The Fed, THEN The Fed, NOW
Commentary: The Progressive Movement
By Mitchell Oldroyd
The systematic removal of decision-making power from the minds and hands of US citizens is pushing the nation toward its impending collapse. Our situation is dire indeed; this is a four-alarm emergency! Unfortunately, however, the obsessive and whimsical society in which we live is constantly driven to-and-fro by various media outlets who work mostly in unison, and largely do not care to uncover the truth. Since they are so well financed by Washington’s fat cats, the media have reason not to expose this rampant corruption. They haven’t forgotten who “butters their bread”; they do the “two step,” as they’re told, leading the American populace to believe that all is well. This is a deliberate and devious plot by the power hungry politicians to grab more power, now that they’ve tasted its sweet richness. It is likely that the American People wouldn’t stand for Washington’s filthy tricks, if only we were made aware of them. Instead, we’re treated like mushrooms: kept in the dark and fed nothing but crap. The purpose of this commentary is to bring to light those things that should be the leading stories in our daily news—the corruption which you likely haven’t heard about, but that’s causing the decay of the heart of our nation, and what “We, the People” can do about it.
Where did it all start? The “Progressive” movement has been “moving forward” since the early 1900s, beginning with Theodore Roosevelt, Woodrow Wilson, and Franklin Roosevelt. They didn’t like the bounds placed upon them by the Constitutional System, and therefore sought to change it. This would not be easy, and required creating unrest among the citizens and convincing them that change was needed, while presenting themselves (the politicians) as having the needed answers. As public trust in government began to grow, they developed new practices of ramming through policies and laws by unethical means. This has continued to spiral beyond control or recognition; these days, standard practice for Congress is to present bills over 1,000 pages in length mere hours or minutes before it’s time for members to vote on them, and doing so in the dead of night when virtually no one might notice. Laws and regulations passed into law by the Executive and Administrative branches number from hundreds to thousands every year (even though lawmaking authority is explicitly and strictly allocated to the Congress). Only a tiny handful of US citizens are even aware of the names and quantity of bills passed each year, and even they can’t comprehend their magnitude. This is mind-numbing and deliberate; most of these bills are omnibus (meaning a volume referencing many other bills previously published separately, each being likewise staggering in length). Hence, even if one were to read all the bills passed in a single year (over 80,000 pages’ worth), one still would have only a sliver of understanding of the burdens and restrictions placed on us without also reading countless ancillary bills previously passed.
In addition to marginalizing and vilifying those who speak out against them, these avaricious and unprincipled politicians have become experts at misleading or distracting the American people with never-ending media driven emergencies. Think of stories that disappear from the front page as quickly as they arrive; you may have never even heard about the biggest stories. Here are some examples:
in 2009, GM declaring bankruptcy; in 2010, China surpassing Japan and advancing to overtake USA’s economy and trade market; in 2011, rioters in Egypt, at the election of President Mubarak; $535M flushed down Solyndra; on September 11, 2012, US consulate attacked in Libya, Ambassador Chris Stevens and three other U.S. nationals killed; in 2013, NSA spying on the public and collecting terabytes of data on every American. Most of these were just a flash in the pan (in terms of news coverage), and many weren’t granted even 30 seconds’ air time on major news networks. Some stories, like the Trayvon Martin case or the racially charged remarks of NBA coach Donald Sterling, are covered far past the point of saturation while other stories, like Operation Fast & Furious, are scarcely mentioned. Some of these more recent abominations, if ever brought to light, would make President Nixon’s infamous Watergate scandal the political equivalent of cheating on a 4th grade math test. These alternate (distraction) stories have popped up like bottle rockets on our horizon and disappeared just as quickly, but make no mistake—they were carefully timed and placed.
The political tyrants who ceaselessly thrust themselves into power have been growing more and more corrupt for over 100 years. As a standard rule, and with very few exceptions, US government officials violate their oaths to uphold and defend the US Constitution every single day. Our leaders in all branches and agencies have indeed strayed far from the parameters and restrictions placed upon their respective offices by the governing documents of this nation.
