Drones in the USA, a startling expansion of federal spying and militarization of local Police
The SF gate brought attention to issue of Drones in America. Sadly the federal gov’t passed a law which make unmanned drones more legal to fly domestically on a variety of reasons, but perhaps the most major reason is to expand the police state surveillance and even worse, militarize them similarly to that of Iraq or Afghanistan.
As this attached article points out, there are countless additional non-govt drone applications including paparazzi and man more.
But is use to watch “traffic,” domestic police and terrorism justified? Sadly the police state agenda wants to push farther and put in a drone surveillance grid, and where a drone surveillance is, shortly follows militarization. Federal drones ought to be resisted similarly as Posse Comintatus restricts the use of the military domestically. This constitutional restriction ought to similarly extend to unmanned drones, drone paid for use by federal authorities by local/state authorities. The Feds have been buying local law enforcement and federalizing them, and by that measures. Just because they are unmanned and controlled by a remote, doesn’t mean they are any less of a threat to state and local sovereignty as governed by the Constitution. Nor does the Fed’s paying local police to do it mean it is any less of a violation. Federalization of local Police is a threat to the Constitution and individual rights.
Remember, Posse Cominatatus and its restriction against domestic police activities by military (federal military) by that same virtue needs to extend to restrictions to all federal forces which would act by name or extension to do the same work, ie Homeland Security and the TSA, which looks to attempt to police the US on a local level. As TSA and Homeland Security move out of airports and into a domestic agenda, the ACLU, EFF and other political organizations that exist to protect rights and the constitution need to step up and keep them in check. An ever oppressive Federal bureaucracy that impacts lives locally in so many ways was warned against by the Founding fathers of the nation and sadly, the expansion is illegal under laws and framework of the US. Remember, the Federal gov’t was supposed to be held in check with States rights and protections against a overpowering over-intrusive federal power. The US was setup as a confederation of states, with limitations on the Federal side.
Sadly with the ever expanding federal police state, drones sound like a further encroachment and militarization, or as Big Sis would put it, policing in the name of protecting against domestic terrorists. ie Occupy wall st. and other groups. On the surface it would seem reasonable, but when you have studied American History, Political Science and have a Juris Doctorate with knowledge of American Laws and Original intent of the Constitution, seems like things are moving in a direction which was intended to be protected against.
This article is facinating, click on link below.
With our wars winding down and the domestic use of drones ramping up, the multibillion-dollar industry wants to upgrade its image as makers of assassins in the sky.
After all, these “unmanned aerial vehicles” can also play important roles as sophisticated map makers, aerial photographers, search and rescue aids and scientific tools.