The Eye of Moloch (53 page)

“ ‘Let’s Take These Son of a Bitches Out’: Teamsters President Hoffa
Calls for War on Tea Party at Obama Labor Day Event,”
The Blaze,
September 5, 2011,
http://bit.ly/1038LWj
.

In Chapter 6
there is a reference to Silas Deane (1737–1789). Deane was the first diplomat to be sent abroad on behalf of the American colonies. He was sent to France as a secret agent to obtain financial and military assistance and to investigate the possibility of an alliance. But his reputation suffered when he was accused of making personal financial gains while working as a representative of the people. Letters also surfaced that put into question his loyalty toward the American colonies. Deane was recalled by Congress and eventually went bankrupt. He died under suspicious circumstances while on a boat traveling from France to America.

“Silas Deane”
Encyclopedia Britannica,
http://bit.ly/IRkyl6
.

In Chapter 7
the characters use technology designed to gather tactical data and images through walls. This is real: researchers at MIT have developed a radar system that provides real-time video of what is going on behind solid walls. The question remains, however, what type of surveillance technology is already in use that has yet to be unveiled to the public?

“Seeing Through Walls,” Emily Finn,
MIT News,
October 18, 2011,
http://bit.ly/nVw40j
.

In Chapter 8,
Warren Landers says, “We’re going to spit upon our hands, hoist the black flag, and begin slitting throats.” This is lifted from controversial American journalist and critic H. L. Mencken (1880–1956). Though he routinely challenged representative democracy, despised organized business, and constantly criticized the American middle class, Mencken continues to be influential for the Libertarian movement. One quote of his that many people still find relevant today is: “The men the American people admire most extravagantly are the most daring liars; the men they detest the most violently are those who try to tell them the truth.”

“The Libertarian Heritage,”
Libertarianism,
http://bit.ly/IoFtvO
.

The Oxford Dictionary of American Quotations,
Margaret Miner and Hugh Rawson, (Oxford University Press: 2006), p. 27,
http://bit.ly/11kuz20
.

In Chapter 12
we read about the National Defense Authorization Act (NDAA). This is real, as is the timing of its passage. On December 31, 2011, while many Americans were on vacation and not paying attention to the news, President Obama signed the NDAA for fiscal year 2012. This is the first time in American history that a U.S. law allowed the military, per order from the president, to detain U.S. citizens indefinitely, without a trial. Despite signing the bill into law, Obama said in a statement, “I want to clarify that my administration will not authorize the indefinite military detention without trial of American citizens. Indeed, I believe that doing so would break with our most important traditions and values as a Nation.”

“Statement by the President on H.R. 1540,”
The White House,
December 31, 2011,
http://1.usa.gov/uUNb0v
.

In Chapter 14
Warren Landers threatens to turn against his ally George Pierce, a tactic that was used effectively by Adolf Hitler on June 30, 1934, when he ordered that hundreds from his own party be killed in an effort to eliminate potential threats from his rank and file. It has been dubbed the “Night of the Long Knives.”

“Night of the Long Knives,”
History.com
,
http://bit.ly/9O5lkz
.

More from Chapter 14:

Diocletian was a Roman Emperor who ruled as a dictator. His empire grew to have “more tax collectors than tax payers.” He instituted failed price-fixing policies to combat inflation, and the sons of tradesmen were forced to replace their fathers in an effort to resolve labor dislocation. Diocletian justified these measures by uniting the country against an enemy; his biggest target became the Christians. Though it was never proven, he blamed Christians for fires that broke out at his palace and used it as an excuse to start the Great Persecution, a decade-long purge that killed about two thousand people.

“Diocletian: The Worst Persecutor of Them All,”
Christian History Project,
http://bit.ly/ZBb4AO
.

In another scene, Warren Landers tells George Pierce that more than forty people were killed in just one weekend in Chicago. This is true: forty-one people, mostly African-American, were shot and killed in Chicago in the span of just three days (March 16 to 19, 2012).

“ ‘Race Wars’ Part 1: The Shocking Data on Black-on-Black Crime,” Tiffany Gabbay,
The Blaze,
April 9, 2012,
http://bit.ly/XTGxhx
.

