If I asked you: What group does the United State government consider it's biggest threat? What would your answer be...Islamic Terrrorist?...A radical extremist organization in the possession of a loose nuke?. A few years ago, that would probably have been my answers, too. But, since I have retired, and now have more time to pay closer attention to the news, I have come to believe that the group that our government fears the most is us, you and me, the public.
Why? Well why else would they go to such lengths to cover up the truth? What are they afraid of? Maybe they fear
in the words of Jack Nickolson in the film, A Few Good Men: "the truth...you can't handle the truth". Really! Do they fear a mass panic! Do they fear the political implications? Do you doubt that they are hiding things from us?
Just in the past few days, for example, with the reports of large masses of birds mysteriously falling from the sky, and this coinciding with thousands of fish found dead in a localized area. What does the government do? Within hours, they put out an "official report" to explain the phenomena. Well, actually, several of them, since the first
offical report no longer held water as the phenomenon became global (with the birds falling from the sky in Norway). Their first report was: After being examined by local experts, it was found that the birds showed signs of trauma, therefore, it was probably due to a tornado that had passed through the area at about the same time. Okay, that sounds reasonable, but then, it happens again in Louisianna...we get another official report: After examining the birds, experts agree that it was probably due to fireworks, since there had been a fireworks display near the area. Okay that, also sounds credible. But then, it happens in Kentucky with a different species of bird; and ultimately, the incident became globalized when it occurred in Norway. I believe I heard many different expert reports explaining the mystery after this.
This leads me to conclude that there is one of two possibilites in play here...either they (the powers that be) do not know the reason and are as much in the dark as we are; or else, they know exactly what happened, and are deliberately keeping the truth from us.
How do we find out what is really going on? One thing is for sure, we are not going to be able to rely on the press. We do not have a functioning press in this country anymore, especially since the advent of cable news. These programs are merely entertainment shows disguising themselves as news. All of them have their own political agendas to promote, which takes priorty over the truth. I really don't think that they have any interest in discovering what is really happening. With them, it is all about ratings. Besides, they might actually have to shut up, stop reading the teleprompter, get out from behind their desks and go do some investigating!
Did you know that the press was once considered the 4th branch of government. They were watchdogs for the people. They conducted intense investigations to uncover the truth for us. Remember Watergate? Two reporters, Carl Bernstein and Bob Woodward, through dogged investigative reporting uncovered one of the biggest government mideeds and cover-ups of all time...the break-in at the Democratic Party Headquarters at the Watergate Hotel. It was discovered that this crime was carried out by the henchmen of the President of the United States, Richard Nixon, with his full knowledge of and at his behest. Thats right, as the scandel unfolded over months of investigation...it lead these two reporters straight to the door of the Oval Office and resulted in the resignation of the highest government official in the land, our President. Did the public panic? No. What did we do? We used the tools provided to us in the consitution...at the voting booth. True, we may have over-corrected a bit with the election of Jimmy Carter, but we did not panic and the country did not disintigrate.
To further this point, look at the response of the public during the worst attack on American soil in our history - 9/11. Go back and look at the footage. Watch as the stunned New Yorkers stand aghast, staring up at the burning towers. Were they traumatized? Yes. Were they sad? Yes. Fearful? Yes. Did they fall to pieces? No. Really pay attention to these people. Watch them closely to see how they comport themselves. It will make you proud. They did run, but only when in danger. They did not run through the streets like mad dogs. They did not start breaking out windows and looting. They did not fall into mass hysteria. They pulled together. They looked after one another. Just watch them as they calmly and wearily walk across the Brooklyn Bridge. This just shortly after two of the tallest buildigs in the world collapsed into ruble. Really look at them, covered in the dust of the rubble of the concrete and even of the dead as they calmly walk to safety. How brave! And none of us, Americans, who witnessed this event, whether standing in the streets of New York City that day or watching the horrific attack on TV will ever forget the heroic firefighter and policemen who entered those buildings and sacrificed their lives to save others.
Of course, these two event were very different. With the Watergate scandel, we learned the truth through the efforst of our news organization operating as it should. With 9/11, it was difficult to hide the truth, because it was such a hugh event that there was no way to hide it. Although I am sure there are some details about the tragedy that we will never know. There always is. And they were both anomylies, because there had certainly been other events that had been covered up before and after these two. For example, I don't think we will ever know the truth about the assasination of President Kennedy (I plan to discuss this more fully in a seperate post!).
What do you think? Can we be trusted? Do we have a right to know what is really happening in our country and in the world? Is there any venue for us to discover (or uncover) the actual facts? I don't know the answers to all of these questions, but I, for one, believe that we, as Americans,
can handle the truth.