The three original branches of the federal government are the Executive, Legislative, and Judicial. The Executive branch is charged with executing the laws, as they stand. The Legislative branch is charged with proposing, voting on, and passing laws that are needed in the nation, and cannot be adequately handled if left to the several states. The Judicial branch is assigned the duty of judging those who have violated the laws, and been brought before the court. The responsibilities of these branches are explicit and specific, and they are not to bleed over into one another’s domain, nor are those holding office allowed to reach into the domain of another branch and try to usurp their roles or responsibilities. The framers of the Constitution went to great lengths to divide these up, specifically to prevent this from happening, urging the respective branches to jealously guard their allocated powers.
The violations of the separation of powers doctrine are large in scale, and widespread. President George W. Bush violated the Constitution by expanding the Commerce Clause to cover over a trillion dollars of Medicare coverage, and declared war without the sanction of Congress (as outlined in Article 1, Section 8). Bush’s predecessor has taken the notion of acting as a dictator to new extremes. Some statements by Barack Obama to illustrate this are, “If Congress doesn’t act, I will,” and “I’ve got a pen, and I’ve got a phone,” and he would go on to tell how he planned to bring about his own ideals, by Executive Order, to legislate for amnesty or an infinite debt ceiling (the Congress holds the “power of the purse,” even if they choose not to use it). The Supreme Court justices increasingly legislate from the bench, and have ruled in abhorrent fashion in many instances, such as the Dred Scott case (1857, upholding slavery), Plessy v. Ferguson (1896, upholding segregation), and Korematsu v. United States (1944, upholding the wartime order to remove all Japanese Americans and relocate them to US concentration camps). Unfortunately, the American citizens have no effective recourse against decisions like these.
Earlier, I said “the three original branches,” because the creation of the fourth branch (the Administrative, consisting of the EPA, OSHA, and other unaccountable and unchecked rogue agencies) was arguably the greatest breakdown of our Constitutional System that’s ever taken place. This move required granting plenary and unchecked authority to these agencies to create laws and regulations by the thousands, at their own discretion. Never mind the requirements for a majority presenting vote over here, and two thirds majority vote in two separate houses over there; these were now free to do as they wished, or worse yet, as directed by the head of the Executive Branch in cloak-and-dagger meetings (such as the IRS’s exclusive denial of tax exempt status to groups opposing the incumbent administration’s policies, just prior to an election). This is undeniably the major concentration of power that the Framers of the Constitution warned us about!
The financial decline of the United States is horrendous, and even branches of the government, the Government Accountability Office (GAO) and Congressional Budget Office (CBO) say our current trajectory is unsustainable. We are fast approaching fiscal collapse, due to outrageous annual deficits (spending more than what we make) of more than a trillion dollars per year; the question is not IF collapse is coming, but just how soon? In the past 20-25 years, each presidential administration has increased federal spending more than the last, and more than at any point in US history (with the exception of World War II, in terms of percentages). The George W. Bush administration was highly profligate, increasing expenditures more than any single president in history, and the Barack H. Obama administration took the Bush baseline and put it on steroids! Federal deficit spending is literally increasing exponentially.
The US Constitution, paired with the Bill of Rights, is the most magnificent document in world history and it needs to be guarded and protected from all enemies, foreign and domestic, while it can still protect us (from a tyrannical, despotic, centralized government). This precious document is being eviscerated every day by those on a gluttonous power-grab, and less and less can its dictates, mandates, and principles protect the people from an ever growing leviathan. The only problem with the Constitution is that it doesn’t spell out the specific consequences of those who do defy it, or break the solemn oath they’ve taken to defend it. Because this happens incessantly, those who would destroy this treasured platform for our nation should be suffering severe consequences, such as prison terms, with multiple life sentences, depending on how severe or intentional these violations are found to be.
So what’s the solution to this mess? Is there a way out? Or should we all simply throw our hands in the air, and focus on our own survival after the imminent collapse of society, currency, and economy at large? How can such rampant, carnal greed and corruption be stopped? Can it be stopped?
