Friday, August 9, 2013

The Slime Is Receding...

...by which I don't mean that the Obamunist Regime is growing less corrupt, but rather that its crimes and villainies are being ever less carefully concealed:

In a remarkable admission that is likely to rock the Internal Revenue Service again, testimony released Thursday by House Ways and Means Committee Chairman Dave Camp reveals that an agent involved in reviewing tax exempt applications from conservative groups told a committee investigator that the agency is still targeting Tea Party groups, three months after the IRS scandal erupted..

In closed door testimony before the House Ways & Means Committee, the unidentified IRS agent said requests for special tax status from Tea Party groups is being forced into a special "secondary screening" because the agency has yet to come up with new guidance on how to judge the tax status of the groups.

In a transcript from the committee provided to Secrets, a Ways & Means investigator asked: "If you saw -- I am asking this currently, if today if a Tea Party case, a group -- a case from a Tea Party group came in to your desk, you reviewed the file and there was no evidence of political activity, would you potentially approve that case? Is that something you would do?"

The agent said, "At this point I would send it to secondary screening, political advocacy."

The committee staffer then said, "So you would treat a Tea Party group as a political advocacy case even if there was no evidence of political activity on the application. Is that right?" The agent admitted, "Based on my current manager's direction, uh-huh."...

Added a committee aide, "In plain English, the IRS is still targeting Tea Party cases."...

Camp, the Michigan Republican, told Secrets, "It is outrageous that IRS management continues to target Tea Party cases without any justification. The harassment, abuse and delays these Americans have faced over the last few years has been unwarranted, unprovoked and, at times, possibly illegal. The fact that the IRS still continues to treat the Tea Party differently and subject them to additional targeting is outrageous and it must stop immediately."

"Immediately." What a lovely word! But what does it mean? No, not to you and me; to an administration that has decided that it's above all the laws and need fear no repercussions from whatever it might decide to do?

Conservatives' and libertarians' Outrage Meters have been pinned for quite some time now. All the same, this latest demonstration of arrogance breaks new ground. And to think it's only a couple of weeks ago that the Regime decided to label this a "phony scandal!"

There are only two conceivable responses to our lawless ruling junta and its endless parade of extra-legal stunts:

  1. Armed revolution;
  2. Resignation to tyranny.

The first hasn't yet happened. What about the second?


Consider along with the above this trenchant bit of analysis from firebrand Claire Wolfe:

It’s dawning on a lot more people that a government run by secret spymasters is illegitimate even by the most conventional, mainstream standards. Among freedomistas, even those like the folks at DownsizeDC — who are usually pretty polite, mainstream, and hopeful of working within the system — are talking last straws.

Edward Snowden’s revelations of the NSA were a shock, though not a surprise. Now this week they’re followed by news of DEA operations that are top secret — but obviously, no doubt about it, are the result of collusion between the DEA and the NSA (“We’re only spying on you so we can keep you safe from brown-skinned furriners with scary religions, really!”). And these operations are resulting in arrest, asset forfeiture, and sometimes decades in prison for Americans.

And in another non-surprise, old-news revelation, Glenn Greenwald is now reporting that members of Congress — you know, those experts who were so diligently overseeing all those secret spy programs, bravely protecting our interests and Our Glorious Constituion — can’t even get information on the NSA or its bosom pal the FISA court no matter how much they rant or beg.

So yes. You’d have to be naive in the extreme to believe that a huge, secret level of government that answers to no one is a legitimate democratic-or-republican government. This country is now governed by an UberGoverment — Secrecy uber Alles.

Leaving aside the snark about "brown-skinned furriners with scary religions," the above is spot on. (My concerns are about the "scary religion," not the "furriners" nor the color of their skins. Your mileage may vary.) Moreover, the path is simple enough for a microcephalic idiot to follow:

  • The administration is doing outrageously illegal things in secret.
  • Congress discovers the outrages and screams "Stop it!"
  • The administration smirks and says "Make me."
  • Nothing changes.

Not only has the Executive Branch of the federal government escaped all legal and Constitutional restraint, our attempt to rein it in via normal processes is being dismissed and ignored -- and we have been put on notice that no further attempt to redress the abuses will be undertaken.

There is no longer a Constitutional fence around the actions of the federal government. There is no longer "a system of checks and balances." There is no longer an "opposition party." And there is no longer the slenderest reason to hope that the normal mechanisms of American politics -- elections; legislative operations; judicial review -- will, or can, alter the course the Regime is following.

We are being ruled by unabashed criminals, their intent and their deeds naked to the sunlight.


I'm about to give up. For all the sound and fury vented by similarly minded Web pundits, it doesn't appear to me that anyone plans to do more than rant and rave. As I can't do much on my own hook beyond adding to the noise level, I've been thinking ever more favorably about "going underground:" just trying to finish out my life, which doesn't have much longer to run, in the peace of anonymity.

The State has grown very strong.
It has cast off all pretense of legitimacy.
It's already sifting out enemies to its agenda.
Some of those enemies have already felt its lash.
And no one within its corridors is genuinely opposed to it.

I know I'm not the first to reach those conclusions. It's just that my innate optimism about this country has taken what appears to be a mortal blow, and I've slipped through the "denial," "anger," and "bargaining" stages into "depression." No doubt there are others who feel the same. Perhaps we could form a support group.

