In 1955, Milton Mayer published the book "They Thought They Were Free." It was an expose, based on interviews with the German people still living, who reflected back on why they did nothing to stop the rise of a facist German state. Here is an excerpt with one of the survivors:
What happened here was the gradual habituation of the people, little by little, to being governed by surprise; to receiving decisions deliberated in secret; to believing that the situation was so complicated that the government had to act on information which the people could not understand, or so dangerous that, even if the people could not understand it, it could not be released because of national security . . .
This separation of government from people, this widening of the gap, took place so gradually and so insensibly, each step disguised (perhaps not even intentionally) as a temporary emergency measure or associated with true patriotic allegiance or with real social purposes. And all the crises and reforms (real reforms, too) so occupied the people that they did not see the slow motion underneath, of the whole process of government growing remoter and remoter . . .
To live in this process is absolutely not to be able to notice it—please try to believe me—unless one has a much greater degree of political awareness, acuity, than most of us had ever had occasion to develop. Each step was so small, so inconsequential, so well explained or, on occasion, ‘regretted,’ that, unless one were detached from the whole process from the beginning, unless one understood what the whole thing was in principle, what all these ‘little measures’ that no ‘patriotic German’ could resent must some day lead to, one no more saw it developing from day to day than a farmer in his field sees the corn growing. One day it is over his head.
"How is this to be avoided, among ordinary men, even highly educated ordinary men? Frankly, I do not know.
They Thought They Were Free
After the war, and while awaiting trial in Nuremberg, infamous Nazi party leader Hermann Goering stated in an interview that the rise of the fascist state in Germany could happen anywhere, that political processes couldn't stop it; it would work in any form of government, all you have to do is scare the people:
Why of course the people don't want war. Why should some poor slob on
a farm want to risk his life in a war when the best he can get out of
it is to come back to his farm in one piece? Naturally the common people
don't want war neither in Russia, nor in England, nor for that matter in
Germany. That is understood. But, after all, it is the leaders of the
country who determine the policy and it is always a simple matter to
drag the people along, whether it is a democracy, or a fascist
dictatorship, or a parliament, or a communist dictatorship. Voice or no
voice, the people can always be brought to the bidding of the leaders.
That is easy. All you have to do is tell them they are being attacked,
and denounce the peacemakers for lack of patriotism and exposing the
country to danger. It works the same in any country."
Goering Quote
Later, American President Eisenhower, once an American General, the Supreme Allied Commander who led the fight against the German Army, warned that what happened in Germany could happen here. President Eisenhower made his now famous warning in 1961, during his Farewell Address to the American people. It is now famous for coining the term "military industrial complex" and for the prescience that a growing military poses a threat to a democratic society.
A vital element in keeping the peace is our military establishment. Our arms must be mighty, ready for instant action, so that no potential aggressor may be tempted to risk his own destruction...
This conjunction of an immense military establishment and a large arms industry is new in the American experience. The total influence — economic, political, even spiritual — is felt in every city, every statehouse, every office of the federal government. We recognize the imperative need for this development. Yet we must not fail to comprehend its grave implications. Our toil, resources and livelihood are all involved; so is the very structure of our society. In the councils of government, we must guard against the acquisition of unwarranted influence, whether sought or unsought, by the military-industrial complex. The potential for the disastrous rise of misplaced power exists, and will persist.
We must never let the weight of this combination endanger our liberties or democratic processes. We should take nothing for granted. Only an alert and knowledgeable citizenry can compel the proper meshing of the huge industrial and military machinery of defense with our peaceful methods and goals so that security and liberty may prosper together.
Eisenhower Farewell Address
So the question is, are we free? If the reflections from Nazi Germany are correct, then "To live in this process is absolutely not to be able to notice it—please try to believe me—unless one has a much greater degree of political awareness, acuity, than most of us had ever had occasion to develop." But maybe there is a still a chance for political awareness, maybe within our own recollections, if we remembered where we were just twelve short years ago, we can answer the question, are we free.
Just twelve short years ago, well within the memories of many still today, America was living the American dream. In 1999, as Clinton was getting ready to leave office, the Cold War was over - the US had won, and America was forecasting the first ever budget surpluses which, arguably, would end American debt by as early as 2015.
Clinton White House Press Relief
So, twelve years later, what happened? Three Presidential terms later, instead of running budget surpluses, the US is $16 trillion dollars in debt. We have fought wars in Iraq, Libya, and are still embroiled in an unwinnable war in Afghanistan, all in the name of a never ending war on terror, against enemies who could be anywhere and include United States citizens. To fight this war, the US created a new military command called Northcom, to "defend the United States Homeland."
