In pursuit of Constitutionally grounded governance, free
markets and individual liberty
__________________________________________________________________________________________________________________
We are not a
Democracy, but you wouldn’t know it by Shea Bernard
It continually amazes me that this subject continues to crop up, yet upon
further consideration of where it does pop up, and among whom, perhaps it is
not so amazing after all. Yet I am still struck by supposedly educated people
who think or claim this – an indictment of the public educational system no
doubt. I usually decry belaboring the obvious, yet it seems that once again
well founded history requires enumeration. I begin my opus with a simple
proclamation: We are not a Democracy, nor were we ever, nor was it intended
that we be so. Our Founding Fathers decried democracy ( mob rule as they called
it ), and not one of them ever argued for democracy in this country. The
prevailing objections of our founding fathers against Democracy can be surmised
as follows and it contains 5 key elements:
1. It is
impossible for the people as a whole to intelligently make public policy over a
wide range of issues. Most people lack the time, energy, and interest to give
such a high level of ongoing personal attention to politics and public affairs.
Also, they are inarguably without the necessary education, information, and
political skills. This is even more true today – just look at the losers on
YouTube declaring their support for Obama because “he’s gonna give me free stuff…”.
These losers typify the Obama support base – people living off welfare, persons
who know nothing what-so-ever about politics, sociology, or history, but
instead vote with their gonads and their “me me me” mentality, or worse yet,
they are the epitome of the very racism that they accuse Conservatives of –
voting for a man because of his color.
2. Direct
democracy is an impractical system of government. When legislative authority is
exercised by the masses, they frequently make hasty and unwise decisions on
public policy, arriving at such decisions on the basis of momentary popular
wishes and passions, through ignorance or lack of education into the
multifaceted nuances that attend matters of State.
3. Direct
democracy makes it virtually impossible to negotiate political bargains and
compromises among opposing groups with conflicting views and interests. In
every political controversy, one side emerges the total victor and the other
side the total loser, leaving the losing side dissatisfied, alienated, and
determined to reverse the decision, regardless of the costs and consequences.
Political conflict over the issue continues, even though negotiation and
bargaining might have discovered a middle ground acceptable to both sides. This
makes for a high level of social tension and tends to destabilize the society
and its government.
4. In a
direct democracy, there is the ever-present danger of tyranny of the majority.
In a political community where all adult citizens are members of the
legislature, it is virtually impossible to limit the power of the majority.
There are no institutional safeguards to moderate and restrain the exercise of
governmental power and prevent the majority from riding roughshod over the
rights and vital interests of members of the minority.
5. In a
large population, the logistics and realities of Mass Assembly and a Popular
vote become too problematic. An example is the election screw-ups in Florida –
imagine that on a national level! And Florida’s election snafu’s culpability I
lay entirely at the feet of the bozos that were too stupid to read a ballot; I
had no trouble reading it. This is a PRIME example of why ignorant people
should not vote – they cannot even read and decipher a ballot correctly, yet
they are to be trusted with choosing the next leader of our planet? Hardly…..
Our history and the words of our Founding Fathers are quite clear on this
subject, but the Constitution is the last word, and conveniently is the
clearest, to wit;
“SECTION 4. The
United States shall guarantee to every State in this Union a Republican Form of
Government, and shall protect each of them against Invasion; and on Application
of the Legislature, or of the Executive (when the Legislature cannot be
convened) against domestic Violence”.
