The Precogs are coming ...
22 Years after Spielberg's chilling movie "Minority Report" (2002), starring Tom Cruise, the Trump Administration is moving to make it a reality.
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Last month, President Donald Trump dramatically altered the U.S. government’s approach to domestic terrorism. NSPM-7, (National Security Presidential Memorandum) a little-noticed national security directive, expands the list of terrorism indicators to include any behavior that is deemed anti-American, anti-Christian, anti-capitalist, extreme on gender, hostile towards “traditional American views” on family, and more.
The Presidential Memorandum, which, ostensibly, has greater authority than an Executive order because it allows the president to sidestep the Posse Comitatus Law by using the “non-military” authorities to enforce the treatment of speech as terrorism. It is a chilling reminder of the Speilberg movie that allows the Trump Administration to equate speech with terrorism.
As in the movie, a “Pre-crime” relies on the imaginary visions of the MAGA crowd, armed with a mission similar to the movie’s Pre-Cog psychics who are able to see violent crimes before they happen. Surely, it won’t be long before the Q-Anon crowd has added Pre-Cogs to the lore of their favorite conspiracy, along with Medbeds.
Here’s how the Presidential memorandum works:
NSPM-7, or National Security Presidential Memorandum-7, is a directive titled “Countering Domestic Terrorism and Organized Political Violence”. It re-focuses federal law enforcement to investigate and disrupt individuals and organizations involved in what they call “political violence and intimidation”.
The directive expands the focus of the FBI’s Joint Terrorism Task Forces (JTTF) to investigate and prosecute domestic political violence. But it broadens the definition of violence to effectively cover speech and thought to including speech that is: anti-American, anti-Christian, anti-capitalist, extreme on gender, hostile towards “traditional American views” on family
Here are just a few examples, culled from the early language of the memorandum - First as the Memorandum describes their role followed by a translation into the reality for people and organizatioins doing nothing more than exercising their constitutionally protected right to express themselves.
Trump Speak: NSPM-7
The Treasury Department is directed to track illicit funding streams for domestic terrorism.
Translation:
The Treasury Department is directed to track what the Maga crowd defines as illicit funding streams for domestic terrorism: anti-American, anti-Christian, anti-capitalist, extreme on gender, hostile towards “traditional American views” on family. Furthermore, financial institutions are required to file Suspicious Activity Reports (SARs) related to these activities.
The treasury department. Among others, includes the following:
Internal Revenue Service (IRS): Collects federal taxes and administers the U.S. tax code.
Alcohol and Tobacco Tax and Trade Bureau (TTB): Collects taxes on alcohol, tobacco, and firearms.
Bureau of the Fiscal Service: Manages federal payments, collections, government-wide accounting, and the national debt.
Financial Crimes Enforcement Network (FinCEN): Combats money laundering, terrorist financing, and other financial crimes.
Office of the Comptroller of the Currency (OCC): Charters, regulates, and supervises all national banks and federal savings associations.
All non-military agencies that have enforcement within their mission are empowered and focused on the enforcement of the dictates within this resolution. Including but not limited to the FBI, The CIA, Agencies associated with National Security and under the aegis of the Patriot act.
Trump Speak: NSPM-7
There are common recurrent motivations and indicia (indicators) uniting this pattern of violent and terroristic activities under the umbrella of self-described “anti-fascism.” These movements portray foundational American principles (e.g., support for law enforcement and border control) as “fascist” to justify and encourage acts of violent revolution.
This “anti-fascist” lie has become the organizing rallying cry used by domestic terrorists to wage a violent assault against democratic institutions, constitutional rights, and fundamental American liberties.
Common threads animating this violent conduct include anti-Americanism, anti-capitalism, and anti-Christianity; support for the overthrow of the United States Government; extremism on migration, race, and gender; and hostility towards those who hold traditional American views on family, religion, and morality.
Translation:
The 1st Amendment of the “Constitution of These United States” is hereby suspended for all those, excepting those who adhere to the doctrines of Christian Nationalist ideology.
Those designated as Terrorists under this act - though they are documented to be responsible for less than 10% of actual acts of violence - are defined as those whom we have declared to speak out for causes that we hold as anti-American, anti-capitalism, and anti-Christian;
In other words: those who speak out in opposition to the current treatment of citizens who are being arrested, detained and deported without due process, whether they are citizens of the United States or not; those who practice tolerance and insist on the rule of law regarding race, and gender; and those whom MAGA has defined as demonstrating hostility towards those who hold traditional American views on family, religion, and morality. (Read: Hetero, Christian, Hypocritical)
Trump Speak NSPM-7
The United States requires a national strategy to investigate and disrupt networks, entities, and organizations that foment political violence so that law enforcement can intervene in criminal conspiracies before they result in violent political acts. Through this comprehensive strategy, law enforcement will disband and uproot networks, entities, and organizations that promote organized violence, violent intimidation, conspiracies against rights, and other efforts to disrupt the functioning of a democratic society.
