| Review
of
The Black Arrow: A Tale of the Resistance, by Vin Suprinowicz
Reviewer:
Mark Lamendola, lifelong history buff and author of over 5,000 articles.
I'm not anti-government, and neither is this book or
this author. In fact, quite the opposite. What we desperately need in
America today is government. We need law enforcement. We need
accountability. We need a civilized society. In reference to people who
hide behind their government jobs while they blatantly violate human
rights and steal both private and public property, we have none of these
things. A real government is self-policing, has a reasonable degree of
integrity, enforces its laws, and serves the people.
Anyone who doesn't think America is under
siege--doesn't think. In this book, Vin Suprynowicz presents the reader
with various accounts of egregious behavior that motivate an abused
citizenry to rise up. Unfortunately, these accounts are not fiction--they
are drawn from actual events. If you review the Bill of Rights, you
see that of the ten, only the Third Amendment still applies in our courts
and bureaucracies.
Just how much under siege are we? Just the
confiscation aspect alone is alarming. For the average citizen, federal
taxes add up to nearly 50% of income--15.3% flat tax (SS), 23% or so
graduated tax, and various payroll taxes. Then you have all the excise
taxes, license fees, and so on--there are 122 taxes on a single loaf of
bread. Total total taxes amount to 70% to 85% of a citizen's earnings. Is
being "allowed to" keep only 15% to 30% of your earnings confiscatory and
punitive? You decide.
And this assumes a citizen isn't an American Taliban
(also known as the Infernal teRrorism Service) target enduring tax rates
well over 100%. In the Hoyt Fiasco, for example, many victims of a fraud
in which AT employees participated lost their lifesavings, only to later
be slapped with a made-up theft-loss tax (as opposed to an income tax)
equal to several decades of earnings. The idea that "our" government isn't
robbing us blind may be technically accurate--but employees of "our"
government have no problem robbing individuals and diverting funds to
their own pockets. They have a free pass to do as they please, whether
silencing a victim permanently or simply stealing 4300 computers a year
from their own offices. Even the government's own GAO documents these
thefts, but nothing gets done about them.
The excesses, abuse, and psychopathic behavior that
typify our bureaucrats and leave a wake of destruction are where the real
issues lie. The theft, as extensive as it is, pales beside such documented
agency abuses as shooting babies (Ruby Ridge) and burning children alive
(Waco).
In this book, a heroic figure emerges to free a city
run by a corrupt mayor. If you think mayoral corruption doesn't cost
lives, think of New Orleans (Hurricane Katrina) and Chicago (disarmament).
Both cities are legendary for graft, corruption, and body bags.
The book makes for great entertainment, but it also
sends a message. The terrorists and parasites who have infiltrated--and
now dominate--our government agencies will, of course, see the wrong
message. They are, like alcoholics who refuse to see they have a drinking
problem, in denial. They see their victims as deserving of the abuse
heaped upon them. They care not one whit for their coworkers, who actually
see "government service" as a personal mandate. Unfortunately, it takes
only one terrorist or parasite to undo the hard labor and dedication of
100 decent people serving in government. The bad news is the terrorists
and parasites are everywhere.
The right message is simply this: Tyranny is not
acceptable. If that idea seems radical, just refer to the quotes that
start each chapter of this book. Such "radicals" as former US Presidents
and Supreme Court Justices have voiced that same message.
If you don't think we have tyranny, ask yourself why
an employee of the State of California is in prison for--as a part of his
job responsibilities--simply delivering medicinal marijuana. This was
totally legal under the laws of California. But the feds hauled this man
off to prison. That's just one example. How about the Michigan day care
center, where agents of the American Taliban held toddlers at gunpoint in
1984 for taxes not even owed? The governor had to call in the National
Guard to free the children, but the agents involved were protected from
prosecution because they "didn't know" this kidnapping was illegal. Yes,
that was 20+ years ago, but since then the abuses have only gotten worse.
Is it too much to ask of our elected representatives
that they return this nation to a nation of laws rather than a nation of
hijacked power, petty fiefdoms, and criminal enclaves? Why can't we have a
nation that respects due process and the basic rights of human beings?
So, what will happen if our elected officials
continue to abdicate their responsibilities? Suprynowicz has given us one
vision of the future. Whether today's trends will produce a violent
uprising or a peaceful return to a nation where civil rights and the law
matter--well, nobody has a crystal ball.
This book doesn't advocate violence, but warns
against it. And it does so in a way that keeps you on the edge of your
seat. The book is a thriller, a romance, an historical account, a
futuristic tale, and a tutorial all rolled into one very readable, very
exciting text. Let us hope those in power heed the warning and start using
their powers of office for the right purposes. |