(no subject)
Since 9/11, many changes have taken place in the U.S. Government. A president has been given power border lining fascism and has let that power dribble down to the military and local law enforcement. Fear has been the medium, by which the powerful have become more powerful. The White House fraternity of good ole boys should be commended for the PEWBSARD pile they have amassed in the last five years. I intend to prove that actions taken after 9/11 not only broke the three promises of the declaration of independence, but also that they broke the boundary of the constitution and threaten our reputation worldwide.
The Declaration of Independence, written mainly as an outcry against taxation without representation marked the real beginning of the American Revolution. It promised three very important things: Life liberty and the pursuit of happiness. It stands as a quite liberal document. No government had ever guaranteed the pursuit of happiness. This was the carrot that the drafters of the declaration hung in front of the warhorse of more impoverished men around the thirteen colonies. By promising the pursuit of happiness, the writers gave the men something to fight for, something to unite under. Who doesn’t pursue happiness?
The U.S. Constitution is a much different document. If the Declaration was a crazy uncle, then the Constitution still remains the strict father. This is the document that the US government claims to follow explicitly. This document designs our government, creating the three branch system and designating a system of checks and balances, that way, no one branch gets too strong. It also guarantees, in the first amendment, a Bill of Rights, which unlike the Declaration does not guarantee a pursuit of happiness. Among these rights, Amendment IV is a provision against unwarranted searches, which was a direct allusion to the Writs of Assistance imposed by the British and fought against harshly by John Adams.
The Constitution protects the property of individuals. This is all well and good, because, frankly, who wants to lose any of their stuff? The writers of the Constitution wanted to protect the surplus they had all amassed. It is an aristocratic document. Throughout history, the rich always want to stay rich. The thing that I think people don’t realize, and this is going to come from way out of left field (almost communist), is that the very monarchy that we fought to leave in 1776 is beginning to reappear here in the form of concentration of wealth. Instead of noble blood, just dollars are flowing down the family tree. My example will be Bill Gates. 2003 Forbes said he was worth 40.7 billion dollars. What in God's name do you need that much money for? For those of us at or below the poverty line it's mind boggling. It's not fiscally worth his time to pick up a 1000 dollar bill he dropped on the ground, it would be better financially for him to continue on his way to work. There is no need for an individual to amass so much wealth! The question I ask is where does that money go when he dies? Straight to next of kin.
If you look at any civilization in history, this is a major running theme. The Haves get increasingly detached from the Have-nots, the wealthy separated from the poor then there is a revolution. Follow the money. In 1976, the richest 1 percent of Americans held 21.8 percent of the country's wealth. By 1999, it had 33.8 percent. Money is Power, but money is also property protected by the Constitution. When too few have too much power, people suffer. Isn't that what democracy was based on? When is the revolution?
The fact is that the US government was built by the rich for the rich. Those that have money and power are helping each other out. In truth modern day political aims must be wary of angering campaign contributors. The politicians need money to run, and the money has to come from somewhere.
On September 11, 2001, tragedy struck the World Trade Center in the form of two jet planes flown by suicide bombing members of Al Qaeda. The resulting panic and anger put the countryside into an uproar. Above it all, President George W. Bush rose up. The American people clung to our leader, and listened to just about anything he said. The external attack united the United States just as Pearl Harbor did. In our fervor and discontent, the Uniting and Strengthening America by Providing Appropriate Tools Required to Intercept and Obstruct Terrorism Act was passed. This USA PATRIOT act was enacted to capture terrorists and stop their plots. It is a disruption of our life, an attack on our liberty and an obstruction to our pursuit of happiness. The act was widely accepted in Congress, winning 98 to 1 in the Senate and 357 to 66 in the House. This act is a direct attack on Amendment IV of the Bill of Rights. In many instances it removes the need for probable cause and warrants in searches and arrests. This has incredible implications on life, liberty, the pursuit of happiness, and even the safety of our property.
