10/19/2021

Lincoln's Total War - Tyranny Cannot Stand in America


October 19, 2021

Lincoln’s Total War
By Valerie Protopapas

Let us look at what we have learned. The need to have a proper understanding of what is commonly, but erroneously referred to as the Civil War has a direct relationship to critical issues facing us today. Americans are used to thinking that upon the ratification of the Constitution, our Republic was established and has remained inviolate since that time; that it was “saved” by Abraham Lincoln in a victorious war waged by the noble and patriotic Union over the traitorous and wicked slave-masters of the South. But we must remember that the war not only ended the South’s attempt at secession—a right guaranteed under that same Constitution—but also in large part, ended the Republic as it was set up under that Constitution by the Founders. For the Republic of 1789 was, for all intents and purposes, the first of many American nations. In 1865, the victory of the national government over the States—and not just the Southern States!—in the Civil War initiated a series of subsequent “virtual nations,” each with a central government more powerful than the one that preceded it. Let us trace this evolutionary path:
1779: The power of the Sovereign States is supreme; these are individual nations as admitted in the Treaty of Paris; the new nation governs through the Articles, first of Association and then of Confederation indicating a growing desire to work towards a perfection of their not yet completed union.
1789: The power of the States dominates but a Federal Government outside of the States is created by the Constitution, a compact that replaces the Articles. This government has enumerated and limited powers in order to address those situations beyond the scope of individual States even acting in concert.
1861: With the States (and culture) of the South confined within its original geographic borders, the power of the rest of the Union has grown to the point at which these States are able to force their will on the Southern States, using the income generated in those States to succor and support the rest. American manufacturing is supported by monies raised by high tariffs that hurt most of all the agricultural South without any compensation to those States. This situation was defined by Missouri Senator Thomas H. Benton in 1828—three decades before the Cotton States acted to escape political and financial servitude. Speaking on the floor of the Senate Benton stated:
“Before the (American) revolution [the South] was the seat of wealth … Wealth has fled from the South and settled in regions north of the Potomac: and this in the face of the fact, that the South … has exported produce, since the Revolution, to the value of eight hundred millions of dollars; and the North has exported comparatively nothing. Such an export would indicate unparalleled wealth, but what is the fact? … Under Federal legislation, the exports of the South have been the basis of the Federal revenue …Virginia, the two Carolinas, and Georgia, may be said to defray three-fourths of the annual expense of supporting the Federal Government; and of this great sum, annually furnished by them, nothing or next to nothing is returned to them, in the shape of Government expenditures. That expenditure flows northwardly, in one uniform, uninterrupted, and perennial stream. This is the reason why wealth disappears from the South and rises up in the North. Federal legislation does all this!”
1865: The Federal Government triumphs in war over those States wishing to exercise what had been recognized as their rights under the Constitution to leave the original union and form a new one of their own choosing. This military victory carried forth in the name of that government – Lincoln never spoke of the Union, but of the “government” – overturns the Constitution of 1789 and replaces it with a “constitutional understanding” in which the Federal Government is dominant over all the States and not just those it had defeated in war. This situation reflects the new reality begun decades before the War involving an alliance of commerce with the expanded coercive power of the central government in order to facilitate their respective agendas: profit and power.
1933: The power of the Central Government is now invulnerable; the States serve as mere counties able to exercise power only at the local level. The “emergencies” of World War I, the Great Depression and the Second World War further strengthen its power, permitting programs such as the New Deal and other direct intrusions into the lives of the People over which the States have neither control nor influence.
1965: The power of the National Government is now absolute; what little power remains to the States is further marginalized. Federal affiliation with the civil rights movement and social programs such as the Great Society solidify central power while further reducing what small powers had remained in the States. More and more formerly state matters—such as crime—are removed from local and State purview to federal control. Less than ten years later, the Supreme Court strikes down all State legislation rulings on abortion by declaring the killing of children in the womb a “constitutional right.” All efforts to affect this finding by the States or the People are dismissed out of hand. Also at this point, large lobbying groups in both the public and private sectors wield more power at the federal level than do the formerly sovereign States much less the People.
2008: The Federal System, long existing in name only is finally abandoned. Both the States and the People are powerless in the grip of a government that no longer recognizes even a remnant of the Constitution and the Founding Principles. Still, many Americans continue to believe that the Republic still exists and in the name of Washington, Jefferson and the Constitution they work to influence a situation that has deteriorated to the point at which the establishment of an actual police state seems not a question of “if,” but of “when.”
2021: Today there is an ongoing powerful and ubiquitous effort to finally, once and for all, consign to oblivion the ideas and ideals that drove the People of the South to secede from a union they considered antithetical to the well-being of their people—ideas and ideals which they continue to boldly declare through the use of Confederate symbols, monuments and memorials. The fact that their cause is all but lost can be seen in the ongoing successful war against those same monuments and symbols.
Supporters of this crusade against the South—for this remains a religious war—declare that the killing of hundreds of thousands—perhaps as many as a million—Americans and the destruction of a people in the so-called Civil War was justified to end slavery, a claim that is demonstrably false. But even those who care nothing about the war, its origins or its meaning, revere Lincoln as a hero and a Savior of the nation. He was, we are endlessly told, America’s greatest President. Indeed, Lincoln’s monument is a temple fit for worship rather than a mere memorial. But those who justify Lincoln and what was done in the War of Secession with the plea that “it was necessary”—for whatever reason—justify every tyrant in history who has raped, pillaged, enslaved and slaughtered his way into power as well as every one who will rise in the future.
Embracing the motive for tyranny neither changes its moral dynamics nor its consequences. If we permit the final extermination of Southern heritage and the memory of those boys in gray who fought and died for their homes and their God-given liberties, we consign not just the South, but America, that great experiment, to oblivion.


