Ukraine has just dialed up the drama...

Thanks Matthew for the link...

via Bloomberg.

Ukraine said its troops attacked and partially destroyed a column of armed vehicles that had crossed the border from Russian territory, while Russia said it was concerned about an attack on another convoy carrying aid.
Ukrainian government troops engaged the vehicles that had arrived overnight through a rebel-held section of the border, Andriy Lysenko, a spokesman for the country’s military, told reporters in Kiev today. Ukrainian soldiers continue to come under shelling, including rounds fired from Russia, he said.

Read it all.

This can't be good.  The excuses that Russia is getting to cross over to conduct a HA/DR mission seem to be piling up. 

The People vs The State.

I've been talking about the Gestapo bitched up cops in Ferguson.  Last night was calm and Cdr. Salamander breaks it all down.

Suffice it to say that we're seeing a reaction or rather a confrontation...call it The People vs. The State.

Cdr. Salamader's article is a must read.  Check it out here.

Business Insider breaks down military equipment used in Ferguson...

NOTE:  I was looking at this and had an epiphany.  With a few exceptions I have the same gear and of a better quality than some of these cops.  Makes me wonder.  The argument that they're trying to play catchup with guys like me can be made (although I'm definitely not planning on robbing a store, taking someone hostage or rioting). I'm definitely gonna have to chew on this some more.  Not as cut and dry as I was making it I guess.

The difference between riot police and armed thugs in Ferguson.

Pics are from the Business Insider...

Missouri State Police

St. Louis County Police

The above pics show you everything you need to see.  State Police showed up in standard riot control gear.  County Police showed up with their SWAT team acting as if they were about to conduct a raid.

Question.  At Bundy Ranch you had militias showing up armed for combat.  Federal Law Enforcement backed off.  In Ferguson you had rioters throwing rocks and bricks (reports of gunfire, molotov cocktails and shooting at helicopters has been stated by the Police Chief but unconfirmed by ANY of the news media on the scene) yet the police acted and were equipped as if they were going to war.  I wonder why?

This is how liberty dies

I'm a fierce critic of the news media. I think they've failed at their jobs to inform the American people....but when we see the above happen, then you know that we're in trouble. We just witnessed Gestapo tactics being used against the media.... AND THE PRESIDENT MADE A MILK TOAST STATEMENT ABOUT THIS!  If you're wondering.  This is how freedom dies...one right at a time....

 NOTE:  via Wikipedia...

The First Amendment (Amendment I) to the United States Constitution prohibits the making of any law respecting an establishment of religion, impeding thefree exercise of religion, abridging the freedom of speech, infringing on the freedom of the press, interfering with the right to peaceably assemble or prohibiting the petitioning for a governmental redress of grievances. It was adopted on December 15, 1791, as one of the ten amendments that constitute the Bill of Rights

Ferguson police are full of shit!

Watching the Chief of Police of Ferguson, Missouri.

He's full of shit!

First we got word of airspace restrictions.  The reason?  Supposedly police helicopters were getting shot at.  News media did not report any such thing.  Additionally he just said that Molotov cocktails were thrown at police last night.  Again, news media reported no such thing.

We're seeing a common playbook emerge for how police deals with things.

1.  Cut off airspace so new helicopters can't record events.
2.  Make outlandish claims about what they're facing.
3.  Restrict news media to certain locations so that the story can't get out of police over reach.

We're living in a chilling time.

ISIS is bad, but one on one or even a group of them wouldn't stand a chance against armed citizens.  The bigger threat is out of control police forces.

1st Cav going Estonia....

via Rianovosti

TALLINN, August 14 (RIA Novosti) – Estonia’s Defense Ministry has confirmed that a US Army armored infantry company equipped with M1 Abrams tanks, infantry fighting vehicles and armored personnel carriers will be stationed in the country, Postimees newspaper reported Thursday.
Peeter Kuimet, the representative of Estonian Defense Ministry’s press service, confirmed to this to the newspaper, adding that details regarding the exact number of personnel, the date of arrival, home station and the number of tanks and other hardware are being worked out.
Earlier, US Stars and Stripes newspaper reported that in October four companies with a total of 600 troops from the 1st Brigade Combat Team, 1st Cavalry US Army Division, will be moved to Poland and the Baltic states to replace units from the 173rd Airborne Brigade, currently stationed in the region.
In April, Washington sent four paratrooper companies to Poland, Estonia, Latvia and Lithuania to support its NATO allies amid the crisis in Ukraine. More than 150 troops are stationed in Estonia without heavy armament, conducting military training for local troops.

This is interesting.  Replacing an Airborne unit with a heavy mech?  Shit is getting real!  This bears watching.