If you didn’t think we were in a police state, the last week should have stripped the last of the blinders from your eyes.  And shattered the warm and fuzzy pink eyeglasses, too.  But while enough is enough, we have to remember and understand – this Verizon and PRIZM business is not the first, by any means.

Look at the list:

The “messiah’s” BLACK LIST

That is, the list of things that a majority of Americans (not just libertarians and conservatives) consider evil:

1. The IRS terrorizing conservative and patriot/Tea Party movement groups: merely an expansion of the vast powers and ability to intimidate people: even Congress, given by Congress and now misused.
   
2. The Benghazi Massacre instigation:  whether intentional to justify more intervention or accidental due to incredible bungling, the cover-up of the poor performance is just the latest in a series going back decades.
   
3. The DOJ stealing information from the media:  DOJ steals constantly, one way or another: it is just that this time, they gored enough of the mainstream press to get the press to squeal.
   
4. The NSA getting cellular records from Verizon (and others):  As several in Congress no doubt truly point out, this (or versions of it) has been going on since Bush signed the USA PATRIOT ACT – if not before.  But that does not make it right except in the case of the GOP types who are more concerned about power and wealth than keeping their principles (or the principles that they claim to have) and their oaths.
   
5. The PRIZM e-mail search:  Again, this has been going on for a while, no doubt.  Again, so?  That doesn’t make it right.  The fact is that it has gotten so bad (like the Verizon deal) that someone either finally let their conscience be their guide or saw an advantage to releasing proof.
   
6. The EPA conducting drone flights over ranchers in Nebraska and Iowa and giving out information on confined feeder operations to environmental groups.  EPA’s tyranny has been evident since the beginning, and growing steadily, but once again, people were willing to ignore it.  Even state agencies get in on it: using satellite assets if not drones.
   
7. Fast and Furious, both the original operation and the cover-up of it.  This smells like the Reichstag Fire, to me.  The government has always been hypocritical, but this probably sets new highs, since the people getting killed are often government agents.
8. The Abominable Act (Patient Protection and Affordable Care Act = ObummerCare) struck a final blow (akin to rolling the body of the executed felon into the Tiber or carrying the body parts to the various counties after drawing and quartering the traitor) against the Constitution, again with the agreement of the Supreme Court, Congress AND White House.  The FedGov had new powers never before taken, over one-sixth the economy, giving more control than ever over our daily lives.

These seven items are more than enough to justify criminal charges against the guy in 1600 Pennsylvania and a whole lot of other political and civil service personnel – including those (in Congress and the White House) who KNEW and didn’t have the guts to say so.

In addition, there are those things that only SOME Americans feel are evil, but are clearly immoral and NOT right:

1. Drones killing Americans overseas: no court, no jury, no appeal.  Just death.  Of course expanded by the powers granted him (illegally) in the National Defense Appropriations Act to detain any American for any excuse for any length of time.
   
2. Drones killing civilians (especially children) overseas.  No real justification for collateral damage except convenience and amoral behavior.
   
3. The executive orders giving himself the power to seize retirement accounts, as needed to spend more and more.
   
4. The executive orders implementing new gun control measures, when efforts in Congress died; even if not yet enforced.
   
5. The massive support provided to Islamist groups including some designated as terrorist organizations, whenever they wanted or found it convenient.
   
6. The wars in Libya, Pakistan, and now Syria, including all the actions and a complete lack of anything resembling Congressional approval, all under the cover of a 12-year-old resolution which could (using their logic) be used to wage war against the counties in Colorado seeking secession from their state – or any place else in these formerly United States.
   

I could list a lot more than this Baker’s Dozen ™, but isn’t this enough?  How much more are we willing to grow the police state?

Dozens of people have pointed out that virtually every one of these has been done in direct contradiction to the promises and statements the “messiah” made in both the 2008 campaign and after taking office.  Yes, I understand that campaign  promises are NOT enforceable.  But lying while in office IS a “high crime and misdemeanor” to most people, especially when the lies result in MORE damage.

But impeachment – even if tried in the Senate and convicted and drummed out of office – is NOT enough.  Getting rid of the entire cabinet isn’t enough: I don’t even think cashiering all of Congress at once would be enough.  I don’t know what would work.  Reinstating the Articles of Confederation?  Amending the Constitution to tell Congress (and the other branches) “NO, you can’t do anything that isn’t listed specifically in here, and this time we really MEAN it?”  Probably not.  The politicians and other parasites would figure out a way around it.

The possibility with the greatest chance of success, AND the greatest risks, is rebellion.  Taking the power away from the politicians and the bureaucrats with as much vigor as possible, scaring anyone in the future (for at least a while) that if they do anything like this again.  Perhaps we need to start from scratch.

Until we do something like that, we DO have and WILL have a police state.  A POLICE STATE.  A POLICE STATE. A POLICE STATE. Get used to it.  Or fight it.  There isn’t any other choice.