To truly understand the current state of affairs in the United States, one good place to start is with what I speculate is the reaction by some reading the title of this essay. I know what you're thinking: "Brutal crackdown? What are you talking about? I don't think using hyperbole does anything to help the cause..." So on, and so forth.
I've taken an interest in following up on what I consider to be the birth of a fascistic police state, which really got going after 9/11. And what I've seen, I've considered extremely alarming. And through the years, as I've discussed this issue with people (on and off line), there was never a lack of allusions to "tin-foil hats" and "conspiracy theories."
Yes, I'm aware that many people have been warning about these things for years now, but the fact that those warnings seemed to fall on deaf ears when it comes to society at large, is perplexing, to a certain extent.
The way I've looked at it is very straightforward: After 9/11 a barrage of very extreme draconian laws were passed basically stripping citizens of a full range of constitutional protections. In tandem with that, the regulatory infrastructure was taken down, allowing a very small group of people to take over our government, and to loot the treasury (in broad daylight). A massive build-up of for profit prisons. Torture. Government-sanctioned assassinations of U.S. Citizens, and "enemy combatants." A massive surveillance system.
I've seen these things coming together in a very methodical way, and I understood for over a decade now that I was witnessing the rise of a fascistic police state.
Some readers have taken issue with some of my writing in the past because I hint at the possibility that we may be heading to violent confrontations, or a violent revolt. I'd like to elucidate on that...
It's not that I wish for that outcome, as some have claimed. It's that if my understanding of the situation is accurate (which I admit it may not be), then I see no other outcome.
Why?
If I'm right in my understanding of the type of system we've ended up with, then we are talking about a system as brutal, fascistic, and violent as any other in the world, and in history.
So far, this criminal system has been able to maintain a veneer of normalcy because it was very successful at controlling our minds with a massive propaganda apparatus, while it pressed its fascistic boot on our necks and exploited us. So there was no need for the system to use other more violent means of control.
And as many people flailing their hands and screaming in the wind for several years now (myself included), warning that a legal framework of support of a fascist system was being put in place, and that a massive police state was being born, and that it was all under the control of a tiny ruling class that one day would rise and be as brutal as any in the past, people reacted with apathy and disinterest. "Take your meds" they'll say.
The bottom line is this: When a government is able to tear down constitutional protections, and sets up a fascistic infrastructure (massive build-up of prisons, including for-profit prison camps, ubiquitous surveillance system, torture, unlimited detention of people without charge), and especially when such government has been completely taken over an Oligarchy, then you must expect that it will turn against its own citizens. In fact, it is guaranteed to do so.
So unfortunately, I think that even if the Occupy Wall Street movement continues to spread across the country (and the world), and it finally gets to flex some muscle, like massive national labor strikes, shutting down cities (with massive protests), etc., the Oligarchy (Wealthy elite, and both major political parties) will be utterly unmoved.
And that's because behind the veneer of normalcy, and the facade of democracy, we are already dealing with what can be characterized as a fascistic system of government, at the core.
And if such Oligarchical system feels the least threatened, it will turn all those tools it built for itself, onto the citizenry, including draconian criminal charges (from criminal trespassing, to terrorism, or enemy combatant), assassinations, brutal violent crackdowns on protesters, mass incarceration (and even torture), massive propaganda campaign using the control it has over the entire U.S. mainstream media.
I refuse to ever think that such system will prevail, but now the question is: What will be the price for restoring democracy and the rule of law? And once we restore it (which will do, no matter the cost), would we ever allow for such a fascistic state to rise again? Hopefully, this time we (society, the people) would have learned our lesson. After all, even the Founding Fathers seemed to be very preoccupied with the possibility that the people may falter in their responsibility to maintain an eternal watch against tyranny. And now we see why...
It would be great if the tyrants would relent, and stand down. But if history is any guide, that is highly unlikely. We will get our freedom and democracy back, but now it will be harder because we fell asleep at the switch and let a very tiny group of fascistic sociopaths take over.
Now is time to occupy, resist, rise up, and restore freedom, democracy, and the rule of law. Occupy every where, every day, until the job is done.
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