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Caught On Tape: U.S. Senator Issues Dire Warning On Unchecked Executive Power
Submitted by Mike Krieger via Liberty Blitzkrieg blog,
The deliberations of the Constitutional Convention of 1787 were held in strict secrecy. Consequently, anxious citizens gathered outside Independence Hall when the proceedings ended in order to learn what had been produced behind closed doors. The answer was provided immediately. A Mrs. Powel of Philadelphia asked Benjamin Franklin, “Well, Doctor, what have we got, a republic or a monarchy?”
With no hesitation whatsoever, Franklin responded, “A republic, if you can keep it.”
I actually can’t believe I’m writing this, but the following speech from freshman U.S. Senator Ben Sasse (R, Neb) is so thoughtful and inspiring, it should be required viewing for all American citizens.
To hear a U.S. Senator sound more like a statesman than a corrupt hack politician for sale to the highest bidder, is such a breath of fresh air I almost can’t believe it’s real. Rather than talking down to voters, he challenges them to become more enlightened, nonpartisan-thinkers with a sense of history. He challenges all of us to shake ourselves from an ignorant, fear-based stupor and reclaim the true genius and beauty at the heart of the American experiment.
Take the time to watch this. The entire thing, and then share it with everyone you know.
"The problem of a weak Congress and executive growth should be bad news to all of us and, more importantly, to every constituent who cast their votes for us under the impression that Congress made decisions - not suggestions. I think the weakness of the Congress is not just undesirable, but is actually a dangerous thing for America."
Thank you Ben Sasse, for proving that there remains a remnant of wise, honorable, decent people in U.S. government.
Finally, while we’re on the topic of executive overreach, here’s what Obama has planned for gun control in the new year...
From Roll Call:
Senior congressional aides and sources in the gun-control community expect the White House to use its executive powers to tighten federal gun laws shortly after President Barack Obama returns from a Hawaiian vacation in early January.
White House Press Secretary Josh Earnest said Thursday he anticipates a legal review to continue through the holidays.
Since the deadly shooting in San Bernardino, Calif., White House officials have been, as Earnest has put it, “scrubbing through the law” to determine whether and how Obama can use his constitutional authorities to make it harder for terrorists and other potential mass shooters to legally obtain firearms.
On both sides of the Capitol, sources involved in the guns debate say, as one senior House GOP leadership aide put it, “something is brewing on guns.”
The hot-button issue returned to the front burner of American politics following the lethal Islamic State-inspired California shooting.
Since, however, Republican lawmakers have blocked Democratic measures on stiffening gun laws; and Democrats have kept a mental health bill the GOP has tied to mass shootings from passing, saying they would rather close loopholes in gun laws first.
A recent CNN/ORC poll suggests the American public is siding with GOP arguments. The survey found a majority (52 percent) of those polled oppose tighter gun laws. And a Washington Post/ABC News poll found 53 percent are against the assault weapons ban the White House has endorsed.
“So part of our solution is to consider the range of authorities that are vested in the executive branch to try to advance some of those common-sense policies,” Earnest said. “And we certainly do want to make sure that any sort of steps that the president would take have a strong legal basis in the law.”
So there you have it. A majority of Americans do not want tighter gun laws. Nevertheless, King Obama thinks he know best, and will simply do as he pleases.
This is not what freedom looks like.
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The U.S. has not had a president in a long time, we're way past that time.
Yes, but enough of the negative vibes, as Oddball would say. Let's throw a changeup pitch.
That kid better hire private security, he just painted a huge bullseye all over his ballsack.
IMO, I think it's a case of the elites knowing the jig is up, so they want to deflect blame away from themselves and onto someone, anyone else. Just like George HW Bush going on about "iron ass" Cheney, but not while Cheney was VP.
This asshole will be calling for line item vetos the next time his guy is in office.
And you can bet that his guy will have executive orders and signing statements that challenge 20 judicial branch decisions at a pop.
When is ZH going to blow the lid off of Monsanto contaminating Chipotle for going GMO free?
This guy should stay away from nail guns.
And juggernaut is right, chipotle is being water boarded just like bluebell Ice cream was. I bit too independent for some oligarch.
If it's true, it's the last thrashings of an organization that knows it is on the wrong side of history.
I opposite of up arrow to throw on the NSA bots
Corn-fed populism apparently. I can find no indication he is addressing a joint session, and as such, his references to 'our power of the purse' to the Senate is poetic license at best.
Noble in sentiment, and blatantly what we need if it is not just more sound bytes for career aspirations. I didn't hear him mention 'getting rid of career politicians', and he did hold forth LBJ as a standard to aspire.
The system is broke beyond fixing people. When will you face facts?
paul ryan is already making me nervous, he is as lost as every other republican educated to the level of rush.
Unfortunately he sounds EXACTLY like Obama did all those years ago prior to his election...the upholding of the US Constitution, etc etc and then once in office..."oops...we droned some folks and we had to extend the Patriot Act, we will withdraw from Afghanistan (but now we're back) and Guantanimo will be closed in 6 months of taking office (but years later guess what?)........"
the republic died in 1913. ziofreaks, with their magic money machine, fund/defund elections nationwide
if dude is legit, he'll get the cynthia mckinney treatment (at best)
end the fed
If it were his career aspirations that motivate him he would be stroking the ego of the establishment, not exposing their unconstitutional actions...
If in his future rants he says one derogatory word about the FED, we'll know he's legit,
Then the NSA will turn over what the fly on the wall knows and the smear campaign will begin. If that doesn't do the trick some unfortunate accident will occur.
I lived in Ryan's 1st District in WI for a number of years; went to town halls, supported him financially.
He has abandoned his roots, and has been for awhile a mere RINO, having served in DC just long enough to be assimilated into the club, thereby selling out to corporate interest masters and serving them instead of his so-called constituents.
He's gone, just as all other career politicians. Adios, America.
The likes of this freshman and Tulsi Gabbard (and maybe a handful of others) are up against a) the vast majority of corrupt venal scum who inhabit Washington, and b) the erosion of their own inner strength against the same temptations as the others as they get worn down and cynical. Working surrounded by corrupt venal scum can be very wearing.
