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.
Karen,
I’m not so much concerned about the struggle for power that is politics.
I’m more concerned that Dr. Turley is losing some of his integrity.
You don’t have to change the world. You just have to stay true to yourself.
Nate:
What is so distressing is that at the current time, any other party besides the duopoly merely acts as a vote splitter. Unless a party has enough votes to actually win, all they do is drain votes away from the duopoly closest to it. And yet, the only way another party would ever have a chance is for people to give it a try and vote for it.
I think a minority party will rise is if there is a major objection to one of the duopoly candidates at the last minute before an election.
One of the ways in which we can break up the duopoly and any undue influence of unions and the wealthy is the reform of political donations. Involuntary political donations by union members should be illegal. As well as campaign bundling, and any campaign donations above a very modest amount. The amount of money spent nowadays on political campaigns is shocking. If we bring that down to more reasonable levels through reform, it will open the playing field to more parties. And hopefully it will improve the quid pro quo in politics. And it will improve the attitude that the big corporations and unions have undue influence in politics.
There is a common misconception that criticism against unions is similar to the class envy against the wealthy.
The vast majority of the rich are self made. Which means most did not inherit their wealth; they earned it. Many went to college and earned good grades while their friends partied. Many invested every penny they owned to start their own businesses. They worked insane hours and gave up having a life for many years until they earned success. And then those who didn’t stay in school, didn’t wait to start a family, didn’t make the same choices, deeply resent when the wealthy attained success.
On the other hand, unions achieve vastly higher wages and benefit structures through coercion and threats. The employer is NOT ALLOWED to hire non-union. If the employer does not bow to the union’s demands, they will drive him out of business and physically attack any person, whom they call a SCAB, who dares try to work during a strike. Government union employees are paid by private taxpayers, and yet they get untenably high benefits packages that break the backs of those taxpayers, and are far higher than what is earned in the private sector. And those employees are unifirable. So they are overpaid and under-deliver. There are some excellent union employees, but they get to observe their coworkers phoning it in. Those government unions have caused major cities to go bankrupt because when the recession dragged on, they could no longer afford those untenable benefits packages forced upon them in the boom times by the unions. And teachers unions not only prevent underperforming teachers from being fired and replaced with better ones; they always protect pedophile teachers from getting fired. Instead, they are allowed to retire and have a nice, fat pension to support them after they get out of prison. And, finally, unions force all of their workers to donate to the Democratic Party through mandatory political contributions that are automatically taken out of their paychecks with their dues. Anytime it is proposed that such contributions be voluntary, the union goes to war to fight it. That behavior is anathema to a Republic. The only explanation I can think of for why forcing people to contribute against their will to a political party is not illegal is that unions have bought and paid for many Democratic politicians, who vote against union reform.
So it is a spurious argument to imply that criticism against unions is envy that someone has “earned” “slightly higher wages” than the private sector. It ignores all evidence to the contrary.
Paul, Why waste your time on stupid comments by Pete? Do you really think you will change his mind of ignorance?
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.
Dr. Turley,
Didn’t you yourself vote for the duopoly?
Complain on the one hand and perpetuate it with the other?
Makes your comments carry less weight.
pete – just because some agrees with your position does not mean you agree with their philosophy. The CPUSA is a firm supporter of Obama. Rev. Wright, who hates America, supports Obama.
paul, only to you
paul, so was yours
pete – mine is the truth.
lost comment?
When the Cold War ended, the Marxist just changed to new organizations to run things, much like ACORN. Just put a new name on an old product.
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much like the KKK rebranded as the tea party.
Pete,
I freed your comment, and the rest will follow.
pete – your attempt at disinformation is noted.
Jim22, and Prairie Rose, I said that.
Prairie Rose – “Jim22 said, “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?””
I don’t remember writing this.
Yea Beth Meier! You hit the nail on the head.
Reblogged this on Centinel2012 and commented:
Obama and his minions are remaking America into their vision of a perfect utopian society based on Marxism and a strong central government; it would have been nice if they had asked us if that is what we wanted!
Help I have a comment in the Vortex of Doom.
Thanks for the John Perkins ref on IMF dirty tricks, Chuck Stanley. I will check it out with more time. Selling in the Bakken right now so quite busy & watching the weather
“Satisfaction With Their Freedoms” – JT
More likely dissatisfaction with their lack of freedoms.