Translation:
All non-military means of enforcement shall be directed to disrupting donations and individuals making said donations, in support of the purposes of this memorandum. Large organizations like Common Cause, the American Civil Liberties Union, etc, and small organizations built around causes that run contrary to the purposes of this memorandum. All interpretations of organizations that shall be considered as terrorist threats shall be at the pleasure of the President. He alone shall define both the organizations and the threat level that shall be associated with organizations and individuals.
Trump Speak: NSPM-7
Sec. 2. Investigating Domestic Terrorist Organizations. (a) The National Joint Terrorism Task Force and its local offices (collectively, “JTTFs”) shall coordinate and supervise a comprehensive national strategy to investigate, prosecute, and disrupt entities and individuals engaged in acts of political violence and intimidation designed to suppress lawful political activity or obstruct the rule of law. This strategy shall include the investigatory and prosecutorial measures set forth in this section.
(b) The JTTFs shall investigate potential Federal crimes relating to acts of recruiting or radicalizing persons for the purpose of:
(i) political violence, terrorism, or conspiracy against rights; or
(ii) the violent deprivation of any citizen’s rights.
Translation:
The Joint Terrorism Task Force (JTTF) is a multi-agency effort led by the FBI that brings together hundreds of federal, state, and local law enforcement and intelligence agencies. The specific agencies that participate vary by location, but they are all brought together to combat “terrorism” in an integrated and cooperative way. This includes:
Federal agencies
Many federal departments and agencies participate in JTTF offices across the country. The exact composition can vary, but some common examples include:
Department of Justice:
Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI)
Drug Enforcement Administration (DEA)
Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms, and Explosives (ATF)
U.S. Marshals Service
Federal Bureau of Prisons
Department of Homeland Security:
U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE)
U.S. Customs and Border Protection (CBP)
Secret Service
Federal Air Marshal Service
Department of Defense:
Naval Criminal Investigative Service (NCIS)
Other military agencies
Other federal agencies:
Internal Revenue Service (IRS) Criminal Investigation Division
U.S. Postal Inspection Service
Amtrak Police
State and local offices
The JTTF model is built around partnerships between federal and local authorities. The local offices, which are organized through the FBI’s 56 field offices, include hundreds of state, local, tribal, and territorial agencies. Some examples include:
State and local police departments, such as the New York City Police Department (NYPD).
State bureaus of investigation.
Local fire and public safety agencies.
Trump Speak: NSPM-7
National coordination
To ensure seamless coordination among the many local offices, the National Joint Terrorism Task Force (NJTTF) operates out of FBI Headquarters in Washington, D.C.. The NJTTF includes representatives from federal agencies as well as liaison officers from the state and local communities. It facilitates the sharing of information and intelligence across the entire JTTF network.
Trump Speak: NSPM=7
(c) The JTTFs shall also investigate:
(i) institutional and individual funders, and officers and employees of organizations, that are responsible for, sponsor, or otherwise aid and abet the principal actors engaging in the criminal conduct described in subsections (a) and (b) of this section; and
(ii) non-governmental organizations and American citizens residing abroad or with close ties to foreign governments, agents, citizens, foundations, or influence networks engaged in violations of the Foreign Agents Registration Act (22 U.S.C. 611 et seq.) or money laundering by funding, creating, or supporting entities that engage in activities that support or encourage domestic terrorism.
(d) The JTTFs shall consult and coordinate with executive departments and agencies as needed to determine whether such agencies can apply existing authorities or exercise their own authorities, as appropriate, to support the JTTFs’ investigations and relevant prosecutions of political violence.
(e) The JTTFs may, to the extent permitted by law, request operational assistance from and coordinate with law enforcement partners when investigating domestic terrorism.
(f) The National Joint Terrorism Task Force shall provide regular progress updates to the President through the Assistant to the President and Homeland Security Advisor.
(g) The Attorney General shall direct the Department of Justice to prosecute all Federal crimes, to the maximum extent permissible by law, related to the investigations described in subsections (a) through (c) of this section.
