Guest Post
By Dan Beaulieu
Instilled deep within us is the pride of what it means to be an American. That pride is derived from the notion that, in our country, our values and our way of life is superior to those of other countries. Indirectly, that pride pays homage to our founding forefathers for establishing and protecting those values in our Bill of Rights.
Our founding forefather’s vision for America was based not only on their recent emancipation from the British oppression, but also from their collective knowledge of history and mankind’s past mistakes. They understood the evolutionary process of how a society could transform from freedom to totalitarian empire by studying the mistakes of so many failed governments that came before us. With that knowledge, they created a safeguard; the Constitution was written to shield us from the otherwise inevitable fate of tyranny and ultimate self-destruction.
I can’t articulate enough just how privileged America is to have a heritage of such great revolutionary thinkers. These intellects have sculpted America into the greatness that it became and their words still resonate to this day, hundreds of years after their deaths. However, just as most privileged children naturally do, we live our lives simply pursuing our own priorities while taking for granted the great gift of liberty bestowed upon us. We fail to understand the necessity of demanding that our legislators remain diligent in upholding the constitution.
“If once the people become inattentive to the public affairs, you and I, and Congress and Assemblies, Judges and Governors, shall all become wolves. It seems to be the law of our general nature, in spite of individual exceptions.” - Thomas Jefferson
It’s the nature of the government, to continually expand and rarely, if at all, retract. These expansions are almost always at the peril of our constitution; our personal liberties. The income tax is a perfect example of this unconstitutional expansion. Although there have been taxes dating back to antiquity, the first U.S. income tax legally declared was in 1861 as a “temporary tax” to pay for the Civil War, which then expired in 1871. The income tax was tried again in 1894 but was ruled unconstitutional by the Supreme Court. However, in 1913 they found a way to pass the income tax, by writing a 16th amendment. The income tax was passed into law under President Woodrow Wilson after the 16th Amendment was ratified.
It won support by the masses under the guise that it would only affect 1% of the richest Americans. “Soak the Rich” was the twisted banner the people rallied to. Just a few short years later the tax didn’t just include the rich, it expanded to incorporate the vast majority. This example displays both the relentless persistence and the deceitfulness that we were warned to keep in check.
Oftentimes, when these intrusive laws are sold to us, the lawmaker first designates a purported evil. In the case of the income tax it was “the rich”, drawing them up as unethical thieves who are leeching off the poor anyway. The privileged children buy into the propaganda and rally support to justify battle against an ostensible evil. This evil takes many shapes: race, creed, class and sexual alignment to name a few. We must never give into this, as selling out our fundamental principles only opens the door for totalitarianism.
“He that would make his own liberty secure, must guard even his enemy from oppression; for if he violates this duty, he establishes a precedent that will reach to himself.” - Thomas Paine
It is my personal belief that the decline of our founder’s moral virtues greatly accelerated in the dawn of the 1900’s. Between bad legislation, central economic planning, wealth redistribution, war propaganda, unconstitutional and undeclared wars, military occupation, the nanny welfare state, the creation of the Central Intelligence Agency along with the conception of hundreds of tax funded bureaucracies. They, in concert, brought on the complete annihilation of our forefather’s vision, and welcomed even worse legislation into existence…
The precipice of desecration came shortly after September 11th 2001, where, for security, we traded our civil liberties and welcomed with open arms The Patriot Act. This horrific legislation represents the worst transgression against our civil liberties that we have ever encountered. A Trojan horse of sorts, just as with the income tax in 1913, we bought into an evil, and sold out our principals to combat it. The impulse to accept such a devastating law rested in the obvious anger, fear and strong desire for vengeance which clouded our prudence to fully deliberate what exactly we were signing on to.
“Those who would give up essential liberty to purchase a little temporary safety deserve neither liberty nor safety.” - Benjamin Franklin, 1759
Since the Patriot Act’s incarnation we are so far removed from our roots and fundamental morals we now employ… Freedom of speech zones, security checkpoints, unwarranted surveillance, torture, indefinite detention, forced inoculations, sneak and peak searches. This act violates everything that our Bill of Rights stands for. We have turned our back on our moral values in the name of “The War on Terror”... in fear.
You might ask yourself what the motives are for such transgressions, and although I believe that answer is centered on control, I know it is extremely multifaceted, simply meaning that there is no specific answer. So I once again draw reflection on Thomas Jefferson’s logic, “It seems to be the law of our general nature, in spite of individual exceptions.” Once we failed to be vigilant in the protection of our founder’s great gift, that our “general nature” will slowly consume our freedoms.
One of the worst unconstitutional displays of control is Obama’s new Super Congress (link) which has usurped all power from the congress, thus silencing the voices of the American people. Make no mistake, America is now an oligarchy.
“A long habit of not thinking a thing wrong gives it a superficial appearance of being right and raises at first, a formidable outcry in defense of custom.” - Thomas Paine
Have we ushered in the age of the Orwellian big brother society? When the people of the United States have come to the point of openly applauding the idea of a colossal razor wire barrier (link) that encompasses our borders, I think it’s apparent, that we truly have strayed from American fundamental principles. This whole notion brings frightening images of the berlin wall to mind; images of prison guard towers with razor wire glistening from the searchlights. What a disturbing vision for America, our Army standing at the border as we deign to the level of North and South Korea.