Northcom
Northcom Wiki
With the creation of Northcom, anyone, including United States citizens, could be a threat. To fight the threat within our borders, Congress has passed several laws which allow the government the power to search without warrants, wiretap, even detain and hold indefinitely, without charge, American citizens suspected of being threats. These powers are granted by the Patriot Act and the National Defense Authorization Act.
National Defense Authorization Act Wiki
Patriot Act
The United States government is building and continuing to build "data centers" for Department of Homeland Security "super computers" which will store and save everyting put on the internet and who knows what else.
DHS Data Centers
Further, all levels of government are now flying "drones" over United States cities to prevent terrorism. Up to 30k drones maybe flying over US skies in just a few years.
Drones
Twelve years later our nation is broke but continues to spend trillions of dollars fighting never ending wars on terror that can't be won. We pay mercenary armies like Blackwater to fight these wars and pay the mercenaries far more than we would pay our own. We allow TSA employees to do body scans all in the name of security. The Presidential conventions relegate the cherished First Amendment Right of free speech and assembly, the foundation of democracy, to designated "free speech zones" designated to be so far away from the Presidential conventions that the reporters have trouble finding them, all in the name of security?
The rise of the military industrial complex to fight these wars on terror comes cost not just liberty but place a high economic burden on the back of the citizens. In 1999, oil was less than $10 a barrel, its now about $100 a barrel. Gold, the financial barometer of the world, was about $200 an ounce, now its $1,600 an ounce. More people are on food stamps than ever, and we have experienced the greatest recession since the Great Depression. There is a growing disparity between the rich and poor, and the middle class is disappearing. The depressing economic conditions create the perfect conditions for the rise of corporate fascism, the very problem that President Eisenhower warned us of so many years ago, which was the rise of the military industrial complex and destruction of the civil liberties we so cherish.
So, are you free? I answer that question by ending where we began, with the reflections of a German who lived long enough to reflect back upon their own loss of liberty, and ask if his observations apply to the situation now in America.
What happened here was the gradual habituation of the people, little by little, to being governed by surprise; to receiving decisions deliberated in secret; to believing that the situation was so complicated that the government had to act on information which the people could not understand, or so dangerous that, even if the people could not understand it, it could not be released because of national security . . .
This separation of government from people, this widening of the gap, took place so gradually and so insensibly, each step disguised (perhaps not even intentionally) as a temporary emergency measure or associated with true patriotic allegiance or with real social purposes. And all the crises and reforms (real reforms, too) so occupied the people that they did not see the slow motion underneath, of the whole process of government growing remoter and remoter . . .
To live in this process is absolutely not to be able to notice it—please try to believe me—unless one has a much greater degree of political awareness, acuity, than most of us had ever had occasion to develop. Each step was so small, so inconsequential, so well explained or, on occasion, ‘regretted,’ that, unless one were detached from the whole process from the beginning, unless one understood what the whole thing was in principle, what all these ‘little measures’ that no ‘patriotic German’ could resent must some day lead to, one no more saw it developing from day to day than a farmer in his field sees the corn growing. One day it is over his head.
"How is this to be avoided, among ordinary men, even highly educated ordinary men? Frankly, I do not know.
Now, which political party, which candidate, has said they are going to stop this war on terror and its accompanying spying on US citizens? Neither. They don't want to restore freedom, they want the power of the Executive, of Orwell's Big Brother. Every since I can remember, both political parties have put political brass rings through the noses of the voters. Some wear a brass ring of abortion, health care, etc. These are political rings of power. They are only used to lead voters to the voting booth. Those same rings have worked for my entire lifetime. We argue today about the same things they argued about in the 70s, but no change. They aren't going to change those polling issues. Why would they? Those poll issues are too powerful for channelling voters to change them. In the meantime, they electronic wring wraiths over your house and record every keystroke I type, all in the name of security. In hindsight, Orwell's 1984 wasn't a work of fiction, like Hitler's Mein Kampf, it turned out to be a playbook - war is peace.
It's far too easy to banter America is the land of the free and waive the greatest symbol of that freedom, the American flag, but waiving that flag and even voting doesn't mean you are free. Stalin once said, I don't care if people vote, I only care about who counts the votes. So, it's easy to say and believe you are free, but saying it doesn't give it any meaning. Me telling the reader I love you is as meaningless as me saying you are free. The question is, are you? Where will you be in another twelve years? When will this all stop?