Benji, I’m not a philosopher, and after a lifelong study of history I’m certainly not a pacifist, so I can’t answer your question. I do, however, respect your right to make those decisions for yourself. My primary point was that our constitution was drafted as a document defining specific limits on government authority, and asserting that citizens have rights we absolutely prohibit government from infringing upon. With large, and many times anonymous populations and enormous technological advances in warfare, maybe we do need a candid and open discussion of the rights of man. Personally I am far more fearful of governmental abuse of citizens than I am any random terrorist. For example Mr Obama has repeatedly violated existing rule of law and executive authority when it suits his political goals. His goals may be worthy, but his willful constitutional violations set a precedent that other, more dangerous leaders will follow. I’ll offer a few easy examples.

Obama ordered a drone strike against a US citizen in a foreign country and his (minor) son. The man was never formally charged nor convicted of any crime under US law. Should any president have the legal authority to execute a US citizen who was never tried? Next, during the GM bankruptcy, 100% legally secured bondholders, mostly retirees, saw their value cut by 50% while a majority interest in GM stock was granted to the UAW. Third, though we have immigration laws duly passed by congress and signed by a president, Obama has chosen to “selectively enforce” those laws, and allow millions who current law should be deported, to remain in the US. How would you like it if somebody like Trump decided to simply ignore the constitution? One of the seediest misadventures was the administrations’s treatment of Bank of America and it’s former president Ken Lewis. Unlike many of the largest banks, BoA made NO subprime loans, and it’s investment banking operation didn’t deal in credit default swaps. Mr Lewis had been with the bank for almost three decades. Due to it’s financial strength, the secretary of the treasury and the Fed pressured BoA to acquire Countrywide Loans, and later Merrill Lynch. When Lewis complained about the impossible to measure and virtually unlimited risk exposure associated with those companies, Paulson threatened to have him fired if BoA didn’t absorb the risk and close the deal.

How did the Obama administration reward BoA and Lewis for helping save the global economy? They attempted to charge Lewis with failing to detail the risk associated with the purchase of Countrywide and Merrill Lynch, forced Lewis out of BoA, and fined BoA more than seventeen billion dollars for the unindicted crimes of long gone executives who destroyed Countrywide and Merrill. Look it up, it’s a great story of crony capitalism at it’s finest.

Unaccountable governments are dangerous to free people everywhere.

Thanks for letting me rant.