This article was e-mailed to me by a friend.

Armed and Ready - New Mexico Residents Defy Government

by Larry Pratt 2011 NOV 22

Gun Owners of America

GOA member Dr. Ray Seidel alerted me to the stirring of freedom that is taking place in his village of Ruidoso, New Mexico. I have already reported on the first battle with Mayor Ray Alborn and how he tried to impose an unconstitutional gun ban in the village. To get the full story of what happened in Ruidoso, you can go here and listen to my first debriefing session with Seidel.

I recently interviewed Dr. Seidel a second time on my Gun Owners News Hour weekly radio program and asked him about several acts of local interposition in the surrounding counties -- all of which underscores the importance of the office of the sheriff and the militia.

For example, over near Deming, New Mexico is the Gila National Forest. The U.S. Forest Service wanted to make almost all of it off limits for people -- until the militia of Luna County intervened. They told the feds that they would resist any effort by the Forest Service to restrict access to visitors. The result? Visitors have continued to access all of the Gila National Forest!

In the Southeast corner of the state, many landowners have working oil wells on their property. The EPA told the oil operators they would have to stop operating their wells because there was too much risk of harming the environment. At a town hall meeting convened by the EPA, a woman in her 60s rose to address the feds. She pointed out that her land had been in her family for over 200 years, and she was not about to let some official from an unconstitutional bureaucracy tell her what she could or could not do with her land.

The woman ended by warning the feds that her family has many guns and a huge supply of ammunition, and they would use all of it if needed to keep the EPA off of their land. The locals who had packed out the hearing room jumped to their feet with a shout and prolonged applause. That was in August of this year. As of November, oil is still being pumped at full tilt.

In Otero County, villages in the mountains are surrounded by forests. The county commission voted to establish an 80,000 acre plan to manage forest overgrowth. Residents wanted to cut fire breaks to protect their homes in Cloudcroft, but the Forest Service said, “No.” The residents responded that they had to for safety’s sake and were going to construct the fire break in spite of the Forest Service. Residents were told that if they cut down any trees, they would be arrested. But Sheriff Raymond Cobos told the Forest Service that if they made any arrests, they would be arrested for false arrest.

Not only were the trees cut down with no opposition from the feds, the first tree was cut down by Congressman Steve Pearce (R-2ndDistrict). Would that there were many more like Rep. Pearce. The folks in the Second District are blessed with a constitution-supporting congressman and a number of constitutional sheriffs backed by the militias of their counties. This is the way that local governments can push back and help the feds to live within the limitations that have been placed upon them in Article 1, Section 8 of the U.S. Constitution.

As you can see, there’s a lot happening in New Mexico. And Dr. Seidel has been at the center of a lot of it. Two weeks after the people of Ruidoso prevailed in the gun ban debate, Mayor Alborn decided to seek revenge. He went to the state capital of Santa Fe and met with federal officials there. That same week, Seidel got a notice from the IRS that he had until a certain date to file his taxes, which he has refused to do for several years.

Seidel makes no secret of his refusal to submit to the IRS which he considers as part of an unconstitutional regime in Washington. The IRS intended to encumber his assets if he did not bend his knee. Seidel visited with the county sheriff who understood what Seidel was trying to do and told him he “would have his back.” The same was true for the village police chief – the same officer who refused to have his men arrest people who were defying the Ruidoso gun ban by carrying openly in the village council chambers.

Not only was the sheriff and police chief alerted to the possibility of IRS action against Seidel, but so was the militia in Lincoln County – some 200 plus men who keep their rifle and battle bag in their vehicles 24/7. They can muster in about 30 minutes at any place in the county.

Seidel visited with the village assessor, who would be the official to place the encumbrances on his assets. Seidel explained (as he does with everyone) that Title 42, Chapter 1, Subchapter 1, Section 1983 of the federal code would be used to sue her personally for violating his civil rights -- that is, he would sue her if any of his assets were encumbered without having first secured a warrant from an Article III court.

Seidel has frequently argued that he will gladly submit to a federal court (authorized under Article III of the U.S. Constitution) as opposed to a mere tax court (which is an unconstitutional creature within the IRS). As with many administrative agencies, the combining of legislative, executive and judicial powers within the same four walls constitutes the very definition of tyranny which James Madison warned us about in Federalist 47.

Seidel has used Title 42 on other occasions. One involved a state trooper with an anger management problem who made a false arrest on Seidel’s son. Since being served with a Title 42 suit, the officer has been able to control his anger.

The deadline is long past, and the IRS has done nothing, so the assessor is off the hook for now. But New Mexico is becoming a text book example of how the Founding Fathers envisioned the states would rein in an out-of-control government.

As stated by Alexander Hamilton in Federalist 28: “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.”

If there were more sheriffs like those in New Mexico serving around the country, we would be well on the way to safeguarding our liberties against Washington’s “invasions of the public liberty.” It also might occur to the Congress that more examples of sheriffs interposing themselves might result in shrinking down the federal government to do little more than just funding the national defense.

It Has Finally Happened

This cool guy has met THAT cool guy. That's right. Commander Cody has officially talked and discussed important matters with Dr. Ron Paul. Or, shall I say, our future President? Yes. I shall.

