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The following is an e-mail I received the other day followed by my reply to the sender. I thought this was worth sharing here on CD.
Print and put on your refrigerator door
Subject: Retribution is less than 1 year away! Take a look at this and just remember elections in November 2010.
1. U..S. House & Senate have voted themselves $4,700 and $5,300 raises.
2. They voted to NOT give you a S.S. Cost of living raise in 2010 and 2011.
3. Your Medicare premiums will go up $285.60 for the 2-years
4. You will not get the 3% COLA: $660/yr.
5. Your total 2-yr loss and cost is -$1,600 or -$3,200 for husband and wife.
6. Over these same 2-years each Congress person will get $10,000
7. Do you feel SCREWED?
8. Will they have your cost of drugs - doctor fees - local taxes - food, etc., decrease?
9. NO WAY.
Congress received a raise and has better health and retirement benefits than you or I.
Why should they care about you? You never did anything about it in the past. You obviously are too stupid or don't care.
Do you really think that Nancy, Harry, Chris, Charlie, Barnie, et al, care about you?
Send the message to these individuals --- "YOU'RE FIRED!"
In 2010 you will have a chance to get rid of the sitting Congress: up to 1/3 of the Senate and 100% of the House!
Make sure you're still mad in November 2010 and remind their replacements not to screw-up.
It is ok to forward this to your sphere of influence if you are finally tired of the abuse. Maybe it's time for Amendment 28 to the Constitution..
28th Amendment will be as follows: "Congress shall make no law that applies to the citizens of the United States that does not apply equally to the Senators or Representatives, and Congress shall make no law that applies to the Senators or Representatives that does not apply equally to the citizens of the United States ."
Let's get this passed around, folks - these people in Washington have brought this upon themselves! It's time for retribution. Let's take back America ..
If you don't forward this to all your friends you're just part of the problem of national apathy.
Below is my reply:
Voting these self-serving scoundrels and thieves out is not the answer because the next crew that comes in to take their lace will be just as corrupt and self serving as the current crew. Working through the system (voting) will no longer work because the system is corrupt and designed so as to keep the power in the hands of a greedy few.
What about those who advocate direct action instead of voting? Indeed it would seem that direct action would reap greater results and force change more effectively than simply voting, but direct action has two drawbacks that I can see.
First, it takes organization and mutual cooperation to form grassroots organizations to fight state power and that is sorely lacking among most people. The state knows this and it works to its advantage.
Second, fighting the state through direct implies, at least tacitly, that one still recognizes the legitimacy of the state and while its level of power may be questioned, state power itself is taken as a given.
No the best way to fight these self-serving politicians is to refuse to support the state in every possible way you can. Here are a few examples:
1. Refuse to vote. But go the extra mile and have your name removed from the voting rolls. This can be done with a simple phone call to the county courthouse. Just call them and tell them you want your name expunged from the voting roll. This is a great way to let the state know that you do not recognize its legitimacy and you refuse to support it with your vote.
2. Find innovative ways to avoid paying taxes. Practice counter economics or work under the table if you can. Barter or trade as much as you can. If you are employed and your income taxes are automatically deducted, try to adjust your deductions so that no more than what you "owe" is taken off your pay and then refuse to file your income tax every year. This is another way to refuse to recognize state legitimacy and to support it as little as possible with your money.
3. Practice civil disobedience in creative and various ways. Refuse to obey as many laws as possible. Remember, if you resolve to do no harm to others, you are living as peaceably with others as anyone can and should be expected to do.
4. As much as possible, make purchases from small, local businesses instead of the large mega corporations which contribute millions to the political machine and use their favored status with the state as a means of destroying small businesses.
5. Settle disputes as much as possible in a private way between you and the other parties. Avoid using law enforcement or the courts system because this gives the state a justification to exist.
6. Encourage as many people as you can to withdraw their support of the state by utilizing the ideas suggested above or by developing other ways. But remember, the great thing about this way, is it requires no cooperation among others and it can be done individually.
Now I would be remiss if I didn't provide a justification for withdrawing or individually seceding from the state. The justification of state power is derived by the consent of the governed, Thomas Jefferson said as much in the Declaration Of Independence. But two problems emerge here: In order for the consent to be binding, it must be expressed. When have we given our expressed consent? Secondly, assuming consent was given by us, according to Lockean theory, we can withdraw our consent when we have determined that the state is no longer holding to the terms and conditions in which consent was originally given.
So even those who believe that tacit consent is sufficient, the argument that consent may be withdrawn is persuasive. So withdraw consent if you feel you've even given it to begin with, individually secede and refuse to support the state by your vote, your money, and your cooperation and on time, the entire apparatus of the state will wither and die.
A system will only make laws which perpetuate and strengthen the system. The more complex the system, the more oppressive it must be to survive. The ONLY non-violent way to expand freedom is to starve the system. You go ahead and choose your tyrants. I hope the existence that you want is in the system's interest.
Some prefer to exist as peaceful humans rather than to enforce their brutality on others. Others simply choose to exercise their peaceful freedom rather than to seek the "approval" of freedoms which never belonged in the hands of the State anyway.
Live and let live.
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