~~~~~~~
Should Only Those
Who Pay Taxes Should be Allowed to Vote? By Jerald
Taylor
Our republic, in
its current form, cannot continue forever. The old adage that once the peasants learn that they can vote
themselves bread is rapidly proving itself to be true. Any but a fool
can see that no government can continually spend more than it takes in can
last. We can see it… the fools can’t. The point is that we must
desperately attempt to educate them before they run the entire American experiment
into the ground. Otherwise we will go the way of Greece, into insolvency,
massive inflation and turmoil. Whenever enlightened people gain control of
our government or in the next republic, if it comes to that, the vote must be
restricted to those who pay taxes (which will be most people) and the
government should be required to balance its budget except in time of declared
war. The idea that all men are created equal and should therefore be able
to vote is baloney. All men should be treated fairly and with compassion,
but only those who pay some amount of tax, regardless how small, actually have
some skin in the game and should be able to decide how much they are willing to
spend. Government should be limited to military, judicial, police,
education, maintenance of public parks, regulation of commerce, infrastructure
and very few other things, none of which should include charitable purposes,
regardless how worthy. Unemployed persons who want money from the
government should be given something called a “job” performing projects related
to some purpose within the governmental functions, similar to the Work Projects
Administration or Civilian Conservation Corps of the depression era. Those
who are truly unable to support themselves should be objects of charity. Anyone
who believes that other things “ought to be done” should feel free to donate
their own money toward the causes which they espouse. That would result in
much greater efficiency, as we would not waste money fighting over those
things which one group or another wants to force others to fund.
~~~~~~
A
Nation Divided or Liberal Vote Buying? - Mark
Alexander
I wanted to send you the most current county-by-county election map,
which clearly reveals what state election maps don't, and what Obama and his
Leftist cadres do NOT want you to contemplate. It shows where Liberal
constituencies reside. (By the way, we have taken the Liberty to correct the
colors -- red is a much more fitting color for the Liberal strongholds.) The assault
on Liberty we witnessed Tuesday, as was the case in 2008, was led primarily by
those on urban "Liberal Plantations," those who depend on what the
Liberals call "redistributive justice" from the rest of us in order
to survive. They account for almost 60 (SIXTY) percent of Democrats''
constituents, and Socialist Democrats are masters of co-opting (read:
"buying") their allegiance and getting them to the polls. The
good news is that about 10 million fewer Obama voters showed up in 2012,
despite his billion-dollar campaign.
~~~~~~
Netanyahu: Between
Barack and a hard place
President Barack Obama’s re-election has left Israel’s prime minister in
a bind. Benjamin Netanyahu repeatedly
has clashed with Obama and was widely seen as backing Republican challenger
Mitt Romney in the American election. Yet in the coming months, Netanyahu
will need American support more than ever as the Palestinians seek upgraded
recognition at the UN and the world grapples with the Iranian nuclear program.
“It seems like it is not such a good morning for Prime Minister Benjamin
Netanyahu,” Israeli Cabinet minister Eli Yishai told reporters early Wednesday
as news of Obama’s victory emerged. The concern reflected the widespread
perception in Israel that poor personal chemistry between the two leaders could
affect the broader relationship between their governments, particularly if
Netanyahu is re-elected in upcoming parliamentary elections. The Israeli leader
is the front-runner in the Jan. 22 race, according to opinion polls.
~~~~~~
Administration
Shuts Down Oil Drilling Out West
The Interior
Department on Friday issued a final plan to close 1.6 million acres of federal
land in the West originally slated for oil shale development. The proposed plan would fence off a majority of the
initial blueprint laid out in the final days of the George W. Bush
administration. It faces a 30-day protest period and a 60-day process to ensure
it is consistent with local and state policies. After that, the department
would render a decision for implementation. The move is sure to rankle
Republicans, who say President Obama’s grip on fossil fuel drilling in federal
lands is too tight. Interior’s Bureau of Land Management cited
environmental concerns for the proposed changes. Among other things, it excised
lands with “wilderness characteristics” and areas that conflicted with sage
grouse habitats.
~~~~~~
Washington Times KUHNER: Obama’s America: ‘Path is Clear’ for
America’s Transition to Socialism
From the outset of his presidency, Mr. Obama vowed to be a
“transformative” leader. His re-election shows that he has achieved his primary
goal: erecting a European social democracy. By any objective measure, Mr.
Obama’s first term has been a colossal failure. His signature legislative
achievements — the economic stimulus and Obamacare — are unpopular.
Unemployment has remained chronically high. Economic growth is sputtering. The
recovery is anemic. Inflation is rising. He has presided over multiple,
consecutive trillion-dollar-plus budget deficits. He has amassed more than $5
trillion in debt. The national debt is more than $16 trillion — a staggering
amount that threatens our economic security. We are sliding toward Greece and
impending bankruptcy. Yet the electorate rewarded him with another term. Why? The answer is simple and ominous: because more than half the
population — 50 percent plus one — is dependent upon government benefits.
