This is to commend Sam Stanton for the notes of skepticism in his

artitle on the recent arrests of 12 persons in Phoenix, Arizona. A

source in contact with the group reports that they called themselves the

Viper "Team", and did not refer to themselves as a "militia". That

government PR agents would use that term in this way shows that they are

pursuing a political agenda, and raises questions about whether any of

what they are saying about these people is true. Information now coming

out indicates that the accused may have been set up by federal agents

provocateur, in much the way Robert Starr and James McCranie were set up

by government agents in Macon, Georgia.



Who have they injured? What damages have they caused? The American

system of law does not contemplate prosecution of those who might commit

a crime or who possess the means to do so when those means can also be

used for legitimate purposes. It is possible that all the evidence was

manufactured by government agents. They do that kind of thing. I have

personally confirmed several instances of such evidence fabrication.



It makes a difference under what circumstances people intend to use

military methods. The charge is "teaches ... intending ... civil

disorder". That phrase could also be used to describe some of the kinds

of SWAT training that law enforcement agents get. Aside from the fact

that no such criminal charge is authorized by any provision of the U.S.

Constitution for acts committed on state territory, it is also likely

that the scenario foreseen by the accused was the restoration of

constitutional rule following an attempted violent overthrow of it by

organs of government. You might consider such a scenario unlikely, but I

have spoken with many people inside the government who don't consider it

at all unlikely. If government insiders take such a scenario seriously,

then so must citizens.



We are in a constitutional crisis when federal agents arrest and

prosecute their most effective critics on fabricated charges and planted

evidence. More and more Americans are coming to realize that if the

government wants us to believe something, it is probably a lie. It is

important that the press not serve as their lapdogs.