Q:do you ever feel that with discussions like the one you're having now that the weight of the world is on your shoulders? i don't know if i should feel like that but i do. the world has so many problems that need fixing..

Anonymous

I often feel it is more than I can practically handle. I often feel I must walk on egg shells. I like to be mindful of others and it is hard to express personal opinions on a global issue without being ignorant in some way, offending in some way, etc. 

As for the amount of problems in the world…if I allow myself to think of it, I feel immobilized with frustration, dread, sadness, hopelessness.  But what makes me happy is finding solidarity…in people like you.

A message to anyone who fights the establishment.
Pop-upView Separately

A message to anyone who fights the establishment.

Source: kongsprout

“All government suffer a recurring problem: Power attracts pathological personalities. It is not that power corrupts but that it is magnetic to the corruptible.” - Frank Herbert, Dune
View Separately

“All government suffer a recurring problem: Power attracts pathological personalities. It is not that power corrupts but that it is magnetic to the corruptible.” - Frank Herbert, Dune

Source: helperofman

They only call it class warfare when we fight back.
Pop-upView Separately

They only call it class warfare when we fight back.

Source: observers-post

Anonymous reveals Haditha massacre emails

occupyallstreets:

Anonymous have unveiled their second major release for this week’s installment of FuckFBIFriday. Their target this time around is Frank Wuterich, the US Marine that admitted to killing Iraqi civilians — and received no jail time for his crime.

Early Friday afternoon Anonymous began circulating news that the website for Puckett and Faraj, the high-profile attorneys that represented Sgt. Frank Wuterich in his recent trial, had been hacked. Wuterich admitted to leading Marines into two civilian homes in Haditha, Iraq in 2005, massacring 24 civilians including women, children and an elderly man confined to a wheelchair.

In response, hacktivists with Anonymous have uncovered gigabytes worth of correspondence from Sgt. Wuterich’s attorneys and affiliated parties.

Anonymous members have hacked into the website for Sgt. Wuterich’s attorneys and have since defaced it with a detailed message explaining how the self-proclaimed “cold-blooded killer” became their latest target.

“As part of our ongoing efforts to expose the corruption of the court systems and the brutality of US imperialism, we want to bring attention to USMC SSgt Frank Wuterich who along with his squad murdered dozens of unarmed civilians during the Iraqi Occupation,

“Can you believe this scumbag had his charges reduced to involuntary manslaughter and got away with only a pay cut?”

“Meanwhile, Bradley Manning who was brave enough to risk his life and freedom to expose the truth about government corruption is threatened with life imprisonment.”

“When justice cannot be found within the confines of their crooked court systems, we must seek revenge on the streets and on the internet – and dealing out swift retaliation is something we are particularly good at. Worry not comrades, it’s time to deliver some epic ownage.”

In addition to defacing the website of his attorneys, nearly 3 gigabytes of email correspondence belonging to his attorneys have been leaked online.

“And to add a few layers of icing to this delicious caek, we got the usual boatloads of embarrassing personal information. How do you think the world will react when they find out Neal Puckett and his marine buddies have been making crude jokes about the incident where marines have been caught on video pissing on dead bodies in Afghanistan? Or that he regularly corresponds with and receives funding from former marine Don Greenlaw who runs the racist blog http://snooper.wordpress.com? We believe it is time to release all of their private information and court evidence to the world and conduct a People’s trial of our own,”

The announcement this afternoon comes only hours after Anonymous operatives posted a recorded phone message that they intercepted from the FBI and Scotland Yard. Hours later, The Associated Press reports that the FBI confirmed the interception and says it is going after the parties responsible. 

Source

(via occupyallstreets)

Source: occupyallstreets

“In the absence of peace and love, we teach war and hate as an escape from the problems we are too lazy to solve.”
View Separately

“In the absence of peace and love, we teach war and hate as an escape from the problems we are too lazy to solve.”

Source: spreadthemovement

99% Serbia: Noam Chomsky - 10 strategies of manipulation by the media

1. THE STRATEGY OF DISTRACTION

An essential element of social control is the strategy of distraction, which is to divert public attention from problems and important changes decided by the political and economic elites. Through the technique of flooding, constant distractions and trivial information the mind becomes more docile and less critical. The strategy of distraction is also essential in preventing mass interest in science, economics, psychology, neurobiology and cybernetics. “Keep the public busy, busy, busy, with no time to think; back on the farm with the other animals.(Quoted in the text Silent Weapons for Quiet Wars).

