Obama unleashed a shit storm yesterday when he used executive privilege in an attempt to coverup Operation Fast and Furious. Fast and Furious blew up when border patrol agent Brian Terry was killed by one of the guns given to Mexican drug cartels by the United States government. This story demonstrates so much that is wrong with the state, but I want to focus on one party in particular, the way they treat their employees.
Throughout our lives we’re told how public servants and members of the military are the real heroes in America. We are asked to thank every soldier that has served, every fireman that has rushed into a burning building to save the life of another, and every teacher who has taken upon themselves to educate children. Those who take up the task of becoming soldiers or public servants are promised great things including favorable pay, health care, pensions, and even college educations in some cases. Unfortunately, when it comes time to actually deliver on the promises the state does everything it can to duck out.
Brian Terry was a board patrol agent, a member of the group we’re told keeps our boarders safe. We’re told that they’re heroes who courageously put their selfishness aside for the good of the country and that we owe them a great deal of thanks. This sentiment ceases the second it becomes politically inconvenient though. The second Brian Terry was killed by a weapon smuggled into Mexico by the government he worked for, the government that called him a hero, he became an inconvenience and every effort was made to sweep him under the rug. Shouldn’t every effort have been made to find those responsible for his death and hold them accountable? Shouldn’t the state take care of its own? We were told this man was a hero, shouldn’t we be told about his death? Shouldn’t we be outraged?
No. That’s now how the state works. It doesn’t take care of its own. It doesn’t actually believe all that talk it gives about soldiers and public employees being heroes. Soldiers and public employees, just like every other person, are seen as mere pawns. We are all useful idiots according to the state.
Brian Terry’s death would have been treated as a national tragedy had the weapon used to murder him not been sourced by the United States government. Had the weapon sourced by a private gun shop there would have been called for stricter gun control. If the weapon had been sourced from one of America’s enemies it would have been exploited to bring more sanctions against that country.
The state needs to rephrase its propaganda. They need a small asterisk next to every statement they make about soldiers and public employees being heroes. That asterisk must note that the terms and conditions of hero status are dependent on whether a person is politically convenient or inconvenient. Those who are politically convenient will receive a hero’s treatment, those who are politically inconvenient will be covered up by the use of executive privilege.