UncleNasty
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Joined: 3/20/2004
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We are merely pandered to by our elected officials, and in the process of elections.
Jefferson spoke about the need for the populace to be informed and educated, and that being the only real way to keep elected officials on track, in check and accountable to us, the people. Our Constitution begins "We the people..." In fact the preamble was a latter addendum. Never the less it was added, and with specificity.
Our citizenry, however, has become quite lazy. The percentage of citizens that have actually read our Constitution is small. Civics is a course no longer taught in schools (government funded schools). Smaller yet is the percentage that has much in the way of an understanding of it.
My hot button issue is "money." Because everything has a cost, typically measured in what people erroneously assume are "dollars," I believe it is a "controlling issue" and perhaps the controlling issue. The OP made reference to several of her issues - the national debt, the current state of the economy, the loss of jobs and production overseas, education. I see the strongest of connections to the issues important to her and to the issue most important to me.
To approach her issues without addressing what I see as the controlling issue is much like treating the symptoms of disease without addressing the underlying cause. As long as we continue to merely apply "bandaids" the problems will continue and will never be solved.
The US Constitution handles the issue of money quite specifically. Article 1, Section 8 states "Congress shall have the power to...Coin money, regulate the value thereof, and of foreign coin, and fix the standard of weights and measures;To provide for the punishment of counterfeiting the securities and current coin of the United States;" Article 1, Section 10 states "No state shall... emit bills of credit; make anything but gold and silver coin a tender in payment of debts;"
The Mint and Coinage Act of 1792 gives us the definition of "dollar." This act actually predates our constitution. The dollar is defined in this act as being 371.25 grains of pure silver - easier just to refer to it as an ounce.
The difference between real money, real dollars, and what is circulated as being such is so vast it can be difficult to understand. Even more difficult is to understand the amount of power that has been taken from the people as a result of that difference.
What we have at this point, and for the last 95 years, is paper with some ink on it that the government forces us to utilize as our "medium of exchange." This is known as "fiat currency." Further, the creation and issuance of this fiat currency is controlled by one group - the privately owned corporation known as the Federal Reserve. Most people believe this to be a branch of the federal government but in reality it is no more federal than Federal Express.
The Federal Government, through the Secret Service, protects the power of this private corporation to be the only entity that can and does create and issue this fiat currency. They create this fiat currency not by having reserves of gold and silver and issuing paper receipts that are representative of these reserves. They create this fiat currency by simply turning on a printing press, and as has become the case of late, by simply punching some buttons on a computer and creating "digitized" entries.
Now, imagine if you were able to create and issue this fiat currency yourself, and that the Secret Service protected you as the only source. That would give you a lot of power, wouldn't it? Individuals, corporations and governments would be beholden to you for the grease that makes all the wheels turn, wouldn't they? Their futures would rise and fall based on decisions you made, and favors you granted or refused to grant, wouldn't they? I think that is a lot of power.
If we want better domestic policy, better foreign policy, better education, less governmental and personal debt, policies that act more in stewardship of the envirnment, less hunger, better candidates that are truely responsive to the needs and voices of the citizens, etc. That list could go on for several pages I'm sure. If we want any of that, or those not mentioned, returning to an honest system of money that is controlled by the citizens is of vital importance.
To quote TJ:
"If the American ever allow private banks to control the issue of their money, first by inflation and then by deflation, the banks and corporations that will grow up around them will deprive the people of their property until their children will wake up homeless on the continent their fathers conquered."
To quote John Adams:
"all the perplexities, confusions and distresses in America arise not from defects in the constitution or confederation, not from want ofhonor or virtue, as much as from downright ignorance of the nature of coin, credit and circulation."
To quote James Madison:
"A popular gavernment without popular information or the means of acquiring it, is but a prologue to a farce or a tragedy or perhaps both. Knowledge will forever govern ignorance, and a people who mean to their own Governors, must arm themselves with the power knowledge gives."
Patrick Hnery:
"The Constitution is not an instrument for government to restrain the people, it is an instrument for the people to restrain the government, lest it come to dominate our lives and interests."
One more illustration.
In 1913 I could take myself and 2 friends for dinner, desert and drinks to the Oak Room in the Seelbach Hotel, one of the finest dining establishments in Louisville. I could pay for it with a one ounce gold coin. Gold was approximately $27/oz. at that time. Today I could do the same thing, and in fact would get back some change (yes the Oak Room is still open). Gold currently is approximately $900/oz.
So, what has happened in the past 95 years? Is gold worth more? No. It has maintained it purchasing power - this is how we measure the value of currencies - purchasing power. In fact the purchasing power of gold has increased.
Our fiat currency, representative of nothing and backed by nothing, has lost its purchasing power, and its value.
Be well, and live free,
Uncle Nasty
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