Security Acts Following 9/11/2001 versus the United States Citizen

United Airlines Flight 175 crashes into the south tower of the World Trade Center complex in New York City during the September 11 attacks (Wikimedia Commons)

by Sandy Rose

2012 by Sandra Middlesworth Rose

INTRODUCTION American citizens were shocked with the events occurring on September 11, 2001 with the resulting, utter destruction of three New York Trade Center buildings. 9/11 was a terrorist act, but there is the possibility it was done by our own country. At the very least, it was used by our country to continue wars. Along with this initial shock came the overwhelming urge to have more protection from terrorists taking over planes and flying them into buildings. However, we should be even more shocked and outraged at the Patriot and Homeland Security Acts, as well as the National Defense Authorization Act of 2012: because these partially unconstitutional Acts took away many of our civil liberties and due process in the name of protecting us, potentially forever changing American Citizens rights to freedom. Let us look at the Orwellian Big Brother characteristics of these actions and the parallel story of the emergency acts after the burning of the Reichstag in Nazi Germany.

WHAT IS REALLY GOING ON Big Brother, in the book 1984, was a manufactured entity made real to the people of Oceania through the omnipresence of electronic telecasts and recordings, as well as using citizens spying on each other (Orwell 1-29). The book was created by George Orwell (pseudonym of Eric Blair) after he had survived WWII in England, and knew of the totalitarianism of Nazi Germany, which he detested (Inside Front Cover). The whole point of the book was that there was no way to beat the system for the average Oceania citizen. Big Brother in 1984 was aided by the thought police, who were everywhere due to electronic surveillance (2-3). Big Brother was an omnipresent, seemingly benevolent figure representing the oppressive control over individual lives exerted by an authoritarian government (The Free Dictionary). Omnipresence is one of the tools Big Brother uses, as defined by Edward Wierenga (Professor of Religion and Philosophy at the University of Rochester). In his article, he quotes Anslems comments on a godlike entity: omnipresent, that is, present everywhere (1). In that way, the people feel constantly watched. It is generally well known that in Germany and the United States, crises have been used to enact laws to enhance surveillance of ordinary citizens in their own countries. In 2012, all over the world, there are public and private cameras monitoring us for various purposes, a real Big Brother-type presence. To examine why citizens allow themselves to come under tight, oppressive security and surveillance, lets look at the methods of 1984 more closely. Cultural hegemony is apparent in the above methods used by Big Brother to get the cooperation of the citizens. In 1984 one of the methods, for example, is to constantly be at war, even if it is made up, to make the people feel they need protection. As in the Wikipedia article on cultural hegemony, this would be where the ruling class manipulates the culture of the society so that almost anything can be agreed to by the

citizens (1). In this way, the United States government has manipulated her citizens to believe they need the protection from foreign terrorists in the form of tightened security measures, which also restrict freedoms guaranteed by the U.S. Constitution. This is a consenting by the average citizen to the domination of the government. This agreement came about with a huge shock, a supposed terrorist attack on American soil. The outrage felt by the typical citizen was assuaged by President Bush stepping in the evening of the 9/11 attacks on the three World Trade Center buildings and the Pentagon, addressing who did it and what kind of actions were to be taken: Today, our fellow citizens, our way of life, our very freedom came under attack in a series of deliberate and deadly terrorist acts. The victims were in airplanes or in their offices: secretaries, business men and women, military and federal workers, moms and dads, friends and neighbors. Thousands of lives were suddenly ended by evil, despicable acts of terror. The pictures of airplanes flying into buildings, fires burning, huge--huge structures collapsing have filled us with disbelief, terrible sadness, and a quiet, unyielding anger. These acts of mass murder were intended to frighten our nation into chaos and retreat. But they have failed. Our country is strong. A great people has been moved to defend a great nation. Terrorist attacks can shake the foundations of our biggest buildings, but they cannot touch the foundation of America. These acts shatter steel, but they cannot dent the steel of American resolve. America was targeted for attack because we're the brightest beacon for freedom and opportunity in the world. And no one will keep that light from shining. Today, our nation saw evil -- the very worst of human nature -- and we responded with the best of America...

