Back Story
In 2016, I took a college level government course, and found a great interest in the topic of Elite Immunity.
Glen Greenwald's : With Liberty And Justice For Some
"Subtle Political Critique" - White Rose
It was a heightened peak around the last Trump election that sparked such a passion behind this passage. I was assigned 2 book reviews for this class, and had a choice to pic from a myriad of topics. The topic of American Injustice was just what the Dr. ordered.
THE ELECTION:
The Race between Donald Trump & Bernie Sanders was extremely focused on certain class and group structures within American society. At what point did America become so distinctly divided on issues with such strong opposition? How did we get here? We have a radical Republican, such as Donald Trump, exploiting the American systems flaws extremely aggressively. His opponent, Democrat Socialist Bernie Sanders, who genuinely cares about society, and supporting the people's standard of living. What events led up to a revolutionary presidential election like the one we are witnessing today? I have asked myself this foundation of questions, in search of answers. My search began with books like Greenwalds': WITH LIBERTY & JUSTICE FOR SOME. In this publication, Greenwald became very familiar with the topic of historical political injustices. Greenwald, with out a doubt, is the subject matter expert. He carries strong expertise in the dynamism of the title, and what it means for an era of dysfunction. Stories in this dissertation are riddle with injustices for us common, everyday Americans.
ELITE IMMUNITY : What Is That?
" The ultimate lesson is that there is no immunity, no matter our age or the size of our retirement account, from going through constant cycles of integration and disintegration in which we are humbled, and hopefully set to rights with the world again." ~David Whyte
What is elite immunity? In the book With Liberty & Justice for Some, elite immunity implies that a series of events occurred throughout our nations history, proving our government, government bodies, and certain parties are without legal punishment or responsibility. ABOVE THE LAW! For the most part, Greenwald specifies events & locations of proof, and records of information of historical events proving elite immunity exits, defines it.
GOVERNMENT IMMUNITY (IMPUNITY)
What is government immunity or impunity? (Publication) Governmental immunity means that there is a doctrine system from English common law that no governmental body can be sued unless it gives permission. This type of protection has resulted in terrible injustices, since public hospitals, government drivers and other employees could be negligent with impunity (freedom from) from judgement. (Library) The Federal Tort Claims Act and state waivers of immunity (with specific claims systems) have negated the rule, which stemmed from the days when kings set prerogatives. The idea is flawed. In the US society it is our duty to vote, build up, and place people in power that will be responsible for mass groups, and needs of community from micro, to macro economical & sociological perspectives. The reason government immunity is flawed, is because we are not perfect people, and that we can be persuaded positively, or negatively in any direction. Mainly due to propaganda, and psychological mass media forces. The imperfect-ed rule can also be assistance to how to make things better. A better society begins within the heart of the right leadership. Asking questions like : "How do we make society better?", then asserting positive action, is better than a rule or restriction to human nature.
Why is positive action better?
I think society, law & rules are compound problems now. We are creating conflicting rules in society.
HISTORICAL EVENTS
What are some of the events that Greenwald speaks on to prove the existence of elite immunity? The first incident he mentions, George W. Bushs' presidency. According to Greenwald, (Foundation) EFF, New York Times, and many other sources, reports that representatives of the George Bush administration were illegally able to monitor peoples telephone calls in America. (Justice) This type of behavior is a felony punishable with strong consequences.
A quotidian American would serve up to five years in prison and a ten-thousand-dollar, PER ACT, fine. It gets worse; no one took action, or would think about acting upon these charges against someone with so much power. There is an understood practice of top ranking authoritarians that the law does not apply to them. This is a good example, and I have to agree with Greenwald on the issue. It doesn't make sense for one individual to get superior treatment over another. Are we equal, or are we not equal?
Equality is another issue that Americans are fighting over. LGBT are now publicly aware cases and issues in America. So why are we treated differently if we are all individuals that make the society a whole? Why does one set of rules apply only to some, and not to superior power or ranked individuals.
