1. Elect Democrats AND Republicans to Federal offices.
2. Expand the Federal Government, as the Republicans and Democrats both have done.
3. Increase the national debt exponentially.
4. Have the Government borrow money totally beyond its means.
5. For the most part, ignore the Tenth Amendment to the Constitution.
6. Spread fear amongst the populace---fear of terrorists, disease, contaminated food, mechanical failures, and anything else that might harm people.
7. Downplay the idea of individualism.
8. Constantly tell people that onerous taxes are for "the greater good".
9. Convince the populace that inflation is "normal".
10. Denigrate the concept of commodity-backed money, and promote the concept of fiat money.
11. Pass laws in areas in which Congress has no Constitutional authority, then claim that's legal because "times have changed" and the Constitution is "outdated" and "quaint".
12. Have the Federal Government infringe on States' Rights...for "the greater good".
13. Claim that State laws, such as medical marijuana (that infringe on no one's rights or property), are illegal.
14. Institute warrantless wiretapping...for "the greater good".
15. Claim that habeas corpus does not apply if one is accused of being a certain type of criminal---a "terrorist", or "enemy combatant".
16. Have the Federal Government completely ignore lawfully executed Petitions for Redress of Grievances.
17. Claim that the narrowly restricted Federal Firearms Act applies to everyone.
18. Launch a "War on Drugs".
19. Launch a "War on Poverty".
20. Become a health fascist.
Finally, condition the populace to believe that the Federal Government can best solve most all problems, be they in the area of health, or safety, or economics, or education, or crime, or... really, anything.
Sunday, July 8, 2007
Saturday, June 30, 2007
The War and the Democrats
When the Democrats more or less swept into office in the 2006 election, most everyone agreed that the primary reason for their success was: the majority of the electorate wanted to see a major change in the direction of the Iraq war. There was a change---the war has been escalated. People can say that's not the fault of the Democrats, but let's examinine that proposition a bit further.
The Corporate Media, while covering the most recent war supplemental spending bill a short while ago, never explored the fact that the Democratic majority did not have to propose or pass ANY war spending bill---none whatsoever. There already was enough funding in the pipeline to bring the troops home in a safe manner as soon as possible. The fact is the Democrats could have stopped the war right in its tracks.
One has to ask, why didn't they? Several possibilities emerge.
1. They were afraid of the appearance of not supporting the troops. In other words, their main concern was getting re-elected in 2008.
2. Most of their constituents really didn't want to END the war right now. Instead, they wanted the execution of this misbegotten war to be more decisive...they wanted "victory", or an "honorable" resolution---whatever that means.
3. Large campaign contributors (and their lobbyists) convinced the Democrats that we need an "honorable" resolution, and so, funding of the war should continue. Such campaign contributors most likely are the folks making money from the war effort.
4. Democrats remember what happened to Wayne Morse back in the '60s. He voted against funding for the Vietnam War (as well as having been a vocal critic of that war)...and was not re-elected. [This is similar to # 1 above.]
5. A significant (but rarely heard) portion of the Democrats actually believe the NeoCon crap about the relationship of Iraq to the "War on Terror".
6. There is some other reason...not immediately apparent (at least, to me).
Take your pick. Whatever the reason, the failure of the Democrats to end this insane war is a travesty. The King George war has been a disaster from the beginning.
The Corporate Media, while covering the most recent war supplemental spending bill a short while ago, never explored the fact that the Democratic majority did not have to propose or pass ANY war spending bill---none whatsoever. There already was enough funding in the pipeline to bring the troops home in a safe manner as soon as possible. The fact is the Democrats could have stopped the war right in its tracks.
One has to ask, why didn't they? Several possibilities emerge.
1. They were afraid of the appearance of not supporting the troops. In other words, their main concern was getting re-elected in 2008.
2. Most of their constituents really didn't want to END the war right now. Instead, they wanted the execution of this misbegotten war to be more decisive...they wanted "victory", or an "honorable" resolution---whatever that means.
3. Large campaign contributors (and their lobbyists) convinced the Democrats that we need an "honorable" resolution, and so, funding of the war should continue. Such campaign contributors most likely are the folks making money from the war effort.