Big Brother is truly watching us all. Since 9/11 our privacy has been drastically diminished. Between the TSA groping’s in airports, subways, football games and even proms we are no longer secure in our persons. With wiretapping and warrantless sneak & peak searches we are no longer secure in our homes. We now see video monitors installed at banks, fast-food restaurants and Wal-Marts with looped videos of the Secretary of the Department of Homeland Security Janet Napolitano urging us to spy on our neighbors saying, “If you see something, say something”. This is designed to invoke a constant state of tension and fear of looming terrorist threat. Legislation has come forth which would allow the government to take over the screens on your smart phone for urgent Presidential Addresses. The underlying message of “give up your freedoms and the government will keep you safe” prevails.
“In the councils of government, we must guard against the acquisition of unwarranted influence, whether sought or unsought, by the military-industrial complex. The potential for the disastrous rise of misplaced power exists and will persist.” - Dwight D. Eisenhower
Has the age of the Military Industrial Complex that Dwight D. Eisenhower warned us about come to fruition? Our politicians bequeath cartels and handouts to colossal conglomerates in trade for career-making campaign funding. These large super companies own financial institutions, energy companies and healthcare establishments amongst a great many other things. They control our data flow through printed and televised media which gives them the opportunity to portray events or legislation in a light that benefits their cause. At the same time the same company will also produce the various tools and weapons of the war. Our government then gives other countries our tax dollars in the form of foreign aid with the condition that they use that aid to buy our (company’s) munitions.
This conflict of interests insures perpetual war, dishonest media coverage and a duopoly of corrupt lobbyist and bureaucrats in our political system. It also has particularly negative effects on our economy and small businesses. Driving our work overseas and underselling the more heavily regulated and taxed small business. This has killed the American entrepreneur and the dream of our forefathers… This is not how America was to be.
“We have it in our power to begin the world over again.” - Thomas Paine
The revolutionary war wasn’t just a war of muskets, steel and blood; it was a revolution of ideas. Once again, and long overdue, the notion of revolution has finally risen to the mainstream once again. The American people are reeducating themselves on the Constitution, studying economic policy and rethinking our role in the world. Although our movement is swimming against the current of big business, political interest and the mainstream media, we are within striking distance of reinvigorating the American Dream. But we need to choose the correct leader to hold the torch as the path is dark.
“…every generation needs a revolution...” “…at least once every 20 years…” “…a medicine necessary for the sound health of government.” – Thomas Jefferson
I believe right now that there is one amongst us. He’s the only top-tier candidate running for Presidency that offers us real change and a return to constitutional sanity both financially and morally. He has been called the professor, the prophet and the Thomas Jefferson of our time. With him the sun will set on the dark ages of intellect, and bring forth a new day. We must defend the American Pride that is our heritage by upholding the constitution. You can choose to stop buying into the duo-political system that enslaves us and vote for an idea. You can choose to save the American Dream.
“I am an imperfect messenger, but the message is perfect.” – Ron Paul
Some people believe the constitution is out-dated and simply will not work in today’s age, but logic perseveres, our founders were not simple men. America is just a newborn child in comparison to our civilization as a whole, and even in ancient times there were governments. Each fallen Empire became a testament of man’s “general nature” and how it shifts governments into Empires. Studying the triumphs and failures of man kinds past, our founding fathers created the constitution to stop history from repeating itself. We cannot be so vein as to think their logic doesn’t transcend both time and technology, as their logic was forged from 10,000 years of civilization. Their logic is sound.
Regardless of opinion, let’s look at the facts. We’re hated globally for our occupation, we’re $14.7 Trillion in debt, and we’re being spied on and groped by our own government. We’re broke and on the verge of collapse (Link).
History is about to repeat itself one way or another: Collapse or Revolution.
Editors note:
When we fail to uphold justice for all we invariably put our own freedom in jeopardy. Taxing the rich may sound like a good idea, if your not rich. However, why should one be forced to contribute more than another. I would rather level the playing field and remove the loopholes that the rich have over the poor to increase their wealth. Why does a convicted felon lose his second amendment right to bear arms if he has truly paid his debt to society. Does he lose his right to expression or freedom of religion, a fair trial, the right to be secure about his person? So why does he lose his second amendment right? Because he may do something? This land is about the freedom of the individual and the responsibilities that go along with those rights. You have the right to freedom of speech, however, if you yell FIRE in a crowded theater you have misused your right and must have an equal responsibility for that misuse. If we misuse our freedoms then we should be held accountable for that misuse not before because we might. Americans have forgotten what freedom is, true freedom. Many would argue that we must control human behavior for societies sake and make more laws. It is precisely that kind of sentiment that has brought us to a world with so many laws it is impossible to live without breaking them. If we can pass enough laws we shall all be criminals. What makes America different is that it holds the freedom of individuals over all else. - NewAmericaNow
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