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Is America Ruled By Law or Ruled by Power?
Townhall.com ^ | February 1, 2016 | Kurt Schlichter

Posted on 02/01/2016 5:14:19 AM PST by Kaslin

Hillary Clinton is a felon many times over. Assuming the facts are as being reported - or that they are even a tenth of the severity of what has been reported - Hillary Clinton is guilty of multiple serious felonies stemming from her conscious choice to unlawfully hide her correspondence as Secretary of State on a "private" server that was kept in some dude's bathroom somewhere. I use the term "private" only in the sense that it was non-governmental; every foreign intelligence agency, friend or foe, was reading it. Only we American citizens can't see what was on it, and that's because much of it was highly classified material. So she is a felon many times over.

Understand that this is not open to debate. There is no "her side of the story." There is no excuse nor harmless explanation. To those of us who have worked with classified material in the military or other governmental agencies, the daily revelations of new OPSEC atrocities literally make us nauseous. And I understand what "literally" means. We pros read that someone consciously took classified material off a secure system, walked it out of a secure facility, and somehow (by scanning it then cutting and pasting from the PDF, or even by typing it in manually) put it in an unclassified system and emailed it off in the clear to Hillary and her toilet server, where it was stored in a machine that was hooked up to the world wide web. And we feel our stomachs turn even as we run out of fingers and toes counting the horde of individual security violations that process entails.

There is no dispute. It can't be disputed. These are felonies. Anyone telling you any different is either utterly ignorant about how classified material is handled, or is irredeemably stupid, or is a liar who puts the political viability of Hillary Clinton above the safety of the United States and the people who defend it. And, as much as the trial lawyer in me professionally appreciates when an advocate misdirects people away from the weak points in his argument, the claim that this material is somehow "overclassified" insults the intelligence of anyone it is directed toward. If the advocate has actually seen the material, he's broken the law too (as has Clinton for letting yet another uncleared person see it). And even if the classification could have been lower than TOP SECRET/SCI, it wasn't lower. It was TOP SECRET/SCI or whatever, and some minion of Hillary's in Foggy Bottom doesn't get to make that call. Hillary doesn't get to make that call.

The question is not whether Hillary Clinton is manifestly and indisputably guilty of multiple felonies. She is.

The question is whether we are a nation operating under the rule of law, or one operating under the rule of power. I regret to say that today we are not governed by the rule of law.

General David Petraeus violated the classified material laws, and he was convicted of a federal crime. Sadly, the military declined to regain the honor its leadership has squandered excusing senior leaders' abuses and incompetence and take his fourth star since he failed to serve honorably as a four star general. If you think a sergeant would retain his rank, or a major his commission, after doing what Petraeus did, you are - like any of Hillary's apologists - ignorant, a fool and/or a liar.

People are in jail right now for doing what Hillary did. But she will never be held accountable any more than the IRS managers who followed Barack Obama's unspoken guidance to harass and oppress conservative organizations were. Obama's Department of Justice will never, ever, under any circumstances, indict Hillary Clinton even though anyone else - anyone else who was not an ally of the Administration - would absolutely, undoubtedly, and properly be indicted.

Hillary Clinton is part of the liberal elite. She is too important to the Democrat Party to hold accountable for a mere violation of the law. Laws, after all, are for other people. People who aren't connected. Who aren't in the club. Who aren't important.

Who are like you and me.

There are two different sets of laws in America today, one for us, with which the elite can bend the full force of its power toward crushing us, and another where the rules are different and waiverable, if they even exist at all. The feds were eager to prosecute Obama opponent Dinesh D'Souza for donating his own money to a losing senate candidate, but Hillary gets a pass for imperiling national security. The feds managed to get a troublesome rancher half a decade in jail for "terrorism" after a fire on his own land got out of control, but the EPA bureaucrats who turned a river yellow? They'll get promoted and retire on fat pensions.

And it's not just the law. It's the system. If you saved for retirement in your 401(k) like you were supposed to, do you dread opening your January statement? Do you think the guys writing Hillary checks dread opening theirs, or do you think they will be high-fiving each other?

Some people wonder why a Donald Trump came along and so many people cheer when he tells the elite to go to hell. Those people are willfully blind. Americans instinctively sense the injustice inherent in unequal justice, and they hate it. It angers them. It enrages them.

When the rules stops applying to everybody, they start applying to nobody. Today it's Trump schlonging the establishment and a few guys taking over a bird sanctuary. Tomorrow, it could be much, much worse.


TOPICS: Crime/Corruption; Culture/Society; Editorial
KEYWORDS: crimandpunishment; emailscandal; felon; hillaryclinton
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1 posted on 02/01/2016 5:14:19 AM PST by Kaslin
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To: Kaslin

Currently it is ruled by abuse of power.


2 posted on 02/01/2016 5:17:23 AM PST by Pilgrim's Progress (http://www.baptistbiblebelievers.com/BYTOPICS/tabid/335/Default.aspx D)
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To: Kaslin

Ruled by power, most definitely. No further examples of this will be needed after this administration gives the FBI and the country a huge one-fingered salute by not indicting Hillary.


3 posted on 02/01/2016 5:18:31 AM PST by ScottinVA (If you're not enraged...why?)
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To: Pilgrim's Progress

It is indeed. Will it continue to be?


4 posted on 02/01/2016 5:19:06 AM PST by Kaslin (He needed the ignorant to reelect him. He got them and now we have to pay the consequences)
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To: Kaslin

To have BOTH law and godly power rule would be really swell.


5 posted on 02/01/2016 5:21:06 AM PST by Resettozero
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To: Kaslin

It’s been ruled by power for some time now. There used to be a small contingent who agitated for law, but in the past six months that contingent has pretty much gone over to the other side.


