Posted by Dave Nelson on 03/10/09

Everyone else has their own stimulus plan idea, so I figure it was about time I came up with one too.  I call mine the Liberty Plan.  Before I spell out my relatively simple idea, I'll say again that I don't buy the rhetoric that says we need to loosen up credit.  I happen to believe too much credit is the largest contributor to the crisis we find ourselves in.  After extending too much credit, too easily, for two decades, the credit bubble has burst.  Federal economic policies under the Bush, Clinton, and Bush administrations created a national economy that was dependent upon exponentially expanding credit to sustain growth.  Now that everyone is "maxed-out" and credit has not only ceased to expand, but is actually contracting, corporations across the nation find themselves with an ability to produce far more than society has the means to purchase. 

The domino effect created by the necessary correction to the credit market goes something like this: 1) Individuals and corporations take on more credit than they can afford to pay back, 2) Individuals and corporations begin to default on their credit, 3) Lending institutions, and entities invested in credit, begin to suffer losses resulting from the defaults, 4) Corporations offset losses from extending, or investing, in bad credit by decreasing payroll.  At the same time, investors refuse to put their dollars in credit products and lending institutions stop extending new credit, 5) The sudden contraction of credit significantly decreases the amount of "money" available to purchase all goods and services, 6)  Retail sales plummet and stores are forced to lay off workers, 7) Demand for product from wholesalers drops as well as demand for raw materials to make products, and more workers are laid off, 8) High unemployment results in further declines in sales, 9) More workers are laid off and prices are slashed, 10) The value of the dollar increases while wages decrease, 11) The effective cost of everyone's debt increases proportionately to the deflation or increase in the value of the dollar, 12) More individuals and entities are unable to pay back their debt, and well, you see where this is going.  The cycle repeats itself until the economy shrinks back to the size it would have been without the excessive credit. 

Folks like President Bush, President Clinton, the second President Bush, and President Obama believe the above cycle must not be allowed to play itself out.  These proponents of government intervention insist that massive amounts of money must be infused into to system to stop the economic contraction.  The trouble is they have no money to infuse unless they borrow it, print it, or take it from the public in the form of taxes.  Borrowing, when the national debt is already $10 trillion, pushes the United States government dangerously close to a point where it will not even be able make the interest payments on what it owes.  In other words the United States could begin to default on its loans, which would result in a complete collapse of the dollar.  Printing money-enough to actually make a difference-would create unprecedented inflation, afford tremendous power to the printer (Federal Reserve,) and dramatically widen the gap between socio-economic classes.  Raising tax rates reduces disposable, and investment, income and always results in contraction of the economy. 

Now, having briefly touched on what doesn't work, here's my idea.  I call it the Liberty Plan.  It's very simple and goes something like this: 1) Cut corporate and marginal tax rates for every bracket by 25%.  A tax cut of this magnitude would add approximately $1 trillion dollars into the national economy and, over time, increase federal tax revenues by somewhere between $600 billion and $1.2 trillion.  Cuts of this magnitude have historically (1920s, 1960s, and 1980s) increased federal tax revenues by up to 50%.  2) Enact a freeze on federal spending that would flat-line the total federal budget for the next 10 years.  While I would personally prefer a plan that would reduce the federal budget by 10% per year, I'm being realistic here.  In combination with the tax cuts in step one of the Liberty plan, a freeze on total spending increases for the next 10 years would result in a balanced budget within five years and then allow for debt reduction.  3) Offer tax exemptions to corporations with more than 50 employees, in return for gradually reducing their standard employee work week to 32 hours.  With an unemployment rate of nearly 10% and probably another 10% who are under-employed, a reduction to the standard work week would force greater efficiency and additional hiring.  Offering tax cuts to corporations in amounts equal to the cost of hiring enough workers to fill the need created by the reduction in hours worked per week would increase payroll by 15%-20% depending on how much efficiency is gained during the scale back of the work week.  As payroll increases, unemployment drops, tax revenues increase, people are happier with more free time, and free time is used to start new businesses and generate more taxable income.  Trust me, step number three is the cherry on top that puts a smile on the face of the American economy and worker!  The positive domino effect would be tremendous.  The business endeavors undertaken with all the new free-time would not only create additional tax revenue, but also much needed innovation.   Also, consider the additional dollars that would be spent on leisure activities and entertainment. 

For what it's worth, there it is, I call it the LIBERTY PLAN because that's what it is, a plan for economic and personal liberty.  The benefits can be even greater with more aggressive spending cuts and a return to constitutionally limited government.  Three simple steps and we can be singing Happy Days Are Here Again!  Why not?

