OF TIPS AND TRIPPS :

U.S. government doesn't trust Americans (Joseph Farah, July 17, 2002, WorldNetDaily.com)

The latest example of the government's alarming plans to target the entire population for more scrutiny is the Terrorism Information and Prevention System, or TIPS. Interestingly, the program came to light not through the reporting of any U.S. press outlets, but through a report in the Sydney Morning Herald in Australia and linked by WorldNetDaily.

Under plans outlined on the government's Citizen Corps website, a pilot program launching next month will enlist some 1 million domestic informants in 10 cities to spy on the people. That could mean, if the plan is carried out nationwide, there will be a government snoop for every 24 Americans.

No matter how friendly a face the government attempts to put on this program, it is not going to fly in the USA. Let the word go out now to one and all who might be tempted to participate in such a program - we don't like domestic spies in the United States. We don't like rats. We don't like snitches. We don't like snoops. We don't like them and we don't need them - not here. Not in America. Not now. Not ever.

Mr. Farah is unfortunately correct about our attitude and the results of this have been uniformly disastrous for America. From Whittaker Chambers to Frank Serpico to Linda Tripp, Americans have revealed a vehement hatred of informants. Many people even questioned the decision of the Unabomber's brother to turn him in, as if the fact that someone is your brother is more important than the fact that he's a serial killer. As a nation, we have adopted the ethos of the Mafia, and believe that remaining silent in the face of a criminal conspiracy conveys a certain honor.
Posted by Orrin Judd at July 18, 2002 8:50 AM