IRS: A Branch of the American KGB?
While the KGB (or the Committee of State Security) was the Russian agency quite infamous for its worldwide espionage, it was based upon the Tsarist Security forces, designed to protect the young Soviet (Communist) state from internal and external threats.
The KGB became a universal name for security in the Soviet Union, uniting twenty separate branches-each with its own unique role. For example, the 1st branch was to carry out international espionage, while the 5th branch was created to impose censorship upon the media, religious organizations, and political opposition (mainly by harassing and intimidating writers and artists), and the 7th branch was responsible for “spying” on Russian and foreign citizens inside the country.
So, as we examine recent revelations, the ABUSES OF POWER by our own IRS, it is no wonder Americans are now comparing the U.S. agency to the KGB. Six ways the IRS has become the American KGB:
1. INTIMIDATION: Much like the KGB that was well known for breeding fear inside (and outside) Soviet border, there is no denying the IRS is the most feared government agency by U.S. citizens. In fact, columnist Jennifer Stefano writes:
“It’s pretty safe to say most Americans fear the IRS because they are unelected and unaccountable – yet the have the ability, at any time, to swoop in and take our hard-earned money – in the form of taxes – as they see fit. If we pay late, they fine us. If we fail to pay, it gets much worse than a fine. If we pay too little, we owe them on April 15th. If we pay too much during the year, they return our money to us in the form of a refund and act like they are bestowing a gift upon us rather than admitting they screwed up and took too much of our money. Our money. Our families. It’s all very personal.”
Just as the KGB used methods of intimidation to protect Russia’s Communist party, it certainly appears the IRS has used its own tactics of intimidation to protect President Obama ‘s “fundamental transformation of America”.
2. SUPPRESSION OF POLITICAL DISSIDENCE: Just as the 5th branch of the KGB was responsible for silencing or eliminating political opposition, Americans have been outraged to find just how the IRS agency also suppressed political organizations opposed to the Obama administration’s policies.
Beginning in 2010, the IRS launched its “Operation: Suppress Tea Party” initiative, giving extra scrutiny to tax-exempt application from groups affiliated with the Tea Party or with any political sounding names like “Patriots,” “Take Back the Country,” or “We the People,” according to the IRS Inspector General.
NEWS MAX also reported, “No tea party applications were approved in a 27-month period beginning February 2010. But numerous applications from liberal and progressive groups were given tax-exempt status during the same period.”
Of course, the IRS also speedily approved tax-exempt status to the president’s own half-brother. According to the Daily Caller:
“Lois Lerner, the senior IRS official at the center of the decision to target tea party groups for burdensome tax scrutiny, signed paperwork granting tax-exempt status to the Barack H. Obama Foundation, a shady charity headed by the president’s half-brother that operated illegally for years.
According to the organization’s filings, Lerner approved the foundation’s tax status within a month of filing, an unprecedented timeline that stands in stark contrast to conservative organizations that have been waiting for more than three years, in some cases, for approval.”
However…We have also recently learned that Tea Party groups weren’t the only organizations that have been targeted by the IRS. The agency also scrutinized many other Conservative organizations as well. According to Fox News, “An IRS campaign to apply additional scrutiny to Conservative groups went beyond targeting “Tea Party” and “Patriot” groups to include those focused on government spending, the Constitution and several other broad areas.”
What is even worse– is that our “KGB-style” IRS harassed and intimidated these Conservative groups, demanding they disclose all types of personal information to the agency. According to the Daily Mail, “IRS questioning included demands for Facebook postings, the books they are reading and even what they’re THINKING, report reveals. Report finds that IRS demanded copies of their websites, information about members, meeting minutes and what was posted on social media.”
One group brilliantly sent a copy of the Constitution in response.
3. ASSISTANCE IN GOVERNING: The KGB also helped in governing the Soviet Union, just as the IRS has been given enormous power to help run the U.S.’s ENTIRE healthcare system (one-fifth of our U.S. economy) through Obamacare. Just think about that for a moment.
