The conviction of Occupy Wall Street protester Cecily McMillan for assault on a police officer shows that the judiciary is corrupt and dissent will not be tolerated. We can no longer call ourselves a democratic society, and as Chris Hedges says, we are living in the “post-constitutional era.”Pretty good rundown of fascism. But that only goes for the left. Meanwhile, on the right militias threaten federal agents with impunity.
Since 9/11, the justification given for incremental loss of our freedoms has been “keeping us safe from terrorism.” But in truth, governments always seek to accrue more power to control their populaces in service to elite economic interests. It is an imperative which pre-dated 9/11, but one that afterwards spiraled out of control.
A heightened state of fear, a subliminal awareness of being expendable in the neo-liberal economy and the distraction of consumer culture have kept the majority of Americans in paralysis. In the meantime, institutions which protected our rights have been systematically undermined. This, unfortunately, is the regime we now live under:
The Authoritarian State
The Police State
The Surveillance State
The Post-Constitutional State
The Totalitarian State
The Corrupt State
The Corporate State
We must champion people like Cecily McMillan, John Kiriakou and Chelsea Manning who have gone to prison for their courageous acts. It’s time to wake from our dream and resist.
Truthout
Cecily McMillan Verdict Proves Dissent Is Dangerous
Anne Meador, DC Media Group | Op-Ed
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