It seems that all the branches of government keep moving further and further away from recognizing the Constitution as the supreme law of the land. How many wars have we waged without Congress declaring war (the exclusive branch of government under the Constitution with authority to do so)? The 2011 National Defense Authorization Act (NDAA) gives the executive branch the authority to detain citizens indefinitely without bringing charges against them. A citizen can actually be snatched from his back yard and land in prison (even Guantanamo) without anyone knowing their whereabouts. What ever happened to due process and the right of habeas corpus guaranteed by the Constitution?Look how far the NSA has strayed from the Constitutional constraints against unwarranted searches and seizures. The judges who allow these transgressions to exist are no better than the legislators who pass these laws and ignore other Constitutional violations. And 15 years after 9/11 we are still in a presidential-mandated state of emergency that is renewed annually. The implications of all this are beyond frightening, and much more disturbing than any of the issues being discussed by the major party presidential candidates. The scariest part of all is that the average citizen has no clue as to the implications of these government actions because the corporate-owned media (the propaganda arm of the government) does not inform the people of the drastic departure from the Constitution that has taken place.
While the government increases the bloated military budget annually (calling it “defense” spending), we have no domestic economic reforms and slip further and further into poverty, while more wealth goes to the oligarchy that remains above the law. For-profit prisons are being used to carry out racial discrimination and house minorities at a tremendous economic and emotional expense to the people. Billionaires are able to “buy” the elected officials, at not only the national level, but now have extended their power to state and local levels. The wealth inequality has completely eliminated democracy, as the elected officials at the national level no longer represent the people, but represent the interests of their moneyed sponsors.
Our wars of imperialism in the Middle East have resulted in the murders and displacement of millions of civilians, and have contributed to the rise of terrorist groups. The policies of imperialism carried out by the U.S. government are the direct cause of the refugee crisis in Europe. And our continued demonization of Russia, attempts to expand NATO, and our state of perpetual war are only a foundation for WW III, which will result in the destruction of the planet and mankind.
The banks have committed outright massive criminal fraud, resulting in the bailout of the banks to the tune of trillions of dollars. Because none of the criminal perpetrators were actually tried and convicted of these crimes, the banks continue to perpetrate more fraud and manipulate markets.
This massive departure from the Constitution, and the failure to prosecute the criminals who are deemed above the law because of their positions of power and wealth is a direct result of the two-party system that now dominates our elections. Both parties are beholden to the powerful corporations and Wall Street bankers. None of this will improve by voting for either of the major political parties. They ARE the problem.
How much longer will people sit back and allow their country to fall into ruin while supporting this corrupt system? Why would anyone want to vote to continue it?
Jill Stein, as the Green Party candidate, is the only candidate who has plans to eliminate the corruption, and institute economic reforms necessary to carry out the will of the people.