4. Democrats remember what happened to Wayne Morse back in the '60s. He voted against funding for the Vietnam War (as well as having been a vocal critic of that war)...and was not re-elected. [This is similar to # 1 above.]
5. A significant (but rarely heard) portion of the Democrats actually believe the NeoCon crap about the relationship of Iraq to the "War on Terror".
6. There is some other reason...not immediately apparent (at least, to me).
Take your pick. Whatever the reason, the failure of the Democrats to end this insane war is a travesty. The King George war has been a disaster from the beginning.
Tuesday, June 26, 2007
97 Days in Hell
A fellow by the name of Vance was held in a U.S. secret military prison, in solitary, for 97 days. He was allowed no attorney, no contact with the outside world whatsoever...and was hooded & shackled at various times. [Try to put yourself in this guy's place---he had no idea if he would be held for 97 minutes, 97 days, 97 months, or 97 years!]
Vance is an American citizen, a Navy vet, who was working as a civilian in a private Iraqi security company. He noticed huge stockpiles of small arms at the company, and began to think they were being provided to promoters of Iraqi sectarian violence. He contacted the FBI, and became an informant for a few months...supplying the Agency with info.
Then one day he was arrested, told he was under suspicion of terrorist activities, and was spirited off to the secret prison. After 97 days of becoming emaciated and sleep deprived, they cleaned him up and dumped him at the Baghdad Airport. No explanation.
He is suing the Govt. [Some folks think that one cannot sue the Govt successfully. Randy Weaver sued and won...well, the Govt settled out-of-court.]
I guess my point in relaying this story (from NBC Nightly News netcast) is that suspecting someone of criminal activity is understandable, but denying the suspect access to an attorney and habeas corpus is not permitted in a free society. Claims that a "terrorist" is different from a criminal are nothing more than sleazy attempts to avoid due process. The whole thing is an outrage.
That whole generic procedure was probably engineered by the brilliant logician [:)], Dick Cheney, who claims that his office is not in the Executive Branch. [He not only acts as if he's psychotic...he is psychotic.]
Vance is an American citizen, a Navy vet, who was working as a civilian in a private Iraqi security company. He noticed huge stockpiles of small arms at the company, and began to think they were being provided to promoters of Iraqi sectarian violence. He contacted the FBI, and became an informant for a few months...supplying the Agency with info.
Then one day he was arrested, told he was under suspicion of terrorist activities, and was spirited off to the secret prison. After 97 days of becoming emaciated and sleep deprived, they cleaned him up and dumped him at the Baghdad Airport. No explanation.
He is suing the Govt. [Some folks think that one cannot sue the Govt successfully. Randy Weaver sued and won...well, the Govt settled out-of-court.]
I guess my point in relaying this story (from NBC Nightly News netcast) is that suspecting someone of criminal activity is understandable, but denying the suspect access to an attorney and habeas corpus is not permitted in a free society. Claims that a "terrorist" is different from a criminal are nothing more than sleazy attempts to avoid due process. The whole thing is an outrage.
That whole generic procedure was probably engineered by the brilliant logician [:)], Dick Cheney, who claims that his office is not in the Executive Branch. [He not only acts as if he's psychotic...he is psychotic.]
Tuesday, June 19, 2007
Randy Weaver Joins the Browns
Please see: http://questforfairtrialinconcordnh.blogspot.com/ ...scroll down a bit.
Remember Randy Weaver of Ruby Ridge fame? Government agents killed his son, and murdered (there's no other word for it) his unarmed wife while she was holding a baby. Agents also shot Weaver in the back...actually, in the shoulder from the back. He is now in New Hampshire at the home of Ed & Elaine Brown. [See my post, "A Nonresponsive Government", for a little background on the Browns.]
Weaver hopes to diffuse the situation at the Browns' home, and bring it to national attention before we have another Ruby Ridge. We wish them all the very best.
That situation could be ended peacefully if the Govt representatives would do ONE SIMPLE THING. Just show Ed & Elaine (and all of us) specifically where in USC Title 26---NOT in CFR Title 26, which was written by the IRS, and is a regulation, not a statute---the average American INDIVIDUAL is liable for a tax on his/her income. Ed has said repeatedly that if they will show him the law, he will pay the tax.
