The Scenic Route to Dystopia

Is This America's Future?

Despite the repeated calls by Barack Obama for the need for speed concerning key elements of his agenda, he is prudent enough to choose the scenic route to our eventual doom when expediency demands. After all, even he must realize the trauma to all those aboard his speeding "bus" should they witness, through the windows, the passing splendor of America  rapidly turning to despair and decay.

Having already accomplished an estimated ninety percent of Alinsky, Cloward and Piven's goals -- overloading the system to a point of near collapse in order to implement radical change under the guise of rescue -- Obama can now use subterfuge to seize control with no discernible resistance and even the tacit approval of a large portion of the electorate.

He's already tested the waters of apathy with success, first floating the notion that he'd prefer to bypass Congress in the form of a joke (yuk, yuk), and then proceeding to do that very thing with impunity. Obama recently made four "recess appointments" when Congress was not in recess. Three of them -- all to the National Labor Relations Board (NLRB), were only nominated by the president weeks before their appointments, yet Obama claimed that he "couldn't wait any longer". Therein is the evident need for speed.

But Obama's intent to bypass Congress began long before that, and while the Republicans raised barely a whimper in protest or outrage at these latest appointments, they had set a precedent of indifference from the inception of Obama's presidency, timidly watching Obama name a record number of czars. Democrats, for their part, exhibited a haughty enthusiasm and feckless surrender to the Executive Branch. Thus, a figurative prince was born and his ascension to the first "throne" of the United States was begun.

Just as our Constitution was the final affront to King George, so has it become the perpetual impediment to those who would once again institute a monarchy. When Obama declared, "We are five days away from fundamentally transforming the United States of America!", he wasn't kidding. And while many saw this statement as benign, and the intent as good, the rest of us knew what we've always known; anything transformed never resembles the original.

Obama and his administration have been busy in that transformation in the most incremental ways, such to the effect that most people don't even notice the cage being built around them, one wall at a time. In a speech to the Virginia Convention in 1788, James Madison had this to say:

"I believe there are more instances of the abridgement of the freedom of the people by gradual and silent encroachments of those in power than by violent and sudden usurpations.”

Liberty's Demise

 One of those gradual and silent encroachments happened on the last day of 2011. On New Years Eve, President Barack Obama signed the National Defense Authorization Act (NDAA), giving him the arbitrary authority to have any U.S. citizen arrested by the United States military and detained indefinitely. American gulags, anyone?

And just as a child will test his parent's resolve slowly, Obama has pushed the limits of his executive powers inch by excruciating inch, each time finding little to no resistance from congress. Now, astutely finding a precedent in the Reorganization Act of 1939 -- which was allowed to expire in 1984 -- Obama wants Congress to grant him the authority to consolidate power agencies. At what point does that last inch complete the mile?

The plan has been deliberate and painstaking, but it seems to be working to perfection. Obama has been taking our economy down the chute very effectively. What this is doing is causing more and more unrest among the people, and it is only a matter of time before we can be legally branded as enemies of the state and removed from existence. Is this the change half of you voted for in 2008? Because there is no dispute that it is indeed a "fundamental transformation" of America.

Perhaps if one of the Republican candidates vowed to be more like George Washington, and indicated that as president, these powers would be removed from the books, there would be a chance to reverse this madness. Think long and hard about this, people. Do your own research, dig, get involved. If half of the electorate persists in relying solely on soundbites and campaign ads, I fear that the America I've long known will vanish into a desolate Dystopia.

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Not Under My Roof

Any rebellious teen has certainly heard those words from their parents. When pushing the limits of authority by demanding rights that do not exist, the authoritarian correctly reminds the offending plaintiff that as long as he pays the bills, he makes the rules. The remedy is that of which every soon-to-be adult dreams; leaving the confines of a perceived totalitarianism in pursuit of their own domain, where they make their own rules.

Then it happens, and reality sets in...sure, it's good to be king of your castle, but as every kid eventually learns, adults cannot "do whatever they want". There are stringent responsibilities that require discipline. If managed properly and diligently, life can be good, but if neglected, life has a way of crushing the indecisive.

It is this rite of passage that we have all passed through that has me the most perplexed in light of the masses clamoring for a "nanny state". My only explanation is that our youth has been conditioned to fail and, therefore, beg for the expansive umbrella of "government care", somehow convinced that they can finally both be adults and "do what they want" without the worries of personal responsibility.

What they fail to realize is the simple truth of trading one cage for another. And the irony lies in the fact that the "cage" of their youth was guarded by parents who truly loved them and tried to guide them in the best ways possible and in their best interests, while the newer, larger cage which they willingly enter is administered by people who care not a whit about their well being but only about their votes and their tax dollars.

As the federal government expands its authority, it is already obvious that control of our lives is the ultimate goal. If they are going to pay for our health care, for example, they will tell us how to be healthy. This includes what we eat, drink and smoke. It also includes what we wear in certain weather conditions. As long as they are "paying the bills" we will be compelled to live by their rules.

