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June 29, 2006

Gullibility of Americans Could Do Us In

Paul Craig Roberts has penned another thought-provoking article. Entitled "The High Price Of American Gullibility," it explores why Americans remain gullible to the neocons and how that is endangering our civil rights.

What explains the gullibility of Americans, a gullibility that has mired the U.S. in disastrous wars in Iraq and Afghanistan and that promises war with Iran, North Korea, and a variety of other targets if neoconservatives continue to have their way? Part of the explanation is that millions of conservatives are thrilled at the opportunity to display their patriotism and to show their support for their country.

The threat to civil rights is incredible, and it doesn't take a great leap of reasoning to see that, though many seem unable to:

Many Americans have turned a blind eye to the administration's illegal and unconstitutional spying on the grounds that, as they themselves are doing nothing wrong, they have nothing to fear. If this is the case, why did our Founding Fathers bother to write the Constitution? If the executive branch can be trusted not to abuse power, why did Congress pass legislation establishing a panel of federal judges (ignored by the Bush administration) to oversee surveillance? If President Bush can decide that he can ignore statutory law, how does he differ from a dictator? If Bush can determine law, what is the role of Congress and the courts? If "national security" is a justification for elevating the power of the executive, where is his incentive to find peaceful solutions?

Roberts points out the obvious fact "that it is statistically impossible for the NSA's mass surveillance of Americans to detect terrorists." As one university professor has discovered, the "NSA's surveillance system is useless for finding terrorists."

The surveillance is, however, useful for monitoring political opposition and stymieing the activities of those who do not believe the government's propaganda.

Unfortunately, Roberts says, media consolidation and corporate ownership of the media has seriously limited Americans' access to non-propaganda information. The Internet, now under attack by Republicans who want to limit the information available to average folks, is one of the few places where people can now turn for the truth. Roberts fears before people wake up, it may be too late.

Posted by Becky at June 29, 2006 09:38 AM