That's ALL the Govt has to do...why won't they? [Could it be because the cited law IS Constitutional precisely because nowhere does it levy such a tax?]
Come on, Govt...pony up. Just show me the LAW (not the regulation).
Remember Randy Weaver of Ruby Ridge fame? Government agents killed his son, and murdered (there's no other word for it) his unarmed wife while she was holding a baby. Agents also shot Weaver in the back...actually, in the shoulder from the back. He is now in New Hampshire at the home of Ed & Elaine Brown. [See my post, "A Nonresponsive Government", for a little background on the Browns.]
Weaver hopes to diffuse the situation at the Browns' home, and bring it to national attention before we have another Ruby Ridge. We wish them all the very best.
That situation could be ended peacefully if the Govt representatives would do ONE SIMPLE THING. Just show Ed & Elaine (and all of us) specifically where in USC Title 26---NOT in CFR Title 26, which was written by the IRS, and is a regulation, not a statute---the average American INDIVIDUAL is liable for a tax on his/her income. Ed has said repeatedly that if they will show him the law, he will pay the tax.
That's ALL the Govt has to do...why won't they? [Could it be because the cited law IS Constitutional precisely because nowhere does it levy such a tax?]
Come on, Govt...pony up. Just show me the LAW (not the regulation).
Tuesday, June 12, 2007
Our Unaccountable President
Once again King George has been knocked down (rightfully so) by a court---the 4th Circuit in this case. The Court ruled that it was unconstitutional to hold a resident alien (here legally) in solitary confinement in a Navy brig for years...even though the Govt tagged him with the term "enemy combatant". Our King and his jackbooted minions were certain that it could be done through military procedures. The suspect will not go free, but now must be charged in criminal court, thus afforded habeas corpus. That is as it should be.
This is not the first time that a court has told the King, "No, you can't do that.", but he continues on anyway. [Remember the Jose Padilla mess?] Our King believes that in his expanded Unitary Presidency he is accountable to virtually no one.
It should be clear to the American public by now that the "War on Terror" is nothing but an attempt to grab unconstitutional power. Terrorists are not in an army; they are criminals, pure and simple. When suspects are caught, they should be charged and tried as criminals. Claiming that such trials would give away national secrets is nothing more than an attempt to avoid due process. Remember Julius and Ethel Rosenberg? National secrets were involved, but they were tried in a criminal court...and we all survived.
The hubris of the Bush Administration is offensive. King George, in particular, acts as though he is some sort of absolute ruler. Even his facial expressions betray him---half the time he looks out at his audience with disdain, superiority, and/or smugness. I think he tops Nixon in that regard. Luckily for us, he is more or less a Lame Duck...very lame.
This is not the first time that a court has told the King, "No, you can't do that.", but he continues on anyway. [Remember the Jose Padilla mess?] Our King believes that in his expanded Unitary Presidency he is accountable to virtually no one.
It should be clear to the American public by now that the "War on Terror" is nothing but an attempt to grab unconstitutional power. Terrorists are not in an army; they are criminals, pure and simple. When suspects are caught, they should be charged and tried as criminals. Claiming that such trials would give away national secrets is nothing more than an attempt to avoid due process. Remember Julius and Ethel Rosenberg? National secrets were involved, but they were tried in a criminal court...and we all survived.
The hubris of the Bush Administration is offensive. King George, in particular, acts as though he is some sort of absolute ruler. Even his facial expressions betray him---half the time he looks out at his audience with disdain, superiority, and/or smugness. I think he tops Nixon in that regard. Luckily for us, he is more or less a Lame Duck...very lame.
Saturday, June 9, 2007
A Nonresponsive Government
Please view the Petitions for Redress of Grievances at http://www.givemeliberty.org/ (left side of page); they were signed by over 1,700 concerned citizens and formally presented to various branches of the Fed Govt over a period of a few years. No one from the Government has responded to any of them. Other Petitions have been submitted by various people (including this writer) with no responses. [I did receive ONE response from a member of Congress, but it was not relevant--- the response completely avoided all legitimate questions.]
