The most powerful weapon in the hands of the oppressor is the mind of the oppressed -- Steve Biko

Ignorance and force are strangling our Democracy. Look at the picture below. Is this what Democracy looks like?
I'm guessing if you care about our country enough to seek out the news for yourself you have read about the interview with Tommy Franks ( linked earlier here, scroll down), where he speculates that another 9/11 type attack or worse will allow our leaders to push the citizenry to give up our Constitution.

“It means the potential of a weapon of mass destruction and a terrorist, massive, casualty-producing event somewhere in the Western world – it may be in the United States of America – that causes our population to question our own Constitution and to begin to militarize our country in order to avoid a repeat of another mass, casualty-producing event. Which in fact, then begins to unravel the fabric of our Constitution. Two steps, very, very important.”

If you haven't noticed already the reactionary Right is working hard to make this a police state as it is; what I hear Franks saying is that the mighty Wurlitzer of Corporate anti-Americans are setting " We the People" (by that I mean "regular folks like you and I, when the wants, needs and aspirations of the citizenry are termed "special interests" and corporate needs are "mainstream" you can see my point) up using the collaborative media they own through advertising dollars and interlocking boards of directorates to make us our own jailers in it. Use this tool from the Columbia Journalism Review to see just how those media companies control our information environment.
Here is what is going on in Britain, the one country in the world to walk lockstep with the (now revealed) lies of the GOP Neocon death machine:

Once an emergency has been proclaimed by the Queen, the Government can order the destruction of property, order people to evacuate an area or ban them from travelling, and "prohibit assemblies of specified kinds" and "other specified activities".

If these rules had been in force during the Iraq war, critics say, they could have been used to to ban street demonstrations, making anyone who travelled to protest guilty of a criminal offence.

Is this getting your attention? I have written about The Big Lie technique before, quoting Adolf Hitler , in relation to the attack on Iraq. Read his words.
Another fitting quote from the man corporate Germany put in power who sacrificed his people and nation on the altar of power:

By means of shrewd lies, unremittingly repeated, it is possible to make people believe that heaven is hell -- and hell heaven. The greater the lie, the more readily it will be believed.

There is a history of the government in power misleading the people for the governments ends. Project Northwoods, never acted on, is frightening for its open contempt of Democracy and human life. is one many people are unaware of. The Tonkin Gulf incident is more widely known but not widely enough. Do you here its treachery debated when our less aware friends talk about the necessity of the Viet Nam war? The USS Liberty, had it been sunk after its 2 hour multi-pronged attack by Israeli forces would have had the US embroiled in the Middle east conflict of 1967; who could believe our allies the Israelis did it, of course the Egyptians would wear the blame.
With many prior warnings ignored, regular air defense procedures ignored, a president seemingly unfazed by the news- well you get the 9/11 picture. Judge for yourself. The present administration sure isn't cooperating with the current investigation. Do you remember the Bush "trifecta" joke? He may have won his trifecta on an inside bet.
Think for yourself. Search out truth.
Edward Abbey said it well.

Defiance is beautiful. The defiance of power, especially great or overwhelming power, exalts and glorifies the rebel."

America demands our attention and vigor.