We Can’t Let It Happen Here
What is beyond the looking glass?
By Jason Miller
"And certainly the glass was beginning to melt away, just like a bright silvery mist. In another moment Alice was
through the glass, and had jumped lightly down into the Looking-glass room."
Over a year ago, the comfort of my world severely diminished as I took my journey through the looking glass and
discerned the ugly truths about the nation of my birth, the United States of America. “Logic and proportion” certainly
seemed to have “fallen softly dead” when I discovered that much of what I had learned about my country as a child had
been a lie. My world was turned upside down. Now I passionately pursue my goal to share my awakening with many others so
they too feel inspired to struggle to preserve the excellent qualities of America and to eradicate the rotting decay.
Virtually each day I sift through a wealth of information I glean from books, the Internet, and sometimes the mainstream
media. I also read (and respond to) many of the hundreds of emails I receive. Supporters of my writing email me with
thanks and observations. More neutral parties send me information or viewpoints I had not considered and point out
factual or logical flaws in my essays. Antagonists and critics hammer me with ad hominem attacks, invitations to leave
the country, and even death threats. I offer my thanks to each person who writes me. I welcome support for obvious
reasons, additional information expands the limits of my knowledge, and attacks inspire me to pursue social justice with
a renewed intensity.
As my base of knowledge and volume of communication with people on political matters have increased, I have become
increasingly certain of an unpopular conclusion. Certainly it could be much worse in America in some respects, but if
one drills a bit beneath the surface, the putrid stench of corruption and inhumanity is almost unbearable. The United
States of America is governed by an aristocracy with globally imperialistic ambitions that is preparing to sweep away
the remaining vestiges of our Constitutional republic. My viewpoint is based on a wide array of eclectic sources. While
many derive comfort from labeling themselves and following the herd, I align myself with neither conservatives nor
liberals, Democrats nor Republicans. I pledge allegiance to no party, flag, or government. My loyalty is to my Higher
Power, my family, my friends, my fellow human beings, and to myself.
US democracy: the best government "The Moneyed” can buy
America’s apologists can deny the reality to their dying breath, but the truth is that the United States of America as a
democracy, a republic, or a free society is a fraud. While our nation was founded on high principles, even our founders
fell far short of the standards they set for themselves. Many owned slaves, despite the fact that they may have had
misgivings about it. Some, like Alexander Hamilton, desired an overt aristocracy because they did not trust the "people"
to govern themselves. Virtually all of our founders were wealthy, white land-owners. Throughout its history, this nation
has failed to deliver on the promises of its Constitution. Even Lincoln, one of the finer men to serve in the Oval
Office, did not end slavery out of moral considerations. The Civil War and political pressures led him to pursue the
abolition of that abhorrent institution.
In spite of the Emancipation Proclamation and the subsequent Thirteenth Amendment ending slavery, Black Americans have
continued to face tremendous oppression, abuse, and racism throughout America’s history. The feeble response of the
federal government to the crisis in New Orleans (a predominately Black city) and Bill Bennett's recent repugnant remarks
provide poignant evidence that bigotry and racism are deeply ingrained into American government and society. As it
continues to pour $5 billion per month into an illegal occupation in Iraq, the federal government plans to cut
entitlement programs to pay for the reconstruction of the city of New Orleans. This will render a significant blow to
the impoverished victims of Katrina and to many other poor Americans, regardless of their race.
Despite intense opposition by the wealthy elitists who dominated America's government, throughout much of the Twentieth
Century groups and movements fought to utilize the mechanisms available through our Constitution to advance the cause of
social justice. The Women's Suffrage Movement, the Wobblies, the Socialists, the ACLU, the Civil Rights Movement, and
many others employed non-violent means to gain unprecedented rights for women, the working class, Black Americans,
children, the poor, and other minorities. Many paid for their "crime" of standing up to the ruling elites through loss
of their careers and reputations, prison time, beatings, deportation, and even assasination. Thanks to these brave
individuals, the soulless worshippers of money were curtailed in their oppression of the people, at least for a time.
Stop! You have gone FAR enough….