There’s only one way to reverse course: a convention of the States to amend the Constitution, without the involvement of Congress. This process is outlined in Article Five1 of the Constitution, and involves only the “Legislatures of the several States”; the State Legislatures are much more intimately close to the people, and aware of the particular challenges in each locality. Hence, when the people of a certain city or district desire change, they have a representative who is infinitely closer than some distant, yet ever-ubiquitous bureaucracy.
People need to be informed about the reality and attainability of this change, and then shown by leaders, willing to act, that it CAN be done! There are many books on this topic; one of my favorites is called “The Liberty Amendments: Restoring the American Republic,” by Mark R. Levin. In the book, he discusses in great detail the requirements to proceed with this convention of states, and he also proposes 11 reform amendments ranging from term limits for all members of Congress and the Supreme Court, to limitations on government spending, to a 24 month window in which the several States can overrule a tyrannical decision made by any of the branches of government. If adopted and ratified, these would have an earth-shattering effect on the rogue, lawless, irresponsible ruling-over of our great nation. You can also read lots more about this process and those already involved by visiting www.ConventionOfStates.com
This process must take place! Otherwise, our out-of-control federal government will inexorably continue to devour everything there is, and everything there isn’t (borrowing endlessly and immorally strapping future generations with more debt than could ever possibly repaid). Congress cannot possibly be expected to reign itself in; therefore “We, the People,” need to act! By connecting with, and working through our State Legislatures (who live nearby, and can be contacted on their cell and home phones or by email), we can make our collective and respective wills known, and push for actual change in the opposite direction of this endless “progress.” As President Ronald Reagan famously said, “government is not the solution to the problem; government is the problem.” This is a real possibility which has been written into the US Constitution, as a sort of “break glass in case of emergency” clause. If ever the United States of America had an emergency, this is it!
Here’s the important thing to remember; the government has grown ever more proficient in tactics of “Balkanizing” us, or dividing us up into little groups (based on age, race, gender, income, etc.) and pitting us against each other. This is a calculated and deliberate process, and has been taking place for many decades. We need to band together and fight for what’s right and true! Our country, our heritage, and our legacy are at stake! This will be a huge undertaking, and will require the efforts of many; it’s a daunting task, but the notion of passing on to our posterity the same America we know and LOVE is a possibility worth fighting for! This is not a “right vs. left” thing, this is a “right vs. wrong” thing. Let’s remember, as Reagan said, “we are a nation who has a government, not the other way around.” Now, let’s get started!
Where did it all start? The “Progressive” movement has been “moving forward” since the early 1900s, beginning with Theodore Roosevelt, Woodrow Wilson, and Franklin Roosevelt. They didn’t like the bounds placed upon them by the Constitutional System, and therefore sought to change it. This would not be easy, and required creating unrest among the citizens and convincing them that change was needed, while presenting themselves (the politicians) as having the needed answers. As public trust in government began to grow, they developed new practices of ramming through policies and laws by unethical means. This has continued to spiral beyond control or recognition; these days, standard practice for Congress is to present bills over 1,000 pages in length mere hours or minutes before it’s time for members to vote on them, and doing so in the dead of night when virtually no one might notice. Laws and regulations passed into law by the Executive and Administrative branches number from hundreds to thousands every year (even though lawmaking authority is explicitly and strictly allocated to the Congress). Only a tiny handful of US citizens are even aware of the names and quantity of bills passed each year, and even they can’t comprehend their magnitude. This is mind-numbing and deliberate; most of these bills are omnibus (meaning a volume referencing many other bills previously published separately, each being likewise staggering in length). Hence, even if one were to read all the bills passed in a single year (over 80,000 pages’ worth), one still would have only a sliver of understanding of the burdens and restrictions placed on us without also reading countless ancillary bills previously passed.
