Dear America,

"I believe there are more instances 

of the abridgment of the freedom 

of the people by gradual

and silent encroachments of those in power,

than by violent and sudden usurpations."  

James Madison

From The 5000 Year Leap, written by W. Cleon Skousen, we are given a reminder as to how America is supposed to work: "Anyone who says the American Constitution is obsolete just because social and economic conditions have changed does not understand the real genius of the Constitution.  It was designed to control something which HAS NOT CHANGED AND WILL NOT CHANGE -- NAMELY, HUMAN NATURE."

Again, from Madison:

"It is proper to take alarm at the FIRST EXPERIMENT ON OUR LIBERTIES.  We hold this prudent jealousy to be the first duty of citizens and one of the noblest characteristics of the late Revolution.  The FREEMEN OF AMERICA did not wait till usurped power had strengthened itself by exercise and entangled the question in precedents.  They saw all the consequences [of governmental abuses] in the principle, and they avoided the consequences by denying the principle [on which the abuses were based]. "

The ever so slight usurpation...some hidden from view...some thought proper and good for all the wrong reasons, yet now well enshrined into the public works years in the making...now coming back to haunt us, like a vicious regret gurgling up to bite back just when we thought we were through the worst part; unfair and cruel, really, for the assault happened a long time ago --  the fundamental principles upon which this country was made have been beaten down for so long now, we can hardly recognize ourselves anymore.

Maybe we are just ashamed; perhaps it's just  all the years of denial and neglect, that are now adding up to a mountain we fear to tread, let alone, really want to climb -- just leave me here in the valley, I'll be fine, go on, save yourselves...

and yet, here in the valley of darkness, what should our wandering eyes should appear, a strange occurrence, an offering of reinforcement, of sorts, and it's happening all around -- so called "rights" are being co-mingled with privileges -- while one person's rights are deemed an outright assault on another -- while a machine feeding propaganda and falsehoods comes to us disguised as mainstream media, spoon-fed from an administration dishing out a peculiar ideology, a rather foreign combination,  far reaching into the annals of social justice reform, along side a fair portion of an overzealous progressive agenda, taking away our simple liberties and freedoms, and filling us up with everything but what we truly need.

And this is going to help?

And so here we are... a day after another President's Day...  cautiously optimistic about our future. oh joy.

So,

we have made some mistakes; we have experienced, personally and intimately, the repercussions of our own making -- respective of a lapse of good character, for one; we have let ourselves be controlled, manipulated, and even scorned, for abuses seen and unseen, for things we did not do, or for nothing more than our own ignorance, apathy and ability to just put up or shut up.

...a little ridicule here... a little usurpation there...nudging people towards catastrophic change...emasculating crazy things, like a people's Constitution, creating an atmosphere of fear, worry, need, and utter desperation -- unable to stay where we are, and yet, unable to move forward just the same.  stuck.  imprisoned in our own home.

"The corruption of power is not in power, but in ourselves.  And yet, what is this power which men live by and to a significant degree live for?  Power is the very essence, the dynamo of life...Power is an essential life force always in operation, either changing the world or opposing change.  Power, or organized energy, may be a man-killing explosive or a life-saving drug.  The power of a gun may be used to enforce slavery, or to achieve freedom...


It is impossible to conceive a world devoid of power; the only choice of concepts is between organized and unorganized power...Every organization known to man, from government down, has had only one reason for being -- that is, organization for power in order to put into practice or promote its common purpose." from Rules For Radicals, Saul Alinsky

Exactly -- as our founders might say to that -- except for one caveat, that this is precisely what our founders were guarding against...fearing that one day when a new America emerges where the power elite have their way with us (as all great societies come and go).

And don't you just love that part about "from government down..." -- Alinsky's imagery, not mine; but honestly, failing to recognize, and respect, a founding principle should be forbidden, no?

America was designed from the power of the people UP -- you would think, from the sixties standpoint alone, radicals would have shaped the last forty years clinging to this very ideology, birthed by our founders and our inherent power to the people mentality, differently -- if not absolutely -- and with a resounding arm pump in the air, if not looking very much like a faction growing far and wide and simply called the Tea Party.

I love how the sales pitch on the back cover of Alinsky's "Pragmatic Primer for Realistic Radicals" includes a quote from the Chicago Sun-Times:

"Alinsky's techniques and teachings influenced generations of community and labor organizers, including the church-based group hiring a young [Barack] Obama to work on Chicago's South Side in the 1980's...Alinsky impressed a young [Hillary] Clinton, who was growing up in Park Ridge at the time Alinsky was the director of the Industrial Areas Foundation in Chicago."

No kidding.
But no, pay no attention to the radical roots in office; never mind that the administration is back peddling as we speak, as to the federal government's own involvement in sending in the troops, through outfits such as Organizing for America, along with various Union members and leaders, from out of state even, to the Wisconsin state capital...in hopes for bringing the process to it's knees.

