America turning against it's own people?

Ok, we already know we are basicaly slaves for the rest of the world. We work, the government takes taxes, they give it away then demand/steel more. No big secret there.
Then the freedoms began being looked at more closely and taken away little by little.
But those things, and others we could add to the list, aren't what this post is about.

I use to send letters and little things to a non USA country years back. I couldn't believe how their govenment would open the mail, take what they wanted and then - may or may not deliever what is left. I couldn't believe it. Blew me away.

But it's happening here now! I get alot of opened mail, some with tape on it to reclose the seal. But today I got a letter from customs telling me that they had opened my mail, and that I was not alowed to have the contents.

They did, however, give me the opption of letting the seize the property or 'abandoning the property' to them.

I still can't believe it's happening here now.
What's next?

Illegal or not - this American don't trust the government and has stopped feeding money into bank accounts and CD's and stocks/bonds and IRA's. My money will be safely tucked in a saftey deposit box, yes, without interest.

And - who are they to say I can't keep cash in my saftey deposit box or other 'non-commercial' places. BS.

Nice post. I'm with you AngelaLadyS. I am dismayed by the new policy of the USPO opening and inspecting all media mail. This means that any books or videos or whatever sent via media mail can be opened by postal employees, inspected, taped shut and sent on.

Regular mail is still inviolable, but I think this media mail policy is a test balloon to see who notices.

We are asked to give all this up in the name of a war against "terrorists" who have killed less Americans than car accidents kill in one year.

I wouldn't bother hoarding cash though, as it can be easily rendered worthless. You can buy precious metals fairly cheaply and "junk" gold and silver will always be useable for exchange.

I have never even heard of that new law alowing them to open media mail! But this was not junk mail or media mail. This was personal mail addressed to me by another party.
I'm still stunned.
And I wonder, is my name going to be on some federal list of 'keep an eye on them'? I'm in the federal system and HAVE to have a squeaky clean record. They put a little note in here saying I could get a bit penalty or even imprisoned if they catch this again!
I understand the need for the U.S Customes and Border Protection - but damn

I'm lost. I don't know what 'media mail' is. I didn't know there was a policy and I can't believe that the USPS is opening people's mail! Can either of you provide further information? Thank you!

Never mind, I'm finding some things. I'll be back.

[edit on 12-8-2005 by Benevolent Heretic]

I hadn't heard of it till now iether, but I know I get alot of opened mail... actualy, it's more like it's never been sealed now.

If you find any links, please post! (Me and husband are using it as the 'vent' for the evening.

I'm lost. I don't know what 'media mail' is. I didn't know there was a policy and I can't believe that the USPS is opening people's mail! Can either of you provide further information? Thank you!

Media Mail is a cheaper rate of mail, but is only available to you if you take your package to the post office and declare it as media mail. Only books and computer media, videotapes, DVDs qualify. I'm not sure as to why they created this class of mail or gave it a special reduced rate.

Anyway, they have a new policy which you can see posted in all USPS post offices that "Media Mail is now subject to search".

F*** it all, im movin to brazil...

I found this:

www.abovetopsecret.com...

US Postal Inspection Service

To imply a consipiracy of the US Postal service is a stretch, because the mail can get opened without their say-so. In fact, this Media Mail thing might be because people were taking advantage of the reduced rate and shipping non-media materials.

Nevertheless, there was little explanation given, so suspicions will be raised. I see a lot of these things as more conditioning exercises.

We've gotten a few things delivered in the last couple of years that were suspicious. Things that should have been well sealed arrived not sealed at all.
Some things never arrive at all.

I've transferred as many of my bills and much of my correspondence to email. For now, it makes me feel a little more secure.

I'm not going on a rant here, but I feel for ya Lady. The problem, I think, is that with the way the world is growing and going and the various interesting twists and turns our culture has taken, we are slowly, but surely, giving up our individuality and privacy for the "greater good"...

It wouldn't be so bad if folks would wake up and say something. The government is not, in and of itself, malevlolent. However, government, by it's very definition, will grow to take over the control of whatever the masses allow. That is why so many safeguards were put in place in the early days, and why so many of those very safeguards are, not so slowly, being taken out of circulation.