- Dave Nelson   www.libertyandgrace.com/blog1

Posted 03/11/09 Dave Nelson Littleton, CO

Just to be clear on my third point above, I only advocate this step as a VOLUNTARY measure. Think of point three of the plan as a corporate tax cut aimed at decreasing unemployment and stimulating economic growth. - Dave

Posted by Dave Nelson on 03/03/09

British Prime Minister, Gordon Brown, was in
Washington, DC, this morning speaking with President
Obama about a proposed Global New Deal.  Prime
Minister Brown's FDR-like plan calls upon the world's
most powerful governments to join together in a global
economic intervention.

In an abbreviated joint press conference, with President
Obama, immediately following today's meeting, Prime
Minister Brown said, "we must isolate the bad assets and
underwrite the financial institutions." The Prime Minister
asserted that "there is the possibility in the next few
months of a global new deal... a possibility of all the
countries in the world coming together... international
institutions coming together to form a recovery, a green
recovery."  President Obama echoed, "in this new world
that we live in, the way to get things done is to build
partnerships and alliances."

The two leaders were careful not to discuss the details of
their future economic plans publicly, but consistently
referred to the importance of globalization as a "force for
good" that must "benefit everyone."  Increased global
regulation of industry seemed to be a forgone conclusion
throughout the duo's responses to the press.

Prior to today's meeting, the Sunday London Times
quoted Prime Minister Brown as saying, "...President
Obama and I will discuss this week a global new deal,
whose impact can stretch from the villages of Africa to
reforming the financial institutions of London and New
York -- and giving security to the hard-working families in
every country... I see this global new deal as an agreement
that every continent injects resources into its economy...
It would require all continents to make cash injections to
boost economies, all countries to adopt green policies,
universal banking reforms and changes to international
bodies."

Sovereignty, like liberty, must never be taken for granted.  
As Americans, we should be alarmed when we hear talk
of global mandates that would "require every continent to
make cash injections," "all countries to adopt green
policies," undertake "banking reforms," and make
"changes to international bodies."  President Obama is
entertaining ideas that are historically unprecedented.  To
voluntarily yield back a significant portion of American
independence, for which such a great price was paid by
our forefathers, would be tragic.  

In Berlin, Sunday, referring to Franklin Roosevelt's plan to
combat the Great Depression in the 1930s, Prime Minister
Brown said, "We need a global New Deal -- a grand
bargain between the countries and continents of this world
-- so that the world economy can not only recover but...
so the banking system can be based on... best principles,"

Brown's plan, which also proposes a massive global
redistribution of wealth through the International Monetary
Fund to poorer nations, would do more than severely
undermine U.S. sovereignty.  The new New Deal would
substantially deepen and prolong the world-wide recession
and open doors for more radical plans as the citizenry of
the world become more and more impatient.  Franklin
Roosevelt's New Deal intensified and extended the Great
Depression while permanently expanding government
power.  The prospect of an equivalent global centralization
of power should compel every freedom loving American
to a staunch and vocal resistance.  When world-wide
consolidation of power is under consideration, passivity is
no longer an option and vigilance in defense of sovereignty
and liberty is imperative.

President Obama will meet with the leaders of the G-20
nations on April 2, at a World Economic Summit in
London, where Prime Minister Brown's ideas are almost
certain to gain momentum.  The G-20 is a group of the
worlds most powerful industrial nations including the G-7
leading industrialized nations: Canada, France, Germany,
Italy, Japan, the United Kingdom, and the United States, as
well as the world's largest developing economies:
Argentina, Australia, Brazil, China, India, Indonesia,
Mexico, Russia, Saudi Arabia, South Africa, South Korea
and Turkey, plus the European Union.

Opposition to participation in such a global proposal can
be voiced to the White House at: http://www.whitehouse.
gov/contact/ or by calling: 202-456-1111.

By: Dave Nelson - www.libertyandgrace.com

Posted by Dave Nelson on 03/01/09
Last updated 03/01/09

In 1776, the American Colonies made a unanimous Declaration of Independence, stating within that Declaration that, We hold these truths to be self-evident, that all men are created equal, that they are endowed by their Creator with certain unalienable Rights, that among these are Life, Liberty and the pursuit of Happiness.--That to secure these rights, Governments are instituted among Men, deriving their just powers from the consent of the governed, --That whenever any Form of Government becomes destructive of these ends, it is the Right of the People to alter or to abolish it, and to institute new Government, laying its foundation on such principles and organizing its powers in such form, as to them shall seem most likely to effect their Safety and Happiness. Prudence, indeed, will dictate that Governments long established should not be changed for light and transient causes; and accordingly all experience hath shewn, that mankind are more disposed to suffer, while evils are sufferable, than to right themselves by abolishing the forms to which they are accustomed. But when a long train of abuses and usurpations, pursuing invariably the same Object evinces a design to reduce them under absolute Despotism, it is their right, it is their duty, to throw off such Government, and to provide new Guards for their future security.