(Wiki) Although it appears socially wrong, this practice is called Pareto Efficiency. This practice, named after Vilfredo Pareto, doesn't intend to satisfy equality. The basics of this practice means that some will be served, and others will be worse off. It appears, that this logic is actively applied to how the most wealthy in America, and most powerful individuals operate. Thus, adding to Greenwald's examples of inequality. In the American Society, it is easily observed that the Pareto Efficiency rule applies to all groups vs. wealthy. Concluding the Wealthy are protected, and all the rest of society will be worse off.
WATERGATE
Another historical episode Greenwald writes about is Watergate. Why is the Watergate scandal an important factor of Greenwalds ideology of elite immunity?
Of all the historical events Greenwald wrote about in his book, Watergate is the most definitive event describing the elements that have led up to today's interpretation of elite immunity. When Watergate happened, it gave American people less power over the powerhouse. This event allowed one of the most critical roles to our populations' general well-being, and vitality, allowance to abuse rights, rules, and legal restrictions. It is understood, or was understood that Americans are protected, and safe. Now the consensus is that these political figures let us down consistently with breaking rules, laws, and restrictions. (Cronology)(Greenwald, With Liberty and Justice for Some, 2011)
What is the Watergate scandal? Watergate is a 1970's political ignominy of the Nixon administration, following a break-in of the Democratic National Committee in the Watergate complex of Washington D.C.. The Nixon administration attempted to dissimulate the event. This event preceded Nixon's re-election. Subsequently, Gerald Ford was the president after Nixon's resignation. Immediately the new president pardoned Nixon for any committed crimes, or crimes intended to commit. The impression of the Nixon pardon became the staple precedent for inevitable unjust amnesty. Boundless repetition of occurrences in our history, has lead our future to a system of leaders that are protecting each other from the law that they have created. They system created for everyone that implies justice, now is damned. I say that we are damned, because we have little to no control & power to be able to fight fairly in order to sustain a high quality of life, unless born to "privilege". Being born to privilege is simply a genetic universal gamble. Our existence in the present society depends on a strict, corrupt system, where our leaders constantly abuse the rules they create, only for their benefit, and ignoring civil rights, and social responsibility. Not everyone is born a lawyer, whereas political strictures, and political science were created for governmental social advantages. Governments are man-made social framework for power and control over the general population(s). Control and power only serve the ones who want to control and power. Every single human being is not necessarily made for this. Exploring the world for obvious difference between affluence & government, and alternative cultures will show you how our governments protect the top of the pyramid in the US. The one thing you will not be able to identify is why we want to maintain the status of power, greed, or corruption. One might say the reason to maintain power, greed, and corruption: someone might justly say "to protect the country", and people within it. This is appealing for outward looking in. If you are a less affluent country, certain things are attractive. This doesn't, however, appeal to the ones suffering inside the society.
(Greenwald, With Liberty and Justice for Some, 2011)
George Bush admitted that he was working with multiple telecommunications industry leaders in the name of fighting the war on terrorism. (Snowden) Edward Snowden speaks on previous leaders, and organizations that are doing the same thing as the Bush Administration in the name of fighting communism. The company that Edward Snowden worked for were committing illegal acts that are not limited to only phone calls: they also were permitted to emails without any warrant. These are some groups, or individuals that are exonerated from the laws that were made for us all to abide by. (Greenwald, With Liberty and Justice for Some, 2011) There are current conflictions of laws in America involving the contrasting issues of privacy rights of Americans and certain group's intent to abuse privacy laws. The NSA (National Security Agency) warrantless surveillance act, became products of abused power in order to protect Americans. Bush used the NSA and the Patriot Act to "justly" fight the war on terror. The Patriot Act was put in operations by the Bush administration, in order for him to have extensive and exclusive rights to people's privacy. (School, 50 U.S. Code Chapter 36 - Foreigh Intelligence Surveillance) FISA ( United States Foreigh Intelligence Surveillance Court) is supposed to regulate any proposed acts of privacy invasion, or surveillance of communications. (Snowden) Although, the interview from the author, Glen Greenwald, with Edward Snowden, defines surveillance as used by those who abuse it. So here we have acts and laws that are used to limit us, but benefit and misuse US civilians' rights of privacy. Snowden described the process in which government supportive organizations obtain civilians emails. (Snowden) He said in an interview with Greenwald that calls are received, and logged in a database that collects them, then filters what they believe they need for their intentions.
