In contrast, authoritarianism is rooted in the notion that politicians, bureaucrats, and their favored special interests have the right to tread on everyone.
A 12-year-old Colorado boy became a victim of “woke” education when he was taken out of class and told he could not return unless he removed a Gadsden flag, or “Don’t Tread on Me,” patch from his backpack. The school backed down after a video went viral in which a school official told the boy and his mother that the problem with the patch is that the Gadsden flag’s origin is related to slavery and the slave trade. The school was criticized by individuals from across the political spectrum for seeming ignorance of the role the Gadsden flag played in the American Revolution. Among the critics was Colorado Governor Jared Polis, one of the few remaining Democrats willing to defend free speech from the woke mob.
This incident reminded me of a 2009 Department of Homeland Security “fusion center” report warning that individuals with Gadsden flag bumper stickers, or bumper stickers supporting my presidential campaign or the Libertarian or Constitution parties, were potentially dangerous extremists. After I and many other Americans objected, the offending report was withdrawn. But, the fact that it was issued in the first place, just like the fact the Colorado student was ever removed from class for his Gadsden flag patch, shows how the authoritarians view the “Don’t Tread on Me” symbol.
The reason the woke authoritarians hate the Gadsden flag has nothing to do with racism or extremism. It is because the flag represents a rejection of authoritarianism and an embrace of liberty. Benjamin Franklin originally used the rattlesnake to symbolize the rebellious American colonies. He chose the snake because the rattlesnake “never begins an attack, nor, when once engaged, ever surrenders.” In other words, rattlesnakes follow the nonaggression principle that forbids the use of offensive force against another’s person or property, but allows the use of force to defend against any violations of one’s rights — including those committed by government officials.
In contrast, authoritarianism is rooted in the notion that politicians, bureaucrats, and their favored special interests have the right to tread on everyone.
Reading this post and and today’s Gannett…I mean Erie Times-News story about DHS creator Tom Ridge wanting to start a new anti-Trump political leaves me with an oddly unsettling feeling. Imagine it. A political party created by the guy that elevated spying on honest citizens to unimaginable levels.
How precisely are “libertarian extremists” — or whatever buzzword de jour the corporate media has weaponized at the moment — defined? Unsurprisingly, loosely and conveniently, however the Deep State wishes to, with a broad, imaginative brushstroke to sweep up the maximum volume of political opponents possible:
“an unholy alliance of religious extremists, authoritarians, fascists, bigots, racists, nativists, even libertarians”
This posturing against “right-wing extremists” (again, simply meaning any individual or group who challenges the dominant neoliberal power structure) is not new in DC rhetoric
The Deep State has big plans for a very particular demographic among the US citizenry.
The terminologies tossed into the word salad vary (“domestic extremist,” “homegrown terrorist,” “right-wing fanatics,” “bitter clingers,”) but they all mean more or less the same thing: the conservative, Christian, gun-owning, mostly white, non-compliant remnants of the Middle America middle class.
Operating in lockstep, the apparatuses of the Deep State intelligence community/military-industrial complex—have set sights squarely on uncooperative “libertarian” elements inside the US.
How precisely are “libertarian extremists” — or whatever buzzword de jour the corporate media has weaponized at the moment — defined? Unsurprisingly, loosely and conveniently, however the Deep State wishes to, with a broad, imaginative brushstroke to sweep up the maximum volume of political opponents possible:
“an unholy alliance of religious extremists, authoritarians, fascists, bigots, racists, nativists, even libertarians”
This posturing against “right-wing extremists” (again, simply meaning any individual or group who challenges the dominant neoliberal power structure) is not new in DC rhetoric, but it has intensified dramatically since the so-called “insurrection” of January 6th:
“Former CIA Director John Brennan made the statement that [the] Biden intel community [is] ‘moving in laser-like fashion to try to uncover as much as they can about’ the pro-Trump ‘insurgency’… law enforcement, homeland security, intelligence, and even the defense officials are doing everything possible to root out what seems to be a very very serious and insidious threat to our democracy and our republic.”
The CIA is by no means alone in its efforts – this is a carefully coordinated, tightly choreographed operation spanning multiple federal agencies (the so-called “alphabet boys” for their myriad acronyms), including:
The FBI
Department of Defense
Defense Intelligence Agency (DIA)
Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives (ATF)
Homeland Security
NSA
US Department of Justice
The US Department of Justice, the enormously powerful agency tasked with enforcing federal law, recently requested an 11% overall budget increase to “combat domestic extremism, racial inequality, environmental degradation and gender violence”:
“Attorney General Merrick B. Garland told lawmakers on Tuesday that the Justice Department needs more money for Biden administration priorities including combating domestic extremism.… Mr. Garland has prioritized efforts to fight domestic terrorism and protect civil rights over the department’s focus during the Trump administration on street crime and gangs… The department is also seeking an additional $101 million to address the rising threat of domestic terrorism.”