2. CREATE PROBLEMS AND OFFER SOLUTIONS

This method is also called “Problem-reaction-solution.” They create a problem, a “situation” to cause some reaction in the audience, so that this becomes the norm of the measures you would accept. For example: ‘let us intensify urban violence, or organize bloody attacks, so that the public becomes more accepting of the laws and policies that are detrimental to their freedom’. Or: create an economic crisis in order for the public to accept as a necessary evil the annulment of social rights and dismantling of public services.

3. THE STRATEGY OF GRADUALISM

To make an unacceptable measure acceptable, gradually apply enough pressure, drop by drop, for a few consecutive years. It is in such a way that new, radical socioeconomic conditions (neoliberalism) were imposed during the 1980s and 1990s the minimal state, privatization, insecurity, flexibility, mass unemployment, wages that do not ensure decent incomes, many changes that would have given rise to a revolution if they had been applied all at once.

4. THE STRATEGY OF DEFERENCE

Another way to accept an unpopular decision is to present it as “painful and necessary”, in order to win over public acceptance at that time. It is easier to accept a future sacrifice than an immediate sacrifice. First of all, because the measure is not used immediately; secondly, because the public, the masses, always have the tendency to expect naively that “everything will improve tomorrow” and that the sacrifice required may be avoided. This gives more time to the public to get used to the idea of change and accept it without resignation when the time comes.

5. ADDRESS THE PUBLIC AS YOU WOULD A LITTLE CHILD

Most ads targeted towards the general public use discourse, arguments, characters with especially childish intonation, often targeting frailty, as if the viewer were a creature of very young age or mentally impaired. The more you try to fool the viewer, the more childish the adopted tone. Why? “If one goes to a person as if she had the age of 12 years or less, then, due to suggestive quality, the other person tends, with some probability, to respond or react without much thought as a person 12 years old or younger would (see “Silent Weapons for quiet wars “)

6. APPEAL TO EMOTIONS RATHER THAN REASON

Make use of Emotional response’ is a classic technique to cause a short circuit on rational analysis and finally the critical sense of the individual. Moreover, appealing to emotions opens the door to the unconscious and makes it easier to implant ideas, desires, fears and doubts, compulsions, or induce behaviors…

7. KEEP THE PUBLIC IN IGNORANCE AND MEDIOCRITY

Make sure the public is incapable of understanding the technologies and methods used to control and enslave. “The quality of education given to the lower social classes should be as poor and mediocre as possible so that the gap of ignorance between the lower classes and upper classes is and remains impossible to achieve for the lower classes (see ‘Silent Weapons for Quiet Wars).

8. ENCOURAGE THE PUBLIC TO BE COMPLACENT TO MEDIOCRITY

Make the public believe that being stupid, vulgar and uneducated is fashionable, while at the same time suffocate culture, science and art that do not conform to the norm.

9. REINFORCE SELF-BLAME

Make the individual believe that he/she is the culprit of their own misfortune and make them doubt their intelligence, their abilities, or their efforts. So, instead of rebelling against the economic system, the individual devalues and blames himself, which generates a depressive state, the purpose of which is to stifle action, and without action, there is no revolution!

10. UNDERSTAND INDIVIDUALS BETTER THAN THEY UNDERSTAND THEMSELVES

During the past 50 years, rapid advances in science have generated a growing knowledge gap between the public and the dominant elites. With biology, neurobiology and applied psychology, the “system” has enjoyed a sophisticated understanding of human beings.. The system has gotten better at knowing the common folk than what he knows of himself. This means that in most cases the system has a greater control over individuals than what the individuals have over themselves.

Source: 99posto.org

Q:"No one with any awareness thinks our situation here is as dire as in Syria or Egypt." There's a fine line to draw here, but I believe you are referring to the bloodshed and murders that have been occurring. When considering the weight of oppression on the same scale, the United States doesn't have many equals - not that there ever should be a weighing of struggles, but rather of inhumanity itself in all places - but our urgency and crises are certainly just as dire as everyone else's.

