“I am concerned for the security of our great nation, not so much because of any threat from without, but because of the insidious forces working from within.” –Commanding General Douglas McArthur

A few weeks ago, a friend sent a YouTube link of a conversation between a radio show host and a man identifying himself as a police lieutenant in North Carolina, who claimed America was about to slide into internal war and martial law, saying the ATF is recruiting from local and state law enforcement agencies to form an internal security force to suppress domestic insurrection. The catalyst for the insurrection would be a collapse of the American economy, intentionally triggered, leading to a complete collapse of the social infrastructure, giving the government a pretext to consolidate power.

My response to her was that this was elements of truth mixed with a heavy dose of conspiracy theory, and suggested she’d feel better if she’d prepared her family for any emergencies by making sure they can defend themselves, and have enough supplies for their basic needs. After all, these things would be useful in situations other than the one she described, whether it be a home invasion by armed thugs, or the aftermath of a natural disaster where there was no access to electricity, fresh water, or food for an extended period.

I hoped that had calmed her fears, but the more I thought about it, the more I could understand how someone could come to these types of conclusions in light of the political environment unfolding in our country today.

French Algerian writer Albert Camus once wrote that “The welfare of the people in particular has always been the alibi of tyrants, and it provides the further advantage of giving the servants of tyranny a good conscience.” We see the truth of these words in the history of the rise of the bloodiest and most oppressive tyrants of the last century. Adolph Hiter, Vladimir Lenin, Mao Tse Tung, Fidel Castro, Hugo Chavez, Robert Mugabe, and a host of others, all rose to power in times of crisis by posing as defenders and liberators of their people. They were cheered and deified by the masses. It was not until after taking power and strict obedience was violently enforced that the people learned that their saviors were actually their oppressors.

Now, to be absolutely clear, I am not asserting or implying that Barack Obama is a bloodthirsty dictator determined to subjugate the American people by violent force. What I AM saying is that his actions parallel some of the worst traits of oppressive dictators, if in a more passive way. He has shown absolute contempt for the Constitution and the Rule of Law, repeatedly declaring he will act when Congress will not, effectively creating law from the Executive Branch, and violating the separation of powers doctrine and his oath to uphold the Constitution. He seems to feel his agenda supersedes any mere laws, which he can ignore at will.

Tyrants quickly move to take over the apparatus of information dissemination upon taking power, to control the message heard by the people they seek to make subjects. In Obama’s case, the media in this country willingly does his bidding without threat of force. From Chris “Thrill up my leg” Matthews to unbridled fawning of 60 Minutes “reporter” Steve Kroft in his recent interview with Obama, to the blatant decision to whitewash the scandals of the Fast and Furious gunrunning program, or the administration’s role in the deaths of Americans in the 9/11/12 attack on Benghazi, it is clear the media have formed a protective circle around Obama to shield him from criticism. The same media that warned of jackbooted thugs sent by Bush into our homes in the middle of the night, operating under the USA PATRIOT Act, seem strangely unconcerned about Obama’s renewal and expansion of the act, and even greater encroachments on liberty. As exposed by Emmy Award-winning CNN journalist Amber Lyon, CNN routinely created pro-Obama propaganda pieces and aired it as news, and suppressed stories unfavorable to Obama. Other “news” outlets do the same.

Though rarely mentioned by the national media, recent months revealed more concerning developments by an administration that recognizes few checks on its power. One of these was highlighted by a 13-hour long filibuster by Senator Rand Paul (R-KY), who had written Attorney General Eric Holder for clarification of Obama’s position on using military drones over the skies of the United States, and whether an American citizen could be targeted for death using these drones. Holder’s response was sufficiently vague to cause concern, stating Obama had not used drones to kill American citizens and had no intention of doing so, but never stating explicitly that the administration understood it had no power to do so. The greatest controversy arose at the end of Holder’s letter where he stated that, theoretically, he could see “extraordinary circumstances” in which Obama could order the assassination by drone of an American citizen on U.S. soil without trial. One can imagine the outrage from the left had such a statement been uttered by the Bush administration, yet the national media seem indifferent about it, and some have even defended Obama.

Earlier this week, Reuters reported that Obama plans to let U.S. spy agencies access an enormous database containing records of financial transactions by nearly everyone banking in the U.S. This effectively gives them access to all of your purchases, from which they can build a profile, track you, and decided whether you are a threat. Considering the flawless performance of the TSA and the infamous “No Fly List” which allows terrorists on American jetliners, while getting young children detained and frisked, surely nothing will go wrong…right?

Now comes word that the DHS (Dept. of Homeland Security), which is tasked with protecting the INTERNAL American homeland, has contracted to purchase 1.6 BILLION rounds of ammunition, including hollow-points, which are banned by the Geneva Convention. To put this in perspective, DHS (which operates ON AMERICAN SOIL), has purchased enough ammo to supply the current hot war in Afghanistan for 20 YEARS! They are also purchasing surplus armored personnel carriers from the military, complete with gun ports, for use IN AMERICA! Which begs the question: Why does DHS, a DOMESTIC agency, require so much firepower? Are they planning for a large-scale invasion of America by the Canadians? Or do they fear their own citizens? There may be a perfectly reasonable explanation, but combined with the other actions this has caused worry among many patriots.

In 2009, the Obama DHS released an internal report titled “Rightwing Extremism: Current Economic and Political Climate Fueling Resurgence in Radicalization and Recruitment”. In this and other internal reports, Obama has repeatedly classified as dangerous threats Americans who hold opposing viewpoints (i.e., those who oppose abortion, homosexual marriage, who are strongly religious, who oppose the further expansion of the federal government, etc.). These are people Obama wants watched and potentially detained in a time of domestic crisis.

So while I have never been much of a conspiracy theorist myself, I can understand why some might be predisposed to assume the worst about the intentions of a president who repeatedly tries to foment hatred in his supporters for those that disagree with him, who seems intent on driving the U.S. economy to the brink of destruction, collapsing under massive debt; who seems content to violate in most egregious ways the constitutional rights and civil liberties of American citizens without due process, and who is arming domestic security forces to the teeth as if American neighborhoods were the streets of Kandahar.

An inquisitive reporter might just ask: “Mr. President, what are you up to?”