One of the major priorities of the Deep State’s “counter-extremism” operations is disarming the American population. In its plea for more resources for the cause, the DOJ submitted a “request for an additional $232 million to curb gun violence”:
“The additional funding would be used to… support improved background checks and more comprehensive red-flag laws, which allow the police to temporarily confiscate firearms from people who are deemed a danger to themselves or others.”
———
In a nation whose schoolchildren learned real lessons from history and the tenants of civilized society, none of this would be tolerated. Unfortunately, instead, 21st-century children of American public schools learn about gender pronouns and critical race theory from lobotomized education majors fresh out of their indoctrination camps in the liberal social sciences.
What is afoot is the American Empire crumbling in on itself, the comeuppance of decades of public indifference to immoral foreign occupations, of millions of dead civilians overseas, all in the service of advancing the interests of a tiny globalist elite that benefits from war.
The citizenry did nothing to stop the Iraq or Afghanistan wars, and now the ruling elite’s tools of external control and subjugation of far-away populations have been turned inward.
Consequently, normal Americans – even non-violent, relatively apolitical ones who go to work, love their families, and just want to be left alone — are now in the crosshairs of a murderous, bloodthirsty national security state.
—————–
Again, the phenomenon of a government directing its violence onto the population it theoretically exists to protect is not an overnight development.
Since the heyday of the Bush-era neocons’ Orwellian, unwinnable “War on Terror,” civil liberty activists have warned that the siege tactics employed in Iraq, Afghanistan and other immoral foreign wars would inevitably be imported onto US soil for use on the American population.
“This ain’t police work. No, it ain’t. I mean, I can send any fool with a badge and a gun up on them corners and jack a crew and grab vials. But policing? I mean, you call something a war and pretty soon everybody gonna be running around acting like warriors. They gonna be running around on a damn crusade, storming corners, slapping on cuffs, racking up body counts. And when you at war, you need a fucking enemy. And pretty soon, damn near everybody on every corner is your fucking enemy. And soon the neighborhood that you’re supposed to be policing, that’s just occupied territory.”
– Maj. Howard ‘Bunny’ Colvin, The Wire
The new “War on Domestic Terror” waged by the Deep State – aided and abetted by the corporate media — is not about “liberation” or protecting democracy, just as the previous “War on Terror” at the turn of the century was not about those things in the far-off regions where it was waged.
Instead, what we are witnessing is an unprecedented attempt to assert domination and control over an uncompliant US populace increasingly frustrated with the unrepresentative federalized forces that occupy their land – only this time, the battlefields will be Nebraska and Mississippi, not Fallujah, and the “insurgents” are average Americans, not Iraqis.
When they are met with force, and agents of the repressive federal state killed, as will inevitably occur, it will not be the Nebraska corn farmer who is to blame. Self-defense is an inalienable right of free people everywhere.
Ben Bartee is a Bangkok-based American journalist with opposable thumbs. Contact him via his blog, Armageddon Prose.
This bill will be used to set up a witch-hunt for mainly white people in America, mostly white males. Half the country will be considered guilty. It will be used to destroy businesses, steal property, incarcerate those that oppose the state narrative, separate families, to censor speech at every turn, and even murder. Ex-CIA head, John Brennan, came up with a list that included as he put it, “an unholy alliance of religious extremists, authoritarians, fascists, bigots, racists, nativists, even libertarians.” In this planned legislation, whiteness is vilified, as the bogeymen are white supremacists, white nationalists, and supposedly those that that are guilty of ‘hate’ crimes, hate crimes being anything thought ‘offensive’ by idiot leftists, progressives, and globalists.
“There is no crueler tyranny than that which is perpetuated under the shield of law and in the name of justice.”
~ Baron de Montesquieu
A very horrendous bill was introduced recently in Congress called the “Domestic Terrorism Prevention Act of 2021.” The irony of this bill title is that it is not about preventing terrorism; it is about legalizing terrorism by the state against the citizenry. It would be more appropriately titled the U.S. Government Terrorism Authorization Act of 2021.
The motivating factor for this atrocity was said to be the recent purposely staged and intentionally allowed false-flag coup at the Capitol on January 6th. The entire situation was planned in advance to assure that Biden would be the ‘selected’ president, while the members of Congress could pretend to be fearful for their lives. The police led both legitimate and criminal protesters inside the Capitol building, allowed them to remain there, all while doing nothing but brutally murdering one innocent woman. The cowardly Congress was shuttled into safe places to hide until enough pictures and video could be taken, and enough facial recognition could be gathered so that the desired Trump supporters could be gathered up and jailed while others would walk free. This was the plot and now the scene is set. The feigned ‘indignant’ Congress got everything they wanted out of this directed production.