(School, 50 U.S. Code Chapter 36 - Foreign Intelligence Surveillance; School, 50 U.S. Code Chapter 36 - Foreign Intelligence Surveillance) (School, 18 U.S. Code Chapter 119 - Wire and Electronic Communications Interception and Interception of Oral Communications) (School, 47 U.S. Code Chapter 5 - Wire or Ratio Communication)(School, 18 U.S. Code Chapter 121 - Stored Wire and Electronic COmmunications and Transactional Records Access)(Greenwald, Immunity in the Private Sector)
These four acts are the governments way of defining appropriateness of information illegally obtained, stored, and filtered: FISA, The Wiretap ACT, The Communications Act, and Stored Communications Act all serve as a product to define what our rigts vs. the rights of the government are. These acts protected telecommunications agencies and granted them amnesty with provision of good faith. So now we are faced with repression with the occurrence of these events. The collections of all the events listed and proof of conflict assist the judicial system. We as the people controlled by the system, can arguably, with facts present these by use of the Supreme Court in attempts to fight for civil rights for privacy. There are groups that fight for civil rights that can support court cases in order to fight for change. Currently, there are over 50 listed civil rights groups. We have the U.S. commission on Civil Rights, which investigates and makes recommendations concerning Civil Rights. The book, With Liberty and Justice for Some, represents a time in our present, which requires a micro approach on issues addressed in the book. It is to U.S. citizens advantage that we educate ourselves well enough to recognize when we are abused by our government, and use the resources at our disposal to rectify the situation.
(Greenwald, Immunity in the Private Sector)
What happens when ordinary Americans fight big corporations that are granted amnesty from illusory activities? Lawsuits began to form against telecommunications companies. Eventually enough happened where judges were actually in favor of the ordinary Americans cases against them. As soon as telecommunication companies started losing in court, they began pursuing Congress, and lobbying to get laws changed to favor them. With enough corporate money, and congressional resources, that was an equivalent approximation of a power move in their direction, even retroactively. This is a really good example by Greenwald where government fears no law, or breaking it. If government, and elected officials fear no law, then how can we trust them to do right for our society?
As an American, I desire to be treated fairly and equal. Using the system, and government organizations as resources to invade individuals privacy, is downright wrong. The government charges that all Americans will be treated as criminals, and that we have a right to find out if that is true by having access to their whole lives by means of electronics, technology, and phones. Many cases were presented to the Supreme Court, representing a basic civil, and constitutional right of privacy, and lost. Greenwald explains how an injustice to the degree happens in a very good analogy.
(Greenwald, Too Big for Jail) He says in chapter 3, that the government, elected leaders, lobbyist, and managers of agglomerates are just too big to jail. Managers of multiple agglomerate operations of massive amounts of money will be ruined if the receive felony charge. This means that the same rules that apply to us, normal everyday citizens, does not in fact apply to specific people. These guys are too rich, too big, and too important to face the consequences of the law. Green gives the example, of an employee firing his boss, or a tenant evicting his landlord. To give a firm example of one who would buy their way our of criminal activity.
Greenwald tells us the story of when a manager who oversees billions of dollars for the extreme wealthy, hits a pedestrian on a bicycle in his Mercedes, and was willing to pay restitution, gets him our of a felony charge of recklessness. This incident happened in Colorado. So if it was me, driving whatever car, I would have received charges, and my whole life would be ruined. Because this person is somewhat of power, and control of lots of money, he is exempt from responsibility of his own actions. This is a terrible example for how the U.S. operates. (Appalachia State University) Events like these are important for people to know, because it can direct the course of social justice int he future.