Few things can unite a diverse group of individuals like the recognition of a common enemy or a common threat to liberty.  These United States were conceived with the blood of a sundry group of immigrants who held opposing political views and a wide variety of religious beliefs.  They possessed anywhere from no financial means to great financial means, and they hailed from the lowest social class to the highest social class.  What drew these revolutionary men and women together was one common goal, the preservation of liberty.

It is rare to find individuals who are willing to die for a cause and it is even more rare to find individuals who are willing to live for a cause.  Those who pledged their lives and sacred honor for American independence were not merely saying I am willing to die for the cause of liberty, they were pledging to live and to devote their every breath to preserving the right of self-determination for themselves and their posterity.  Few people in the history of the world have truly given their lives in a manner such as the founders of these United States.

Perilous times impress upon men a sense of urgency, a call to action, and a spirit of unity that transcends dissimilarity and material interests.  A palpable threat to liberty constitutes perilous times and will most certainly ignite the flames of rebellion.  The hour of revolution is again upon us.  The battle before us today is not one of military might.  The revolution we must embark upon is one of will and of ideas.  Federal usurpation of powers reserved for the states and the people is today so great that it can hardly be tallied.  The infringement upon personal and corporate liberty is more severe than ever and there is a very real danger of losing our long established system of self-governance.

Regardless of political party, regardless of religion, whether you are rich or poor, scholar or layman, it is time to unite in defense of liberty.  Everyone deserves the right to live free and make their own choices for better or for worse.  If you love this country and believe it to be the best in the world, will you lay aside your efforts to curb public behavior to your liking through legislation, and join with others to embrace the common cause of liberty for all.

It is time to ask ourselves some tough questions.  To which do we ascribe greater value; peace, material prosperity, or freedom?  The 56 men who signed the Declaration of Independence, and those for whom they spoke, chose liberty over all other personal interests.  In this present economic crisis, will we give in to fear and allow freedom to be traded for security, or will we coalesce in defense of liberty?  Will history record that we the people of the most free civilization ever to exist, did nothing to preserve so great a treasure, or will we remember the patriots and boldly proclaim sic semper tyrannis?

By: Dave Nelson -- March 1, 2009 --  Reprinted from my website: www.libertyandgrace.com

Posted by Dave Nelson on 02/19/09
Last updated 02/19/09

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.  - The Tenth Amendment to the Constitution of the United States.

Years of painstaking debate between many men of valor went into the making of our federal Constitution and scores of very distinguished and well respected patriots, in fact, opposed its adoption.  Such renowned patriots as Patrick Henry, George Mason, James Wilson, George Clinton, Elbridge Gerry, and Edmond Randolph argued against the proposed federal constitution.  Why did these champions of liberty who were so instrumental in bringing about American independence oppose the ratification of the Constitution?  They argued against a federal constitution because they feared the centralization of power.  Ultimately those in favor of a federal constitution won the support of the thirteen states and the Constitution was ratified as the supreme law of the land.  In order to lay to rest all fears that the new government might one day usurp the liberty of the states and the people, the framers of the Constitution added the Bill of Rights, which was concluded with a mighty exclamation point, the Tenth Amendment.

The founders had thus made it very clear that every power not given to the federal government by the Constitution and also not prohibited, by the Constitution, to the States or people, were to be left entirely in the hands of the states or the people.

So, what powers did the founders give to the federal government?  The Constitution, in its original form, grants just 18 powers to the federal Congress.  These 18 enumerated powers are found in Article One, Section Eight, of the Constitution and read as follows:

