Lawfully Speaking Vol. IV, Issue No. 2
A Periodic Internet Political Column
Written by William H. Huff
We have reached critical mass in Orwellian terms when the President can ‘name’ a ‘Patriot’ ‘Czar.’ Be careful not to raise any eyebrows Comrades! I suppose presidents can do anything they choose? Where would the 'Czar' provision be in the Constitution? Are American Czars confirmed by the Senate - or is it the Duma?
I have often wondered at the title of ‘Czar’ being conferred upon a government servant in this Constitutional Republic. Just what message is ‘W’ trying to convey to those amongst us who might not be as excited as our next door neighbors about the fact that we are engaged in a ‘War.’
I wonder... with his record, is there anything William Bennett is not willing to become Czar over?
Make no mistake, the Democratic Party is corrupted beyond redemption, but the Republican Party can be even more dangerous, in that it combines deceptive rhetoric with fascist law enforcement, while, strangely, many of the most conscientious Americans go back to sleep, thinking a president without obvious sexual proclivities is a safer bet. The Republicans sound like Libertarians, but they work like Fascists.
Perhaps Dubya will try to prove his masculinity by dominating the entire world. Is there a country where we have not yet dispersed troops? Perhaps globalization is even more dangerous than 'safe' sex.
Just what does an ‘American’ ‘Czar’ do?
If experience teaches us anything we might assume he presides over alleged solutions for perceived problems that seem to get worse and worse until he is given another position, or his Benefactor is removed from the White House, whichever happens first. I scoured the Constitution for the ‘Czar’ appointment provision under the Article II powers of the Executive Branch and was unable to come up with anything remotely similar. Well, I didn’t really have to look. I’ve read the Constitution. Too bad many in our Congress have made so little use of it.
I suppose, if it is quite all right to levy ‘War’ upon anyone, or any thing one pleases, it must also be ok to use titles that harken back to despotic, fascist or tyrannical forms of government. I think Mr. Bennett is probably better suited to an aristocratical style of government. But I suppose ‘W’ is limited to a certain range of available titles that will convey just the right je ne c’est quoi. The title Czar doesn’t seem to upset most people. I wonder if ‘Absolute Potentate’ would be over the top.
Supplanting the Grassroots
Mr. Bennett has a web site [www.K12.com] that is touted as helping to solve some of America’s educational problems that persist despite his earlier stint as Education ‘Czar.’ I think it is more like a Trojan Horse to try and short-circuit much of the real progress that is being made in the genuine Home Education movement - a trend toward true Patriotism and responsible citizenship, and away from government control or influence. One might think Mr. Bennett would turn down another government Czar position in a heartbeat so he could continue building his Welcome-Back-To-Virtual-America web site. I wonder what kind of little creatures of the State Mr. Bennett would love to grow in his Kindergarten [Oh! No! another term from European State-Controlled Education].
A web site for HomeSchoolers, that is, in its entirety, non-critical of present government office holders, is not one based in any balanced view of reality. It must only be calculated to 'bring the sheep back into the fold.' Government funded and influenced education has been a flop in terms of educational criteria, while in terms of propaganda it has been one of the longest coups against self-government that ever existed. Since our government-controlled ‘free’ public schools are based on the Prussian model, perhaps it was somewhat apropos to have an Education Czar - or maybe ‘Prussia’ sounds like ‘Russia’ to ‘Dubya.’
Let me emphasize a point above: If education is not aggressively critical of lawlessness in government, it cannot possibly promote Liberty. It can only promote Tyranny and Slavery.
I suppose there is some aspect in the choice of the title ‘Czar’ related to projecting the notion that the person so entrusted is being given more than adequate authority to deal with the problem that needs to ‘warred’ against; perhaps even a little more than Constitutional authority allows?
Bennett says he’s creating the ‘Committee on Terrorism in American Culture.’ Now there is a touching name of an organization. Are we living in a ‘culture of terrorism?’ Should we expect more ‘hate crime’ legislation? Surely if one is to be a ‘Czar’ he has to define a large problem upon which to ply his Czarist skills.
For now I would say ‘thanks, but no thanks’ Czar Bennett. We have been working on the problem for some time now. I find it quite interesting that your ‘new’ effort makes no mention of all the best work that has already been done, and done better than any government lackey or apologist could ever have dreamt.
Mr. Bennett, typically, your little web site button that offers to teach us something about ‘Patriotism’ and tells us it is ‘free’ is a ploy to get personal information before giving us anything. I am reminded of the wise immigrant who once said, ‘If it’s free, how much does it cost?’ Call me naive, but I think the Vouchers and Charter Schools you promote will result in more government attempts to control education. It is axiomatic that government - especially overbearing government - expects to control that which it funds.
I am most comforted to know the ‘Committee on Terrorism in American Culture’ will be co-chaired by former CIA Director James Woolsey. I suppose every Czar needs his Spook.
God knows where you will get all the money for these things. Perhaps That will be your biggest problem. In the meantime, the true Grassroots will continue efforts to rebuild the ‘American Culture’ that centralized militaristic governments always try to destroy. You see, ‘American Culture’ has no ‘Terrorism’ in it for American Citizens. It should strike fear in the hearts of petty tyrants however.
When Jefferson quotes Algernon Sidney we can be sure he is trying to emphasize something of great importance. The following was copied by Jefferson to remind him [and us] of a certain principle: "All tyrannies have had their beginnings from corruption. The histories of Greece, Sicily and Italy show that all those who made themselves tyrants in several places, did it by the help of the worst and the slaughter of the best."
Before I could dare allow myself to be called a Czar in America, I might want to consider the following:
"Each Individual, among the sovereign and self-governing people, embodies a part of the supreme sovereignty of the people in relation to their creature and tool, or instrument, government, and to its officials as public servants--wholly subservient to the people as their superiors, their masters." - Hamilton Abert Long in The American Ideal.
In the Federalist # 78 we read the following Anti-Czarist language:
" ...There is no position which depends on clearer principles, than that every act of a delegated authority, contrary to the tenor of the commission under which it is exercised, is void. No legislative act, therefore, contrary to the Constitution, can be valid. To deny this, would be to affirm, that the deputy is greater than his principal; that the servant is above his master; that the representatives of the people are superior to the people themselves; that men acting by virtue of powers, may do not only what their powers do not authorize, but what they forbid..."
What could have possessed Alexander Hamilton?