Section 215 of the Patriot Act will expire on June 1, 2015. The expiration of this section will deny the National Security Agency (NSA) of the legal grounds for its bulk capture of domestic telephone records. Expiration would also cause the Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI) to lose its highly controversial post 9/11 powers to obtain virtually limitless amounts of business records supposedly related to terrorism or espionage investigations.
The House of Representatives recently voted to dramatically restrict domestic surveillance and data collection by passing the Freedom Act. Unfortunately this act essentially left the FBI’s powers intact. Soon, the House will vote whether or not to ban the NSA from further warrantless searches of troves of international communications of American citizens. Too bad the neocon republican victory last November virtually guarantees the renewal of Section 215 allowing for the continuance of the intrusive and unconstitutional practices. But there is hope…
On May 20, 2015, Senator Rand Paul’s (R-KY) filibuster on the senate floor went viral, and for good reason – to end the unconstitutional Patriot Act. All the Patriot Act has done since its inception is undermine our civil liberties at home. Although Rand Paul happens to be the most assertive voice in government warning everyone of ubiquitous surveillance tyranny, there are others. Senator Ron Wyden (D-OR) and Representative Louis Gohmert (R-TX) have also been quite vocal.
In fact, throughout our history there have been many “canaries in the coal mine” concerning a future “Orwellian 1984 America” and what must be done to avoid it. Some remarkable warnings from prominent individuals include:
Early 1900’s – famous author George Orwell wrote: “If you want a picture of the future, imagine a boot stamping on a human face – forever.”
1961 – President Dwight D. Eisenhower’s prophetic “Farewell Address”: “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 forever.” Eisenhower also voiced his concerns regarding the corruption of the scientific process as part of the centralization of funding of the Federal government: “Akin to, and largely responsible for the sweeping changes in our industrial-military posture, has been the technological revolution during recent decades. In this revolution, research has become central; it also becomes more formalized, complex, and costly. A steadily increasing share is conducted for, by, or at the direction of, the Federal government. The prospect of domination of the nation’s scholars by federal employment, project allocation, and the power of money is ever present and is gravely to be regarded. Yet in holding scientific discovery in respect, as we should, we must also be alert to the equal and opposite danger that public policy could itself become the captive of a scientific-technological elite.” The political hijacking of “climate change” is an example.
1963 – President John F. Kennedy’s profound statement made shortly before his untimely assassination: “I want to splinter the CIA into a thousand pieces and scatter it to the winds”. I’ll bet former CIA Director David Petraeus does too.
Mid 1960’s – civil rights activist Dr. Martin Luther King said: “We know from painful experience that freedom is never voluntarily given by the oppressor; it must be demanded by the oppressed.” Today, the American people are the oppressed.
1975 – U. S. Senator Frank Church (D-ID), chairman of the Select Committee on Intelligence (“Church Committee”) that investigated the NSA foresaw our nation’s future: “The NSA’s capability at any time could be turned around on the American people, and no American would have any privacy left, such is the capability to monitor everything: telephone conversations, telegrams, it doesn’t matter. There would be no place to hide. If a dictator ever took over, the NSA could enable it to impose total tyranny, and there would be no way to fight back.” An elite autocratic oligarchy with Obama as the titular head is now running the country.
1988 – Bill Moyers, journalist and former White House Press Secretary to Lyndon Baines Johnson: “The Secret Government is an interlocking network of official functionaries, spies, mercenaries, ex-generals, profiteers and super patriots, who, for a variety of motives, operate outside the legitimate institutions of government. Presidents have turned to them when they can’t win the support of the Congress or the people, creating that unsupervised power so feared by the framers of our Constitution…” Moyers further said: “The powers claimed by presidents in national security have become the wheel of government, driving everything else. Secrecy then makes it possible for the president to pose as the sole competent judge of what will best protect our security. Secrecy permits the White House to control what others know. How many times have we heard a president say, “If you only knew what I know, you would understand why I’m doing what I’m doing.” But it’s a self-defeating situation. As Lord Acton said, “Everything secret degenerates, even the administration of justice.” So in the bunker of the White House, the men who serve the president put loyalty above analysis. Judgement yields to obedience. Just salute and follow orders.” Clearly, Bill Moyers spoke with authority – LBJ was perhaps the most powerful and corrupt president of the 20th century.
1990’s – Internationally renowned “spy” author Tom Clancy said: “What the government is good at is collecting taxes, taking away your freedoms and killing people. It’s not good at much else.” Clancy really nailed it.
Now fast-forward to present:
Former Google CEO Eric Schmidt: “We know where you are. We know where you’ve been. We can more or less know what you’re thinking about.” Without question, Google really does. And so does Google’s insidious government partner, the NSA. Just read Glenn Greenwald’s 2015 book, “No Place to Hide: Edward Snowden, the NSA, and the U. S. Surveillance State”. Besides partnering with the NSA, Google has also partnered with the Pentagon, and the “Matrix” of “alphabet soup” surveillance agencies to essentially develop a total surveillance state. High level, NSA whistleblower William Binney corroborated this when he said: “The ultimate goal of the NSA is to control the entire population”.
I think former presidential candidate Ron Paul recently summarized everything: “The only reform of the Patriot Act is total repeal. Accept nothing less.” I agree. It’s time to drive a wooden stake through the Patriot Act once and for all. “Concentrated power has always been the enemy of liberty.” – Ronald Reagan
GEORGE HOELTJE 