 

10/16/2021

1619 Project Exposed


October 17, 2021

"Displacement of Historical Understanding by Ideology"

PragerU

Wilford Reilly exposing the 1619 Project.


Richard Medlock


 

A Note To Sane People


October 16, 2021

Ernest LaFoy, Contributing Editor

A Note to Sane People
Critical things to think about in 2021.
I never dreamed that I would have to face the prospect of not living in the United States of America, at least not the one I have known all my life. I have never wished to live anywhere else. This is my home and I was privileged to be born here. But today I woke up and as I had my morning coffee, I realized that everything is changing for the worse. No matter how I vote, no matter what I say, no matter how much I pray, something evil has invaded our nation, and our lives are never going to be the same. I have been confused by the hostility of family and friends. I look at people I have known all my life--so hate-filled that they agree with opinions they would never express as their own. I think that I may well have entered the Twilight Zone. We have become a nation that has lost its collective mind!
You can't justify this insanity:
• If a guy pretends to be a woman, you are required to pretend with him.
• Somehow it’s un-American for the census to count how many Americans are in America.
• Russians influencing our elections are bad, but illegals voting in our elections are good.
• It was cool for Joe Biden to "blackmail" the President of Ukraine.
• Twenty is too young to drink a beer, but eighteen is old enough to vote.
• People who have never owned slaves should pay slavery reparations to people who have never been slaves.
• People who have never been to college should pay the debts of college students who took out huge loans for their degrees.
• Immigrants with tuberculosis and polio are welcome, but you’d better be able to prove your dog is vaccinated.
• Irish doctors and German engineers who want to immigrate to the US must go through a rigorous vetting process, but any illiterate gang member or terrorist who jumps the southern fence is welcome.
• $5 billion for border security is too expensive, but $15 trillion for “free” health care is not.
• If you cheat to get into college you go to prison, but if you cheat to get into the country you go to college for free.
• If you cheat in an election nothing happens to you, but if you point out the mathematical errors of that election you are a conspiracy theorist & disdained.
• People who say there is no such thing as gender are demanding a female President.
• We see other countries going Socialist and collapsing, but it seems like a great plan for us.
• Some people are held responsible for things that happened before they were born, and other people are not held responsible for what they are doing right now.
• Criminals are caught-and-released to hurt more people, but stopping them is bad because it's a violation of their rights.
• And pointing out all this hypocrisy somehow makes us "racists"?!
Wake up America, the great unsinkable ship Titanic America has hit an iceberg, it's taking on water, and is sinking fast. We Americans are drowning. Speak up while you still have breath and a voice for soon you will have neither if you don't!


 

10/03/2021

"On What Basis Can We Morally Resist Tyranny?"


October 3, 2021

“On what basis can we morally resist tyranny?
I say to you with all the fervor of my soul that God intended men to be free. Rebellion against tyranny is a righteous cause. It is an enormous evil for any man to be enslaved to any system contrary to his own will. For that reason men, 200 years ago, pledged their lives, fortunes, and sacred honor.
No nation which has kept the commandments of God has ever perished, but I say to you that once freedom is lost, only blood – human blood – will win it back.” —Ezra Taft Benson


 

The Meaning of The Pledge of Allegiance

 


