Politics: Declaration of Independence Revisited

  Home

Table of Contents

• 1. Context
• 2. Specifics

1. Context

Historians will tell you the Declaration of Independence is largely a list of temporally specific grievances. Yet several ring true today.

At what point does this comparison become shameful to a free people? At what point do the complacent become outraged and drive the charlatans and usurpers from our seats of Government?

2. Specifics

1. "...when a long train of abuses and usurptions, pursuing invariably the same Object evinces a design to reduce them under absolute Despotism, it is their right, it is their duty to throw off such a Government"

If the Object is to transfer power from the USA to multinationals and their wealthy owners, then the train of abuses includes:

Corporate control of ever more aspects of military, CIA, and NSA functions. Corporate control of the mechanisms of public education (including the media). Corporate control of voting and vote counting. Warrantless access to corporate-owned databases of phone records, travel records, bank records. Secrecy, re-classification, and missing archives. Embedded reporters, psyops, paid propaganda, attacks on the press. CIA/DIA/FBI infiltration of groups opposed to the Object.

2. "...to places unusual...distant...fatiguing them into compliance"

Davos and other ubermensch getaways, well protected from mere civilians by massed armies and SWAT teams.

3. "..swarms of Officers to harass our people and eat out their substance."

Federal funding targeted at policing the "lower classes" (those with net worth under $1M) rather improving their lot.

4. "...render the Military independent of and superior to the Civil Power"

When was the last time Congress (esp a Congress responsive to the American people) had a clue what the military did with its billions? To say nothing of "off the books" funding such as Iran-Contra.

5. "...subject us to jurisdictions foreign to our constitution."

NAFTA, CAFTA, WTO, World Bank.

6. "...protecting them by mock Trial"

Inquiries of police beatings and shootings for breathing-while-black. Or for protesting an illegal war. Or for striking a job site.

7. "...depriving us in many cases, of the benefits of Trial by jury"

Military tribunes for "enemy combatants" -- which per the Patriot act could include those who donate to the Sierra Club. And maybe those who subscribe to the NY Times.

NOTE: Even King George wasn't accused of messing with the Great Writ (habeas corpus). We, on the other hand, have let it slip away without a whimper.

8. "For transporting beyond Seas to be tried for pretended offenses"

Guantanamo and rendition

9. "...declaring themselves invested with Power"

Executive Orders. Signing statements. Repeated trial balloons of martial law, with New Orleans as the practice case and bird flu as the obvious next opportunity.

10."...waging war against us"

WTO in Seattle. The "Miami Model". CIA and DIA infiltration of peace groups.

11. "...plundered our Seas, ravaged our Coasts, burnt our towns, and ravaged the lives of our people"

Oil tanker spills and drift nets. Imminent Domain dismantling of towns. Offshoring, union-busting, NAFTA/CAFTA, cutting the safety net.

12. "...already begun with Circumstance of Cruelty and perfidy scarcely paralleled in the most barbarous ages, and totally unworthy the Head of a civilized nation."

Abu Ghraib, Guantanamo. Staff-on-prisoner and prisoner-on-prisoner violence in american jails and prisons. Broom handles, choke holds, rape-by-cop, taser-to-death, "face printing".

13. "...excited domestic insurrections amongst us"

In the classic form, union-busters and their police goon squads. In the more modern form, Rovian Wedgies with their border Minutemen, and assorted other vigilantes encouraged from the pulpit and the talk shows.

14. "In every stage of these Oppressions We have Petitioned for Redress in the most humble terms. Our repeated Petitions have been answered only by repeated injury. A Prince, whose character is this marked by every act which may define a Tyrant, is unfit to be the ruler of a free people."

Marches ad nauseum, letters-to-the-editor, letters and phone calls to Congress. Election after election after election with no discernable impact on the "System" -- so long as it is framed as Republicans vs Democrats.