Last night’s “fiscal cliff” vote was a revolutionary act…and by that, I mean it was reason enough for an actual insurrection, a real revolution.
While in theory, you had representation for the vote, what you saw is an exercise in taxation without representation as the government voted, as it has since the days of FDR’s New Deal, to protect itself by taking your tax money and illegitimately placing the direct burden disproportionately on a small segment of the population who simply do not have enough power in numbers or influence to stop it.
Sure, it was “the rich” who got stuck with the bill but the moral hazard that a progressive tax system and the ability of government to unequally impose taxes creates has resulted in a perfect example of tyranny of the majority…and in a pure, raw exercise of “progressive” power, the communists in the Senate and the House, along with their “go along to get along” fellow travelers in the Republican Party enacted a plan that does absolutely nothing to cure the problem of spending and debt – Hell, the CBO says that it actually ADDS almost 4 trillion to the deficits over the next 10 years – while punishing a segment of our successful population under the guise of “fairness”.
Zero Hedge has a chart that puts this in stark perspective about how little this tax increase actually does:
Folks, this is tyranny – out in the open, in your face, raw and exposed tyranny. Now the next fight will be over the debt ceiling of which Obama said yesterday:
While I will negotiate over many things, I will not have another debate with this Congress about whether or not they should pay the bills they have already racked up.
What pure, unmitigated hypocrisy from the greatest communist spendthrift in the history of America…but it is working for him – he prods and schemes with his henchmen behind the scenes and with a wink and a nod from Congressional Democrats, he gets his abomination of a government funded and then has the temerity to criticize Congress for spending too much and not paying for it.
I was wrong about Obama, I used to think he was incompetent – but this guy is evil incarnate. He is spinning the wheels of destruction that were set in motion by FDR.
He heads a government, including a large percentage of supposedly “conservative” Republicans, that caters to the takers – even fears them. It penalizes the makers and is dedicated to redistribution of income as a method of their own survival. I believe that they have actually convinced themselves that Americans simply cannot survive without government…and we have a large segment of our populace who also believe that they can use government to take from the producers for their own benefit because they honestly believe that it is “due” to them. Pure envy, that’s all it is. In my 53 years of life, I have never seen more discussion in politics about what other people have than in the past 15 years…communist Democrats have convinced the general public that “the rich” are evil even as it is their own federal policies that have beggared them (John Fund has a great piece at NRO about the “forgotten scandal” and reminds us how these Congressional rats cover each other).
What can be done?
Until we can elect people more interested in fiscal sanity, narrowing the role of government and caring more about the people who pay the bills than power, there isn’t much. Here are some recommendations:
- Barter. The current tax system is encouraging the increase in a black market system by which non-cash trades of goods and services are the medium of exchange. Consider trading your accounting services for a plumbing job, or maybe your kids do lawn work in exchange for other services.
- Accumulate wealth, not income. Invest as much as possible – at least for now, dividends are not taxed as much as income and they haven’t started to try to confiscate wealth…yet. Buy property that you can use or trade its use for something else. Buy an eighth of an acre plot and start a vegetable garden or trade the space to someone in exchange for produce from the lot.
- Become as self-sufficient as possible. See #2 above. Grow your own food – it is surprising how much yield a small plot of ground or a planter box can yield. Every tomato, potato or green bean that is home grown avoids a transaction that can be taxed and any excess can be used to barter.
- Avoid taxes – do not evade them, evasion is illegal. Understand that the system is rigged against you, middle-income earners do not have the opportunities that the upper level and the lower income people do to shield income. This is the obscene fallacy of how the politicians “support the middle class” when the fact is that this is the class with the least ability to use the laws to protect their income.
- If you own a business or are in a position of authority in a company, work as hard as you can to grow your business – you will no doubt be punished for your success in the short term but we have to get people off the dole and employed or we will continue to see votes for more handouts. Businesses have to grow the tax base as much as possible. I know this sounds counter-intuitive based on today’s conventional wisdom but the more people we have paying taxes, the more people will have a reason to understand why we need to cut them.
I’ll say it again; we have to do three things:
- Fight for legal and legislative respect for the Tenth Amendment:
- “The powers not delegated to the United States by the Constitution, nor prohibited by it to the States, are reserved to the States respectively, or to the people.”
- Repeal of the Seventeenth Amendment and reverting to the original Article I, Section 3:
- Current: “The Senate of the United States shall be composed of two Senators from each State, elected by the people thereof, for six years; and each Senator shall have one vote. The electors in each State shall have the qualifications requisite for electors of the most numerous branch of the State legislatures.
- Former: Article I, Section 3: The Senate of the United States shall be composed of two Senators from each State, chosen by the Legislature thereof, for six Years; and each Senator shall have one Vote.