Right now in Plainfield, NH, Ed and Elaine Brown virtually are under siege by U.S. Marshalls. In a tax trial during which they were not allowed to submit relevant Supreme Court case rulings or revealing portions of USC Title 26, Subtitle A, Chapter 1 (the Income Tax), they were convicted of tax evasion. They are in their home and have vowed resistance to being arrested.
What most people don't know, because the Corporate Media edit it out (if they cover the case at all), is that the Browns began writing the IRS in 1994---asking legitimate questions about the Tax Code---and continued for two years...BEFORE they began not paying taxes in 1996. They also cited relevant Supreme Court cases in their letters to the IRS, asking more questions about the Tax Code vis-a-vis the Court rulings. Their questions were never answered. The government was nonresponsive. For twelve years the government virtually ignored the Browns---ten of those years they did not pay taxes.
In 1774, our Founders established a precedent for withholding monies from a government that does not answer legitimate Petitions. Nonresponsive governments display arrogance, and should not receive any monies due---this according to our Founders. Furthermore, Jefferson himself stated that if a government ignores pleadings from the People regarding injustices, it is the duty of the People "to alter or abolish that government".
The Petitions at givemeliberty.org deal with Constitutional torts committed by our government in the areas of: the tax clauses, the war clauses, the Fourth Amendment, the money clauses, and other areas such as immigration. These Petitions are meticulous in their formats and legitimacy. By ignoring them, the Fed Govt displays not only hubris, but disdain for We the People as well. Meanwhile, the Constitution is being abrogated...again.
Many people are fed up with this situation. It is time to boycott the Fed Govt and its lap dogs, the Corporate Media and the large multi-national corporations, whenever possible. EXAMPLE: ABC, NBC, & CBS already are concerned that---according to their own studies---they have lost 2.5 million TV viewers over a period of a year or so. Let's make that five million...or more. Commercial network TV is 90% drivel anyway. EXAMPLE: Boycott Exxon-Mobil, the largest oil company in the world---and the one with the most obscene profits. EXAMPLE: Bombard Congress with emails, phone calls, or letters demanding the repeal of the REAL ID Act, which goes into effect in May, 2008. [See: http://www.downsizeDC.org/ ...scroll down, almost to the bottom.] Electronic tagging should be for animals, not humans. Besides, the Fed Govt has no Constitutional authority to have anything at all to do with citizen ID.
Right now in Plainfield, NH, Ed and Elaine Brown virtually are under siege by U.S. Marshalls. In a tax trial during which they were not allowed to submit relevant Supreme Court case rulings or revealing portions of USC Title 26, Subtitle A, Chapter 1 (the Income Tax), they were convicted of tax evasion. They are in their home and have vowed resistance to being arrested.
What most people don't know, because the Corporate Media edit it out (if they cover the case at all), is that the Browns began writing the IRS in 1994---asking legitimate questions about the Tax Code---and continued for two years...BEFORE they began not paying taxes in 1996. They also cited relevant Supreme Court cases in their letters to the IRS, asking more questions about the Tax Code vis-a-vis the Court rulings. Their questions were never answered. The government was nonresponsive. For twelve years the government virtually ignored the Browns---ten of those years they did not pay taxes.
In 1774, our Founders established a precedent for withholding monies from a government that does not answer legitimate Petitions. Nonresponsive governments display arrogance, and should not receive any monies due---this according to our Founders. Furthermore, Jefferson himself stated that if a government ignores pleadings from the People regarding injustices, it is the duty of the People "to alter or abolish that government".
The Petitions at givemeliberty.org deal with Constitutional torts committed by our government in the areas of: the tax clauses, the war clauses, the Fourth Amendment, the money clauses, and other areas such as immigration. These Petitions are meticulous in their formats and legitimacy. By ignoring them, the Fed Govt displays not only hubris, but disdain for We the People as well. Meanwhile, the Constitution is being abrogated...again.
Many people are fed up with this situation. It is time to boycott the Fed Govt and its lap dogs, the Corporate Media and the large multi-national corporations, whenever possible. EXAMPLE: ABC, NBC, & CBS already are concerned that---according to their own studies---they have lost 2.5 million TV viewers over a period of a year or so. Let's make that five million...or more. Commercial network TV is 90% drivel anyway. EXAMPLE: Boycott Exxon-Mobil, the largest oil company in the world---and the one with the most obscene profits. EXAMPLE: Bombard Congress with emails, phone calls, or letters demanding the repeal of the REAL ID Act, which goes into effect in May, 2008. [See: http://www.downsizeDC.org/ ...scroll down, almost to the bottom.] Electronic tagging should be for animals, not humans. Besides, the Fed Govt has no Constitutional authority to have anything at all to do with citizen ID.