Immediately following the first attack, I implemented our government's emergency response plans. Our military is powerful, and it's prepared. The search is underway for those who were behind these evil acts. I have directed the full resources of our intelligence and law enforcement communities to find those responsible and to bring them to justice. We will make no distinction between the terrorists who committed these acts and those who harbor them I appreciate so very much the members of Congress who have joined me in strongly condemning these attacks. And on behalf of the American people, I thank the many world leaders who have called to offer their condolences and assistance. America and our friends and allies join with all those who want peace and security in the world, and we stand together to win the war against terrorism (Bush). Apparently, Americans were demanding answers and tighter security, just as the Germans did after the burning of the Reichstag. Hegemony, as above, was responsible for getting the American people to give up some of their freedoms. To better understand this, here is a comparison of how this worked in Nazi Germany, which event is similar to the American 9/11/2001 disaster. In 1933 Hitler was conspiring to take over as total dictator of Germany per Shirer in The Rise and Fall of the Third Reich. He needed to find a way to do away with two other parties in the German parliament, fully discredit the Communist Party and make Communists the enemy, make them dangerous, a Red Terror (Shirer 190). There was sufficient evidence about who really got access to the Reichstag and how the fires got started to tie it to the Nazis (Shirer 190-193). Hans Gisevius,

an official in the Prussian Ministry, testified at the Nuremburg trials that it was Goebbels, Reich Minister of Propaganda, who first thought of setting the Reichstag on fire (193). From one pieced together accounting; Nazi Storm Troopers, led by Karl Ernst, used the tunnel from Goerings Presidential Palace to the Reichstag on the night of February 27, 1933, where they poured copious amounts of gasoline all around interspersed with self-igniters, and then went back through the tunnels to the Presidential Palace. A real Dutch communist, Van der Lubbe, had been encouraged
Firemen work on the burning Reichstag (Wikimedia Commons}

by the Nazis to set the Reichstag on fire and made a

feeble attempt to do so. He had no knowledge of the real arsonists and became the scapegoat for the burning of the Reichstag, being sentenced to death. This was a set up so that the Communists in Germany could be shot on sight based on the falsification that they had conspired to burn the Reichstag as a terrorist act against Germany and the Nazi Party (193-194). Regardless whether the burning of the Reichstag was or was not done by the Nazis themselves; hegemony was involved, as the crisis was used to incite the German population and have them demanding protection from the Communists. Hitler prevailed upon President Hindenburg to sign a decree for the Protection of the People and the State (194). This suspended parts of the German Constitution having to do with individual and civil liberties and was a defensive measure decree as below: Restrictions on personal liberty, on the right of free expression of opinion, including freedom of the press; on the rights of assembly and association; and

violation of the privacy of postal, telegraphic and telephonic communications; and warrants for house searchers, orders for confiscations as well as restrictions on property, are also permissible beyond legal limits otherwise prescribed (Shirer 194). Thus, the killing of anyone opposed to Hitler began. Grunberger writes in his book, The 12-Year Reich: A Social History of Nazi Germany 1933-1945, how the Justice Department cooperated with Hitler to officially convict whoever needed to be removed (116-126). Concentration camps were set up and the rest is history. It is very interesting how terror, starting with the burning of the Reichstag, was used to keep the German people in line, quite willingly, a true cultural hegemony (Shirer 223-226). They allowed drastic reductions in their freedoms in the name of security. As Hermann Goering, Nazi founder of the Gestapo, said: The people can always be brought to the bidding of the leaders. That is easy. All you have to do is tell them they are being attacked and denounce the pacifists for lack of patriotism and exposing the country to danger. It works the same way in any country (Wikiquote 1).
Reichsmarschall Hermann Wilhelm Gring (12 January 1893 15 October 1946) (Wikiquote)

The above example of the burning of the Reichstag and the use of that event to incite the population to war is but one historical example of false flag operations described on a very informative website, WanttoKnow.com (Griffin et al. 1). For better understanding, the term comes from when ships flew flags and the country flew the false flag of the enemy when a country wanted to incite people to war (Griffin et al. 1). In other words, false flag is when a government stages a secret operation, pretending to be the enemy, attacking its own people or forces. These are covert operations planned by very secret sections of the government most often for the purpose of justifying a war. There is a well-documented article called False Flag by a