1. The Congress shall have Power To lay and collect Taxes, Duties, Imposts and Excises, to pay the Debts and provide for the common Defence and general Welfare of the United States; but all Duties, Imposts and Excises shall be uniform throughout the
   United States;
2. To borrow Money on the credit of the United States;
3. To regulate Commerce with foreign Nations, and among the several States, and with the Indian Tribes;
4. To establish an uniform Rule of Naturalization, and uniform Laws on the subject of Bankruptcies throughout the United States;
5. To coin Money, regulate the Value thereof, and of foreign Coin, and fix the Standard of Weights and Measures;
6. To provide for the Punishment of counterfeiting the Securities and current Coin of the United States;
7. To establish Post Offices and post Roads;
8. To promote the Progress of Science and useful Arts, by securing for limited Times to Authors and Inventors the exclusive Right to their respective Writings and Discoveries;
9. To constitute Tribunals inferior to the supreme Court;
10. To define and punish Piracies and Felonies committed on the high Seas, and Offences against the Law of Nations;
11. To declare War, grant Letters of Marque and Reprisal, and make Rules concerning Captures on Land and Water;
12. To raise and support Armies, but no Appropriation of Money to that Use shall be for a longer Term than two Years;
13. To provide and maintain a Navy;
14. To make Rules for the Government and Regulation of the land and naval Forces;
15. To provide for calling forth the Militia to execute the Laws of the Union, suppress Insurrections and repel Invasions;
16. To provide for organizing, arming, and disciplining, the Militia, and for governing such Part of them as may be employed in the Service of the United States, reserving to the States respectively, the Appointment of the Officers, and the Authority of training the Militia according to the discipline prescribed by Congress;
17. To exercise exclusive Legislation in all Cases whatsoever, over such District (not exceeding ten Miles square) as may, by Cession of particular States, and the Acceptance of Congress, become the Seat of the Government of the United States, and to exercise like Authority over all Places purchased by the Consent of the Legislature of the State in which the Same shall be, for the Erection of Forts, Magazines, Arsenals, dock-Yards, and other needful Buildings;--And
18. To make all Laws which shall be necessary and proper for carrying into Execution the foregoing Powers, and all other Powers vested by this Constitution in the Government of the United States, or in any Department or Officer thereof.

Since its ratification, the Constitution has been amended 27 times.  Within those 27 amendments can be found eight additional powers granted to the federal Congress:

• The Thirteenth Amendment grants Congress the power to enact legislation to enforce a ban on slavery in the United States,
• The Fourteenth Amendment grants Congress the power to enact legislation to enforce the restriction that States shall not pass any law that would abridge the privileges or immunities of United States citizens granted by the Constitution,
• The Fifteenth Amendment grants Congress the power to enact legislation to enforce the right to vote regardless of race, color, or previous condition of servitude,
• The Sixteenth Amendment grants Congress the power to enact and collect taxes on income,
• The Nineteenth Amendment grants Congress the power to enact legislation to enforce the right to vote regardless of sex,
• The Twenty-Third Amendment grants Congress the power to appoint Presidential Electors for the District of Columbia,
• The Twenty-Fourth Amendment grants Congress the power to enact legislation to prevent poll taxes,
• The Twenty-Sixth Amendment grants Congress the power to enact legislation to enforce the right to vote regardless of age for all United States citizens over 18 years old.

The powers noted above, and ONLY the powers noted above, are afforded to the federal government and, as the Tenth Amendment so emphatically states, everything else is left to the states and to the people.  Note some of the powers NOT found among those allowed to the federal government:  Anything to do with Education, any Redistribution of Wealth, any Subsidization of Business, any Regulation of Employment Practices, any Regulation of Business Transacted Within a State's Boundaries, anything to do with The Environment, any Regulation of Drug Use, any Regulation of Personal Morality, any Prohibition of Religious Practices or Displays including those by State Governments, anything to do with Energy or Fuels apart from the regulation of the sale of such across state or national boundaries, anything to do with Agriculture apart from the regulation of the sale of its products across state or national boundaries, etc.  This list of course could go on and on because it includes everything not specifically granted by the Constitution to the federal government.

The Framers wisely and severely restricted the powers of central government to a very specific few.  In their profound wisdom, they realized that power corrupts, even the power to enact good and seemingly helpful laws.  Today, our federal government is involved in each of the above mentioned areas as well as thousands of others not authorized by the Constitution.  It is clear that we have a massive breach in the constitutional levy of liberty.  Sadly, we have allowed by virtue of our choices at the ballot box, government to take responsibility for a plethora of issues meant to be the responsibility of the states and people.  In order to take on these unconstitutional roles and responsibilities, the federal government requires billions and billions of dollars in taxes from we the people.   In addition to giving up as much as half of the fruits of our labor, we have also given up our individual, local and states' rights to choose how best to address issues that affect our very livelihood and are which critical to the continuance of our personal happiness and wellbeing.

This massive breech in the levy didn't happen overnight, but rather the levy has been slowly eroding away over a period of decades often as a direct result of the good intentions of leaders in times of crisis.  Unbeknownst to many, the programs and safety nets enacted to "protect," "help," and "employ" people during troubled times have severely jeopardized the integrity of our constitutional bulwark.  The very foundation of our liberty is now wrought with cracks and in danger falling upon the ash heap of history.  Now, in 2009, as the nation is again faced with a significant economic crisis and with a myriad of unconstitutional big government solutions in the hopper, the question must be posed, how much more can the levy withstand before it is simply washed away?  

Our all is at stake, and the little conveniences and comforts of life, when set in competition with our liberty, ought to be rejected not with reluctance but with pleasure. - George Mason

Now more than ever, we as everyday Americans must examine what is being proposed and personally involve ourselves in the decisions of government.  If we do not, one day we will wake up and realize there is no more individual incentive to achieve, no more public money to be taken, and not enough individual liberty remaining to regain what has been lost.  Our all is at stake.

