Over the past year I’ve come to two realizations that are driving some important actions in my life that will manifest themselves in the months and years ahead.
The first is that the federal government is beyond repair. This country is so deep in debt, so far astray from the Constitution, so uneducated on the principles of liberty, so controlled by centralized power and corrupt deals, and so unwilling to take the steps to reverse course, that its future is looking increasingly grim. Whether the future brings a crisis event such as a monetary collapse or military attack, or whether we simply will be gradually subjected to yet further federal tyranny, the direction has long been consistent and unrelenting. The United States of America is headed in the direction of disaster. I think this general observation is pretty much indisputable.
The second realization is that my time and energy are largely wasted when focused on trying to help fix it. For every good bill that passes through Congress—after expending significant time, money, and political capital—hundreds of bad ones fly through with little notice and even less controversy. It’s like trying to build a dam in the Mississippi river one twig at a time. Any progress that is made is quickly swept away in the overpowering and rapid current heading exactly where you don’t want it to go.
Still, those successes—few in number though they be—should be praised. We should also, I think, continue to try and elect pro-liberty candidates who are crazy enough to be willing to jump into the federal fray and attempt to solve some of the myriad problems which exist. One need only talk to a handful of congressional aides and federal employees, though, before realizing that the establishment against which such elected officials are opposed is immensely powerful and incredibly difficult to tweak even in the slightest degree. The chance of such candidates making much of a difference is unfortunately slim.
When I say that I’ve given up on the federal government, I’m not suggesting that I will become completely disengaged from or indifferent to what occurs. It’s not as if this government is not continually taxing me, sending my neighbors to die in faraway lands, claiming control over nearly aspect of my life, and overpowering the state government which theoretically stands between us. We all are intimately affected by the federal government, and so I will remain interested in and opposed to most of what they currently do.
Giving up on them means, rather, that I won’t be focusing my energies primarily on changing things at the federal level. The odds are in the house’s favor, after all, and if you happen to win a hand, a security detail intimidatingly stands behind you as you cheer your small victory, simply to remind you who is in control. Still supporting others who choose to deal directly with our problems at the federal level, I now spend most of my time and energy at the state level.
I do so for one specific reason: if we are to gain any victories in substantially restraining the federal government, they will be realized through state-based opposition, rather than trying to get the federal government to restrain itself. Token victories and small successes are not enough to actually turn the tide of federal tyranny. The best hope that exists in our current system is to work through the state governments to reject unconstitutional legislative and bureaucratic mandates from the national government. Asking the feds to please play nicely and follow the rules has rarely, if ever, worked; the states must be utilized, as they were intended, to “erect barriers at the constitutional line,” as Thomas Jefferson wrote.
This is no easy task. It requires a legislature, a governor, and an attorney general with spines sufficiently strong to take a stand and deal with the consequences. It requires a people who are informed of their individual rights, the Constitution, and the principles of moral government. But these are things that are much more manageable at the state level. Communicating with, persuading, pressuring, and/or replacing somebody in state government is far more achievable and realistic than working to do the same at the federal level.
Working at the state level is necessary not only to more effectively ensure that the federal government is appropriately restrained, but also to improve the internal affairs of the state. Utah and every other state has plenty of laws on the books which are absolutely anti-liberty and must be repealed. Something about cleansing the inner vessel comes to mind.
If this country is to be spared from the consequences of its current course, it will be done from the bottom up, not the top down. The federal government will not voluntarily nor willingly surrender the power it has acquired over the past century, even if there exists within its ranks a few principled patriots trying to stack their twigs in the rushing river. With apologies to Ghandi, I believe that we must be the change we want to see in our government. And we can manifest that change far more effectively at the local and state levels than we can by gravitating to the federal level and becoming easily lost in the fray. The tide is both more shallow and weak in the state, and therefore one’s efforts to build a dam to restrain the river of regulations is more likely to be successful.
This isn’t a defeatist attitude. Rather, it is a recognition of how and where practical solutions and feasible outcomes might actually be achieved. I applaud (though question the sanity of) those who have more hope and optimism for fixing the national government. I simply do not share that view nor think it realistic. I will, at times, support or oppose a candidate for federal office, or advocate for or against a bill. But where my goal is to effect change and increase individual liberty for myself and those around me, I feel that my time and energy is best spent at a more local level.
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In 1840, Virginia statesman Abel Upshur penned a response to Judge Joseph Story’sCommentaries on the Constitution of the United States. Upshur’s writings contain many passionate and persuasive arguments for what today is generally referred to as “state’s rights.” Some of his words are eerily prescient and directly relate to the thoughts I’ve expressed here:
So far as (the federal) government is concerned, I venture to predict that it will become absolute and irresponsible, precisely in proportion as the rights of the States shall cease to be respected, and their authority to interpose for the correction of federal abuses shall be denied and overthrown. It should be the object of every patriot in the United States to encourage a high respect for the State governments. The people should be taught to regard them as their greatest interest, and as the first objects of their duty and affection. Maintained in their just rights and powers, they form the true balance-wheel, the only effectual check on federal encroachments.
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The danger is, not that the States will interpose too often, but that they will rather submit to federal usurpations, than incur the risk of embarrassing that government, by any attempts to check and control it.
That danger has become our reality. It is a reality I will be working to change in the coming years. Expect good things to come.
Amen brother. Washington is broke and broken. To naively believe that those in power will suddenly restrain themselves to the Rule of Law it to believe a parasite will stop sucking life from its host. The country needs to be rebuilt one county, one municipality, and one state at a time. I will add that The Forgotten Men radio show — along with the 10th amendment center and others — are supporters and promoters of nullification, county sheriff interposition, jury nullification, and an Article V amendments convention.
Good. Now give up on all government and we can start making some real progress.