So soon there will be no escape from an iron grip of any kind, be it the strict rules laid down by parents or the same by the government. We shall remain perpetual children subject to the declarations of others. The dreams of freedom will be shattered and along with them, the hopes we all once cherished and anticipated. Is this what we have fought, struggled and bled for?

The human spirit has historically been strong, and - I personally believe - the American spirit has been exemplary, but one must wonder what the tensile strength is and when it will succumb to the massive weight of the oppressive machinations of those who were once viewed as "public servants". How long can the will of people resist the relentless assault? Every person has his breaking point.

I pray that people wake up soon, and I also pray that they make their children acutely aware of the greatness America once represented. I would also suggest that those with adolescents begin asking their children - who may be on the cusp of rebellion - and their teens who are likely in the throes of the same, how they would like to abide by the same strict regulations for the rest of their lives.

Perhaps that cold "slap" in the face would wake up the youth to the attack currently under way on their desired and deserved freedom. It's an idea. Maybe if they're tired enough of hearing "not under my roof" they will launch a genuine rebellion and save themselves. And all of us.

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We Shall Be Dissidents

Dissidents. The very sound of the word conjures images of dank apartment hideouts and encrypted notes passed in fervent secrecy under the most bleak of landscapes. Even worse, however, are the more dreary connotations to political prisoners jailed in the utmost of deplorable conditions, forlornly gazing out upon desolate, rain-soaked landscapes through vertical bars - at ground level from subterranean cells - clutched in gnarled, arthritic grasps.

There is also the brave young Chinese man forever emblazoned on the canvasses of our minds from the infamous Tienanmen Square standoff between man and massive machine.

From the moment that Dorothy emerged from her demolished home and stepped out into the Land of Oz, and the cinematic miracle of color was introduced to the American public, the perception of life in this nation was also transformed into one of a seemingly perpetual mood of optimism. It also marked the line at which we began to sink into the coziness of our own magnificence and the notion that the time for rest was at hand. In other words, we had "arrived" and now deserved the luxury of sloth.

Not to suggest that our work ethic declined, far from it, but our sense of invincibility and perpetuity was ingrained in us and passed down through generations. We believed we were a beacon of freedom and power that no one would dream of attacking, and we slept well knowing that had they dared, the consequences would be dire. We never saw the figurative tunnels, though, through which a much more stealthy enemy has fostered success in our demise.

Oh, to be certain, some of us have not only noticed these burrows but have pointed and shrieked at them, to no avail. I have long been loathe to breach the plane of what is considered hysteria, and I am cognizant of the eyes that gaze at my musings, but I feel that in desperate times, someone must ring the alarm bell and risk the scorn of those who would scoff at the allegedly ridiculous prognostications of a careful observer.

I have previously compared Barack Obama to the proverbial alien in humanoid form beginning to grow impatient with the disguise and prematurely reverting to true form. Oddly enough, no one batted an eye or even looked askance at me. So far so good, since another, more plausible analogy is forthcoming.

While the "alien analogy" is useful only for illustrative purposes - since we have yet to actually witness a being from another planet - the concept of the puppet master is nothing new while the practice may well be. Even absent any ideological warning flags, Barack Hussein Obama was nonetheless a gamble due to his utter lack of a verifiable past and any form of pertinent accomplishments for the job. He was elected based on nothing more than a "likability factor" and the rhetoric that sequestered him from his predecessor.

He has since demonstrated a complete lack of understanding for the protocols that have served his office since its inception, but perhaps even more stunning is the absence of knowledge of those precedents by his entire team of advisers. Surely George W. Bush could not know what not to say at a State of the Union address, but his staff certainly did, and they relayed that information to the president. How is it possible that Obama's team could be so remiss in the same duties?

Obama's first SOTU was written for him, reviewed by him, and edited by people allegedly loyal to him. His attack on the Supreme Court was no accident, therefore. I maintain it was a product of Obama's true nature betrayed prematurely by his own impetuousness, and that he's only now getting warmed up. As the resistence continues to swell, look for more draconian measures to be taken, and for more true colors to show through.

Obama has already displayed his disdain for dissent and a desire to silence it. From his coordinated attacks on Fox News to his beseeching of Republicans to stop talking "so he can clean up the mess", his calls for more bipartisanship are nothing more than a veiled way of insisting that things be done his way. Without a fracturing of the triad of Democrats' control of the White House, the Senate and the House of Representatives, we could all be dissidents in the next election cycle.

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America: State Of Diminished Liberty

From a grand and picturesque position in the middle of New York harbor, Lady Liberty has been both a reminder of the gratitude of the nation of France for our very existence and a welcome center for the wretched of the world seeking that which many of us have long since taken for granted; liberty. To be certain, our own negligence has been partly responsible for the weeds and other overgrowth that have sullied our beautiful landscape, but the demands of recent immigrants that their new home not merely welcome them but acquiesce to their preferences has been quite damaging, as well.