Maybe Ryan is a case in point?
"Hey new guy, get out there and offer the unwashed masses a little bit of hope."
It's fucking theater, and I ain't buying it.
So we have 7 years of Obama and it is only when Trump runs we hear from this guy on this topic????? Just by coincidence this guy is a republican whose establishment is crazy to be rid of Trump as a cat with scotch tape on one of its paws.
Nagger please! Seems likely he is a tool of the Ruling Class Oligarchy(tm) than sincere no matter how reasoned he may sound. How about this speech in 2009 please.
The system is broke beyond fixing people. When will you face facts?
Nothing is beyond fixing...The means to do so may be extreme, however.
Plenty of up arrows, where's the beef (proof)?
Standard Disclaimer: Not that it couldn't be happening in the land of the greed, but just once I'd like to see something a bit more concrete.
Who will lead the Revolution?
Some asshole in a uniform who barks loudly in a working class voice: "What this country needs is strength and discipline." Expect all rights to disappear shortly thereafter.
Meet the new boss...
Same as the old boss...
Only the TEA can lead the revolution but the TEA needs to get organized behind a true leader. And the TEA needs to march on Washington a million or so strong. Where's my hiking boots?
Fate the Magnificent
"Push the Button, Max"
At least he knows how to tie and wear a proper necktie knot. Props.
He's probably only classified as a "not a problem, but let's keep an eye on him" person right now. If people start to take him seriously, then the gears of co-opt/discredit will get into motion.
"Statesman" like freshman US senator inexorably morphs into sleaze-ball grifter and all around bankster bag-man in 3, 2, 1...
I'm not throwing in the towel. My fingers are warm and alive. Besides Obama is a Jonah , a bad penny, everything he touches turns to shit.
He has already managed to flip polls in favor of Second Ammendment rights, been the best spoken gun manufactures have ever had and he hasn't even tried to do anything yet. Executive gun grab will make the immigration fight look like patty cake.
Whatever executive thing he does, it will essentially criminalize by dictat what is now lawful and common behaviour.
The thing they dont seem to understand is that when you make criminals out of men who otherwise understand the need for some degree of lawfulness, who understand that everything we do relies on cooperation of some kind, while at the same time refusing to prosecute the rich criminals who have enough money for lawyers and bribes, you take yet another step towards convincing those men that lawfulness is a sham, that law only applies to them, that the purpose of law is slavery and looting, and that they are suckers for trying to do the right thing. And then they start looking around for who to strike back at.
And are you for a strong President?
Do you seek leadership from the Presidency?
Awaiting your thoughtful reply.
I'm for a regular guy who only serves a week a quarter executing the will of the people, as voiced by a representative congreffs, sent by duly elected governors, who are in turn elected by no greater than county-level officials, who themselves were duly elected by those elected by popular vote at the precinct level, whose decisions can only be questioned by- the people they represent.
Don't need no Supremes. Too easily subverted. Too powerful.
Outside a mass die off of the disinterested and just plain stupid, my wish is but a dream.
Oh well. Walt Kelly's Pogo character said it all- "I have seen the enemy, and he is us."
We want a Sky Daddy.
We want a 'strong' leader.
We are fucking idiots.
You, and me excepted, of course. ;)
See, the problem is that this guy, as thoughtful as he is, only gets part of it. Yes, congress looks weak, but that's because they have been lapped several times in the power department by the bureaucrats and the presidency. So, it's not that congress is that weak, it's just that they haven't been able to aggressively expand their reach as much as the two others.
So, pushing for congress to be "strong" again is to completely miss the boat. The problem with congress being "strong" is the Ben and Jerry's problem:
Freedom is like each of us choosing individually and independently what ice cream we want to eat. Democracy is like all of us having to vote what ice cream we want, but then we all have to eat the same ice cream. Congress always devolves into hung votes and inaction because it is asinine to try to force us to all choose one single ice cream to eat. That's an impossible task because no one is ever satisfied with the outcome. Thus the solution to a more "effective" congress is not to make it "stronger", but instead to severely trim its perceived scope of responsibility, while even more severely trimming the scope of responsibility of the federal bureaucracy and the executive branch. Thus while congress will once again become responsible for a larger portion of federal power, that's only because they will be trimmed less severely than the other two. Thus the only solution that will actually work involves actually making congress weaker, not stronger.
And making congress weaker is an idea that congressmen, this man included, will never go for. The day I see a vote go through to reduce congressional power rather than try to take it back from some bureaucracy or the presidency is the day I'll believe that anyone in DC actually gets it.
I just think its amusing and ironic that at the point where they are starting to think Trump might actually be a real possibility - wait, now its time to start talking about unchecked executive power, because Trump might "abuse it in the wrong direction"
President of what?
It has not had a duly elected one since Jan. 20, 1989 ..
http://www.veteranstoday.com/2013/11/10/was-ronald-reagan-the-last-duly-...
Everyone in the country club is pushing sound bites. The latest giveaway regarding renewables (TPP) and various privacy issues prove it. More noise and they love the club.
Watching Eddie Munster pull the last fast one, Herman himself would dis-own him for that. So would Grandpa. How's that Boener feel now at the country club... Let's really see what you can do now.
Paul Ryan, the RINO-NeoCons and NeoLibs Dems and All Dems needs to be Mussolini'ed.
F**king traitor sellouts. Also Mussolini the scum at The Pentagram and intel agencies. All of them are traitors.
It's one big fucking club, and you ain't in it.
NeoConLibs can't be stopped by voting.
Either this guy's going places, or he's gonna have a very unfortunate boatig accident...
Stay off the slopes!
--- Sonny Bono
Is this actually a Republican talking about Trump being lawless? How about Obama, the illegal?
Watch the whole video
I did watch the whole video. The only problem is he seems genuinely concerned about the disfunction of Congress but nothing about the biggest issues.
A. The continuing resolution that there is a state of emergency is an illegal contrivance.
B. The Government has become nothing more than pick pockets and thugs by attempting to invade, under the guise of commerce, control most human activities while spitting on the Peoples rights.
