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© 2007 Daniel J. McLaughlin
Extraordinary Times
In extraordinary times, government leaders do extraordinary things. The following is from a famous speech:
“Restrictions on personal liberty, on the right of free expression of opinion, including freedom of the press; on the rights of assembly and associations; and violations of the privacy of postal, telegraphic, and telephonic communication and warrants for house searches, orders for confiscations, as well as restrictions on property are also permissible beyond the legal limits otherwise prescribed.”
While this may sound familiar, no, it was not George Bush’s speech after 9-11, nor Bill Clinton’s after the bombings of the world trade center or the Murrah Building in Oklahoma, but rather, Adolph Hitler’s 1933 speech after the Reichstag fire. Crisis is opportunity for government leaders.
With every incident that happens, more of our rights are seriously compromised with laws such as the Patriot Act and executive orders from whoever is president at a particular time. We now live with suspension of habeas corpus, illegal wiretaps and internet monitoring, further restrictions on travel and a host of other abuses. With these restrictions, we are no safer from terrorists than before. We are, however, less safe from our own government.
This summer, president Bush issued another executive order with little fanfare or resistance from congress. Similar to Hitler’s proclamation, he calls for the withdrawal of property rights, not of proven terrorists, but of anyone that takes any action that undermines the efforts in Iraq. The order is on the White House web site, for all to see, called “Blocking Property of Certain Persons Who Threaten Stabilization Efforts in Iraq”.
Under the order, all property may be “blocked” for anyone who commits or may commit violent acts the government deems as undermining efforts in Iraq. Politicians decide who is potentially guilty. Blocking means the property “may not be transferred, paid, exported, withdrawn or otherwise dealt in.” There is no prior notice required, no appeal and no recourse or relief other than the discretion of the president.
If people have all property blocked and inaccessible, there is no way to survive, whether or not they are actually guilty of wrongdoing. A further provision of the order is that any person or organization caught helping someone who’s property is blocked will also be subject to the provisions of the order. As specifically specified in the order, that includes giving food, clothing, medicine and items used to relieve human suffering. That may be of interest to churches and charitable and humanitarian organizations, since one of their primary missions is to provide food, clothing, and medicine and helping to alleviate human suffering. Just imagine the obvious ramifications of that power in the hands of a vindictive tyrant. Give someone power and he or she will use it.
Those who take violent actions against innocent people need to be punished. Our laws provide a means for that. Moreover, our laws have provided a means for protecting individuals from arbitrary actions of the state, through the rights of habeas corpus, jury trial, and many others. The anti-terrorism laws and executive orders have essentially removed the rule of law as a recourse for anyone that the president, whether democrat or republican, socialist, fascist, racist or any other “ist”, may deem a threat.
Foreigners who attack Americans on our soil must be brought to justice. There are ways to accomplish that without killing many thousands of innocent people or spending trillions of dollars. Actually punishing only the perpetrators, rather than innocent people, obviously not involved, would go a long way toward inhibiting future terrorist actions. Taking away the rights of Americans and empowering mass government doesn’t thwart terrorism.
A cover story of Time magazine last year declared “Be afraid, be very afraid”. Unfortunately, they were talking about their heavily lopsided view of global warming. They should have saved the title for a story on executive orders.
Patriotism is important to people in America who love their country, but that does not mean blindly following those in government, with no regard to the direction they are leading. President Clinton had harsh words for his critics, calling them unpatriotic. He said “There is nothing patriotic about pretending that you can love your country but despise your government.” Sorry Bill, sometimes loving your country means despising your government, when that government is leading the country to the destruction of everything that is honorable and worthwhile about it.
The only way things will change is if patriotic people of this country take it back from leaders who have unpatriotic ambitions.
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Daniel Mclaughlin
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