Bob Aldridge then examines the election cycle that brought George W. Bush and his cronies to power, with particular attention to the events that unfolded in Florida, disenfranchising a large segment of the voting population that would, undoubtedly, have put Al Gore over the top in a narrowly won election. From there he looks at election irregularities that have persisted to this day, again drawing on the public record, noting the extreme and unprecedented disparities between exit polls and published results.
The events following 9/11 are characterized by a steadily advancing opaqueness in government, suggesting conspiracies and feeding them by withholding information, conducting secret investigations and releasing results without corroborative evidence.
The frustrations of constituted authority
The dwindling authority of the Congress becomes apparent as the battle between the Bush administration and various committees trying to exercise oversight, per their mandated responsibilities, intensified. Sad to say, while some victories, late and too little, could be claimed by the Congress, the constant shifting of the terms of debate, the application of pre-emptive presidential prerogative and just plain stonewalling, has carried the day for Bush. At least until now.
Looking to the future, Aldridge recaps all the executive orders and coerced legislation that has resulted in the consolidation of executive power. It’s center piece is, of course, the Department of Homeland Security, combining 22 previously existing security, emergency management, and data gathering agencies under one umbrella. He notes the militarization of emergency response agencies and the subordination of state’s National Guards to increasing federal control.
Citizen soldiers give way to mercenaries
Now that we field a totally volunteer army, trained to a fine point at great expense, the government has opened the door to the rapid development of private contractors to take over many of the functions the military used to perform for itself; even to handling basic security for VIPs in war zones, and, at home, acting as para-cops to secure property threatened by hungry, displaced people during the Katrina disaster. A private army at the beck and call of …. who?
Bob Aldridge sees an ominous trend aggrandizing to the nation’s top executive, powers that once were held locally, by cities, counties and states, trampling all concern for civil liberties under the rubric of national security. What does this mean for dissidents? Could we be capable, once again, of sequestering vast numbers of our citizens in camps?
He also sees a way out. In a surprising switch from a rapid-fire, fact-driven exposition of corrupting power he suddenly drops to his knees, figuratively, and shares his personal vision of how mankind might, just might, transcend its current social conditioning to bring about the changes needed to assure its survival.
This book has the heft and authority of a textbook with the readability of a fine piece of journalism. It will stand as both an important reference work and a clarion call to action virtually everyone, no matter their education and skill levels, can respond to.
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