Thursday, May 31, 2007
What Happened to Our Country?
In 1960 the U.S. national debt was $286 billion; today it is about eight trillion dollars. Most Americans think little to nothing of this situation: an obscene national debt, virtually constant annual budget deficits, and continual devaluation of the dollar via inflation of the money supply. The results are inflation of prices every year [in 1961 a pair of Levi's jeans sold for $3.95], creating a hidden "tax"---separate from all the other taxes---that is paid by all of us and will be paid by all who follow us in life. What happened to our country?
There are many reasons for the mess in which we find ourselves, and none are more important than this: in 1913 Congress passed the unconstitutional Fed Reserve Act. It changed the Constitution without an Amendment. In effect, Congress turned over its Constitutional duty to regulate the value of our money to a group of private corporations. [Lewis v. the U.S., #80-5905, 9th Circuit Court, June 24, 1982, "...we conclude that the Federal Reserve (Banks) are not Federal instrumentalities, but are independent and privately owned corporations..."]
Why? One can speculate (based upon all that has happened since 1913) that the answer is no more complicated than this: it was done because of greed and corruption. A group of bankers wanted control of our money system in order to make more money, and so they convinced Congressmen---those who weren't on Christmas vacation at the time---to abrogate the Constitution, shirk their duty to "coin money and regulate the value thereof", and trust the banking industry. The result has been the almost complete destruction of our money.
The present-day dollar is worth four cents compared to the 1913 dollar. Inflation is accepted as "normal". Sooner or later, our continually devalued dollar is bound to collapse. That's probably when the Corporatocracy will introduce the "Amero", the all too soon-to-be currency of the North American Union.
There was a time in this country when people knew that government, as Jefferson stated, is the enemy of the People. That's the reason our Founders placed strict limitations on the central government. Again, according to Jefferson, we must bind the government with the chains of the Constitution so that the government does not become a legitimized version of a criminal. Various Founding Fathers warned that people in power are not to be trusted, and that government is but a necessary evil. What happened to our country?
One can speculate that as we became more prosperous (in general), we also became less vigilant and more apathetic in regard to government. During and after the Great Depression---brought on by the manipulations of the Fed Reserve System (to which they admitted recently)---most people began to see our government as the Great Nanny. Soon people expected the government to be the provide-all entity in our country. During and after WW II the government grew exponentially in size and power. The "Secret Government", as noted by Bill Moyers, became bolder and bolder. It wasn't long before our government was overthrowing democratically elected government leaders---e.g., in Iran, Chile, Guatemala, etc.---and lying to the American public, as well as the rest of the world. Our government became a behemoth...out of control.
We the People were not only less vigilant and more apathetic, but were feeling helpless as well. Even as government abuses became public, we felt there was little to nothing that could be done to correct the situation. Many recognized that it really didn't matter who was elected to high office, and so we lost interest in politics and didn't bother to vote. In 2004, King George was elected with only 26% of the eligible voters in the country---74% voted for Kerry or third party candidates, or didn't vote at all. With the Corporatocracy virtually running the country, it is completely understandable why about 50% of eligible voters do not vote.
It is probable that when the Corporatocracy brings about the defeat of Ron Paul's candidacy for President, lovers of our Constitutional Republic (which is long gone, but MUST be restored) will finally wake up to the fact that the answer to our many problems is NOT to be found in the ballot box. Only massive, wide-scale civil disobedience will be the beginning of the restoration of the Republic. In the meantime, we should BOYCOTT the Corporatocracy on a small scale whenever possible.
[EXAMPLE--- As this piece is being written there is an ongoing, national effort to boycott ONE oil company...the largest, Exxon-Mobil. Do not buy your gasoline at an Exxon station. If enough people follow through, see how fast they lower their prices; after all, something is better than nothing when it comes to company revenues. Then see how fast the other companies lower their prices in order to compete. It can be done, if only enough people follow through.]
