Be a Compliant Citizen: Domestic Spying Increases



Bruce’s Poor Man Survival Bulletin

A Digest of Urban Survival Resources

http://www.PoorManSurvival.com

For Independent Minded People!

ISSN 2161-5543

In This Issue:

1.       Fight back against unfair debt collectors

2.      Interrogation resistance techniques, more civil liberty resources

3.      Bucky Box-help for organic farmers

4.      Domestic spying on citizens increases-Be a compliant citizen

The art of government consists of taking as much money as
possible from one party of citizens to give to the other."
-- Voltaire

DON'T BE A CONSUMER - HERE'S WHY

Ever wonder why the mainstream media refers to us as "consumers"? Because it's run by advertisers.

The goal of advertisers is to sell. (Can't blame them for that; the merchant in the souk shouts his wares. That's business.) If you can be convinced that your core identity is "consumer" - an organism that buys stuff - game over. You're now the servant of the vendors, open to endless manipulation.

What does this mean, in practice?

>A lifetime of debt. (Hey, your job is to buy, not save. If they wanted you to save, they'd call you a "saver." Ever wonder why you hear that word so rarely?)

>Bad credit, because your buying decisions are no longer your own. Bad credit reduces job prospects (employers increasingly run credit checks on applicants), amps stress, wreaks lifestyle havoc.

>Environmental degradation: Produce, consume, throw "away." ("Away" is also called "here.") Repeat.

But you're not a "consumer," you're a Boss. (That's just one example of a better noun, of course. In my opinion, the essence of creatures large and small surpasses all the labels in all the languages ever invented, including this meager sentence.)

Bosses boss. They kick butt. They slap wimps. They tell other people what to do. They're in control, in charge, at the top of the pyramid.

Be a Boss, not a "consumer." There isn't a single wealthy person on this planet
who's trying to get by on a single income stream.
Why are you?  Visit our idea-starter section at: http://www.poormansurvival.com/Pages/bootstrapbiz.aspx

Think outside the box (literally) to boost creativity.  Published in Psychological Science, participants in less confined spaces performed better on creativity tests, so get outside and go for a stroll and let your mind roam free.

PM’s Compendium of Useful Resources

How to Survive a Police Interrogation

In response to last week’s issue on police violations of civil rights, here are additional resources to make use of…

Finding yourself on the wrong side of the interrogation table can be a nightmare. Fear can work to turn even the most honest person into a basket case. Constant questions from intense interrogators can cause panic in the most self-assured person. Learn to survive an interrogation without falling into common traps

Read more: How to Survive Interrogation | eHow.com http://www.ehow.com/how_4510328_survive-interrogation.html#ixzz23KQNy7Qm

Judicial Watch -  www.JudicialWatch.org

http://changingminds.org/techniques/interrogation/interrogation.htm

Software firm focuses on helping small organic farms

New Zealand-based Bucky Box is a software provider targeting small-scale farms. With easy-to-use software that automates orders, billing and logistics, the company aims to help propel the emerging decentralized food system

Whether it’s the new bicycle culture, the DIY trend or the organic farming movement, someone has to support the ventures that make these social changes happen. IT entrepreneurs: could that be you?

Website: www.buckybox.com

France, the United States and G20 president Mexico will hold a conference call at the end of August to discuss whether an emergency international meeting is required to tackle soaring grain prices caused by the worst U.S. drought in half a century.

Smallknot helps neighborhood enterprises to create their own funding projects, with reward packages for pledgers

There are now numerous crowdfunding platforms helping new and small businesses to find the capital they need, and we’ve seen hyper-local one-project-a-week efforts before in the shape of Lucky Ant. With a similar objective, Smallknot helps neighborhood enterprises to create their own funding projects, with reward packages for pledgers.

Taking its inspiration from the popular Kickstarter crowdfunding site, businesses can upload details about a project they are looking to undertake, as well as set the funding goal and time limit for backers to place a donation. Smallknot aims to help local businesses connect with fans and gain new custom by offering products or services in return for providing financial support. For example, a USD 25 investment in a local bar in Brooklyn currently rewards backers with USD 35 bar tab and a free bowl of pretzels as a thank you, while a USD 250 pledge gains donors a party for eight people. An extra incentive to get involved is provided through the fact that support translates into improvement in their neighborhood. Projects are funded providing they have reached their target by the end date of the campaign.

The site aims to be a nationwide service in the US but currently only features projects in New York and South Carolina. One to replicate in your part of the world?

Website: www.smallknot.com

Fight Back Against Unfair Debt Collectors

 Abused by a Debt Collector? Get a Free Lawyer. It details how you can sometimes get free legal assistance when dealing with collection agencies. The lawyers aren’t actually working gratis: They’re getting paid by settling with collection agencies that violate the Fair Debt Collection Practices Act and are required to pay damages, including attorney fees.

