…America has proven itself strong enough to handle terrorist acts. Is it strong enough to survive the internal assault on what makes America unique? Can we afford to lose our Constitution and live under an increasingly totalitarian regime which justifies its systematic removal of our rights in the name of antiterrorism? Can we afford to have the wealth of our nation bled off and laundered by a pack of international cartel jackals and their friends in the White House? Can we afford to sacrifice our young men and women in an endless, world-wide war, unilaterally declared by the White House? …
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The American People are a strong people, used to standing up for what they believe in, helping the underdog and taking pride in their independence and their freedom. They have been unafraid to voice their minds and, in several wars, have thrown the cream of their manhood into combat and mobilized their mighty industrial strength, regardless of the cost, to make the world a better place.
We have prided ourselves on our democracy. Our Constitution and Bill of Rights have been used as models for many nations seeking a new beginning. Our Declaration of Independence has rung down through the ages.
When we started out, we were a group of colonies belonging to England. Most of those who settled here were of English extraction, or were oppressed peoples looking for freedom and a chance to grow, unfettered by tyranny. Gradually, the government of the mother country ceased to listen to the voice of her colonists. The majority of the colonists were loyal to King and country and felt they were entitled to the same treatment as Englishmen at home.
Parliament’s reaction to this was more disenfranchisement, more taxes, judges were appointed to punish and control, using the law as a weapon rather than to promote justice. Taxes were raised, and raised still more. New taxes were imposed for nearly every activity in the colonies. The more the people protested, the more unresponsive and punitive the Parliament became. Oh, there were many voices raised in Parliament in defense of the colonies, but they were ignored by the ruling clique. The Crown used troops, secret agents, trade embargoes and more restrictions on personal liberties to bring the people into line.
The rallying cry became, “No taxation without representation!” Finally, leaders in the colonies said it was time to end this. Where originally they wanted to be good British citizens, with the rights of British citizens, they decided upon a course of full independence. The Declaration of Independence, written by Thomas Jefferson, was signed by colonial leaders who put their lives on the line for freedom.
After a long and bitter struggle, those rights were won and the new government hammered out a Constitution, followed by a Bill of Rights, which guaranteed that the People of the United States would never put up with those restrictions on personal liberty again.
We are now in our third century of existence. We have fought in a war against England (1812), a civil war and two world wars, in part to keep that Constitution and Bill of Rights intact. Suddenly, somehow, we have let our guard down. Our current President was appointed by an appointed Supreme Court. A terrorist act which tested the mettle of the American People has been used as an excuse to cancel out much of both of those precious documents, in the name of security. The government is putting together a security organization which has only been equaled in its invasiveness and lack of accountability by the Nazi Gestapo and the Soviet NKVD. If the Pentagon has its way, the military will be able to operate without the nuisance of oversight by Congress. The Executive operates in almost total secrecy. The big winners, so far, are big corporations and certain CEO’s who have supported the current regime. The big losers are the American People and their Constitutional Rights.
America has proven itself strong enough to handle terrorist acts. Is it strong enough to survive the internal assault on what makes America unique? Can we afford to lose our Constitution and live under an increasingly totalitarian regime which justifies its systematic removal of our rights in the name of antiterrorism? Can we afford to have the wealth of our nation bled off and laundered by a pack of international cartel jackals and their friends in the White House? Can we afford to sacrifice our young men and women in an endless, world-wide war, unilaterally declared by the White House?
I think it is time to reread the Declaration of Independence, the Constitution of the United States, the Bill of Rights, and the writings of our forefathers who founded and nurtured this country until it could stand proudly on its own; then ponder the direction we are currently going and what we can do about it. Hopefully, for a time, the choice is still ours.
Written by Stephen M. Osborn, and published at www.populistamerica.com. Stephen is a freelance writer living on Camano Island in the Pacific Northwest. He is an “Atomic Vet.” (Operation Redwing, Bikini Atoll 1956, ) who has been very active working and writing for nuclear disarmament and world peace. He is a retired Fire Battalion Chief, lifelong sailor, writer, poet, philosopher, historian and former newspaper columnist. He welcomes your feedback at theplace@whidbey.net
The answer to the question posed in your title is: Hell no. At least from my perspective.
Of course the part that people don’t get is that there is no such thing as guaranteed security. No matter how many of our liberties are stripped away, we can still be attacked by terrorists, or armies, or lunatics, or insurgents, or freedom fighters, or thugs, or our spouses, or the kid next door or even by mother nature. It is a false choice and one which the entrenched politicians and MSM have have successfully promoted to the American people.
Got fear?
Exactly.
“If you want total security, go to prison. There you’re fed, clothed, given medical care and so on. The only thing lacking… is freedom.”
-Dwight Eisenhower
What Kahli said….
I couldn’t have said it better. False security is just that – false. If we do not see the false security for what it is we will have been blinded by the lies.
An old phrase comes to mind…None so blind as those that will not see
I hope we all continue to choose to see….
Liberty is the only true security. If we as individuals and communities are not free to act on our own behalf we will never have security. With out liberty a company or a cop can beat us down any time they please.
The Death of Freedom is a price, one should never pay! It does not matter what you can get- security, power, stability – freedom is a value by itself and it must not be traded. Of course, if people choose to be ruled, they will have to surrender at least part of their freedom. And in most cases, people surrender some of their liberties and natural rights, in exchange for security and protection. This idea probably dates back to the Enlightment when political absolutism gave way to the social contract theory of government, introduced by John Locke. The fundamental idea behind this social contract was that people would give away some of their freedom to the government, the king or the ruler, in exchange for the protection of their rights. However, I am afraid, people nowadays surrender most of their liberties and receive nothing in return. As a matter of fact, we live in a more insecure world where we are no longer protected, where our political, civil, and cultural rights are constantly violated. Most of the governments do not function well or even do not function at all. We are all witnessing The Rise of Illiberal Democracy as Zakaria has put it. So, what has happened with this social contract? What has happened with the pillars of democracy? Where is our security and protection? Governments continuously curtail our liberties but give us nothing in return. Where is our Freedom now?