Tag Archives: constitution

Propaganda — Living with Nazi’s

Perhaps you think that comparing today’s political and social environment to that of the German Nazi’s is unfair.  You say, as so many in the past have said, “It will never happen here!”   I will admit, at least to my knowledge, our government has not implemented death camps, but there are a lot of similarities that are worth exploring.  Nazi atrocities began when basic freedoms, those guaranteed by our constitution, were no longer protected by the German government.  This is occurring in the US today, specifically regarding the freedom of the press, the freedom from unreasonable search and seizure, the freedom of religion, and the right to free speech.   These freedoms are all being eroded and their dismantling is being aid by a not so free press corp.

Let’s look at free press first.  The majority of Americans get their news from the major press outlets, ABC, NBC, and CBS.  Although their share of the market has dwindled because of the internet, their influence remains dis-proportionally large.  Whether from the morning daily shows, the evening news, or from the network interjection into radio news throughout the day, Americans are subjected to a primarily one size fits all broadcast.  When each network did its own investigations and discovery there was a certain variety in those broadcasts.  At that point it was possible to get differing views of world events.  Over the past several years, the networks no longer investigate many of the stories they broadcast. Instead they repeat, almost verbatim the press release they get from the White House or its affiliates.    What the consumer hears is the same exact words that started with a speech writer in the White House.   Key phrases are repeated across stations and venues.   There is no investigation, no questions, and no determination as to whether the information is true.  When that occurs, whether the press is formally controlled by force or not, it is propaganda and the press is no longer exercising free speech.    Even worse, the constant repetition of catch phrases is a blatant attempt to brain wash the populace.    I am not sure which is worse, that the media is trying to brain wash its audience or that it thinks it can.

Actually, our government and its affiliates have it even better than did the Nazi’s.  When someone in the mainstream press disagrees on air with the White House/Governmental message, that person is drummed out of the press corp.  (Juan William, Sharyl Attkisson).  Those that disagree are marginalized.  Those that seek the truth are purposely pushed out or to the side.  It appears that the culprit is the press corp itself which in order to promote an agenda has abdicated it role as the keeper of truth.  They have voluntarily become the persecuting arm of the government.  You can even see this in how they approach politicians they disagree with such as Sarah Palin or Michele Bachmann.  A press that is no longer interested in the truth is one that is no longer free.

The right not to have your personal effects searched by the government without a specific and personal warrant no longer exists.  As part of the effort to prevent terrorism, data on everyone’s cell phone calls, the from who, the to who, and the when and where made from is collected.  A government that is tracking the location of the majority of its citizens and that records each citizen’s associations has more power than one that just gets neighbors to spy on neighbors.  It is more intrusive that the KGB or Nazi’s, yet this is not stopped.  Even when it comes out that the CIA is spying on Congress, it is not stopped.   As long as these activities continue there is no privacy and no protection from unreasonable search and seizure.  It is happening every day to pretty much every US citizen.

One of the arguments that has been made to justify the collection of data about every citizen is that the data is not used to target anyone other than terrorists.  No one state the obvious.  If the data is being used to identify terrorist, they sift through everyone to pluck out the suspected bad guys.  Everyone is guilty until the computer says otherwise. Additionally, Tea Party groups, conservative groups,  and some Jewish groups were admittedly targeted by the IRS for harassment and in such a way as to limit their effectiveness.  That targeting, described by many of the victims,  included not just IRS audits, improper questions, and tax considerations, but also, OSHA inspections, ATF investigations, and FDA involvement.  From this it is clear that government is targeting those that if feels are its enemies.  It is trying to intimidate them into not speaking up and to keep them at home during elections.  The requirement in the constitution  that the law be applied equally to all is gone.  They can round you up, destroy your business, and limit your activities at will.  Where is ABC, CBS, and NBC while this goes on.  They are complicit in this and are not protecting freedom.   The less we watch those channels and outlets the less viable their adverting will be.   The best way to get these organizations to do their job is to stop watching.  That stops the advertising.  At that point either they become factual and relevant or expire.

