Ignoring the Obvious by Jeff Thomas
(2012-07-02 at 20:17:03 )

Ignoring the Obvious by Jeff Thomas

"How can an otherwise sane individual become so enamored of a fantasy,
an imposture, that even after it is exposed in the bright light of day,
he still clings to it - indeed, clings to it all the harder? No amount
of logic can shatter a faith consciously based on a lie."~ Lamar Keene,
a scam artist who posed as a psychic, describing why it was so easy to
fleece people.

Homo sapiens is a creature of habit. Most people have a strong desire to
do what they can to create a life, and lifestyle, that is comfortable for
them. Once this is done, we curl up and settle in. We then may add the
occasional improvement to this situation, but, otherwise, we prefer then
to be left alone to maintain what we have created.

It should not, therefore, be surprising if, when that comfy situation is
threatened, we wish the threat would simply go away. Similarly, it is
understandable if, when that threat begins to grow, we may simply pull
the covers over our heads and pretend the threat either does not exist,
or is far more benign than it appears.

Hence, it is a perennial condition of human nature to behave as described
by Lamar Keene, when we discover that the government that we have been
brought up to believe exists for our protection, has become no less than
the greatest threat to our well-being.

Consider the following events, with regard to the USA:

- The Patriot Act, Passed in 2001 and extended in in 2011 with additional
controls, expands law enforcement powers and removes civil liberties and
constitutionally guaranteed rights.
- The National Defense Authorization Act, passed on 31st December, 2011,
allows the indef inite imprisonment by the military of any "suspects",
including American citizens on American soil, without allowing due
process of law.
- The MAP-21 Bill, which allows the Internal Revenue Service to suspend
the passport rights of Americans, based on the premise that their tax
obligations may be unfulf illed.
- The National Defense Resources Preparedness order, created in March,
2012, allows the President to take over control of all food, water,
labour and industry in the US, "to promote national defense."
- 30,000 Drones to f ly over the US allowed by executive order, February,
2012, providing the government with an Orwellian surveillance ability
and a killing capacity ranging from selected individuals to entire
communities.
- FEMA Interment Camps, to be constructed in every state, with 3 to 15
in each state, for an undisclosed purpose.

- Compounds to store " disposable coff ins, " each with hundreds of
thousands of 4 to 5 person coff ins stored near city centres around the
country.

- 450 million hollow point bullets ordered by the Department of Homeland
Security To be used domestically. The DHS is not responsible for
addressing national invasions or overseas wars; it exists solely for the
control of internal disorder. Hollow point bullets are not intended for
sharpshooting - they are designed specifically to maximize tissue damage.

The above are all actual occurrences. The reasons for them can be
debated. After all, the DHS may well have ordered 450 million rounds of
hollow point bullets because they were thinking of doing a bit of target
practice. And the disposable coff ins may be intended to be given out as
grow-boxes on the next Earth Day.

In fact, each of the above, conceivably could have been the product of
well meaning legislators, planning for what they conceived as "a better
tomorrow." The trouble is, taken together, it is diff icult to imagine
that this may be the case. Indeed, taken together, they suggest the
creation of a police state that rivals what Joe Stalin or Brother Adolf
created.

Circa 1885, folk philosopher James Whitcomb Riley, said, " When I see a
bird that walks like a duck and swims like a duck and quacks like a duck,
I call that bird a duck. "

At some point, when we observe a government that consistently institutes
executive orders and legislation that walks like a duck and swims like a
duck and quacks like a duck, it behooves us to conclude that it is in
fact, a duck. Is it possible that we may be proven incorrect? Yes,
absolutely so. However, when the overwhelming evidence points to the
unpleasant realization that our comfy life is soon to end, we would be
wise to take preparatory action.

Just how many ducks does it take before we decide there are enough to
call them a flock? If such a flock represents a signif icant and
uncontrollable danger to us, we would be advised to get out of the way.
In such cases, it is inf initely wiser to err on the side of caution.

Not long ago, I overheard a discussion between an American businessman
and an associate from my own country. The American was describing the
seemingly endless array of draconian laws and executive orders that have
been coming his way, courtesy of his government, in recent years.

His associate said, " I have only one question: Why are you not already
packing? "

June 30, 2012

Jeff Thomas is British and resides in the Caribbean. The son of an
economist and historian, he learned early to be distrustful of
governments as a general principle. He began his study of economics
around 1990, learning initially from Sir John Templeton, then Harry
Schulz and Doug Casey and later others of an Austrian persuasion.

Copyright © 2012 by LewRockwell.com. Permission to reprint in whole or
in part is gladly granted, provided full credit is given.