I joined forces with my Northern CT for Ron Paul 2012 Meetup group early this morning and high-tailed it to Nashua, New Hampshire for a Town Hall Meeting at the Courtyard Marriott. After chatting with a few members of Dr. Paul's official campaign and a few others in a grassroots movement local to Manchester, NH we sat down and awaited the arrival of the Congressman. Matters discussed were Dr. Paul's service in the U.S. Air Force, his career in medicine as a gynecologist and obstetrician, and the thoughts and considerations that ultimately led to his decision to enter the shadowy world of government. Political topics discussed were national defense, monetary policy, jobs and the federal budget, providing for a better future, space exploration, and the National Defense Authorization Act, which I wrote about previously.

All in all, Congressman Paul seemed energetic, excited, focused and all-around in great spirits. He absolutely recognizes the devotion his supporters have for him and his message of liberty, and he urges us to continue our hard work and get the words of truth and liberty out there. Upon being asked about his reaction and response to the media blackout, Dr. Paul said that even without getting a great deal of network media attention, we have been very successful in getting the message out and should continue doing so by using such means as the Internet and talking with people. Also, he joked that hiring John Stewart as his publicity representative wouldn't hurt XD

After the meeting we met up for lunch with some new friends from the Liberty at Boston University group and headed out for lunch. Eating good food, discussing politics, nutrition, and science filled the rest of the afternoon. Of course, there was much discussion of Ron Paul, and oddly, Christopher McCandless. Quite a day.

So what do we take from this?

Liberty is popular. Freedom is a great idea. And the Constitution is a damn good piece of work. Let's not let it go.

Ron Paul, his campaign and his supporters urge everybody out there to get involved. Join local grassroots groups through websites like Facebook and Meetup. Check out the official Ron Paul 2012 campaign website and sign up for volunteer work. The Iowa Caucuses are on January 3, 2012 and New Hampshire holds its Primaries on January 10, 2012. Even if you can't offer to put your own boots on the ground, you can always donate to Ron Paul's campaign - he needs all the donations he can get. We've got less than five weeks to get Dr. Paul to a stunning defeat or an undeniably-important second place finish in both these states. Get active, keep blogging, order merchandise to pass out and spread the word!

My name is Cody M. Buckmann and I support Ron Paul for President in 2012!!

Tweet @CinC_Cody

As of yet, the only videos I can find of the meeting are these two. Keep checking the blog or YouTube as I'm sure more will be posted in time.

The Ron Paul Family Cookbook - Nashua, NH Town Hall Meeting - 12/3/2011
Ron Paul on National Defense and Defending American Sovereignty - Nashua, NH Town Hall Meeting - 12/3/2011

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Federal Reserve Printing More Money, Lowering Interest Rates to Save European Banks

What Have the Central Banks of the World Done Now?
The Economic Collapse Blog 2011 DEC 1

The central banks of the world are acting as if it is 2008 all over again. Desperate times call for desperate measures, and right now the central bankers are pulling out all the stops. The Federal Reserve, the European Central Bank, the Bank of England, the Bank of Canada, the Bank of Japan and the Swiss National Bank have announced a coordinated plan to provide liquidity support to the global financial system. According to the plan, the Federal Reserve is going to substantially reduce the interest rate that it charges the European Central Bank to borrow dollars. In turn, that will enable the ECB to lend dollars to European banks at a much cheaper rate. The hope is that this will alleviate the credit crunch which has gripped the European financial system by the throat. So where is the Federal Reserve going to get all of these dollars that it will be loaning out at very low interest rates? You guessed it - the Fed is just going to create them out of thin air. Our currency is being debased so that Europe can be helped out. Unfortunately, the impact of this move will be mostly "psychological" because it really does nothing to address the fundamental problems that Europe is facing. It is up to Europe to solve those problems, and so far Europe has shown no signs of being able to do that.

The major central banks of the world say that they want to "enhance their capacity to provide liquidity support to the global financial system." But essentially what is happening is that the Federal Reserve is going to be zapping large amounts of dollars into existence and loaning them out to the ECB very, very cheaply. Think of it as a type of "quantitative easing" on a global scale.

The decision to do this was reportedly made by the Federal Reserve on Monday morning. For the moment, this move seems to have stabilized the European financial system. It is quite unlikely that any major European banks will fail this weekend now.

But as mentioned above, this move does nothing to solve the very serious financial problems that Europe is facing. This intervention by the central banks is merely just a speed bump on the road to financial oblivion.

Most Americans are not going to understand what the central banks of the world just did, but it really is not that complicated.

The following is how CNN chief business correspondent Ali Velshi broke down what the central banks have done....

In an attempt to stave off the consequences of a global credit freeze, the Federal Reserve, in coordination with major central banks, has created a credit line available to those central banks, whereby they can borrow dollars at reduced interest rates for periods of three months. The central banks, in turn, can lend to commercial banks in their respective countries. This is meant to reduce the cost of short-term borrowing for troubled European banks and to give them immediate access to dollars.

This was done immediately after the collapse of Lehman Brothers as well, to alleviate the consequences of banks being largely unwilling to lend to other banks, even for short periods, for fear that the borrowing banks could fail.

Okay - so the Federal Reserve is loaning giant piles of cheap money to the European Central Bank.

So where in the world does all of that money come from?

As a CNBC article recently explained, all of this money is created right out of thin air by the Federal Reserve....

Neither the dollars nor the Euros come from anywhere. They aren’t moved or debited from anywhere. They are invented right on the spot with a few taps on the key pad. And that’s all. There’s no printing press fired up to make new dollars or euros.

This is sometimes called “fiat money.” But that makes it sound as if some command from a sovereign created the money. It’s really closer to “keyboard money,” since it is created by data entry in a computer.

Does that sound bizarre to you?

It should.

But that is how the global financial system really works.