- Dave Nelson    www.libertyandgrace.com      www.libertyandgrace.com/blog1

Posted 02/19/09 BBLiberty Pekin, IL

Great Article! Passing this out at my next community meeting Saturday - thanks!

Posted by Dave Nelson on 02/18/09

Twenty-eight years ago, Ronald Reagan was sworn in as President of the United States. In his so eloquently delivered inaugural address the great communicator spoke a profound truth. Reflecting on the perilous state of the United States' economy he made this statement: "In this present crisis, government is not the solution to our problem, government IS the problem."

Now I ask you to contrast President Reagan's statement with the proposed policies of our newly elected, and very popular, 44th President, Barack Obama. In his inaugural address, President Obama made these statements: "We must begin the work of remaking America," and "The question we ask today is not whether our government is too big or too small, but whether it works, and whether it helps families find jobs at a decent wage, care they can afford, a retirement that is dignified..."

Friends, make no mistake about it, our government IS TOO BIG! The size and scope of our federal government is so unfathomably far beyond that which the Founders intended and so far beyond that which the Constitution allows that I dare say the Constitution itself no longer poses any real threat to those who would seek to impose their socialist ideals upon us. One need not look further than the daily news to realize we are already well on the road to becoming a socialist America.

We are already in the process of dropping a cool $750 Billion dollars into American corporations, who mismanaged investor capital, and we are about to be asked for another $850 Billion. This next, $850 Billion round of "government stimulus," will be used not only to "bail out" more poorly managed businesses, but also to start many FDR-like government projects. And, you and I know that every government project requires government oversight, and government oversight requires a government agency, and every government agency is eternal and ever expanding. When you add up all the income taxes, sales taxes, property taxes, "sin" taxes, etc, as well as all the corporate taxes that are passed on to individuals in the price of goods, you find that the average American already gives about half of their earnings to some level of government. There just isn't that much public money left to take.

Welcome to post-constitutional socialist America. Where government owns big business and individuals cede more than half of their earnings to government, effectively working for government. The more ownership and earnings we yield to the federal government, the more control over our lives we grant it, and the less liberty we enjoy. Whatever liberty remains to be enjoyed in an America where government and corporations have been merged can very literally be taken away over night by such a powerful entity. Whether one chooses to believe it or not, we most definitely are speeding down the highway toward a "new economic order." Once this "new economic order" has been established, there will be NO stopping it. The time is now my friends! The time is now to speak out and to elect leaders who will fight for a return to free enterprise and personal liberty. The preservation of freedom will be well worth the hardships we may have to endure as the free market recovers.

As so many of our Founding Fathers said repeatedly, we must never trade our freedom for security. That includes financial security. Since the very conception of our constitutional republic, we as a nation and a people have been through many difficult economic times and we have repeatedly rejected the socialist answer. What will history record of this generation? Will we be the first in America to allow the state to become master rather than servant? Or, will we face difficult times with a renewed vigor and pride in individual responsibility and personal liberty? May God bless and keep America.

- Dave Nelson  -  To view more blogs and articles, please visit www.libertyandgrace.com

Posted 02/18/09 Heather D Port Byron, IL

Thank you SO much for this great piece. The time IS short, and if we don't take real, effective action now, we're doomed.

