General Discussion
Related: Editorials & Other Articles, Issue Forums, Alliance Forums, Region ForumsRobert Scheer: ‘Disturbing the Government Is an Obligation of Citizenship’
Watch Scheer deliver his remarks, beginning at the 36-second mark, here.
http://www.c-span.org/video/?325092-7/open-phones-robert-scheer
.....................
Disturbing the government is an obligation of citizenship. Thats what weve forgotten.
Our whole government is based on the idea of individual sovereignty. We cede power to the government, not the other way around. After 9/11, we got this crazy idea that somehow government should have all the power and we should beg for some crumbs off the table. Thats not the way its supposed to be. We also have this idea we were founded under: Freedom makes you stronger, that freedom is not a luxury you have in only the best of times, but you need freedom in the worst of times.
George Washington in his farewell address warned us about the impostures of pretended patriotism. It was the founders of our government that gave us checks and balances, that gave us the different parts of the Bill of Rights. Why? They said, Even though were gonna be the government you have to watch us. Power corrupts. Absolute power corrupts absolutely. You have to have your zone of privacy, individual space.
The Roberts court, in one of their betterin fact I think their best decisionlast June on cellphones, smartphone case, said that if the police arrest you and you have your smartphone on you, they cant crack your code and use that information. Thats a violation of the Fourth Amendment. And thats exactly what the American Revolution was fought about: Agents of the king could not come in to your house. OK? Thats why the tea was dumped in the Boston Harbor. And weve forgotten that notion, and weve surrendered this power, and its increasingly held by private agencies that the CIA has funded and there are no checks and balances. We have been lied to routinely. The head of our whole security apparatus, James Clapper, told the Senate We were not doing this mega-spying, we were not getting this information. We now know he was just lying through his teeth. He still has his job. So we dont have accountability, and my whole point is, the word is not privacy, its really sovereignty. Thats what our Fourth Amendment is about.
Scheer continues, The key thing is theres no evidence that any of this has made us more secure. The evidence is overwhelming: Its made us more fearful, it intimidates the population, so people engage in self-censorship. Thats what I find with my students here; they say, Oh, what do I have to worry about? I say, That means you dont think youre going to do anything thats pushing the edge. You dont think youre gonna take any risk. Youre not gonna trouble the government. Well, thats not what our governments about. Were supposed to trouble the government. Were supposed to challenge the government. Were supposed to have some wild thoughts. Were supposed to think differently. And were supposed to be able to get together with our fellow citizens and then assemble for a redress of grievances in ways thatas long as were peacefulin ways that might disturb the government.
http://www.truthdig.com/avbooth/item/robert_scheer_the_word_is_not_privacy_its_really_sovereignty_20150420
http://www.c-span.org/video/?325092-7/open-phones-robert-scheer
merrily
(45,251 posts)Fred Sanders
(23,946 posts)folk there is no relationship between surrendering privacy and surrendering freedom, when they are in fact twin brothers, has been the government's main task since AQ launched their successful operation to terrorize Americans for generations.
Agnosticsherbet
(11,619 posts)but the Paul family's racism and Rand Paul's willingness to dump his libertarian leanings to become just another Holy Republican Warrior do not inspire trust in Robert Scheer. He may have been New Left in the 60's, but he likes some of that good old corporate libertarianism.
http://www.truthdig.com/report/item/live_chat_robert_scheer_on_rand_paul_20100520
http://www.thedailybeast.com/articles/2013/09/29/how-did-rand-paul-become-a-liberal-hero.html
freshwest
(53,661 posts)http://www.democraticunderground.com/10023017529
to Raine who wrote this for a blog and posted it at DU.