We have long discussed the erosion of civil liberties in the United States, including the attacks on privacy and other rights by the Obama Administration. It appears that we are not alone in those concerns. A new Gallup poll shows a record drop in the satisfaction of Americans over their freedoms. The massive drop is matched in such countries as Egypt, Pakistan, and Venezuela.
Seventy-nine percent of US residents are satisfied with their level of freedom. That is down from 91 percent in 2006 — a 12 point drop. We were once the highest country in the world on such polls. We have now dropped to 36th place.
That mirrors other studies showing the United States dropping to the same low levels on press freedoms, Internet speech, and other rights.
The White House has been adept in deflecting such criticism with a host of commentators and bloggers who deflect criticism with references to Republicans and the “red menace” or “things could be worse” spin or simply change the subject. However, the expansion of the internal security network in the United States and police powers is obviously having an impact on how Americans now view their rights. Years ago, I wrote a column entitled “10 Reasons Why The United States Is No Longer The Land of The Free.” Things have only grown worse since that column ran. The Obama Administration’s recent effort to strip citizens of privacy protections over their cellphones and records illustrates the extremism of some of these positions. That argument failed to secure a single vote on the Supreme Court for the Administration’s effort to blow a hole in American privacy protections.
The poll on the eve of the Fourth of July captures the dire condition of American civil liberties today. As I wrote years ago, Obama has been a disaster for the American civil liberties movement and the damage done under his tenure will be felt for decades. What is most distressing is that citizens see the decline but feel virtually powerless to do anything about it due to the duopoly of power in this country. Even with universal calls for change, the two parties are again recycling many of the same figures and same policies as prior years. Polls of this kind show a deep sense of dissatisfaction among Americans but also a complete lack of expression of those views through political channels. That is a dangerous situation for any political system when such widespread feelings are left unexpressed and unvented in politics. The political system seems to be operating in an increasingly unconnected and unresponsive fashion vis-a-vis the public at large. There is a sense among many that I speak to that there is a ruling elite and a vast body of the ruled — a modern equivalent to the helot class of ancient Sparta.
I am still amazed that we have come to this point of rapidly declining feelings of freedom and widespread dissociation with our political system. It is not the failure of our constitutional system and only partially the failure of our leaders. It is largely a failure in ourselves that we have become such grumbling drones — powerless, passive, and frankly a bit pathetic. Our government is openly trying to strip away core privacy protections and increase police powers at every level. Yet, we have fallen victim to the “blue state” and “red state” mentality — allowing politicians to constantly deflect criticism by referring to the other side as the greater evil. The result is predictable and, as with this poll, incredibly depressing.
Beth, I am sorry your vision is so limited. I am only surprised you did not mention the Koch brothers.
THE ENTIRE SYSTEM IS BOUGHT AND PAID FOR….it does not matter who is elected to any position.
Follow the money and you will see it flows to dems as well as pubs.
Annie – “How is the average American supposed to fight the rich and powerful elite ruling class? Who or what makes the Congress unable to be an equal branch, why or how did the Executive and the Judicial get so powerful? Why or how has the ‘fourth branch’ the bureaucracies, become so powerful? When one has enough money, one can buy the government one desires (or deserves) so it seems. How about some real world solutions? Why continue to set forth he problem over and over again without presenting a path forward? It seems pointless to continue to point out the problem without also outlining the solution to average Americans who don’t have money to make their voices as loud as the well placed monied folks.”
Annie, I find myself agreeing with most of what you wrote here. But I do not resent the rich. To me, they aren’t the problem. The problem is the politician or system that allows the rich to purchase the govt. Just because the rich have money doesn’t mean that the politician has to be influenced by it. What we need are politicians who will follow the constitution. Same goes for the Supremes.
JT states, “powerless, passive, and frankly a bit pathetic”. Another angle, follow the money trail. Memories tend to fade.
Where to start with a man like Robert Rubin? A Goldman Sachs chairman who wormed his way into the Treasury Secretary post under President Bill Clinton,
Rubin presided over one of the most radical deregulatory eras in the history of finance. Rubin’s influence within the Democratic Party marked the final stage in the
Democrats’ transformation from the concerned citizens who fought Wall Street and won during the 1930s to a coalition of Republican-lite financial elites.
Rubin’s most stunning deregulatory accomplishment in office was also his greatest act of corruption. Rubin helped repeal Glass-Steagall, the Depression-era law
that banned economically essential banks from gambling with taxpayer money in the securities markets. In 1998, Citibank inked a merger with the Travelers Insurance group.
The deal was illegal under Glass-Steagall, but with Rubin’s help, the law was repealed in 1999, and the Citi-Travelers merger approved, creating too-big-to-fail behemoth Citigroup.
That same year, Rubin left the government to work for Citi, where he made $120 million as the company piled up risk after crazy risk. In 2008, the company collapsed spectacularly,
necessitating a $45 billion direct government bailout, and hundreds of billions more in other government guarantees. Rubin is now attempting to rebuild his disgraced public image by
warning about the dangers of government spending and Social Security. Bob, if you’re worried about the deficit, the problem isn’t old people trying to get by, it’s corrupt bankers running amok.
A Quinnipiac Poll has Obama as our worst President since WW2. He beat out W by 5 points! Even more interesting, that same poll had people saying now, they think the country would be better off if Romney won. The Quinnipiac results obviously are also related to this Gallup Poll on Obama taking our freedoms. SCOTUS is upholding our freedom in Hobby Lobby. Atheists don’t care about freedom of religion. But the framers of our Constitution did, and so do the vast majority of people in this country.
