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Paranoia in the states

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  • bobobobo (A monkey)
    Whoa, hold your horses.

    Before this topic runs off into a debate on whether or not the U.S. has become a police state, some clarification of the pictures are necessary.

    1. A new visitors center is being built underground in front of the Capitol building. This is MAJOR contruction, and while it occurs, the construction zone is cordoned off. In the US, this is commonly done (and has been for many years) with chain link fences, plywood fences, temporary walls, and low concrete barricades (jersey barriers, I think they're called) both where there is pedestrian and vehicular traffic. Pictures one and two are obviously taken around this construction, as evidenced by the cranes in one and the visible work area in the left of two. Picture three also appears to be at the edge of a contructon zone as evidenced by the portable white building in the picture, commonly used as the constructors field office in the US.

    Yes, there is more security for entry into the Capitol building (and all Federal buildings), but not to the extent represented by these pictures.

    2. In picture four, I cannot see what is happening at the base of the Washington monument, but I know there where plans to place concrete barriers in an ornamental circular pattern around the monument for a long time, since it is close to public roads and would make an easy car bomb target.

    3. Picture five is looking at the White House across Pennsylvania Avenue. Plans to close the road in front of the White House and turn it into a pedestrian park were underway when I lived near DC back in 1999. If you look, you can see that the road has been removed between the two rows of chain fences. Again, this makes sense since a car or truck bomb could cause significant damage that close to the building. The planning, however, actually began in earnest after the Oklahoma bombing by a US citizen of a Federal building with a Ryder rental truck loaded with nitrous fertilizer, long before 9/11.

    4. Pictures six and seven of the reflecting pool are not uncommon. The pool is periodically drained for cleaning and repair. I've seen it several times, and don't see how this could fall into any discussion about increased security measures.

    Yes, there are changes happening in the US and around the world, and yes, we need to examine them and be vigilant ("The price of freedom is eternal vigilence"), but we need to do so in a rational and informed way.

    Please don't contribute to the misinformation out there.

    Mundane, sorry you're friend came when DC wasn't at her best. Hopefully, he (she?) will be able to return again in the future when these repairs are finished, though as with any city, there is always construction going on.
  • An ex-SquidAn ex-Squid Elite Ranger
    Biggles: If anyone ever [U]did[/U] start llistening to you (or started taking you seriously;) ), things around here really [I]would[/I] go to hell in a handbasket:D . (Hmmm.... maybe [I]that's[/I] why the old Zocalo took a nosedive...:D )
  • An ex-SquidAn ex-Squid Elite Ranger
    Dang... I should've waited a bit before posting...

    Bobo: Thanks for clearing that up. I was wondering why anyone thought those pictures indicated that there was a "police state" mentality in D.C., especially as most of those pictures showed nothing really out of the ordinary.

    I've been to Spain and a good part of the Far East, and the construction sites there looked much the same as the construction areas in and around the Capitol building and the White House. (Take a good look at the construction sites in your part of the world; I'm quite sure you'll see many of the same things there as well.)

    Plans to build vehicle barriers around the Washington Monument have been in place since some nutcase parked a panel van next to it and threatened to blow the whole place up (this was back in 1983, IIRC; I don't remember if he actually had any explosives in the van, though).

    Pennsylvania Avenue has been blocked off ever since the Oklahoma City bombing; the only reason why construction on the pedestrian mall didn't start sooner was that some very influential people in Washington (and a lot of people outside the Beltway) felt that the closure was overkill and that the road should have been reopened. Needless to say, not too many people are saying that now.

    The Reflecting Pool is just like any other pool or any fountain; it needs regular maintenance and occasional repairs (which usually requires draining it).

