This is the fourth of the "12 Axioms of Freedom Restoration" set forth in my introductory article on this topic, "How to Restore the West."
The restoration of America's first and legitimate government will not be a quick or easy task but it is necessary if we are to survive as a free people and nation. While the US should, of course, retain both the Constitution and Bill of Rights, we must return to a decentralized confederation structure of government like Switzerland or Canada and add in the right of Swiss style referendums so citizens can terminate or initiate legislation when Congress fails to follow the will of the people.
While there have been many thoughtful and needed proposals about how we need to end the Fed, return to a gold backed currency, require term limits, repeal the 16th and 17th amendments to the Constitution, require a declaration of war for military action or a balanced budget and other changes, none of these will restore limited government or our republic. I agree with these ideals and many more but all will be ineffective if we retain the federal government structure in place now.
How could any American believe a law, congressional act or even an amendment to the Constitution could in any way control or limit the powerful interests running our government today? The Bill of Rights sounds great, the balanced budget amendment or national debt limit are compelling but all are meaningless gestures to a gullible public who really want to believe in America and our government.
Many Nazi concentration camps had the slogan, "Arbeit macht frei" (work will make you free), over the entrance but the statement was simply untrue. People were in the camps because they were considered a threat to the regime whether true or not and the work was inconsequential to their incarceration. It is the same for any law or resolution garbage that comes out of our present Congress. Their proclamations might sound good and make you feel better but ultimately, everything they put out for public consumption is meaningless at best, only designed to further their agendas that never have your best interests in mind.
Restoring the Articles of Confederation Must Begin at the State Level
The centralization of government power not only leads to the looting and plundering of the taxpaying class by the parasitic class; it also slowly destroys freedom of speech and the free exchange of ideas. One of the first things every tyrannical government does is to monopolize the educational system in order to brainwash the youth and bolster its political power. "As soon as Lee surrendered at Appomattox the federal government began revising history to teach that secession was illegitimate. This was all part of Lincoln's 'Revolution' which overthrew the federal system of government created by the founding fathers and put into motion the forces of centralized governmental power". -Thomas J. DiLorenzo
Our founding fathers didn't think of themselves as citizens of the United States; rather, most correctly considered themselves citizens of their individual states first and of "these united States" second. This is why at the founding of the republic, "united" was not capitalized.
Of course, America should keep in place the Constitution and Bill of Rights. Real protection against government tyranny will be best served by state sovereignty, a decentralized confederation style national government together with direct democracy allowing citizens to enact and rescind legislation when Congress and the state legislatures refuse to follow the will of the people. How can such a form of government be put into place in the United States?
First, the citizens of each individual state must organize and create an educational and political movement. Most states will need a Confederation Caucus within their legislatures to lobby for a state convention. Of course, this will take some time to build. First, those who favor reducing the power, cost and tyranny of the federal government must run for state house and senate seats in order to increase our numbers, educate the public and gather political support.
The introduction of direct democracy measures on a state-by-state basis as well as at the federal level is a necessary prerequisite in today's Internet world. Ballot initiatives are quite prevalent in the West but less so in the East; the South has the least direct democracy and fewest ballot initiatives.
The promotion of even temporary state sovereignty today before reuniting under an Articles style government is a misunderstood and scary prospect for many Americans. Further, a "Back to the Articles" movement will be identified as a prelude to state secession movements by the opposition in order to scare the public. But the ultimate goal should simply be a brief, temporary, peaceful, democratic withdrawal from the present centralized and failing federal government structure with a full intent to over time rejoin a restored national government in Washington – minus most federal powers, taxes and controls over internal state affairs and powers. This would be a modern day version and restoration of America's first government, The Articles of Confederation.
Of course, there could be some states like Texas that might decide in a referendum or state constitutional convention to go it alone but I believe a majority of citizens in all states favor a return to limited government and personal liberty, fearing the powers controlling Washington, DC, rather than desire individual state independence. The opportunity for a restored confederation government of these united States is the real solution not individual state sovereignty. After all, this isn't 1776; we have all been Americans for well over two centuries since the birth of the original republic except for a brief period during the War Between the States.
Sovereign states, when and if they withdraw from the union and later join the restored Articles of Confederation national government, could and should consider how to repudiate and rid themselves of the illegitimate portion of the US sovereign debt. They must also replace those members of Congress loyal only to Money Power and their political contributions rather than to their individual states and constituents. States should actively promote currency competition with the Federal Reserve at the state and federal level and work toward the restoration of a patriotic America-first limited and decentralized federal government instead of the monstrosity we have today, loyal only to global financial and mega corporate interests.