JT wrote “Our government is openly trying to strip away core privacy protections”
We allowed our credit information to be owned by companies like Experian which then allowed a Vietnamese cyber-criminal to buy our credit histories (Krebs on Security: “Fact-Checking Experian’s Talking Points”). Google and Facebook are not remotely the only companies making a profit from our personal data, with Acxiom and others quietly selling our private lives (CBS News 60 Minutes: “The Data Brokers: Selling your personal information”). Libertarians like JT need to buy a clue: the government is not even the majority of the problem.
The Internet changed everything. Most people have no idea that the Internet allowed businesses to outsource. The call center that was formally in North Carolina is now in India thanks to VOIP. The software testing facility that used to be in Illinois is now in India because departments can now share their work remotely (and they can allow their company to be vulnerable to cyber-thieves as we have seen recently). A factory that would have been situated in the South is now in China because its owner can use the Internet to check the status online. And so on.
Not to mention the amazing proliferation of websites which store photos and videos of people with a business model of blackmail.
SWM, why don’t we hear more outrage and alarm being expressed about the obscene power the rich have in this nation?
swarthmoremom, Could not the same be said that one party wants to remove religious rights? It just depends on what side of the fence you are on. How does a govt. forcing you to by anything make you more free?
And to make matters worse as SWM pointed out, the Supreme Court has become an extension of those well placed monied folks and seem to do their bidding. One decision after another from the SCOTUS that shifts the power yet further in favor of those who get to speak with their money.
Annie, Yes, many say we live in an oligarchy run by billionaires.
No rights were taken away in Hobby Lobby. Religious rights, based in our most fundamental of rights, the First Amendment, WERE UPHELD. Women remain free to buy the 4 forms of birth control not covered. It will cost them $35-65 for the morning and week after pills. HOPEFULLY, only needed once. This preached to the female Dems, non cultist women have common sense.
How is the average American supposed to fight the rich and powerful elite ruling class? Who or what makes the Congress unable to be an equal branch, why or how did the Executive and the Judicial get so powerful? Why or how has the ‘fourth branch’ the bureaucracies, become so powerful? When one has enough money, one can buy the government one desires (or deserves) so it seems. How about some real world solutions? Why continue to set forth he problem over and over again without presenting a path forward? It seems pointless to continue to point out the problem without also outlining the solution to average Americans who don’t have money to make their voices as loud as the well placed monied folks.
Gigi, It is kind of hard not to cling to one’s partisan loyalties when one party seems to determined to take away the rights of women as evidenced by the Hobby Lobby decision. i think that decision was a game changer for a lot of women.
We are all to blame! WE are the one’s who have allowed our Republic to slip through our fingers. Consequently, we, the people, have put civil liberties aside, as we seek our own selfish interest and cling to our partisan loyalties, We have purposely ignored the authoritarian powers for fear of ridicule, and in turn, sacrificed our countries constitutional liberties.
As Common Core proposes to do–we all need to become better critical thinkers. As every good debater knows, we need to look at issues globally (360 degrees). We need to stop enabling our government officials and return it to proper order.
We need to pick up our battered flag and return to preserving our constitution and the rights of our citizens, who rightful should be the government.
“According to other polls, the Hobby Lobby ruling plays into the gender advantage the Democratic Party enjoys.
A Wall Street Journal/NBC News poll suggests that the “war on women” thread is resonating, with Obama’s support among women jumping 11 percentage points from March to April. The shift was even more robust among women between the ages of 18 and 49, a key demographic.
A Washington Post/ABC News poll shows that 50% of women approve of the job Obama is doing compared with 42% of men. Since January, the president’s approval rating has seen a slight uptick among women while men’s opinion of him has been in decline. ” Other polls show the gender gap which will grow exponentially when the Hobby Lobby case is fully reflected in polling.
Copyright © 2014, Los Angeles Times
Many Americans have come to believe that there are two justice systems – one for the connected and another – much harsher system – for the rest of us.
I believe the American public sees reality-Corporations that are people with religious rights, the wealthy and powerful received more rights and benefits. Government that does not work for the people. Our congress is ineffective and ridiculous. Our jobs -as the American public- is just to work to help the wealthy get wealthier and sustain a worthless government.I don’t think we should blame Obama as much as we should blame ourselves. Lets vote the fools out, No more ineffective Boehners, no more crazies. We should have the right to fire ineffective politicians and judges who are national power brokers. We should vote on Speaker of the House, the House cannot govern itself. We should have the right to vote on the judges who occupy the Supreme Court. I hate our government. It is not “a government of the people, by the people, for the people. It is government of wealthy corporations, for the greedy wealthy and by the corrupt wealthy. Fire the Supreme Court, fire Boehner, and lets remember who represents us and who represents the wealthy. It is time for the people to take our country back.
Happy Dependence Day everyone.
With 79% of US residents being satisfied with their level of freedom, such low expectations are disturbing.
It is because illusions do not last long and reality is a poor replacement for illusion (Security: Familyland, Fatherland, or Homeland? – 4).
Excellent post. Indeed, with our record low approval of Congress, we continue to re elect them at nearly a 90% rate. Indeed, we are pathetic and deserve the idiots we keep electing. (my apologies to all the idiots out there in equating them with Congress persons).