While not all collection agencies break the law, many do. The FTC details a litany of potential violations, from “misrepresenting the amount you owe” (thought I signed an agreement for a total of 18,000) to “repeatedly using the phone to annoy someone.” (They are now calling us between 6-10 times a day.)

What people in trouble need to do is find a consumer lawyer. They should lay out their case and ask for advice. If the collection agencies violated the law, they may get it free.

Switch banks – something 1 in 5 banking customers have considered in the past year, a new Consumers Union survey reveals.

Not everyone switches because of mergers or failures, of course. When asked their top reasons why they’d consider switching, the most common responses from the 1,157 people surveyed were…

unexpected fee increases (43 percent)

better terms elsewhere (38 percent)

poor service (26 percent)

So far this year, 39 banks have failed.

Love lemons?  Instead of adding vinegar to veggies, squeeze in a tablespoon of juice.

The Nanny State Updates…

Foreign Government Control over Our 2nd Amendment

Currently, the U.N. is actively piecing together the U.N. Small Arms Treaty. Contributing writer to Forbes magazine, Larry Bell, suggests this treaty will:

"Enact tougher licensing requirements, creating additional bureaucratic red tape for legal firearms ownership.

"Confiscate and destroy all "unauthorized" civilian firearms (exempting those owned by our government of course).

"Ban the trade, sale, and private ownership of all semi-automatic weapons (any that have magazines even though they still operate in the same one trigger pull – one single 'bang' manner as revolvers, a simple fact the ant-gun media never seem to grasp).

"Create an international gun registry, clearly setting the stage for full-scale gun confiscation.

"In short, overriding our national sovereignty, and in the process, providing license for the federal government to assert preemptive powers over state regulatory powers guaranteed by the Tenth Amendment in addition to our Second Amendment rights."

Public opinion is moving to support responsible and trained gun rights!

As the saying goes, "when you have only seconds, the police are just minutes away."

A Pew Research Center poll from April of 2012, found 49% of the population favors protecting the rights of gun owners, while 45% favor more gun control. This is almost the exact opposite from the last presidential election in 2008;

The National Sporting Goods Association says about 47% more women are shooting today than a decade ago;

A Gallup poll shows 23% of American women now own at least one gun

The public understands the facts. The good guys need guns to defend against the bad guys and help the police. As the saying goes, "when you have only seconds, the police are just minutes away."

The Parting Thought- Domestic Spy (on citizens) Programs Increase

Know your role as an obedient, compliant citizen…

“Fusion center” is a generic term for entities which are designed to integrate federal intelligence efforts with the state and local authorities. As of July 2009, there are 72 fusion centers around the country and one in nearly every state.¹ These entities work under the auspices of local law enforcement, often integrating with the state’s police force, Department of Justice, or Office of Emergency Management.

The fusion center integrates law enforcement intelligence activities throughout the jurisdiction, providing federal authorities access to local information and databases, while simultaneously allowing federal agencies to disseminate intelligence materials to local authorities.

There are often federal representatives present in local fusion centers, either from civilian or military sources.

 The Department of Homeland Security lists 36 active field representatives as of July 2009 and a number of fusion centers are integrated with their state’s National Guard through “liaison officers.

Part of domestic surveillance system that incorporates private contractors, federal government, military, and local law enforcement.

Communities Against Terrorism, is what the Justice Department calls these programs while it trains retail managers and employees (such as coffee shops, hotels, and internet cafes) to become FBI informants…turning in customers, who for instance, who are overly concerned about privacy or who always pay with cash, who go online with their own secure connection vs. public Wi-Fi and so on.

 Originally organized by the Department of Homeland Security and the Department of Justice Provide federal authorities with access to local databases and legally protected information concerning law-abiding citizens Often function with military liaisons and integrate with National Guard Often at undisclosed locations listing only post office boxes as physical addresses As of July 2009, approximately 72 fusion centers exist nationwide…damned if those government types aren’t worried about us poor citizens and what might be done to them when all hell breaks loose!

http://publicintelligence.net/intelligence-fusion-centers/

http://www.it.ojp.gov/default.aspx?area=nationalInitiatives&page=1181

 “Until the next revolution”, the Poor Man

Help us promote the Gospel according to the Poor Man at Self Reliance Expos this Fall

http://www.gofundme.com/jld30

Follow us on Facebook

www.facebook.com/PoorManSurvival

 Twitter

http://twitter.com/poormansurvivor

Keep our services free, visit our sites…

Check our Resources

New self sufficiency books added weekly

http://www.OldBookNook.com

A Shallow Planet Production