Warren Landers also reminds George Pierce that abortion has been used as a genocidal weapon against the people he hates. Legalized abortion has killed more than 16 million African Americans.

“Black Abortions: Necessary Health Care Policy or Genocide?” Palash R. Ghosh,
International Business Times,
July 17, 2012,
http://bit.ly/RUI7kx
.

In Chapter 15
George Pierce goes on a rant about the JFK assassination. According to some conspiracy theories, Lucien Sarti was really the person who shot President Kennedy from the grassy knoll. The theory was presented by British television program
The Men Who Killed Kennedy
in October 1988 and claimed that Sarti was a French gangster who was hired by U.S. organized crime to kill the president.

“French Accused of Killing JFK”
Observer-Reporter,
October 27, 1988,
http://bit.ly/11mTjae
.

Nearly sixteen years after the tragedy, the House Select Committee on Assassinations concluded that while Oswald was firing from the Book Depository, another shot was fired from the grassy knoll. Needless to say, some of the methods and conclusions of the HSCA continue to be controversial.

“JFK Assassination Records”
National Archives,
http://1.usa.gov/EIWIP
.

In Chapter 16
the plethora of violations that have been levied against the Merricks is laid out. This intimidation tactic is becoming easier and easier for our government to use as it keeps adding new rules
and regulations—many of which are either impossible to understand or comply with. From 2009 to 2011, 11,327 pages have been added to the Code of Federal Regulations.

“Under Obama, 11,327 Pages of Federal Regulations Added,” Penny Starr,
CNS News.
10 September 2012,
http://bit.ly/TNVB00
.

In Chapter 18
Aaron Doyle summons the rain that he later watches fall. This is not an exaggerated act of science that we included simply to show how powerful he is, it is a currently functioning technology. In 2010, Swiss scientists from Meteo Systems International were able to create fifty-two rainstorms in Abu Dhabi.

“Scientists Create 52 Artificial Rain Storms in Abu Dhabi Desert,” Josh Sanburn,
Time,
January 3, 2011,
http://ti.me/eztSo3
.

“Secret Scientists Claim to Create Rain in Arab Desert,” Matthew Hall,
AOL News,
January 10, 2011,
http://aol.it/fclvhz
.

In Chapter 22
Virginia Ward sees a sign along the road from the Bureau of Land Management advising people to refrain from traveling through the area due to a high rate of crime, especially drug and human smuggling. This sign is an exact copy of one found on Interstate 8, south of Casa Grande, Arizona.

“29 Gunmen Dead in Shootout 12 Miles from the Arizona Border,”
Borderland Beat,
July 3, 2010,
http://bit.ly/ZvZrOV
.

More from Chapter 22:

Virginia talks about a confluence of events that lead to a number of guns, drugs, and money falling into the hands of a Mexican drug cartel. The ATF did, in fact, implement a gun-walking operation, called “Fast and Furious,” that purposely put about two thousand guns into the hands of criminals. Many of these weapons are now either unaccounted for or have been used in serious crimes, including one that resulted in the murder of a U.S. border patrol agent.

In 2011, the media discovered that agents from the Drug Enforcement Agency had smuggled and laundered drug money. The agents said their intent was to bring money into Mexico to learn how criminals,
primarily drug cartels, move their money around and where they keep their assets.

In 2009, Jesus Vicente Zambada Niebla, a high-ranking member of the Sinaloa cartel, was arrested in Mexico City for drug trafficking–related charges. After his arrest, he claimed that he should be allowed to go free due to an agreement between the U.S. and the Sinaloa cartel allowing them to traffic drugs into America in exchange for information on competing cartels. At the time of publication, Niebla is awaiting trial.

“Evidence Suggests Cover-Up in ATF Scandal, as More Guns Appear at Crime Scenes,” William La Jeunesse,
Fox News,
September 2, 2011,
http://fxn.ws/odCrp3
.

“U.S. Agents Launder Mexican Profits of Drug Cartels,” Ginger Thompson, Ginger Thompson,
The New York Times,
December 3, 2011,
http://nyti.ms/uFX7l4
.

“High-Ranking Mexican Drug Cartel Member Makes Explosive Allegation: ‘Fast and Furious’ Is Not What You Think It Is,” Jason Howerton,
TheBlaze.com
,
August 9, 2012,
http://bit.ly/XvDL2x
.