C. The continuing bankruptcy with the use of the Federal Reserve system only serves to keep everyone in this country slaves to interest and inflation as a tax scheme.
D. The Executive and Congress are bought and paid for by special interest. Most of the Judiciary has been corrupted.
Need I go on as to what this well intentioned speech left out. - Oh year, they get special perks, set their own compensation and absurd retirement......
The road to hell is paved with good intentions.
"The only problem is he seems genuinely concerned about the disfunction of Congress but nothing about the biggest issues."
Seriously? You think the big issues can be properly addresses by a dysfunctional Congress? No one really cares about your ordered "big issues." Step one for Congressmen is admitting they have a problem. That's hard enough.
You seem to think your good intentions will pave the way somewhere other than hell. Of course you have the answers. How about letting everyone find their own answers? There are no solutions to be found in believing in the God of govt, no perfect rules, no perfect men. Don't let others make you think they must enable your freedom, just live it.
You conveniently ignored that he was critical of Obama's illegal acts...
And, of course the evil of Obama in no way, shape, manner or form makes Trump good as he is evil.
A choice for the lesser of two evils is STILL A CHOICE FOR EVIL.
You deserve your dictator no matter who wins as YOU GET NOTHING and are the LOSER.
Trump is evil. So is Hitlery evil.
A choice for the lesser of two evils is STILL A CHOICE FOR EVIL.
And as you seem so willing to choose evil you shall reap the evil which you are sowing. It is EVIDENTIAL by your post that you are attempting to minimize or justify Trump's evil by pointing out that Obama is evil.
Yes Obama is an evil man. You will find little disagreement here on this venue about that fact...and none from me, whatsoever.
But it does not change this fact.
A choice for the lesser of two evils is STILL A CHOICE FOR EVIL.
The funny part is that it is your choices which will manifest it and you will REALize that which you want.
So make it real and knock yourself out. Personally I will not play that game.
A choice for the lesser of two evils is STILL A CHOICE FOR EVIL.
How many times must you read that before that fundamental truth sinks in?
A choice for the lesser of two evils is STILL A CHOICE FOR EVIL.
It is NOT JUST A SLOGAN. It is an indisputable fact.
A little leaven leavens the whole lump. A little adulteration means that it is impure.
What is so far beyond that understanding?
And you choose to place your faith in men?
Good luck with that plan.
It ain't enough to repeat "A choice for the lesser of two evils is STILL A CHOICE FOR EVIL".
The problem is you don't know for sure they are evil until they are elected. People around the world had such high hopes for Obama before he was elected. That said, most who are into politics are psychopaths anyway. So what's the solution then? Vote for those who refuse to work in politics? That's unlikely the answer either.
Oh. Have I ever suggested that there is a political solution?
Here is an indisputable truth.
THERE ARE NO POLITICAL SOLUTIONS.
Here is another indisputable truth.
THE CONSTITUTIONAL REPUBLIC IS AN ABYSMAL FAILURE AS THE MODEL WAS FLAWED.
To go back to the Constitution will not work. The Framers made an assumption that men in Government would behave virtuously.
Well the sad case is that men, ALL MEN, are corruptible moral agents who will act for self benefit rather than act for the benefit of others. They are not motivated by sacrifice but are motivated by greed and lust for power.
To repeat the failed experiment of Liberty and Freedom of the late 18th Century by the fledgling United States will only lead to failure.
Humans are HERD ANIMALS that are genetically wired to follow an alpha male.
If you believe in a Supreme Being then I suggest you place your faith in that.
But since you do not then I'd suggest that you place your faith in yourself and not look to a Government to provide you with anything of value.
All a Government is good for is to serve to restrict your Liberties and Freedoms while engorging themselves upon the fruits of your labors.
Solutions are not found by placing your faith in other Human Beings. Solutions are found within yourself and through the development of your own personal character.
Seeking solutions from the outside just demonstrate how hollow the inside actually is.
And because of my faith that God guides me from within then I am fulfilled with that which is eternal.
But since you do not believe that, then I suggest developing your own sense of value and worth.
It is not the Constitution that failed. It is the people that failed to keep their republic through vigilance.
The people have been gullible as they ever were to believe sweet talking liars. The manipulators know this is human nature and take advantage of it when ever possible. Because people are ignorant of the methods used in deception and mind control they fall victim to it when gradualism slowly gains ground.
The only thing that was missing from the Constitution was a fully authorized and armed Revolutionary body to guard the Peoples rights. This would require its own courts with powers of arrest and incarceration for public officials from dog officer to the President.
The Framers made an assumption that men in Government would behave virtuously.
Well the sad case is that men, ALL MEN, are corruptible moral agents who will act for self benefit rather than act for the benefit of others. They are not motivated by sacrifice but are motivated by greed and lust for power.
Need I repeat myself? That was covered in my initial post. It is a quote.
It does not work. It never will.
The Framers made no such assumption. That's why government was limited, they knew full well the best government is the one that governs least. They expected eventually things would fail, hence the Second Amendment and Convention of the States modifications, both aimed at a runaway Federal Government, which is what we have here.
The Framers made an assumption that men in Government would behave virtuously.
Then for what reason institute a guaranteed failure if that assumption was not made?
"Our Constitution was made only for a moral and religious people. It is wholly inadequate to the government of any other." - John Adams
So how is my statement incorrect? That is the inherent assumption...that the people would be moral and religious.
Was the document not authored by John Adams?
(They got rid of Thomas Jefferson and sent him over to France as an ambassador if I recollect correctly...and I do.. So quoting T. Jefferson does not lend credence to your position.)
The Second Amendment has been subverted. It has not guaranteed anything, has it? In fact I can demonstrate that it has not as we are at this level of corruption with the only promise being that it will become regressively worse.
The Republic was effectively lost at the conclusion of the War of Northern Aggression.
I am interested in your response.
What part of the entity called the Criminal Fraud UNITED STATES, CORP. INC. don't people understand? It was created via the Act of 1871 & this Criminal Fraud entity has been Bankrupt & in receivership via The Banking Emergency Act of 1933.
