A New Declaration

"You never want a serious crisis to go to waste. And what I mean by that is an opportunity to do things you think you could not do before... The good news, I suppose if you want to see a silver lining, is the problems are big enough that they lend themselves to ideas from both parties for the solution... it's not an argument about big government vs. small government, but more effective government... Five of the reforms that we seek: One in health care, would be in the area that deals with cost control as a principle and expansion of coverage. Energy, with both independence and alternatives. In the area of taxes, fairness as well as simplicity. In the area of education, there's gotta be fundamental reforms there as it relates to making sure that we are effectively training the workforce... Lastly, financial regulatory overhaul, with the principles of both transparency and accountability." -Rahm Emanuel.

Not to be over-the-top-conspiracy-theorist driven, but really -- when people say out loud what they're thinking, wouldn't we be smart to listen? President Obama's chief of staff, Rahm Emanuel, made his statement shortly after the election in November. Now, the President tours the country, talking crisis and catastrophe, and pushing a leftist agenda through congress like a drug peddler pushing heroin. Of course, Obama warns that a failure to act immediately to push the bill through congress was going to "turn crisis into a catastrophe and guarantee a longer recession." Nothing like using the panic of people to gain political points. "Millions more jobs will be lost. More businesses will be shuttered. More dreams will be deferred." Oy. 

I've recently come to the realization that I'm not just a typical capitalist. I'm a darned radical capitalist. And it's kind of funny to think of myself, sitting here in my jeans and sweatshirt, as a radical. But I am. I really think that government has gotten so out of control huge and meddlesome that the only hope for fixing things and maintaining any level of capitalistic freedom is to scrap the whole lot of them and start over. It sounds like a messy and tasteless business, but I'm all for it. 

Do you remember the tenth amendment to our beloved Constitution? It states that "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." This is a blanket statement that shows how bloated and grotesque our federal government has become. There is no place I can find in the Constitution that talks of federal governance over the financial welfare of the people. No place does the Constitution give the federal government the power to control the education of our children. And the list can go on and on... 

I think we might need a new "Declaration of Independence." Ah, yes... a completely radical thought. But how many people know what radicals our founding fathers really were? Listen to what they wrote in their Declaration of Independence from England:

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 a 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. 

Truly, these were some radical dudes. 

I suppose it would behoove me to say, at this point, that I'm not trying to call men to arms and march on Congress. (Although it would be quite a show, wouldn't it? Can you imagine the look on Pelosi's face?) But I am suggesting that we need to get creative and fight back. Frankly, the lunatics are running the asylum right now -- and that's a scary place to be. 

I think the best way of fighting back right now is to simply be prepared for the worst while hoping for the best. And, in preparing for the "unthinkable" (as Glenn Beck would say), we can act decisively rather than irrationally if and when what was previously unthinkable occurs. 

My plea to everyone is to remember history. If that takes sitting down and discovering history for the first time, take the time to do so. History will tell us so much about what we can expect in the future. 

Then, after we've remembered our history, we need to look at the present. Listen to what leaders are saying. Keep in mind that half the reason we suffered as much from terrorism as we have is because we refuse to listen to what the terrorists say. When somebody says they want to kill us, we should be paying attention. But, it appears that the American people would rather feel comfortable than hear what Russia, Iran, Syria, and various other disturbing foes are saying. 

We also need to listen to the words of our own leaders. When Rahm Emanuel says that one should never waste a crisis, we should understand full well that Obama is following that advice to a T during our present one. This might make us feel like terrible, cynical people, I suppose. But no matter how we feel, in reality it makes us realists. Lets get off the feelings train and start dealing in reality. Then, and only then, will we be prepared to defend our freedoms against tyranny. 

No matter the circumstances, all struggles for power begin in the human mind. How prepared are you?