Finally, any Restore the Articles movement should avoid extremists from the right or left who might seek to use a movement such as this, should it develop as a means to advance their personal and political interests. Freedom and state sovereignty seeking to express the will of the people and financial responsibility and accountability is not a right, left or libertarian issue. Liberal Vermont, California and New York have just as much right to have a sovereign state government and a decentralized federal government that respects their rights and views as do the predominately conservative citizens of Utah, South Carolina and New Hampshire. Examples abound of Money Power's success in using Cointelpro type tactics to disrupt and destroy previous efforts at movement building, often by inserting extremist and ego-driven individuals into groups at every level. It would behoove everyone determined to build a successful movement to study this history and be prepared to thwart such efforts as soon as they begin to develop.
State Competition Is Good
In a new political paradigm where most of the tax revenue is collected at the individual state level and then remitted to the Washington central government in a percentage as decided by the Articles, government would dramatically promote state competition in reducing taxes and regulation both on the personal and corporate tax level. It would be the same for states on social, health and gun control and other issues. Individual state competition is good on all issues.
Ignore the False Neocon GOP Propaganda
Of course, the traditional GOP conservative establishment and their neocon handlers will scream bloody murder, as they have always done whenever there is a call for another constitutional convention. Their response is always, "The Feds and big government socialists will take the convention over and who knows what we will end up with?" For 30 years I've heard this cowardly refrain and the conservative movement has accomplished absolutely nothing in regard to holding back or curtailing the role and power of the federal government.
My response: Maybe this "be careful what you wish for" propaganda had some credibility a few decades ago but today nothing could possibly be any worse than what we have in Washington. Both parties are responsible for building the framework for a police state at home, gun and wealth confiscation and permanent war abroad; all that is necessary to shift from potential concerns to reality is a real or manufactured terrorist incident or Reichstag Fire event. I fear for our nation, our remaining liberties and our wealth, as the Constitution really does hang by a thread.
Make the National Debt a Defender Instead of an Enemy of Liberty and Prosperity
Many readers will immediately suggest that the federal government will never allow individual states to restore their sovereignty or realign under a restored Articles of Confederation union without resorting to violence or outright invasion and war. Yes, this did happen with Lincoln's invasion of the seceded states during the War Between the States. This was primarily because the federal government would have quickly gone bankrupt without the majority of government revenue "tariffs," which were paid by the import-dependent Southern states. This was the real reason for the Civil War – not to "Save the Union," as Lincoln and the Northern press propaganda proclaimed but rather to restore the taxes and revenue from the Southern states to the federal union.
Times are different today in the 21st century and our Washington politicians and the establishments of both political parties can only retain their power and financial gravy train at our expense. They are desperate to postpone the day of reckoning with the looming sovereign debt collapse as well as the coming loss of the dollar's world reserve currency status. It is for this reason states that might want to withdraw from the present union and then restore an Articles of Confederation federal government structure should use sovereign debt repudiation as their ace in the hole in dealing with Washington.
Historically, all massive sovereign debts by nations either created by the politicians, as in the case of the US against the will of the voters, or forced on nations by outsiders, such as the allies did to the Weimar Republic with the infamous Treaty of Versailles following World War One, is always eventually either repudiated during a war or crisis or else inflated away. Outright official repudiation can create serious short-term problems for financial markets and personal wealth but the effects are often limited by crisis edicts and regulatory controls. On the other hand, hyperinflation almost always destroys the value of private wealth, real estate and political institutions for all citizens.
Playing the Sovereign Debt and Dollar Card
The sovereign debt card should be played to prevent the risk of military action by a large nation-state against a province, region or individual state(s) where the people, in a peaceful, democratic plebiscite, referendum or convention, desire to restore local sovereignty, independence or affiliation with another or new central government preferred by the citizens.
Negotiations between the old, debt burdened central government and the withdrawing political entity will always be about the division of sovereign or national debt between the former government and the new entity. Although today most sovereign debt is illegitimate and almost never approved by the citizens, the size of the debt in most Western nations is so large as to destroy national currencies and the economic health of the former government left with the debt.