Bush defends the Patriot Act to this day, saying, “It's probably hard for you to understand, but law enforcement and intelligence officers couldn't talk. And so the Patriot Act addressed that issue.” ( George Bush, Political Transcript Wire. Lanham: Oct 3, 2006) What Bush doesn’t address is how much more power law enforcement officials have to invade the privacy that the Constitution grants us. I care because in my own pursuit of happiness, I enjoy feeling secure in my own person. Now, to search me, the government just has to allege that it’s part of a terrorism investigation. Terrorism has become a witch hunt, not unlike those of our puritan ancestors. If the whole village was scared of the witch,
The Declaration of Independence, written mainly as an outcry against taxation without representation marked the real beginning of the American Revolution. It promised three very important things: Life liberty and the pursuit of happiness. It stands as a quite liberal document. No government had ever guaranteed the pursuit of happiness. This was the carrot that the drafters of the declaration hung in front of the warhorse of more impoverished men around the thirteen colonies. By promising the pursuit of happiness, the writers gave the men something to fight for, something to unite under. Who doesn’t pursue happiness?
The U.S. Constitution is a much different document. If the Declaration was a crazy uncle, then the Constitution still remains the strict father. This is the document that the US government claims to follow explicitly. This document designs our government, creating the three branch system and designating a system of checks and balances, that way, no one branch gets too strong. It also guarantees, in the first amendment, a Bill of Rights, which unlike the Declaration does not guarantee a pursuit of happiness. Among these rights, Amendment IV is a provision against unwarranted searches, which was a direct allusion to the Writs of Assistance imposed by the British and fought against harshly by John Adams.
The Constitution protects the property of individuals. This is all well and good, because, frankly, who wants to lose any of their stuff? The writers of the Constitution wanted to protect the surplus they had all amassed. It is an aristocratic document. Throughout history, the rich always want to stay rich. The thing that I think people don’t realize, and this is going to come from way out of left field (almost communist), is that the very monarchy that we fought to leave in 1776 is beginning to reappear here in the form of concentration of wealth. Instead of noble blood, just dollars are flowing down the family tree. My example will be Bill Gates. 2003 Forbes said he was worth 40.7 billion dollars. What in God's name do you need that much money for? For those of us at or below the poverty line it's mind boggling. It's not fiscally worth his time to pick up a 1000 dollar bill he dropped on the ground, it would be better financially for him to continue on his way to work. There is no need for an individual to amass so much wealth! The question I ask is where does that money go when he dies? Straight to next of kin.
If you look at any civilization in history, this is a major running theme. The Haves get increasingly detached from the Have-nots, the wealthy separated from the poor then there is a revolution. Follow the money. In 1976, the richest 1 percent of Americans held 21.8 percent of the country's wealth. By 1999, it had 33.8 percent. Money is Power, but money is also property protected by the Constitution. When too few have too much power, people suffer. Isn't that what democracy was based on? When is the revolution?
The fact is that the US government was built by the rich for the rich. Those that have money and power are helping each other out. In truth modern day political aims must be wary of angering campaign contributors. The politicians need money to run, and the money has to come from somewhere.
On September 11, 2001, tragedy struck the World Trade Center in the form of two jet planes flown by suicide bombing members of Al Qaeda. The resulting panic and anger put the countryside into an uproar. Above it all, President George W. Bush rose up. The American people clung to our leader, and listened to just about anything he said. The external attack united the United States just as Pearl Harbor did. In our fervor and discontent, the Uniting and Strengthening America by Providing Appropriate Tools Required to Intercept and Obstruct Terrorism Act was passed. This USA PATRIOT act was enacted to capture terrorists and stop their plots. It is a disruption of our life, an attack on our liberty and an obstruction to our pursuit of happiness. The act was widely accepted in Congress, winning 98 to 1 in the Senate and 357 to 66 in the House. This act is a direct attack on Amendment IV of the Bill of Rights. In many instances it removes the need for probable cause and warrants in searches and arrests. This has incredible implications on life, liberty, the pursuit of happiness, and even the safety of our property.
Bush defends the Patriot Act to this day, saying, “It's probably hard for you to understand, but law enforcement and intelligence officers couldn't talk. And so the Patriot Act addressed that issue.” ( George Bush, Political Transcript Wire. Lanham: Oct 3, 2006) What Bush doesn’t address is how much more power law enforcement officials have to invade the privacy that the Constitution grants us. I care because in my own pursuit of happiness, I enjoy feeling secure in my own person. Now, to search me, the government just has to allege that it’s part of a terrorism investigation. Terrorism has become a witch hunt, not unlike those of our puritan ancestors. If the whole village was scared of the witch,