Posted 02/18/09 Beausolei Breaux Bridge, LA

Some facts to chew on that we were not taught in school are as follows,please take the time to read this to understand how we have been lied to so completely.If you have any sense, READ THIS NOW! February 1, 2009 by admin The USA Isn’t a Country, It’s a Corporation! January 31, 2009 Note from Russell: The following article is one of the important reasons the Republic of Lakotah was re-born. It is also one of the main reasons why we welcome all freedom workers to Lakotah. Lakotah is a base from which we can spread the Truth and work towards reclaiming our Freedoms in our Country, and yours! I have heart-felt thanks to Lisa Guliani and her allies (lakotah in Lakotah language) for this very succinct article. “We the People of the United States, in Order to form a more perfect Union, establish Justice, insure domestic Tranquility, provide for the common defense, promote the general Welfare, and secure the Blessings of Liberty to ourselves and our Posterity, do ordain and establish this Constitution for the United States of America.” –Preamble of the original “organic” Constitution. “We hold these truths to be self-evident. That all men are created equal; that they are endowed by their Creator with certain unalienable rights; that among these are life, liberty, and the pursuit of happiness; that to secure these rights, governments are instituted among men, deriving their just powers from the consent of the governed; that whenever any form of government becomes destructive of these ends, it is the right of the people to alter or abolish it, and to institute new government, laying its foundation on such principles, and organizing its powers in such form, as to them shall seem most likely to effect their safety and happiness.” –Excerpt from the Declaration of Independence of the original thirteen united states of America, July 4, 1776. Fourth of July 2002 has come and gone, and Americans honored the holiday with a renewed patriotic fervor that reminded me of the Bicentennial celebrations of 1976. As is customary, traditional fireworks displays took center stage and scores of people turned out to witness the dazzling show in the summer sky. With mixed feelings, I sat with friends on a crowded Pennsylvania sidewalk beneath a glittering, mesmerizing explosion of color, pondering the keen sense of sadness and betrayal that overwhelmed my spirit. Looking around at the huge crowds gathered for the annual events, I thought silently, “We are not free.” In truth, we have not been a free people for a very long time. We celebrate this day in honor of our “independence”. We call ourselves a free people in a land of liberty. Our anthems proudly sing the praises of this nation, and we raise our voices, wave our flags and join in song –but how many Americans realize they are not free? This is a myth perpetuated by the powers-that-be in order to avoid any major civil unrest, and to keep us all living under the thumb of a militaristic corporate Big Brother within the illusions that have been created for us. The truth of the matter is this: what freedom has not been stolen from us, we have surrendered willingly through our silence and ignorance. As Americans, most of us have no idea how our freedoms are maintained –or lost. Apparently, our ancestors didn’t have a good grasp of this either. It is sad, but it is also very true. Don’t point to that beloved parchment, the Constitution, as a symbol of your enduring freedom. It is representative of a form of government which seemingly no longer exists in this country today. The Constitution has been thrown out the window, the Republic shoved aside and replaced with a democracy. The thing is; most people in this country remain unaware that this is so because they simply do not know the truth –what lies beyond the myths. Your so-called government is not going to tell you, either. To even begin to understand what has happened to the Republic, we must look backward in time to the period following the Civil War. We must go back to the year 1871, which was the beginning of the decline of the Republic. When we examine what happened during that time in our history, we begin to piece together this troubling, perplexing puzzle that is “America” –only then should we answer as to whether we are indeed a “free” people or not. So, let’s roll backward into the past for a moment. It is time we learned what they didn’t teach us in school. It is far more interesting than what they DID tell us. I think you’ll stay awake for this lesson. The date is February 21, 1871 and the Forty-First Congress is in session. I refer you to the “Acts of the Forty-First Congress,” Section 34, Session III, chapters 61 and 62. On this date in the history of our nation, Congress passed an Act titled: “An Act To Provide A Government for the District of Columbia.” This is also known as the “Act of 1871.” What does this mean? Well, it means that Congress, under no constitutional authority to do so, created a separate form of government for the District of Columbia, which is a ten mile square parcel of land. What??? How could they do that? Moreover, WHY would they do that? To explain, let’s look at the circumstances of those days. The Act of 1871 was passed at a vulnerable time in America. Our nation was essentially bankrupt –weakened and financially depleted in the aftermath of the Civil War. The Civil War itself was nothing more than a calculated “front” for some pretty fancy footwork by corporate back room players. It was a strategic maneuver by European interests (the international bankers) who were intent upon gaining a stranglehold on the neck (and the coffers) of America. The Congress realized our country was in dire financial straits, so they cut a deal with the international bankers –(in those days, the Rothschild’s of London were dipping their fingers into everyone’s pie) thereby incurring a DEBT to said bankers. If we think about banks, we know they do not just lend us money out of the goodness of their hearts. A bank will not do anything for you unless it is entirely in their best interest to do so. There has to be some sort of collateral or some string attached which puts you and me (the borrower) into a subservient position. This was true back in 1871 as well. The conniving international bankers were not about to lend our floundering nation any money without some serious stipulations. So, they devised a brilliant way of getting their foot in the door of the United States (a prize they had coveted for some time, but had been unable to grasp thanks to our Founding Fathers, who despised them and held them in check), and thus, the Act of 1871 was passed. In