CONCLUSION
I conclude that although we dangle with the other 99%, elite 1% has become masters of law, using it to their advantage and in turn putting others in a serious compromising disadvantage by Pareto Efficiency. With the beginning of social injustice for America, with Watergate, to somehow lobbying, purchasing power, and authority, have become priority for the wealthy survival. If we don't become advocates for our own survival in society, the quality & standard of living will always be unjust. There has been a lack of regards to human existence outside their own webs of injustices. The people of power now, should they become socially responsible when elected, will benefit us all. Instead of using social responsibility to support society, they use a self-constructed system to their advantage to benefit agendas. Being socially responsible means you have the power and resources to make things better. The impression that Greenwald projects is that they absolutely absolutely abuse the power for self interest, and parties self interest. The product of injustice is tyranny, and tyrannical dysfunctional behavior towards society. We need a society that grows, not implodes due to greed. The solution is not to hoard, but become investors and innovators of ways to solve huge economic needs. I'd prefer the system not limit us, but support initiatives for a better quality of life, overall better standard of living.
"A thriving economy only exist, if willed to produce one by ALL means necessary. " - Shannon Perry
Create jobs, research, and opportunity for all. Do not single out groups, and remember... We're all in this together. Questioning the ethics and morals of individuals at the top of the pyramid is only insight to the future. Be it the next step - a call to action. My generation is witnessing all of the things that do not serve our economies futures, based on outdated and overlapping laws. Lets be aware, and more involved in the broken system. It is up to us to fix it. We are a generation fighting for social justice and socioeconomic changes.
Works Cited
Appalachia State University : Department of Government and Justice Studies
Retrieved from : http://gjsappstate.edu/social-justice-and-human-rights/what-social-justice
Retrieved from : http://gjs.appstate.edu/social-justice-and-human-rights/what-social-justice
Cronology, W : Watergate.info
Retrieved from : http://watergate.info
Foundation, E.F. : http://www.eff.org/nsa-spying/timeline.
Retrieved from : Electronic Frontier Foundation
Greenwald, G Immunity in the Private Sector
Retrieved from : With Liberty & Justice for Some , New York NY : Metropolitan Books Henry Holt & Co. LLC
Greenwald, G (2011)
Retrieved from : With Liberty & Justice for Some , P. 290, New York NY : Metropolitan Books Henry Holt & Co. LLC
Justice, T.U. : http://www.justice.gov/opcl/overview-privacy-act-1974-2015-edition
Retrieved from : The United States Department of Justice
Library, T.L. : http://www.lectlaw.com/def/f071.htm.
Retrieved from : 02 23, 2016
Publication C.F. : http://www.cozen.com/admin/files/publications/slavik1963083.pdf.
Retrieved 02 23, 2016
School, C.U. 18 U.S. Code Chapter 119 - Wire & Electronic Communications Interception and Interception of Oral Communications.
Retrieved from : http://law.cornell.edu/uscode/text/18/part-I/chapter-119
School, C.U. : 18 U.S. Code Chapter 121 - Stored Wire and Electronic Communications and Transactional Records Access.
Retrieved from : http://www.law.cornell.edu/uscode/text/18/part-I/chapter-121
School, C.U. : 47 U.S. Code Chapter 5 - Wire or Radio Communication
Retrieved from : https://www.law.cornell.edu/uscode/text/47/chapter-5
School, C.U. : 50 U.S. Code Chapter 36 - Foreign Intelligence Surveillance
Retrieved from : https://www.law.cornell.edu/uscode/text/50/chapter-36
Snowden, G.G. : NSA Whistleblower Edward Snowden : I don't want to live in a society that does these sort of things (Motion Picture)
Wikipedia : https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/pareto_efficiency
Retrieved from : http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Pareto_effiency
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