The grand experiment in liberty that was the founding of the United States of America has failed. This statement may seem to fly in the face of the fact that a country called the United States of America still exists and is, essentially, the world’s sole super power; but small details such as that do not make the statement any less true. Let me explain.
To prove the opening statement of this article, The Objective Observer shall quote the current, sitting President of the United States, Barack Obama, at this year’s commencement speech at The Ohio State University.
“Unfortunately, you’ve grown up hearing voices that incessantly warn of government as nothing more than some separate, sinister entity that’s at the root of all our problems; some of these same voices also doing their best to gum up the works. They’ll warn that tyranny is always lurking just around the corner. You should reject these voices.”
“Reject these voices”. Interesting. Let’s objectively stack up the President’s words against recent events, shall we?
First up is the IRS scandal over IRS agents using their position of power to unilaterally target conservative groups for additional scrutiny over their tax exempt status applications. It is important to note here that while the IRS has tried to explain this procedure away, pointing to a spike in applications for tax exempt status from “political” organizations, the same level of scrutiny was not applied to labor organizations, which are also “political” in nature. On the surface, this seems sinister enough and a direct assault on free speech in America, since the groups targeted were politically oriented. But, that is really just the tip of the iceberg.
The Obama administration quickly condemned actions and pinned all the blame on “low level” employees solely in the Cincinnati office. However, subsequent evidence has exposed the fact that IRS offices in Washington and California also unfairly targeted conservative groups with similar practices as those employed by the IRS office in Cincinnati. Therefore, the administration’s immediate assessment of the issue smacks of outright lying to the public.
Call all of this “sinister” if you must, but it certainly seems like an objective, fair and reasonable reason to distrust the government and a clear demonstration of governmental abuse of power. And considering the additional control that the IRS will exercise over the lives of Americans as Obamacare takes full effect, it is certainly chilling.
Next up is the Department of Justice’s (DOJ) secret seizure of two months of Associated Press (AP) phone records. Ostensibly, these records were obtained as part of an investigation into the “leaking” of classified information related to a foiled terrorist attack. of These phone records potentially reveal communications with confidential sources and will certainly have a chilling effect on whistleblowers who want to reveal government wrongdoing. Sinister? Well, not even Nixon went this far in trying to cover up Watergate. Indeed, would Nixon even have been forced to resign had he taken such measures to sinisterly quiet Watergate whistleblowers?
Finally, we come to Benghazi. It is now obvious to anyone with a pulse and some semblance of responsibility to keep informed of current events, that the story about the terrorist attack being a “spontaneous demonstration” prompted by an “Internet video” trotted out by the administration was clearly known to be false by the administration long before it concocted such a cockamamie fable. That fact, along with the ample evidence that brave American soldiers were effectively left to die; well, one might consider that “sinister”, or at the very least “cynical” government actions.
By now, it should be clear to any objective observer that those voices warning of a “sinister” government that leads to tyranny are, for all intents and purposes, pretty much spot on and should, in fact, not be rejected but rather embraced. But, this article is not solely about why we should not trust government, but rather about why America, as envisioned by its Founding Fathers, is effectively dead and an utter failure, a little over 200 years since its inception. To point…
The simple fact that the United States has a sitting President that effectively says “trust the government” is essentially proof positive that the America envisioned by the Founding Fathers has failed. In point of fact, the Founding Fathers repeatedly and without fail expressed a distrust of government. But, do not take The Objective Observer’s word for it, here is just a small sampling of what America’s Founding Fathers had to say about “trusting government”.
“The very definition of tyranny is when all powers are gathered under one place.”
James Madison
“The Constitution is not an instrument for the government to restrain the people, it is an instrument for the people to restrain the government — lest it come to dominate our lives and interests.“
Patrick Henry
“All men having power ought to be distrusted to a certain degree.”
James Madison
It cannot be understated that America was founded on the premise of an overwhelming distrust of government. One must understand that America’s Founding Fathers came from a world of authoritarian and tyrannical British rule which targeted and persecuted certain religious groups, just as the IRS targeted and persecuted certain conservative groups. The British crown also conducted unjust searches and seizures of property, just as the DOJ secretly seized and searched the AP’s phone records. And finally, British rules unfairly levied taxes upon the American colonies, sort of how Obamacare effectively levies unfair and, might I say, underhanded taxes against Americans.
Therefore, it is an inescapable conclusion that America, as envisioned by its Founding Fathers has utterly and completely failed. An America in which the current IRS, DOJ and Benghazi scandals could occur would have been thought impossible, tyrannical and, quite simply, un-American in the eyes of America’s Founding Fathers. Again, don’t just take The Objective Observer’s word for it…
One the IRS scandal, America’s Founding Fathers might say this:
“The jaws of power are always open to devour, and her arm is always stretched out, if possible, to destroy the freedom of thinking, speaking, and writing.” – John Adams
“The liberties of a people never were, nor ever will be, secure, when the transactions of their rulers may be concealed from them.” – Patrick Henry
The DOJ scandal?
“The means of defense against foreign danger historically have become the instruments of tyranny at home.” – James Madison
“They who would give up an essential liberty for temporary security, deserve neither liberty or security.” – Benjamin Franklin
And what of Obamacare?
“I cannot undertake to lay my finger on that article of the Constitution which granted a right to Congress of expending, on objects of benevolence, the money of their constituents.” – James Madison
Think of it this way, it has only taken a mere 226 years to go from the ratification of a Constitution founded on the very premise of a DISTRUST of government to an actual, bona fide President of the United States advocating to TRUST government. 226 years to go from a truthful, honest, transparent government with little power over its people to a government where lying, secrecy and reckless abuses of power are rampant. A final quote seems appropriate…
“Remember, democracy never lasts long. It soon wastes, exhausts, and murders itself.” – John Adams
Rest in peace America.
1776 – 2013
Originally published 2013
The Objective Observer 