Police State Noose Tightens Another Notch Around Our Throats

California has long been a leader in pioneering new methods of police state repression. The Los Angeles Police Department (LAPD) in particular has long spearheaded the drive to put police in control of society. Over the years its infamous chiefs, such as Parker and Gates, have been driven by ideological fanaticism.

Now NPR reports (Morning Edition, 5/7/13) that the ACLU is suing just to get access to a sample of a license plate data base the LAPD has assembling. In a secretive mass surveillance program, the LAPD has been surreptitiously recording the license plates of all cars driving down the street and creating a searchable database. Of course the LAPD refuses to talk about it- their excuse now is the standard “cannot comment because it's the subject of a lawsuit.” There's no law or rule that prevents government agencies from talking about a topic because they're being sued. For a private individual, it may be wise to refrain from comment, especially if they're being criminally charged. But governments and their arms should have to explain themselves.

Of course, this horribly repressive development will be justified as a “crime-fighting tool.” But much of its use will be to track dissidents, activists, and politicians. [See also: "FBI Used Facial Recognition Software To Identify Boston Bombers"]

For some insight into the nefarious political repression activities of the LAPD, you could start by reading the book The Glass House Tapes, an account by Louis E. Tackwood of his experiences as an agent provocateur and infiltrator of black and leftist groups for the “intelligence” division of that Department. [Amazon.com has it.] He also describes various operations he learned of. (Of course the LAPD secret police unit works closely with the FBI in particular, as well as other police state agencies including the CIA, which is “banned” from domestic operations. HAH. Funny joke the establishment made when they created the CIA.)

Speaking of California police state operations, a few decades ago there was an FBI-run right-wing terrorist organization in San Diego called the Secret Army Organization. Apparently this was used to intimidate people seen as leftists, and maybe as an assassination unit. Anyway, one fine evening an undercover FBI agent and an SAO terrorist were stalking a “left-wing” college professor, and they were in their car outside his house. The terrorist shot at a woman he saw inside, hitting her in the elbow and crippling her permanently. That created a smallish problem for the FBI. But not to worry. The U.$ media always has the back of the secret police. And why not? The secret police are there to serve and protect the corporate oligarchy. “The” media is the mouthpiece, the propaganda organs, of that same corporate oligarchy. So basically they are on the same side, if occasionally there are minor conflicts or tactical differences between them. There can also be criticisms of the competence of the secret police (or of the media) in how they carry out their jobs. But no fundamental critiques, and certainly no calls for real accountability- for example criminal prosecutions for crimes committed by secret policemen, (In best Orwellian fashion, referred to as “law enforcement officers” in the case of the FBI and similar agencies. The CIA, a global mega-terrorist outfit, is called an “intelligence” or “spy” organization.)

Since the corporate media is a hegemonic system of consciousness-control in America, as long as they have the backs of the secret police, the secret police can persecute progressives with impunity. Leftists are either ignored or reviled and smeared by the corporate media. The crimes against them either go unreported or are treated as insignificant.

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