- Repeal of the Current Tax Payment Act of 1943
- This Act mandated automatic withholding of federal income tax, effectively making private employers the agents of the IRS.
These three actions, perhaps more than any others, would return the power of government to the people through decentralization of government, ending the hegemony of lobbyists in D.C., devolving the centralized socialist planning philosophy of Washington, making elections on a state level relevant to national government (it would matter who controls state legislatures due to the appointment of Senators by those respective bodies) and returning the power of the purse to the people. I maintain that having to plan for and pay taxes directly out of your bank account creates a greater degree of sensitivity for how much money government spends and why.
There is a reason that the government codified the collection of taxes and things like the Obamacare “mandate”. They know that the only check against a government that has an unlimited ability to impose taxes at will is to be able to legally refuse to pay them – otherwise the vault door is permanently unlocked.
The Rio Norte Line 
“While I will negotiate over many things, I will not have another debate with this Congress about whether or not they should pay the bills they have already racked up.”
Of course he won’t. I’ve speculated before that he will try to loop-hole the 14th Amendment, and take the issue to the courts. With this statement, seemly my assertion is correct.
Side note: Go purchase something today, and print a receipt. Check it for this:
(note to liberals): Again, there is no such thing as “free”. Welcome to Obamacare … each and every one of you.
Is that on groceries too?
For many years I have been channeling my inner farmer & growing food every summer. Originally it started because the tomatoes in the stores had absolutely no taste. Since we had a quarter acre of land at city place I decided to grow my own. The tomatoes were so good I added some beans, squash, herbs and corn. At first my CA neighbors were put off by my garden, but that changed as soon as I gave them some of the veggies
In 2005, my husband and I spent 6 months down in LA fixing up the Hermosa house. Most LA folks don’t or can’t even plant flowers so when I showed up and started passing out heirloom tomatoes they thought I was some kind of strange farmer! Once the beach house was fixed up inside I started on the yard, planted some annuals and then tossed out some grass seed for a lawn. A couple weeks later I was out front checking my new flowers when the attorney across the street rushed over. He told me my lawn looked great, but that he couldn’t understand where it came from since he’d never seen a sod truck at our place. I told him I had not purchased sod and had used seed. This very accomplished attorney turned to me in amazement and said “you know how to grow grass?” Stunned, all I could say was “Yup, I’m a real genius, I can grow grass.”
That was the day I learned it really doesn’t take much to impress folks in LA.
Trapped, what do you do about the squirrels?
Eat them.
Do you know, my son had a friend over, and they shot squirrels and stuck them in my deep freezer??!! The boy took them home the next day because he said he knew how to skin and cook em. I’ve never eaten squirrel…… anyone know what they taste like?
Chicken.
I ain’t gonna take the Bait….no sir !
BTW Utah, A great post…..The “other” NRO….covers their Azz’s in other ways too !
Hi Kells,
Since we fled Bay Area house, I have been gardening at rural cabin, our back yard is fenced to keep deer out and our 2 pit bulls in. The first summer, our male dog caught and killed a squirrel out back, he obviously shares Utah’s philosophy on squirrels LOL. After that the squirrels tend to stay in the front yard where we have 5 walnut trees for them to eat from.
Not sure where you live, but I have heard sprinkling cayenne pepper on your garden will deter them. Also, have heard soaking jalapeño peppers in water and then dicing then up and sprinkling around the garden helps too. Apparently, squirrels don’t like spicy. Also, you can get prepared spray at your gardening store to stop squirrels.
I encourage you to try a garden, the food really does taste so much better and you can’t get any more local than your backyard.
Thanks for the advice! We are in the Panhandle of FL and have plenty of squirrels, but I have plenty of hot spices too! I do want to get into gardening and canning. It is amazing what the grocery bill has risen to these days. I know it has to be astronomical out there.
Kells,
Everything has gone up here. Today, I will pick up a dozen eggs at the farm near us, they are $4. From the farm! In 1984 those same eggs cost 60 cents. Gas spiked here too, I paid $4.81 a gallon earlier this yr.
You are lucky not to live in CA. God willing, this will be our last yr here too.
Had a Garden in Marin……had to put up a 12 foot fence to keep the Deer out.
Whoddathunk deer like Tomatoes ??
So, you ARE ready to start discussing secession! 😀
Joe,
Secession? No. I do not support secession.
Why?
Anyone who talks secession will be rounded up and sent to “re-education camps”. Their property confiscated.
The argument for Secession was lost a century and a half ago. Those who support and argue for secession WILL be the first targets of the new police force the state has been buying supplies for.
You understand the state/central govt will collapse once everyone realizes and accepts the Dollar has no value.