I suspect, based solely on feeling, that you may want to consider moving to a private mail provider. But... Depending on what the illegal material was, you may not have much relief there either. Someone still has to bear the responsibility for bad stuff.

Originally posted by AngelaLadyS
I hadn't heard of it till now iether, but I know I get alot of opened mail... actualy, it's more like it's never been sealed now.

If you find any links, please post! (Me and husband are using it as the 'vent' for the evening.

I posted this awhile back but it got quickly tucked away & ignored.

Anyway it might shed a little more light on abuses now occurring.

politics.abovetopsecret.com...'

www.msnbc.msn.com...



[edit on 12-8-2005 by Vajrayana]

I havent heard of any law saying they can open your mail, just the same i dont send valuable things by mail anyway, and encrypt your emails.
Is this really going on? Is ther anything in the news about this?

Originally posted by XphilesPhan
I havent heard of any law saying they can open your mail, just the same i dont send valuable things by mail anyway, and encrypt your emails

.
Is this really going on? Is ther anything in the news about this?

Its called the patriot act my friend. With that act they can tap your phone, read your mail, read your email and who knows what else. They started out with good intentions but that act gives those who would abuse that power an easy pass into violating our privacy. Right now the administration is trying to push for its permanent installment.

I wrote a letter and sent it to the senators and congressmen of my state and received only one response. That response was from Senator Frist. The communication I received was a mass letter probably generated when my email came in. The signiature was even stamped.

Whats wrong with America? Thats whats wrong with America.

Americans have shown, historically, a propensity to be willing to sacrifice some of their liberties in return for the perception of heightened safety. What I cannot abide is that dissent is not accepted as an option.

Originally posted by AngelaLadyS

Illegal or not - this American don't trust the government and has stopped feeding money into bank accounts and CD's and stocks/bonds and IRA's. My money will be safely tucked in a saftey deposit box, yes, without interest.

And - who are they to say I can't keep cash in my saftey deposit box or other 'non-commercial' places. BS.

Don't think for one second that your money is safe in a safety deposit box. My aunt was recently involved in a situation where all of her bank accounts and even her safety deposit box was frozen and she was not allowed to have access to them. If the government wants what you have, they will get it.

I have had problems with them for years. My last lawyers told me that what they did to me was obvious and wrong, but they were the government and they can do whatever they want to me and there is nothing that I can do about it.

What was it that they took from you? Was it something that they consider illegal to have?

Originally posted by sigung86
I'm not going on a rant here, but I feel for ya Lady. The problem, I think, is that with the way the world is growing and going and the various interesting twists and turns our culture has taken, we are slowly, but surely, giving up our individuality and privacy for the "greater good"...

It wouldn't be so bad if folks would wake up and say something. The government is not, in and of itself, malevlolent. However, government, by it's very definition, will grow to take over the control of whatever the masses allow. That is why so many safeguards were put in place in the early days, and why so many of those very safeguards are, not so slowly, being taken out of circulation.

I suspect, based solely on feeling, that you may want to consider moving to a private mail provider. But... Depending on what the illegal material was, you may not have much relief there either. Someone still has to bear the responsibility for bad stuff.

You are one wise cookie.
If the governement would do the job it was supose to do to begin with (keep standards of good values and moral over it's people by the governing laws), then we wouldn't have so much to defend ourselves against and ... sigh.
I have to say it. This country is going to hell in a hand basket.

Originally posted by XphilesPhan
I havent heard of any law saying they can open your mail, just the same i dont send valuable things by mail anyway, and encrypt your emails

.
Is this really going on? Is ther anything in the news about this?

Yeah - it's happening. But no, you won't see it on the news. Heaven forbid the public be aware of what it's government decides to do with it.

It was medication - perscribed by my doctor here, but ordered from a pharmacy with reasonable prices.

But the point was that it didn't say that on the lable - as far as they knew, it could have been a thick birthday card with money in it. It comes on cards, like birth control.

Thanks for the links Benevolent Heretic and Vajrayana - I'll check those out (pages opening now :-)

You said a mouth full Smallpeeps - conditioning exersices. Just like everything else, desensatize us, get us use to the idea little by little before they throw out the big bone.

We've been going towards socialistic government for a long time now - nothing more than a commy government that allows it's people to feel as if it gets a vote/say so in things.