Topic: Tyranny
We do Not Bow to Tyranny America was built on the bedrock of Liberty and recognizes no regent. The only way to force a true American to bow to any form of tyranny is with a blow to the back of the head...by Ken D. Berry, MD
(libertarian)
Thursday, June 18, 2009
Recently, the current President of the United States (POTUS) was caught on video giving a curtsy to the king of Saudi Arabia. This caused a small stir in the media but fell quite short of the public uproar it should have created. The current administration made a limp attempt to deny this genuflection, but the video is quite straightforward. Perhaps a slightly deeper look at Saudi Arabia, the office of POTUS, and the American ideals of Liberty and Freedom will reveal why this incident should have been much more upsetting, and unacceptable, than apparently was the case. This egregious faux pas is an embarrassment to all Americans around the world and should be seen as just outside as the marker of the limits of acceptable behavior for federal employees, the POTUS included.
The office of the POTUS is seen as a figurehead and symbol of America. I am not condoning this view, just speaking of it As such, every move the POTUS makes is seen by the world as a move sanctified, or at least allowed, by The People. Someone attempting to temporarily fill such a post as POTUS should be always on his/her toes concerning such actions and their interpretation.
The U.S. of A. were founded (if you think that was a typo, you have some reading to do) on the ideals of personal freedom, personal responsibility, and a loathing of all things tyrannical. In order for humans to live in any substantial population density, we have up until now needed laws, administered by a government, to gently constrain some aspects of human nature. A government that protected citizens from force, both foreign and domestic, while doing not much else was unheard of prior to the time of the founding. These ideals were predicated upon a clear disdain of tyranny and all its inherent abuses. So, almost by definition, the effective figure-head of our society, the POTUS, is obligated not to kneel/bow/genuflect to tyrants, either in person or in effigy There is little doubt that the governing family of Saudi Arabia is tyrannical.
The surest sign of a countries freedoms will be found in its laws. A cursory study of the Saudi kingdom and its laws is enough to turn the stomach of any Liberty-loving individual; indeed, the very word tyranny shares entomological roots with the word king. A kingdom by definition is tyrannous; even the most compassionate and gracious king expects his word to be followed as law. A cursory internet search will reveal that actions we Americans consider terrible violations of human rights are considered customary in the kingdom. A few examples can be found here, here and here.
Representing the proud and sovereign people of the US; the POTUS should not defer to royalty because it represents a ancient and onerous idea that some humans are better than others. This is anathema to a true American; bowing to the CEO of a multi-billion dollar corporation is just as meaningless as bowing to the janitor, and doing so to either should be considered an embarrassment to all true Americans. We sometimes will nod slightly as a sign of respect for age or wisdom, but even this is rare. This lack of genuflection should not be taken as a sign of rudeness by other nations, it simply shows that Americans have just as much respect for the face-less, right-less, future-less masses that pull oil out of the Saudi sand as we do for the lucky soul who enjoys the unearned fruits of such labors. There is not much about Saudi royalty that deserves respect (a quick search will reveal) and such a display on the part of our chief executive is either a sign of ignorance, indolence or indiscretion.
The history of Arabian royalty is well-known to those who have looked and it is obvious that without the step-by-step help of America and its oil-hungry corporations, the Saudi royal family would still count their wealth in camels.
Please don't construe this piece as derogatory of the current administration, or as partisan in any way; this is but a meek attempt to say that Americans do not bow to tyranny and neither should our president. Perhaps, as Americans around the world continue to stand up and reclaim their heritage of Liberty, the executive branch of our federal government will be reminded of who is really in charge of our great Union of States
Nos tyrannidi non cedimus!
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The views expressed in this
article are those of Ken D. Berry, MD only and do not represent
the views of Nolan Chart, LLC or its affiliates. Ken D. Berry, MD is
solely responsible for the contents of this article and is not an
employee or otherwise affiliated with Nolan Chart, LLC in his/her role as a columnist.
No doubt the POTUS is a dufus. But the issues Randy brings up are indeed very troubling. Branding American citizens as "right wing extremists" or "low level terrorists" raises serious questions. First of all, people who utilize their first amendment right to protest are now apparently "low level terrorists". And those who oppose abortion or support Ron Paul, or are animal rights supporters, and many others are "domestic extremists." Apparently nearly anyone could fall into one of those groups. But what exactly do they plan to do with individuals who they categorize as such? Will they arrest us? Will they jail us indefinitely without charges as Bush did to Jose Padilla after labeling him an "enemy combatant"? There must be some purpose for these labels. What is it?
Posted By: Terry Grinnalds
Date: 2009-06-19 17:02:32
But it's okay to walk around like a boy-toy holding the hand of a Suadi prince? Give me a break. Obama may have committed a faux pas by bowing a bit to far, but it's all this outrage is a tempest in a teapot. Americans bow to tyranny all the time, bud. All these freedom-loving Republican individualists somehow can't wait to line up to believe anything they are told if its wrapped up in the flag or the Right rhetoric: Al Quaida and Saddam Hussein were Mid-East co-conspirators; unions are evil and damage a man's independence (believed by blue-collar workers throughout the country who are being paid starvation wages and who are denied benefits and fired out-of-hand if it is considered to benefit the company's bottom line, although the CEO and his cronies are putting not millions but billions away for themselves; government healthcare is an evil socialist plot (believed by people who have no health care or who may have it today but not tomorrow at the whim of insurance companies who give awards to their employees who find ways to cancel the coverage of anyone who develops a serious medical problem). They are sheep being herded by those who know how to control them by their ownprejudices and emotions. Your freedom-loving Americans, like you, will go ballistic because this President bows a little too low in a greeting, but will continue to support an ex-president who has been responsible for the deaths of millions of people, our own soldiers as well as Iraquis, FOR NOTHING, and still say they are "supporting our troops." They exiled the Dixie Chicks for what turned out to be a prescient (because they came from Texas and knew him) evaluation of W as an idiot, and after those millions of deaths, after his trashing of our country's honor through approving torture of prisoners, don't have the personal honor or courage to admit they were wrong. Those people are your people. They are you. And you all bow your heads every day to those who manipulate and control you.
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