In addition to marginalizing and vilifying those who speak out against them, these avaricious and unprincipled politicians have become experts at misleading or distracting the American people with never-ending media driven emergencies. Think of stories that disappear from the front page as quickly as they arrive; you may have never even heard about the biggest stories. Here are some examples:
in 2009, GM declaring bankruptcy; in 2010, China surpassing Japan and advancing to overtake USA’s economy and trade market; in 2011, rioters in Egypt, at the election of President Mubarak; $535M flushed down Solyndra; on September 11, 2012, US consulate attacked in Libya, Ambassador Chris Stevens and three other U.S. nationals killed; in 2013, NSA spying on the public and collecting terabytes of data on every American. Most of these were just a flash in the pan (in terms of news coverage), and many weren’t granted even 30 seconds’ air time on major news networks. Some stories, like the Trayvon Martin case or the racially charged remarks of NBA coach Donald Sterling, are covered far past the point of saturation while other stories, like Operation Fast & Furious, are scarcely mentioned. Some of these more recent abominations, if ever brought to light, would make President Nixon’s infamous Watergate scandal the political equivalent of cheating on a 4th grade math test. These alternate (distraction) stories have popped up like bottle rockets on our horizon and disappeared just as quickly, but make no mistake—they were carefully timed and placed.
The political tyrants who ceaselessly thrust themselves into power have been growing more and more corrupt for over 100 years. As a standard rule, and with very few exceptions, US government officials violate their oaths to uphold and defend the US Constitution every single day. Our leaders in all branches and agencies have indeed strayed far from the parameters and restrictions placed upon their respective offices by the governing documents of this nation.
The three original branches of the federal government are the Executive, Legislative, and Judicial. The Executive branch is charged with executing the laws, as they stand. The Legislative branch is charged with proposing, voting on, and passing laws that are needed in the nation, and cannot be adequately handled if left to the several states. The Judicial branch is assigned the duty of judging those who have violated the laws, and been brought before the court. The responsibilities of these branches are explicit and specific, and they are not to bleed over into one another’s domain, nor are those holding office allowed to reach into the domain of another branch and try to usurp their roles or responsibilities. The framers of the Constitution went to great lengths to divide these up, specifically to prevent this from happening, urging the respective branches to jealously guard their allocated powers.
The violations of the separation of powers doctrine are large in scale, and widespread. President George W. Bush violated the Constitution by expanding the Commerce Clause to cover over a trillion dollars of Medicare coverage, and declared war without the sanction of Congress (as outlined in Article 1, Section 8). Bush’s predecessor has taken the notion of acting as a dictator to new extremes. Some statements by Barack Obama to illustrate this are, “If Congress doesn’t act, I will,” and “I’ve got a pen, and I’ve got a phone,” and he would go on to tell how he planned to bring about his own ideals, by Executive Order, to legislate for amnesty or an infinite debt ceiling (the Congress holds the “power of the purse,” even if they choose not to use it). The Supreme Court justices increasingly legislate from the bench, and have ruled in abhorrent fashion in many instances, such as the Dred Scott case (1857, upholding slavery), Plessy v. Ferguson (1896, upholding segregation), and Korematsu v. United States (1944, upholding the wartime order to remove all Japanese Americans and relocate them to US concentration camps). Unfortunately, the American citizens have no effective recourse against decisions like these.
Earlier, I said “the three original branches,” because the creation of the fourth branch (the Administrative, consisting of the EPA, OSHA, and other unaccountable and unchecked rogue agencies) was arguably the greatest breakdown of our Constitutional System that’s ever taken place. This move required granting plenary and unchecked authority to these agencies to create laws and regulations by the thousands, at their own discretion. Never mind the requirements for a majority presenting vote over here, and two thirds majority vote in two separate houses over there; these were now free to do as they wished, or worse yet, as directed by the head of the Executive Branch in cloak-and-dagger meetings (such as the IRS’s exclusive denial of tax exempt status to groups opposing the incumbent administration’s policies, just prior to an election). This is undeniably the major concentration of power that the Framers of the Constitution warned us about!
