Misc. Ramblings

If you think an imperial presidency is impossible in America, think about this. While taking into account the source, i.e., the Minority of Office of the Committee on Government Reform, I think this report is important because it documents what the Bush Administration is doing, as opposed to what they are saying. In this case, the report documents the Bush Administration's attempts to close access to essentially all government records.

Two of many examples: the Freedom of Information Act, without which untold acts of government abuse against its citizens would remain secret. Rather than assuming government records are public, as was the case before, changes this Administration have made mandates the opposite and puts the burden on citizens to prove otherwise (which is a difficult exercise since you can't view the documents until they are released and they won't be released until you can prove they shouldn't be secret).

The Presidential Records Act, passed post Watergate, made the startling assumption that presidential records were public records. The Bush Administration has turned that around and made the assumption that everything is private and is none of your damned business.

The list goes on and on but I think you get the main point: The Bush Administration doesn't want you to know anything unless it's something they think backs up what they want you to know.

Perhaps you think this is how a democracy is supposed to be run but I respectfully disagree. A citizenship kept in the dark is unable to hold politicians accountable for their actions. Actions supposedly made on the behalf of the citizens. Indeed, actions made in the names of citizens.

It seems to me that the Bush Administration is run under the assumption that the President is infallible. I mean that in the Catholic sense in that the Pope is (presumed) incapable of error in pronouncing dogma.

Given this mindset, any information that proves the Bush Administration wrong is, by definition, heresy and must be crushed and those responsible publicly punished (to teach the lesson that all must obey).

I wonder how long it will be before the ThoughtPolice start their whispering web of lies against even small sites like this one. How long will it be before even your site will be targeted? How long will it be before you must worship the Beast or be threatened, tortured, or worse?

We live in dark times and I am resigned to believing that they will get even darker. Enjoy what little freedom you still have because time is rapidly running out.

Until then, remember what I've said here. Remember that while I may have been wrong in some instances, I've never lied to you. So when the lies against small sites like this begin, use your common sense, think critically, and note who is spreading the lies. Remember their names and...don't...believe...them.

Aloha!