We have a Criminal Fraud CEO aka "President" & Board of Trustees aka CONgress all acting in deceptive Criminal Fraud via our ignorance & CONSENT.
Yes, the War of Northern Aggression marked the collapse of the Republic and the birth of the American Empire.
The original design of the Constitution was a three legged stool, and power rested between the people, represented in the House, the States, represented in the Senate, and the Federal Government, whose agent to effect the commands of the people was the Executive branch. In this conception the Federal government was not an entity with desires and constituents and perceptions of its own, but was rather just a small, mindless gearbox through which the people cooperated, and whose sole function was to prevent the emergence of empire by serving as a bubble inside which a power vacuum could remain in effect. The Civil War represented the collapse of this power structure into a linear hierarchical structure with the Federal Government at the top. The only winner of the Civil War was the Federal Government.
In the process the conception of the Constitution and the Bill of Rights was inverted. Prior to the Civil War, the Constitution was seen as a fence, holding in the Federal Government, with all of the rest of society being a free range environment where society, through mutually cooperative interactions, solved their own problems. In this environment the 10th amendment made sense, with all forbidden to the Federal Government except that which it was specifically directed to do. After the collapse of the power structure, the Constitution instead became a moat, protecting the pitifully small amount of societal discretion that the Bill of Rights protected, while the Federal governent owned and controlled all else in society. That's why the birth of the American Empire was marked by the new definition of citizenship contained in the 14th amendment, passed under duress as occupation by Federal troops was not removed until states "ratified" the new definition of citizenship that gave the Federal government express responsibility and power to intervene in any and all levels of society whenever they decided that "their" citizens were being mistreated.
The framers did not imagine that we could be so stupid as to hand away our birthright in less than 100 years. But, I would disagree about the second amendment -- that track has not yet run its course. When we will get to truly see if that reset button works is when internation trust in our dollar collapses. Bereft of the ability to print bread and circuses at will, the Federal governement will resort to openly taking, and the rabble will cheer on any strongman who seizes power in order to take stuff from others to give to them. We will become Venezuela eventually, but we are not there yet. Remember, at the end in Rome, selling anything except at the dictated price was punishable by death, and all transactions had to be performed under the eye of a tax collector. So the misery will get a lot more acute before things come to a head. Now is the time to prepare. Individual states have a small window of time in which to raise awareness and local conversation about this, because only an alert citizenry will see what is truly happening. We have not yet fought the last battle about the rights of states and the proper relationship between the Federal Government and its creators.
How can there a post about the mixed government in the US and the founders intent with not a single mention of Polybius in over 130 comments?
http://www.laissez-fairerepublic.com/Polybius%20and%20the%20Founding%20F...
A brief yet documented piece (almost elementary) which lays out the connection for anyone unfamiliar... since the classics don't seem popular with large segments of the ZH crowd today.
Thanks. I will read it as I was ignorant to this document.
You're welcome. I've been on a classics rager since the article with the Wilkerson interview opened the democracy v republic can of worms. The greatest defense of the oligarch position seems to be the sheer number of utterly ignorant plebes who are simultaneously self-declared experts. On the bright side, the next step on the big Rinse, Repeat cyclotron is actually democracy, so hopefully we won't fuck it up into ochlocracy too quickly. I wonder how quickly an entire society can find its missing morality...
You know...well you do as you have read it...
I am kind of seeing all three of these degenerations happen simutaneously and the USA has not had a monarch, to which is what Polybius attributes the degenerations.
And here I quote...
According to the historian, these three simple constitutions [monarchy, aristocracy, and democracy] (inserted by me) each degenerate, over time, into their respective corrupt forms (tyranny, oligarchy, and mob-rule) by a cycle of gradual decline which he calls anacyclosis or “political revolution” (6.9.10: politeiw=n a)naku/klwsij; 6.4.7-11; cf. 6.3.9). 7
For monarchy, he claims, inevitably degrades into tyranny. Tyranny is then replaced by aristocracy, which in turn degrades into oligarchy. Oligarchy then is overthrown by democracy, which ultimately falls into its own corresponding distortion, mob-rule (or ochlocracy). In Polybius’ analysis, the cycle then starts up again (monarchy, aristocracy, and democracy) since anarchy inevitably creates a void that some new demagogue will fill.8 'Anaku/klwsij, the sliding from one form of constitution into another, is unavoidable because of the inherent weakness of each simple form of constitution.9
The catalyst for the decay in each simple form, Polybius says (6.7.7), is hereditary succession--the automatic handing down of the privileges of a particular form of government to future generations without their ever having to internalize for themselves the discipline necessary to maintain those privileges.
It is a brilliant document but he is looking at these phenomenoa linearly whereas he demonstrates the cyclical.
However he uses a catalyst which is unnecessary for the consequences. I do not think so as the USA has never been a monarchy.
However it seems as we have an Imperial Presidency which was started by the Pomp and Circumstance of Reagan, which has devolved into a Tyranny by Bush and Obama.
It seems that we have always had an aristrocrat class (Rockefellers, Morgans, Pierpont) which has now devolved into an Oligarchy.
And as for our Democracy? Isn't it more like Mob Rule?
But what if the timing cycles for these degenrations are different and what we are experiencing now is just one giant storm of convergence of the cycles into chaos?
What a trip.
Thanks again for the read.
The non-linearity of the current situation scares me.
Historically, a Julius Cesar or Adolf Hitler makes a fleeting appearance for better or worse. In the US, George Washington showed up, along with three reasoned charters, and a strong supporting cast, and then he promptly pulled a Cincinnatus. Subsequent to that in the US we have had numerous individual waves of reformation- 17th amendment, court packing, the imperial presidencies of FDR & Nixon, among them.
But right now we appear to have simultaneous major federal Executive, Legislature, and Judiciary waves along with a bunch of smaller State waves, not to mention the concurrent EU clusterfuck, a global monetary paradigm change and a 5000 year interest rate bubble. A certain confluence of those waves could easily top the impact of the Spring of Nations. Whether it turns out to be a People's Spring or a Tyrant's Spring remains to be seen.