Lastly, lets discuss freedom of religion.  Even though the constitution guarantees the government shall make no law respecting an establishment of religion, recent court cases, the implementation of Obamacare and the unequal application of this provision to enhance the position of Muslims and atheists have eroded the religious freedoms guaranteed by the constitution.  The government through Obamacare is trying to enforce its view that everyone should be able to get a paid for abortion through the law even though it violates the religious beliefs of millions of individuals.  Moments of silence have been banned in some schools while Muslim student have been given an opportunity to pray 5 times a day in others.  The bottom line is those with Judeo-Christian beliefs are under attack and the government is actively trying to marginalize their right to believe as they would.

Already the executive branch itself and through the regulatory agencies is implementing law far beyond the powers granted through the legislature.  Persecution is happening. Religious freedom and political discourse are being controlled. Is it Nazi Germany?  Not yet.  It took the Nazi’s 10 years to fully control the populace and to remove any vestige of freedom.  The assault on gun ownership is also a sign of the attempt by our government to discard the constitution.  We are at a point now, where if people do not stand up and say “No More.”  we are on that road.  It can happen here.  All it takes is the loss of one freedom, then the next.  Like the frog in the pot of water on the stove.  It does not know it is about to be boiled until it is too late.    It is time to get out of the pot before it is too late.

Watching While Rome Burns

My name is ….  Actually my name I no matter because it am one of the last Republican’s to serve in Congress.  There will be no more republicans. 

When the Obama administration started to selectively enforce immigration laws, I said nothing.

When the Obama administration started changing Obamacare without Congressional approval I said nothing.

When the Obama administration started using its agencies to persecute those they did not like, I said nothing.

When the Obama administration started using the NSA to listen to everyone’s telephone conversations I said nothing.

When the Obama administration started using the FDA and EPA to create laws not approved by Congress, I said nothing.

When the Obama administration started telling businesses what they had to pay people without Congressional approval I said nothing.

When the Obama administration implemented Common Core and quit teaching the constitution I said nothing.

When the Obama administration started placing watchers in newsrooms I said nothing.

When the Obama administration through Homeland Security bought millions of rounds of ammunition I said nothing.

When the Obama administration started using the Obamacare death panels to deny treatment to their enemies I said nothing.

When the Obama administration started investigating republican Congressmen I said nothing.

When the Obama administration forced most republican Congressman out of office I said nothing.

When the rule of law, freedom and the US Constitution died I said nothing for by then it was too late.

Granny Gropes

     In 2011  the 85 year old Lenore Zimmerman  was strip searched by the TSA all in the interest of public safety.  Now almost thirteen years after 9/11 Americans have exchanged freedom from unreasonable search and seizure for a program that allows government workers to inspect your property without a warrant, to rifle through your pockets on a whim and to grope children and grannies to their hearts content.  Surely such a program is worthwhile in stopping terrorists from boarding planes. So how many terrorists have all the invasive procedures stopped —- ZERO. 

            When I was a child and the cold war was still hot we were often told how in order to travel in Nazi Germany or the Soviet Union the person wanting to travel needed government papers before they were allowed to leave their home city.    This requirement was portrayed as an oppressive limitation on freedom.   Of course that would never happen here, or so we were told.  Still today, in order to get on a plane, the government requires you to have your ID and to show your boarding pass.  Further, the government can stop you for no reason other than whim and ask you questions strip search you or confiscate your property.  This is all done without a warrant or any pretense of having probable cause for the action.   It has happened here.  The reason, or so we are told that this is allowed is to guarantee public safety.

            What about the argument that we are safer because we tolerate this.  The Boston bombers came to the US in a plane and Tamerlan Tsarnaev traveled back to the US from the Soviet Union.  He freely boarded the plane leaving and freely boarded the plane returning to the US, terrorist training already provided.  Did our loss of freedom protect us from the Boston Bombers?   Not in the least. 