We live in a crazy world.

So what did the financial markets of the world think of this move by the Federal Reserve?

It turns out that they absolutely loved it.

The Dow was up 490 points, and that was the biggest gain of the year so far.

Unfortunately, this stock market rally is not going to last indefinitely. If you are still in the market, enjoy this while you can because eventually a whole lot of pain is going to be coming.

Again, nothing has been solved. Europe is still in a massive amount of trouble. But the announcement did make everyone feel all "warm and fuzzy" for at least a day.

Michelle Girard, a senior economist at RBS Securities, said the following about this move....

"The impact is more psychological than anything else"

Just think of it as "comfort food" for the financial markets.

It was also a very desperate move.

In fact, some even believe that this move happened because a major European bank was in danger of failing.

Just check out some of the things that Jim Cramer of CNBC has been saying on Twitter....

If the Fed didn't act we would have had the largest bank failure ever this weekend, i believe.

The actions the governments took today shows that there was without a doubt a major bank about to fall this weekend. That's very dire....

I believe a major European bank would have gone under this weekend.... That's why they did this....

An article in Forbes has also speculated that this move was made because a major European bank was in imminent danger of failing....

Did a big European bank come close to failing last night? European banks, especially French banks, rely heavily on funding in the wholesale money markets. Given the actions of the world’s largest central banks last night, it raises the question of whether a major bank was having difficulty funding its immediate liquidity needs.

Perhaps we will never know the truth, but the reality is that the Federal Reserve and the European Central Bank would have never taken coordinated action like this if they did not believe that there was some sort of imminent threat to the global financial system.

Sadly, this latest move is also going to have some side effects.

Pimco senior vice president Tony Crescenzi says that all of this "liquidity" is going to dramatically increase the size of the U.S. monetary base....

Keep in mind that any use of the Fed’s swap facility expands the Fed’s monetary base: all dollars, no matter where they are deposited, whether it be Kazakhstan, Japan, or Mexico, wind up back in an American bank. This means that any time a foreign central bank engages in a swap with the Federal Reserve, the Fed will create new money in order to make the swap. Use of the Fed’s liquidity swap line in late 2008 was the main cause of a surge in the Fed’s monetary base at that time. The peak for the swap line was about $600 billion in December 2008. Some observers will therefore say that the swap line is a backdoor way to engage in more quantitative easing.

When there is more money floating around out there but the same amount of goods and services, prices go up.

So will we eventually see more inflation in the United States because of all this?

That is what some are fearing.

Meanwhile, politicians in Europe have failed to come up with a plan to address the European financial crisis once again.

They are calling it a "delay", but the truth is that it should be called a "failure". The following comes from an article in USA Today....

The ministers delayed action on major financial issues — such as the concept of a closer fiscal union that would guarantee more budgetary discipline — until the heads of state meet next week in Brussels.

So will European politicians come up with a real plan next week in Brussels?

That seems unlikely.

The reality is that this latest move by the major central banks of the world does not change the fact that Europe is in a huge amount of trouble and is most likely headed for a very painful financial collapse.

One more thing that this latest move by the central banks of the world highlights is the fact that we do not have any control over what they do.

All of these central banks are run by unelected bureaucrats that answer to nobody. The decisions that these central bankers make affect all of our lives in a very significant way, and yet we have zero input into these decisions.

Most of the decisions that these central bankers make seem to benefit big banks and big financial institutions. They always claim that the benefits will "filter down" to the rest of us. But most of the time what ends up filtering down to us is the economic pain that comes from their bad decisions.

As I have written about so many times before, these central banks need to be abolished. The American people need to tell Congress to shut down the Federal Reserve and to start issuing debt-free United States currency.

We do not want a bunch of unelected central bankers to "centrally plan" the U.S. economy or to "centrally plan" the global economy.

The more these central bankers monkey with things, the more they mess things up.

Yes, this latest move has stabilized things for the moment, but big trouble is on the horizon for the global financial system.

Count on it.

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Also, check out my most recent post "Invasions and the National Defense Authorization Act." Read the post, share it with your family and friends and call your U.S. Senators and tell them to vote AGAINST the amendment. It is a terrifying infringement of our Constitutionally-guaranteed liberties and the of 1878.

Call your Senators!

Next, you must spread the word about Dr. Ron Paul! Tell you friends and family to Google Ron Paul and start supporting his campaign for president.

Donate to Dr. Paul's campaign today and spread the word of liberty!

Invasions and the National Defense Authorization Act

Hey everybody,

I wanted to pass on a few articles that talk about a piece of legislation moving through Congress. The National Defense Authorization Act bill is a piece of legislation that allocates funding to the Department of Defense, each fiscal year. It's been enacted for the past 48 years and it is being voted on in Congress this week. But there is a problem with a new provision in the bill being voted on today and tomorrow -- the Detention Provision. This provision is essentially an expansion of the Patriot Act, giving the federal government the ability to use Law Enforcement and the U.S. armed forces the ability to indefinitely detain any and all U.S. citizens and non-citizens as terror suspects. The difference is that this provision, authored by Sens. Carl Levin (D-Mich) and John McCain (R-Ariz), specifically defines the U.S. homeland (that is, the very soil we live and walk on) as a "battlefield" and provides the President and the rest of the federal government the authority to use U.S. troops on American soil for the purpose of indefinitely detaining American citizens.

