The Secret - and the law
One disheartening thing about the past six years in particular, and the past 60 years in general, is the progressive destruction of the checks and balances that were put into the U.S. constitution specifically to protect the liberties of the people. Seeing this process in the context of the law of attraction showcased in the movie “The Secret,” produces the following thoughts.
* The military industrial complex has achieved its goal of acquiring a stranglehold on the American economy, and therefore the American political system.
* The de facto alliance with Israel, and the cold war before it, have expanded the powers of the executive branch beyond anything envisaged by the constitution makers.
* The black-budget agencies have essentially escaped from any meaningful budgetary scrutiny — which means, again, a terrific expansion of the executive branch vis-à-vis the legislative branch.
* The manipulation of fear in the post-September 11, 2001 world (not 9/11; I detest clichés and catchwords) has led to a systematic gutting of the Bill of Rights, leaving citizens relatively defenseless once they have been accused — not convicted, not even tried — of being terrorists.
It is easy to see what we are against. So what are we grateful for, and what is it that we wish to concentrate on and have more of?
I am grateful that this nation was founded by practical men who were well educated in political theory. The world has never seen a more brilliant, practical, idealistic set of leaders than America’s founding fathers. Whatever shreds of liberty have been left to us originated with them. As Abraham Lincoln pointed out long ago, the Declaration of Independence itself stands as a stumbling block against those who would divide mankind into two classes, the riders and the ridden
Rather than curse the darkness, then, I propose that, like Lincoln, we nail all our colors to the mast of the Constitution.
* Separation of powers into three branches of government: executive, legislative, judiciary.
* Limitation of power of the government over the citizen as spelled out in the Bill of Rights.
* No warfare except following passage of a declaration of war by Congress.
All we can ask, all we need, will be provided us, once we return to a literal and emotional allegiance to the Constitution. This allegiance will follow a renewed awareness and appreciation by the citizenry, leading those who would become their elected representatives to advocate just those steps because they are popular. A large part of our problem today is that so few people are aware of just how farsighted and practical the Constitution is. Every step away from it leads us closer to tyranny and destruction. Since it would be counterproductive to focus our attention on tyranny and destruction, it seems to me it would be well worth all our whiles to visualize the country again living within constitutional restraints.
Every abuse which concerns us stems, in the last analysis, from the fact that the executive has become so predominant in more than half a century of continuous emergencies, and the legislature has made little or no effort to restrain it, and the citizenry have made little or no effort to insist that the legislature do so.
Common sense suggests that it may be already too late. But where would that defeatist attitude get us? If the law of attractions can provide miracles — and clearly it does — why not miracles where they are really needed?