Statement of Senator Patrick Leahy, oversight hearing on surveillance programs

[William deB. Mills]

43. Abuse of Power

From the Patriot Act, Abu Ghraib, Guantanamo pre-trial torture, wars for profit, destroying the careers of honest Federal officials who oppose contract fraud, and drone attacks on unidentified civilians to bailouts of billionaires and “stay out of jail” cards for Wall St. CEOs despite prima facie evidence of fraudulent behavior to the vicious pre-trial torture of individual Americans guilty of embarrassing top officials, we are witnessing the rise of an elite culture based on self-defense against the people. The members of the elite who buy into this culture all agree that it is in their common private interest to treat the people as the enemy. Whether the president or Wall St. banker or arms corporation CEO happens to label himself Republican. Democrat, or apolitical businessman is becoming increasingly irrelevant: the elite is adopting a garrison state perspective that labels all debate, all independent thought as proof of treachery.

On the other hand, we have Senators Leahy, Franken, Udall, and others criticizing NSA domestic spying, while Senators Warren and others criticize laxity in regulating Wall St. casinos. So there is at least some evidence of democracy in action. One can only hope that the senators advocating transparency in government will coordinate their efforts with the senators advocating regulation of Big Finance. It is all part of one issue: abuse of power.