Richard Nixon was a felon, but the Watergate scandal was rather insignificant when one considers that his presidency
marked the advent of a new "Gilded Age". Starting with the Nixon era, Social Darwinism began to recapture the hearts and
minds of many Americans. While fancying themselves to be part of a pluralistic society resting on the pillars of
freedom, equality, justice, and democracy, many denizens of the United States have willingly enabled their government to
become one of the most avaricious, corrupt, and covertly repressive entities in history. Nixon, Reagan, Bush I, Clinton,
and Bush II have worked feverishly to advance the "noble causes" of the enrichment of corporate America, the expansion
of the American Empire, the steady erosion of the populist gains made during the Twentieth Century, and the substantial
increase in the wealth chasm between the rich and the poor. When we see Ronald Reagan’s face enshrined on the $50 bill,
we will know that the tyranny of the wealthy elite has reached a milestone in convincing average Americans of the
"righteousness" of their cause. Few worked harder than Reagan to advance their agenda and to bring the social justice
movement to a screeching halt.
Who needs the Constitution?
Consider the circumstances of Jose Padilla, a US citizen arrested on US soil. He has been imprisoned by the US
government without charges or a trial for 3 years and 153 days. Violating principles which originated with the Magna
Charta, and which are clearly embedded in our Constitution, the federal government has denied Padilla due process under
the law. In our Constitutional republic, civilian authority is meant to supersede military authority, yet Padilla
remains in military custody. While Padilla’s plight remains abstract to many Americans because it is not happening to
them or someone they know, the Padilla situation demonstrates our government’s newly self-endowed power to declare any
US citizen an enemy combatant (or "terrorist”) and hold them without a trial. Do we toss the Constitution in the trash,
recycle it to help save a tree, or keep it as a relic of the past to remind the ruling elite just how bad it can get for
them?
Abu Gharib and Guantanamo Bay serve as further harbingers of the collapse of the Constitutional republic in the United
States. Once deemed unimaginable, torture inflicted by the "shining beacon of truth and justice" has been exposed to the
light of day. While the Bush administration "cleanses its sins" by punishing the enlisted soldiers who were carrying out
their orders to inflict prisoner abuse, it has promoted Alberto Gonzalez, the architect of the US torture policies, to
the position of chief law enforcement officer in the United States. How ironic (and frightening) can it get?
Justice, one of the lofty ideals which the United States supposedly exemplifies, is non-existent for those at Guantanamo
Bay accused of "terror". If those in US custody committed crimes or perpetrated attacks against the United States, I
favor punishing them to the extent of the law. However, in denying them due process, we have become the very tyrants our
government professes to oppose. Try them or release them.
"Patriots" champion the "nobility cause" for the aristocracy
Since World War II, the United States has aggressively vied to expand its empire through covert CIA operations, support
of ruthless dictators who support US interests, economic manipulation, and direct military intervention. While many
readers who email me agree with my condemnations of US state terrorism (which has resulted in the murder of millions of
innocent civilians), a surprising number of bellicose, mean-spirited individuals have indicated their strong support for
such actions. The wealthy elite, who are the true power-brokers in our nation, thrive on the support of such spiritually
shallow individuals who are blind to their own malevolence and hypocrisy. Rallying for the cause of "conservatism" in
the face of the "weak", "whining" liberals, these blindly patriotic individuals readily accept the false dichotomies
such as the “good American Christians" versus the “bad Islamofascists” perpetuated by government shills like Rush
Limbaugh and Bill O'Reilly. While these "patriots" wave the flag and rush to label those who dare to challenge the
actions of the hallowed US government as traitors, Communists, or even terrorists, they unwittingly advance the cause of
history’s deadliest and most powerful terrorist, the federal government of the United States of America.
Forget "the majority rules": He who has the gold rules…
Ironically, many supporters of the current paradigm in the United States still believe they are a majority. On September
24 in Washington DC, I marched with over 300,000 others who support peace and social justice, and who oppose the Bush
regime. The next day, about 400 Bush supporters "rallied". According to the Associate Press, a very recent AP-Ipsos poll
shows that 28% of Americans believe the country is headed in the "right direction" while 66% believe our nation is “on
the wrong track”. The truth is that the enemies of peace and social justice are in power because they carefully
constructed a powerful propaganda and campaign finance machine, not because they represent a majority of Americans’
interests. The fraudulent presidential "victory" of 2000 represents their crowning achievement. Protecting corporate and
aristocratic interests is their goal, and they are accomplishing it quite handily.
