QUOTE
Americans Surrendering Liberties: Shades Of German History
By Chuck Baldwin
August 23, 2005
It appears that a strengthened U.S.A. Patriot Act will soon sail
through Congress with little opposition or consternation on the part
of the American people. The new Patriot Act is even more
stringent than the original. In addition, many of the more egregious
elements of the Patriot Act which were originally scheduled to
sunset are made permanent in the latest version. And the vast
majority of the American people do not seem to mind.
For one thing, Americans seem to have accepted the notion that
they must rely on the federal government to take care of them. Lost
to most is an independent, self-reliant spirit. After all, Americans
already look to Uncle Sam for food stamps, welfare payments,
commercial and farm subsidies, and faith-based handouts; why
should they object to the federal government's promise to now
provide their complete security even if it does mean the sacrifice of
their liberties? To most Americans, security seems much more
valuable than freedom!
It is incumbent upon each of us to remember that this is exactly the
way Adolph Hitler and the Nazi Party took control in Germany.
They did not seize power by force; the German people happily
gave them power on the promise of national security.
Since 9/11, even those Americans who in the past have
championed freedom and independence now demonstrate an
obvious readiness to gladly yield their liberties. It does not seem to
matter one iota that they are losing their right of privacy and their
right to be secure in their own homes.
When told that the Patriot Act is practically a carbon copy of
Hitler's Enabling Act, most Americans either yawn with
indifference or retort with disbelief. They seem to be oblivious to
reality.
For some, their personal support for President Bush will not allow
them to look objectively at the details of his Patriot Act (or
virtually anything else he does). They truly don't want to believe
that Bush could ever promote something untoward. Yet, was this
not the same reasoning used by the German people in the 1930's?
They loved and trusted Hitler so much, they could not bring
themselves to believe that anything he did could be wrong.
Americans need to reread the principles expressed by their
Founding Fathers. Specific to the topic, Thomas Jefferson rightly
said, "In questions of power, then, let no more be said of
confidence in man, but bind him down from mischief by the chains
of the Constitution." It would seem many Americans today no
longer believe that.
For others, the fact that they do not believe themselves to have yet
been personally affected by the new Gestapo-like powers given to
the executive branch by the Patriot Act gives them a sense of
(false) peace. Their attitude is usually expressed by statements
such as, "Well, if you're not doing anything wrong, you don't have
anything to fear." Of course, such thinking is extremely naïve and
short-sighted.
Our entire way of life is predicated upon the conviction that we are
presumed innocent of any wrongdoing and only by a substantiated
and cumbersome process of discovery and prosecution can that
assumption be taken away from us. The Patriot Act totally reverses
that historic principle.
Now Americans are presumed to be guilty of wrongdoing and
mechanisms are in place to begin the process of proving it; and,
furthermore, the discovery portion of this process may now be
done under cover of darkness and secrecy. Gone is the
presumption of innocence. Under the Patriot Act, gone is the right
to an attorney. Gone is the right to habeas corpus. Gone is the right
to a speedy trial. Gone is the right to be secure in your papers and
effects. The Patriot Act is turning America into a Nazi-style police
state. And that is not hyperbole!
Furthermore, Americans need to wake up to the reality that there
already exists a gargantuan effort afoot to put a military-style
federal apparatus in place. For example, according to syndicated
columnist Charley Reese, "In recent years, federal law
enforcement has expanded to the point where there is now an
equivalent of five military divisions armed and invested with the
power to make arrests." And this does not include the fact that
certain of our military and C.I.A. personnel are also being trained
and instructed in domestic law enforcement. Can people not see
the writing on the wall?
Another thing people need to think about is the definition of
"wrongdoing." The argument that, "If you haven't done anything
wrong, you don't have anything to worry about" loses its
legitimacy when "the powers that be" can alter what "wrong" is at
will.
