Gas? Gas? Gas??

The National Defense Authorization Act (NDAA) of 2012 has passed the Senate with a 93-7 margin of victory. It hasn't been signed into law yet by the President. The NDAA has been enacted each of the last 48 years to specify the budgets for the Department of Defense.

NDAA 2012 has civil libertarians concerned.

Apparently, language has been inserted into the bill that allows for the use of US troops on American soil to search and detain American citizens suspected of terrorism or abetting terrorist acts. Further, the length of detainment is indefinite and the detention may be without explanation or trial.

Much like the Patriot Act of 2001, NDAA has had early decriers of the bill who fear that it supersedes the Constitution and abolishes fundamental rights of Americans. You can find videos on YouTube that craft comparisons between the passage of NDAA 2012 and what happened when HItler rose to power in the 1930s, partly by blaming the terrorists of that time - the Communists. These videos are chilling with their simple analogies and dramatic background music.

Should we be concerned? After all, it appears that suspicion of terrorist activities is sufficient cause to ignore the 4th & 5th Amendments of the Bill of Rights.

I think concern is warranted. Much like the Patriot Act, our federal government makes the case that it needs these powers to protect us against terrorism. Many citizens probably feel safer with such provisions in place. After all, it won't affect innocent people and how else can you constrain such activities in a free society?

The problem as I see it is not what is happening at this very moment. The problem comes some time down the road as those in power feel less restrained from exerting their power in the form of abuse leading to totalitarianism. As these bills become law, they erode the protections of freedom we once knew making the freedom we currently experience nothing more than a faint representation of what it used to be.

It's the old frog boiling adage.

Unfortunately, in a free society, bad elements can often scheme and move about with impugnity. So it's entirely reasonable to see how all this is coming about. However, I believe that throughout history there have been people who wanted to see the Constitution abolished and replaced with a collectivist system. And I believe that there are many who hold political office right now that embrace that very sentiment.

So, are NDAA and the Patriot Act merely symptoms of the times we live in? Or are they opportunistic efforts taken by those who have an agenda?

I can see how both questions would receive an affirmative answer.

Much of what made this country great was its integrity born out of Judeo-Christian principles. Even if folks didn't personally adhere to those principles, they still followed them to a great extent, working hard, keeping the order by obeying laws, respecting others. Bad behavior caused shame which was sufficient to prevent it from happening too much.

Now, bad behavior is embraced, encouraged and applauded.

The entropy of sin has eroded the United States of America to the point where an over-reaching government just doesn't seem all that strange any more. Given that we appear to be on the downward side of the great experiment, we would have gotten to this point sooner or later.

There is much to consider.