For the past four years, the Obama administration has created a
Franco-German welfare state whose sole purpose is to forge a majority political
coalition wedded to the Democratic Party. The stimulus; the health care
overhaul; the redirecting of financial resources to the inner cities; the explosion
in the number of Americans on food stamps and welfare; the massive spending
increases in public education, infrastructure and agriculture; the green-energy
boondoggles; the bailouts of the auto industry; the contraceptive mandate; the
federal funding of abortion; support for homosexual “marriage”; and pushing
amnesty for illegal aliens — all of these measures directly bought off key
liberal constituencies, such as unions, public-sector workers,
environmentalists, blacks, Hispanics, feminists and the homosexual community.
In short, America has been fractured into two nations: the tax producers and
the tax consumers, the givers and the takers, those who generate wealth and
those who exploit it. Mr. Obama has peeled off the larger chunk. The productive
classes are being harnessed into subsidizing the nonproductive elements.
Statism and sex trump entrepreneurship and self-reliance.
~~~~~~
1 in 5 Americans
Enrolled in Medicaid
Medicaid is the joint federal-state health care program for the poor that
allows states to extend coverage beyond those who are in poverty. Recently, the
ObamaCare health reform law expanded Medicaid eligibility to those living on
133 percent of the federal poverty level. The poverty level annual income for a
family of four is $23,000 – 133 percent of that, in terms of annual income for
a family of four, would be $30,590. That expansion does not go into effect
until 2014, however, and therefore does not affect the continued growth trend.
Nor does it contribute to the record 70.4 million Americans enrolled in
Medicaid. According to CMS statistics,
Medicaid has been growing rapidly since 2008, going from 62.8 million total
enrollees to 70.4 million in 2011. Prior to 2008, Medicaid rolls had
remained relatively stable, going from 60.1 million in 2005 to just 60.9
million in 2007.
~~~~~~
~~~~~~~
Obamacare: The
Battle Intensifies
Public opinion has
not changed. Exit polls show that the majority of Americans still want the
law repealed in full or in part. Former House Speaker Nancy Pelosi (D–CA)
was absolutely right when she famously remarked in 2010 that “we have to pass
the bill so that you can find out what is in it.” With continuing
revelations of increasing costs, higher taxes, and a flood of directives from
Washington bureaucrats, the polls have since shown that the American people
still do not like the law. There is still so much more to know—and not
like. Americans know that this law was enacted in haste and that critical
details are still to be decided and enforced. What is a qualified health plan?
What will be in the essential benefit package? How will the employer and
individual mandate be implemented? The list goes on.
~~~~~~
To Romney and the
GOP Elites: What Goes Around Comes Around by Ron
Holland
On November 6th a
large percentage of the Ron Paul supporters (10% of the GOP electorate) in the
primary season exited the corrupt GOP voting process, stayed home, watched our television screens (like I did) and
followed through with our warning to the GOP establishment. No Paul = No Vote
in November. Did you notice that during the many hours of broadcast news
coverage of election night not one establishment news talking head mentioned
what would have happened if Ron Paul supporters had voted en masse for the GOP
and Mitt Romney? In fact, Ron Paul was never mentioned at all and they
dared not even speak his name during the night's running commentary. The
Paul factor was the elephant in the room the press had obviously been ordered
to avoid in discussions at all costs. The world knows how the Romney
campaign and GOP establishment trashed Ron Paul and his supporters
during the GOP primary season and in front of millions at the GOP national
convention. Romney had the presidential nomination sewed up and had he treated
the Paul voters with respect and reconciliation and added either Rand or Ron
Paul on the ticket as I suggested in "No Paul = No Vote in
November." The Republican Party would have captured the Senate and
the would have millions of young supporters promoting both the party and our
freedom agenda. But this was not to be, due to the arrogance and
animosity of the GOP big-wigs and the Republican operatives running the Romney
campaign. Maybe this is all for the best. After all, if Rand Paul were now
the vice president he would be pigeon-holed and basically a captive hostage of
the GOP establishment just like he was during the GOP convention when his
father and Paul supporters were treated so badly. Ron Paul, Rand Paul and the
Paul convention delegates certainly deserved better treatment than the broken
promises and humiliation they received at the hands of the GOP brownshirts. In
fact, I thought Rand Paul was treated in a similar fashion to William Wallace
at his execution at the end of the classic Mel Gibson movie,
"Braveheart." The only difference was the GOP thugs forced Rand
to keep quiet whereas William Wallace was able to shout "Freedom!" in
his dying moments. William Wallace died that day and now, hundreds of years
later, Scotland is on the precipice of Scottish independence. Well, today I am
just one of millions of Ron Paul supporters but I want Karl Rove and his
scumbag friends and political operatives to remember: We told you that if a
Paul wasn't on the 2012 ticket we wouldn't vote. You got what you deserved and
now Obama has four more years to prove that he can become the worst president
in history. It is four long years until 2016 but unlike William Wallace, Ron
and Rand Paul have not been executed and millions of liberty supporters remain.
