This stupid, artificial construct called the fiscal cliff is
not the precipice on which we are perched (remember Congress created it when
they could not decide how to divide up the bounty of our tax dollars and the
unlimited press of the US Treasury).
Rather we are on the edge of determining whether the experiment of
American democracy can succeed.
When the common man must wake each morning worrying what the
Federal Government will do to change his life forever, we are no longer free
but simple wards of the state. When the
federal government works to break our ties to family and community we are not
free but simple wards of the state. When
business places more emphasis on lobbying than on product and service
innovation we no longer have capitalism but a corrupt economy driven by the
state. In short we have
totalitarianism.
That anyone believes elections have provided a mandate for
federal government action is a farce.
Elections are about electing people, most of which were chosen as the
lesser of only bad options. In earlier
times when we did silly things and our country deviated off track, there was a
common morality—the Bible and God—to which we could appeal and the themes there
would eventually resonate. Those days
are no longer. And while we need to find
a new morale authority on which we can collectively appeal, it must not stop us
from making some changes to our predicament.
The course of our country still only changes because its citizens say
“Enough!”
Against such totalitarianism we have only one tool,
ourselves. In many respects we have
forgotten it in this country but we have been able to see its success around
the world against corrupt, dictatorial regimes.
We must stand up individually and shout “Enough” and march collectively
to change the course of American history.
In to the streets, in to the fields, in to the interstate highways, we
must march. Peaceful but persistent,
energized and enduring.
The patriots and martyrs in this battle will be those
individuals that forgo the streams of government money to make a stand on
principle placing progeny above their own needs and wants. Having found their way to be successful
“legally” in this corrupt system they instead will cut the cord with their only
safety net being family, friends and community.
They may be individuals, they may be companies heretofore bloated on
cronyism. Let the statues be erected to
them! Let them be our inspiration!
The fight will be hard and it will be long but there are 3
immediate tangible goals:
- 1. Congress must pass immediately and the President must sign into law a measure that leads to government spending at no more than 18% of GDP by 2018. 18% by 2018! And all future budgets should be stable below this level until clear plans are put in place to shrink the federal government even more. No one will starve at this level. It is at the level of what government spending was in 2000. And it is more than enough for the federal government at this point.
- 2. Congress must pass immediately and the President must sign into law a measure making Congress—the US Senate and US House—a part-time legislature whose members live in their home districts with limited staff and that convenes 3 times throughout the year for not more than 2 weeks. Let the lobbyists come to mainstreet and bolster the local economies rather than simply the economy of Washington, DC. Most of the work done by this body has been harmful to the country not helpful. With too much money, too much staff and too much lobbying we get incomprehensible legislation like Dodd-Frank that pulls the wool over the eyes of the American people and lets “too big to fail” political patrons continue their thievery.
- 3. Congress must pass immediately and the President must sign into law a measure that requires every federal agency to list on the home page of their web site the following information: Budget, number of employees, goals of the agency, performance goals and measurement to those goals. Accountability for the spending of our tax dollars must begin now and this is a small starting point.
Of course much more work will need to be done to restore the
balance in favor of the individual in this country. Much will be required to dissolve the federal
government back to its core functions of national defense and maintaining a
level playing field for interstate commerce.
Much will be required to bolster our local governments and state
governments. Much will be required to
teach us personal responsibility and accountability.
But in this winter of our discontent, these 3 goals are
achievable and can lead to our American Spring in which the foundations of our
American Democracy are restored and the hard work ahead begins. Peaceful but Persistent, Energized and
Enduring.
It starts by shouting ENOUGH! Now RISE!