essence, this Act formed the corporation known as THE UNITED STATES. Note the capitalization, because it is important. This corporation, owned by foreign interests, moved right in and shoved the original “organic” version of the Constitution into a dusty corner. With the “Act of 1871,” our Constitution was defaced in the sense that the title was block-capitalized and the word “for” was changed to the word “of” in the title. The original Constitution drafted by the Founding Fathers, was written in this manner: “The Constitution for the united states of America.” The altered version reads: “THE CONSTITUTION OF THE UNITED STATES OF AMERICA”. It is the corporate constitution. It is NOT the same document you might think it is. The corporate constitution operates in an economic capacity and has been used to fool the People into thinking it is the same parchment that governs the Republic. It absolutely is not. Capitalization –an insignificant change? Not when one is referring to the context of a legal document, it isn’t. Such minor alterations have had major impacts on each subsequent generation born in this country. What the Congress did with the passage of the Act of 1871 was create an entirely new document, a constitution for the government of the District of Columbia. The kind of government THEY created was a corporation. The new, altered Constitution serves as the constitution of the corporation, and not that of America. Think about that for a moment. Incidentally, this corporate constitution does not benefit the Republic. It serves only to benefit the corporation. It does nothing good for you or me –and it operates outside of the original Constitution. Instead of absolute rights guaranteed under the “organic” Constitution, we now have “relative” rights or privileges. One example of this is the Sovereign’s right to travel, which has been transformed under corporate government policy into a “privilege” which we must be licensed to engage in. This operates outside of the original Constitution. So, Congress committed TREASON against the People, who were considered Sovereign under the Declaration of Independence and the organic Constitution. When we consider the word “Sovereign,” we must think about what the word means. According to Webster’s Dictionary, “sovereign” is defined as: 1. chief or highest; supreme. 2. Supreme in power, superior in position to all others. 3. Independent of, and unlimited by, any other, possessing or entitled to, original and independent authority or jurisdiction. In other words, our government was created by and for “sovereigns” –the free citizens who were deemed the highest authority. Only the People can be sovereign –remember that. Government cannot be sovereign. We can also look to the Declaration of Independence, where we read: “government is subject to the consent of the governed” –that’s supposed to be us, the sovereigns. Do you feel like a sovereign nowadays? I don’t. It doesn’t take a rocket scientist or a constitutional historian to figure out that this is not what is happening in our country today. Government in these times is NOT subject to the consent of the governed. Rather, the governed are subject to the whim and greed of the corporation, which has stretched its tentacles beyond the ten-mile-square parcel of land known as the District of Columbia –encroaching into every state of the Republic. Mind you, the corporation has NO jurisdiction outside of the District of Columbia. THEY just want you to think it does. You see, you are presumed to know the law. This is ironic because as a people, we are taught basically nothing about the law in school. We are made to memorize obscure factoids and paragraphs here and there, such as the Preamble, and they gloss over the Bill of Rights. But we are not told about the law. Nor do our corporate government schools delve into the Constitution in any great depth. After all, they were put into place to indoctrinate and dumb down the masses –not to teach us anything. We were not told that we were sold-out to foreign interests and made beneficiaries of the debt incurred by Congress to the international bankers. For generations, American citizens have had the bulk of their earnings confiscated to pay on a massive debt that they, as a People, did not incur. There are many, many things the People have not been told. How do you feel about being made a beneficiary of somebody else’s massive debt without your knowledge or consent? Are we gonna keep going along with this?? When you hear some individuals say that the Constitution is null and void, think about how our government has transformed over time from a municipal or service-oriented entity to a corporate or profit-oriented entity. We are living under the myth that this is lawful, but it is not. We are being ruled by a “de facto,” or unlawful, form of government –the corporate body of the death-mongers –The Controllers. With the passage of the Act of 1871, a series of subtle and overt deceptions were set in motion –all in conjunction and collusion with the Congress, who knowingly and deliberately sold the People down the river. Did they tell you this in government school? I doubt it. They were too busy drumming the fictional version of history into your brain –and mine. By failing to disclose what THEY did to the American People, the people became ignorant of what was happening. Over time, the Republic took it on the chin to the point of a knockdown. With the surrender of their gold in 1933, the People essentially surrendered their law. I don’t suppose you were taught THAT in school either. That’s because our REAL history is hidden from us. This is the way Roman Civil Law works –and our form of governance today is based upon Roman Civil Law and Admiralty/Maritime Law –better known as the “Divine Right of Kings” and “Law of the Seas”, respectively. This explains a lot. Roman Civil Law was fully established in the original colonies even before our nation began and is also known as private international law. The government which was created for the District of Columbia via the Act of 1871 operates under Private International Law, and not Common Law, which was the law of the Constitutional Republic. This is very important to note since it impacts all Americans in concrete ways. You must recognize that private international law is only applicable within the District of Columbia and NOT in the other states of the Union. The various arms of the corporation are known as “departments” such as the Judiciary, Justice and Treasury. You recognize those names? Yes, you do! But they are not what you assume them to be. These “departments” all belong to the corporation known as THE