Edge of the Financial Cliff
Ten years ago, thousands of Americans were killed in the name of some still-unknown ideal. Ten years later, the effects have been the death of millions of foreigners, failing wars and military interventions worldwide, a complete overhaul and maximization of the police state, and no visible progress on any front that was begun after the disaster. It has become pointless total war:
It’s been a decade since the attacks of 9-11. Since that time, the cost of the American government has more than doubled while American economic output has drastically slowed. Communication and public speech has suffered under the weight of the Patriot Act, and today, most Americans understand that their government tracks them and spies upon them. Travel across this beautiful land has been made more expensive, as fuel and food costs have skyrocketed. The new and wholly un-American Department of Homeland Security has settled in for the long war, apparently against the American people and American traditions of liberty.
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In the decade after 9-11, Washington, D.C. launched repeated land wars, government takeovers, and nation-building, first in Afghanistan, then in Iraq, and later in Yemen, Somalia, Pakistan and now Libya. None of these wars, all sold as “wars against terrorism” were granted any public congressional debate, and none entailed a Congressional declaration of war.
In terms of truly discovering the facts of the events of 9-11, and the subsequent anthrax attacks, we saw a government reluctance to delve deeply, and a government desire to pack up the “stories” as quickly as possible. President Bush opposed and worked to delay the official 9-11 Commission, and its published results were then later partially disavowed by the very political appointees who led it. The FBI’s investigation into the Amerithrax case also followed a well-worn path. Select a culprit, publicize the name of the suspect, and harass that individual until they confess. The first FBI target was no coward, nor was he guilty. He successfully sued the federal government and was later awarded millions of tax-payer dollars for the FBI’s miscalculation and arrogance. A second FBI target was named and harassed until he committed suicide, and the case was immediately closed.
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Trillions of dollars have been wasted, more trillions in value have evaporated, and many thousands of lives have been needlessly sacrificed, all in the name of a post-9-11 era. The Founders believed that the Creator granted all men the right to a government that they themselves owned, and could hold accountable. The Founders believed that the people had the duty to dissolve that government when it no longer followed the law or conducted itself morally, in the best interest of the people. The Founders believed we could withdraw our consent. Today, you can’t even decline to be physically assaulted by a government agent in order to fly on a commercial aircraft using a ticket you bought with your own money.
The federal response to the attacks of 9-11 reflected a real government fear. Not of more attacks, but rather, a fear of average Americans who would begin to see the truth about their government in the 21st century. The truth is that this government does not exist to serve us, and it will not and cannot protect us.
We still don’t know the full story, even while many ask questions. The government isn’t listening. The media is actively ignoring.
Ten years ago today was a very tragic day, as we should all remember. But the way we acted in retaliation was shameful and sadly overshadows the death of American innocents. And it continues to this day, and will for many years.
Your lecture for the week this week is a half-hour interview that is quite telling about the way the Bush and Obama Administrations deal with citizens who they deems as “threats,” loose as the application of that label may be. A description at AntiWar.com:
Francis Boyle, Professor at the University of Illinois College of Law, discusses how in 2004 the FBI and CIA tried to make him an informant to betray his Arab and Muslim legal clients; how his refusal landed him on several terrorism watch lists, guaranteeing him a lifetime of harassment when traveling; the list of five thousand Arabs, Muslims and their sympathizers that the FBI interrogated and attempted to “turn;” the US government’s habit of rounding up entire groups of Americans (or planning to) and sending them to prison camps during a crisis – Constitution notwithstanding; and why we already live in a police state, which will become a military dictatorship after one more major terrorist attack.
You won’t want to miss this one.