This non-threatening Hollywood-like creation ended peacefully of course, but was made out to be another 9/11. This minor event has been called a terrifying attack, a domestic terrorism attack, a hate crime, devastating, an experience of terror by white nationalists, and heinous violent crimes; all said to have been prosecuted by homegrown domestic terrorists made up of white supremacists, and other racially and ethnically motivated violent extremists. In other words, white people!
Co-sponsor for this tyrannical bill, Democratic Representative Brad Schneider, said this in a press release on January 20:
“Following the terrifying attack on the Capitol this month, which left five dead and many injured, the entire nation has been seized by the potential threat of more terrorist attacks in Washington and around the country. Unlike after 9/11, the threat that reared its ugly head on January 6th is from domestic terror groups and extremists, often racially-motivated violent individuals. America must be vigilant to combat those radicalized to violence, and the Domestic Terrorism Prevention Act gives our government the tools to identify, monitor and thwart their illegal activities. Combatting the threat of domestic terrorism and white supremacy is not a Democratic or Republican issue, not left versus right or urban versus rural. Domestic Terrorism is an American issue, a serious threat the we can and must address together,” said Rep. Brad Schneider (IL-10).”
“I am proud to be an original cosponsor of this bill, which we need now more than ever. In the wake of the domestic terrorist attack on our Capitol two weeks ago, it is painfully clear that the current approach to addressing the real and persistent threat posed by white nationalism and similar ideologies is not working. We must not allow hate crimes and domestic terrorism to continue unchecked. I look forward to working with my colleagues to advance this important and timely bill as quickly as possible,” said Judiciary Chairman Jerry Nadler (NY-10).”
In this ridiculous press release, he used the word white, white nationalism, and white supremacist at least ten times. Democrat Vincente González from Texas said “the Domestic Terror Prevention Act is more important than ever as we work to root out and rid America of this cancer.” The cancer he is alluding to is concerning white people that either are not Democrat, are against Biden, or against this government.
This bill will be used to set up a witch-hunt for mainly white people in America, mostly white males. Half the country will be considered guilty. It will be used to destroy businesses, steal property, incarcerate those that oppose the state narrative, separate families, to censor speech at every turn, and even murder. Ex-CIA head, John Brennan, came up with a list that included as he put it, “an unholy alliance of religious extremists, authoritarians, fascists, bigots, racists, nativists, even libertarians.” In this planned legislation, whiteness is vilified, as the bogeymen are white supremacists, white nationalists, and supposedly those that that are guilty of ‘hate’ crimes, hate crimes being anything thought ‘offensive’ by idiot leftists, progressives, and globalists. None of this is qualified of course, and this pending bill is just as vague in its description of the targeted class. All these people and more should be silenced, “reprogrammed,” and eliminated according to those supporting this act that is nothing less than a plan to prosecute false sedition.
The list of supporters endorsing this tyrannical piece of legislation is telling to say the least. They include:
Anti-Defamation League, Arab American Institute, Bend the Arc: Jewish Action, Center for the Study of Hate & Extremism, Human Rights Campaign, Lawyers’ Committee for Civil Rights Under Law, The Leadership Conference on Civil and Human Rights, Muslim Advocates, NAACP, NAACP Legal Defense and Educational Fund, Inc., Sikh Coalition, Southern Poverty Law Center Action Fund, and Unidos.
The Department of Homeland Security (DHS), the Department of Justice (DOJ), and the Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI) will gain massive additional powers, and funding, in order to monitor (surveil), investigate (spy), and prosecute (terrorize, murder, and jail) so-called cases of generally undefined “domestic terrorism.” Fedora Hats for Men by… Buy New $45.99 (as of 04:06 EST – Details)
This legislation is a travesty, and can only lead to extreme totalitarian political policing of all that believe in freedom and that stand against the state.
In contrast was Rubin. At 14:00, he announced: “I’m quite enthused about the world right now.” About what? This: “There’s a new world coming on the horizon” (14:07). It is a world in people will be able to work where they want because of telecommuting. He offered a 30-second sermon on liberation. He said: “This is still America.” Yes, it is. He had admitted that there is a problem with the suppression of information, but he makes it clear that he does not believe that this is a technological imperative, nor does he believe that it is a political imperative.
I don’t watch Fox News, but I watch Carlson’s verbal editorials several times a month.
He has a gift for public speaking. He discusses things rationally. He also has a gift for rhetoric. He doesn’t just state the facts. He interprets them and then gives people encouragement to resist some of the trends of our day. There are a lot of really bad trends in our day. But, then again, there always are.