SOTT.net U.S. Senate to Vote on Legislation That Allows U.S. Military to Detain Americans Without Charge or Trial

Salon.com National Defense Authorization Act

ACLU.org Senators Demand Military Lock Up American Citizens in a "Battlefield" They Define As Right Outside Your Window

The problems with this provision are, but not limited to:

(a) The First Amendment provides that all American citizens possess the natural rights to religion, press and expression. You and I can think, feel, do and say anything we want, anywhere we want, at any time. The only restrictions on those rights are that you and I can not deny another citizens of their rights or their life. The First Amendment was to protect your and my rights to individual thought, feeling, expression, protest and activism. This provision, as well as the Patriot Act, designates you as a possible terrorist and enemy combatant for expressing your opinions.

(b) The Fourth Amendment provides that without a warrant signed by a federal judge that no governing body can enter or claim your property. Said warrant can only be requested and signed with a proof of probable cause. Your expression and individuality is now that probable cause and your property rights are subject to seizure by the government.

(c) The Fifth Amendment provides that you cannot be held to answer for any crimes unless you have been indicted, or proven in a court of law by a Grand Jury, that you are guilty of a crime; protects your right against double jeopardy; protects your right to refrain from proving your own guilt in crime, or depriving you of your "life, liberty or property" without due process; and protects your right to not have your property seized by the government without just compensation. Your expression is now that indictment, that warrant, that proof of guilt, is is the convicting jury and the act which denies you your rights to property and process. And, of course, without due process who cares about double jeopardy?

(d) The Sixth Amendment provides your rights to a fair trial in a court of law, a jury of American citizens, and right to legal counsel. This provision entirely denies that right to all American citizens seized, by indefinitely imprisoning citizens without legal counsel, due process or warrants for arrest because this is a matter of national defense, thus marking it "off the books."

(e) The Eighth Amendment provides your protection against "excessive bail, excessive fines, nor cruel and unusual punishments." Again, this act entirely negates your rights to due process, thus there is no bail, nor are their fines to pay to police departments. I think that cruel and unusual punishments would be defined as torture, enhanced interrogation, and arrest without regard for your First, Fourth, Fifth, or Sixth Amendment rights. Terror suspects in Iraq were forced to sit handcuffed, with bags over their heads, in the same position for days on end. Literally, they sat in their own feces, hands behind their backs, with minimal food and water. That sounds cruel and unusual for not having proof beyond a reasonable doubt.

(f) The 1878 Posse Comitatus Act prevents the deployment of the U.S. military onto American soil. This was for two purposes: to protect American citizens and to prevent military coups. The deployment of troops onto U.S. soil is a violation of this act, though there have been several instances in which the military has been deployed on U.S. soil and they have almost all been for the use of stemming social discourse and free speech, and some ended with American citizens dying. Of course, why deploy the military when the National Guards, federal and local law enforcement agencies have the same tools as the military and are already beating and killing citizens?


Regardless of your affiliation, our government was meant to be a Constitutional one. It is a government that was supposed to have rules to abide by for the protection of and preservation for the American citizens and the rights they possess, as declared by our Constitution. Your natural and Constitutionally-recognized rights to Life, Liberty and Property (ultimately, the Pursuit of Happiness) are being blatantly ignored and infringed. What you say, what you do and what you express is subject to scrutiny and suspect behavior by the U.S. federal government. When will we say "enough is enough" and put our government back in its place? A place where it recognizes our rights to individuality and expression. The very purpose of government - to govern, to rule, to regulate, to pass laws of dictation and restriction - is a purpose of oppression and limitations on the human potential. It's very nature is tyrannical. Ours is not supposed to be so, but it is. Day by day it gets worse. We must put a stop to it. We must do what we feel is in the best interests of liberty, of the Constitution, of prosperity, of peace -- of ALL Americans.

Today, you can make a difference and tell your Senators NOT to vote for the passage of this bill. We can all agree that at times our Congress and our larger government does not adhere to the Constitution or to the will of the people they represent. Today must not be one of those days. CALL YOUR SENATORS TODAY

CALL YOUR SENATORS TODAY
CALL YOUR SENATORS TODAY
CALL YOUR SENATORS TODAY

If you think that I may be over-reacting about this, I wouldn't blame you. I used to staunchly support the Patriot Act. After all, our government's two objectives are to protect our rights and protect us from our enemies. Most of us don't want to hurt Americans or see America fail, so why would our government indefinitely detain any peaceful U.S. citizen without just cause? Well, this is why...

Department of Justice "Investigating Terrorism and Criminal Extremism: Terms and Concepts"

This is an article I've had for a year or so now. It is a PDF file of a pamphlet that the U.S. Department of Justice issued out to all federal law enforcement agencies, agencies like the FBI, ICE, Border Patrol and Customs, Marshals Service, etc. "Investigating Terrorism and Criminal Extremism: Terms and Concepts." Read this list and you might get surprised at what terms, philosophies, ideologies and concepts are defined as "terrorist" or "Criminally Extreme."

Pass this e-mail around to everybody on your lists, send it out through your social networking sites like Facebook and MySpace, paste it to your blogs. We must make as many people as aware as possible.


Have a nice day.
Remember, Big Brother is watching and you are a suspect.

-- Cody M. Buckmann 2011 NOV 29

Tweet @Me!



VOTE RON PAUL!!

Donate to Dr. Paul's campaign today! He needs your support, we need him, and the Constitution needs all of us. Without us, it means nothing.
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Ron Paul Videos! Check them out!

I've got a few videos here that have been forwarded to me through my Meetup group, Northern CT Ron Paul 2012. Check them out and forward the videos to your family and friends who aren't Ron Paul supporters. Get the word out to vote for liberty and the Constitution!


