The following comments are from Thomas Jefferson's letter to a Mr. William B. Giles. I did not post the entirety of the letter which can be found at Constitution.org. I did however think it noteworthy that Jefferson seems almost prophetic in his analysis. Keep in mind that while this was written 187 years ago, it might as well have been written this past year.
Please note the part highlighted is from me. It is very evident from reading this what Jefferson's views were on this question of separation. It was a last resort but it was a resort.
I submitted this letter because it seems like even among some who read this site on a regular basis, there is a continued meek and unresisting submission to steady incursions of the federal power over our lives and over the rights of the individual sovereign states of this Union. Despite a steady torrent of abuses to property rights and civil liberties by such unaccountable federal agencies such as the EPA, BATF, TSA, HHS, we are assured by some readers of this site that all is well and there is no need for concern. Surely such who state these things have never found themselves on the wrong side of one of these runamok and unaccountable but to themselves, agencies.
It reminds me of the story (whether this is true or no, I am not sure but it does serve as a wonderful example) of the frog put into a pot of water under which the heat is ever so gradually raised until the foolish frog is boiled to death. The same frog instantaneously put into a pot of already boiling water would leap out immediately. While suffering damage, it would have at least survived. In the former example, the pitiful creature becomes inured to the serious harm it is incurring and no doubt consoles itself that all is well as it always has been and that there is no cause for alarm or concern whatsoever.
Momentary false comfort for permanent ruin.
TO WILLIAM B. GILES.
MONTICELLO, December 26, 1825.
DEAR SIR, -- I wrote you a letter yesterday, of which you will be free to make what use you please. This will contain matters not intended for the public eye. I see, as you do, and with the deepest affliction, the rapid strides with which the federal branch of our government is advancing towards the usurpation of all the rights reserved to the States, and the consolidation in itself of all powers, foreign and domestic; and that too, by constructions which, if legitimate, leave no limits to their power. Take together the decisions of the federal court, the doctrines of the President, and the misconstructions of the constitutional Compact acted on by the legislature of the federal branch, and it is but
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too evident, that the three ruling branches of that department are in combination to strip their colleagues, the State authorities; of the powers reserved by them, and to exercise themselves all functions foreign and domestic. Under the power to regulate commerce, they assume indefinitely that also over agriculture and manufactures, and call' it regulation to take the earnings of one of these branches of industry, and that, too, the most depressed, and put them into the pockets of the other, the most flourishing of all. Under the authority to establish post roads, they claim that of cutting down mountains for the construction of roads, of digging canals, and aided by a little sophistry on the words "general welfare," a right to do, not only the acts to effect that, which are specifically enumerated and permitted, but whatsoever they shall think, or pretend will be for the general welfare. And what is our resource for the preservation of the Constitution? Reason and argument? You might as well reason and argue with the marble columns encircling them. The representatives chosen by ourselves? They are joined in the combination, some from incorrect views of government, some from corrupt ones, sufficient voting together to outnumber the sound parts; and with majorities only of one, two, or three, bold enough to go forward in defiance. Are we then to stand to our arms, with the hot-headed Georgian? No. That must be the last resource, not to be thought of
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until much longer and greater sufferings. If every infraction of a compact of so many parties is to be resisted at once, as a dissolution of it, none can ever be formed which would last one year. We must have patience and longer endurance then with our brethren while under delusion; give them time for reflection and experience of consequences; keep ourselves in a situation to profit by the chapter of accidents; and separate from our companions only when the sole alternatives left, are the dissolution of our Union with them, or submission to a government without limitation of powers. Between these two evils, when we must make a choice, there can be no hesitation. But in the meanwhile, the States should be watchful to note every material usurpation on their rights; to denounce them as they occur in the most peremptory terms; to protest against them as wrongs to which our present submission shall be considered, not as acknowledgments or precedents of right, but as a temporary yielding to the lesser evil, until their accumulation shall overweigh that of separation.
Sunday, November 18, 2012
Saturday, November 17, 2012
A little Humor - from the Maxine Cartoons
Over five thousand years ago, Moses said to the children of Israel ,
"Pick up your shovels, mount your asses and camels, and I will lead
you to the Promised Land."
Nearly 75 years ago, (when Welfare was introduced) Roosevelt said,
"Lay down your shovels, sit on your asses, and light up a Camel, this
is the Promised Land."
Today, Congress has stolen your shovel, taxed your asses, raised the price of Camels and mortgaged the Promised Land!
I was so depressed last night thinking about Health Care Plans, the
economy, the wars, lost jobs, savings, Social Security, retirement
funds, etc .... I called a Suicide Hotline.
I had to press 1 for English.
I was connected to a call center in Pakistan . I told them I was suicidal.
They got excited and asked if I could drive a truck......
Folks, we're screwed!
"Pick up your shovels, mount your asses and camels, and I will lead
you to the Promised Land."
Nearly 75 years ago, (when Welfare was introduced) Roosevelt said,
"Lay down your shovels, sit on your asses, and light up a Camel, this
is the Promised Land."
Today, Congress has stolen your shovel, taxed your asses, raised the price of Camels and mortgaged the Promised Land!
I was so depressed last night thinking about Health Care Plans, the
economy, the wars, lost jobs, savings, Social Security, retirement
funds, etc .... I called a Suicide Hotline.