Recently, he came up with this term: “flu d’tat.” Anyone who could do this is my kind of guy.
He writes his own editorials. No one else could. Then he delivers them verbally.
This video is worth watching. It is worth watching because he skewers some leftists who really deserve to be skewered, including the ever-petulant Mark Zuckerberg. Second, he made a major error that needs to be nipped in the bud.
This is an almost flawless editorial. He showed a clip from the suppressed YouTube video by the physicians. He showed a clip from a YouTube spokeswoman defending the removal of the video. He showed a clip from Zuckerberg on Facebook’s suppression of inconvenient ideas.
He did this to present his case that we are facing a totalitarian movement. We have moved to a new phase of American history.
There was a major flaw in this editorial. You may have missed it. This flaw calls his editorial into question. Did you spot it?
The flaw was the man he interviewed. That man has it right. Carlson has it wrong.
The man was polite. He didn’t call Carlson’s thesis into question. Carlson seemed unaware of the fact that the man was overturning his case for the editorial. His name is Dave Rubin. He has written a book: Don’t Burn This Book (2020).
Rubin is a technician. He is trying to set up alternative sources of online communications to challenge YouTube and Facebook. I don’t think he’s going to be successful in this, but I certainly approve of the attempt. If he can make a profit doing it, so much the better. If he doesn’t make a profit, then it’s a futile effort.
Rubin did not use the word “totalitarian.” He used the word “authoritarian.” This distinction may not seem to be important, but, conceptually speaking, it is the heart of the matter.
Carlson kept bringing up the word “totalitarian.” This was a mistake. It made for a riveting editorial. It was a persuasive rhetorical term. But it made for bad analysis.
Because Rubin is correct, at the end of the interview, he displayed remarkable optimism. It is this optimism that we should adopt. But, before we do this, I must discuss definitions.
GETTING OUR DEFINITIONS RIGHT
Totalitarianism is a very specific kind of political order. It is an order in which the central government not merely undermines but actively destroys voluntary organizations. These organizations possess legitimacy. People trust them to deliver certain benefits in their lives. These organizations therefore possess authority. They are independent of the central government. The central government has to either destroy them or take them over by force. This is what was done in the Soviet Union. It is what was done in Communist China. It is what is done in North Korea.
In contrast, authoritarians recognize that they need the support of independent organizations. They know that they cannot stamp them out entirely. Therefore, they attempt to influence them indirectly. They may even subsidize them. They grant carrots, but there are sticks attached to the carrots. They buy off the leaders of these decentralized agencies of authority. Sometimes, they outlaw certain activities of these organizations, but they do not attempt to stamp them out. The authoritarian recognizes that he needs the support of decentralized organizations that possess legitimacy.
If you want a familiar example of this, consider tax exemption. It is granted by the Internal Revenue Service. This is a tremendous benefit to nonprofit organizations. Donations are tax-deductible. So, more money comes in for the causes. But, in order to get this grant of exemption, the organizations must not indulge in political activity. They can sometimes lose their tax exemption if they pursue certain policies that are considered politically incorrect by the nation’s bipartisan leadership. The threat of the loss of the tax exemption pressures the leaders of these organizations to toe the line on certain issues, but certainly not on all issues. The granting of tax exemption is not a mark of totalitarianism. It is a mark of authoritarianism. There is a difference.
Two generations ago, Hannah Arendt wrote a book: The Origins of Totalitarianism (1951). There is a Wikipedia entry on the book. It is one of the most important books of the 20th century. Wikipedia offers an extract, which is representative. She discussed the character and intellect of totalitarian leaders.
Intellectual, spiritual, and artistic initiative is as dangerous to totalitarianism as the gangster initiative of the mob, and both are more dangerous than mere political opposition. The consistent persecution of every higher form of intellectual activity by the new mass leaders springs from more than their natural resentment against everything they cannot understand. Total domination does not allow for free initiative in any field of life, for any activity that is not entirely predictable. Totalitarianism in power invariably replaces all first-rate talents, regardless of their sympathies, with those crackpots and fools whose lack of intelligence and creativity is still the best guarantee of their loyalty.
“If the state may force a man to risk death or hideous maiming and crippling, in a war declared at the state’s discretion, for a cause he may neither approve of nor even understand, if his consent is not required to send him into unspeakable martyrdom – then, in principle, all rights are negated in that state, and its government is not man’s protector any longer.”
Authoritarians love conscription because it turns human beings into resources, for the factory or the battlefield. The idea receives support from across the political spectrum, either (a) to fight wars abroad, or (b) for the development of a “youth corps” providing “free” services at home. Neither excuse justifies enslaving young people to serve the interests of the political class… Read the rest of this entry »
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