so is because we hear all about the attacks but not much thoughts on who is doing it. No plans (That I have heard) about getting the bastards doing it. I may be wrong and probably am but...It's just a thought

-- grant (organicgrange@yahoo.com), October 29, 2001.

Cashless society and NWO here we come!!!! Should this surprise anybody since most of our society embraces a socialistic/democratic government?

What did the jerks on campus sing when the WTC bombing went down? It wasn't God Bless America, rather it was John Lenin's "Imagine" and if any of you have set down and listened to the lyrics, which these college kids know by heart you'd here what they were praying.

John Linen's birthday came and the United Nations requested that all nations sing it and they did....all except Israel and they bashed Isreal for it.

-- Stephanie Nosacek (possumliving@go.com), October 29, 2001.


Now I'm confuseder than ever :) I heard that lots of radio stations had BANNED playing Imagine. Imagine that!

JOJ

-- joj (jump@off.c), October 29, 2001.


I haven't heard either of those things about the song! I DID hear the song a w h o l e bunch shortly after the attacks.

JOJ, haven't you heard that a cynic is just a disappointed idealist? or a grown up idealist? Or perhaps this: Idealism is what preceeds knowledge and cynicism is what follows knowledge.

Addressing the question, the answer is YES, it's all about money and power.imo.

-- Doreen (bisquit@here.com), October 29, 2001.


Or maybe part of it was having a Congress that was so concerned about contracting anthrax that they passed an anti-terrorism bill without having read it or debated it? Paranoia strikes deep.

-- Deeply paranoid, or cynical (ratdogs10@yahoo.com), October 29, 2001.


No, Doreen, I hadn't heard those "sayings". Actually, I don't consider cynicism one of my better traits. I have always been somewhat SKEPTICAL, at least as long as I can remember, but I try NOT to be cynical.

Just to refresh my own memory, I looked up the difference:

Cynical: "Scornful of the motives or virtue of others." Skeptic: "One who instinctively or habitually doubts, questions, or disagrees with assertions or generally accepted conclusions.

I can see that they are very similar, but I think a skeptic is looking for truth, whereas a Cynic maybe just likes to disagree in general.

Maybe.

JOJ

-- joj (jump@off.c), October 30, 2001.


Ratdog, correct me if I'm wrong, but didn't Congress start debating this "antiterrorist" bill BEFORE the anthrax showed up?

JOJ

-- joj (jump@off.c), October 30, 2001.


"...didn't Congress start debating this "antiterrorist" bill BEFORE the anthrax showed up?"

Yes, most of it had been in the works for a while now. This new bill is a compilation of various rights stealing legistlation that was pending and some that had been killed previously. The new cabinet position was set up 3 years ago and all the groundwork done by the time most people heard of Reichsminister Ridge and his new 911 inspired appointment.

-- William in WI (gnarledmaw@lycos.com), October 30, 2001.


Thanks for the concise clarification, AND the link, Joe. So- when it comes to the government of the US and most governments that I know of, I am a cynic.(:smile:)...when it comes to lots of other stuff, I am skeptical.

This bill's sunset clauses are really interesting. The more harsh stuff has no sunset.

-- Doreen (bisquit@here.com), October 30, 2001.


You're welcome, Doreen. Re the sunset clauses: can you tell me how you learned this? I downloaded the entire bill, but it references back and forth, and says, "delete such and so, add such and so" so much I gave up on reading the whole thing.

I thought the Patriot Bill was terrible, and thought it was at least LESS terrible with the sunset provisions. Now I hear you (as I have also heard on NPR) that the sunset provisions are only on SOME parts of the bill. Sheesh.

JOJ

-- joj (jump@off.c), October 31, 2001.



See the thing with all of these laws is that they just can't say what it is they have to make it rough on you and you have to bookmark bothe the United States Code and the Code of Federal Regulations and then do a whole bunch of cross referencing and then have a Black's Law Dictionary and reference the legal MEANING of the word because, unfortunately, Bill Clinton was right when he said "That depends on what your definition of "is" is..." It's an amazing wealth of garbage and causes one to quickly move from skeptic to cynic:}. Here is the section dealing with the Sunsets, you will have to refer to the sections in your downloaded copy that are excepted.

SEC. 224. SUNSET.

(a) IN GENERAL- Except as provided in subsection (b), this title and the amendments made by this title (other than sections 203(a), 203(c), 205, 208, 210, 211, 213, 216, 219, 221, and 222, and the amendments made by those sections) shall cease to have effect on December 31, 2005.

(b) EXCEPTION- With respect to any particular foreign intelligence investigation that began before the date on which the provisions referred to in subsection (a) cease to have effect, or with respect to any particular offense or potential offense that began or occurred before the date on which such provisions cease to have effect, such provisions shall continue in effect.

-- Doreen (bisquit@here.com), October 31, 2001.


Dear Doreen; how I admire your scholastic ability and willingness to stick to the task!!! I cut and pasted the "Patriot" bill into a Word document with the intention of printing it off to read away from the computer. WRONG..........214 pages puts it out of my price range to print!!! Where do you find the Codes etc. that you mention bookmarking??? I am struggling here trying to understand the full implications of this bill and am bogged down. :>(

-- diane (gardiacaprines@yahoo.com), November 01, 2001.

Diane, I don't do it for everything, so don't be too impressed. It's a massive pain! Here is the best online reference that I have. It links to all things except for the Blacks dictionary. I haven't looked for an online version of that, but have an old beat up copy at home. Jailhouse lawyer preps?...ugh.

Federal Regs and legislation

-- Doreen (bisquit@here.com), November 01, 2001.


THANK YOU!!!!!!!!! Have it all bookmarked and now comes the fun part. Wade, wade, swim...........drowning in legalese!!!!

-- diane (gardiacaprines@yahoo.com), November 01, 2001.

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