|
----- Original Message -----
From: omega
To: �
Sent: Thursday, October 28, 1999 8:24 AM
Subject: Humpty&Dumpty Authoritarians
brace for Y2K Authoritarians are digging in for Y2K trouble in the U.S. and
abroad.
The FBI recently issued a statement clarifying a USA Today story, which had made it seem the government was preparing for a millennium Armageddon with "anti-government" elements -- especially those of a religious persuasion. But the clarification still sounded like the FBI had identified Christians, patriots and other anti-establishment individuals as public enemies. "'Project Megiddo' is the culmination of an FBI research
initiative which analyzed the potential for extremist criminal activity in the
U.S. by individuals or domestic groups who attach special significance to the
year 2000," said the report. "In an effort to educate investigators and
officials in the law enforcement community about potential violence associated
with or motivated by the arrival of the year 2000, the FBI conducted extensive
research into the various ideologies and concepts which serve to motivate groups
or individuals with violent agendas. Many extremists place significance on the
next millennium, and may present challenges to law enforcement authorities. The
significance is based primarily upon apocalyptic religious beliefs or political
beliefs concerning the New World Order conspiracy theory. The report is intended
to provide a clear, measured and responsible picture of potential extremism
motivated by the next millennium, and to increase awareness among law
enforcement officials of the unique challenges that may be presented by
extremists motivated by millennial agendas."
That's part of what the FBI had to say. It isn't much
different from what their counterparts in Beijing were doing a few days later.
Here's part of a dispatch from the South China Morning Post
this week: "A crackdown on cults across the mainland has been organized by the
authorities ahead of the millennium to prevent possible unrest instigated by
religious fanatics."
Like Louis Freeh and company, the boys in Beijing said they
were "deeply alarmed by the influence in the countryside of some doomsday
cults."
"Some cults have preached that the end of the world would come
in the new millennium and have urged followers to give up their 'worldly
fortunes' to follow their leaders," the report said.
Amazing, isn't it? Why are officials and in Washington and
Beijing so scared of what's coming? Why are they both preparing crackdowns on
dissidents in anticipation of the year 2000?
The reason the tyrants in the U.S. and China are behaving so
similarly is that they are afraid of people who believe in something other than
raw state power. That's the bottom line. That's why China used excessive, brute
force to crush the Buddhists in Tibet. And that's why the FBI presided over the
wholesale slaughter of the Branch Davidians in Waco, Texas.
There's really not all that much difference between the
totalitarians in Washington and those in Beijing. Oh, yeah, sure there are
degrees of difference. In China, they execute cult leaders as a matter of
course. In the United States, fortunately, it is still unusual for religious
dissidents to be killed by the government. But it happens. It happens.
And it's likely to happen more frequently in the new
millennium. Why? Because the governments are preparing for it. How else can one
explain these reports? I haven't heard of any attacks by millennial cultists on
government installations or personnel. Have you? Yet, here are the most powerful
governments in the world preparing for an assault. Go figure.
It's true that some religious groups and individuals put much
stock in the significance of the calendar. Big deal. Do any of them call for the
violent overthrow of the government? I don't know of any such plans or
theologies. The overwhelming majority of religious people -- whether they are
Buddhists in China or Christians in the U.S. -- are peaceful, exceptionally
peaceful.
You would think the government would be more concerned with
non-religious people who feel no sense of accountability to a higher authority.
Those people tend to be less peaceful and more of a threat to their neighbors.
But it's not the safety of your neighbors the government is
concerned about. It's you -- you people who don't think government represents
the ultimate authority. That's what concerns the authoritarians in Beijing and
Washington.
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------
A daily radio broadcast adaptation of Joseph Farah's
commentaries can be heard at http://www.ktkz.com/
|
- Humpty&Dumpty omega
- Philip Madsen