This trip is just starting... (IMO)
The problem with "our democracy" is that it is not democracy. We have broken down the barriers to and eliminated the civic responsibilities of suffrage. There is no bloodless quick fix for that, only aducation, and time we don't have, or blood, and luck. That said- I am more inclined to take the moral and democratic route despite the risks, than to beg for salvation from a mortal tyrant.
Tall Tom
Tom, I agree with you on this one - keep fighting the good fight!
I'm not sure if he's fighting; Tom has lost hope for humanity and is leaving it all to God.
No. I am not "leaving it all to God".
I am just not going to misplace my faith to realize a beneficial change for myself in other peoples' hands. I will not allow my destiny to be ruled over by other people.
I will be responsible for my own change, thank you very much.
I am not a nihilist by any means. But I am clever enogh to run away from the Leviathon seeking to consume me as I haven't the power to fight it.
All is lost if one abandons hope.
Ever hear of a Rock Group named Klattu?
Well there was a rumor that is was a reformation of the Beatles. Untrue.
But if you want to hear something great here is an album named "Hope".
If you like the Beatles then you will enjoy this. It was written 39 Years ago but was really before its time as it describes what is happening today.
The album is an entire story. You need to listen to all of it to understand it. It is a masterpiece.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=XNMrUJiz4j0
Are we really OK with "progressive" rock?
The solution is you and me and everyone else running a crowd sourced government via the internet. Defense, Intelligence, Legislation, ALL of it. Decentralization is the way forward. Think "the bitcoin/uber version" of a government. Reddit has their own Bureau of Investigation. Similarly we could run a very efficient effective open source government online. The only way to flush these bastards out and keep it from happening again is to make them obsolete. Do it better, faster, more efficiently. Make corruption obsolete. Make favoritism obsolete. Make everything 100% open source. Secrecy is already obsolete, the powers that be just don't want you to know it becuase they use is as a clever way to hide their special interests, crimes, and collusions.
Are you going to try and force me to join it?
Not happening.
Good luck garnering your support network.
I don't own this idea. It isn't mine. It isn't about me. It isn't anybody's. It is everybody's. That is the beauty of decentralization. Nobody is forced. Everybody is incentivized. Never before in history have we had the power to collaborate in such ways. The internet provides that. If people do this, they will no longer be voting for a figure head or small group, but for themselves and their collective efforts. This model has been demonstrated successfully already in many ways. Why not governance?
Govenment has been proven out as fraudulent and corruptable.
Why not self governance and cooperation with your neighbors without aggression?
That sounds like pure Democracy or government by electronic vote. That is not Republicanism. That is the tyrany of the masses. The individual states were supposed to have the power in this country. The central government was limited to defense of the Nation, the rights of the people and an arbitrator of disagreement between two or more states.
When I refer to states, I mean the land boundaries and the people, not the Corporate States that have become subsidiaries of the Federal Corporation.
Be sure to thank an oligarch statist for your miseducation. Democracy and tyranny of the masses are not, and have never been, the same thing.
I guess you will have to explain that one to me. Pure democracy without the restraints of a constitution that limits its ability to take away the rights of the minority IS tyranny of the masses (masses being the majority).
Ochlocracy. What is pure oligarchy without the restraints of rule of law and a strong consitution and wise and selfless leaders? the USSA.
My link above has the short and long versions and they (and the rest of classical history, excepting a certain oligarch who didn't want to subject himself or his fellow oligarchs to the checks and balances of the a jury of 501 Demos) agree.
trgfunds...
I really think you are on to something!
The computer and the internet are changing the world rapidly.
Just think how the changes have been in the last 35 -40 years
Soon you may come home from work and check your bank balance (1's and zeros's, not real money) and find your account is short by $400 or so... cause you ran a yellow light on the way home and did not stop completely at the stop sign at the end of the block.
I clicked on a link to a youtube video from another site, and I was not signed in to youtube/google at the time, a big notice popped up stating youtube could not play this video to me unless I signed in to youtube or identified myself some other way, So I guess you cannot watch a youtube video anonymously!
It feels like my thoughts are not my own, they know my thoughts!
Computers and loss of privacy will work both ways, not just for the elite or politicians. It will work it's way into exposing all of the lies of the political puppets and their elites. It will eventually do what it does best, help people communicate and collect the peoples data, what they want, how they want things to move forward....a new government based off of crowd participaction, a decentralized society.
Check out the link how the CIA realized the potential of google early on in the development of the search engine and funded and supported it.How the CIA made Google — INSURGE intelligence ...--How the CIA Founded and Funded Google - The American ...
What's "good for the goose is good for the gander" . This will play out both ways, and already is. We the people have the access to this vast amount of information that we can share between each other to help weed out the lies and the corrupt, they too will be afraid of the daily data we will collect on them.
I believe it will evolve into this type of crowd sourced government. A kind of like "anonymous "government.
"So what's the solution then? Vote for those who refuse to work in politics? That's unlikely the answer either."
Beemasters, you are almost there. The answer is NOT voting in a ballot box. Vote with your feet (leave the country), money (bullion and bitcoin), and effort (call them out, preach freedom). If you vote by their rules, you accept the outcome, come what may. Don't Vote.
Do not give legitamacy to that which is illegitamate.
Do not give validity to that which is invalid.
Do not accept as genuine that which is counterfeit.
For what possible reason will one comply to that? It is an absolute denial of reality.
Turn away from that which is evil and seek out that which is good and wholesome.
It is not that hard, yet, although they are working to make that more difficult.
Do not take the path to the Dark Side of the Force??? Although it may empower you to gain in the short term it ultimately leads to your own destruction.
Darth Cheney awaits...
What more can I say? Really?
Trump is NOT evil. Your statement is ridiculous and the only motive for such a lie is that you are tainted progressive Mr TT.
Grimaldus
Right...Yeah...
I must agree that extremely limited Government and personal responsibility over that of reliance on a fraudulent and corrupted Government are truly the hallmarks of being a progressive,
Yeah...
You did not read anything that I have ever wrote.