UNITED STATES. They do NOT belong to you and me under the corporate constitution and its various amendments that operate outside of the Constitutional Republic. I refer you to the UNITED STATES CODE (note the capitalization, indicating the corporation, not the Republic) Title 28 3002 (15) (A) (B) (C). It is stated unequivocally that the UNITED STATES is a corporation. Realize, too, that the corporation is not a separate and distinct entity from the government. It IS the government. YOUR government. This is extremely important. I refer to this as the “corporate empire of the UNITED STATES,” which operates under Roman Civil Law outside of the Constitution. How do you like being ruled by a cheesy, sleazy corporation? You’ll ask your Congressperson about this, you say? HA!! Congress is fully aware of this deception. You must be made aware that the members of Congress do NOT work for you and me. Rather, they work for the Corporation known as THE UNITED STATES. Is this really any surprise to you? This is why we can’t get them to do anything on our behalf or to answer to us –as in the case with the illegal income tax –among many other things. Contrary to popular belief, they are NOT our civil servants. They do NOT work for us. They are the servants of the corporate government and carry out its bidding. Period. The great number of committees and sub-committees that the Congress has created all work together like a multi-headed monster to oversee the various corporate “departments.” And, you should know that every single one of these that operates outside the District of Columbia is in violation of the law. The corporate government of the UNITED STATES has no jurisdiction or authority in ANY state of the Republic beyond the District of Columbia. Let this sink into your brain for a minute. Ask yourself, “Could this deception REALLY have occurred without the full knowledge and complicity of the Congress?” Do you think it happened by accident? You are deceiving yourself if you do. There are no accidents or coincidences. It is time to confront the truth and awaken from ignorance. Your legislators will not apprise you of this information. You are presumed to know the law. THEY know you don’t know the law, or your history for that matter, because this information has not been taught to you. No concerted effort has been made to inform you. As a Sovereign, you are entitled to full disclosure of the facts. As a slave, you are entitled to nothing other than what the corporation decides to “give” you –at a price. Be wary of accepting so-called “benefits” of the corporation of the UNITED STATES. Aren’t you enslaved enough already? I said (above) that you are presumed to know the law. Still, it matters not if you don’t in the eyes of the corporation. Ignorance of the law is not considered an excuse. It is your responsibility and your obligation as an American to learn about the law and how it applies to you. THEY count on the fact that most people are too uninterested or distracted or lazy to do so. The People have been mentally conditioned to allow the alleged government to do their thinking for them. We need to turn that around if we are to save our Republic before it is too late. The UNITED STATES government is basically a corporate instrument of the international bankers. This means YOU are owned by the corporation from birth to death. The corporate UNITED STATES also holds ownership of all your assets, your property, and even your children. Does this sound untrue? Think long and hard about all those bills you pay, all those various taxes and fines and licenses you must pay for. Yes, they’ve got you by the pockets. Actually, they’ve had you by the ass for as long as you’ve been alive. In your heart, you know it’s true. Don’t believe any of this? Read up on the 14th Amendment. Check out how “free” you really are. With the Act of 1871 and subsequent legislation such as the purportedly ratified 14th Amendment, our once-great nation of Sovereigns has been subverted from a Republic to a democracy. As is the case under Roman Civil Law, our ignorance of the facts has led to our silence. Our silence has been construed as our consent to become beneficiaries of a debt we did not incur. The Sovereign People have been deceived for hundreds of years into thinking they remain free and independent, when in actuality we continue to be slaves and servants of the corporation. Treason was committed against the People in 1871 by the Congress. This could have been corrected through the decades by some honest men (assuming there were some), but it was not, mainly due to lust for money and power. Nothing new there. Are we to forgive and justify this crime against the People? You have lost more freedom than you may realize due to corporate infiltration of the so-called government. We will lose more unless we turn away from a democracy that is the direct road to disaster –and restore our Constitutional Republic. In an upcoming article, we’ll take a closer look at the purportedly ratified 14th Amendment and how we became “property” of the corporation and enslaved by our silence. I am saddened to think about the brave men and women who were killed in all the wars and conflicts instigated by the Controllers. These courageous souls fought for the preservation of ideals they believed to be true –not for the likes of a corporation. Do you believe that any one of the individuals who have been killed as a result of war would have willingly fought if they knew the full truth? Do you think one person would have laid down his life for a corporation? I think not. If the People had known long ago to what extent their trust had been betrayed, I wonder how long it would have taken for another Revolution. What we need is a Revolution in THOUGHT. We change our thinking and we change our world. Will we ever restore the Republic? That is a question I cannot answer yet. I hope, and most of all –pray –that WE, the Sovereign People, will work together in a spirit of cooperation to make it happen in this lifetime. I know I will give it my best shot –come what may. Our children deserve their rightful legacy –the liberty our ancestors fought so hard to give to us. Will we remain silent telling ourselves we are free, and perpetuate the MYTH? Or, do we stand as One Sovereign People, and take back what has been stolen from the house of our Republic? Something to think about –it’s called freedom. My heartfelt thanks goes out to the following people for their gracious and generous assistance in researching this subject: Ken S. of American Revolution II Online News, Paul Walker of RMN News, Bob Taft, Stanooch, and Willy Whitten –true Patriots, one and all.