Balance of Power
Our Unsafe Society - Achieving a Balance of Power
It is an unfortunate fact that our Planet continues to be a place of violence, suffering and unrest. As information becomes more pervasive, so do the attempts to protect it from theft; all the while enabling a vast transfer of knowledge. Knowledge IS FREEDOM but that knowledge is constantly being censored by governments, corporations and individuals who Fear a Free and Open Society.
Recent events (July 2012) in Aurora Colorado got Worldwide attention when one individual perpetuated a most heinous act, murdering and injuring innocent victims in a movie theater. This has spawned an outcry from all over the Planet as to why this senseless violence occurred. All the while, state sponsored terrorism kills, maims and injures countless thousands in countries all over the Planet. Why the focus on Colorado? Because the human mind can only comprehend so much violence and naturally focuses on what it can understand and grasp.
All the violence, state sponsored terrorism and corporate invasion of our daily lives has spawned over-reaction by government agencies to further 'Control' and curtail the violence by removing self defense options from individuals. Furthermore, more and more individual Freedoms are lost to the over-intrusive agencies in the name of 'safety and security' of the populace.
Our email, phone conversations, written words and other electronic communications (text, and social networking) is monitored and recorded by government agencies world wide. Nothing is private any longer. Video surveillance is everywhere, from banking ATM's to traffic cameras at every intersection. While this may be a good thing in general, the ability to abuse this information is pervasive!
Now there are drones (unmanned aircraft) that are or will be patrolling the skies over our heads. These devices range from tiny, insect like units to large fully armed aircraft; much like those used in warfare in the Middle East by the USA Military. These are unmanned, computer or remote operator controlled surveillance and combat units. They are guided by individual operators in remote locations in conjunction with GPS satellite and oftentimes cell phone tower guidance systems. Soon these devices will begin to be more and more autonomous as so many are deployed they will exceed the capacity for individual flight operators. Even now many of the units are 'self guided' until a 'strike order' is to be given, using on-board computer software guidance systems and given general targeting or roaming directives. They are recording video constantly, observing whatever the master chooses to observe anywhere on the Planet. They fly several thousands of feet in the air using advanced optics (much like the satellite surveillance systems).
Not all the violence is state sponsored, much is represented but uncontrolled criminals. From drug lords in Mexico to the Russian Mafia in New York to local street gangs, criminals thrive on the weak and unprotected everywhere. The more violence perpetuated, either by criminals or enemies of the state, the more the government agencies attempt to exercise more and more control over the population. Instead of focusing on the criminals, they generalize across the broad range of citizenry, using the violence perpetuated to justify more and more control, surveillance and restriction of Freedom. There just aren't' enough police to control these violent criminals and many areas are just left alone in major cities; left to fester and breed new generations of criminals and yes, EVIL.
During the Cold War following World War II, there was a view of a 'balance of power' or 'balance of terror' whichever phrasing you prefer. In these Planetary struggles and localized 'turf wars', each side of the conflict was sponsored and armed by the opposing side. These local conflicts were mostly puppets of the larger struggle between Democracy and Communism. This approach seemed to fall in disfavor and is only secretly practiced these days, but in many ways it did make sense.
Today, we have armed gangs of hoodlums and criminals roaming the streets. They invade homes, steal from helpless victims and otherwise terrorize cities and the citizenry. Coupled with these threats are the threats of Muslim terrorists and religious fanatics who prefer to cut off the heads of 'unbelievers' instead of living in Freedom as we profess to do in the USA; somewhat successfully!
The response of the Federal, State and Local governments is to further restrict and curtail individual Freedoms! We are loosing every day, our privacy our freedoms to conduct business and our lives in peace. Agencies attempt to remove the only means of self-defense individuals have, our guns and personal defense weapons, because there are criminals out there who are armed and dangerous. It makes NO SENSE at all.
The only reasoned response is a 'Balance of Power' within the law abiding citizenry. This means promoting NOT confiscating personal self defense weapons. Legal use of handguns in many states is encouraged and protected by law. In these areas, criminal violence is LESS than in those areas where law abiding citizens are prohibited from owning/using of self defense weapons.
Promoting the safe handling and trained use of firearms and other weapons for self-defense makes sense and is the only reasonable approach to this rising criminal and terrorist threat(s). There just aren't enough police to monitor every home, business, institution and public venue. Not only can't we afford increased protection, it is just not feasible.
However, with a legally armed citizenry option (not everyone will choose to own or carry a weapon), the ability to self-defend oneself and one's family gives the law enforcement community the ability to focus on organized crime and violence. If petty criminals and thieves know that the house they may break into contains an armed/trained individual who is prepared to kill them; they may think twice about breaking in or attempting to do bodily harm to law abiding citizens.
If we learn to defend ourselves better the need for the invasive 'security measures' may be lessened and we may be able to regain our individual Freedoms once again. If the elected officials we put in power understand that WE THE PEOPLE will assume more individual responsibility and lessen the need for 'Big Brother' to watch over us, we may regain some of the Freedoms that have been taken in the name of 'safety and security'.
It all comes down to a balance of power, or better yet, the triumph of individual liberty over those criminals and others who would take what is rightfully ours from US. We cannot Thrive living in fear every day. If we take control of our situation, learn to safely use personal self defense weapons, the criminals may think more than once about attempting to violate our personal security and Liberty!