Anonymous

Thank you, yes, that is a very important distinction. I totally agree, not to compare struggles, but one could definitely argue that with our military-industrial complex and spread of unregulated corporatism into less developed countries, the U.S. is one of history’s worst perpetrators of imperialism, global destruction, and oppression. As the “global leader” in many areas, corruption allowed here is corruption globally, so in many regards, one could argue the situation is most dire here. 

But to clarify, yes, I was only referring to the bloodshed specific to protests. These arguments always frustrate me because…would people prefer we all stay silent until there IS bloodshed? 

occupyonline asked: Really? You think Occupy and/or Anonymous (two very separate things btw) are the threat to democracy? You point people to that video, where peaceful protesters (who were assembling rightful under the Constitution) were brutalized by police as your evidence that WE are the threat?! Anonymous and Anti-Sec happen to support Occupy, not necessarily the other way around. There is nothing insidious about Occupy. The primary goal of Occupy is to end corruption - money in politics - to preserve democracy. Read more

gfbe:

You think I don’t recognize the Violet Carson in your logo? You are just a poser. You are not a threat, you are a privileged white kid, who knows nothing of the world around them. Occupy is nothing. Anonymous can wipe out all of the bank records, the stock market and the power grid clean in the click of a button. What has occupy done lately? Or ever for that matter… You are a loser. If you weren’t in college you wouldn’t have time to waste on these things, because the majority of us with jobs don’t have the time or the energy to waste on hippie parties at Z-park. Get a fucking life and realize what is at stake here.

THOUSANDS OF PEOPLE COME TO THIS COUNTRY ILLEGALLY EVERY DAY TO GET THEIR PIECE OF THE AMERICAN DREAM! THEY COME HERE TO TAKE THE JOBS YOU DON’T WANT, AND THEY DO IT WILLINGLY! 

IF YOU WANT THE AMERICAN DREAM HANDED TO YOU, I WILL TELL YOU TO JUMP OFF A FUCKING BRIDGE! AMERICA IS THE GREATEST COUNTRY IN THE HISTORY OF THE WORLD BECAUSE IT WAS FOUNDED BY FREE MEN, AND WAS INTENDED TO BE A DEMOCRACY!

So that’s why Occupy is a fucking joke, you don’t even realize that you are aligning yourself with a terrorist organization. You want the pie, but you don’t want to help make it. Or you do want to help make it, but your recipe sucks, so we don’t want to let you near our pie. You have no plan, just a message (and not a very clear one at that). You are like a shitty girlfriend who never tells you what she wants but always what she doesn’t want. You are the douchy college know it all liberal in class who’s parents are paying tuition but decides to stage a walkout because of what they believe in while the kids paying for that same class themselves are busy taking notes. That’s all it is, just a massive walk out by hippies, losers, anarchists, sheep, and douchebags like yourself. Educate yourself. Realize we are not against what your so called movement stands for. Do we want positive change in this country is like asking if we want the sun to rise tomorrow. UUUUGH you make me so mad!

You regurgitate populist politics and play them off as some neo-egalitarian alternative to democracy that isn’t socialism (depending on the communist or anarchist you speak to at an occupy gathering). Ever hear of Huey Long?

Occupy had the audacity to call the protest the day of rage… Thousands of people have been killed in Syria, while no one has been killed in the USA. Your definition of police brutality is a little skewed. And your view of your struggle vs the struggle of those elsewhere in the world is a lot skewed. 

When this is over you will look at it like a big mistake or a dumb phase like wearing Jnco jeans, or supporting the Ku Klux Klan… oh yes I did go there. 

It wasn’t too long ago when the majority of Americans supported another organization because of what they stood for. You are a lemming. Now go to bed, and leave matters like this one for the big kids.

The primary goal of occupy may be to end corruption. But we all want the sun to rise tomorrow. Stop bitching, if you can’t tell us how to fix it, then shut the fuck up! When you have the idea put together on how to fix this shit email it here: http://www.whitehouse.gov/CONTACT

While you’re at it, we are trying to figure out what to do with this whole Greece thing. Can the geniuses at Occupy help us with that one. The world is going to hell in a hand basket, and all you can tell us is how uncomfortable it is. Fuck off!!!