list of credentialed writers and journalists such as David Ray Griffin PhD (Emeritus professor of philosophy of religion and theology, the author or editor of over 20 books, many of them highly acclaimed, including a critique on the 9/11 Commission Report). On this website WanttoKnow.info, several examples are given such as: the burning of the Reichstag, Russian KGB wave of bombings to justify war against Chechnya, and Indonesias role in Bali bombings (1). The article then goes on to point out some compelling evidence why 9/11 may have been a false flag operation, like the burning of the Reichstag in Germany, executed to have the United States citizens agree and accept war with Afghanistan and anywhere there may be Al Qaeda. Osama Bin Laden became the target and blamed for the attack on our three World Trade Centers and Pentagon (1). Regardless, whether 9/11 was a false flag operation or done by foreign terrorists, the events that occurred that day were used to spur public outrage and the need for more government intervention to protect our country from further terrorist attacks. The population, except for a small minority of alert people, of the United States willingly went along with the precipitous Patriot Act of 2001 and the 9/11 Commission Report. One of the best presentations of possible cover-ups and a quest for what really happened is: 9/11 Press For Truth. In it are four women, known as Jersey Girls, women who live in New Jersey and lost loved ones in the Towers on 9/11. They pull together as much documentation as they possibly can, over a thousand pages, and ask questions, not accepting news reports with scant/conflicting information or going along with the public hysteria of terrorism. For example, the 9/11 Commission Investigation did not commence until March 3, 2003. Per the Jersey Girls, less than 30% of their researched questions were only touched upon; the rest of their questions were not answered (Press for Truth Video 1:00-27:50). The latter part of the video covers Pakistans Inter-Services Intelligence (ISI)

involvement in funding the 9/11 attacks, information that was suppressed by the United States government and media. Also taken up was the protection Bin Laden and Al Qaeda received escaping from Afghanistan into Pakistan (60:00-75:00). The point is that our government is involved in some type of cover up. Not covered in the video are the Security Acts summarized below, which were drafted and passed into law as a result of the 9/11/2001 attacks. First the USA PATRIOT was rushed through and passed on October 24, 2001 tight on the heels of the 9/11 attacks. Per Public Law 107-56 the title of the act is a ten letter acronym, not the word patriot. USA PATRIOT ACT of 2001 stands for Uniting and Strengthening America by Providing Appropriate Tools Required to Intercept and Obstruct Terrorism Act of 2001. The purpose stated is: To deter and punish terrorist acts in the United States and around the world, to enhance law enforcement investigatory tools, and for other purposes (Congress 1). The reason it could be rushed is that we all wanted more safety, more security, and more surveillance; so that we could have protection. However, our legislators and we needed to pay more attention to the details. To summarize: funding was increased as was Presidential Authority; enhanced surveillance procedures, including computer interception; protection for Federal Reserve; indefinite detainment of suspected terrorists; more jurisdiction for Secret Service; cybersecurity (new word); and a review of the Department of Justice (Congress). This is very similar to the security measures after the burning of the Reichstag, covered earlier in this paper. As well, it typifies Dan Philpotts comments in the article from The Stanford Encyclopedia of Philosophy on sovereignty in the sense that no one was given a choice, including the House members really. The President was acting as if the means justified the end as: The obligation of the prince was raison dtat (Philpot 5). Taking away some of our freedoms, it was pushed through, as was the Homeland Security Act.

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It took over a year from the passing of the USA PATRIOT, but on November 25, 2002, the Homeland Security Act of 2002 was drafted and passed by the U.S. Government to establish the Department of Homeland Security, and for other purposes (Congress 1). This Act set up abolishing and transferring functions for the Office of Science and Technology of National Institute of Justice (functions transferred with new Under Secretary for Science and Technology). Other major national agencies are transferred to the new Department of Homeland Security including federal research and development centers, certain agricultural inspection functions, border and transportation security functions, customs, abolishment of Immigration and Naturalization Service (INS) and replaced by Bureau of Citizenship and Immigration Services, taking over of FEMA (Federal Emergency Management Agency) and more. These are major changes in our whole government without the consideration of our U.S. Constitutional rights in many cases (Congress 5).
National Archives Page 1 of U.S. Constitution