To make matters worse, we are now learning that the IRS official in charge during the Tea Party “targeting” is now conveniently running the Obamacare office. Sarah Hall Ingram served as commissioner of the office responsible for tax-exempt organizations between 2009 and 2012. But Ingram has since left that part of the IRS and is now the director of the IRS’ Affordable Care Act office. It looks like Ingram got a promotion for harassing the president’s enemies. Job well done, comrade!
In response to the IRS scandal, Rep. Marlin Stutzman argued, “Obamacare empowers the agency that just violated the public’s trust by secretly targeting Conservative groups. Even by Washington’s standards, that’s unacceptable.”
Columnist, Jennifer Stefano also wrote:
“Do you want to know how bad this is going to get? Starting in 2014, all Americans are being forced to pay for health insurance. But under Obamacare – the IRS and not you will determine whether the insurance you have chosen “qualifies.” You’ll be forced now to send that information via your tax return. And if the government doesn’t like it, the IRS can hit you with a tax penalty.
The IRS can raise money for itself simply by deciding that you don’t have “qualifying” health insurance. Now, supporters of Obamacare will argue that there are rules and laws to mandate the IRS don’t arbitrarily do that. But there are also rules and laws mandating that the IRS can’t go after people because they have “patriot” or “tea party” or happen to oppose the sitting President’s policies. Those rules didn’t seem to stop the IRS from doing just that for last four years.
And here is what is worse: under Obamacare, the IRS was already given a billion dollars and hired 700 agents just to police our healthcare. It is estimated the IRS will need another 13 billion dollars and 15 thousand new agents just to police Americans healthcare over the next decade and keep up with their tax collection duties.
There are so many reasons to repeal the President’s healthcare law – but the recent admission by the IRS that they intentionally targeted the President’s political opposition has to jump to number one. After all, do you want the people who can’t be trusted with our tax laws to be involved in your health care?”
Not to mention the fact that the Obamacare tax to be implemented on insurance providers— is already scaring the daylights out of some small-business owners who fear the tax will drive them out of business, or force them to eliminate coverage for their employees.
4. ENFORCING MORALS: Another striking similarity the IRS has to the KGB— is that has decided to impose its own STATIST morals on U.S. citizens (you know, the ones that proclaim: “government is the only god, giver of all blessings, the solver of all problems, the dispenser of justice and mercy”), all while suppressing religious organizations (particularly, Christian ones) through harassment and intimidation.
One recent example is when the IRS demanded a pro-life organization promise to refrain from protesting Planned Parenthood (the nation’s largest abortion provider) before they could receive their tax-exempt status. The IJ Review reported:
“In a phone call to Coalition for Life of Iowa leaders on June 6, 2009, the IRS agent “Ms. Richards” told the group to send a letter to the IRS with the entire board’s signatures stating that, under perjury of the law, they do not picket/protest or organize groups to picket or protest outside of Planned Parenthood. Once the IRS received this letter, their application would be approved. After a series of letters following a request for more invasive information, Thomas More Society special counsel Sally Wagenmaker sent a letter to the IRS demanding the tax exempt status be issued immediately.”
In another case the IRS withheld 501(c)(3) approval from an organization called Christian Voices for Life because of concerns about their connections to other pro-life groups. The Thomas More Society has full documentation on both cases.
The IRS also had the audacity to ask a pro-life group about the content of their prayers. Rep, Aaron Schock, explained during a Ways and Means Committee hearing, “Their question, specifically asked from the IRS to the Coalition for Life of Iowa: ‘Please detail the content of the members of your organization’s prayers.”
We have also learned the IRS targeted Rev. Billy Graham’s Evangelistic Association, threatening them with a tax audit. According to Politico:
“Franklin Graham, the president of the Billy Graham Evangelistic Association and the family’s international humanitarian organization Samaritan’s Purse, said that the IRS notified the organizations in September that it was conducting a “review” of their activities for tax year 2010.