Despite the Machiavellian efforts of men like Karl Rove, the Tom Delay indictments, Delay’s connections with the Blunts,
and the ongoing investigation of Patrick Fitzgerald could spell significant trouble for Bush, his corrupt cronies, and
his allies in Congress. Possibly there is enough integrity and power left in the US legal system to derail, or at least
postpone, the obscene power grab by the wealthy in the United States. Sadly though, even if things end grievously for
the current regime of aristocrats, the American people will need to work vigorously to prevent a new one from emerging.
Regardless of its legal difficulties, or perhaps because of them, the Bush regime continues to push the United States
closer to the precipice of overt rule by an elite few. As many of their Religious Right supporters demand a literal
interpretation of the Bible, the elite power brokers in the US government continue chanting their litany calling for a
literal interpretation of the Constitution. Lambasting the actions of judges who "legislate from the bench", they
continue their insistence on judicial nominees who will "strictly interpret the Constitution". Despite my disgust, I
admire their strategic brilliance. Tyranny thrives on reducing the populace to "black and white" thinkers. Iron-fisted
rulers crush dissent from those who attempt to introduce thorny complexities which threaten the simplistic propaganda
with which they manipulate their subjects. Our leaders know that if the American public accepts the absurd notion that
there is no room for subjective interpretation of the Constitution to adapt to the changes that come with the passage of
time, they can utilize the Supreme Court as an accomplice in crushing the gains made by the social justice movement in
the Twentieth Century. The white, wealthy patriarchy is salivating over the prospect of its return to unabated power.
How many guns do you need? There are hungry people here…
In the battle of guns versus butter in the United States, guns are winning by a crushing margin. As the aftermath of
Hurricane Katrina clearly demonstrated, the militarization of America has severely weakened the capacity and the will of
the federal government to provide for the general welfare of its citizens. Despite being the wealthiest nation in
history, 13% of our citizens live below the poverty level and the US is the only industrialized nation which does not
provide health care to 100% of its citizens. There is no excuse for the existence of poverty in a nation with such vast
resources. The aristocrats build their fortunes on the backs of the poor and working class, and the incestuous
relationship between the federal government and the corporate vehicles of the wealthy is one of their primary means of
maintaining the gross disparity of wealth which exists in the United States. Former President Eisenhower warned us
against allowing the military industrial complex to become too dominant, but as Andy Rooney recently opined on 60
Minutes, we ignored Ike’s sage advice.
Among other things, Rooney said:
"We still have 139,000 soldiers in Iraq today.
Almost 2,000 Americans have died there. For what?
Now we have the hurricanes to pay for. One way our government pays for a lot of things is by borrowing from countries
like China.
Another way the government is planning to pay for the war and the hurricane damage is by cutting spending for things
like Medicare prescriptions, highway construction, farm payments, AMTRAK, National Public Radio and loans to graduate
students. Do these sound like the things you'd like to cut back on to pay for Iraq?
I'll tell you where we ought to start saving: on our bloated military establishment.
We're paying for weapons we'll never use.
No other Country spends the kind of money we spend on our military. Last year Japan spent $42 billion. Italy spent $28
billion, Russia spent only $19 billion. The United States spent $455 billion."
One hand washes the other, brother
I have received a great deal of correspondence from "patriots" who state that Americans in the peace and social justice
movement owe a debt of gratitude to the people who have served in the US military for protecting our freedoms from
external threats. There is truth to this, and therefore I say thank you to those who have served in the military.
Meanwhile, I will remind the “patriots” that they have the social justice movement to thank for protecting their rights
from the internal threat of the US government. We may not be winning (but then neither is the US military in Iraq), yet
we remain in the struggle, and will not relent. You are welcome.
It is about expanding the empire, not defending the homeland….