            If the possibility of increased public safety, (not real public safety) is enough to allow searches when we board a plane, at what point will check points be on the road.  Cars are both weapons and potential carriers of explosives.  Every road and every highway needs to be checked.  The same excuse “that it is in the interest of public safety”  is as valid in searching vehicles as it is searching luggage.  In fact, there are already cases where the TSA has searched cars in the airport long term parking.

            The constitution is clear, there are to be no searches, or invasions of people’s property or person without reasonable suspicion that a crime is taking place.  In other words, no warrant, no search.  Nevertheless, the government now captures phone data, geolocation data, interpersonal connection data (who you talk to) , emails, and texts with no warrant.  According to the constitution, none of this is permitted.  The people in Washington, even those that have their doubts about these programs are unwilling to give up the power and authoritarian rule that these programs represent.  We are not stopping terror, only enabling the government future persecution of its own populace.  The idea that “public safety” justifies any constitutional violation is ludicrous.   We have almost open boarders to the south but our citizens are placed under constant supervision.  Does this not smell of totalitarianism?  We are living in the world that the government warned us against 40 years ago.  

Government Lies – An Impotent Press

Ever since there was a government, governments have lied to their people.   I am sure that Vespasian told his people that the Roman Coliseum would be built it one year and only cost 200,000 Denarii’s.  (just a guess).   The fact that he knew it would most likely take 10 years and 1 million Denarii’s was never challenged by the Roman Press.  With an emperor, should the press dare challenge his word, it only happened one time.  We can find comfort in two places; that we will not be executed for exposing a government lie (most likely), and that our government almost 2000 years later, is still lying. 

The question is not whether government lies, but whether the press and the populace will hold that government accountable.  In the past few years the American press has not held government accountable.  The constitution guarantees a freedom of the press.  If the press never challenges the party line then it both is not free and does not need constitutional protection.  Every time the press fails to uphold the constitution and their responsibility they tacitly approve of the government’s behavior and they lose credibility.  That loss of credibility becomes impotence.  In time they will have no power, and no influence and those that dare to speak up will be persecuted.  Below are some examples.

When the President said, “If you like your like your insurance you can keep it.” 

            Where was the press?

  When border agents are killed with guns provide to the drug dealers by our federal government:

            Where was the press?

When IRS agents are caught persecuting the political enemies of the democrats:

            Where is the press?

These three scandals are still going on yet the press does not step up and investigate nor do they shout from the rooftops that our government can’t be trusted.  All three of the above issues violate the protections provided by the constitution for an individual to have a right to their life, liberty or pursuit of happiness.   A dead border agent loses his life because the federal government wants to make owning guns look bad. (Not to mention what a warped idea that was.)  His rights are violated and the press just lets that fact slip by. When it becomes one of their lives it will be too late for them to stand up. 

The destructions of people’s health insurance plans could have been predicted and prevented had the press done its job.  Some of these folks have lost their coverage after believing the lies told.  Nevertheless, the plan that stole their health security is still in place.  If the press did their job then that wrong would have been made right.   Next are death panels.  By then the press will be completely powerless to stop the wrongs.

The IRS pursued non-profits with conservative political views. The press continues to let the IRS do this as no one has been held accountable for this.  Of course, that is just a start, OSHA, and the ATF have also been used to threaten and investigate those with conservative views.  Perhaps the press thinks its ok when it is the Tea Party, but in 6 months when investigations are turned on those who don’t like NSA spying, what will they do.  In time anyone who disagrees with the government will be subject to unjustified investigation and persecution.  By not standing up for the principles of truth and by not holding up parts of the constitution the press is sewing its own destruction.

An impotent press, a cowardly press does not need freedom of the press.  The more the press sides unquestioningly with the government the less freedom we all have.  In the long run, there won’t be any press, only propaganda.  We are largely there now.  It is a shame.  Perhaps reporters should register with the government and we can use the constitution as a fish wrapper.  Our government already does that.