No One Asked Me But… (April 3, 2024)

By DR. LARRY MOSES

No one asked me but… I am beginning to wonder if America is slipping into a dictatorship. I don’t believe this is a Democrat or Republican problem. It is a national phenomenon that has been creeping into America since the 9/11 incident when Congress gave the President War Powers without declaring war. Since then it appears that Congress has surrendered its lawmaking powers to the President.
Under the Constitution, the Founding Fathers established a government that was designed to provide for checks and balances from three branches of government, each having a role to play in governing America. Congress was to write and pass the laws, the President was to enforce those laws, and the Judicial Branch was to interpret the law.

The Supreme Court was the first branch of government to usurp a power that was not Constitutionally theirs. In 1803, in the Marbury v. Madison case, the Court ruled on the Constutionality of a law. There is nothing in the Constitution that allows for the court to decide Constutionality of law. Chief Justice John Marshall took it upon himself to declare that the Court had that power and it became an accepted fact of law. This marked the first accepted unconstitutional power grab by one of the three branches of government.

In the early history of America, the great leaders of the country were to be found in the Senate and the House of Representatives. It was to these two bodies the Constitution gave the power to make the laws of America.

It is true that, periodically in cases of emergency – with the consent of Congress – executive powers have been granted to various Presidents.
The Civil War was a great example. President Lincoln issued the Emancipation Proclamation as a Presidential decree.

By an act of Congress, President Woodrow Wilson was granted War Powers during the country’s engagement in WWI. However, at the end of the war, those powers were promptly rescinded.

When the Great Depression (I am not sure what was so great about it) in 1930’s threatened to destroy America economically, President Franklin Roosevelt was allowed latitude to govern by Presidential decree. However, even then, he did so mostly through Congressional consent.

During World War II, Roosevelt was given greater individual powers under the War Powers act of Congress. At the end of the war those powers were rescinded and Congress took over their responsibility of making the laws of the land.

On September 11, 2001, four passenger jets were hijacked and used for suicide attacks by 19 militants associate of the Islamic extremist group al-Qaeda. This resulted in the deadliest terrorist attack on American soil in United States history. It further resulted in a massive expansion of executive power that changed America’s legal landscape.

President George W. Bush, by Presidential Resolution, authorized spying on Americans. Under this newly acquired power, he created a secretive military tribunal system. Under the authority of the President and the War Powers Act, the American government began secretly detaining men from Muslim and Arab countries.

There have been attempts to roll back some of these policies in the years since, but many post-9/11 developments have remained in place, impacting the delicate balance of separation of powers.

These changes altered the way the three branches of government interact. In essence they changed the Constitution of the United States without the amendment process. Not only did it change the relationship with each branch of government, it reshaped the relationship of many Americans with the federal government. As the federal government has become more aggressive in their actions toward American citizens, the citizens have lost trust in the federal government. One begins to wonder if our legislators can read, let alone understand the Constitution.

This brings me back to my original point. Is America becoming a dictatorship?

According to the dictionary a dictatorship is a form of government in which all (or nearly all) of the ruling power is possessed by one person or one ruling entity. This absolute power is often enforced through extreme measures. It is also worth noting that the person or entity with the ruling power is not held accountable by Constitutional limitations.

There are those who say that an American dictatorship is not possible for the American people elect a leader every four years. I would remind those individuals that Russia just re-elected President Putin. Most Americans would agree that Putin is a dictator.

While President Putin solved the problem of opposition by killing the only Russian brave enough to run against him, let me suggest that this may be more humane than the present American method of attacking one’s political opponent. In America, we don’t physically execute our political opposition, we merely set out to destroy their reputations and economic status. Not only do we try to destroy the political opponent, we attempt to destroy his family as well.

Speaking of economically destroying a political opponent, one might ask if the Judge’s ruling that ex-President Trump must come up with a $464 million bond in his fraud case has ever read the Eighth Amendment of the Constitution. “Excessive bail shall not be required, nor excessive fines imposed….”
This is the Judge who refused to allow testimony of the loaning agent as to the fact that they were repaid and made the profit they had expected; therefore, there was no fraud.

Did this judge really believe Mr. Trump is a flight risk? Was he not aware that ex-President Trump was in the middle of a campaign to return to the Presidency?

It was probably merely a coincidence that the Judge is a supporter of President Biden in this year’s election where his only serious challenger is ex-President Trump.

In a like manner, I find it hard to believe that the effort to destroy the life of Hunter Biden, the President’s son, just happened to occur during this election season. One must wonder if Joe Biden were Joe Smo the baker rather than Joe Biden the President, would Hunter’s tax problems be a national issue?

The propaganda machine that is the mass media depicts Biden as a bumbling old fool and Trump as a villainous criminal. This personal vilification may well be the major factor in why men of quality are no longer stepping forward to run for the Presidency of the United States.

Thought of the week… “There comes a time when good men must rise or humanity will fall. And now is that time.”―
-Craig D. Lounsbrough