Publius Returns

Washington crossing the Delaware

“If the representatives of the people betray their constituents, there is then no resource left but in the exertion of that original right of self-defense which is paramount to all positive forms of government, and which against the usurpation of the national ruler, may be exerted with infinitely better prospect of success than against those of the ruler of an individual State. In a single State, if the person entrusted with supreme power become usurpers, the different parcels, subdivisions or districts of which it consists, having no distinct government in each, can take no regular measure for defense. The citizens must rush tumultuously to arms, without concert, without system, without resource; except in their courage and despair. The usurpers, clothed with the forms of legal authority, can too often crush the opposition in embryo.”

“It may safely be received as an axiom in our political system, that the State governments will, in all possible contingencies, afford complete security against invasions of the public liberty by the national authority.” Publius, Number 28, The Federalist

Helotism

A conservative’s comments:

While Alexander Hamilton’s sentiment is one I can agree with, the trouble is knowing where to start the fight. The statist enemy is vague and formless; they are as prevalent as the air we breathe. The seeds of this pervasive network were planted long ago, and now many varieties of the roots of the evil system have invaded every home. The vast majority of the levers of power are not in the hands of the elected officials but of appointed bureaucrats. Special interests, lobbying firms, and labor unions remain in their places to ambush new congressmen on the rare occasion that they are replaced. They are increasingly rarely replaced (“held accountable”) due to gerrymandering. Speaking of gerrymandering, you ain’t seen nothing yet now that Rahm is in control of the census!

The point is, if some simpleton were to decide that it was time to take America back to the founding principles by force, there is not a single person, institution, branch of government, or special interest group that stands out as the obvious first target. Eliminating the top 10 or even 50 leading statists or statist groups would not even make a dent in the ways and speeds with which statism is encroaching on the culture. Frankly, the only way forward is to win hearts and minds with good conduct and good logic, looking for those “teachable moments” when individual leftists catch a glimpse of the true nature of the Emperor’s new robes.

All that is necessary for evil to prevail is for good men to do nothing. And we good men did nothing as wave after wave of cultural evils swept over our society. Our ability to appeal to logic and reason is useless against the typical Obama voter, as 14 years of indoctrination in government schools is specifically designed to produce unquestioning, compliant workers incapable of critical thought. They know how to sort out their feelings on a myriad of issues, but they can’t work out simple problems of cause and effect. Most have been converted to the new state religion of environmentalism. Most believe that ethics are situational, the ends justify the means, that the majority should universally prevail over the individual, and that proposed new leftist government programs will miraculously be efficiently proctored by angelic beings unsusceptible to sloth, graft, and corruption.

On top of all that, the typical American “conservative” is not actually a free moral agent or a free thinker. It isn’t learning new stuff that is so hard, it is deprogramming oneself and unlearning all the myths, half-truths, and PC garbage that was almost subliminally implanted due to the earliness of its insertion. A conservative is willing to speak out, unless they are at work or someplace where the PC police will come down on them like a ton of bricks. Until this changes, nothing else will. Conservative and Republican are not synonyms, but many people think they are, and so they consider their biannual pulling of the ‘R’ lever their sufficient contribution to the cause. Much work remains to be done to root the corruption and unconstitutional and fascist policies from the Republican party. Having a pro-life plank does not make the Republican party the party of God.

Turning the tide is going to require on an individual basis braver outspokenness, conviction in the truths of limited government and laissez-faire economics, clear and concise articulation, the wisdom and humility to brush off boilerplate ad hominem arguments, and an ability to patiently wait for, spot, and seize those teachable moments in the lives of government-indoctrinated individuals. We must realize that children are no longer being taught about the greatness of our founding. The founders are actually cast as villains, depending on their interactions with slaves and Indians. We must be versed in topics such as Natural Law, Austrian Economics, and the fallen nature of man, and ready to be a history teacher at a moment’s notice. Focus on the basics. Leave advanced topics such as the evils of central banking, judicial review, and foreign policy for some other year. Some will risk their jobs and their status in their communities. Many will risk their family relationships. All must be willing to risk something in order to save our grand republic.

Read Liberal Fascism by Jonah Goldberg and Liberty and Tyranny by Mark Levin. Go to mises.org and brush up on the many errors of Keynesian economic theory. Be sure to read L.Scott Smith’s book, American Unraveling, a Politically Incorrect Analysis of Public Faith and Culture.

Also, never forget that the root cause of all of our troubles is a morality crisis. There is a spiritual dimension to our present age. We have set ourselves adrift from earlier absolutes of right and wrong, with obviously disastrous results. Nevertheless, even the most stalwart Obama supporter has a law of transcendence written upon their heart, in parlance we call this a conscience. Most people begin to see more clearly once they get beyond their indoctrinations, emotions, and the party line talking points.