We will not be silenced and we will not forget. So to the GOP elites and
Mitt Romney we send a loud shout of "FREEDOM!", like William Wallace
did so long ago. The only difference is we are still here. The only real
GOP winners in this election were the Ron Paul forces and you will rue the day
and bitterly regret your treatment of us during 2012. So remember,
"What goes around comes around." We will still be here in 2014 and
2016 and we will still be fighting for freedom.
~~~~~~
College Students
Cheer for Karl Marx, Socialism, and Barack Obama by
Gary DeMar
The youth vote was big for Obama, so it’s no surprise that “A group of
college students chanted ‘Karl Marx’ and ‘socialism’ while celebrating
President Obama’s electoral victory in front of the White House late Tuesday
night, a video shot by Campus Reform reveals. “The raucous group of students
chanted ‘Karl Marx, Karl Marx, Karl Marx,’ and cited abortion, socialism, and
‘Obama phones’ as reasons for their support of President Obama’s second term.”
It’s been said that if you want to find out where Communism is thriving, then
go to America’s college campuses. Communism and Socialism are alive and well in
America among those who depend on the hard work of capitalists. Without
economic freedom, Socialism wouldn’t be possible. The former Prime Minister of
Great Britain said, “Socialist governments traditionally do make a financial
mess. They always run out of other people’s money.” It goes deeper than this.
There are a number of professors who are outspoken apologists for Communist
dictators. For example, Grover
Furr, a professor in Medieval English at Montclair State University, from
the deep blue pro-Obama state of New Jersey, “recently denied Soviet Union
Leader Joseph Stalin was responsible for the murder of millions, saying he has
‘yet to find one crime – one crime that Stalin committed.’ . . . I know they
say he killed 20, 30, 40 million people,’ but ‘It’s bulls**t.’” Our tax dollars
at work educating the next generation of freeloading voters. Most students are
in college on someone else’s dime. State universities are funded by tax payers.
In-state tuition is subsidized by money confiscated by property owners in the
form of property taxes, sales taxes, and state income taxes. Most young people
grow up under socialism. Everything is paid for them – food, clothing, shelter
– by someone else, namely, their parents. They expect their parents to pay for
their college education as well, and when they can’t afford it, it’s off to
government-backed loans and grants and subsidized tuition.
~~~~~~
Israel Fires
Warning Shots into Syria in Response to Errant Shell Landing by Sharona Schwartz
For the first time since the 1973 Yom Kippur War, Israeli forces on
Sunday fired over the country’s northern border to Syria as a warning after a
mortar shell fired from Syrian territory exploded in the Golan Heights,
officials say. The Israeli newspaper Ynet
reported the Israeli Defense Forces Artillery Corps fired at a post in Syria in
response. On Thursday, three Syrian mortar shells struck
in and around an Israeli village in the Golan Heights. The IDF vowed in a
statement, “Further attacks [from Syria] will elicit a vigorous response,” the
Jerusalem Post reported. All of this
raises concern that the Syria conflict could expand to neighboring countries,
leading to a wider conflagration. Israel captured the Golan Heights from Syria during the 1967 Six Day War.
