We are living in a time when “change” equals “more of the same” and “transparency” means continuing to hide things in the dark. It’s as if “1984”, “V for Vendetta” and ancient Rome were married in some weird Jerry Springer-esque polyamorous love triangle. America – the average American, anyways – is being kept alive on bread and circuses while the country is being bankrupted and the leaders are saying “let them eat cake”. It’s as if the country has been turned upside down and the corporate media is using double speak to say “War is Peace. Freedom is Slavery. Ignorance is Strength. Strength through Unity. Unity through Faith.”
Twice (to my knowledge) in the last 8 months, a candidate or candidate-elect has petitioned his constituents for “ideas” and immediately ignored the top suggestion – marijuana, on both occasions. Although, President Obama has since stated his position of not favoring marijuana legalization. So much for “change”. The other candidate to petition for ideas, Artur Davis (Alabama Gubernatorial candidate), has ignored the issue altogether, much to the disappointment of some advocates for marijuana legalization.
Loretta Nall, 2006 gubernatorial candidate, posted on her blog, “I tell ya…this is no way to start a campaign. Say you want ideas from the public, then dismiss the ideas that got the most votes merely because you don’t like them…instead of just saying you don’t like them, and when the public demands an explanation delete the ideas entirely from your site. Open and honest government Mr. Davis? Indeed, I think not.”
However, this is about more than a couple of elected officials that ask for ideas and refuse to answer the questions asked. This is about our government hiding it’s agenda behind a charade of “openness”, “transparency” and “citizen participation”.
While most of the world was focused on mourning the death of Michael Jackson, the US House of Representatives was busy passing the largest tax increase in history under the guise of “climate change legislation”. Thankfully HR2454 hasn’t yet been debated or passed in the Senate. However, while HR2454, the “cap and trade” tax was being debated, it was noted that NO ONE in Congress had read the nearly 1500 page bill. Representative Lloyd Doggett admitted an international agenda when he said, “I’m convinced that unless we act today, the Senate will not act. And unless we act in this Congress, we will not get the international agreements we need to address this serious challenge.
I am voting “yes” in the hopes that we will have a better bill and we will have the international accord that we so desperately need to deal with this critical matter.”
Why rush to pass a bill that no one has read? Is the government afraid of letting the people know what is being done? I tend to think so; those in power want you to be a good sheeple and “go with the flow”, don’t ask questions and be content with your “bread and circus”. It is for this reason, you must question authority when thinks don’t add up, begin to look for alternative news sources and become the black sheep to stand out from the herd.