Will George Orwell's 1984 Become A Reality In 2004?

Chuck Baldwin Ministries ^ | 12-30-03 | Baldwin, Chuck

[Theodore R.]

Will George Orwell's 1984 Become A Reality In 2004?

By Chuck Baldwin

Food For Thought From The Chuck Wagon

December 30, 2003 The current edition of Insight magazine features an article in which the former commander of the military's Central Command, Gen. Tommy Franks, warns that constitutional government could be subject to a sudden demise if another major terrorist attack took place in America.

Insight declares, "Gen. Tommy Franks says that if the United States is hit with a weapon of mass destruction that inflicts large casualties, the Constitution will likely be discarded in favor of a military form of government." Insight refers to an interview the retired general gave to a men's lifestyle magazine, Cigar Aficionado. The interview appears in the magazine's December edition.

According to Insight, "the former commander of the military's Central Command warned that if terrorists succeeded in using a weapon of mass destruction (WMD) against the U.S. or one of our allies, it would likely have catastrophic consequences for our cherished republican form of government." Franks is also quoted as saying if such an attack occurred, "the Western world, the free world, loses what it cherishes most, and that is freedom and liberty we've seen for a couple of hundred years in this grand experiment that we call democracy." The magazine quotes Franks as warning that a serious terrorist attack would result in our country being "militarized" and our constitutional form of government coming "unraveled."

General Frank's warning should be taken to heart by all Americans. President G.W. Bush, Attorney General John Ashcroft, and Homeland Security Director Tom Ridge, in concert with a Republican majority in Congress, have put in place a massive police state apparatus capable of enforcing martial law in a moment's notice. Furthermore, it appears that these leaders are more than willing to actually enact such a move.

However, the most disturbing factor in all of this is the apparent willingness of the American people, especially Christian people, to submit to a federal police state. Local police departments, judges, ministers, along with grass roots citizens, seem totally unconcerned to the prospect of losing their individual liberties and freedoms. Beyond that, they seem to enthusiastically support the idea.

It seems that the American people have foolishly bought into the notion that any abridgement of freedom is justified as long as the goal is "security." They obviously have forgotten that a bird in a cage is secure, but it is hardly free. Americans seem also to have forgotten the sage counsel of Benjamin Franklin who plainly said, "They who give up essential liberty for temporary security deserve neither liberty nor security." Amen!

It seems plain to me that a future attack by terrorists against the United States is not a matter of "if," but "when." We are no more immune to terrorist attack now than we were in September of 2001, the Patriot Act, the Department of Homeland Security, and the capture of Saddam Hussein notwithstanding.

The question, then, is not what the federal government will do to fight terrorism; the question is what the federal government will do to its own citizenry in the name of fighting terrorism. If Gen. Franks is right, the next terrorist attack will result in the Constitution being expunged and military law taking its place. If this happens, would not the real terrorists be our own leaders, and would anyone care?

© Chuck Baldwin

[Miss Marple]

Why do you post this nutty stuff?

[RightWhale]

This was posted before.

[templar]

Insight declares, "Gen. Tommy Franks says that if the United States is hit with a weapon of mass destruction that inflicts large casualties, the Constitution will likely be discarded in favor of a military form of government."

And anyone resisting this would, of course, be considered anti-American and on the side of the terrorists.

[Torie]

If Gen. Franks is right, the next terrorist attack will result in the Constitution being expunged and military law taking its place.

That is a mighty big "if" indeed. And who the heck is Chuck Baldwin? What does he know about the price of potatoes?

[EggsAckley]

'eh......! Gloom and Doom alert needed.

[Captiva]

Will George Orwell's 1984 Become A Reality In 2004?

Yes.

[ChicagoHebrew]

I actually don't think it's so nutty. If the US got hit with a couple more serious attacks, I think people would scramble for security. I could easily see a stronger military presence in vulnerable public places like subway stations. Combined with overseas activities, that could warrant a return to the draft.

It also wouldn't be a shock to see the US partially suspend habeous corpus, as it did during the Civil War, and see Americans gladly give up certain civil liberties.

A dictatorship though is unlikely. But I could see the US become a little more like Israel-- a stronger government presence in people's lives, and a more militerisitc state.

[Theodore R.]

It was not listed under "search" if it was posted earlier. It was written Monday afternoon with a Tuesday date.

[Mike-o-Matic]

   Will George Orwell's 1984 Become A Reality In 2004?

No.

[hershey]

As usual, I'm a day late and a penny short mentally, but the resemblance between the war scenes in 'Terminator' and the drone planes and those Warthog helicopters is inescapable. And that device that allows ground forces to see over the next hill! Robots in warfare. It's amazing.

[RightWhale]

You're right, it doesn't come up under search. I didn't even think it was a repeat until I started reading it. Maybe it's so generic Orwellian that it seeemd familiar.

Carry on.
-site nanny

[joesnuffy]

Dont care all that much for Baldwin...but Tommy Franks is a most honorable soldier and patriot
imo

[TomB]

Has anybody actually seen the article in Cigar Aficionado that this quote was found?

I haven't been able to find it on the web.

[cynicom]

Ever wonder what Clinton would have done had 911 happened during Sept of his last year???

[the gillman@blacklagoon.com]

...The magazine quotes Franks as warning that a serious terrorist attack would result in our country being "militarized" and our constitutional form of government coming "unraveled."...

Franks is a one issue malcontent.

[RightWhale]

I certainly haven't read the original article, but I believe there was discussion of it on FR. It was a couple weeks ago. If there were enough actual damage in a region, then there would be martial law for a while in the region.

[Forgiven_Sinner]

Seems rather alarmist. The US came a lot closer to a police state in the '30's (FDR's programs) and WW II (Japanese internment) than the Patriot act brings us. I'm suspicious of this article, for it says what Tommy Franks says without quoting him. I suspect they are misquoting him or taking his quotes out of context. I don't believe this administration would suspend the Constitution in event of a WMD attack.

But what I fear is that the US public might be willing to accept it.

[TomB]

The interpretation seems to be unnecessarily alarmist. I think Franks is warning about the damgers of letting up on the WoT more than predicting a definite reality.

[TomB]

Ooooooops!

Ignore my tag line. I was ridiculing an anti-war "libertarian" FReeper on another thread.