I downloaded a copy of HR-1 or "Implementing the 9/11 Commission Recommendations Act" last night, and as I read it, I wondered why this bill as it stands even made it to the House floor. I also found myself wondering if Speaker Pelosi even read the bill before it was voted on. Or, for that matter, did any Democrat in Congress read it?
I’m serious, and I look at this from strictly a progressive perspective; as someone who is thankful for the Democratic Majority, and one who applauded Speaker Pelosi’s accomplishments of the last couple of weeks. She said what she was going to do and she did it, and I admire her for the leadership she showed and continues to show. But, I am absolutely stymied about why a Democrat would not only willingly vote for a set of recommendations that could essentially plunge America into a virtual police state, but would also make the bill’s passage this congressional session’s highest priority.
More below:
.
And, no, as far as I’m concerned this is not hyperbole. Perhaps, I’m being a bit unnerved or even paranoid but I’m not exaggerating. Under the feigned auspices of "keeping Americans safe," HR-1 effectually furthers the Bush administration’s aspirations of a New World Order. Why do I say this? Let’s take a closer look at some of the more "Orwellian" parts of this ominous piece of legislation.
Passed with bipartisan support, (299 Ayes – 128 Nays, with 68 Republican voting with the majority) HR-1 consists of 41-recommendations for making the country safe and secure against terrorist attacks in the future. It’s also expected to pass the Senate easily. Now, don’t get me wrong, the bill’s not all bad. Some of the recommendations are pragmatic steps to making the country safer, i.e., ones like making our borders and ports more secure. More airport security and fair distribution of municipal DHS funding are also good ideas. But HR-1 doesn’t stop there. If only it did, indeed.
So, at what cost to our civil liberties will we achieve security? Is it worth the creation of DHS Identity Checkpoints set up on our roads and highways? How about mandatory biometric iris and fingerprint scanning machines at all major American airports? Feel safe yet? There’s always the implementation of new and improved special screening for all passengers at those same airports; the same special screening that’ll probably open the door to invasive body scanners. Are we safe yet?
Are you ready for the national ID cards? How about the expansion of "no-fly" and "watch" lists? Wait, I know, perhaps the federal takeover of publicly-owned communication networks will make us safer? Or, there’s always the increased government surveillance of American’s (not foreigner’s) financial records and activities. Are we there yet? Are we secure? H.R. 1 mandates that America becomes increasingly meddlesome in the internal affairs of foreign nations, thereby pushing the United States further down the road of international domination. One recommendation even requires that the U.S. "defends Muslims against tyrants and criminals . . ." Or, does it require us to defend Muslims against tyrants who control vast oil reserves?
What the hell is that about? More preemptive wars? More Gitmos on the horizon? More secret CIA gulags? Does that mean we can invade other countries without existential provocation just because we think their leader a tyrant? There are many tyrants in the world. Are we to also "liberate" Buddhists and Shintoists unless we approve of their governments? Come’on, this is madness. This is world domination. We are turning into the very thing we’ve always stood against.
Another recommendation wants the United States to "generously support a new International Youth Opportunity Fund" for the purpose of "building and operating primary and secondary schools in . . . Muslim states . . ." How many billions and even trillions of taxpayer dollars will be required to build and operate Muslim schools? I assume these schools will teach Muslim doctrine. We don’t even have a grasp on what Islamism is. Are we planning to control the curriculum? Hire the faculty and superintendents? Now, I’m all for helping other nations; undeveloped nations that reach out to us for help. But this bill only augments an imperialistic agenda. It smacks of hegemony.
The next one’s almost amusing if not vexing. How do you feel about "global border security"? Excuse me, what in the hell does that even mean? Outsourced border security? No borders at all? Does our government foresee a time when all our military forces -- including the National Guard, reservists, and even our own border agents -- are all off fighting wars for oil, water and/or territory? Are we to look to say, troops from the Philippines or Russia to guard our shores? Or, perhaps, German or Italian troops to protect our northern and southern borders? We need a better definition of what "global border security" really is. Perhaps, this recommendation is a manifestation of Dear Leader’s aversion to securing our borders at all.
Alexander Hamilton, James Madison and John Jay, the authors of the Federalist Papers in 1787 will surely be rolling over in their graves at the implementation of this next one. It requires the federal government to "set standards for the issuance of birth certificates and sources of identification, such as driver’s licenses." Whatever happened to "less government?"
The passage of H.R. 1 simply furthers the policies of the Bush administration, and unfortunately administrations before it. The goal here is control. Are we to give up our citizenship to become a commodity? A commodity in a cage? Of course, the cage is a national, even international, curtain of total control. To me, it’s shades of Aldous Huxley’s "Brave New World."
So, the fundamental question is this: Why did Speaker Pelosi place this particular bill at the top of the Dems agenda? This is the most debilitating piece of legislature since the Patriot Act. It’s too late for the House to reconsider but it’s not too late to contact your senators demanding an end to this legislative abomination.
We all want to be safe but no matter how comprehensive the legislature is we’ll never be completely safe. That’s just the nature of life. Everyday is a risk. But I’m sick and tired of this New world Order CRAP. We can do this better. We can force our government to do better. We can force them to take another stab at getting this right -- to defer to our civil liberties – in all cases. We need to strike a balance.
If we fail to resist this our children and grandchildren could find the monkey cage locked shut -- with no chance of escape. Please call, write, grab by the shoulder your senators before this bill is voted on. Make them listen.
We’re not monkeys.