In our recent article “Are We Safe Yet” it was suggested that Americans might feel just a bit safer if there were military tanks on our streets. Well, the government must have been reading my mind (or the keystrokes) because, according to the Miami Herald, Thanksgiving Day travelers were greeted at Miami International Airport by the sight of an armed Guardsman standing atop a … tank!Presumably, the tank had to roll through the streets of Miami to get to the airport, unless the military was keeping one in a nearby hangar in case of something or other.
It’s a comforting feeling to have our military taking such good care of us. Now, about our borders. Oh, no, not the ones between the US and Canada, or the US and Mexico … the ones between states, like California and Arizona, or Arizona and New Mexico.
Can it be possible that we will all feel safer if there are military roadblocks between our states so that a dozen or so potential terrorists can be … errr … not profiled, that’s illegal … oh .. identified as they try to drive our interstate highways? Perhaps there’s money in the federal budget to put up new signs “prepare to stop at state line for terrorist inspection.” Do we have enough tanks, or could we sparkplug our sagging economy by building a few more if needed?
We need our people to feel safe … that’s why the Posse Comitatus Act is under fire and we’re about to have a Commander in Chief (military type) for homeland defense. If the military has its way, and the people need the feeling of security so badly they won’t protest their loss of liberty, we’ll have our own commander for a homeland military contingent.
Besides, if your razors, hair spray, matches and knitting needles are all confiscated before you cross a state line (heaven forbid you should have a hunting rifle) won’t you feel safer? Your tax dollars are at work!
The soldiers at the state borders might even give everyone in the auto, van or SUV a free smallpox vaccination while they’re hanging around watching the vehicle being searched.
Those of you who are watching only the nightly network news haven’t an idea in blimey what this article is about … but if you read internet news sources, you do. The things happening rapidly in this nation are so “Orwellian” as to be on the far side of anything we could have imagined just a few years, even a few months ago. Incredibly fast, it might be noted, for the government to put into place, since our government isn’t noted for speed. But it seems FEMA was more prepared than we thought.
If it’s any comfort to Americans who might feel liberty is being dunked and the Bill of Rights is tanked, the same type of restrictions are being carried out in Great Britain, or are in the planning stages.
But … has the government found any real terrorists yet?
Or does terrorism really have anything to do with what’s going on? We can only wonder. Since terrorists work in surprise mode, and a “war” on terrorism is a war against thoughts and ideologies rather than nation-states, how long will this so-called war last, along with the abrogations of liberties?
Guess.