DOWN THE RABBIT HOLE: What it looks like when a country is sleeping and losing its freedom – one law at a time

Last week’s solar eclipse came and went and while beautiful, it did not serve to down the grid, cause an excessive need for the National Guard, and quite frankly shame on the gas stations who raised their gas prices to astronomical amounts to take advantage of the American people who are already feeling that same punch in the gut from the US government.

While we did skate past an eclipse crisis, we have not soared past the crisis of a government out of control.

As if weekly occurrences like the runaway container ship hitting the Francis Scott Key Bridge in Baltimore not long ago was not enough, this past weekend 26 barges broke loose on the Ohio River causing bridge scares and closings.

Most thinking people at this point are watching the patterns and are aware these are highly unlikely coincidences. While people can say the electricity went out on the ship and blah, blah, blah, it’s true, but no one is ever going to be stupid enough to make high profile incidents to cripple an economy look like anything other than an accident.

And why does Joe Joe want the Federal Government to pay for the cost of the Key Bridge rebuild?

The American people had nothing to do with it. However, the company who owns the ship is asking in Federal Court to “cap the amount of damages the company can be forced to pay for the disaster at $43 million.

The Singapore-based Grace Ocean Private Ltd. filed a “limitation of liability” action in federal court Monday, invoking a little-known statute used in maritime law: (thedailyrecord.com/2024/04/01/owner-of-ship-that-destroyed-key-bridge-files-limitation-of-liability-action-in-federal-court).

US Representative for Maryland David Trone said that state and federal officials estimated the port’s closure would cost the economy as much as $15 million per day. And the port directly supports more than 15,000 jobs, and an additional 140,000 jobs dependent on port activity according to Maryland Governor Wes Moore’s office.

So yes, it is a tragedy for the US economy.

But even bigger problems are on the horizon for the US economy. The fact that we have been funneling money to Israel to the tune of over $300 billion according to the Council on Foreign Relations (www.cfr.org/article/us-aid-israel-four-charts#:~:text=How%20much%20U.S.%20aid%20does,total%20economic%20and%20military%20assistance) in foreign aid including economic and military assistance.

Whether you’re an Israeli sympathizer or a Palestinian sympathizer, you’d better be a United States sympathizer because Iran’s attack on Israel over the weekend was a clear message.

Even Israel’s Iron Dome did not stop the hit of several of that country’s military bases.

From what I understand, the damage was not as extreme as it could have been – many are saying it was a message – and it will be louder next time.

Even if you want to say America and Israel are compadres, why? Because the AIPAC (American Israel Public Affairs Committee) lobbyist group boldly states they give money to a good majority of the politician’s campaign to get them elected. 

Look up whether our own local representative in DC – Jake Ellzey – has taken money from AIPAC (I wrote about this in a previous column). Look at the amount he has taken and how he votes. 

I’m not saying he’s doing anything wrong. I am saying “We the People” are either the watchdogs of our country at this point or there will be no country to watch.

It is time we stop spreading this country so thin. We are so busy with our fingers in the business of other countries (i.e., money and oil are involved if you follow the pattern) yet we have an open border that’s eventually going to wake up even the heavy sleepers in the US sitting brainwashed in front of their televisions. 

I see these young adult boys and girls in America who have grown up in the “everyone is a winner culture” (even though they are not) saying they will not be going to war with that annoying valley girl type of tone that cracks me up because these little flowers will be the first to go.

Someone asked the question why is US setting up a temporary port for aid to the folks in Gaza? Well, as a good country boy might say, “because there is oil in them there hills.”

There is oil in Palestine – and the vultures want to get to it – do some research there and see what patterns you find. 

Truth is, how about instead of setting up aid we stop sending Israel money to destroy it in the first place?

It is time we woke up guys, it may be past time.

This administration with Joe Joe at the helm has driven us into two wars at the cost of billions of dollars.

We have seen fires around the country that have killed innocent people and crippled cities and economies, an open border where millions of illegals are dancing across making fun of America including terrorists who are killing men, women and children and getting a mere slap on the wrist. And the list could go on, but you get the point.

This job of running a country has clearly been too big for the administration who has been attempting to do it.

And for those Republicans who think Speaker of the House Mike Johnson can do no wrong, tell me why he allowed this FISA to pass again.

Congress spent the past week in a fractious debate over a major government surveillance program that gives US authorities the ability to monitor vast swaths of emails, text messages and phone calls without a warrant.

In a vote on Friday, lawmakers ultimately decided to keep that warrantless surveillance intact and passed a two-year reauthorization of the law, known as section 702 of the Foreign Intelligence Surveillance Act, or FISA (www.theguardian.com/world/2024/apr/12/what-is-fisa-warrant-surveillance#:~:text=In%20a%20vote%20on%20Friday,allows%20warrantless%20surveillance%20of%20citizens).

We are losing our freedom people.

I’m not saying Trump is the answer to the country’s problems, but I am saying loud and clear it’s time Joe Joe and his merry band of jesters retired from the circus and went home.

Rita Cook is a freelance writer for The Ellis County Press. She can be reached at rcook13@earthlink.net.