Although this will eventually happen in any case, the existing political and economic elites plan to steal most private wealth, real estate, private pensions and government benefit plans including Social Security from their citizens in order to remain in power and postpone the final day of reckoning for years into the future. Most national political entities and the establishment will do anything to prevent either a loss of tax revenue or being left to hold sovereign debt not taken by a withdrawing jurisdiction.
This includes war and invasion without regard to casualties or destruction; e.g., witness the American Civil War. But there is substantial risk for them in a possible military conflict. Should the original government power be defeated, they will have lost their power base and ability to steal wealth and be subject to war crimes accusations. Remember, war crimes are not crimes against civilians in a war but rather always levied on the losing side, both for revenge and economic gain by the winners.
To peacefully withdraw from tyranny or an overpowering state, the sovereign debt card could be accepting a share of the existing national debt in return for friendship and mutual benefits between the former and new government entity. Of course, national politicians will always threaten force but this threat should be countered with a warning of total debt repudiation by the withdrawing entity if violence is used.
Today, unlike the revenue needs of the Lincoln Administration that could be postponed like any shortfall in government revenues, sovereign debt repudiation by a state or region would immediately crash the shaky Treasury debt and dollar currency markets, in the case of the United States, thus destroying the political and banking establishment. This would effectively end their gravy train and thus give them a way out to survive and steal for as long as the remaining states and citizens will allow them to get away with it.
Therefore, withdrawing entities and the individual state Confederation Caucus organizations should volunteer to take a share of the debt load but with a warning: Should the old political establishment threaten to or use military action or trade boycott, know we will act quickly and take the corrupt political entity out by repudiating the debt.
Make no mistake. In your lifetime the dollar will lose its world reserve currency status and fall like a rock while citizens find their personal wealth wiped out and are bankrupted, along with their currency and the government, as the Treasury markets collapse. Only the states that withdraw early and their citizens will likely survive the destruction. Review these two links to learn why the dollar is even on the verge of collapse today:
Is the Dollar Dying? http://www.cnbc.com/id/100461159
Do Russia & China Plan To Kill the Petrodollar? http://www.infowars.com/petrogold-are-russia-and-china-hoarding-gold-because-they-plan-to-kill-the-petrodollar
Does This Generation Have What It Takes To Restore Our Nation?
"None are more hopelessly enslaved than those who falsely believe they are free." - Johann Wolfgang von Goethe
In summary, the only way to save the West, and America in particular, from the monetary policies of the Federal Reserve and the massive debt bomb waiting to go off is to repudiate and discard the politicians, government structure and power elite interests that have through greed or ignorance destroyed the prosperity and future of our nation. Productive citizens have two choices: Vote with their feet and leave the country with their wealth for the short time this will be possible or else take political action at the state level to withdraw their state from the horrible consequences of past federal political and monetary policies.
America is morally, economically and financially bankrupt. The only unknown is whether productive citizens can build a political movement in individual states to withdraw their states and safeguard their future before the consequences of 100 years of special interest political control and financial scams hit. The odds are against us but those who love their children, grandchildren and future generations must either act in concert or go bankrupt individually in a destroyed economy and a nation held together only by a domestic police state and ensuing martial law.
I know what course of action our original founding fathers would have followed because they rose up and acted for future generations in establishing our nation. The same actions were taken by Southerners in defending their families and homes from Washington invasion almost 100 years later.
Today, we have an opportunity to peacefully and democratically resist another tyranny for our families and future generations if we have the will to act. Only time will tell if this generation has the will to act and return to the Articles of Confederation.
Although difficult at best, and with long odds, victory will result in a balanced budget and effective cuts in government at all levels because the politicians will have no other choice. Like an individual declaring bankruptcy, an utter lack of credit ability will truly be a blessing in disguise for future generations and productive, working citizens, as the ultimate impact will be directed at a parasitic bureaucracy and selfish, nonproductive citizens willing to steal the prosperity from future generations so they can live as they wish today. A society and groups that willingly steal from their posterity deserve no respect, no help and only disgust from productive citizens who work in the private sector and perform needed services and wealth creation. They are truly unworthy of life, liberty or the pursuit of happiness.
It is time to repudiate what we have become and those who have destroyed our nation and restore the greatness, prosperity and liberty we once enjoyed. Going Back to the Articles at the federal level is America's last chance to accomplish this objective.
Ron Holland's introductory article in this series, "How to Restore the West," is here, followed by Axiom 1, Axiom 2 and Axiom 3.