Love, 
Bear Claw

(Respectfully Anonymous) 

You honestly shouldn’t presume to know anything about me. I have a law degree and a full time job (being paid well below my ability). I’ve supported myself entirely since I was 16. I paid (and am still paying) for all of my education without any help. Who says I am white? I will agree that I am privileged, something I do not take for granted. This, however, does not make my points or positions invalid. 

Violet Carson? And that means? Forgive me if I am not as familiar as you appear to be on the nefarious conspiracies of the proletariat. I created that graphic for Occupy Portland…because I’m from Portland, the Rose City, and, in my mind, it represents peaceful resistance (i.e. flower rather than a weapon). Would you rather I promote change through violence?

If you actually paid attention, you’d see that Anonymous wants to shake things up, so THEY have aligned themselves with Occupy, as Occupy has the chance of bringing about real change in line with their platform. It really is as simple as that. Using your analogy, we both like pie but we have different recipes. If Occupy is nothing and not a threat, then why did you make that post linking Occupy to what you called the “greatest threat to American Democracy”?

Occupy is not seeking insidious change as you so fear, but a change to BRING BACK SOME SEMBLANCE DEMOCRACY. Do you actually believe you are currently living in a democracy? (Technically the U.S. is a representative republic…).

Many Occupiers are strong Constitutionalists. When the US was created, those free men you mention attempted to create a social contract that would create a government to serve the People (as it should). [For sake of time, I won’t go into my criticisms in always harkening back to a time that disregarded minority rights - we’ve progressed and should continue to do so]. In any case, it was designed with numerous checks and balances against concentrations of power to ensure the government would continue to represent the People. However, forefathers did not foresee the growth of an unregulated world power called corporatism. Corporations have no allegiance to the U.S., no morality, they only serve bottom line profit drive often at the expense of People, the environment, sustainability, and long-term logic.

Being unregulated, banks and large corporations have amassed incredible power. They have few checks and balances and monopolize what we see, what we eat, what we buy, where we work, when we work, how we work. They have unprecedented power to throw MILLIONS at political representatives to ensure legislation in their favor - this means allowing for predatory lending that has put millions of those hard working American citizens you champion out of their homes. Vote for whomever you want, but do you really believe congressmen will push to represent YOUR interests when there are lobbyists for corporations lining their pockets with gold so that they will pass legislation that is in opposition to the will of most Americans? Look up approval ratings of Congress and you will see that our “democracy” is not actually functioning as representative of the People. Occupy is protesting to create checks and balances against concentration of power in global corporatism that has lead to the very corruptions our forefathers so fears about our government. But corruptions finds a way, like water through cracks, doesn’t it? 

So let me ask you then, if we both can agree that things need to change and we need solutions and clearly the “experts” we’ve all put our faith in up on capitol hill have dropped the proverbial ball, then how else do you propose for us “regular people” (we’re not geniuses or saviors) to come up with practical solutions without first verbalizing the problem, educating ourselves, and getting more people to participate in the discussion? They have run us out of public spaces where we were meeting to discuss solutions, so now we do so through community GA’s and internet groups. We ARE trying to find solutions. What else would you have us do?

Do you think the forefathers didn’t have long periods of deliberation and long dissertations that, for that time, were probably perceived by many as “bitching” about the status quo? Why exactly do you think many people came to this country? To seek something new and better. They were the dreamers, the complainers, the progressives. 

So what has Occupy done? We’ve brought to the forefront of political discussion the current presence of pervasive corruption, the problems of corporate personhood, the problems of unregulated banking, predatory lending, foreclosures, so on and so forth. We’ve changed the political discussion towards solution-finding rather than problem-burying. Change will never happen if we never seek it. Maybe our recipe sucks, for you, because you hold different ideals. That’s fine, but become part of the discussion rather than a naysayer.

No one with any awareness thinks our current “police brutality against protesters” situation here is as dire as in Syria or Egypt. But to argue that a punch is not violent or brutal simply because a knife to the side is more brutal and more violent, is missing the point. Our fear is that it could become that dire if we continue to “OK” riot-prepared cops squashing peaceful protests. We protest precisely because we DO “realize what is at stake here.”