October 3, 2021

"There is a lot of debate regarding the recitation of Pledge of Allegiance. Many Americans don’t say the Pledge and feel that it’s unnecessary even to stand up when the national anthem is being played. They defend themselves by saying that by not reciting the Pledge, they are not being anti-patriotic. According to them, standing or not standing; reciting or not reciting does not make them more or less of an American citizen.
On the other hand, some people find the words ‘under God’ objectionable. Atheists and non- Christian Americans state that they cannot recite ‘under God’, because it happens to be against their beliefs. Then, there are those people who believe that not saying the Pledge is a sign of disrespect to the country.
So sadly, we see people with different schools of thought debating and battling over the Pledge and forgetting the larger objective of standing together in unity as a nation. The controversies will go on, however, each American has the freedom to choose to recite the pledge or not. So it is up to each individual! is SO Important
The Pledge of Allegiance, written in 1892 is an oath or symbol of loyalty of the Americans towards their flag and country. This article dwells on why is the Pledge of Allegiance important to the Americans...
Pledge of Allegiance to the United States flag, is a promise or oath of loyalty to the Republic of United States of America. The Pledge was originally written in August, 1892 by an American Baptist minister and social activist, Francis Bellamy.
Pledge of Allegiance was first published in 1892, in the September 8th edition of a Boston-based children magazine called ‘Youth’s Companion’. On October 12, 1892, it was first used during Columbus Day celebrations. The proclamation made by President Benjamin Harrison and over 12 million children recited the Pledge of Allegiance that day, thereby beginning a school day ritual. Since then, the Pledge is recited daily, by school children of all religious backgrounds across America.
The short, 15 second Pledge has an interesting history and since September 1892, the original Pledge has been altered several times, with the last addition being made in 1954 (addition of ‘under God’).
In accordance to the United States Flag Code, the pledge is to be recited by standing at attention; facing the flag and placing the right hand over the heart. People in uniform must face the flag, remain silent and take the military salute. Those not in uniform must remove any non-religious headdress with their right hand and place it on their left shoulder, in such a way that their right hand is over the heart.
Meaning of Pledge of Allegiance
Today, the words of the Pledge of Allegiance reads: I pledge allegiance to the Flag of the United States of America and to the Republic for which it stands, one Nation under God, indivisible, with liberty and justice for all.
➢ I pledge allegiance – I promise to be true
➢ of the United States of America – each state that has joined to make our country
➢ and to the Republic – a republic is a country where the people choose their representatives, to make laws for them, that is the government is for the people
➢ for which it stands – the flag, meaning the country
➢one nation – a single nation
➢ under God – the people believe in a supreme being
➢ indivisible – the country cannot be split into parts
➢ for which it stands – the flag, meaning the country
➢one nation – a single nation
➢ under God – the people believe in a supreme being
➢ indivisible – the country cannot be split into parts
➢ with liberty and justice – with freedom and fairness
➢ for all – for each person in the country, you and me!
By reciting the Pledge of Allegiance, every American promises to be true to the United States of America. The freedom available will not be taken for granted and each American will remember the countless men, women and children who have given their lives through the centuries, so that they can live peacefully today.
Importance of Pledge of Allegiance
The Pledge of Allegiance is recited by school children of all religious backgrounds, across America on a daily basis. Daily recitation is done in order to honor the nation one is a part of every morning. However, the recitation is not compulsory, which means no punitive action will be taken against children who do not recite the pledge.
It is expected that those who abstain from reciting the pledge should be seated quietly, while the pledge is being said, thereby allowing the others to recite the Pledge. Besides schools, the pledge of allegiance is also recited during the opening of Congressional sessions and also in most local level Government meetings.
Unfortunately, most of those reciting the Pledge today are saying it blinding as a ritual, where children and adults alike, recite the words without actually understanding the meaning. Reciting the Pledge is not a compulsion, but a mark of patriotism to the country. It is an action that symbolizes one’s loyalty to the United States of America and the feeling that as an American, one is proud to be a part of this blessed country.
The Pledge is a proclamation stating that all Americans are unified, standing together as one nation and working together for the benefit of the country as a whole. The reason the pledge of allegiance is asked to be recited on a daily basis in schools, is because when a child recites the pledge everyday, he or she may be directed into thinking more deeply about its meaning and significance.
The Pledge of Allegiance is considered to be a platform where kids are given the opportunity to think about their roles as citizens in the country. Reciting the pledge stirs up curiosity regarding their country, thereby inculcating a feeling of patriotism in the long run. Of course, patriotism cannot be forced upon, which is why the recitation is not compulsory.
Teachers should explain the meaning of the pledge to the children in simple language, so that they understand what they are actually reciting every morning. It is important to prevent it from becoming another part of the humdrum of life.
There is a lot of debate regarding the recitation of Pledge of Allegiance. Many Americans don’t say the Pledge and feel that it’s unnecessary even to stand up when the national anthem is being played. They defend themselves by saying that by not reciting the Pledge, they are not being anti-patriotic. According to them, standing or not standing; reciting or not reciting does not make them more or less of an American citizen.
On the other hand, some people find the words ‘under God’ objectionable. Atheists and non- Christian Americans state that they cannot recite ‘under God’, because it happens to be against their beliefs. Then, there are those people who believe that not saying the Pledge is a sign of disrespect to the country.
So sadly, we see people with different schools of thought debating and battling over the Pledge and forgetting the larger objective of standing together in unity as a nation. The controversies will go on, however, each American has the freedom to choose to recite the pledge or not. So it is up to each individual!

from The Founding of the United States