The Only One We Can Trust


The Philosophy of Liberty


Reality Check with Ben Swann


Ron Paul is Unelectable



Donate to Dr. Ron Paul's campaign today!! Spread the word of liberty!

Northern CT Ron Paul 2012 Meetup

Hey everybody, I joined a new group on Meetup.com and am pursuing a "career" in activism. I will no longer be relying solely on my blog, my Twitter, Yahoo! Answers (CinC Cody), and other websites to get my word out. As they say, "I'm taking to the streets!"

This new group I have joined is called Northern CT Ron Paul 2012, their information can be found on both Meetup and Facebook. I am hoping that we can continue to spread the word about Dr. Paul and inform even more Americans that we believe so strongly in him for a reason. We're not crazy, we're not obsessed, we're not fanatics. We are believers. We believe in an idea. We believe in the Constitution. We believe that Dr. Ron Paul is a candidate who actually speaks for us, not to us. Join us and continue to get the word out!

Tomorrow, 19 November 2011, we are holding a Meetup event at the Louisville Cardinals vs UConn football game. We will be holding our signs, passing out flyers, registering voters, and talking with people about Dr. Paul, the Constitution and where America has gone wrong. Hope to see you all there!

Donate to Dr. Ron Paul's presidential campaign today!

Videos to Watch and Think About

Ron Paul Message to Occupy Wall Street - END THE FED!


Ronald Reagan Stops By Occupy Wall Street to Endorse Dr. Ron Paul
Courtesy of Adam Vs The Man



Ron Paul 2012
DONATE to Dr. Paul

The Occupy Dagobah Movement

It would appear that the United States is not the only entity across the galaxy that is seeking to change the current system.

Down with imperialism!
Down with greed!
Down with tyranny!

Support peace, liberty and prosperity!
May the Force be with you!

Vote Ron Paul 2012!
DONATE to Dr. Paul's campaign!

Troops Out of Iraq by Dec. 31... or so They Say

I just read an article on CNN about future plans for troop levels in Iraq. Read the article here. I found it interesting enough to note that it is being said by the White House and Defense and State Departments that by the end of this year, there will be virtually no U.S. military remaining in Iraq. Other than the 10,000-13,000 diplomats, security and aid contractors that will remain, a "negligible force" of about 150 U.S. combat troops will remain in Iraq to "assist in arms sales." I have to say that I find this to be kind of shocking. Not so much that it is the truth, but that the government is readily admitting to it.

I was under the pretense that when President Obama was running for the White House he was running as the candidate to end the Iraq War. Okay, today I find myself very much in support of that, which is a sharp contrast to how I felt during the election - I admit, I believed in a number of things then that I don't believe in anymore. It takes time to end wars, it shouldn't take this much time and cost as much as it has, in both human loss and economic cost, but by the time all these troops are out of Iraq, the president will have been overseeing and commanding this imperialistic effort for just under three years. What happened to ending the war as soon as possible? While we're on the subject, what happened to ending the Afghanistan war? What happened to closing the military prison at Guantanamo Bay, Cuba? What happened to lobbying reform? Unfortunately, while I can honestly look into the past and today say that I support many of the issues and reforms then-candidate Obama was espousing, I am really disappointed.

What bothers me about this is that, the few people who read this article or are aware of these future plans, will not think deeply about it. Consider: one hundred and fifty U.S. military personnel. That is a small force, obviously not meant for combat purposes, unless they are Special Operations Forces assisting in whatever, but they are labeled as assisting in "arms sales." I thought this president was one of peace? Clearly he is not a president of prosperity, but really? Arms sales? I know I'm not alone in thinking this but President Obama is way too much like President George W. Bush. Too much. What has be changed? What has be done differently that any NeoCon Republican would have done? Seriously, I'd like somebody to answer this question (not that anybody reads this blog =[ )

I find myself reading this article and feeling ashamed of my government, yet again. Rather than being a strong Commander-in-Chief, it feels like our "liberal" President Obama is just another lackey for the Military Industrial Complex.

Arms sales? Way to promote the perpetual bloodshed that is going to continue to destabilize Iraq and the greater Middle Eastern region, Mister President. Let's just continue selling arms to countries we have invaded and torn apart physically, socially, politically, economically... Way to go.

RON PAUL 2012!
DONATE to Dr. Paul's campaign!

Imagine For a Moment...

Excellent video from the Ron Paul 2012 campaign. It's definitely thought-provoking and relatively emotional when compared to everything the other candidates are saying.

Watch the video, comment the page, share the video with family and friends.




Watch on YouTube.

Ron Paul 2012!

Donate!

Sarah Palin Not Running for President

After reading my blog (obviously) and considering what I've had to say, Mrs. Sarah Palin has decided not to run for President or so her statement to the Mark Levin Show said today. As I've stated before, I admire her so much and unfortunately find myself at odds with many of her supporters and even her at some instances. Now that Mrs. Palin has decided not to run for office and will not be, in my own words, stealing the microphone from other candidates who have the Constitution truly at heart, she has many options in front of her.

Love her, hate her or don't care about her, Sarah Palin is a force to be reckoned with. Let's hope she devotes her time and energy into sending the right message to Americans and throws her support behind the right candidate and not just another one of the same political scarecrows we've seen for the past few decades.