Source: gfbe

Q:first, i just want to say that i don't necessarily doubt the eventuality of martial law here in the states. i am curious about what situations do you think could happen that would give them a reason to implement it? my only guess, and a major concern, is that it is possible many banks will fail and the fdic will not be able to be able to reimburse the savings of millions of americans and maybe there would be a possibility of economic riots.

Anonymous

Well, how have any states fallen to fascism reached that point? There are numerous methods. The most insidious might be a homegrown terror attack pinned on some group or another. There is sadly a long history of such maneuvers. It sends people into a desperate fear-driven panic that makes them easier to control. It would not surprise me that if a left-subversive movement grows, such an action would be pinned on that group, thus turning most fence-sitters against a growing populist movement. A less “conspiracy”-based tactic is slow and steady - frog in the boiling water analogy. Most people are willing to compromise small losses of freedom for continued complacency. Over time, however, those small compromises add up to great losses. Patriot Act, NDAA…

An epidemic, biological outbreak, natural disaster, economic crash (as you described), or simply a rise in anarchist riots due to a growing distrust of government (basically anything that actually starts to threaten or scare the rich white men in power). 

Obviously, I hope nothing like this happens, but these are likely the sorts of fears floating around in many people’s heads who are considering buying a gun now who otherwise had not. 

Rolling in the new year, Anonymous releases huge d0x leak as part of "Operation Hiroshima"

http://pastebin.com/ecbVtQ7t

Members of the group anonymous say they have stolen credit card information for the purpose of charity. About $1 million was reportedly stolen from Stratfor, in Austin, Texas, a leading provider of military, economic and political analysis for clients that include Apple and the U.S. Air Force.  Anonymous is a network of computer savvy users who engage in hacktivism, “computer activism.” An operation began in June 2011, with an attack on the Serious Organized Crime Agency, the U.K.’s national law enforcement agency. Since then, Anonymous went after the governments of Brazil, Tunisia and Zimbabwe, NATO, various U.S. law enforcement websites and Fox News.  Details are emerging about the extent of an anonymous hack on security think tank Strategic Forecasting that was first reported Christmas Day and appears to have affected some 50,000 individuals. Austin, Texas-based Strategic Forecasting, or Stratfor, disclosed over the weekend that its Web site, which remains down, was hacked and information about its corporate subscribers—who include the likes of the U.S. Army, U.S. Air Force, and Miami Police Department—was disclosed. AntiSec, an Anonymous-affiliated hacktivist group, quickly claimed responsibility and promised “mayhem” with plans to release even more documents. Documents from the hack posted to date by both Anonymous and AntiSec, according to Identity Finder, include:Identity Finder, a New York-based data loss and identity theft prevention service, today published a report stating that AntiSec has so far released personal information obtained in the hack for Stratfor subscribers with first names beginning with A through M. The rest of the alphabet, along with what AntiSec claims are copies of 2.7 million e-mails, are expected to be released in upcoming days. • 50,277 unique credit card numbers, of which 9,651 are not expired. • 86,594 e-mail addresses, of which 47,680 are unique. • 27,537 phone numbers, of which 25,680 are unique. • 44,188 encrypted passwords, of which roughly 50 percent could be easily cracked.  Some reports said Anonymous’ stated goal was to steal money from individual accounts to give as Christmas donations to organizations like the American Red Cross and Save the Children.VentureBeat said that on Christmas Day, Anonymous had posted five receipts of donations it had made to charities using stolen cards. CNET was unable to track down Stratfor officials for comment Tuesday night, but a Facebook post by Chief Executive George Friedman confirms the breach, noting that the company will offer identity theft protection and monitoring services to affected subscribers. He adds that some of the people whose names were published by AntiSec had simply subscribed to the firm’s publications and did not have a deeper relationship with the company. Identity Finder CEO Todd Feinman said credit card fraud related to the incident has already been “well documented.” “This is the latest data leak by ‘breachers’ who not only hack into corporations but also breach their data privacy by posting the information online,” Feinman said in a statement. “Unfortunately this problem will only get worse unless corporations minimize their data footprint and shrink their data target.” Indeed, this is just the latest attack by Anonymous and its offshoots, who have gained notoriety for their denial-of-service attacks and data breaches on a host of targets. From Sony and the CIA to bankers, police officers, and Fox News, the attacks were, for months, almost a daily occurrence. And with the emergence of the Occupy Wall Street protests, Anonymous actions have become more organized and focused on a cause—political protest of financial inequality and corporate influence. Stratfor was likely targeted not only because of its client list of major companies and government entities but also to highlight its apparent security glitches.
Pop-upView Separately

Members of the group anonymous say they have stolen credit card information for the purpose of charity. About $1 million was reportedly stolen from Stratfor, in Austin, Texas, a leading provider of military, economic and political analysis for clients that include Apple and the U.S. Air Force. 

