This is what we refer to as a "sanity check". It is where we, as engineers, perform a simplified calculation to determine if the calculations that we arrived at, are valid...
This is a reprint of the most excellent Ron Paul article. Modified and edited to fit this venue. In it, he argues that you don’t need to look at complicated “generational theories”, r/K or KaLa theories to explain what is happening to America today. You just need to look at what happens every one hundred years or so…
It is titled Two Sets of 100 yr Periods in American History — Each Guided by Completely Opposite Ideas and it was written on 1/8/2020. There’s a lot here, and it is worth some study. This is an interesting take on the changes that moved America far, far… far and FAR away from what it was initially founded upon.
The idea behind this is that all , and I do mean ALL, nations collapse after around a one hundred year period.
Two Sets of 100 yr Periods in American History — Each Guided by Completely Opposite Ideas
The great Austrian economist Ludwig Von Mises wrote:
"History is a struggle between two principles, the peaceful principle, which advances the development of trade, and the militarist-imperialist principle, which interprets human society not as a friendly division of labour but as the forcible repression of some of its members by others."
America was founded on the peaceful principle.
If you are peaceful, other people and nations will work with you on friendly terms, and your people will be happy.
The country’s first President, George Washington, said in his farewell address:
"It is our true policy to steer clear of permanent alliance with any portion of the foreign world".
Ah, that is all nice and good. However consider the practical applications and issues…
This policy, which can be packaged into the euphemism “America First” was the guiding policy for the first 100+ years of the country’s existence.
The guiding principle for the first one hundred years was to put Americans first in all national decisions and programs.
Indeed, America truly was independent.
America
This did not mean that America was “isolationist.” Far from it, of course. Thomas Jefferson explained at his inaugural that the policy was one of:
"Peace, commerce, and honest friendship with all nations - entangling alliances with none."
Do not laugh.
Here was a land, the largest free-trade zone to ever exist, shielded by giant oceans, with a limited government that only had a few enumerated powers. The individual was master of his domain.
Consider…
The situation. The creation of “America”in a free-ranging (or apparently so) land, were Earth-shattering and life-changing — Prosperity, the likes of which have never existed before.
But alas, after 100+ years passed, new generations with little to no connection (or care) for the ideas of Washington & Jefferson, decided to change course for the worse. The ‘Old World’ ideas of power and empire crept in through the back door…
Ideals were replaced by individual greed.
Roughly one hundred years after the founding, ideals were replaced by individual greed.
The new reality.
In this new embrace of the ‘Old World,’ the individual would no longer be the master of his domain. Government would be the master.
Sounds perfect, eh?
It is a parent-child relationship. One in which sociologists and psychiatrists consider to be very unhealthy for peer-to-peer interaction.
I know many Democrats believe that utopia is “just around the corner”. It’s just only if…
A new America…
Suddenly, in 1898, after much careful planning by those who had an insatiable lust for power, America would take on the role of conqueror.
And conquer it did.
In a single year, the United States took control of five far-flung nations, which contained 11 million people, all in one fell-swoop.
Washington & Jefferson were tossed into the dust-bin.
Independence was cast aside. Intervention was the new game in town. In 1898, the slow death of “America First” was given its first real kick to the chops.
Of course, the original role of government would have to be transformed.
Transformed…
If America was to have an empire, it would have to take control of every American citizen’s earnings.
Enter President Wilson – Progressive Genius.
And so, in 1913, with the creation of the income tax, every American’s earnings would belong to the government first. The government would decide how much each person would be allowed to keep.
The government would decide.
The government should decide what to do with people’s earnings.
Not the people.
Not the individual.
The government should decide.
It’s all so progressive…
…
A nightmare!
What a drastic change for the worse!
But an income tax would not be enough.
It wasn’t enough. Not for the people who thought that they were better then everyone else. Oh, no.
After all, government can only tax people up to a certain point before they decide to revolt. American politicians, of all people, knew that!
So an even more insidious institution would be created, also in 1913. It would be called The Federal Reserve. This central bank would be granted a monopoly on counterfeiting money.
Pure genius!
Take the blame out of the hand of the government and put it into an unaccountable entity. Such wonderful genius.
The Impact…
How much money?
As much money as the government needs in order to sprawl itself around the world. Every American would be forced to use this “money,” of course, even though its purchasing power would be constantly eroded. Legal Tender Laws would make sure that there was no way out.
It’s ok, though.
Americans voted for the people who decided to implement this system. You know…
… one hundred years ago.