The Patriot Act so loosely defines "terrorism" that virtually anyone
or anything could be considered "an act of terrorism" including
speech! Plus, Bush lovers need to remember that Dubya will not be
president forever. They need to think about the likes of Hillary
Clinton or Janet Reno interpreting and enforcing the Patriot Act!
Then again, we have to consider that there is a sizeable percentage
of the American people who have already surrendered their
liberties as a state of mind. They have been successfully
programmed to accept any and all government fetters. In their
minds, they are already slaves to the state! After all, freedom is
first a matter of the heart.
The bottom line is, in the name of safety and security, the
American people, as did the people of Germany in the 1930's, are
willingly surrendering their liberties. One more 9/11-style attack
will probably mean the end of whatever freedom is left. And sadly,
the vast majority of the American people will probably be ok with
that, as well.
At the end of the day, however, the loss of freedom will not bring
America peace and safety. Instead, destruction and tyranny will
result. A simple look at German history proves that.
Of course, America's founders rejected tyrannical government.
However, it appears that many of today's Americans share more in
common with German history than with their own.
© Chuck Baldwin
NOTE TO THE READER:
Under Bill s. 1618 TITLE III passed by the 105th U.S. Congress,
this email editorial cannot be considered Spam as long as the
sender includes contact information and a method of removal. To
be removed, see instructions below.
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Chuck Baldwin's commentaries are copyrighted and may be
republished, reposted, or emailed providing the person or
organization doing so does not charge for subscriptions or
advertising and that the column is copied intact and that full credit
is given and that Chuck's web site address is included.
Editors or Publishers of publications charging for subscriptions or
advertising who want to run these columns must contact Chuck
Baldwin for permission. Radio or television Talk Show Hosts
interested in scheduling an interview with Chuck should contact
chuck@chuckbaldwinlive.com.
When responding, please include your name, city and state. And,
unless otherwise requested, all respondents will be added to the
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Please visit Chuck's web site at chuck@chuckbaldwinlive.com.
By Chuck Baldwin
August 23, 2005
It appears that a strengthened U.S.A. Patriot Act will soon sail
through Congress with little opposition or consternation on the part
of the American people. The new Patriot Act is even more
stringent than the original. In addition, many of the more egregious
elements of the Patriot Act which were originally scheduled to
sunset are made permanent in the latest version. And the vast
majority of the American people do not seem to mind.
For one thing, Americans seem to have accepted the notion that
they must rely on the federal government to take care of them. Lost
to most is an independent, self-reliant spirit. After all, Americans
already look to Uncle Sam for food stamps, welfare payments,
commercial and farm subsidies, and faith-based handouts; why
should they object to the federal government's promise to now
provide their complete security even if it does mean the sacrifice of
their liberties? To most Americans, security seems much more
valuable than freedom!
It is incumbent upon each of us to remember that this is exactly the
way Adolph Hitler and the Nazi Party took control in Germany.
They did not seize power by force; the German people happily
gave them power on the promise of national security.
Since 9/11, even those Americans who in the past have
championed freedom and independence now demonstrate an
obvious readiness to gladly yield their liberties. It does not seem to
matter one iota that they are losing their right of privacy and their
right to be secure in their own homes.
When told that the Patriot Act is practically a carbon copy of
Hitler's Enabling Act, most Americans either yawn with
indifference or retort with disbelief. They seem to be oblivious to
reality.
For some, their personal support for President Bush will not allow
them to look objectively at the details of his Patriot Act (or
virtually anything else he does). They truly don't want to believe
that Bush could ever promote something untoward. Yet, was this
not the same reasoning used by the German people in the 1930's?
They loved and trusted Hitler so much, they could not bring
themselves to believe that anything he did could be wrong.
Americans need to reread the principles expressed by their
Founding Fathers. Specific to the topic, Thomas Jefferson rightly
said, "In questions of power, then, let no more be said of
confidence in man, but bind him down from mischief by the chains
of the Constitution." It would seem many Americans today no
longer believe that.