Anonymous is a network of computer savvy users who engage in hacktivism, “computer activism.” An operation began in June 2011, with an attack on the Serious Organized Crime Agency, the U.K.’s national law enforcement agency. Since then, Anonymous went after the governments of Brazil, Tunisia and Zimbabwe, NATO, various U.S. law enforcement websites and Fox News. 

Details are emerging about the extent of an anonymous hack on security think tank Strategic Forecasting that was first reported Christmas Day and appears to have affected some 50,000 individuals.

Austin, Texas-based Strategic Forecasting, or Stratfor, disclosed over the weekend that its Web site, which remains down, was hacked and information about its corporate subscribers—who include the likes of the U.S. Army, U.S. Air Force, and Miami Police Department—was disclosed. AntiSec, an Anonymous-affiliated hacktivist group, quickly claimed responsibility and promised “mayhem” with plans to release even more documents.

Documents from the hack posted to date by both Anonymous and AntiSec, according to Identity Finder, include:Identity Finder, a New York-based data loss and identity theft prevention service, today published a report stating that AntiSec has so far released personal information obtained in the hack for Stratfor subscribers with first names beginning with A through M. The rest of the alphabet, along with what AntiSec claims are copies of 2.7 million e-mails, are expected to be released in upcoming days.

• 50,277 unique credit card numbers, of which 9,651 are not expired. 
• 86,594 e-mail addresses, of which 47,680 are unique. 
• 27,537 phone numbers, of which 25,680 are unique. 
• 44,188 encrypted passwords, of which roughly 50 percent could be easily cracked. 

Some reports said Anonymous’ stated goal was to steal money from individual accounts to give as Christmas donations to organizations like the American Red Cross and Save the Children.VentureBeat said that on Christmas Day, Anonymous had posted five receipts of donations it had made to charities using stolen cards.

CNET was unable to track down Stratfor officials for comment Tuesday night, but a Facebook post by Chief Executive George Friedman confirms the breach, noting that the company will offer identity theft protection and monitoring services to affected subscribers. He adds that some of the people whose names were published by AntiSec had simply subscribed to the firm’s publications and did not have a deeper relationship with the company.

Identity Finder CEO Todd Feinman said credit card fraud related to the incident has already been “well documented.” “This is the latest data leak by ‘breachers’ who not only hack into corporations but also breach their data privacy by posting the information online,” Feinman said in a statement. “Unfortunately this problem will only get worse unless corporations minimize their data footprint and shrink their data target.”

Indeed, this is just the latest attack by Anonymous and its offshoots, who have gained notoriety for their denial-of-service attacks and data breaches on a host of targets. From Sony and the CIA to bankers, police officers, and Fox News, the attacks were, for months, almost a daily occurrence. And with the emergence of the Occupy Wall Street protests, Anonymous actions have become more organized and focused on a cause—political protest of financial inequality and corporate influence.

Stratfor was likely targeted not only because of its client list of major companies and government entities but also to highlight its apparent security glitches.

Source: CNET

Operation Blackout

I’ve been seeing mention of #OpBlackout quite a bit on Twitter and looked it up. Interesting to see the various group efforts of subversion around our current corrupt system. If you are also curious about what Operation Blackout is, I found the following blog post. I actually happen to agree with many of these and post for information purposes. 

Personal spending power is directly shaping the country and the world. The products we buy directly affect the world around us, our quality of life and now more than ever our political system. We create our own reality. The governing bodies of the world have declared open war on the Internet and the free peoples of earth. The following is a template that if followed will topple the tyrants without firing a single shot. Not all of it is practical for every persons situation but some of it always will be and those are the parts that matter.
 
