The alarming truth

Conspiracy theories may be the haven for the paranoid, but it is an alarming fact that the majority of mainstreet Americans do not trust their government. They don't trust them to tell the truth, they don't trust them to protect their Constitutional rights, and they don't trust them to do what is best for America. In short, Americans are alarmed that its own government have become "The Enemy Within".

"The Enemy Within" is extreme, you say.

It is difficult to deny that many government actions seem blatantly opposed to the ideals of a free and democratic republic. Congress routinely hide draconian measures within innocuous bills. One such severely oppressive measure has defenders of freedom hopping mad at the lengths some legislators will go to put one over on American liberty.

The measure, is hidden within the thousands of pages of the Transportation Authorization Bill S1813. Title III of this bill seems to give the IRS broad powers over permits and the revocation of permits. The wording, spread in different sections and subsections of the bill and making it difficult to isolate in its entirety, seems to allow the IRS power to revoke passports as well as permits of all kinds Americans believe are basic to being American. Even gun rights activists are worried firearm ownership could be affected by obscure legalese to give power to a person called "the Secretary," over permits and permit revocation, although there are official denials firearms are mentioned in the bill and that the federal government have limited control over firearm permitting.

The idea of empowering the IRS with the ability to control basic American liberties has been debated in the US Senate for months with Senate Majority Leader, Harry Reid, and Senator Barbara Boxer, two Democrats dedicated to removing gun rights, sponsoring the provision to the Bill.

All the fervor to add the new IRS powers was reported to be aimed at revoking the passport of people owing more than $50,000 in back taxes, which this editor believes most Americans would support, but the fires of distrust for government intentions are kindled with the obscure addition of permits in general and "the Secretary" as the enforcer. Will the IRS have to prove an intentional violation of the tax code or will they use the power to punish people that inadvertently misunderstand the notoriously complicated code?

Thousands of active US soldiers have problems with back taxes due to being posted overseas to serve their country. Could an overzealous IRS official victimize some of them using the provisions of S1813?

Never before could a government agency revoke a passport. Passports are controlled by the US State Department and their revocation was strictly limited to national security and foreign policy, but this new law, if passed by the US House of Representatives, would turn previous safeguards on their head.

Why this was connected to a bill intended to address transportation and highway construction needs may shed light on the integrity of the US government and why all Americans should be alarmed?

Why would the IRS need this power when they already have big teeth? How will abuse be prevented?

One of the major assaults to personal freedom Americans face is from officials interpreting overly broad laws in ways that were never intended, or should I say, the government's intentions were never recognized when the law was enacted. Often, the real dangers are identified years after a bill is enacted, but by then it is almost impossible to put things right.  In the case of Bill S1813, I believe the American people's growing distrust of the US Government is justified and now is the time to put it right.

It is not paranoia, it is acknowledging the alarming truth.

That's what I think. What do you think?

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