    Try to keep things in proper perpsective [I]and[/I] in proper context; there's already too much false and/or confusing information out there.
  • BigglesBiggles <font color=#AAFFAA>The Man Without a Face</font>
    [QUOTE][i]Originally posted by bobo [/i]
    [B]Yes, there are changes happening in the US and around the world, and yes, we need to examine them and be vigilant ("The price of freedom is eternal vigilence"), but we need to do so in a rational and informed way.[/B][/QUOTE]

    Well gee, this topic just got boring. ;) How can you be a fanatic if you're going to be all rational?
  • TyvarTyvar Next best thing to a St. Bernard
    [QUOTE][i]Originally posted by Vertigo1 [/i]
    [B]I can attest to that. If we were to follow that logic, then everyone up in Canada must be nice as hell because of one or two people, or everyone in Japan is a master at karate or whatever martial art you pick at random. I've had the opportunity to visit quite a few states in my 23 years of life, and its not as bad as you think. Matter of fact, the only places I've seen the "100% ID check" signs are on military installations. Even then, they only check the driver 99% of the time. [/B][/QUOTE]

    Bars check ID! most of the time! they are obviously paranoid and hunting for terrorists!!!!
  • TyvarTyvar Next best thing to a St. Bernard
    That and frequently the pool is drained when it becomes too much of a breeding ground for skeeters.. aka mosqiutos.

    Forget West Nile, the US used to expereince yellow feaver epidemics all up and down the east coast, which is what caused the draining of most of the wetlands out there, to knock the bug population down.
  • Holy crap!

    I don't believe it!!

    wtf is going on over there!?

    Sorry to all Yanks here but really, what are you doing..?

    And draining the pool?? Is it because they fear som Iraq/Al-Queada battleship is going to appear...?

    I'm just waiting for the Nightwatc to creep up (Homeland security anyone?) and Hawaii and Alaska declaring independence...

    Perhaps JMS is a prophet..?

    :shadow1:
  • Captain,SimmondsCaptain,Simmonds Trainee trainee
    They are Affraid some Terrrorist mite piss in the pool.
  • [QUOTE][i]Originally posted by Captain,Simmonds [/i]
    [B]They are Affraid some Terrrorist mite piss in the pool. [/B][/QUOTE]

    Right on! :D

    :shadow1:
  • David of MacDavid of Mac Elite Ranger Ca
    You know, some people consider it prudent to read a topic all the way to the bottom before replying. Just a thought.
  • TyvarTyvar Next best thing to a St. Bernard
    Today I walked past the old US post office, which is undergoing remodling, guess what? it had walls around it! OBVIOUSLY PARANOIA IN ACTION!

    Dear god people those photos look like most any construction zone in the US in most cases. Yes the ID thing is new but its not even that weird.
  • bobobobo (A monkey)
    [QUOTE][i]Originally posted by Biggles [/i]
    [B]Well gee, this topic just got boring. ;) How can you be a fanatic if you're going to be all rational? [/B][/QUOTE]
    Sorry, Biggles, I keep forgetting this is the internet, and not reality ;)

    FLORIDE IS EVIL!!! PROTECT THE VITAL BODILY FLUIDS!!! TWINKIES ARE THE FIRST WAVE OF THE MASONIC TAKEOVER OF THE WORLD!!!!
  • Captain,SimmondsCaptain,Simmonds Trainee trainee
    [QUOTE][i]Originally posted by bobo [/i]
    [B]Sorry, Biggles, I keep forgetting this is the internet, and not reality ;)

    FLORIDE IS EVIL!!! PROTECT THE VITAL BODILY FLUIDS!!! TWINKIES ARE THE FIRST WAVE OF THE MASONIC TAKEOVER OF THE WORLD!!!! [/B][/QUOTE]

    That belong in the WARLEADER FORUM!!!!!11!!11!!one!!!!
  • An ex-SquidAn ex-Squid Elite Ranger
    [QUOTE][i]Originally posted by bobo [/i]
    [B]Sorry, Biggles, I keep forgetting this is the internet, and not reality ;)

    FLORIDE IS EVIL!!! PROTECT THE VITAL BODILY FLUIDS!!! TWINKIES ARE THE FIRST WAVE OF THE MASONIC TAKEOVER OF THE WORLD!!!! [/B][/QUOTE]