6 posted on 02/01/2016 5:24:59 AM PST by Mr Ramsbotham (Laws against sodomy are honored in the breech.)
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To: Kaslin

I think it should by ruled of law, or ruled under law.

Ruled by law is ruling by power using law politically for self interest.

Communist regimes have always done that.

We are definitely doing things like that now.


7 posted on 02/01/2016 5:26:17 AM PST by ifinnegan (Democrats kill babies and harvest their organs to sell)
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To: Kaslin
"Hillary Clinton is a felon many times over."

Hillary Clinton is a traitor many times over, as is her husband.

8 posted on 02/01/2016 5:27:11 AM PST by Carl Vehse
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To: Kaslin

Power. Just look at the felonious actions of the banks and politicians and try to name one player that received jail time.


9 posted on 02/01/2016 5:27:57 AM PST by Neidermeyer (Bill Clinton is a 5 star general in the WAR ON WOMEN and Hillary is his Goebbels.)
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To: Kaslin

It depends on who the target is. Most of us are constrained by law, some of which is morally abhorrent. Those near the top of the power structure are above the law.


10 posted on 02/01/2016 5:29:00 AM PST by Cboldt
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To: Kaslin

I personally believe that it will as long as this nation’s leaders reject the mandates of the Creator. As we watch the GOPe continue it’s downward spiral, it is rather hard to believe that we will ever return to a state of moral judgment and rule of law.


11 posted on 02/01/2016 5:29:28 AM PST by Pilgrim's Progress (http://www.baptistbiblebelievers.com/BYTOPICS/tabid/335/Default.aspx D)
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To: ifinnegan

The US, best banana republic ever.


12 posted on 02/01/2016 5:29:55 AM PST by Cboldt
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To: Pilgrim's Progress

“Currently it is ruled by abuse of power.”

Yeah, for sure. The Hildabeast is taking guidance from Bill. Bill just kept denying over and over till he wore down Ken Starr and Congress. That will be her strategy as well. Claim ignorance and blame Republicsns. I think it will work.


13 posted on 02/01/2016 5:31:31 AM PST by snoringbear (E.oGovernment is the Pimp,)
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To: Cboldt

You seen the adoring posts with Trump as El Jefe?

They are serious.


14 posted on 02/01/2016 5:33:10 AM PST by ifinnegan (Democrats kill babies and harvest their organs to sell)
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To: Kaslin

I didn’t catch all of it but last night on 60 minutes there was undercover film of a lawyer talking about how the powerful make the laws for the powerful. In this case it had something to do about offshore corporations so money could be hidden and the lawyer was assuring his potential client (he thought) that it would be no problem.

I’m afraid he spoke the truth.


15 posted on 02/01/2016 5:34:06 AM PST by Aria (2016: The gravy train v Donald Trump)
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To: Kaslin

America is a tyranny of lawyers


16 posted on 02/01/2016 5:35:41 AM PST by bert ((K.E.; N.P.; GOPc;+12, 73, ....carson is the kinder gentler trump.)
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To: Carl Vehse

Edward Snowden was a small-time street hustler, in comparison. At least he had the wit to seek refuge in a foreign country.

Slick and Herself simply stay right out in the open. Apparently they are sure enough that nothing shall ever be done to them, they are almost fearless in their defiance.

Like the combatant that stands up while the volley of fire is being directed at them, shouting “Missed me!”

Until the artillery shell gets zeroed in on them exactly.

Too late for anybody to shout out, “Incoming!” They would not hear it anyway.


17 posted on 02/01/2016 5:37:08 AM PST by alloysteel (If I considered the consequences of my actions, I would rarely do anything.)
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To: Kaslin
"I regret to say that today we are not governed by the rule of law."

What little rule of law that still existed was gasping for breath during the first BJ term in office and died completely during the second.

Then Bush got in and made sure the coffin rule of law was in got encased in concrete to protect it from terrorist attacks.

JMHo

18 posted on 02/01/2016 5:38:35 AM PST by Rashputin (Jesus Christ doesn't evacuate His troops, He leads them to victory !!)
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To: Kaslin

spend what...there’s nothing left to tap into...we can’t just print it like the feds and the govt does...we go to jail for such things...and they only get richer and more powerful over their enslaved peasants (Us)!


19 posted on 02/01/2016 5:39:30 AM PST by ldish (Have had enough...you??????)
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To: Kaslin
Obviously power, like virtually every other place in the world (I am sure there are exceptions, even though I cannot think of any right now). America, like most other places, is ruled by power with the only positive mention being that America has a stronger-than-most need to show that rule of law is present, which means that in many cases the right thing will be done and the common man is more often-than-not protected. However, while a convincing illusion, it is still an illusion.

Why?

Because whenever the powerful are under pressure - be it (i) the Federal Government (see: BLM issue recently or Waco Texas before); (ii) Government Officials (see: Hillary); or, (iii) a wealthy individual (see: Affluenza kid) - then it becomes clear that it is rule of the powerful rather than rule of law. In each of the three cases I've listed above - imagine if (i) was some squatters taking over a Court building, (ii) was some junior 'keyboard monkey' who inadvertently (totally by mistake, unlike Hillary) sent similar emails off, and (iii) was some poor kid from some trailer park or ghetto ....in all three situations, it would have led to serious jail time at the least.

It is rule of power, with the only advantage being that, for the most part, American pretends it is rule of law so things seem to work until the powerful and/or rich come under pressure, at which point the curtain is raised and the wizard revealed.

20 posted on 02/01/2016 5:41:06 AM PST by spetznaz (Nuclear-tipped Ballistic Missiles: The Ultimate Phallic Symbol)
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