While the ex-Governor has some friends in very high places and ran as Senator John McCain's Vice-President on their Republican ticket in 2008, I still view Sarah Palin as somebody who is on the outside of Washington just enough to appeal to people like me who are very skeptical of any and all power. However, she still seems to take much of her fact from the same media that most Americans and all politicians do. The media that is biased, divisive and dishonest. The media that has something invested in appealing to a certain audience and widening the chasm we see between the left and right in America today.

Hopefully within the coming months and years we will see Mrs. Palin open her eyes and focus, not just on being a Conservative who thinks Fox News is the only honest media outlet, but somebody who puts the Constitution before the partisan banter we hear every single day coming from every direction. While today she maintains the aura of a Fox News, pseudo-establishment Conservative-Republican, I believe that Sarah Palin has the potential to grow into a Constitutionalist or potentially even a libertarian: Somebody who puts the natural liberties of all humans before those of other humans and most certainly before those of the public and private sectors. A politician who remembers that people come first, well before the banks, the corporations, the government and the military industrial complex.

With any luck, Mrs. Palin might just throw her weight behind Congressman Paul or Governor Johnson. Now wouldn't that be a game-changer?

You can view the MSNBC article here.

DONATE to Congressman Ron Paul's campaign!

Candidate Christie? Apparently not.

As it turns out, the Governor was true to his word. At a press conference in Trenton, New Jersey today Governor Christie said he has decided not to run for President, just like he's been saying for two months now. What is funny is that it seems to be the first time the media has heard it considering the consistent reporting that he is "undecided." An article on CNN reported Christie's announcement as if the matter was finally being settled. The author then proceeded to talk about how this is going to affect the race between Governors Mitt Romney and Rick Perry, while discussing the rest of the candidates as if they more-or-less are non-contenders. You can view the CNN article here.

Mention was given to entrepreneur Herman Cain due to some surprisingly strong polling in the last couple weeks, most notably the September 24 Florida Republican straw poll (37%) and the October 1 TeaCon MidWest straw poll (77%). Personally, I'm not much a fan of Mr. Cain but I was pleased he was given a fair share of the article. He undoubtedly preaches sound-sounding economics, but the fact that he has only executive experience and no political experience is not a reason to think he is the man for the job. A blend of both private and public experience is necessary, I think. The fact is, the economy is not a household and the country is not a corporation.

Not to mention, I'm a little weary of the previous position he has held as the Chairman of the Federal Reserve Bank of Kansas City. He speaks Austrian economics but then says we don't need to audit the Fed. Yeah, thanks, but no.

Also in the article mention was given to Sarah Palin who according to an insider is still undecided. She has a deadline of October 28 for entering the New Hampshire Republican Primary. Personally, I think that Mrs. Palin should stay out of the race. I'm a great fan of hers and admire her very much but I think that there are already a couple candidates who would both be better for the United States and have better showing at the polls in a general election. Not to mention that Sarah Palin's being in the race would deny much-deserved time in the spotlight in both the news and debates. Time that could go to Governor's Hunstman or Johnson, maybe even... dare I say... Congressman Paul?

Though she cut short her term as Governor of Alaska she got up and did exactly what she told her constituents she was going to do, making the Alaskan government more honest, the energy industry more responsible and productive and the state more prosperous. She was a great Governor but I don't know how I feel about her as President. Perhaps she has the potential for a Presidential cabinet member?

The rest of the candidates were all but ignored. So I'll take the liberty of filling in the empty space.

Newt Gingrich is showing well, having kept a moderate pace in the last few months. Though he is not winning any polls he is maintaining a consistent base of support, given to his record as a fair-minded and value-driven Conservative, but also as being negotiable and a reasonably compromising. Conservatives fell in love with Gingrich during his time in the House of Representatives and his tenure as Speaker of the House. During interviews and debates he commands attention, owing to his great debate skills and his keen sense of wit. As much as I like listening to the man, I think that he has been in Washington too long and rubs shoulders with some of the same people as Presidents Clinton, Bush and Obama, namely members of the Council on Foreign Relations and people at the World Bank.

Congresswoman Michele Bachmann has been sliding lately and for two reasons I think. The first is relatively obvious, which is the disproportionate amount of time being given to most of the candidates in media coverage and during debates. The other reason is that, while Mrs. Bachmann has garnered most of her support in recent years from criticizing President Obama, our "Socialist" Congress and the health care legislation, she is focusing too much time on those issues and not enough on providing other ideas - the ideas that will bring jobs, strength and confidence back to America - the ideas right-wing Americans are looking for. When I hear her speak all I hear is, "Obamacare... repeal Obamacare... Socializing... Executive Order to repeal Obamacare... free trade legislation." Sorry, but get over Obamacare, you can't repeal it - it has to be dismantled carefully. And free trade legislation? Get out of my government.

The two western Governors, Gary Johnson and Jon Hunstman, are being somewhat shunned by the media but are both slowly gaining a little bit of traction. Both have very strong conservative ideas and records of being honest and decent politicians who practice what they preach. The more time they are both given the more people seem to like what they are saying. Huntsman especially is showing strongly by being the only candidate who speaks as if he is speaking directly to you - he has great presentation and public speaking skills, he speaks with facts and he seems to have a very genuine demeanor. Governor Johnson is still struggling to catch up, in part because he has missed a couple debates and also because the media is subtly branding him as off-his-rocker. Media coverage aside, a Constitutionalist Gary Johnson remains.