I do respect those who have served in the US military with the intent to defend our nation. However, with the exception
of World War II, wars waged by the United States have not been defensive in nature. Too often, our imperialist
government has used US soldiers as pawns in wars of aggression waged under the guise of "protecting" or "spreading"
democracy. To maintain the obscene profits of entities like Halliburton and the Carlyle Group, our government has sold
many Americans on the notion that wild hordes of barbarians stand ready to storm the "castle gates" of our nation to
rape our women and plunder our wealth. Even if that were the case (and it is not), the United States could mount a
viable defense on much less than $500 billion per year.
I believe in achieving goals through non-violence, but I am not a pacifist. I own a gun and would not hesitate to act to
protect my family in the event of a real threat to their safety. As individuals have the right to defend themselves and
their families, nations possess the same right. Yet why does the United States, a nation representing 5% of the world’s
population, need to account for 50% of annual world military expenditures while maintaining military bases in 130
countries? Were I to follow my government’s example, I would fill several rooms of our home with a variety of munitions
and explosives, and hire a squadron of private militia to patrol our city, simply to ensure my family’s safety.
Beware what you wish for….
While the avid supporters of the American Empire scorn those who support a greater emphasis on the betterment of
humanity, the military they are so quick to deify is poised to nullify the very freedoms it purportedly exists to
protect. Throughout history, the state has been a threat to the freedom of individuals. The principle weapon of
government to impose its will upon the people has been the military. For many years, the US government has carefully
crafted a covert tyranny of the wealthy through the use of media and propaganda, but as more Americans awaken to the
true nature of their state, the Bush regime is becoming more eager to employ its unparalleled military power on the
domestic front.
Posse Comitatus, a law which essentially prevents the military from policing the domestic populace, represents a thin
veneer of protection against the imposition of martial law. Since it is statutory law and not derived from the
Constitution, it can be altered or nullified by further legislation. Reagan trampled Posse Comitatus when he used the
Air Force and Navy to fight the “war on drugs”. Bush told us in his address during the aftermath of Hurricane Katrina
that he wants to expand federal authority and the military's role in domestic matters. In his recent press conference he
told us that he will press Congress for the authority to employ martial law in the event of an Avian Flu pandemic. The
presence of Blackwater paramilitary security forces and the emphasis of property protection over saving human lives in
New Orleans provided a glimpse of what the Bush regime has in store for America's citizenry.
Based on reader feedback I have received, it is apparent that a fair number of Americans are prepared to sacrifice what
freedoms they still have for the “security” afforded them by increased federal and military authority. Obviously they
have not read Orwell, or if they have, apparently did not take his ideas seriously. The Patriot Act and the Department
of Homeland Security have broadened federal powers and seriously infringed upon fundamental rights guaranteed by the
Constitution. One of the most dangerous aspects of the Patriot Act is that it empowers law enforcement to act outside of
the system of checks and balances so crucial to our Constitutional republic. Consolidation of FEMA into Homeland
Security was one of the causes of the feeble federal response to the disaster in New Orleans. To those so eager to rush
to the "secure embrace" of Big Brother, I would remind you that the fates of Jose Padilla, the prisoners at Guantanamo
Bay, the residents of New Orleans, or even those of the Japanese citizens interned during World War II could befall you.
As Benjamin Franklin once said:
"They who would give up an essential liberty for temporary security, deserve neither liberty or security."
In 1935, Sinclair Lewis published It Can't Happen Here , his depiction of a "democratically elected" US president imposing a tyranny on Americans. In 2005, life is imitating
art. However, there are those of us who are willing to sacrifice and endure whatever is necessary for the cause of a
more humane and just government and society. I will stay in the United States to work for something better. I will
continue to teach my children to struggle for social causes. And yes, I will persist in my writing and other forms of
dissent against the tyranny of the aristocracy, regardless of the consequences.
*************
Jason Miller is a 38 year old activist writer with a degree in liberal arts. He works in the transportation industry,
and is a husband and a father to three boys. His affiliations include Amnesty International, the ACLU and the Americans
United for Separation of Church and State. He welcomes responses at willpowerful@hotmail.com or comments on his blog at
http://civillibertarian.blogspot.com/.