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Fritz Gerlich was a German journalist during Hitler's rise to power. He was well known for his biting criticism of der Führer. One of his most controversial moments was turning Hitler's image into a composite where his facial features were exaggerated and he was arm in arm with a black woman.

In the article, Fritz suggested that readers apply Hitler's own science of physiognomy to Hitler himself, and when applied, it's clear Hitler isn't even Aryan, but of a Mongolian subtype. This insult was the final nail in the coffin for Fritz, who had consistently used the power of the pen to combat Hitler each step of the way. He was arrested and dragged off to Dachau while working on yet another Hitler exposé, and killed a little over a year later.

Gerlich serves as but one example of many journalists who were threatened, beaten and murdered for revealing the truth. Only in the dark can evil things hide. I draw this piece of history to your attention, dear reader, because I want to talk about some other modern-day journalists who were killed under questionable circumstances. It seems we have yet to learn the lessons we said we'd never forget.

Shortly after New Year's, Iraq War vet David Crowley, his wife, and their five-year old daughter were found dead in their home in Minnesota. David was working on a documentary, Gray State, calling out the police state here in the US. His friends and family saw no signs of distress, their finances were fine, and there was no obvious explanation for this tragedy, which has led some to theorize that the family was 'suicided' by the powers that be. Granted, these days, any real whistle-blowing is unlikely due to the nature and depth of the surveillance state, but that won't stop folks from trying.

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© Sott.netDavid Crowley (Left), and Fritz Gerlich
You may also remember Michael Hastings. He was a journalist for Rolling Stone who was killed in a car 'accident' back in 2013. Hastings was working on a story about the CIA. Just a few hours before his death, he had contacted a lawyer connected with the Wikileaks crew because he discovered he was under investigation by the FBI. Assassination is an all-too-common tactic of alphabet agencies, and for decades they have been able to murder someone and set up the circumstances to make it appear as a suicide, car accident, or a heart attack. It's a bit more subtle than jack-boots and concentration camps, but it does the same job.

Speaking of people closely resembling jackbooted thugs, I have several extreme examples, which occurred just this week, of cops behaving like total Nazi thugs and getting away with it. A 17-year-old girl was killed by police in Colorado for driving a 'stolen' car. According to eyewitnesses, the police approached the car, opened fire on Jessica, who was driving, and she lost control, crashing into one of the officers. The officers claim that she 'assaulted' them with the vehicle first, forcing them to open fire.
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© UnknownMichael Hastings, left, and the scene of his fiery demise
Massive discrepancies between witness and cop testimonies is becoming the norm. Jessica was not some violent criminal; she was a teenager, and by all accounts tried to improve the lives of the people around her. There's been no clarification on who owned the vehicle, or if it was in fact stolen. (Remember, just because the cops quickly 'inform' the press that the suspect they just killed was in the process of committing crime, doesn't mean they actually were.)

Here we have a Missouri officer who reportedly drugged, beat and raped his victims. He was fired from his department after a decade of complaints and abuses came to light, but guess what - he retained his license as a cop, which means he can be hired by another department and continue his reign of terror. No charges were filed against him.

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© FacebookJessica Hernandez, age 17, was killed by Police this past Monday, eyewitnesses contest police version of events
Cops in the UK are no different. Officer Warren Luke was just cleared of any wrong-doing in the brutal beating and assault of a mother who refused to leave her daughter, sick with cerebral palsy, alone in the hospital when asked to do so by staff.

Violence wasn't required, but since the officer instigated it 'in the line of the duty', he gets a pat on the back instead of criminal charges and jail-time. He punched, kicked, and tackled this woman when she refused to follow his orders. She suffered 40 different injuries, requiring plastic surgery and is unable to return to work. One of the other officers present testified against Luke, calling his attack on the woman 'just horrific'.

Officers in Wisconsin were tasked with rounding up random citizens for jury duty. These citizens were effectively kidnapped off the street and brought to the court house. Unsurprisingly, the judge then determined that this press-ganged jury was "unfit" and dismissed them all. No one even suggested that what had taken place was wrong.

Moving to France for a moment, insanity appears to have gripped some elements of the state's bureaucracy with 8 year old children getting arrested for 'advocating terrorism'. Of course, terrorism is atrocious and should not be advocated. But are all these children really guilty of the crimes of which they are accused? One14-year-old who was asked to debate the Paris terror attack with the rest of his class had the gall to suggest "They [the gunmen, presumably] were right." He was arrested and charged a few days later, despite showing remorse for saying those three words. Another 8 year old was arrested for acting as an "apologist for a terrorist act".

Meanwhile, according to the Public Committee Against Torture in Israel, Israel tortures children regularly, keeping them locked up in cages, and Lord knows what else. The UN recently hosted its first meeting ever on the rise of anti-semitism. By Semites, the UN is referring to Jews, but technically, many Jews in Israel and around the world aren't Semites at all - they have European genes. After the Paris attacks, Islamophobia, or racism against Muslims is on the rise in Europe, and a majority of European Muslims are Semites, having ancestry that traces back to the Middle East.
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© Stefan HuijboomNo, they aren't on their way to play paintball. These kids are being shipped to the eastern front in Ukraine to kill and be killed.
We also had the release of American Sniper recently, a film that thoroughly fans the flames of Islamophobia in the USA, reigniting popular suspicion and fear of Muslims. In this article, a former Marine breaks the film down and explains why it's a terrible piece of cinema. Interestingly, a lot of the same propaganda techniques used against Jews in Nazi-era Germany appear to be being used against Muslims today: they 'refuse to integrate', they're intolerant of other groups and religions, and they don't tolerate being insulted under the guise of free speech. These are ostensibly the reasons for labeling an entire religion as 'dangerous'.

Meanwhile, in Ukraine, we have actual Nazis calling for the extermination of 'sub-races', those who practice 'perverse sexuality', or who have separatist tendencies. These same Nazis are shipping 16-year-olds to the front in Eastern Ukraine to serve as cannon fodder.

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© Matt MolinariMatt Molinari (left) and Eric Schnepf, seniors at Bridgewater-Raritan High, went door-to-door in Bound Brook on Monday evening passing out fliers offering to shovel snow from driveways.
In Mississippi, legislators are proposing a bill that would make it legal for the police to enter your home, without a warrant, if there is a pit-bull on the property. Not only that, they can shoot and kill your dog if it's "not under proper restraint when on the premises of its owner" or "attempts to peacefully capture the dog have been made and proven unsuccessful." It's a clear violation of your fourth amendment rights against unreasonable search and seizure, as well as a ridiculous power grab by local authorities. It's also what the cops have been doing routinely since 9/11 anyway.

Speaking of the ridiculous, here's a story from New Jersey. Two local Bridgewater boys were seized by the entrepreneurial - American - spirit and decided to turn a quick buck during the recent snow storm by shoveling people's driveways. Guess what, guys - not without paying 'The Man' $450 for your 180-day solicitation permit. You read that right, it's illegal to go door to door, offering shoveling services for your neighbors, unless you pay the fee for the permit. Unfortunately, this is only one example of kids getting shut down in their first attempts at capitalism. It follows a pattern against girl scout cookies and lemonade stands that's been sweeping across the US.

It's getting crazy out there. From random shootings which seem to be occurring on a daily basis, to exaggerated threats - whether from the weather or 'Muslim extremists' - we have a planet where chaos is bubbling just beneath the surface.