And the people in charge allocated their responsibilities and veto power to other people…
…other people who turned it over to others…
…who allocated it to others…
… who decided to pass it on to others…
… who would work in the best interests to make the system work….
Sounds bad. Well, sorry, that’s the way it is.
And so, with an income tax and a printing press, the Land of The Free would morph, over the next 100+ years, into the biggest government to ever exist … the biggest military empire to ever exist … and the biggest welfare state to ever exist.
Aren’t you all happy?
Freedom!
Washington & Jefferson would not recognize this at all. It’s literally the exact opposite of why the 13 colonies seceded from England.
It is.
Do not tell me that it is not the case.
This new era of empire would be dominated by “Bread and Circuses”. There would be plenty of food, and plenty of entertainment. What happens outside of America would remain out-of-sight and out-of-mind.
Yeah.
All political fighting inside of America would take place between two virtually indistinguishable factions. The gangs would passionately battle each other, but they would never battle the policy of empire.
Yeah.
Policy is the only thing that matters. But Americans would be flooded with a deluge of propaganda telling them that the ability to change politicians is a gift from the heavens. That, they would be told, is the only thing that matters.
Yeah.
And so, throughout this period, the politicians would certainly change, but the policy wouldn’t budge even a single inch. In other words, the politicians would change….but it wouldn’t matter!
And now…
So now we have two sets of 100 year periods in American history, each guided by completely opposite ideas.
The first produced liberty and prosperity in tremendous abundance. The second has produced a dependency, militancy and debauchery that has always been the lot of mankind living under the boot of power.
The two one hundred year periods…
The first was underpinned by peace, trade, sound money, savings and investment.
The second has been underpinned by war, sanctions, counterfeit money, taxes, and crushing debt.
And us, the American citizens…
Those who live are always presented with a choice — continue, or change?
America: CONTINUE or CHANGE?
For years…
Years…
Generations..
No one did any thing.
Nothing.
Weaklings. Lazy. Slothful.
Our parents, grand parents, great-grand parents.
Change happens through individual choice. The ideas that we each individually embrace mean everything.
People!
A corrupt government will corrupt society.
Power lives and breathes on your belief in it. Why do you think you’re surrounded by propaganda at every turn?
For fun?
No! … It’s to keep you believing.
It’s to convince you that liberty is dead. And that government has the keys to your happiness. You just keep on following the media talking points. Nothing else matters.
Reality
However, if you change your belief, you change everything. You breathe life into the idea of liberty.
If you breathe life into the idea of liberty, you make America a much better place.
Washington left us with these wonderful words: “Liberty, when it begins to take root, is a plant of rapid growth.”
The choice is always yours…..continue, or change?
And that is it.
Thank you Ron Paul.
Many Americans mistakenly believe that “America is the greatest nation in the world”, simply based on the longevity of the nation. That’s just pure ignorance. The nation had changed governmental structure numerous times.
- Founded as a Republic.
- Changed to a Democracy with the 12th amendment.
- Centralized Federal Democracy during the Civil War.
- Progressive Social Democracy under President Wilson.
- Military Oligarchy under President Lindon Johnson.
- Corrupt Military Totalitarian Empire today.
If you believe that what is written makes sense than you have two choices of action. They are [1] take immediate action to protect you and your family, or [2] ignore it.
If you ignore it, then that if fine. Just listen to me and do not allow the American propaganda to force you to live within fear. The world is not a terrible and dark place. Good people are everywhere and the world outside the United States increasingly looks like a modern scene from the televisions show “Wally and the Beaver”.
Avoid the American “news”. In all of it’s forms…
If you don’t believe that this is the state of affairs, then you can can ignore this and read CNN, MSN and WaPo to tell you what to believe and how to act.
It’s your choice.
Commentary and Conclusion
Kinda of boring,eh?
Well, that’s the way it is. America has stratified, and it is the rich vs. the slaves and there is nothing that exists in the “dead-lands” between the two groups. This is the sum total of the “wonderful” progressive utopia implemented by President Wilson in the early part of the last century and engineered to perfection today.
You like it?
You’d better, because there ain’t no way that you can change it. You are fucked.
You are fucked.
Fucked.
Welcome to being an American.
Put a smile on your face. It’s your life.
Rah! Rah.
“freedom”. “liberty”, “democracy”! Rah. Rah!
Hope you keep all your receipts to give to the IRS in April. You don’t want to suffer the consequences for “non-compliance”, now don’t you? It’s all part of that big “freedom” package that comes with “democracy” don’t you know.
I hope you enjoyed this little narrative. You can find more, and better, discussions on other SHTF posts, Accessed here…
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