The final (but not the only) Act to take away our Constitutional right of Writ of Habeas Corpus is the National Defense Authorization Act of Fiscal Year 2012, passed on December 31, 2011. With 565 pages, the purpose of this Act (which is just supposed to be a defense budget) is: To authorize appropriations for fiscal year 2012 for military activities of the Department of Defense, for military constructions, and for defense activities of the Department of Energy, to prescribe military personnel strengths for such fiscal year, and for other purposes (Congress 1). The President and the House really wanted this one to be put into law. Its the for other purposes

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about which we must fire up more alertness as U.S. citizens. In the 565 pages, what we need to pay attention to is Section 1021, titled: Affirmation of authority of the Armed Forces of the United States to detain covered persons pursuant to the Authorization for Use of Military Force (Congress). This is a very controversial law section and has been brought to appeal twice and will be again. The wording has been challenged but basically a person can be picked up and detained indefinitely by order of the President. This would be potentially a U.S. citizen with suspected terrorist connections or a suspected terrorist; no definition of terrorist or terrorist connections is given, very wide open criteria. He/she would be held without Writ of Habeas Corpus (Congress). Writ of Habeas Corpus is a privilege accorded us under our Constitution and involves being informed of what one is charged with. This NDAA Section 1021 gives absolute authority to the President for detaining of citizens for mere suspicions. This is the kind of rationalized authority discussed in an article by Paul Gingrich, Professor in the Department of Sociology and Social Studies, University of Regina, Max Webers Idea of: Power, Domination, Legitimation, and Authority. In it he states: Parties may be formed to rationalize some of these procedures, and pursue the goals of the group (1). We need to ask ourselves why our President needs that kind of authority on American soil against U.S. citizens and how our Congress rationalized the inclusion of that Section in the Act. Section 1021 violates Section 9 of the U.S. Constitution: Powers Withheld from Congress: The right to habeas corpus shall not be suspended unless emergency situationsfor example, rebellions or foreign invasionsrequire it to be suspended (Wells 1).

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WHAT TO DO Well, how can one person stand up to our Big Brother government manipulation? The first thing is to wake up and look at the facts; develop a curiosity; be aware and dont go along with the status quo. Get armed with good information to counteract the average, apathetic citizen spouting out how wonderful our leaders are for protecting us and pretending all is well. This battle is going to be fought one person at a time. What you do now will make a difference! Make sure your children are taught accurate history on how America was founded, the structure of the government, and their rights. Buck that cultural hegemony! See the following Appendix for some informative links, and check the Security Acts themselves (links in text above). Also, highly recommended is to check the House and Senate websites: http://www.house.gov/ and http://www.senate.gov/ from time to time to become knowledgeable on what legislation is being considered instead of believing what is broadcast on the media. Contact your representatives about your concerns. Have a voice! TO CONCLUDE For some reason our United States Government has a vested interest in not only keeping us at war on foreign countries soil, but also restricting our freedoms guaranteed in our Constitution with so-called Security Acts. With NDAA a U.S. citizen can literally be picked up off the street, no Writ of Habeas Corpus, held indefinitely. His/her family would not know what happened. The evidence might be a false accusation of terrorist activity. Dont let Big Brother win - insist on repealing Sections 1021 and 1022 of the National Defense Authorization Act of Fiscal Year 2012. Please take action.

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Appendix Helpful resources: How to find and communicate with your Representatives: http://www.house.gov/representatives/find/ How to find and communicate with your Senators: http://www.senate.gov/ Website for Want to Know Info a comprehensive, documented site for questions on what is really happening in the United States: http://www.wanttoknow.info/ Paul Thompsons Book, The Terror Timeline: Year by Year, Day by Day, Minute by Minute: A Comprehensive Chronicle of the Road to 9/11--and America's Response, published 2004: http://www.amazon.com/Terror-Timeline-Comprehensive-Chronicle-11/dp/0060783389 Book by Gary Berntsten, Jawbreaker: The Attack on Bin Laden and Al-Qaeda: A Personal Account by the CIA's Key Field Commander, published 2006: http://www.amazon.com/Jawbreaker-Al-Qaeda-Personal-Account-Commander/dp/0307351068 Michael Moores 2004 Film, Fahrenheit 9/11: http://www.amazon.com/Fahrenheit-11-John-Ashcroft-II/dp/B00005JNEI For more details of the USA PATRIOT Act with documentation: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Patriot_Act Alternative answer to how three towers came down on 9/11/2001: http://www.youtube.com/watch?feature=player_detailpage&v=NX_UKdqoa_o For information on how our government is storing our cyber communication from NSA Whistleblower, William Binney: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=TuET0kpHoyM&feature=share And the best, most uplifting for last: http://www.thewaytohappiness.org/thewaytohappiness/precepts/support-government-designedand-run-for-all.html