The financial decline of the United States is horrendous, and even branches of the government, the Government Accountability Office (GAO) and Congressional Budget Office (CBO) say our current trajectory is unsustainable. We are fast approaching fiscal collapse, due to outrageous annual deficits (spending more than what we make) of more than a trillion dollars per year; the question is not IF collapse is coming, but just how soon? In the past 20-25 years, each presidential administration has increased federal spending more than the last, and more than at any point in US history (with the exception of World War II, in terms of percentages). The George W. Bush administration was highly profligate, increasing expenditures more than any single president in history, and the Barack H. Obama administration took the Bush baseline and put it on steroids! Federal deficit spending is literally increasing exponentially.
The US Constitution, paired with the Bill of Rights, is the most magnificent document in world history and it needs to be guarded and protected from all enemies, foreign and domestic, while it can still protect us (from a tyrannical, despotic, centralized government). This precious document is being eviscerated every day by those on a gluttonous power-grab, and less and less can its dictates, mandates, and principles protect the people from an ever growing leviathan. The only problem with the Constitution is that it doesn’t spell out the specific consequences of those who do defy it, or break the solemn oath they’ve taken to defend it. Because this happens incessantly, those who would destroy this treasured platform for our nation should be suffering severe consequences, such as prison terms, with multiple life sentences, depending on how severe or intentional these violations are found to be.
So what’s the solution to this mess? Is there a way out? Or should we all simply throw our hands in the air, and focus on our own survival after the imminent collapse of society, currency, and economy at large? How can such rampant, carnal greed and corruption be stopped? Can it be stopped?
There’s only one way to reverse course: a convention of the States to amend the Constitution, without the involvement of Congress. This process is outlined in Article Five1 of the Constitution, and involves only the “Legislatures of the several States”; the State Legislatures are much more intimately close to the people, and aware of the particular challenges in each locality. Hence, when the people of a certain city or district desire change, they have a representative who is infinitely closer than some distant, yet ever-ubiquitous bureaucracy.
People need to be informed about the reality and attainability of this change, and then shown by leaders, willing to act, that it CAN be done! There are many books on this topic; one of my favorites is called “The Liberty Amendments: Restoring the American Republic,” by Mark R. Levin. In the book, he discusses in great detail the requirements to proceed with this convention of states, and he also proposes 11 reform amendments ranging from term limits for all members of Congress and the Supreme Court, to limitations on government spending, to a 24 month window in which the several States can overrule a tyrannical decision made by any of the branches of government. If adopted and ratified, these would have an earth-shattering effect on the rogue, lawless, irresponsible ruling-over of our great nation. You can also read lots more about this process and those already involved by visiting www.ConventionOfStates.com
This process must take place! Otherwise, our out-of-control federal government will inexorably continue to devour everything there is, and everything there isn’t (borrowing endlessly and immorally strapping future generations with more debt than could ever possibly repaid). Congress cannot possibly be expected to reign itself in; therefore “We, the People,” need to act! By connecting with, and working through our State Legislatures (who live nearby, and can be contacted on their cell and home phones or by email), we can make our collective and respective wills known, and push for actual change in the opposite direction of this endless “progress.” As President Ronald Reagan famously said, “government is not the solution to the problem; government is the problem.” This is a real possibility which has been written into the US Constitution, as a sort of “break glass in case of emergency” clause. If ever the United States of America had an emergency, this is it!
Here’s the important thing to remember; the government has grown ever more proficient in tactics of “Balkanizing” us, or dividing us up into little groups (based on age, race, gender, income, etc.) and pitting us against each other. This is a calculated and deliberate process, and has been taking place for many decades. We need to band together and fight for what’s right and true! Our country, our heritage, and our legacy are at stake! This will be a huge undertaking, and will require the efforts of many; it’s a daunting task, but the notion of passing on to our posterity the same America we know and LOVE is a possibility worth fighting for! This is not a “right vs. left” thing, this is a “right vs. wrong” thing. Let’s remember, as Reagan said, “we are a nation who has a government, not the other way around.” Now, let’s get started!
To see other commentaries on Government Overreach click here