(h) The Attorney General shall issue specific guidance that ensures domestic terrorism priorities include politically motivated terrorist acts such as organized doxing campaigns, swatting, rioting, looting, trespass, assault, destruction of property, threats of violence, and civil disorder. This guidance shall also include an identification of any behaviors, fact patterns, recurrent motivations, or other indicia common to organizations and entities that coordinate these acts in order to direct efforts to identify and prevent potential violent activity.
(i) The Secretary of the Treasury (Secretary), in coordination with the Attorney General, shall make available all resources, to the maximum extent permitted by law, to identify and disrupt financial networks that fund domestic terrorism and political violence. The Secretary, acting through the Terrorism and Financial Intelligence Office of the Department of the Treasury, shall deploy investigative tools, examine financial flows, and coordinate with partner agencies to trace illicit funding streams. The Secretary shall provide guidance for financial institutions to file Suspicious Activity Reports and investigate indicia of illicit funding streams to ensure such activity is rooted out at the source and referred for law enforcement action, as appropriate.
(j) The Commissioner of the Internal Revenue Service (Commissioner) shall take action to ensure that no tax-exempt entities are directly or indirectly financing political violence or domestic terrorism. In addition, where applicable, the Commissioner shall ensure that the Internal Revenue Service refers such organizations, and the employees and officers of such organizations, to the Department of Justice for investigation and possible prosecution.
(k) All Federal law enforcement agencies with investigative authority shall question and interrogate, within all lawful authorities, individuals engaged in political violence or lawlessness regarding the entity or individual organizing such actions and any related financial sponsorship of those actions prior to adjudication or initiation of a plea agreement. Investigations should prioritize crimes such as the following: assaulting Federal officers or employees or otherwise engaging in conduct proscribed by 18 U.S.C. 111; conspiracy against rights under 18 U.S.C. 241; conspiracy to commit offense under 18 U.S.C. 371; solicitation to commit a crime of violence under 18 U.S.C. 373; money laundering under 18 U.S.C. 1956; funding of terrorist acts or otherwise facilitating terrorism under 18 U.S.C. 2339, 2339A, 2339B, 2339C, and 2339D; arson offenses under 18 U.S.C. 844; violations of the Racketeer Influenced and Corrupt Organizations Act (18 U.S.C. 1961 et seq.); and major fraud against the United States under 18 U.S.C. 1031.
(l) All Federal law enforcement agencies with investigative authority shall adopt strategies similar to those used to address violent crime and organized crime to disrupt and dismantle entire networks of criminal activity.
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Need I go on?
If reading this has caused you to feel light-headed or nauseated, there’s a good reason. When we were warned by Ted Cruise, Rand Paul, Don Bacon and others about the threat to free speech from the actions of FCC Chairman Brendan Carr, they reminded us all that when the shoe is on the other foot this would prove to be a problem for every American. This Presidential order is a similar threat to democracy by an order of hundreds.
It goes without saying that Donald Trump and the MAGA gang will abuse this authority. The abuse and corruption and grifting will be far worse than what we are already witnessing. But imagine this authority being placed in the hands of any man or woman who wants to stifle your beliefs - in advance. *
Where is Tom Cruise when we need him?
About Wayne King
Wayne is a North American “mutt” with a family heritage that winds through his Native American, Canadian and US Colonial roots. His love for the philosophical founding documents and sacred stories and dreams of both the Abenaki and the Iroquois, the US Founders, and the sacred artists, musicans, writers and poets whose works and images are a celebration of the circle of life continue to be the source of his inspiration.
An author, podcaster, artist, activist, and recovering politician, including three terms as a State Senator and 1994 Democratic nominee for Governor. His art (WayneDKing.com) is exhibited nationally in galleries and he has published five books of his images, most recently, “New Hampshire - a Love Story”. His novel “Sacred Trust” - a vicarious, high-voltage adventure to stop a private power line - as well as the photographic books are available at most local bookstores or on Amazon.
Wayne lives on the “Narrows” in Bath, NH at the confluence of the Connecticut and Ammonoosuc Rivers and proudly flies the American, Iroquois and Abenaki Flags, attesting to both his ancestry and his spiritual ties. Anamaki is a derivative of an Algonquin word meaning “abiding hope”.
Art, Columns, and Podcasts are produced at Anamaki Productions, Winter Warrior Studios in Bath, NH. Join the mailing list and be first to see new images and to receive special offers on cards, prints, limited editions and more at his Anamaki Chronicles Substack
Notes and Links
Actual language of the Presidential Memorandum