**WELCOME INSTAPUNDIT READERS!**

I’ve been thinking a lot about the prospects of the much feared age of “Big Brother” — where the Government knows all and uses that information to suppress.  And as dedicated readers know, my view of America and our past and future was radically altered after I read the book “The Fourth Turning.”

Clearly there are a lot of elements to Orwell’s vision that have arrived — too many to list, but originating with the Bush-era Department of Homeland Security.  But recently, I’ve thought about a new phenomenon that turns “1984” upside down.

The Internet, blogosphere, New Media, and everyone owning a video camera device has made the “Army of Davids” also an check and balance on the “Big Brother” State.  In fact, one could argue that We, The People are the true Big Brother (in a good way) by constantly monitoring and calling out the never ending moves toward tyranny by the Federal Government.  Exhibit A: Congressman Bob Etheridge (Ruling Class – NC).  Exhibit B: Congressman Brad Sherman (Ruling Class – CA) Exhibit C: Congressman Ciro Rodriguez (Ruling Class – TX)  Exhibit D:  Any Town Hall meeting in 2009 & 2010 (Ruling Class vs. We, The People)

I’ve also been pondering (under the influence of “The Fourth Turning”) whether or not the United States is in a “low grade civil war” (here and here) and whether it will become a “hot” one.  Yesterday’s Investor’s Business Daily has an editorial that combines all of these ideas and lays it on the line.

Will Washington’s Failures Lead to Second American Revolution? – IBD.com (h/t – Instapundit)

The Internet is a large-scale version of the “Committees of Correspondence” that led to the first American Revolution — and with Washington’s failings now so obvious and awful, it may lead to another.

People are asking, “Is the government doing us more harm than good? Should we change what it does and the way it does it?”

Pruning the power of government begins with the imperial presidency.

Too many overreaching laws give the president too much discretion to make too many open-ended rules controlling too many aspects of our lives. There’s no end to the harm an out-of-control president can do.

Bill Clinton lowered the culture, moral tone and strength of the nation — and left America vulnerable to attack. When it came, George W. Bush stood up for America, albeit sometimes clumsily.  Barack Obama, however, has pulled off the ultimate switcheroo: He’s diminishing America from within — so far, successfully.  He may soon bankrupt us and replace our big merit-based capitalist economy with a small government-directed one of his own design.

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A wounded rampaging president can do much damage — and, like Caesar, the evil he does will live long after he leaves office, whenever that may be.

The overgrown, un-pruned power of the presidency to reward, punish and intimidate may now be so overwhelming that his re-election in 2012 is already assured — Chicago-style.

It is interesting to see a number of people now thinking the way I have been since August 2009.  I certainly am not advocating armed revolution.  But I also know that we have the right to it under the Declaration of Indepedence (Read up on it, please. It is important.).

Step one is holding Members accountable with the power of technology (someone should write a book about that!)  The second step is voting.

-Bruce (GayPatriot)