And no I will not support the State.
Faith in men? Do you have an alternative? Last time I checked all notions of a "god" originated from men. We create "god," not the other way around.
Uh...Not exactly.
Have you ever read about the Universal Constants and Fine Tuning?
Well some of us crazy ass physicists have this notion that the whole Universe is...like...digital...like...uh...a Holographic Program.
One has actually uncovered CODE...Machine code...in his exploration.
Well since the Universe has the charecteristics of a Computer Simulation and the Science proves out, once again, to be truly stranger than the fiction of the Matrix,,,uh...then...uh...THERE MUST BE AN ARCHITECT.
You may be wise to want to get to know him.
While I agree with this guy about the dangers of a dictator presidency, he deliberately misses the point that Congress is filled with a bunch of bought and paid for whores of multi-national corporations. Of course, that omission is by design.
He has several more history lessons to go. Tylers should post the rest of them as he does them after Xmans.
If America needs history lessons that can start by calling Xmas Christmas again. Not that Jesus gives a shit. However, I am sure if people are going to bastardize his memory with the holy act of useless shit gift giving we should at least get the name right.
In celebration of the birth of Christ, I give the this consumer item assembled by pagans and paid for by a loan from the money changers. Merry Christmas.
Ya know, I found myself with Mrs.N in a mall a couple weeks ago, she diving off into a Bed & Bath shop I wasn't interested in to get some token of appreciation for a co-worker and there I found myself standing next to column watching a fake Santa and a line of eager kids.
Now, I won't say my heart didn't melt and a tear didn't come to my eye seeing their joy (I'd lose my rep as a Scrooge if I did...lol) but I'm feeling especially Christmasy this year ;-)
Good for you nmewn. The fredom that can never be stolen is in our hearts. Be happy with and where you are.
Merry Christmas!
nmewn - God bless us everyone! No sarc
With no sarc...
There is no weakness in spreading joy and no gain in strength when stealing it from a child. I know I personally walked away stronger that day and looking around at the faces of the mom's & dad's, uncles & aunts, grandmothers & grandfathers, I wasn't the only one.
It wasn't the fake Santa, there really are things far more important ;-)
Thanks, It is good to hear strong men, still have good thoughts. Merry Christmas!
People don't want to hear the truth about Christs'Mass anymore than they want to hear about the state of the Union.
Philo Beddoe...
You are not aware that Christmas was called Xmas as far back as the 14th Century?
The X in Xmas is the Greek letter Chi which is the first letter in Christos....the anointed.
Even in some of the New Testament manuscripts the Name is abbreviated IX.
The Greek and Russian Orthodox Churches have abbreviated the Name above all Names throughout the Millennia and still abbreviate it as ICXC
I wear that abbreviation on my Cross.
As for this "holiday" it is PAGAN.
Christ was born in the Spring. (Now some will say autumn as the Sun is in Virgo, the son being in the virgin.) But that is not the case. Christ was the FIRSTBORN LAMB, unblemished and just for sacrifice on the Passover.
Currently it is 43o F in Bethlehem Israel at 5 PM local time. This is not unusual. It gets cold in Bethlehem at this time of year. The fields are harvested and dead. There is NO Grasses on which the flocks of sheep are to feed..
So the flocks are in their pens with the MANGERS FULL OF GRAIN. The shepherds are not in the fields in the cold winter nights tending to their flocks of Sheep.
Tax time and Census happened during the Passover Week.
Now when you read the account in Luke where Joseph and Mary were heading to Jerusalem to pay taxes, the shepherds are out in the fields at night WITH THEIR GRAZING FLOCKS, and the Inns are full so that Mary gave birth in an open Manger of a Lamb, and you can be sure that Christ was not born on Christmas Day some 2009 years ago.
He was born during Passover and died during Passover some 33 years later...probably to the day. And after the three days and three nights He was resurrected in a Glorious Form so that you have the very real hope of life eternal.
How is that...for a History lesson?
And I find it best to celebrate the birth, life, death, and resurrection of Christ...EVERY DAY.
We do not need a special day for this...NOT AT ALL.
If you work with others, try call them all liars and thieves and just see how it goes for you.
It is sad that when someone does actually speak out with some courage and conviction so many will instantly demean them as never going far enough. We should encourage any and all to speak with truthfulness at EVERY opportunity. Cynicism has destroyed our ability to even communicate today.
Just remember that when we find out that he likes to stick dildoes up the mailman's ass for free stamps that we were just being cynical.
Politicians deserve to be shit on as fucking corrupt liars.
Right on point!! Very important--it's time for we the people to grasp this crutial point;; called speak your mind. Milestones
What mind? I have so many...sometimes none at all.
I was sure he talked about " firing these guys ie the vote"
Obama is done. Had his Hirohito moment when he had to go to the pentagon for that 7 min press thingy. A real prez would have had them come to the Oval Office for that. Got it?
"To hear a U.S. Senator sound more like a statesman than a corrupt hack politician for sale to the highest bidder, is such a breath of fresh air I almost can’t believe it’s real."
As opposed to a US Senator coming to the well of the Senate in order to...ban something...or screaming for yet another Czar.
Yes, quite refreshing.
I think you have a quick draw downvoting amora tonight, Nmewn. Must be doing somthing right.
Looks like he's not fond of you pointing him out either ;-)
Serial junkers will junk.
LMAO.
So I guess that the Serial Junker is just an attention seeking narcissist.
He is only making that point about himself...and no other point....as he has no other points to make.
I guess it is just a form of in the closet masturbation for the serial junker.
THe sick image that I have is that he is shooting his wad at reading this..
And he proves my point...
ROTFLMAO
It's Stanks, the junk dog.
He tells a nice well resonating story, but congress does not hold the power of the purse. That disappeared in 1913. Congress holds the power of the credit card and the TBTFs/TBTJs control everyone in government.
Men & women of character & integrity do seem to be in the minority up there these days don't they?...lol.
The thing about it is, if they weren't so in love with power & prestige they could setup the money changers & power brokers anytime they want, they could do it tonight or tomorrow and name names, they have all the power they will ever have in their entire lives...right now...in this very moment in time.
