Politics and Insights from History

Obama’s appointment of a cyber czar, and his other government take overs, are very similar to what has happened from past dictators.  Two most notable examples are Adolf Hitler and Joseph Stalin.

Hitler was elected by the German people.  With his foot in the door, he was well able to take over the German governmnet.  After securing his power with the Nazi win of the Reichstag election, Adolf Hitler outlawed Communist/Socialist writings and took control of all radio stations. This made it where his propaganda was heard and no dissenting views. Afterwards he proceeded to outlaw the Weimar Constitution of Germany and got rid of any rivals securing his power as dictator of Germany.

Here Hitler began taking control of the social and economical aspects of Germany. He outlawed religion replacing it with the worship of the Third Reich and its leader, him. He controlled the media so the people were unable to have access to any views other than those supported by the state. He provided jobs for the German people by outlawing the Jews from working. Many Germans were also sent to work in public works projects or conscripted in the German Army. Hitler also took over the education system in the country by requiring all children to be involved in the Hitler Youth where they received a steady dose of indoctrination and became good little Nazis. As Hitler changed the German identity and formed the country into what he thought it should be, the German people found themselves with less freedom and no security. Any dissent was squashed by the Gestapo. If suspected of helping a Jew a person and his entire family would be arrested without charge and without warrant. The people quickly discovered that they had been duped by Hitler and the Nazi Party. Hitler promised change and restoration of Aryan glory. The people voted for him as they were desperate for change.

The same thing happened in Russia. Life under the Czars was no picnic. Many people lived in poverty. They were sick and tired. So along come Lenin, and the Bolsheviks. The Bolsheviks won their revolution, Czar Nikolas and his family were killed and Lenin became the leader of Russia, which was renamed the USSR.

Lenin pushed his communist agenda through economic means. He nationalized all farms making it where the state owned all of the land in the country, the farmers were just allowed to work on it. They took what they thought was excess food and purchased crop at such low prices that the farmers lived in poverty. Some burned their crops and destroyed livestock rather than have it all go to the government. They were severely punished. Lenin also took over ownership of industry and abolished all private trade. Workers were paid with food ration cards instead of cash and even then it was never enough to feed a family.

The result of these two economic changes was continued poverty for the Russian people and famine. So Lenin had to change his policy slightly allowing ownership of private industry.

When Stalin took over the USSR he set about modernizing it. It is because of Stalin the Russia became industrialized, however, everything was owned by the state. He repealed any private ownership allowed by Lenin. He instituted a State Planning Commission which issued orders to industries, small businesses, and farms. In an effort to increase food production, Stalin had all farm collectivized. Farmers pooled their resources and labor, whatever crops produced were sold to the government at less than market price. Any surpluses they were allowed to keep and share among themselves.

Stalin had three five year plans he used to achieve his goals of industrializing the USSR. Though his plan did create roads, dams, and infrastructure necessary in the Soviet Union, it took its toll on the people. People worked in harsh conditions, punished severely for absenteeism, and paid little. This influx of forced industrialization forced many people to move into the cities where there was inadequate housing, poor medical facilities and schools. Consumer goods were in short supply, shops were empty, clothing was scarce, and everyday household items were nowhere to be found. Basically, the standard of living under Stalin’s five year plan fell as people were forced to live in a lower state of poverty than they did under the Czars.

Stalin also took over education. Children were required to go to government run schools where they learned to be good communists. There were also taught to spy on their family, their friends, and anyone they came across. Children made excellent informers when someone refused to worship the state or voiced their discontent with Stalin.

It was only a matter of time until President Obama took over the internet by appointing a Cyber Czar. The name couldn’t be more fitting. Czars are in complete control of things and answer to no one. This Cyber Czar will answer only to Obama, not Congress, not the courts and certainly not the people. In fact the people have no say in this.

Obama says that the cyber czar will monitor online threats from terrorists and keep our internet networks safe. Admirable, but the government already has securities measures in place to keep our internet software safe. “It’s now clear this cyber threat is one of the most serious economic and national security challenges we face as a nation,” Obama said, adding, “We’re not as prepared as we should be, as a government or as a country.”[i] Obama fails to mention who will be heading this new position and whom he will answer to. Another problem is the chance of this being abused. Too often people have been given positions of great power, such as this, and abused it. This is nothing more than another expansion of the federal government. Once it starts it does not end. We have witnessed this pattern for the last 40 years.

Obama is attempting to frighten the people into giving the government more power. Whenever he opens his mouth and attempts to sell the us on the idea of more government control, he poses a crisis. First it was the auto industry heading toward bankruptcy. Obama promised that if we allowed the federal government to give billions of dollars that it doesn’t have to GM, Chrysler, and Ford then we would save the American auto industry and be spared from an impending crisis. Well, GM and Chrysler have both declared bankruptcy, our money is gone. Obama expanded the power of the government and prevented nothing. He has also presented us with other crises: Americans have no access to health care, global warming rampant, a mounting deficit. His solution: government run health care (it has never worked in any country that implemented it), Cap and Tax (i.e. cape and trade), and introduce more taxes (while at the same time spending uncontrollably).

But we have another threat. A more sinister and dangerous plot. A major crisis! The terrorists might use our digitalized services and our internet against us! Our online services: banking, bill paying, etc. are not safe. Our way of life may be at risk. So Obama dons his red cape and swoops in to save us from another crisis. He will appoint someone to monitor the internet for such threats. Ladies and Gentlemen, do you honestly think that our way of life, our usage of cyber space will be any safer with the government in control of the internet?

We have become so afraid as a society that we are allowing the federal government to assume whatever powers they want because we have been duped into believing it will protect us. We run to our congressmen, our president, even our justices whenever we stub our toe. As a society we fear losing what we have that we allow the government to expand its “protective” arm over us. Just one problem: the government never holds its end of the bargain. When governments get as big and powerful as ours, we will lose everything that we hope to protect. I do not mean material wealth, though we will lose that too. But most importantly we will lose our freedom to do as we choose, to strive for a better life, and to just live. Benjamin Franklin wisely said, “Those that give up liberty for temporary safety, deserve neither liberty nor safety.” He is absolutely right.

Oh, Obama assures us that the new czar will not monitor private networks or email accounts, nor will he dictate to private businesses how they will conduct their affairs or tighten their digital security. But we have heard these assurances before from past dictators. Remember Hitler, Stalin. They promised their people that there was nothing to fear from the government. The government was going to right wrongs and improve their lives. Millions of innocent lives paid for those assurances.