Were it otherwise, the revelations of so much executive-branch misconduct would be a heartening development. We could anticipate corrective action, perhaps a true restoration of Constitutional government. But too much has already been revealed. Too much has gone uncorrected: no alterations to ongoing operations and no miscreants punished. The threshold of resignation is only a step away. But resignation doesn't necessarily mean complete passivity. Grand but hopeless gestures are still available; that's the part that frightens me worst.

Does any Gentle Reader have anything to say that might cheer me up? I'm too old to be climbing clock towers with a sniper rifle, a thermos, and a bag of Oreos.

11 comments:

Anonymous said...

You could form a support group, but you'd likely find yourself on the terrorist watch list post haste, and soon be the beneficiary of a 3am no-knock visit by the swat team.

Parmacetti said...

"Does any Gentle Reader have anything to say that might cheer me up?"

Sorry, no. Everything you wrote is correct, true, accurate. Unless Congress begins impeachment proceedings immediately, and without delay removes President Obama from office, nothing will change. Don't see that happening, of course.

Well, we had a good run, didn't we?

"I'm too old to be climbing clock towers with a sniper rifle, a thermos, and a bag of Oreos."

Forget about it. There's always something better than a suicide run.

Anonymous said...

aybe I’m just kidding myself. Maybe I’m looking at things to simplistically. But I see signs that give me hope that we *MIGHT* get back on track; but not without a tremendous cost.

First, look at gun sales. I don’t have the specific figures at my fingertips but I think I am accurate in saying that since Obama has been elected, gun sales have gone up every month of every year. Some of these are purchases by people already in the “gun culture” but I’m betting that the majority or a large minority are new owners. Why? Why should Obama’s being elected cause gun sales to rise? If it is because people feel that he will push for major amounts of gun control then why buy it? There must be a reason to buy something that is going to be made illegal? If I go out and buy something because I’m worried that it might become illegal am I going to give it up because a politician says so?

Perhaps people are buying because they feel that with Obama as President, the US will fall into some sort of civil disorder. If that is the case it is safe to assume that some will be willing to use their new guns if indeed the Government can’t keep order. I can’t see the upswing in gun sales as anything but a positive indicator that more people are at least trying to get some control of their future and are NOT depending on the government for it. In other words I feel that the people are waking up (albeit slowly).

Secondly, look at the economy, not only of the US but of our trading partners. Nobody’s economy is what anybody would call healthy. And I am not aware of any reports (except the ones generated by the government or government cronies) that indicate that the economy is doing anything but remaining the same or getting worse. This means less money to give out benefits, less buying power for the benefits that are given out and eventual reduction in benefits. The stronger the government grasps handouts to get and keep the masses support, the stronger the backlash will be if the government cannot fulfill its promises to the masses.

Last but not least look at the government reaction lately to terrorist and similar events. Think of Boston after the bombs that were set off. The police took large sections of a community and stripped them of their rights. Rights such as freedom of movement, freedom from unreasonable search and seizure and a general thuggish approach. What about the manhunt recently where the police shot at a truck were two people were delivering newspapers. This seems to show to me a general escalation by the police against the general populous.

You might say, “But wait! This just shows ho bad things are!”. It does, that is true. However, it also indicates to me that we are almost at a time where the people of the US might be ready to say “enough is enough” and make it stick.

Just my pitiful $.02

Scott said...

"Does any Gentle Reader have anything to say that might cheer me up?"

I see that ammo prices are dropping from the stratosphere: http://www.gunbot.net/index.php?cal=223556

Don't climb up, hole up. Easier on the knees.

Anonymous said...

Don't forget that the Gospel = "Good News".
Don't forget that the last stage of grief is acceptance.

Put these two together and realize that you are in the middle of a spiritual war, that sooner or later " there will be a great tribulation, such as has not occurred since the beginning of the world until now, nor ever will. Unless those days had been cut short, no life would have been saved; but for the sake of the elect those days will be cut short."

And then, understand that the Enemy will win this battle, but lose the War. And don't forget to ask your Commander-in-Chief for directions from time to time.

YIH said...

I wish I could provide something to help cheer you up, but my cheer supply is dangerously low as well.
More often than not I feel like there is a huge bolder on the edge of a cliff that might teeter off and plunge down (such as when debt of all kinds implodes). When that occurs the scenario will be more like Crash and burn than ''Tales of New America''.

Anonymous said...

In candor, you have an asset that I (and others) lack:

Faith in the eventual final triumph of Good over Evil.

To quote Elvis Costello:

I used to be disgusted
Now I try to be amused...

I do have faith in the human fraility of my foes.

And their mortality.

That will be enough.

But think hard about getting the dickens out of NYS.

You are in a box there.

Invictus.

Anonymous said...

I feel your vibe.

How about a long distance sniper rifle with cases of ammo. A dozen cases of red bull and vodka and a box of firey Cheetos?

Huh? Would it pep you up some If'n I kilt that uppity Pesky dent? (Slim Pickens in Blazing Saddle parody))

rickl said...

I liked Hydrox more than Oreos.

Other than that, I got nuthin'.

West Coast Canuck said...

Please don't give up, Mr. Porretto.
Now more than any other time in most of our lives, we need to stick
together, know who is on our side and buoy each other up.

Your leaving would be too great a
loss.

Ronbo said...

Cheer up, Gary Owen, there will be better times than these in the 7th Cavalry!

Like the woman said, "The revolution is still in the awkward teenage years; it's too late for redress, reforms and elections to change the Regime, but it's too early to shoot the bastards!"

So be of good cheer, trooper, because if we die in the coming civil war, we die with our boots on, our flag flying, and the bodies of our enemies in heaps before our guns