Capitalistic Communism Alive and Well in America

Heather Smith, staff writer

Since I was a young girl, I have questioned the meaning of freedom. Does it truly exist? Is the government our friend, our protector of freedom? If so, then why are our freedom and rights being toyed with by our very own government?

The Declaration of Independence calls liberty an inalienable right. The Bill of Rights further clarified that the government is limited, and can never pass laws to alter or dispose of our inalienable rights. In the Declaration of Independence, it also states, “That whenever any form of government becomes destructive of these ends, it is the right of the people to alter or to abolish it, and to institute new government, laying its foundation on such principles and organizing its powers in such form, as to them shall seem most likely to effect their safety and happiness.”

So why is the government passing laws that violate our very own civil liberties? Why are Americans just sitting back and allowing it to happen? Is it true what a lot of Americans are saying about The United States? Are we becoming a communist state?

No, we are not, and those people saying that couldn’t be more wrong. We are not even close to being communistic. Don’t get me wrong. I’m not saying that communism isn’t alive and going strong in America. As a matter of fact, it is. “The Communist Party USA” is just one of the organizations that exist, in America.

Communism does not fit the profile of what is happening to America. Today’s meaning of communism is nothing like what we remember from the past. Many still recall the violence and the hardships that the people in Russia went through under communist rule.

So what is communism? One meaning of communism is the goal, or the ideal, of a society in which everyone is equal. This was how Karl Marx explained communism. Under communism, according to Marx, the government disappears and there is economic cooperation as well. The principle of distribution becomes "from each according to his/her ability, to each according to his/her need." Modern day communism is based on the writings of two German economists, Karl Marx and Fredrich Engels.

Since communism does not seem to describe what is happing to America, what does? About 10 years ago, I read a novel titled “1984”, written by George Orwell. It is one of the most horrifying novels that I have ever read.

Orwell wrote the novel as a warning against the dangers of a totalitarian government fueled by high technology. Orwell envisioned a world overwhelmed by nuclear war and poverty, with the West falling under the rule of a totalitarian socialist dictator, Big Brother.

Big Brother has perfected the use of high technology to keep an eye on the public, and to ensure constant loyalty through surveillance, propaganda and brainwashing. The thought police are set up to watch out for those who persist in thinking for themselves. They send the free thinkers to the Ministry of Love, where they will be re-educated and forced to love Big Brother.

Could this be what our future holds for us? Are we seeing the beginning effects of a totalitarian government?

Just the definition of totalitarianism is enough to scare you. It is when the state regulates nearly every aspect of public and private behavior. Totalitarian governments mobilize entire populations in support of the state and a political ideology. It does not tolerate activities by individuals or groups such as labor unions, churches and political parties that are not directed toward the state's goals. They maintain themselves in power by means of secret police, propaganda through the state-controlled mass media, regulation and restriction of free discussion and criticism about the government, and the widespread use of terror tactics.

Are we seeing the beginning effects of a totalitarian America, or has it always been one? Maybe my blindfold has been removed and I am no longer blinded by this so-called democracy that doesn’t truly exist.

The hard-hitting reality is that our government has always been corrupt and known to use excessive force, from the start of the United States. If you look back in history, our first president, George Washington, called out 15,000 troops to silence a group of farmers who were protesting the whiskey tax. Freedom of speech was silenced that day. Unfortunately, the violation of our rights did not stop there, nor has it stopped.

If we don’t know America’s history, we will live our lives believing what we are taught in elementary school, that America is a beacon for democracy and freedom in the world.

We cannot hold our government solely responsible for the loss of freedom in America. When we voluntarily sacrifice our rights and freedom, in the name of national security, we encourage this unconstitutional abuse by Big Brother.  The only way democracy will ever exist in America is when people stop quivering in fear at the government’s feet. We must learn how to live and survive on our own.