James Bovard, the author of ten books, including 2012’s Public Policy Hooligan, and 2006’s Attention Deficit Democracy and has written for the New York Times, Wall Street Journal, Playboy, Washington Post, and many other publications has a new op/ed at Mises.org tilted We Need a #MeToo Movement for Political Consent.
Here's a couple snippets:
"The Declaration of Independence enshrined the notion that government must possess “the consent of the governed.” Unfortunately, winning politicians often claim blank checks to define the hidden meaning behind citizens’ ballots. “Consenting” on Election Day is portrayed as pre-approving anything politicians dictate in the following years."
"Presumed consent entitles government to do as politicians please. Because Americans “consented” to George W. Bush and Barack Obama’s presidential candidacies, their appointees authorized the National Security Administration to create massive databases compiling details on all the phone calls they made or received. In millions of cases, NSA also vacuumed up Americans’ emails and web browsing history . Even though presidents denied they were illegally spying on Americans, voters still presumably “consented.” Americans may be shocked in the coming months and years to learn of illegalities they purportedly “consented” to when Trump was elected."
Sound familiar?
Don't we have an NSA now?