As the accompanying picture illustrates so eloquently, Lady Liberty may as well be shrunk in size and placed on a graffiti-ridden platform in some small town that has long ago surrendered its claim on Americana. So eager are our elected officials to placate the whims of new arrivals - in a misguided attempt at appearing to be accepting - that they have sacrificed our national soul and rendered us insignificant. If France demanded their statue be returned, I would fully understand.

Lest I ramble too long and give the impression that this post is about immigration, let me say clearly that it is not. It is more about the assault on free men and women by the leaders we elect through the legislative process. Since the Great Depression - when FDR usurped our constitution in most blatant fashion - the liberal agenda has been marching inexorably forward, albeit in small steps. Those steps remain measured only because of the vigilance of conservatives in high places and the ordinary American who is inclined to remain awake and alert. Without either, the pace of liberal "progress" would become lurching and bounding, causing an audible rumble in the ground.

Many who have been engaged in politics through the past decade have been aware of the likes of John Edwards declaring that there are "two Americas". Anyone who has been even peripherally conscious for the past forty years is cognizant of the constant complaints of liberals over alleged inequalities and their incessant desires to correct them. But inequities cannot be corrected by legislation; such things are inherent to Man. All men are created equal, yes, but their courses in life ensure that outcomes will be different.

I maintain that liberals - or statists - endeavor to erase the choices afforded Man in favor of the guaranteed destination decided by the State. While some would welcome the lifting of the burden of decision, it is nonetheless the stuff of tyranny and that which our Founders warned about. It is also the staple of the liberal case for compassion and levelling the playing field, for a counter to fairness is at once sneered upon as uncaring, and a difficult position to defend to the minds already seized by the statist machine.

Unless and until people begin to remember the genesis of the American experiment I fear that Liberty will suffer a much worse fate than relegation to a lesser neighborhood. Free stuff is always an enticement too difficult for the masses to refuse. Getting them to understand that it is never free is tougher still, but it must be impressed upon them before it is too late. Otherwise the greatness of the United States of America may soon be nothing more than some distant future archeologist's find in a dig of our ruins.

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There Ought To Be A Law

We've probably all said at one time or another that there ought to be a law, usually against some act of stupidity we've just witnessed, but few of us actually meant it. Moments of frustration are usually accompanied by strong reactions that we end up regretting later.

So it is when we allow class envy to cloud our judgment that we clamor for a quick remedy that will make us feel vindicated, albeit temporarily. But as congress has listened to the shrill cries from people who have demanded that others be prevented by law from offending them, all of us - even the plaintiffs - have lost more and more of our liberty. Lest those who have caused this ripple effect forget, liberty was attained through a very violent process; once it is gone, it is likely not to return except through the same means. It's a classic case of being careful what you wish for.

The AIG fiasco is one such illustration of the dangers of an overreaching government, for we've just witnessed a blatant violation of our constitution by the very people who have sworn an oath to uphold the tenets of that cherished document. The House of Representatives recently passed H.R. 1586 which is a bill to tax AIG executive's bonuses at 90%. Many people, outraged by the prospect of these executives receiving bonuses at all, are applauding this act and praising congress for "having the courage" to commit it. Many people also are not aware that congress is prohibited from this type of bill of attainder by the constitution.

(Article One, Section 9). "No Bill of Attainder or ex post facto Law shall be passed." A bill of attainder is a legislative act declaring the guilt of an individual or a group of persons and punishing them. Only the courts can determine whether a person has violated a criminal statute. An ex post facto law declares an act illegal after it has been committed, or increased the punishment for an offense already committed.

Two paragraphs from GOP.GOV explain how this happened, and the insulting way that democrats have feigned their surprise and outrage before the American public:

The conference committee also stripped a Senate-passed provision from H.R. 1, which would have completely prevented the $165 million in AIG bonuses. The conference committee removed an amendment sponsored by Senators Olympia Snowe (R-ME) and Ron Wyden (D-OR) that would have forced any TARP recipient to repay any bonus paid in excess of $100,000, or face a 35% excise tax on any TARP funds that were not immediately paid back to the Treasury. The amendment was accepted in the Senate by voice vote. However, the Snowe-Wyden amendment was taken out before the final vote. Despite their strong rhetoric, Democrats in Congress made the AIG bonus payments possible.

While Democrats have facilitated the payment of bonuses to employees of companies that have received taxpayer assistance, Republicans have attempted to enact legislation that would restrict TARP recipients from paying excessive bonuses and protect taxpayer money. On March 18, 2009, House Republicans attempted to offer legislation on the floor that would have required Treasury to recoup the AIG bonuses and would have denied AIG any additional TARP funds until the bonuses were returned in full. The Democrat majority blocked consideration of the Republican proposal. Instead, Democrats will offer a constitutionally questionable 90% tax on some bonus recipients.

Our elected officials are supposed to work in our interests and above all, perform their duties while upholding their oaths. This latest outrage, however, proves that they are not what they appear to be. If only more people would stop and think before they demand action. If only they'd familiarize themselves with our founding documents.

If only they'd use a little more common sense and stop demanding that there be yet another law.

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