ICE Nine

I missed this news from a few days ago.  Apparently our government has carried its ideological mission of remaking America to new heights of absurdity; if the country doesn't want what the Obami want, it must be the people who are ignorant and out of step:

Border Agents Vote “No Confidence” In ICE Leadership!

In an unprecedented move within Homeland Security special agents recently gave ICE leadership a “non confidence” vote.
The The Center For Immigration Studies reported:

In an unprecedented move within the Department of Homeland Security, the special agents responsible for enforcing our nation’s immigration laws issued an exhaustive, scathing letter simply titled “VOTE OF NO CONFIDENCE IN ICE DIRECTOR JOHN MORTON AND ODPP ASSISTANT DIRECTOR PHYLLIS COVEN” on June 11, 2010. The letter, acquired through sources, provides a litany of examples of how ICE’s mission is being skewed towards supporting an unflinching goal of amnesty by refusing to allow agents to do their job; allowing criminal aliens to roam free; depleting resources for key enforcement initiatives that preceded this administration; and misrepresenting facts and programs, demeaning the extent of the criminal alien problem and geared to support amnesty.

The letter, authored by ICE Union President Chris Crane, begins as follows, noting that all ICE union representatives have signed on to a unanimous “Vote of No Confidence” in ICE leadership:

There are more details at Jim site.

The reference to Ice Nine is intentional; when crystals of Ice Nine came into contact with normal water, it "froze" at room temperature.  The friction between the increasingly autocratic and aloof Ruling Class and the peons (that's the rest of us whose job it is to work hard to supply money to our bosses) is escalating; eventually the heat from the friction will cause the machinery of state to seize up.  This is not a pleasant thought.

Eric Scheie has come to a disturbing realization:

If this is "our" debt, isn't it a little odious?

Which raises the question of the day: Are we now living under tyranny?

I sometimes get myself worked up into emotional states, and when I do I try to avoid writing about the topic that upset me, because I find I am more capable of being logical, analytical, and rational when I am calm. And it is really easy to get all worked up and scream that these people who want to invade our privacy, steal our money, and run every last aspect of our lives are tyrants.

But the other day I was calm, collected, unemotional, relaxed, you know, completely sober in every sense of the word, and I concluded that, yes, it is beyond question that the United States government has become tyrannical.

On sober reflection, I still agree with my sober and reflective thought.

(I should probably be more emotional about such a disturbing thing. Maybe it's a sign of age.)

Eric is not alone in worrying about where we are and where we are heading.