All it requires is character, integrity and forgoing a little personal safety. No one lives forever, if the circumstances are right, they could find themselves...immortal.
Which of course, requires a little bravery combined with character & integrity ;-)
How the F*ck did that draw negative votes? Oh, it was true!
Must have been progressives.........
Progresssive masterbaters.
Compare & contrast the attire in the photos below :-).
Hillary's outfit at the last debate:
http://i.dailymail.co.uk/i/pix/2015/12/20/06/2F8577C800000578-3367528-Hi...
And the ISIS police force uniforms in Lybia:
http://i.dailymail.co.uk/i/pix/2015/12/21/09/2F8B52B400000578-3368585-im...
Yes, Whoa, a few weeks back i asked if Vivienne Westwood, Stella McCartney or one of the big Houses, like Versace were designing all black uniforms for DAESH, ZATO Forces and Private Militia/Mercs like Blackwater and Right Sector.
Nice comparison Whoa Dammit methinks Hillary has the scarier mask however
Good for him, we need more like him.
Another useless fuck who can be bought for a can of bacon grease? Plenty more where he came from.
A fine speech.
Smacker
"A fine speech."
True but call me jaded, talk is cheap. Show me actions
Agree 100%.
I've seen quite a few politicians who make the most heart-wrenching speeches before they win office. Then they do a u-turn and the rest is history.
There will come a point where the sword becomes mightier than the pen... because the only person allowed to use the pen is in charge... and those that wish to use the pen only have swords... then the balance will be restored
Meh, too late.
Great speech/concept, but it'll be as useful as a post mortem. Sorry my friends, the Republic died long ago. Get over it.
BTW, Tylers please drop the "caught on tape" headlines. VHS or betamax? lol! No one uses tape anymore... just say "caught on video".
+1, just wrote a long winded comment saying the same thing
Yep... pure folly thinking anything will change from within the system. How long have they disregarded/abdicated "No State shall...coin Money; emit Bills of Credit; make any Thing but gold and silver Coin a Tender in Payment of Debts...." + "To coin Money, regulate the Value thereof, and of foreign Coin, and fix the Standard of Weights and Measures"?? It takes more than a creative interpretation of the USC to arrive at a private banking cartel (aka: FED) having a monopoly on legal tender by issuing fiat debt notes. It takes some athletic double-think.
Here's one step of the post mortem: The United States went "Bankrupt" in 1933 and was declared so by President Roosevelt by Executive Orders 6073, 6102, 6111, and 6260, (See: Senate Report 93-549, pages 187 & 594) under the "Trading With The Enemy Act" (Sixty-Fifth Congress, Sess. I, Chs. 105, 106, October 6, 1917), and as codified at 12 U.S.C.A. 95a.
too little too late, demicans and republicrats have been all bought-n-sold 100% since the invention of The FED
I think they were useless fucks long before the Fed. However, who am I to argue with pesky items such as dates?
Well, let's Unsell them.
Hoist the Black Flag, Mateys!
Doesn't ISIL fly a Black Flag?
You had best be careful as they may think that what you suggest is the same as what ISIS suggests concernng Middle East Governments.
What makes your brand of piracy any better?
Oh. I know that I am inclined to do the same at times. And I do not disagree with your brand of Piracy. It is not that at all.
But then I think about it...
Who am I to force a change when volunteerism is the name of the game? And therein lies the problem...
Oy Vey? AIPAC Capo Sheldon Adelson summons Trump for ‘private meeting’ on Israel
http://21stcenturywire.com/2015/12/21/oy-vey-aipac-capo-de-capo-sheldon-...
A GOP Split on Neocon Orthodoxyhttps://consortiumnews.com/2015/12/19/a-gop-split-on-neocon-orthodoxy/
Israeli-Neocons are the existential threat to America.
Trump is an Israeli-Neocon in policy, at least.
https://thinkpatriot.wordpress.com/2015/12/18/was-trump-annointed/
https://migchels.wordpress.com/2014/05/19/why-do-people-have-difficulty-...
I disagree about Trump.
I think Trump cuts Israel off the tit.
To do otherwise is obviously not Trump.
Your linked article is quite a bit of a stretch.
Grimaldus
It's a good speech but unfortunately too late by about 30 years. They have infiltrated the education system and the young people today do not believe in the constitution. Obama is a jackoff who just uses flowery words like "fair" and "common sense" and "our values" and the young people jizz in their pants. We have crossed the rubicon IMO and we will need to fight and use violence for it to be changed. A massive general strike of the people would work but most people are so self absorbed and selfish they would make a sacrifice for the future of the country. In all honesty, take a good look around you and you will see we are toast
Oppose, but not violence.
We live in a really complicated place, easy to screw up. For all the talk of terrorism, nobody does anything smart.
They can't keep a civilization running at this level using a police state for control. If they can't keep it running, people won't let them have power.
We just need to make them understand that, non-violently, of course.
I think there is no shortage of ideas. But if they do something dumb like UN troops to enforce a UN Arms treaty, we should hope for that. Can you imagine anything that would move the fence sitters into sniping blue helmers faster?
So hope they don't, because if we an keep the situation peaceful we walk them out of the country in short order. All we have to do is agree here on ZH. We are the deciders.
I think they keep the facade on as much as possible as long as possible, so this election will be OK, the Deep State is fine with any of those except for Rand Paul, maybe Carson. But then high to very-high inflation hits* and fixed-income people start losing homes and going without food and medicine. Some place in there, if we can keep our wits, we decide to all walk to the nearest Federal building some day and tell them all to go home, that we are locking the premises down as a crime scene. Cut the power, cut all the comm lines, etc. so they can't erase things.
Then decide what next.
The key is convincing the Israeli-Neocons that they should take their fortunes and run.
*When the US can't borrow $, close now, then rolling over the national debt is entirely fiat electrons. $1T /year in QE ==> 10% inflation and massive bubbles. $5T / year ==> ??
Agree with most of your post except ---"neocons shoulld take their fortunes and run;our fortunes is what you are talking about. Police call it confiscation. However small it might be I want back the money or goods stolen from me. I have a thingee about thiefs and liars.