For others, the fact that they do not believe themselves to have yet
been personally affected by the new Gestapo-like powers given to
the executive branch by the Patriot Act gives them a sense of
(false) peace. Their attitude is usually expressed by statements
such as, "Well, if you're not doing anything wrong, you don't have
anything to fear." Of course, such thinking is extremely naïve and
short-sighted.
Our entire way of life is predicated upon the conviction that we are
presumed innocent of any wrongdoing and only by a substantiated
and cumbersome process of discovery and prosecution can that
assumption be taken away from us. The Patriot Act totally reverses
that historic principle.
Now Americans are presumed to be guilty of wrongdoing and
mechanisms are in place to begin the process of proving it; and,
furthermore, the discovery portion of this process may now be
done under cover of darkness and secrecy. Gone is the
presumption of innocence. Under the Patriot Act, gone is the right
to an attorney. Gone is the right to habeas corpus. Gone is the right
to a speedy trial. Gone is the right to be secure in your papers and
effects. The Patriot Act is turning America into a Nazi-style police
state. And that is not hyperbole!
Furthermore, Americans need to wake up to the reality that there
already exists a gargantuan effort afoot to put a military-style
federal apparatus in place. For example, according to syndicated
columnist Charley Reese, "In recent years, federal law
enforcement has expanded to the point where there is now an
equivalent of five military divisions armed and invested with the
power to make arrests." And this does not include the fact that
certain of our military and C.I.A. personnel are also being trained
and instructed in domestic law enforcement. Can people not see
the writing on the wall?
Another thing people need to think about is the definition of
"wrongdoing." The argument that, "If you haven't done anything
wrong, you don't have anything to worry about" loses its
legitimacy when "the powers that be" can alter what "wrong" is at
will.
The Patriot Act so loosely defines "terrorism" that virtually anyone
or anything could be considered "an act of terrorism" including
speech! Plus, Bush lovers need to remember that Dubya will not be
president forever. They need to think about the likes of Hillary
Clinton or Janet Reno interpreting and enforcing the Patriot Act!
Then again, we have to consider that there is a sizeable percentage
of the American people who have already surrendered their
liberties as a state of mind. They have been successfully
programmed to accept any and all government fetters. In their
minds, they are already slaves to the state! After all, freedom is
first a matter of the heart.
The bottom line is, in the name of safety and security, the
American people, as did the people of Germany in the 1930's, are
willingly surrendering their liberties. One more 9/11-style attack
will probably mean the end of whatever freedom is left. And sadly,
the vast majority of the American people will probably be ok with
that, as well.
At the end of the day, however, the loss of freedom will not bring
America peace and safety. Instead, destruction and tyranny will
result. A simple look at German history proves that.
Of course, America's founders rejected tyrannical government.
However, it appears that many of today's Americans share more in
common with German history than with their own.
© Chuck Baldwin
NOTE TO THE READER:
Under Bill s. 1618 TITLE III passed by the 105th U.S. Congress,
this email editorial cannot be considered Spam as long as the
sender includes contact information and a method of removal. To
be removed, see instructions below.
To subscribe to these columns, send a message to
majordomo@chuckbaldwinlive.com with the words subscribe
chuck-wagon in the body of the message. To unsubscribe put
the words unsubscribe chuck-wagon in the body of the
message.
Chuck Baldwin's commentaries are copyrighted and may be
republished, reposted, or emailed providing the person or
organization doing so does not charge for subscriptions or
advertising and that the column is copied intact and that full credit
is given and that Chuck's web site address is included.
Editors or Publishers of publications charging for subscriptions or
advertising who want to run these columns must contact Chuck
Baldwin for permission. Radio or television Talk Show Hosts
interested in scheduling an interview with Chuck should contact
chuck@chuckbaldwinlive.com.
When responding, please include your name, city and state. And,
unless otherwise requested, all respondents will be added to the
Chuck Wagon address list.
Please visit Chuck's web site at chuck@chuckbaldwinlive.com.