Withdraw your money from big banks and use a credit union.
Vote independent or third party. It only takes a few seats to change the entire flow of national politics and several countries have sprouted 3rd parties from such efforts.The majority of political candidates from both political parties are firmly in the the pockets of the plutocracy and seek only to pillage the populous.
Buy locally grown food and avoid box stores like Walmart. If you don’t have access to local food buy organic products and consider eating less meat.
Cancel your cable television and stream or take up reading.
Drive less or not at all. Every gallon of oil has a price in lives and environmental damage. Many dictators around the globe have come to power only by being oil friendly with the United States. During the 80s G.W. Bush Sr. was close friends with Saddam Hussein.
Stop using credit cards. You are only as free as you want to be.
Refuse to buy food that is dangerous and be wary of untested chemicals in your domestic wares. The watchdogs only show up in force when something goes wrong and they are paid not to care so it’s buyer beware.
Invest in sustainable technology whenever possible. Solar power always comes in handy.
Remember your rights and demand them. Record police abuse, upload and stream. You are the media.
Practice non violent resistance and take to the streets whenever possible. First the street corner then the square.
 
Expect us.

I will be honest, as it might be obvious from my posts, I am more of your butterflies peace rather than cyberpunk, which Anonymous can sometimes lean towards, so I have always been rather hesitant about Anonymous. I approach it with the same caution I approach most things. However, this is one release of Anonymous that I found quite compelling and foretelling.

Santa is getting some help: Anonymous donors are paying off strangers’ layaway accounts

A young father stood in line at the Kmart layaway counter, wearing dirty clothes and worn-out boots. With him were three small children.  He asked to pay something on his bill because he knew he wouldn’t be able to afford it all before Christmas. Then a mysterious woman stepped up to the counter. 

“She told him, ‘No, I’m paying for it,”’ recalled Edna Deppe, assistant manager at the store in Indianapolis. “He just stood there and looked at her and then looked at me and asked if it was a joke. I told him it wasn’t, and that she was going to pay for him. And he just busted out in tears.” 

At Kmart stores in Chicago and other cities across the country, Santa is getting some help: Anonymous donors are paying off strangers’ layaway accounts, buying the Christmas gifts other families couldn’t afford, especially toys and children’s clothes set aside by impoverished parents.  Before she left the store Tuesday evening, the Indianapolis woman in her mid-40s had paid the layaway orders for as many as 50 people. On the way out, she handed out $50 bills and paid for two carts of toys for a woman in line at the cash register. 

“She was doing it in the memory of her husband who had just died, and she said she wasn’t going to be able to spend it and wanted to make people happy with it,” Deppe said. The woman did not identify herself and only asked people to “remember Ben,” an apparent reference to her husband.  Most of the donors have done their giving secretly. Deppe, who said she’s worked in retail for 40 years, had never seen anything like it.  “It was like an angel fell out of the sky and appeared in our store,” she said.  

Dona Bremser, an Omaha nurse, was at work when a Kmart employee called to tell her that someone had paid off the $70 balance of her layaway account, which held nearly $200 in toys for her 4-year-old son. 

“I was speechless,” Bremser said. “It made me believe in Christmas again.” 

Dozens of other customers have received similar calls in Nebraska, Michigan, Iowa, Indiana and Montana. 

The benefactors generally ask to help families who are squirreling away items for young children. They often pay a portion of the balance, usually all but a few dollars or cents so the layaway order stays in the store’s system. 

The phenomenon seems to have begun in Michigan before spreading, Kmart executives said.  “It is honestly being driven by people wanting to do a good deed at this time of the year,” said Salima Yala, Kmart’s division vice president for layaway. 

Kmart may be the focus of layaway generosity, Yala said, because it is one of the few large discount stores that has offered layaway year-round for about four decades. Under the program, customers can make purchases but let the store hold onto their merchandise as they pay it off slowly over several weeks. 

The sad memories of layaways lost prompted at least one good Samaritan to pay off the accounts of five people at an Omaha Kmart, said Karl Graff, the store’s assistant manager. 

—-

What a brilliant idea. Hmm…so if I do this this year, which store offering layaway should I “support”? I.e., which is the lesser evil of Kmart, Target, Sears, Hallmark, Marshall’s, TJ Maxx, Toys R’ Us (assuming that list of layaway stores was accurate)?

Source: chicagotribune.com