In
two major cases recently the veracity of our government has been found
wanting. Our government has lied to us…and has done so for years.
Nope, this is not about NSA—though we have been lied to there already.
This is history..but important history.
In
one case, the infamous Area 51, the government denied, in court, that
such an area by that name, existed. This was crucial because federal
employees, the governments own,
were suing to get records that might prove the US had put their lives
in great danger by using toxic chemicals on the job at Area 51. That
area was a top secret Nevada test base for advanced airplanes such as the
Stealth Fighter and the B-2 bombers.
It’s
understandable why the government would want to keep this a secret. But
“No comment” is one thing; denying it to a judge is quite another. And
especially after Russia
published satellite pictures of Area 51, offering them for sale to
anyone. Still the denials continued. When the employees’ lawyer offered
to take the judge to a mountaintop nearby and show him Area 51 in the
distance, the US bought the mountain, with your
money, and put it off limits.
In
the second case, the CIA has ‘fessed up…as almost everyone suspected.
It illegally conspired to overthrow the democratically elected
government of Iran in 1953, because
the new prime minister was going to nationalize its oil industry, then
owned..not by American firms, but by the British.
Small
wonder when Iran citizens revolted later against the Shah, (who sided
with the CIA against the new PM) it was our embassy The revolution
seized, and held our staff hostage---remember.
And can you see why Iran now has little trust in the U-S when we take
part in an international inspection of charges its nuclear industry is
not to generate power, but to generate weapons? That bad decision of 1953 has come home to roost in what could be
an even more important crisis. Atomic.
The
CIA lied about its role to Congress and the American people for
years..but, as with Area 51, was made to tell the truth by journalists
and academic institutions seeking,
and finally getting the records needed.
Now,
when our government says..”Trust us..we have safeguards in place”, we
won’t read your mail, or e mails, or listen in on our phone calls, any citizen ought to say…”Prove
it..now. I don’t want to wait another 40-60 years to find out, as with
Iran and Area 51, you were lying to me all the time back in 2013.”
Let
me add those committees in Congress who were charged with overseeing
Iran and Area 51 didn’t find out the truth and tell us. They didn’t do
their job, as they haven’t
in the NSA situation.
Everyday citizens did..for as the famed abolitionist and liberal activist Wendell Phillips reminds us..”Eternal vigilance is the price of Liberty.”
I'm just sayin'...