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Works Cited Bush, George. George W. Bush: 9/11 Address to the Nation. American Rhetoric: Rhetoric of 9-11. September 11, 2001. Web. November 20, 2012 <http://www.americanrhetoric.com/speeches/gwbush911addresstothenation.htm> DDT Documentaries LLC. 9/11 Press for Truth. 2006. Web. November 12, 2012. <http://www.personalgrowthcourses.net/video/9-11_video> Gingrich, Paul. Max Webers Idea of: Power, Domination, Legitimation, and Authority. University of Regina, Sociology 250. October 7 and 12, 1999. Web. October 11, 2012. <http://uregina.ca/~gingrich/o12f99.htm> Griffin, David Ray et al. WanttoKnow.info. False Flag. Web. November 12, 2012. <http://www.wanttoknow.info/falseflag > Grunberger, Richard. The 12-Year Reich. New York: Holt, Rinehart and Winston, 1971. Print. Orwell, George. 1984. New York: Penguin Group, 1950. Print. Philpott, Dan, "Sovereignty", The Stanford Encyclopedia of Philosophy (Summer 2010 Edition), Edward N. Zalta (ed.). May 31, 2003. Web. November 1, 2012. <http://plato.stanford.edu/archives/sum2010/entries/sovereignty/> Shirer, William L. The Rise and Fall of the Third Reich: A History of Nazi Germany. New York: Simon and Schuster, 1960. Print The Free Dictionary. big brother. The American Heritage Dictionary of the English Language, Fourth Edition. Web. Dec 2, 2012. < http://www.thefreedictionary.com/big+brother > United States. Cong. Senate. Homeland Security Act of 2002. H.R. 5005. 107th Cong. November 25, 2002. Web. October 31, 2012. <http://www.dhs.gov/homeland-security-act-2002> United States. Cong. Senate. National Defense Authorization Act for Fiscal Year 2012. H.R. 1540. 112th Cong. December 31, 2011. Web. November 4, 2012. <http://www.gpo.gov/fdsys/pkg/PLAW-112publ81/pdf/PLAW-112publ81.pdf> United States. Cong. Senate. Uniting and Strengthening America by Providing Appropriate Tools Required to Intercept and Obstruct Terrorism (USA PATRIOT ACT) Act of 2001. H.R. 3162. 107th Cong., October, 26, 2001. Web. October 31, 2012. <http://www.gpo.gov/fdsys/pkg/PLAW-107publ56/pdf/PLAW-107publ56.pdf> Wells, Margaret. U.S. Constitution. Spark Charts. 2002, Spark Publishing. Print. Wierenga, Edward. "Omnipresence", The Stanford Encyclopedia of Philosophy (Fall 2011 Edition). Edward N. Zalta (ed.). July 15, 2005. Web. November 1, 2012. <http://plato.stanford.edu/archives/fall2011/entries/omnipresence/> Wikimedia contributor. Firemen Working on the Burning Reichstag. Wikimedia Commons. Nov. 9, 2012. Web. Dec. 2, 2012. < http://commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/File:Reichstagsbrand.jpg> Wikimedia contributor. UA Flight 175 Hits WTC South Tower 9-11. Wikimedia Commons. Oct. 16, 2010. Web. Dec. 2, 2012. <http://commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/File:UA_Flight_175_hits_WTC_south_tower_911.jpeg>

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Wikimedia contributor. Constitution of the United States page 1. Wikimedia Commons. July 14, 2011. Web. Dec. 2, 2012. < http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/File:Constitution_Pg1of4_AC.jpg> Wikipedia contributors. "Cultural hegemony." Wikipedia, The Free Encyclopedia. Wikipedia, The Free Encyclopedia, 19 Nov. 2012. Web. 2 Dec. 2012. <http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Cultural_hegemony > Goering, Herman. Wikiquote. Image and Quote. Nov 20, 2012. Web. Dec. 1, 2012. <http://en.wikiquote.org/wiki/Hermann_G%C3%B6ring>