Joan fo Arc is more in line with my disposition as to the end game. Milestones
Memories are far too short.
Standard Disclaimer: I guess it just depends on how you would treat cancer. An aggressive approach or just bury the corpse after the cancer wins out. In my view, the cancer has spread for too long and the patient is terminal. On a bright note, there will be plenty of shovel ready jobs dealing with the aftermath.
We just need to make them understand that, non-violently, of course.
Yeah. Right.
LMAO.
Persuasion does not work...WITH PSYCHOPATHIC THUGS.
Let's see if you can talk yourself out of...oh...say...a street mugging.
What planet are you living on?
Utopia on Earth will not ever exist.
I mean that is is soft, cozy, nice, and sentimental idealism...without any practical application.
Humans, without morals, are just another form of animal. Might makes right and indness is viewed as weakness in an environment where it is the survival of the fittest.
And for the most part, in the real World, in the Animal Kingdom, to which many atheists here hold so dear, if you are not a predator then you are prey.
I prefer the ideal Kingdom of Heaven but it is not in this World. It never has been, nor, will it ever be.
It's easy to fall in the trap of despair...done it myself, several times. But a little history might help. It's been said that during the Revolution, about a third of the colonists were loyal to king and country and thus opposed to revolution; about a third were indifferent, and a third were in favor of separation. Of that last third, only a third of them were able and willing to actively take up arms (the remainder being elderly, women, infirm, and children). Within that set of the willing and able, fewer still were authors/thinkers, officers, and other leaders--i.e., the people who actively pushed the revolution forward.
Whether the numbers are precisely correct is of lesser moment than the general fact that it doesn't take very many at all to change the course of history, just a devoted, committed few. And I think that's what keep the power lusters up at night. If theiy're honest with themselves (a big if admittedly) they know their grip on power is actually quite tenuous.
I agree with you. I think we have more than enough like minded people now that are sick and tired of big government. I personaly believe revolution wouldnt be as difficult as it seems once it got off the ground. The most difficult obstacle would be organizing in the beginning. The first priority would have to be taking control of the media. We'd need clearly defined objectives and articulate representatives. IMO the majority of police and military would stand down. We'd have to pool our resources and I believe we'd get alot of support form folks not directly involved. Im only one person but I have at least six months of food id be willing to share and there are others with alot more than me. Theres over a trillion rounds of ammunition in the hands of private citizens. The American people probably dont have the heart, stomach or will for revolution but its nice to dream sometimes.
It's not "Caught on Tape". It was deliberately recorded. And we all know it. C'mon Tylers stop with this late night TV bullshit.
Yeah...like he was whispering into the ear of his callgirl and she happened to record the contents.
Too little and far too late. There is absolutely no trust or confidence in Government whatsoever and the USA is destined to fragment.
Fragmentation sounds like an interesting concept. Doesn't quite rhyme with secession, but it is close enough for me...
Fucking government has been shit for decades, but the whole fucking society is circling the drain, but this fragmentation thing could play out nicely for the crew that can pull it off.
Too little too late Cornhusker...
.....Refreshing!
It is just pandering at this point.
He wants that Libertarian vote.
A great speech! A good man.
Sadly, it is to late, you would hae not only to strengthen the Legislative Power, but also errode the Execturive power by departamental searation. Sorry but this will not happen, I do not see US voters electing the Secretary of the Treasury or the Secretary of Defense any time soon, I also do not see eliminating the Electoral College. Another thing, of note is that we will not see any action against one of the biggest threats, and that is legalised corruption AKA Lobby contributions.
Why the Electoral College must be eliminated:
1.- The winner Take All system in most states
2.- The faithless Electors in most states
3.- There is no will of the people, but will of Electors
Supposedly the reason for the undemocratic, in my opinion, Electoral College instead of Popular Elections was so that there would not be a Majority Dictatorship, but what has been accomplished now is that there si no representation, and half baked democracy.
It would be nice to know who our owners are. It seems like the International Bank of Settlements may be sitting at the top of the pyramid and you have the F. Reserve banks/Central banks and large commercial banks down the line (to my knowledge the commercial banks are considered share holders of the cental banks). There are major multinational corporations that play a role but the banks control the purse strings there right? The politicians are such idiot puppets there is no telling if they even know anything other then the obvious, if that.
We certainly know a lot of dual citizens and the British Royal family is tied in but we don't really know for sure who these people all are. Royals and especially dual citizens are famous for changing their names whenever it suits them so good luck trying to follow family lines with any reliable accuracy.
Someday we are just going to have to arrest the ones we know about and find the rest that way. The reason why they may be unknown to us is to protect them from this possibility down the line. Either way we better find out because these people are a plague upon the Earth. Just out of curiousity if we ever get the chance to arrest these people lets do blood tests to see if they're all related...lol
Any person thats a member of the Council on foreign relations, whether in DC or corporate america or anywhere else, gets hung. Any politician thats ever voted against auditing the FED, gets hung. Pretty simple.
Glad I heard Woodrow Wilsons name. Let's start there and really dig deep during our next history lesson on the Senate floor.
My favorite part about his story was when he supposedly apologized for "unwittingly" destroying his country. Sure buddy, just like that Saudi falling and his pecker landing in that woman. What, did he never read about The Constitution, Thomas Jefferson or Andrew Jackson before turning his country over to the banks? Sounds plausible.
Conversations, debates and votes won't stop the devils who now have a stranglehold on the nation. No, you will not talk a hungry boa constrictor off a dying rabbit any more than you can debate the venom out of a snakebite. The devils will not walk away from their prize unless forced violently. This is a struggle for freedom and life. Friendly conversations ended long ago. And so did the care of the people for such quaint things as liberty, justice and personal property. The judgment that is coming upon this fallen nation will shake everyone. We are at amputation stage with the venomous bites. Only a remnant will survive separately.
First--!! excellent post. As to amputation--as I recall you chop right behind the first vertabra of the fanged head.. Snakes in the grass MUST be delt with swiftly.
Milestones