The main theme of the Bush inaugural address is “The survival of liberty in our land increasingly depends on the success of liberty in other lands.”
This is just self-serving, Neo-Con rhetoric attempting to justify and promote their wars and war plans over the globe. America’s freedom and liberties have never been tied to the freedoms of other nations throughout our 200 plus year history.
Our freedoms and individual liberties depend on:
1) Our society being composed of men and women educated and sensitive in what liberty means, and how it is practiced within our constitutional history.
2) A populace aware of the encroachment by government and by large corporations into our personal freedoms and those of our fellow citizens. You cannot be a champion of liberty if you are insensitive to the plight of others.
3) The courage of our people and the news media to speak out and resist tyrannical government and individuals whenever they appear.
Today, America is sorely lacking on all three counts. We could install ‘democracy’ in every country in the world and still live in a ‘democratic’ tyranny at home. Witness the enormous attacks by this administration on our fundamental constitutional rights in the name of 9/11. Our own history has proven that no piece of paper or court system will keep us free; we must as a people do this for ourselves.
Our national security depends on:
1) Our ability to defend our borders from foreign aggressors.
2) A sound economy, lack of stifling debt both private and governmental, and a sound money system. Today we are the largest debtor nation on the planet, with an ever failing job base, huge trade imbalance, staggering Social Security and Medicare liabilities, and an out of control fiat money system. Foreign wars just add to these problems.
3) A wise foreign policy that avoids conflicts and wars whenever possible. George Washington wisely counseled us in his farewell address to maintain friendly, neutral relations with all nations whenever possible lest our strengths be dissipated in endless conflicts.
The invasion of Iraq and the putting our military bases throughout the world is not conducive to maintaining friendly relations with the nations of the world. We are now viewed with hatred and suspicion throughout the world.
Theodor Mommsen in his “History of Rome under the Emperors” records that when Rome transitioned from a Republic to the Principate under the rule of Augustus, there were two areas where the sovereignty of the people were lost.
First, an oligarchical and monarchical authority replaced the former courts of the assembly. They did not abide by existing law, but dispensed punishments for which there were no precedents. This is precisely what the Bush administration has done under the Patriot Act with the use of military tribunals along with the violation of law by the Justice department.
Second, in the legislative area, the income of Rome came from the provinces and under the Emperor there was no budget or legislative approval of expenditures. Under the Bush administration there is no budget in the sense of balancing expenses with income. Expenditures are made without regard to income and the Fed under Greenspan accommodates the shortfall. Bush recently decided another 100 billion was needed for Iraq operations. This will come into existence, with or without congressional approval, as more fiat money expansion. These losses of our sovereignty have occurred without alarm from the news media and little protest from the people.
I suggest we work towards a more secure America without any compromise in our liberties lest we go down the path of Emperors towards a “Caligula” or a “Nero”
-- Posted Sunday, January 23 2005
Jerry R. Olsen has a BS, MS in Mathematical Statistics and Probability with 20 years experience working in Operations Research in Defense Related Programs. He may be reached via email at [email protected].