We must reclaim our status as individual sovereigns, and we must re-recognize that such status carries responsibility. Admittedly, there are some things for which government is necessary--- national defense, an unbiased court system, regulation of interstate commerce, etc. But government is NOT our Nanny; we must take care of ourselves, our families, and our neighbors whenever possible. We must hold the central government to the strict limitations of the Constitution. If we don't, we deserve what we get.
There are many reasons for the mess in which we find ourselves, and none are more important than this: in 1913 Congress passed the unconstitutional Fed Reserve Act. It changed the Constitution without an Amendment. In effect, Congress turned over its Constitutional duty to regulate the value of our money to a group of private corporations. [Lewis v. the U.S., #80-5905, 9th Circuit Court, June 24, 1982, "...we conclude that the Federal Reserve (Banks) are not Federal instrumentalities, but are independent and privately owned corporations..."]
Why? One can speculate (based upon all that has happened since 1913) that the answer is no more complicated than this: it was done because of greed and corruption. A group of bankers wanted control of our money system in order to make more money, and so they convinced Congressmen---those who weren't on Christmas vacation at the time---to abrogate the Constitution, shirk their duty to "coin money and regulate the value thereof", and trust the banking industry. The result has been the almost complete destruction of our money.
The present-day dollar is worth four cents compared to the 1913 dollar. Inflation is accepted as "normal". Sooner or later, our continually devalued dollar is bound to collapse. That's probably when the Corporatocracy will introduce the "Amero", the all too soon-to-be currency of the North American Union.
There was a time in this country when people knew that government, as Jefferson stated, is the enemy of the People. That's the reason our Founders placed strict limitations on the central government. Again, according to Jefferson, we must bind the government with the chains of the Constitution so that the government does not become a legitimized version of a criminal. Various Founding Fathers warned that people in power are not to be trusted, and that government is but a necessary evil. What happened to our country?
One can speculate that as we became more prosperous (in general), we also became less vigilant and more apathetic in regard to government. During and after the Great Depression---brought on by the manipulations of the Fed Reserve System (to which they admitted recently)---most people began to see our government as the Great Nanny. Soon people expected the government to be the provide-all entity in our country. During and after WW II the government grew exponentially in size and power. The "Secret Government", as noted by Bill Moyers, became bolder and bolder. It wasn't long before our government was overthrowing democratically elected government leaders---e.g., in Iran, Chile, Guatemala, etc.---and lying to the American public, as well as the rest of the world. Our government became a behemoth...out of control.
We the People were not only less vigilant and more apathetic, but were feeling helpless as well. Even as government abuses became public, we felt there was little to nothing that could be done to correct the situation. Many recognized that it really didn't matter who was elected to high office, and so we lost interest in politics and didn't bother to vote. In 2004, King George was elected with only 26% of the eligible voters in the country---74% voted for Kerry or third party candidates, or didn't vote at all. With the Corporatocracy virtually running the country, it is completely understandable why about 50% of eligible voters do not vote.
It is probable that when the Corporatocracy brings about the defeat of Ron Paul's candidacy for President, lovers of our Constitutional Republic (which is long gone, but MUST be restored) will finally wake up to the fact that the answer to our many problems is NOT to be found in the ballot box. Only massive, wide-scale civil disobedience will be the beginning of the restoration of the Republic. In the meantime, we should BOYCOTT the Corporatocracy on a small scale whenever possible.
[EXAMPLE--- As this piece is being written there is an ongoing, national effort to boycott ONE oil company...the largest, Exxon-Mobil. Do not buy your gasoline at an Exxon station. If enough people follow through, see how fast they lower their prices; after all, something is better than nothing when it comes to company revenues. Then see how fast the other companies lower their prices in order to compete. It can be done, if only enough people follow through.]
We must reclaim our status as individual sovereigns, and we must re-recognize that such status carries responsibility. Admittedly, there are some things for which government is necessary--- national defense, an unbiased court system, regulation of interstate commerce, etc. But government is NOT our Nanny; we must take care of ourselves, our families, and our neighbors whenever possible. We must hold the central government to the strict limitations of the Constitution. If we don't, we deserve what we get.
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