Texas,
You are already on that same list, so why not be honest about it? If you don’t, then they will just keep you running in circles in a cage that doesn’t look like a cage (i.e. anything that includes voting or Parties).
Truthfully,
I’m not for secession.
I’m for constitutional government (which is Limited)!
Heck, OUR Constitution states plainly and succinctly,
“ALL bills for revenue SHALL originate in the House. ”
Simply; this newest Senate revenue bill will be illegal if it were passed by the house and signed into law.
At some point, at least HALF the country will awaken to TRUTH.
The rest of the world may decide to awaken us sooner when they determine the “shell game” no longer benefits them.
There is no reason to openly declare war upon the central state by declaring secession.
Can’t be won until the central state has collapsed anyway. It is dead already, but like an elephant, it takes a long time before the whole realizes it.
Can’t be won until a majority strong enough to prevail openly exists either.
Which founding father explained, the Revolutionary War was won a generation earlier? Things HAVE to collapse b4 a majority open their eyes.
No point to signing on for secession.
I believe, OUR Constitution is the single most important and G-d inspired document created by MAN, for ordering the affairs amongst People’s.
I will always support her.
The thieves in Washington DC merely pay lip service to her while they continue on UN- Constitutionally (= illegally).
After the collapse, we can dust off the original and put her back to work.
Besides, its our job to educate everyone on our hidden history.
🙂
Texas,
So, how do you propose we get the Federal government to obey the Constitution?
Texas, Joe and others have made GOOD points….
I and others are ALSO for getting Back to the Constitution……But States Rights, Nullification and yes Seccession are PART of the Constitutional legacy.
To be for States Rights is to be for the Constituion……they are NOT mutually exclusive.
I hear this “appeal” this “Hope” often; that in your words …
(1)….”At some point, at least HALF the country will awaken to TRUTH…”
and,..
(2) ….”After the collapse, we can dust off the original and put her back to work.”……This is a common refrain in the Conservative / Libertarian Blogosphere.
What we are engaging in by this kind of thinking is a form of….Desparate hope and appeal to the other side……a kind of faith that those with Complete and often violently opposing views will have some kind of “come to Jesus Moment” and magically agree with us……we are counting on “the Other” to save us from this mess, instead of ourselves. We have all been ‘Shell-shocked’ by the 65 Million who voted for Obama and socialism. We all have a sense that the fight is going to be much harder than we thought….esp. since it appears the GOP has no real leaders.
BUT…The Historical Truth is that once Freedom Fails, once there is a total collapse……it NEVER EVER organically morphs back…. It must be TAKEN back !!…..People don’t self-analyze during Collapses…they look for Scape-goats….which is already the Conservatives and the Constitution at this point. Upon Collapse….the Constitution and All of US history and those who support Conservatism, Jeffersonian Liberalism and Liberty would be exterminated literally or at least silenced by new laws.
At this point Secessionist ideas ARE working within the Constitutional Framework…..because their goal IS the restoration of our Constitutional Republic. We will never win by ignoring the Bill of Rights as the left does….we will only win by engaging within the Bill of Rights ( 9th and 10th Amendments in this case…..the 4th in the case of the TSA ).
Don,
Stated much better than I did (or could). Thanks. 🙂
Texas, the re-education camps are what those underground weather fellas talked about. They’re just that; talk. That Nazi BS won’t happen in America.
Kells,
Please tell us why it can’t happen here. I would like to hear your reasoning — especially since so much that happened in 1930’s Germany has already happened here.
Because we’re armed.
Kells, we are armed, true. But if the government controls the ammunition, then what?
Serious note: I am not prepared to jump on the succession bandwagon, nor do I think I would support it at present. Yes, things are bad, and looking worse, but I am not quite yet prepared to take that leap to the abyss.
Knowing that Joe would ask me where my red line is, I would have to think that if this POTUS were to decide to not abrogate his power at the end of his second term, then we have a cause for revolution in my mind.
Augger,
I know you understand the strategic and tactical fallacy in drawing a red line that would be crossed so late in the game. By the time someone crosses the line you’ve drawn, it will be because they know it is too late for you to resist.
It would be like a Jew deciding he would draw his the line AFTER Krystalnacht.
Well well put Joe….
You hit the essence of the issue squarely on the Head !!
Kells,
You think that’s enough? Do you know what happened in New Orleans after Katrina? That example pretty much shoots down your reasoning here.
Do you have anything else?
They never received their property back.
The “law enforcement” “lost” peoples confiscated arms.
Texas,
You missed the point. How did they get those weapons in the first place?
Yes, I know what happened. Unfortunately people were intimidated by men in uniforms and submitted, rather than questioned, their rights. Texas knows as well as I that the citizens may now sue for their confiscated arms or for recompense of their worth.