    You're starting to sound more like a Lyndon Larouche (sp?) supporter...;)
  • TyvarTyvar Next best thing to a St. Bernard
    God damn Larouche supporters!! those people are fsking nuts!
  • BigglesBiggles <font color=#AAFFAA>The Man Without a Face</font>
    Who?
  • MTMT Ranger
    Whatever happened to Warleader, anyway?
  • Captain,SimmondsCaptain,Simmonds Trainee trainee
    [QUOTE][i]Originally posted by MT [/i]
    [B]Whatever happened to Warleader, anyway? [/B][/QUOTE]

    No one knows what happened to him.
  • An ex-SquidAn ex-Squid Elite Ranger
    He's probably struggling with a straitjacket that really [I]is[/I] escape-proof...:D
  • Captain,SimmondsCaptain,Simmonds Trainee trainee
    Wait I remember where he is.... He is in section 21 Theta at the metal insatute.... Just a few doors down from me.
  • Vertigo1Vertigo1 Official Fuzzy Dice of FirstOnes.com
    Re: Holy crap!

    [QUOTE][i]Originally posted by Demolished Man [/i]
    [B]I don't believe it!!

    wtf is going on over there!?

    Sorry to all Yanks here but really, what are you doing..?

    And draining the pool?? Is it because they fear som Iraq/Al-Queada battleship is going to appear...?

    I'm just waiting for the Nightwatc to creep up (Homeland security anyone?) and Hawaii and Alaska declaring independence...

    Perhaps JMS is a prophet..?

    :shadow1: [/B][/QUOTE]

    Hey idiot, try reading the entire thread before replying. Ya know, so you won't shoot yourself in the foot like you just did now.
  • Captain,SimmondsCaptain,Simmonds Trainee trainee
    Re: Re: Holy crap!

    [QUOTE][i]Originally posted by Vertigo1 [/i]
    [B]Hey idiot, try reading the entire thread before replying. Ya know, so you won't shoot yourself in the foot like you just did now. [/B][/QUOTE]

    or you will end up like ME!!
  • Vertigo1Vertigo1 Official Fuzzy Dice of FirstOnes.com
    Re: Re: Re: Holy crap!

    [QUOTE][i]Originally posted by Captain,Simmonds [/i]
    [B]or you will end up like ME!! [/B][/QUOTE]

    There have been worse....
  • Captain,SimmondsCaptain,Simmonds Trainee trainee
    Warleader?
  • Re: Re: Re: Re: Holy crap!

    [QUOTE][i]Originally posted by Vertigo1 [/i]
    [B]There have been worse.... [/B][/QUOTE]

    Well on SB I can think of two right away, Shakkara and Mackie. :)
  • Vertigo1Vertigo1 Official Fuzzy Dice of FirstOnes.com
    Re: Re: Re: Re: Re: Holy crap!

    [QUOTE][i]Originally posted by Anla'Shok Douglas Nicol [/i]
    [B]Well on SB I can think of two right away, Shakkara and Mackie. :) [/B][/QUOTE]

    You forgot Rocketwhore and Clansman.


    Ugh....don't get me started on those retards...
  • MTMT Ranger
    Maybe Spacebattles stole away Warleader, and he reappeared there as ChrisEcko, years later, after he perfected his craft.
  • Re: Re: Re: Re: Re: Re: Holy crap!

    [QUOTE][i]Originally posted by Vertigo1 [/i]
    [B]You forgot Rocketwhore and Clansman.


    Ugh....don't get me started on those retards... [/B][/QUOTE]

    Oh definitlely agreed on the first, and I personally knew Clansman at one point, we had a major falling out.
  • Rogue TraderRogue Trader Somebody stop him...
    [QUOTE][i]Originally posted by MT [/i]
    [B]Whatever happened to Warleader, anyway? [/B][/QUOTE]

    he forgot his password and became someone else on the board.
  • TyvarTyvar Next best thing to a St. Bernard
    I think he has another identity and Warleader is like Mr.Hyde and is his crazed alter ego that perodicly breaks loose.
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