With the IRS admitting it gave extra scrutiny to conservative political organizations, Graham says he now believes that the review was part of an Obama administration effort of “targeting and attempting to intimidate us.”
Dr. James Dobson also claims his organization was stonewalled by the IRS.
He appeared on Hannity Friday night to talk about the treatment his Christian, pro-family organization got from the IRS when they applied for a 501(c)(4), a process he said “went on and on and on” for 19 months. Breitbart reports:
“When his (Dobson’s) lawyer called the IRS to find out what the problem was, an IRS rep named Medley told him, “We don’t think we’re going to approve your application.” When he asked, why, she answered, “because you’re a right wing organization, and you’re political, and you’ve been critical of the President and we don’t think you give other people an opportunity to express their views, and besides that – you’re not educational.”
The KGB certainly had its reputation for “dealing” with those who deviated from Soviet Communistic (atheistic) ideology, just as the IRS seems to be “dealing” with groups who deviate from this administration’s (anti-Christian, pro-abortion, Marxist) mentality.
5. PUNISHMENT – Just as the KGB oversaw the punishment of its political opposition, it sure seems as though the IRS has been appointed to do the same to anyone who disagrees with President Obama’s policies. Remember when Valerie Jarrettt, Senior White House Advisor, said this?
“After we win this election, it’s our turn. It’s payback time. Everyone not with us is against us and they better be ready because we don’t forget. The ones who helped us will be rewarded. The ones who opposed us will get what they deserve. There is going to be hell to pay.”
Well, that’s exactly what is happening to Mitt Romney’s top campaign donors.
The IRS and the Labor Department have begun auditing businessmen on the president’s enemy list, including Frank Vandersloot, a ‘rags to riches’ man who openly supported Mitt Romney during the 2012 election.
According to the Heritage Foundation:
“On April 20, President Obama’s campaign named VanderSloot to the first presidential “enemies list” since the Nixon era. Eight private citizens were singled out for their donations to Romney. They committed no crimes, sought no attention, and yet they became the subject of Obama’s scorn.
VanderSloot is now facing persecution from the federal government. Kimberly Strassel reveals in The Wall Street Journal that two federal agencies — the Internal Revenue Service and Labor Department — both launched investigations of VanderSloot after his name appeared on Obama’s enemies list.”
Daily Caller reported that VanderSloot claims he isn’t the only one of his peers who was audited after donating to Romney. VanderSloot stated, “I don’t know how many were (audited). I know that I’m not the only one. I do know that. Everybody took a beating,” he added. “And for most of them, they’ve had enough. But there were a couple who will stand up and be counted on this issue, and the others just want the thing to go away.”
Is the IRS punishing Romney supporters (like VanderSloot), using them as examples, to breed fear among wealthy GOP donors? After all, who wants to contribute money to Republican candidates if it means they will have to endure the stress and expense of tax audits and probes from various government agencies? Most Americans don’t want that kind of punishment, just for supporting political candidates.
6. PROPAGANDA: The KGB also had strict control over what information was made public. While the Liberal media (and the DOJ, for that matter) may still have the IRS beat on this one, the IRS did actually give nine confidential applications (of Conservative groups whose tax-exempt status was pending) to Liberal journalist group, ProPublica. ProPublica then took the liberty to smear these Conservative groups before the 2012 election.
Needless to say, this shows the lengths the IRS went during the election to suppress Conservative organizations.
Just days after President Obama told students at Ohio State University to: “reject those voices who warn of tyranny,” Americans were outraged to find that tyranny was indeed forced upon the very groups President Obama mocked in his speech. Before the president could get those very words out of his mouth, those warning “voices” were already being vindicated.
Bottom line: Since the Obama administration launched its “fundamental transformation of America” in 2009, recent revelations all prove the IRS has itself been “transformed” to protect the administration from anyone who dares threaten its agenda…which sure looks very “KGB-ish” to me!