Kells,
Then I will ask you again: what is to prevent what happened in Germany from happening here?
Require 5th grade-level history education in college. B., if my older son wasn’t a bit of a history buff, he would know very little compared to my younger son. Colleges do not require courses that should be mandatory.
Sorry; I gave the solution before the answer. At this point in time, we are equally divided as a nation. We’ve got a golden ticket, though: Judeo-Christian majority. I feel a song comin on from a show I did in the 80’s: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=vgE6CFiG4R4
Augger,
Seems like ammo would mimic drugs. Cartels would run it from Mexico. Canada is close…..
And only the criminals would have them.
Think there are enough criminals out there to take on Obama’s private militia (i.e., Homeland Security, TSA)?
Not sure why only criminals would buy them, but u probably mean anyone who bought them would be a criminal. Homeland a problem, but TSA is mostly a joke, lazy corrupt, inept. But I don’t think we r at a point need to worry about that yet.
Obama is going to meet stiff opposition regarding gun ban, he may not win this so easily as he thinks
Don’t kid ourselves about the TSA….the workforce is now a Gov’t UNION….and could be used to enforce Travel restriction OVERNIGHT !! Do you think people at all the gates in the US would stand down a show of force by them backed up with Marshals…..
What are we gonna do when they say… Sorry by executive order there will be no travel for a week, except for emergency purposes ( medical etc..).
“Not sure why only criminals would buy them”
Why wouldn’t criminals buy ammo if it were banned in some way?
There aren’t enough criminals, but if ALL sportsmen/women/ retired le/military/liberty loving people “just say no”; then we will prevail. Even Canada finally gave up on their gun ban because of civil disobedience.
The problem
Here is; the Central govt is self aware and knows where every firearm has gone and every person that has made a non-cash transaction to purchase ANY accoutrements.
Yes, we’ve all heard of the feather in your cap….I saw it on TMZ.
Yes Kells,
And those weather underground folks are “in charge” now.
Obama started his political career in bill ayers home.
Bill Ayers laments he didnt do enough and takes credit for O’s book, which they now admit has 30-40 falsities.
I have posted all those in the recent past.
We are not to that point, Texas! I will not deny that liberty is eroding, but we are not there!
Kells,
We’re not at that point yet? I would suggest we have not only reached that point, we’ve gone past it. You just don’t see it because you don’t recognize how big the cage is.
Stop it, B.! I’m sick to death of your Debbie Downer attitude! I am very well aware of what is going on.
Kells,
I’m not being a “Debbie downer,” I’m being exactly what so many here have told me I’m not: realistic. Nor am I being a pessimist.
Look, this is simple: even if you know where you want to go, you can’t get there until you know where you are. All I’m trying to do is get people to understand how far we’ve strayed from where we were supposed to be going by accepting where we have wound up.
Well, where are we then? Unfortunately, there is no easy answer to where we want to be. Human nature comes into play and deflects the compass.
You sound like you have given up on some of the most Basic aspects of our Republic…..that being a Federation of Sovereign States. The only “argument” that was settled was that Totalitarian Tactics won. Habeas Corpus revoked, Federal Troops in the Streets, Journalists Jailed, Papers Shut down, Political opponents Jailed ).
“You understand the state/central govt will collapse once everyone realizes and accepts the Dollar has no value.”
This just isn’t so……..Where and when has this EVER been the case ???………..A new currency will just be floated by the Central Bankers / Central Goverment. In a collapse Central Government actually GAIN power…they don’t loose it.
Things are Dark now…..But this is no time for magical thinking or repeating vunues that have no historical precedent. It IS time to delve INTO the Constitution and our Founding documents and find avenues for our rights to be Strengthened and excercised ….while we still HAVE them……and like it or not States Rights are part of that legacy…
Well said Don.
I thought America was “done” several times.
The rise of the “tea party” after the obamacare bulldozer, gives me hope.
I do not believe a majority of voters actually voted for O.
The numbers reported are impossible.
I believe a majority of Americans believe in the principles of liberty, even tho most were never taught them, or we’re lied to about them.
Americans are turming off the “talking heads”, and reading our founders and their writings on their own initiative.
“the weather underground” and any current, would have to burn half the population to bury lady liberty.
From CA, where many folks think Obama is great, secession looks somewhat unattainable. Maybe things will look different from the south. If the dollar collapses, how will the govt be able to keep us in line? How will they be able to pay anyone to keep us in line? Won’t the elites just loot what’s left in the treasury and take off for parts unknown? Seems they could be mighty unpopular if whole monetary system collapses.
You know about the Large tracks of land bought by our Elites in Uruguay and Paraguay right ?.So there’s some truth to what U say.