10. 2017 Congress sells U.S. citizens’ internet privacy. One of the first actions taken by congress in 2017 was to overturn legislation that required internet service providers to get their client’s permission before selling their internet history. Congress did this was not for US citizens’ benefit, but for the benefit of the communications industry; an industry that donates generously to congress. Thanks to Congress, rest assured that ISP’s can sell your internet browsing history without ever telling you.

9. Iraq invasion 2003. Roughly only thirty percent of Americans wanted the US to use military force on Iraq immediately while the rest believed the U.S. should wait for an official UN inspection to prove Iraq had WMDs. Seventy percent of Americans also felt President Bush should get Congress’ approval before invading Iraq. However, the US government dismissed public opinion and proceeded to invade before an investigation was completed.

8. Operation Fast and Furious. In operation “Fast and Furious” the Alcohol Tobacco and Firearms agency sold weapons to known criminals in Arizona with the idea that tracing the weapons would lead them to big drug cartels in Mexico. No one questioned if these weapons would be used in the United States, which of course they were. Up to 2,000 weapons were allowed to go into Mexico illegally, 1,700 have been lost and more than 100 have been found at bloody crime scenes both in the US and Mexico. Allowing known criminals to get weapons that eventually ended up killing civilians shows disregard for human lives. 

7. US politicians provoking Syrian and Iranian governments into war. The most recent attempt came under the current administration, which bombed Syria after another alleged chemical gas attack. There, the US government took action before awaiting a UN investigation. The current administration has also put “Iran on notice” despite the fact that Iran has not attacked any other country since the 1700’s. Additionally, the U.S. has admitted that Iran is in compliance with the latest nuclear treaty. The politicians urging attacks on these countries often fail to mention Russia and China’s support for Syria and Iran. China has even stated that an attack on Iran will bring them into a war because Iran is a ally. Threatening other nuclear powers would lead to disastrous coincidences for the American people, if not the world.

6. Affordable Health Care Act. A common misconception with this act, also referred to as “Obama Care”, is that it was going to provide universal healthcare. Obama said in 2007 “I will sign a universal health care bill into law by the end of my first term as president”, which is what the majority of Americans actually want. Instead of universal health care, the ACA made getting health insurance mandatory for every American. Making health insurance mandatory significantly benefited the insurance companies as their stock prices rose after the requirement. The health insurance industry gained 32 million new customers after the bill passed and thanked Obama by giving him 1.6 million dollars in 2011 (eclipsing GOP rivals). Ultimately the plan was created to benefit corporations and not the people.

5. The Flint Water crisis and other environmental issues. The Flint water crisis, the California drought, oil pipeline spills, fracking, and relaxed regulations allowing corporations to expel waste into rivers show disregard for public health. Yet, most US politicians show little concern for such topics. In fact, thanks to lobbying, paid speaking engagements, campaign contributions and more, many politicians benefit financially from the companies causing such environmental harm. Consider how Barack Obama almost ignored the water crisis completely in Flint Michigan until the final days of his last term when he finally approved money for Flint. Donald Trump owned stock in the Dakota Access pipeline but then sold it after getting a lot of negative attention. Hilary Clinton strongly supported fracking which can cause drinking water to become flammable and can cause health issues.

4. Spying on US citizens. The Patriot Act granted the US government wide ability to keep a close eye on US citizens. This blatant disregard of the Bill of Rights was even denied by the NSA until evidence surfaced proving the NSA’s clandestine activities. The official justification for the NSA surveillance is to stop terrorism but studies from different outlets show a consistent third or more of Americans are against this spying and the rest of the world is against it as well . Even with overwhelming support to discontinue the program or to modify it, it doesn’t seem like the surveillance state will be ending anytime soon.

3. GMO Labeling. While the negative effects of GMOs are still debatable, Americans overwhelmingly agree on GMO labeling. Multiple polls show anywhere from 89-96% of Americans support the labeling of GMO foods. The movement for GMO labeling has been active for years , but the US government has consistently resisted forcing companies to do so. President Obama even signed the “Monsanto Protection Act” and the 2016 “DARK” act (Deny Americans Right to Know) which insists on the use of QR codes instead of on package labeling of GMOs . The bill received support from both democrat and republican parties despite the voters on both sides wanting proper GMO labeling.

1. NDAA 2012 Indefinite Detention. One of the lesser known, but most controversial acts, of president Obama’s presidency was the signing of the 2012 National Defense Authorization Act. The act allows the US government to detain anyone, even US citizens, anywhere in the world if they are suspected of being a terrorist without the due process of law. In simple terms, if you are on bad terms with the US government, you will become a target. Anti-war activists ,who don’t even remotely fit the description of terrorists, were added to the no-fly lists (a list only for suspected terrorists). Adding to the controversy, the NDAA of 2012 also legalized propaganda’s use on the US public. How many Americans are against these measures is unknown because it is rarely talked about in the mainstream media. Thanks to groups like People Against The NDAA (PANDAA), people are paying attention and spreading awareness despite the lack of media coverage.