The other candidate who is being shunned, but far in excess of all the other candidates, is Congressman Ron Paul. Paul, having 30 years of consistency and a Constitutionally-driven philosophy, is gaining much support this election cycle due to the public's growing interest in the Federal Reserve, ending the wars (admittedly, I once supported both efforts in Afghanistan and Iraq) and wasteful spending at the behest of Capitalism that is functioning more like Corporatism. In addition, Dr. Paul has great communication skills and the little bit of time he is allotted he makes the most of and people are listening. He's appealing to the younger generations, Independents who are disgusted by both parties in the recent decade and to those Republicans and Conservatives who are realizing that their party can accept half the blame for all our problems.

A big difference in Congressman Paul's strategy when compared to all the other candidates is that rather than trying to appeal to Republican voters as the most electable Republican nominee, he is trying to appeal to America as the candidate who can beat President Obama and move our nation back to the Constitution.

So, I guess that leaves us with Senator Rick Santorum who is slowly losing his support to the likes of other candidates. While he still has a support base and is still showing up to the debates and providing opinions and ideas that are very in-line with conservatives, I think he has a problem conveying his ideas with words that people want to hear. I'm not so much a fan of Rick Santorum, simply because he exemplifies neo-Conservatism.

In my eyes, we have two groups vying for the Republican nomination - Neo-conservatives and Constitutionalists. In the most simple terms, Congressman Paul and Governors Johnson and Hunstman are both of the Constitutionalist-libertarian philosophy, supporting free market Capitalism, smaller government, sound money, and a prepared but reactionary military, while the other candidates are more akin the neo-Conservative mold. The sad truth is that neo-Conservatism has next to nothing Conservative about it. It's really just American right-wing Progressivism. This is the Conservatism of the past couple decades - with big budgets, military interventionism, the spread of western ideas to far away lands, deficit financing, and backroom deals with shady governments and greedy corporations - and sadly I feel that Gingrich falls into this category as well as Palin, though to a much lesser extent.

My advice: let's not allow the Republican party to continue to follow this neo-Conservative line of thinking and let's not allow America to tread down the path of has-beens.

Big News!

The Defender of the U.S. Constitution, the single largest Facebook fan page, is now officially endorsing Congressman Ron Paul for President of United States of America! This is HUGE!

Go check it out and show the world that you are a Defender of the U.S. Constitution by LIKING the page!

And DONATE, don't forget to DONATE to Dr. Paul's campaign!

The way Americans perceive Congressman Ron Paul, whether it be the politicians, the media or the public, I feel is discussed very well in this article from The New American. I think that most people who either don't support or don't know much about Dr. Paul really don't understand him and should take the time to. Visit his official campaign website, his Wikipedia page, or Google and view any number of articles, stories or videos concerning Dr. Paul. He truly is a rare gem amongst the dirty rocks and decaying shrubbery that are our politicians. He's a man who loves the Constitution, something that once gave our nation stability. -- Cody M. Buckmann 2011 OCT 4

Ron Paul Campaign Gains Steam, Attracts Attention
by Raven Clabough
Monday, 03 October 2011 15:20

Though his campaign has been largely ignored by the mainstream media, Rep. Ron Paul has been making some gains over the course of the last few months. In fact, the longtime Texas Congressman's momentum has prompted The Blaze to report: "Paul is having such a big impact on the race that some Republican operatives are convinced that he will play spoiler in important states, siphoning votes and attention from his rivals for months to come and helping determine the nominee."

According to that same article, Paul could prove particularly problematic for current GOP frontrunners Texas Governor Rick Perry and former Massachusetts Governor Mitt Romney.

In New Hampshire recently, Paul commented regarding claims that he could “spoil” the frontrunners’ campaigns,

"I have no idea what exactly "spoiler" means. If you’re a participant and you have an influence and you win or come close and you influence the debate, I think that’s pretty important. So I don’t put a negative term on that as spoiling anything. Spoiling their fun? Maybe they need a little spoiling."

Michael Dennehy, the New Hampshire operative who led Senator John McCain’s 2008 presidential campaign, also asserts that Paul may play this role in 2012, though he believes the Congressman may prove to have even more success than that:

"There’s no doubt in my mind that Ron Paul will get somewhere north of 10 percent, possibly even in the high teens, which will have a major effect and impact on the race and who wins — whether its Perry or Romney — in New Hampshire. I would go so far as to say he will play spoiler. I do not see his support waning below 10 percent."

It has been widely acknowledged on a number of blogs and websites that Ron Paul’s campaign has been either begrudgingly reported on or entirely ignored by the mainstream media. Even liberal comedian Jon Stewart felt compelled to point out satirically the discrepancies in the reporting of the GOP presidential campaigns of Paul and those of his rivals, going as far as calling them out and demanding more fair attention be given to a candidate who should not be ignored.

Paul did win the CPAC presidential straw poll this year, as well as the Republican Leadership Conference straw poll and the California Republican Party straw poll — the latter two by landslide votes.

Still, Paul has been relegated to what the mainstream media and the Establishment have dubbed the "fringe," or "extreme" corner of the Republican Party. The Blaze has repeatedly reported on Paul’s so-called “libertarian leanings,” ultimately giving a false impression of his philosophies, which can best be described as constitutionalist, or perhaps paleo-conservative.

Some observers contend that this treatment of Paul exemplifies fear, and perhaps contempt, toward his campaign successes, of which there are many in addition to the aforementioned straw poll victories.

