By Bob Livingston
The government with all of its propaganda and police power is at war with the American people.
Governments always make silent war on their own citizens behind a propaganda front so as to alert as few people as possible. The less resistance from the people, the better it is for government.
One of the fastest ways to clear the mental fog is to realize that the two-party political system is only one. Anyone clinging to the illusion of two parties will be deceived to their grave. America has become a fascist state, and the whole Congress supports the agenda of the state. Any dissent expressed by the political class is frivolous pandering. Any expressed concern for the complaints of the people is feigned and contrived.
The election process in America has become a disguise for corruption that attracts the corrupt. When men and women go to Washington, they pretty soon learn that they are paid by the federal government and, therefore, they are in the hire of the federal government. But they are truly beholden to their corporatist masters and moneyed interests that fund their campaigns and promise six- and seven-figure lobbying/consulting gigs once their time in government is past. No allegiance to their constituents is necessary and, as a matter of fact, there is very little pretension — at least until election time.
If Americans could restore their power over so-called elected representatives, this could cut out the smoke and mirrors of politics. I think the hour is late and even too late, but let’s try to reverse all the perks that our “elected representatives” have bestowed upon themselves. To do this we must first turn back the clock to see when and how republicanism died.
The year 1913 was a terrible one for human liberty. The 16th and 17th Amendments were ratified that year, and the Federal Reserve central bank was established. The Federal Reserve created a fiat money system of theft for the benefit of the banksters and the moneyed elites. It is designed to impoverish the people. The 16th Amendment established a progressive income tax that the U.S. Supreme Court failed to strike down. The 17th Amendment changed the way Senators were selected, taking the appointing power from State legislatures and placing it in the hands of voters. That removed the final nail holding the checks and balances the States had in place over Federal power. Most of the nails were removed in 1861 when Abraham Lincoln shredded the Constitution, stripped Americans of their strongest check against Federal tyranny and invaded the secessionist States.
The result is that in 1913 the U.S. government was taken over once and probably for all time by moneyed power.
Many of the Founders — particularly the Anti-Federalists — feared a powerful central government. So they established in the Constitution that each state’s legislature would choose its two senators as one of the checks against a strong central government.
Depending upon their point of view, Founders either hailed or lamented the fact that, by simply refusing appoint senators, the states could see the central government “destroyed” (William Richardson Davie) and “put an end to” (Samuel Johnston). Or, as Alexander Hamilton (who actually wanted a U.S. system similar to British mercantilism) opined: “It is certainly true, that the State Legislatures, by forbearing the appointment of Senators, may destroy the National Government.”
The 17th Amendment was proposed ostensibly to correct a procedural problem that cropped up when divided State legislatures were unable to agree on a senator to send to Washington, D.C. This would leave states unrepresented.
According to a research paper by Wendy Schiller from Brown University and Charles Stewart III from Massachusetts Institute of Technology, in about 2 percent of cases the state legislatures were deadlocked and unable to resolve their differences and select a Senator. However, it did occur from time to time — even occurring in the very first Congress, when the State of New York went without senate representation for three months.
The direct election of senators by the people ended that problem, but created a whole new problem in which senators are now bought and paid for by the banksters and lobbyists. It is this system that explains why the Republican elite are all in for amnesty for illegal aliens — which is pushed by the U.S. Chamber of Commerce and big corporations — but vehemently opposed by the majority of Republican voters. It also explains why Republican congressweasels have failed to provide funds for building a wall on the southern border.
The 17th Amendment played a key role in suppressing the voice and will of the people and elevating the fascist system under which we currently suffer. Every election cycle there is hue and cry about the need for campaign finance reform. And there’s no question that moneyed interests control the process.
Repealing the 17th Amendment would take the money out of senate elections on the Federal level. Senators would be beholden to their state legislatures rather than the corporatist class which lines their pockets and finances their re-election campaigns.
We can also turn the clock back toward human liberty by doing one simple thing and that is by limiting the terms of representatives and senators and eliminate their federal pensions. Also they should be put under the Social Security and the same Obamacare healthcare system as the American people! There should be no privilege associated with elected office.
Their ability to vote for themselves pay raises, their tenure and pension perks, their liberal, special low-cost health perks not available to citizens, their immunity from the laws they pass on the people, their retirement plans paid for by the government (read: the people) and their lack of term limits must all be removed. Their salaries should be paid by their respective states.
John McMullin, a lawyer who has written extensively in law literature about the 17th Amendment, believes that repealing the 17th Amendment would give State legislatures a greater say in the Federal political process in several ways. Among them, it would have the effect of elevating State legislatures from that of lobbyists to that of partners in the political process. The States would have the ability to decentralize Federal power when appropriate. It would also give States more influence over the selection of Federal judges and much greater say in the power of the Federal judiciary.
To this end, McMullin has proposed an amendment to repeal the 17th Amendment. It reads:
Alert readers over the years have also sent various forms of the following bill that, if passed, would also help to end the fascist system and restore republicanism:
Congressional Reform Act
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Term Limits. Twelve years only, one of the possible options below…
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No Tenure/No Pension. A Congressman collects a salary while in office and receives no pay from government when they are out of office.
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Congress members (past, present and future) participate in Social Security. All funds in the Congressional retirement fund move to the Social Security system immediately. All future funds flow into the Social Security system, and Congress participates with the American people.
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Congress members can purchase their own retirement plan, just as all Americans do.
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Congress members will no longer vote themselves a pay raise. Congressional pay will rise by the lower of the consumer price index or 3 percent.
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Congress loses their current healthcare system and participates in the same healthcare system as the American people.
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Congress must equally abide by all laws they impose on the American people.
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All contracts with past and present Congressmen are void effective Jan. 1 the year following passage of this act. The American people did not make this contract with Congressmen. Congressmen made all these contracts for themselves.
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Serving in Congress is an honor, not a career. The Founding Fathers envisioned citizen legislators, serve your term(s), then go home and back to work.
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Two Six-year Senate terms.
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Six Two-year House terms.
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One Six-year Senate term and three Two-year House terms.
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I would also add two more proposals: 1) Representatives and senators should remain in their states at all times. Thanks to technology, the “people’s business” could be carried out via teleconference. There is no need for them to reside in Washington. Having the congressweasels working from their own districts and states would help insulate them from the controlling interests in the District of Corruption. 2) That anyone serving in Congress should be banned from lobbying the Federal government or Congress at least for a period of no less than 20 years from the date of their retirement.
This will have to be done by the American people. You can imagine that power-hungry elected officials and the corporatocracy will oppose any move to limit their power.
It must be a bottom up grass roots effort beginning at the local and state level. Citizens need to force their elected officials to introduce the Congressional Reform Act and repeal the 17th Amendment. We must act now to take America back!
But be wary of a Convention of States, which many on the right are advocating for. A Convention of States would quickly be co-opted by the same moneyed interests that currently control Washington. We saw it in action when they took over the Tea Parties.
Nothing good can happen to America without major economic and political reform. Can you see it? The rule of law must return to America.