"The real action is in the enemy's reaction; the enemy properly goaded and guided in his reaction will be your major strength; Tactics, like organization, like life, require that you move with the action..."  An Alinsky-ism strikes again.

And let us not forget Alinsky's famous "Thirteenth Rule: Pick the target, freeze it, personalize it, and polarize it."

What has been the target of the last forty years, or so?   The pursuit of making our first principles obsolete -- beginning with our Constitution -- turning it's very intentions into a mockery, re-litigating the message, and convincing the American people that it is alive -- living actually -- and thus, must evolve to shape our brand new world.

That, along with attacking the fundamental ebb and flow of our free market principles, free enterprise, capitalism, and the founding  American belief that goes a little something like this:

"It was realized, of course, that some would prosper more than others.  That is inevitable as long as there is liberty.  Some would prosper because of talent, some because of good fortune, some because of inheritance, but most would prosper because of hard work
...[the] concept of 'freedom to prosper' was based on the belief that man's instinctive will to succeed in a climate of liberty would result in the whole people prospering together.
...The idea was to maximize prosperity, minimize poverty, and make the whole nation rich...Hard work, frugality, thrift, and compassion became the key words in the American ethic."

The 5000 Year Leap

About a week ago, our local paper came out with a study titled, "'13th Check' Pension Payouts: $73 Million" (this article just so happens to be coupled with, at a rate of nearly every day, of hundreds of other "watchdog" narration, highlighting one travesty after another of our country/state/city/pension/retirement/benefits/entitlements boondoggle...as in, someday how about telling us something  we don't know...whatever, better late than never) -- but basically, the gist of it gets down to how in the world could we have done this to ourselves!

The thought of distributing the modest return of investment -- when most of us would think twice before paying ourselves a bonus, even if fortunate enough to be experiencing a healthy market swing --  instead of being thrifty, and pouring profits back into the investment -- you know, for a rainy day, to build on our reserves, to roll it into something that might actually begin to pay for itself over the years...

but noooooooo, let's just cut a check. let's just call it the thirteenth check... even when unfunded liabilities are running amuck and at a time when San Diego is experiencing budget shortfalls and losses for a far as the eye can see.

typical.

oh sure, this benefit, the Thirteenth Check, was taking away in 2005, but we've got a long road ahead just to cover for the sheer lack of oversight and irresponsibility already knee deep -- while being unable to predict the next possible drought, blizzard, or gully washer on the horizon, our ability to navigate the days ahead fall directly on the good lord willin' and if the creek don't rise at this point.

I sincerely hope what is playing out in Wisconsin is duplicated across the land, from sea to shining sea; call it what you will, union-busting...and proud of it -- these "collective bargaining rights" under dispute in middle America, when push comes to shove, actually goes against the grander collective already a strong foothold and mainstay on these here parts... I reckon... and steady as a force to be reckoned with...

Collective bargaining for the rights of the rest of Wisconsin's taxpayers began to take hold at the mid-term elections; Governor Scott Walker campaigned and promised reform of union benefits and retirement packages; the mandate was spoken by ballot box -- and no matter how long you boycott, protest, march or yell and scream -- our republic is designed such that, if you have a grievance -- you act intelligently, with civility, and with proper decorum and due process.

Sorry...Wisconsin's leader is not Trumka of the AFL-CIO; it's leadership, and the powers that be, do not take heed to ridicule, stand firm, undaunted by the fearless vigilante assault by free radicals on the capital front lawn and veranda; but more important, the lives of our children -- and our children's children -- now burdened with unsustainable debt, is what's at stake.

After years of waging a committed assault against our free markets principles, after decades of negotiating reprehensible deals masked by the union label, we seem to be passing on to our children a system that goes against every principle of value, as the collective mission of our nation takes an unforeseen turn marked by fundamental transformation.

Let us not forget, our one true source for all that we ever need is within -- real empowerment is always within reach; organizing for America, the whole body of America, is much bigger, grander, than what merely scratches the surface by a few loose cannons in motion.

A war hero and purple heart recipient, Anthony Maschek, was heckled by an audience of his "peers" when he made comments that scared people ....even if his point of view came from a place of compassion, calling attention to a deeper, sinister plot in the real world-- certainly a reality hard to swallow for the ignorant and unaware, just show me to the next keg'r and I'm good;  of course, he was speaking on behalf of the mindful attacks, at the hands of radical Islamic extremists, who simply want to kill Americans and everything for which America stands; but make no mistake, America is also under attack of the worst kind -- from the inside out, and it has the power to turn us upside down if we let it...


As one thing's for sure, HUMAN NATURE never changes...our founders were kinda hoping we would never forget.

Make it a Good Day, G