In 1981, Israel annexed the territory, placing it under Israeli law, but Syria
has always insisted it wants the territory back.
~~~~~~
Should Only Those
Who Pay Taxes Should be Allowed to Vote? By Jerald Taylor:
Our republic, in
its current form, cannot continue forever. The old adage that once the peasants
learn that they can vote themselves bread is rapidly proving itself to be true. Any but a fool can see that no government can
continually spend more than it takes in can last. We can see it… the fools
can’t. The point is that we must desperately attempt to educate them before
they run the entire American experiment into the ground. Otherwise we will go
the way of Greece, into insolvency, massive inflation and turmoil. Whenever
enlightened people gain control of our government or in the next republic, if
it comes to that, the vote must be restricted to those who pay taxes (which
will be most people) and the government should be required to balance its
budget except in time of declared war. The idea that all men are created equal
and should therefore be able to vote is baloney. All men should be treated
fairly and with compassion, but only those who pay some amount of tax,
regardless how small, actually have some skin in the game and should be able to
decide how much they are willing to spend. Government should be limited to
military, judicial, police, education, maintenance of public parks, regulation
of commerce, infrastructure and very few other things, none of which should
include charitable purposes, regardless how worthy. Unemployed persons who want
money from the government should be given something called a “job” performing
projects related to some purpose within the governmental functions, similar to
the Work Projects Administration or Civilian Conservation Corps of the
depression era. Those who are truly unable to support themselves should be
objects of charity. Anyone who believes that other things “ought to be done”
should feel free to donate their own money toward the causes which they
espouse. That would result in much greater efficiency, as we would not waste
money fighting over those things which one group or another wants to force
others to fund.
· “The
American Republic will endure, until politicians realize they can bribe the
people with their own money.”
· “A
democracy cannot exist as a permanent form of government. It can only exist
until the voters discover that they can vote themselves largesse from the
public treasury. From that moment on, the majority always votes for the
candidates promising the most benefits from the public treasury with the result
that a democracy always collapses over loose fiscal policy, always followed by
a dictatorship. The average age of the world's greatest civilizations has been
200 years.”
· “Democracy
extends the sphere of individual freedom, socialism restricts it. Democracy
attaches all possible value to each man; socialism makes each man a mere agent,
a mere number. Democracy and socialism have nothing in common but one word:
equality. But notice the difference: while democracy seeks equality in liberty,
socialism seeks equality in restraint and servitude.”
· “Society
will develop a new kind of servitude which covers the surface of society with a
network of complicated rules, through which the most original minds and the
most energetic characters cannot penetrate. It does not tyrannise but it
compresses, enervates, extinguishes, and stupefies a people, till each nation
is reduced to nothing better than a flock of timid and industrious animals, of
which the government is the shepherd.”
· “It
is above all in the present democratic age that the true friends of liberty and
human grandeur must remain constantly vigilant and ready to prevent the social
power from lightly sacrificing the particular rights of a few individuals to
the general execution of its designs. In such times there is no citizen so
obscure that it is not very dangerous to allow him to be oppressed, and there
are no individual rights so unimportant that they can be sacrificed to
arbitrariness with impunity.”
· “Americans
are so enamored of equality, they would rather be equal in slavery than unequal
in freedom.”
· “Liberty
cannot be established without morality, nor morality without faith.”
· “When
the taste for physical gratifications among the people has grown more rapidly than
their education . . . the time will come when men are carried away and lose all
self-restraint . . . It is not necessary to do violence to such a people
in order to strip them of the rights they enjoy; they themselves willingly
loosen their hold. . . they neglect their chief business which is to
remain their own masters.”
· “Nothing is more wonderful than the
art of being free, but nothing is harder to learn how to use than freedom.”
· “As I see it, only God can be
all-powerful without danger, because his wisdom and justice are always equal to
his power. Thus there is no authority on earth so inherently worthy of respect,
or invested with a right so sacred, that I would want to let it act without
oversight or rule without impediment (p. 290).”
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