Retarded Politician of the Week: Rep. Lamar Smith, R-TX

Who would be vile enough to be in bed with Reichsfuhrer Janet Napolitano, otherwise known as the Secretary of the Department of Homeland Security? Now we know.

It's Representative Lamar Smith, Republican from Texas.

Many of us recall when Reichsfuhrer Napolitano came up with "If You See Something, Say Something", a collaboration with our Chinese masters at Wal-Mart suggesting that shoppers become snitches on their fellow Americans.  At the time I referred to it as "If You See It Twitch, Be A Snitch."

Well, Rep. Smith is not content to allow the Reichsfuhrer to bask in all of the National Socialist glory.   That's why he has introduced the "See Something, Say Something Act of 2011".  Read the text of this legislative abomination here.  In short, the bill proposes to amend the Homeland Security Act of 2002 to provide immunity for reporting suspicious behavior that may be related to terrorism (my emphasis added). 

Or maybe Rep. Smith is jealous all of the attention that Obamoron extraordinaire Cass Sunstein received over his own proposals regarding "suspicious activity".

I can think of three reasons that Rep. Smith's proposed legislation is stupid.

First, can anyone demonstrate that a lack of immunity from suit  has caused a substantial decline in reporting of suspected terrorist activities?  One would first have to believe that some kind of liability arises from doing one's civic duty of reporting criminal activity.  I try my best to keep up with the news, and I cannot think of any reporting on this issue.  It appears that, once again, government is out to solve a non-existent problem.

Second, this is just more of the typical, big-government answer to every problem, whether real or perceived:  more legislation!  In this instance it is legislation to prevent the filing of frivolous suits against persons who report what they believe to be terrorism related activity.  Most proponents of government solutions are totally ignorant of the law of unintended consequences.   The likely unintended consequence of this bill, if passed?   Why, there is no reason not to snitch on every observation of suspicious activity.  In fact, this encourages the use of law enforcement to harass those we do not like, so long as the report of "suspicious activity" is not false.  One only needs to read the news each day to know that citizens are routinely violated by black pajama-clad agents of the state over "suspicious activity."  I guess Rep. Smith is either ignorant of the world around him or he believes we need more middle-of-the night visits from badge-adorned bogeymen.

Third, this type of legislation plays right into the hands of an increasingly paranoid, out-of-touch, control-freak President and his minions, who make the Nixon administration look like a bunch of nap-deprived pre-schoolers.  I'm tempted to report Rep. Smith to www.attackwatch.com for stealing The Won's thunder.   If Rep. Smith plans on being re-elected, he ought to focus more on being part of the party of Not Obama.  That means refusing to advocate snitching, Orwellian tactics, sexual assault of ordinary Americans who simply want to travel, and instead standing up for the civil liberties of all Americans, including those accused or suspected of crimes. 

That last part is the most important.  Post 9/11, everything is either becoming a crime or subjecting us to suspicion and rights violations.  Rep. Smith's proposed legislation, in my mind, purports to give citizens permission to rat on each other and invite what may be unwarranted government investigation, without fear of any liability.  As Ayn Rand once wrote, "We are fast approaching the stage of the ultimate inversion: the stage where the government is free to do anything it pleases, while the citizens may act only by permission."  Ms. Rand should be glad that she is dead, because we are just about there, and Rep. Smith is one of its midwives.

It is retarded to grant permission in this way to citizens who should have no fear of reporting criminal activity if the legal system is performing as it should.  It is retarded to assist an administration in its Nixonian and Orwellian pursuit of punishment for its enemies.  And it is the height of retardation for a politician who is not a member of the administration to engage in its brand of Reichspolitik.

Hat tip to InfoWars, whose story caused my inflammation.