Los Zetas is, of course, a real Mexican drug cartel. The group was started by former Mexican special forces troops (trained by the U.S.) and is now considered the largest and most dangerous drug cartel in Mexico. The United States has called the Zetas “the most technologically advanced, sophisticated, and dangerous cartel operating in Mexico.”

“Los Zetas Called Mexico’s Most Dangerous Drug Cartel,” Michael Ware,
CNN,
August 6, 2009,
http://bit.ly/10M7lN
.

“The Cartels Behind Mexico’s Drug War,” Kazi Stastna,
CBC News,
August 28, 2011,
http://bit.ly/qTBADa
.

One of the key leaders of the Zetas is really known as “the Executioner.” His name was Heriberto Lazcano, and he joined the Zetas in 1998 after he deserted from the Mexican Army. In 2003, Lazcano took control of the Zetas and became widely known for his extraordinarily
brutal tactics. (Some reports say that he fed his rivals to tigers and lions that he kept at his ranch.) Lazcano was killed in 2012 after a shootout with Mexican armed forces.

“Mexico Says ‘The Executioner’ Is Dead—But Where’s the Body?” Tim Padgett and Ioan Grillo,
Time,
October 10, 2012,
http://bit.ly/YzWWI6
.

“Heriberto Lazcano Dead: Mexico Zetas Boss Killed by Accident, Navy Says,” Olga R. Rodriguez,
Huffington Post,
October 10, 2012,
http://huff.to/QVSlNU
.

In Chapter 24
Warren Landers tells Virginia that Thom Hollis and the Founders’ Keepers have been added to the president’s kill list. Although it should sound outrageous that our president could be granted the power to unilaterally authorize the killing of American citizens on U.S. soil, this is now a reality.

The National Defense Authorization Act has a section that not only legalizes martial law in the United States, but also allows the military to detain people indefinitely without a trial. In addition, both the president and Attorney General Eric Holder have refused to rule out the possibility of a drone strike against an American citizen on U.S. soil if they believe that citizen is “engaged in combat.”

“NDAA: What Obama Hoped You Wouldn’t Notice About This Bill,” Zack Fulkerson,
Policymic,
January 2013,
http://bit.ly/W1HILe
.

“Holder Does Not Rule Out Drone Strike Scenario in U.S,” Terry Frieden,
CNN,
March 6, 2013,
http://bit.ly/15w8y3t
.

“Video: Ted Cruz Gets Eric Holder to Admit That Killing Americans with Drones on U.S. Soil Is Unconstitutional,” Debra Heine,
Breitbart.com
, March 6, 2013,
http://bit.ly/11vRiKo
.

In Chapter 27
Noah explains to Ellen that the facility in which he is being kept is called a “fusion center.” Fusion centers, which are located around the country, are complexes used to collect, analyze, and share data concerning threats to the U.S. between all levels of government. That may sound great, but transparency is required. The public must
understand what this data is, how it’s obtained, and what the privacy implications are.

“State and Major Urban Area Fusion Centers,”
http://1.usa.gov/NqY4bk
.

“Fusion Centers: Force Multiplier for Spying in Local Communities,”
http://bit.ly/ZCvsl5
.

In Chapter 29
Noah goes to his fridge and sees a display that alerts him that he is almost out of milk and offers him the ability to immediately place another order. Smart appliances are becoming more and more prevalent, and while they can often be very convenient, they can also have some serious downsides.

In 2007, the California Energy Commission proposed new rules to allow utilities to override people’s thermostats in their homes during “emergencies” in order to prevent widespread outages. Fortunately, these proposals were met with outrage and never came to fruition, but many still believe that California, and other states, will soon try again. If that happens, it’s not hard to see that smart thermostats could be just the beginning of the government’s intrusion into our homes. (Imagine what Mayor Bloomberg could do if he could see in real time what you’re taking out of your refrigerator to eat!)

“California Seeks Thermostat Control,” Felicity Barringer,
New York Times.
January 11, 2008,
http://nyti.ms/104s0P6
.

“The Thermostat Nanny,” John Seiler,
Cal Watchdog,
January 18, 2010,
http://bit.ly/fAG9N1
.