Champions of an Imperial America

[Kulindahr]

A lot of people worry about the U.S. increasingly becoming a police state. It's a serious concern, enough that there are web sites that track the trend.

Since that's just part of a trend toward an Imperial America, I thought it might be interesting to see what politicians, and other people, JUBbers see as contributing to the U.S. becoming more like an empire. Post someone you think is -- please stick to one per post -- and state why.

I'll start with the one I suspect is not quite most likely to be mentioned:

Dick Cheney, for his power-behind-the-figurehead maneuvering that got us the "USA PATRIOT Act", and the invasion of Iraq. He's manipulated President Bush via false intelligence, and while in hiding likely orchestrated things we don't even know about.

 

[tonyboy]

A lot of people worry about the U.S. increasingly becoming a police state. It's a serious concern, enough that there are web sites that track the trend.

Since that's just part of a trend toward an Imperial America, I thought it might be interesting to see what politicians, and other people, JUBbers see as contributing to the U.S. becoming more like an empire. Post someone you think is -- please stick to one per post -- and state why.

I'll start with the one I suspect is not quite most likely to be mentioned:

Dick Cheney, for his power-behind-the-figurehead maneuvering that got us the "USA PATRIOT Act", and the invasion of Iraq. He's manipulated President Bush via false intelligence, and while in hiding likely orchestrated things we don't even know about.

Yes there are some people worring about the USA becoming a police state.... but I would not take any stock in those folk. Anyone that worries about that sort of thing should read a bit more history to really understand what a true police state is. The USA is not in any danger there. I'd be more worried about the countries of Europe that have become members of their 'Euorpean Union' in that regard. They have an unelected body that is regulating everything from what the farmes can grow to how they measure the goods they sell.
A year or so ago a grocier in the UK was arrested because he wanted to sell his banannas by the pound rather than by the kilo.
The USA is as far from an empire.... An empire is an entity that encompasses other countries politically and with an occupying force.... held by soldiers that force their will on the other the country they are in contol of. The USA has not done that and when we have occupied another country (usually because we had to invade it) we've let it go once peace is restored.
Look at history man. Napoleonic France occupied most of Germany, Spain, Holland, Italy... only left once Napoleon was overthrown. How about the ancient world... Alexandar the Great. He had a huge empire... it dissolved once he died.
Even the latest example of Empire.... that of Great Britain was more an economic empire than one of total military control forcing tribute.
The USA is all in all a force for good in this world. Yes, I know.... it does not always come out the way we want it to. But wouldn't you rather have the USA trying to make things right in the world than the old USSR? Or the Chinese?
I think you use Dick Cheney as sort of a boogey-man here. He is the VP, not the President. The President makes the decisions.
And I think that Cheney has been the most influential and best VP our country has ever had. I wish he could be President, but that won't happen. He's too old and doesn't want the job.

 

[provenlogic]

 

[kallipolis]

Reports of the demise of the democratic process in the United States, are greatly exaggerated. I rather suspect that those who have a political drum to beat might compare their current concerns for their democratic rights with the thought that the next administration will restore those rights that appear to have been lost through the thoughtless actions of the current paranoid administration.

Paranoia is known to be an infectious state of mind that has little in common with reality. Those who complain so bitterly of their apparent lost of rights might well be inclined to recognise that during the Second World War the American people willingly sacrificed some of their democratic rights in order secure a victory over the Axis powers, that would eventually usher in a new era of restored rights under the administration of President Truman. I have no reason to believe that such precedents cannot be repeated.

Winston Churchill was inclined to remind his great friend Franklyn Delano Roosevelt that the democratic world needed the United States for its dedication to the pursuit of freedom and democracy by all means, even those means that would temporarily deny the American citizen his or her right to dream of better days.

 

[texpatriot]

Police States usually need an "enemy" to justify the loss of civil rights.

I know that you said only one thing per post, but I've got a laundry list.

Loosely suggesting that all Muslims are terrorists.

The "Illegal Immigration" debate is providing an excuse for local and state governments to begin cracking down such things as "idenification," and "licensing." Which natuarally can spread to everyone being challanged if left unchallanged.

Tighter restrictions on passports, both issued and renewed.

Those are a few off of the top of my head.

 

[greydog]

PNAC ......."The project for a New American Century"

What is PNAC ?


"The Project for a New American Century" (PNAC) is the elusive "cabal" that is hardly mentioned in the news, and never called by name. PNAC was co-founded by William Kristol and Dick Cheney & other familiar people. This cabal is the group that is presently in power. Needless to say, our American press has not been reporting all the facts regarding the current Bush Administration , so PNAC is rarely mentioned by them, if ever. If you google PNAC you will find it all over the internet , and many websites attempt to expose and "out" the PNAC. The UK press reports on PNAC all the time now, starting with an article by Neil Mackay in 2002 in the Scottish Sunday Herald:
http://www.sundayherald.com/27735

PNAC is a small group who claim to act on behalf of you and not the elites. They hold many of the key positions of power in the federal government. But really, these are the people who brought us:

* the war in Iraq
* plans for simultaneous, multiple wars
* legal 'justification' for torture
* the 'Patriot' Act, expanded presidential powers and reduced citizens' rights
* warmongering and war profiteering and on and on

In the past 5 years , only two well-known Americans have been videotaped publicly exposing the PNAC just this year: Helen Thomas "the first lady of the press" , & Stephen Colbert, the comedic anchor of the "Colbert Report" on Comedy Central ! :
http://************/loxz3

Here is PNAC's actual website , founding members & Statement of Principles:
http://www.newamericancentury.org/statementofprinciples.htm

They wrote a letter trying to urge Clinton in 1998 to attack Iraq:
http://www.newamericancentury.org/iraqclintonletter.htm

Practically everyone in this organization is also in the Bush Administration, however W himself is not a member of the PNAC. Many bloggers surmise this is because he is the cabal's puppet to be kept "untouchable" in case of a need for pardons for the rest of the group. Even Jeb Bush is a member , but not W !

The Iraq and potential Iran wars were already planned on their PNAC website in this document "Rebuilding America's Defenses: Strategy, Forces, & Resources for a New Century" (remember , this is a non-profit organization , NOT a government entity, yet they came into power two months after this was written in September 2000):
http://************/7onk

There are hundreds of websites and blogs about the PNAC. Here are a few well-known favorites:

http://www.oldamericancentury.org/pnac.htm

http://www.pnac.info/

http://************/mzrcv

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/PNAC

http://www.informationclearinghouse.info/article3544.htm

http://www.tvnewslies.org/html/pnac.html

http://www.democrats.com/node/9116

 

[frankfrank]

^ Thanks for posting the PNAC info

The cockroaches need to be put under the bright lights of scrutiny.

 

[texpatriot]

^ Is this bright enough?