PhantomPilots.Com - Standard Propaganda Website

The powers not delegated to the United States by the Constitution, nor prohibited by it to the States, are reserved to the States respectively, or to the people.

- Tenth Amendment to the U.S. Constitution

There is an interesting discussion being had over yet another federal government overreach through a recent unconstitutional FAA rule.  Besides being a really stupid and expensive idea with no value added, the new register-or-be-fined-$27,000-without-due-process move is also illegal.

It would be great if this issue were to pique the interest of the wonderful Tenth Amendment Center and the Center for Constitutional Rights, as their litigation would be based on our rights and not based on money that might potentially be put into their pockets.  Which is a concern should a power hungry "advocate" group be the first to challenge this nonsense in court.

It doesn't take a law degree to understand how this latest executive agency scheme is illegal.  Our Constitution does not give the federal government power to regulate Timmy's quad-copter flying in his backyard or at the local park, and it doesn't deny that power to the States, so therefore regulation (which may certainly be a good idea if tailored to locals by elected State representative law makers) is a power reserved to the States.  It makes sense that the people in Alaska would be better served by regulation from their representatives in Alaska, than they would by the scribblings of a non-elected federal bureaucrat from DC or NYC.  And a small plastic device that weighs as much as some birds, but which doesn't fly in a flock, is not a big deal to civil aviation despite the fear mongering.  There have been no aircraft taken down by Timmy's toy flying at 400 feet or lower.

Interested in the reaction of those most affected by this new overreach, I headed over to a website of drone owners.  Here was my experience.  Note that I had more than 50 posts and I actually had the highest like-to-post rate of any single poster on that website.  Put another way, my contributions were the most liked on that entire forum.  I had two commenters call me "rare" due to my rational non-emotional contributions and my lack of insults, and I was told that it was obvious that I "did my homework."

I was on my best behavior.  It was an experiment.

I learned about a group of model aircraft flyers, called the Academy of Model Aeronautics (AMA), which has apparently been working hand in glove with the FAA on this new scheme and trying to make membership in their organization a way to count as registration.  AMA appears to think that this new regulation is an opportunity to bolster their organization and no doubt their bank account.  One of the forum moderators is an AMA member and was very hostile to any viewpoint that suggested registering and regularly paying a fee to own your personal property might be a bad idea or not lawful.  I politely provided a differing perspective to this moderator.  Then a member suggested that people remember who was a moderator and refrain from challenging their opinions.  I didn't check DMOZ to see if this so-called discussion forum was registered in North Korea, but I was hardly surprised to learn this particular moderator hailed from New York City.  When I read his location I nearly spit out my illegal Big Gulp before setting it down on the counter next to my illegal handgun.  I quickly picked it back up again before my illegal ferret could get to it.  She loves Big Gulps.  I'm kidding, none of those things I own are illegal because I don't live in New York City.

As somebody who regularly challenges these online propagandist-moderators, those who demand their customers respect-their-authoritah (Modzilla!) to make them only express certain views, I knew that my best behavior and respectful tone would not change the end result.  Whether it's Tony Carr or the Digital PlayPen, the only behavior you can exhibit to keep from being banned on a propaganda website, is to either be a quiet or submissive person who does not provide an effective viewpoint counter to their agenda, or to be an idiot ineffectively arguing a message they want to demonize.  If you're an idiot you can try to dissent from their views because you do your message no good and bolster their agenda.  But if you're effective, well that just can't be tolerated when truth is decidedly not on the "discussion forum" menu.

So it was hardly a surprise when I got banned after five days of posting, by the moderator with a German accent from New York.  Still, I enjoyed the experiment; being very civil while knowing the end result that always occurs on a forum that endeavors to control a message, propagandize users, and make money.

When one moderator sent me a private message, I knew they were perturbed with my effective viewpoint which went against their corporate/political propaganda agenda to get as many people to submit to an unconstitutional non-law from a non-representative branch of government that fines people without due process or a jury of peers...  They were out to do some digging and the honeymoon was nearing an end.  It was like clockwork.

Here was the post that was deleted by a moderator, when they decided they just couldn't take my polite and value added contributions anymore.  They settled on assuming I didn't own a quadcopter, with no evidence one way or another, and then used the standard accusation of "trolling."  Trolling, for those who don't know, means saying something that a person in power does not like.  It's kind of like micro-aggression.  Goebbels hated trolls.

With proof that civility was not desired or required, here was my response to the moderator from New York City who deleted my contribution above.

And here was the expected response, not one minute later.

And just like that, not only was I banned, but the New York City moderator took the additional step of deleting every single one of my posts (not just the "offending" post) which goes to show that he simply wanted to delete my entire viewpoint across the board.  Can't have your audience seeing that stuff when you have an agenda.  I'm going to guess they will now change their forum guidelines which allowed one link to a personal blog in member signature blocks.

As usual, follow the money and the control agenda.  People get paid by stupid regulations, including this one that is forecast to cost Americans somewhere around 60 million dollars.  To make Timmy register his little plastic toy.  Because that will prevent...  Well, it will prevent nothing and it violates the constitutional rights of all Americans while creating a new pointless rule to be enforced by even more government men with guns itching to introduce themselves into our lives.

And the federal government is a beloved tool by New Yorkers who wish to impose their fascist nuttery and control-lust on Americans with the good sense to live in a different city and State.

Under the shoddy justifications given for this federal overreach, which will result in a searchable public database online where registrant address and personal property information will be made available, one can wonder if we won't one day have to register and pay a regular fee to the federal government to own toasters and refrigerators.  After all, those personal property items have caused more fatalities than Timmy's toy has and just think of the money to be made....