The source is a quick read so I encourage everyone to take a look. Just a teaser here:
DARPA insists that Atlas is not being designed for adversarial military tasks, but for humanitarian reasons—to aid rescue efforts during future natural and human–made disasters. Not everyone is convinced though. “The US military has shown off what may become the soldier of the future: a hulking robot that would easily look at home in Hollywood's Terminator franchise or an Isaac Asimov novel,” the Australian reported. And Michael Allen opined about Atlas in Opposing Views, “DARPA is famous for trying to create new military weapons, so that could be a possibility as well.” The latter is a good hint worth exploring.
[snip]
When the US government assures the public that a particular military program is being developed for humanitarian reasons, should we believe? History tells us—we must not.
[snip]
Equipped with Atlases on the ground, backed by drones in the sky, and real–time global surveillance—the US government will soon be ready to announce: “Resistance is futile.”
The one piece missing from this assessment of course is the sequestration of the Bill of Rights, the abbrogation of due process, and the ongoing War on whistleblowers and investigative journalism, all in the name of state security. Er, that's national security.
How else can the 1% continue to maintain control over the 99% as they continue to turn the screws of predatory, disaster capitalism on We the Prey?
Anyone who has known enough to ask and ponder this question has already figured out that the above scenario is how.
Terrorism is a sideshow. It's a proving ground. Crushing Occupy was an exercise for the real mission. Violent dissent is both unethical and a lost cause; that train left the station long, long ago. Non-violent dissent can only work when people gather and organize in great, overwhelming numbers. The mission of the security state is to prevent the gatherings and the organization and to violently crush, if necessary, the non-violent dissent. The target is that portion of the 99% that is attempting and has no choice but to continue with ever greater desperation and determination to figure out a way to stop and contain the 1%, with one huge immediate purpose being the initiation of a massive effort to mitigate catastrophic Climate Change. For while extolling the virtues of Neoliberalism and denying Climate Change, the 1% is well aware of the very real instability mounting from the unavoidable confluence of the two, which is now completely unavoidable because the 1% is committed to it and because so much of the 99% is either a hindrance to or of no help in stopping it.
"Naturally the common people don't want war: Neither in Russia, nor in England, nor for that matter in Germany. That is understood. But, after all, IT IS THE LEADERS of the country who determine the policy and it is always a simple matter to drag the people along, whether it is a democracy, or a fascist dictatorship, or a parliament, or a communist dictatorship. Voice or no voice, the people can always be brought to the bidding of the leaders. That is easy. All you have to do is TELL THEM THEY ARE BEING ATTACKED, and denounce the peacemakers for lack of patriotism and exposing the country to danger. IT WORKS THE SAME IN ANY COUNTRY."
--Goering at the Nuremberg Trials
And this is exactly how both the increasing unilateralism and criminality of Defense and black ops and the militarization and ruthlessness of the security state is being justified: it is for YOUR safety. National Security. Only it is not. You, we, have much more to fear from those who increasingly have total motivation and means of controlling us than those who have to resort to the methods of weaker opponents, that of terrorism.
Yet many either dare or choose not to call it a Security State with global designs; there are many motivations for this. But this has given the plutocracy all the head start it needs to get this far and may well have already sealed our fate in the race to ensure that resistance is not futile.
Where do you stand? Do you care? Is there really something more pressing? Is more and better "representatives" in a broken, rigged, dysfunctional system alone really a credible strategy for addressing this crisis? Really?
Bill Moyers and Chris Hedges both were seminarians. In an interview with Bill almost exactly a year ago, Chris and Bill reviewed this situation and Chris explained that a minister at seminary taught him that faith is doing the right thing and believing it will make a difference even when all the evidence says otherwise.
Thanks and praises to those who have faith.
8:51 AM PT:
I AM ATLAS
9:06 AM PT: Hey, Rec List! Thanks. Guess this means some people care.