Perhaps you read the Newsweek article some time ago about how tactically brilliant the timing of the vote authorizing The Decider to invade Iraq was handled? (Karl Rove was the brilliant one because The Decider lost too many brain cells binge drinking to be brilliant.)
By scheduling the resolution vote in the period just before Congressional elections, Democrats were put in the position of looking “weak” on national security if they voted against the request. Sen. Clinton literally (thank you Sen. Biden for overusing that word) lacked the testicular fortitude to just say no and so she voted for the resolution in an effort to inject some steroids into her Presidential ambitions. Unfortunately, many other Democrats who literally <g> possessed the proper anatomical equipment also caved.
We know what happened next and yet, to my knowledge, Clinton and the rest of the Congressional Democrats have never accepted their proper responsibility for the results. They say that The Decider made the decision to invade. Yes he did, but without that resolution, I doubt The Decider would have had the testicular fortitude to invade, a course he wanted long before he’s willing to admit, according to his former Press Secretary. He needed political cover and the Democrats gave it to him.
Without an invasion, maybe we’d still have a good chunk of the Clinton surplus, which disappeared down the Iraqi drain long ago and so now we‘re in hock to China for the war. No surplus led to a weak dollar, which made oil more expensive since it is priced in dollars. High oil made the economy tank and so now we‘re facing recession. The “falling dominos” were a lie in Viet Nam but they sure fell here after Iraq.
But the Iraq resolution is just the overture to this post….
Comes now the FISA (Foreign Intelligence Surveillance Act) vote. Again, we are in an election season. Again, The Decider insists that to protect our freedoms we must surrender them. It’s another slam dunk case that FISA is critical to stopping terrorists. Give the telecom industry immunity from prosecution, just in case a court decides that the 4th Amendment has been violated. Heck, the Supreme Court read the 2nd Amendment too literally… maybe they’ll read the 4th Amendment too literally.
And so, the Congress, now in Democratic hands, but still fearful of looking weak on national security in an election year, caves… again. Sen. Obama joins many Democrats in voting for the FISA legislation.
Sen. McCain missed the vote but his homepage on the Senate website indicates support for FISA. So both Presidential candidates vote away our freedoms and privacy. (Sen. Clinton, probably recalling her foolish Iraq vote, voted against the FISA.)
Here’s a bit of history you should think about:
After a “terrorist” bomb exploded late one night at the Parliament building of a European country, the Prime Minister asked for special powers to deal with the threat of terrorism. His party had the most seats but did not have a majority.
Other parties, afraid of looking weak on security, agreed to these special powers even though some “extremists” believed that a late night explosion harming no one was actually the work of the Prime Minister‘s party so he could propose the “emergency“ legislation. After that special powers legislation passed, those powers were quickly used to silence and intimidate the opposition parties. Germany never had a free election again and Hitler became a dictator. he did not “seize” power; he was given power in the name of security!
You see, historically we do not “lose” our freedom or have it “taken” from us. We often freely and willingly give freedom away because we are afraid. The Germans did it. We are doing it now.
Think I’m exaggerating?
Do you oppose the Iraq war and/or the death penalty? Then you may very well end up in a “terrorist” database. Read what the Maryland State Police did.
Now that The Decider has hoodwinked the testicularly challenged Congress into exchanging freedom for a promise of security, the usual suspects will have more cover as they goosestep us to a country where Big Brother is watching…because he can.
The problem with folks in “security” is that they are naturally paranoid. Everyone is a suspect. That’s why the TSA searches Army veterans with medals on their chest; women with baby formula, etc. And the Maryland State Police infiltrates anti-death penalty and peace groups.
In our fear for security, we so quickly give up freedom and end up with neither security nor freedom. We saw how Nixon abused powers the government was given to address “domestic enemies.” Those powers were then curbed. Now, the government has even more powers than Nixon had.
Read why liberals oppose FISA.
Read Why conservatives oppose FISA.
(Coming next Sunday: How can I let the 40th anniversary of the Summer of Love end without some sort of tribute? Mine will be a musical tribute – I‘ve scoured YouTube for videos of the music of the 60‘s and early 70s and will present links to the music my generation inhaled to, marched in the streets to and otherwise grew up with! See you next Sunday!))
