As we slaves all learned during our compulsory education (skipping school is an arrestable offense), there are three branches of government - the Executive, Legislative, and Judicial. You all voted for Obama. How did that work out?
Wall Street bought Congress. The "reform" of Wall Street is anything but. Bank stocks sky-rocketed today after news of the final "reform" bill. Nothing will change. Wall Street will continue raping the public. In November, when Republicans take office, nothing will change. Indeed, it was Republicans who fought back a measure that would have required hedge fund managers to pay the same income tax rate as every other small-business owner.
What about the courts? For that, ask lawyers who work in the trenches. Lawyers regularly advise clients to plead guilty to crimes they are innocent of, and to not sue government officials who violate their rights. It is not that lawyers are afraid of a fight, or do not understand the injustices individual Americans face. Rather, the lawyers understand the system all too well. The system is stacked against regular Americans.
If you're Goldman Sachs, the government will not indict you for manipulating the stock market. If you're a guy who allegedly stole a few pieces of software code from Goldman Sachs, you'll be arrested within 48 hours of the theft. Where as you and I would be told to civilly sue an employee who stole trade secrets, the United States Department of Justice has given Goldman Sachs a direct line.
Thus, the legal system is not available to most Americans:
What’s key to the definition of a police-state is the lack of redress: If there is no justice system which can compel the state to cede to the citizenry, then there is a police-state. If there exists apro forma justice system, but which in practice is unavailable to the ordinary citizen because of systemic obstacles (for instance, cost or bureaucratic hindrance), or which against all logic or reason consistently finds in favor of the state—even in the most egregious and obviously contradictory cases—then that pro forma judiciary system is nothing but a sham: A tool of the state’s repression against its citizens. Consider the Soviet court system the classic example.
Those of you who think you have rights should call some Section 1983/civil rights lawyers for a lecture on qualified immunity. Yes, we have a legal system. Yes, we can sue in court for the violation of our constitutional rights. Just as in the Soviet Union, we will almost always lose these cases.
There is thus no question that we live in a fascist regime. You are "free" today, not because the legal system protects you. You are "free" because of luck and inattention from the powers that be.
If a cop Tasered you, or tossed some drugs in your car, you'd learn right-quick-like that you have no rights. You have no power. You are free only because you haven't yet been slaughtered.
Some might say, "But Mike, you are able to write such posts at these. Clearly, then, you have rights!" I have not been slaughtered not because I am free, but because I am not a threat. Were I able to lead lynch mobs to the headquarters of Goldman Sachs, my freedom's illusoriness would be revealed to you, too.
I have no delusions. I am a slave. The only question is how much longer I'll be a good slave.