For example, Paul has proven to be an extraordinary fundraiser, having broken numerous Internet records for generating contributions. In 2008, he raised a shocking $5 million in just 24-hours. Likewise, Paul's regular money bombs often see a staggering number of donations. According to his campaign, he has raised $4.5 million in donations through June, and is expected to have received an additional $5 million through the end of September. Also, Paul has received more donations from military members than have all other Republican contenders combined. Military donations to Paul’s campaign have also surpassed those received by President Obama. Politifact.com reported:

"We turned to the presidential candidates’ latest campaign finance filings compiled by the Federal Election Commission, which breaks out donations by donors’ employers. … From April through June, Paul fielded more than $25,000 from individuals who listed their employer as a branch of the military.

"Combined, six other Republican presidential candidates listed donations from members of the military totaling about $9,000. Our most-to-least breakdown: Herman Cain, $2,850; Mitt Romney, $2,750; Michele Bachmann, $2,250; Newt Gingrich, $500; and Tim Pawlenty and Rick Santorum, $250 each.

"On the Democratic side, Obama’s campaign received more than $16,000 in donations from members of the military."

Paul’s supporters maintain hopes that he will earn the GOP presidential nomination. According to the Associated Press, New Hampshire resident Kate Baker points to Paul’s gaining momentum:

“Ron Paul is doing well enough [that] he has the possibility to win, particularly in key states. This time I can taste success,” said Baker, who is the head of New Hampshire’s Women for Ron Paul Coalition.

She adds that success is also in the fact that Paul’s message is becoming more mainstream. “Look at how much the message is traveling right now. He’s honest and consistent. That’s the kind of person I can put my money and effort behind.”

Observers have also noted that several of Paul’s famous talking points are now coming out of the mouths of his rivals, most notably language regarding the Federal Reserve and the need for strict adherence to the Constitution.

Paul is pleased by this, however. “Nobody ever did this [before] and now it’s not just me doing this. I think that’s all good,” he noted.

Overall, Paul’s 2012 presidential campaign has reflected far more experience than his 2008 efforts. For instance, he was the first candidate to run television advertisements in New Hampshire. In Iowa, his campaign was so successful that he came in a very close second in the Ames straw poll, trailing just 152 votes behind winner Michele Bachmann (R-Minn.).

“The fact that we have so many county chairmen and precinct chairmen and all this all through Iowa, we never had that before,” remarked Paul.

Paul’s campaign has made use of a particularly effective tactic — one that paints him as the most electable candidate to defeat President Obama in 2012.

There are some indications that Paul’s rivals are intimidated by him. For example, when Paul ran an ad against Texas Governor Rick Perry, calling him “Al Gore’s Texas cheerleader” (a reference to Perry’s endorsement of Gore), Perry reacted fiercely to the ad — something one would not expect from a frontrunner against a supposedly “fringe,” "unviable" candidate.
View the article at The New American.


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Excellent Ron Paul Video

This video is from Dr. Ron Paul's 2008 Presidential Campaign but it is still very relevant today.

Visit www.RonPaul2012.com to read about the ISSUES and to DONATE!

(Note: The video is not nearly as gruesome as this single slide suggests.)


Visit www.RonPaul2012.com to read about the ISSUES and to DONATE!

Continue to visit www.RonPaul.com, www.CampaignForLiberty.com and www.DailyPaul.com to keep up to date with all things Ron Paul! And to DONATE!

Road Map to Sound Money: A Legislative Hearing on H.R. 1098 and Restoring the Dollar 9.13.2011

United States House Financial Services Subcommittee on Domestic Monetary Policy and Technology
Chairman – Ron Paul, Texas (Present at hearing)
Vice-Chairman - Walter Jones, North Carolina (Present at hearing)
Frank Lucas, Oklahoma
Patrick T. McHenry, North Carolina
Blaine Leutkemeyer, Missouri
Bill Huizenga, Michigan
Nan Hayworth, New York
David Schweikert, Arizona

Ranking Member - William Clay, Jr., Missouri
Carolyn Maloney, New York
Gregory Meeks, New York
Al Green, Texas
Emanuel Cleaver, Missouri
Gary Peters, Michigan

Witnesses:

Dr. Lawrence Parks - Executive Director and Founder of the Foundation for the Advancement of Monetary Education.

Dr. Lawrence White - Professor of Economics (Theory and History of Banking and Money) at George Mason University. Full text of statement.

H.R. 1098 Free Competition in Currency Act of 2011
The aim of House Resolution 1098 is the repeal the legal tender laws, to prohibit taxation on certain coins and bullion, and to repeal superfluous sections related to coinage. Sponsor - Representative Ron Paul of the 14th District of Texas. H.R. 1098 full text and status from the Library of Congress.


Glass-Steagall Act – Passed by Congress in 1932, gave the power of creating currency to the Federal Reserve System.

Glass-Steagall Act of 1933 - Also known as The Banking Act of 1933 established the Federal Deposit Insurance Corporation and introduced some banking reforms, some of which were designed to control banking speculation. Repealed in 1999, possible reenactment in future.

Fractional-Reserve Banking – Also known as Fractional-Reserve Lending is a banking practice whereby the bank does not retain all of the customer’s deposits within the bank. Funds received by the bank are generally lent out to other customers. Generally, a bank only holds 10% of its total deposits within the bank premises, giving the total 100% to electronic ledgers.

Dr. Parks' references on U.S. default:
Garten, Jeffrey. "We Must Get Ready For a Weak Dollar." Financial Times, November 29, 2009
Rogoff, Kenneth, "The Bullets Yet to be Fired to Stop the Crisis." Financial Times, August 8, 2011
Norris, Floyd. "Sometimes Inflation Is Not Evil." New York Times, August 11, 2011
Bank for International Settlements. Wikipedia.


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