Amen and amen. Although the evidence is clear and your analysis correct that more change can be accomplished at the state level I fear that such action is just a larger twig, a branch perhaps, but not enough to create a dam. If I may carry the metaphor a bit further, the District of Criminals gets their power from the money they steal from us through the myriad taxes they have established, made “legal” by the 16th Amendment. We need to cut off that source of power and to do so cannot be done at the state level, but the beast must be dealt with directly.
We need to get to the root of the problem and stop wasting time trying to deal with the fruits of the problem. Washington DC drinks from the river of revenue produced by taxes which is the collateral they use to borrow even more money from the Federal Reserve to pay for their programs of progressive enslavement. If the river dried up, they wouldn’t have the collateral and they couldn’t borrow against the future for the power they wield today.
We are not in a position to nullify the 16th amendment by exercising 10th amendment rights. But it does not take a law to dry up the river. All we need to do is to stop spending money.
I know, it isn’t that simple, nor can we do it for any great length of time. But We the People could agree to go on an economic fast just to show the crooks and ourselves that we can do it. We don’t need to do it for long, just long enough for us to cause a ripple in the flow of money, enough to prove to ourselves that we can do this, enough to let them see we don’t need a law to peacefully protest and provoke a response.
What might they do? Can they force us to buy goods? Not for a short time they can’t, and I believe that is all it takes. We should all fast this July 4th holiday weekend ‘cuz we sure don’t have much freedom or liberty left to celebrate. We can all agree to not spend a dime for 3 days. Buy your food in advance, travel to wherever you plan to relax in advance, but don’t spend a dime for 3 days. If we ALL did they, they would notice. It would be a peaceful provocation and I can guarantee they will react in a tyrannical way. I don’t know how exactly, but it doesn’t matter. They will reveal how twisted and evil they are and then even the sheeple will see that they are not to be trusted.
If we can do it for 3 days, then next time we can do it for a week. If we can do it for a week, the next tim we can do it for two weeks. I’ll bet if we could do it for 3 weeks we could bring them to their knees.
I’ve been beating this same drum for years. People look at me like I’m crazy.
DON’T GIVE UP, THAT’S WHAT THEY WANT. We need to pull together as AMERICAN PEOPLE and forget the party system that is dividing us intentionally. The main problem we have today is we have lost our “voice” in the federal government, because of 2 main events. #1) In 1917, they passed the Trading with the Enemy Act, and declared all citizens enemies of the state- had to do with the Federal Reserve Act, as the bankers were foreign agents (but they never told the people). Also, the 2001 Patriot Act re-declared the citizens as “enemy combatants”. So, the laws they are passing are to keep us as “criminals” and “captured” people. They “sell us” on the stock market through bonds, etc.
We need to end this Act. And if they don’t, then we need to remove them (recall them) from office.
#2) It is obvious that the people in DC are NOT our “representatives” anymore, as the Federal Government has been taken over by the banksters. The Congress is not in control- the banksters are. All laws are written for them. The “attorneys” are NOT lawyers anymore, they are “debt collectors” working for the BAR (British Accredited Registry) a Private union- controlled by the Crown – the Rothschild Empire in London.
Foreign agents. And who is in Congress?- Attorneys! And now we have a President who is an attorney.
Look up the definition in the dictionary. To attorn means- Feudal Law – to turn or transfer homage and service to another as lord. b) Modern Law- To agree to become tenant to another as owner or landlord. Attorney – A “legal” Agent. What they determine as “legal” is not always lawful. Our law has been turned into their own interpretation based on their agenda under color of law, not true law. To take over America. The King of England and the banksters never wanted us to be free. They always wanted “subjects” which are slaves – a piece of us. They are back!
So, what can we do about it? Based on the fact that this was perpetrated decades ago through fraud, deception, coersion, deceit, force, RICO, etc., We must declare this crime.
1) We must declare our status as the true Sovereigns of this nation, as WE are in charge, and demand that all foreign agents in the government resign. Anyone with a dual citizenship (allegience to another) in another country should NOT be allowed to hold office. (This is what Jefferson and the original 13th Amendment were about). Their allegience is to another power, and not the people. We must hold them accountable by demanding they make a sworn written statement to protect the peoples rights or step down. In 1871, they created a corporation called The UNITED STATES OF AMERICA. (REGISTERED IN DELAWARE as a corporation. They have their own constitution for DC. There is one for profit and one not for profit. The Original Constitution is OUR trust agreement with them. They OWE us!
2) We need to modernize the government system and create a website where every person can register their vote for ALL legislation that they may want to pass. States too! We are in the computer age and this can be done very simply. If the majority of the people don’t want it- it doesn’t pass. NO bills get passed until the people get to read them first. No more lobbying manipulation. No more politicians getting kickbacks to pass laws that favor certain groups or companies. No more having to wait 2-4 years to “vote” in another crook to “hope” they make changes.
3) Reinstate the National Treasury Bank- at zero interest cost to print our money backed by the oil, gold, etc. resources of the country. Everyone in the country would have access to funds- everyone only pays 3% simple interest to borrow. - eliminates the compound interest and credit score scam. This money would be used to pay government costs, after we reduce the size and eliminate all the alphabet agencies that are in violation of the constitution and therefore reduce the cost of government.
4) Bring the power back to the states. All funding will be paid by State Banks – Example North Dakota.
If a 12 year old (Victoria Grant) can figure out what the problem is with the government (she’s from Canada, - our sister country -same system) and solutions, why can’t the jokers in DC do it?
See youtube video – http://youtu.be/Bx5Sc3vWefE
Because they are not working for the people- they have sold us out and we need to remove them from power and stand up like our forefathers did and charge them for treason if they do not want to change, as they are destroying our country.
WE THE PEOPLE HAVE SPOKEN!