Summary: The Founders hoped that America would be a beacon light of hope and liberty to the people of the world. And so we were for two centuries. But we’ve become an example of another kind, as shown by today’s reading. There’s still time to get angry; time to act wisely.
“I Will Give Up My Gun When They Peel My Cold Dead Fingers From Around It.”
— Citizens Committee for the Right to Keep and Bear Arms, based in Bellevue, Washington. A version of this became a popular bumper sticker distributed by the National Rifle Assn.
While gun nuts fondle their rifles, muttering about defense of liberty, agents of the 1% quietly remove their cojones (and ours, speaking of male FM readers). Perhaps they will display them in a Park Avenue museum about the history of America.
The 1% spend several decades building political infrastructure, concentrating wealth and income. Then they extended their influence over our their political machinery. Now comes the consolidation phase. Mopping up, laying the foundation for the new order.
- The Republican party debates how to cut taxes for the rich, paid for by higher taxes and fewer benefits for everybody else.
- Massive increase in the government’s discretionary ability to arrest, imprison, abuse, and even kill citizens. Today’s installment: Courts allow a new means to abuse people arrested (not necessarily convicted) of minor crimes (eg, peaceful protestors and government critics): “The Obama DOJ and strip searches“, Glenn Greenwald, 3 April 2012.
- Massive increase in government surveillance of citizens. Today’s installment: “Data Mining You – How the Intelligence Community Is Creating a New American World“, Tom Engelhardt, 3 APril 2012.
- Massive militarization of Federal, State, and Local law enforcement.
- Update: Slow erosion of basic freedoms. Today’s installment: repealing the 4th Ammendment (see below).
- Measures, unprecedented in US history during peacetime, to muzzle the press and citizens (but then the Long War is waged against us). Today’s installment: “States shush corporate critics“, David Sirota, Salon, 4 April 2012 — “From factory farms to home foreclosures, state governments are helping hide corporate wrongdoing.’
All of this takes place in the open. The Shepherd does not hide his activities from the sheep. Why bother?
There is still time to stop this evolution of America, the death of the Second Republic (soon only the outward forms will remain). We’ll not like what comes next, but there may be only a window of opportunity to do so. eventually we — and especially our children — will be broken to the wear the saddles of our new rulers. Revolutions –whether conducted by the 1% or 99% — take place primarily in the mind.
You can do something today. Please pass this on to your friends and neighbors. Or write your own and distribute it. Building awareness of this problem puts us on the path to reform.
Update: Repealing the 4th Ammendment
The right of the people to be secure in their persons, houses, papers, and effects, against unreasonable searches and seizures, shall not be violated, and no warrants shall issue, but upon probable cause, supported by oath or affirmation, and particularly describing the place to be searched, and the persons or things to be seized.
Today’s readings:
- “Police Are Using Phone Tracking as a Routine Tool“, New York Times, 31 March 2012
- “Mike Bloomberg’s New York: Cops in Your Hallways“, Matt Taibbi, Rolling Stone, 3 April 2011 — About NYC’s “Clean Hallways Program”. What a wonderful name for a horrific program. Orwell regrets not including that in 1984.
A note from our history
At the top of this post appears the Gadsden Flag, the first flag carried into battle by the US Marine Corps. For details see this article at Marines Mag. We can seek to live up to the examples set by our forefathers, taking inspiration from their deeds. The Founders considered the rattlesnake a suitable emblam for America.
I recollected that her eye excelled in brightness, that of any other animal, and that she has no eye-lids—She may therefore be esteemed an emblem of vigilance. She never begins an attack, nor, when once engaged, ever surrenders: She is therefore an emblem of magnanimity and true courage. As if anxious to prevent all pretensions of quarreling with her, the weapons with which nature has furnished her, she conceals in the roof of her mouth, so that, to those who are unacquainted with her, she appears to be a most defenseless animal; and even when those weapons are shewn and extended for her defense, they appear weak and contemptible; but their wounds however small, are decisive and fatal. Conscious of this, she never wounds till she has generously given notice, even to her enemy, and cautioned him against the danger of stepping on her.
Was I wrong, Sir, in thinking this a strong picture of the temper and conduct of America?
— Benjamin Franklin. Pennsylvania Journal. 27 December 1775
Or we can redesign the flag to suit our temper. Keeping the yellow color as appropriate (for cowards), but revising the text:
Don’t Tread On Me!
It’s our choice. It’s all about choice.
Why gain power over us?
O’Brien: “The Party seeks power entirely for its own sake. … The object of torture is torture. The object of power is power. … How does one man assert his power over another, Winston?”
Winston: “By making him suffer.”
O”Brien: “Exactly, by making him suffer. Obedience is not enough. Unless he is suffering, how can you be sure that he is obeying your will and not his own. Power is inflicting pain and humiliation. … Do you begin to see the kind of world we are creating? … Always there will be the thrill of victory, the sensation of trampling on an enemy who is helpless.”
— From George Orwell’s 1984
For more information
See other posts about these matters at the FM Reference Page America – how can we stop the quiet coup now in progress?
Some posts about America’s enemies:
- Fear the enemies within America more than those without, 21 December 2011
- “Lawfare” – using the law to undermine the Constitution (a powerful tool in the quiet coup now in progress), 22 December 2011
- Some foes of the Republic revealed themselves by sponsoring the Enemy Expatriation Act, 30 January 2012