I had to press 1 for English.
I was connected to a call center in Pakistan . I told them I was suicidal.
They got excited and asked if I could drive a truck......
Folks, we're screwed!
Trader Dan on King World News Markets and Metals Wrap
Please click on the following link to listen in to my regular weekly radio interview with Eric King on the KWN Markets and Metals Wrap where we discuss the past week's market action.
http://www.kingworldnews.com/kingworldnews/Broadcast/Entries/2012/11/17_KWN_Weekly_Metals_Wrap.html
http://www.kingworldnews.com/kingworldnews/Broadcast/Entries/2012/11/17_KWN_Weekly_Metals_Wrap.html
The Decline and Fall of America
Last week, the day after the election, I penned an article that I entitled, "America Votes for National Suicide". That article has received more views than anything I have ever written not only on this site, but on the other sites that I formerly wrote for. Apparently it has struck a chord, resonating with a large block of readers.
There was a small minority who attributed the article to nothing but a mere case of "sour grapes", the bemoaning of an election loss. Disclaimer - I was not originally a fan of Governor Romney but compared to the current captain of the ship America the Titanic, he would have not pushed the speed level on the engine controls to warp speed as the current occupant of the White House is doing.
I said at the time that I make my living as a commodity trader which means by nature of that occupation I must be able to ascertain trends in ADVANCE of the wider public if I am to be successful. That sort of thing tends to color the world at which one looks. In other words, I cannot help but to see the society at large in terms of trends. My reason therefore for writing the article was that I see what I believe is an irreversible trend in this nation, a trend which will result in its death as a Constitutional Republic.
Those on the left will of course rejoice at such an occurence. Those of us who cherish the nation as it once was are left with but few options. I still maintain that the best option is a splitting of the nation. The bare minimum could be a loose confederacy of states whom, in a united fashion, standing upon 9th and 10th Amendment grounds, refuse to implement any legislation proceeding from Washington which oversteps the Constitutionally granted powers of the federal government. The term is "Nullification". This would of course apply to such out-of-control federal agencies such as the EPA, ATF, HHS, TSA, etc.
I will be writing more on this in the near future as time permits.
That being said, I recommend that you read the following article in its entirety.
http://townhall.com/columnists/marvinfolkertsma/2012/11/17/the_decline_and_fall_of_america/page/full/
It is entitled, "The Decline and Fall of America" ( History buffs will immediately be mindful of Gibbons classic, "The Decline and Fall of the Roman Empire" ). The writer quotes from a Mancur Olson, an economist who published a book titled, "The Rise and Decline of Nations", in which he details the mechanisms involved in the decline in any great world power. It is frighteningly insightful. Once you understand this, the TREND in this nation will be easily discernible.
Here, in a nutshell, is the most powerful line in the article to remember:
This means nothing less than it says: a group will kill its host, the American republic in this case, before relinquishing even a modicum of benefits for itself.
If you want to see a microcosm of this principle in action, just look at what the unions did to the makers of Hostess Twinkies. They made sure it could not pull itself off the ground and now 18,000 of them are without a job.
On a local level just look at Detroit, Michigan. On a state level, watch California destroy itself within a decade. As they go, so too will our beloved country.
I do not know which is more tragic, the fact that the nation is now well down the road to permanent decline or the fact that so many, particularly those responsible for it, still remain completely blind to its ruin.
There was a small minority who attributed the article to nothing but a mere case of "sour grapes", the bemoaning of an election loss. Disclaimer - I was not originally a fan of Governor Romney but compared to the current captain of the ship America the Titanic, he would have not pushed the speed level on the engine controls to warp speed as the current occupant of the White House is doing.
I said at the time that I make my living as a commodity trader which means by nature of that occupation I must be able to ascertain trends in ADVANCE of the wider public if I am to be successful. That sort of thing tends to color the world at which one looks. In other words, I cannot help but to see the society at large in terms of trends. My reason therefore for writing the article was that I see what I believe is an irreversible trend in this nation, a trend which will result in its death as a Constitutional Republic.
Those on the left will of course rejoice at such an occurence. Those of us who cherish the nation as it once was are left with but few options. I still maintain that the best option is a splitting of the nation. The bare minimum could be a loose confederacy of states whom, in a united fashion, standing upon 9th and 10th Amendment grounds, refuse to implement any legislation proceeding from Washington which oversteps the Constitutionally granted powers of the federal government. The term is "Nullification". This would of course apply to such out-of-control federal agencies such as the EPA, ATF, HHS, TSA, etc.
I will be writing more on this in the near future as time permits.
That being said, I recommend that you read the following article in its entirety.
http://townhall.com/columnists/marvinfolkertsma/2012/11/17/the_decline_and_fall_of_america/page/full/
It is entitled, "The Decline and Fall of America" ( History buffs will immediately be mindful of Gibbons classic, "The Decline and Fall of the Roman Empire" ). The writer quotes from a Mancur Olson, an economist who published a book titled, "The Rise and Decline of Nations", in which he details the mechanisms involved in the decline in any great world power. It is frighteningly insightful. Once you understand this, the TREND in this nation will be easily discernible.
Here, in a nutshell, is the most powerful line in the article to remember:
This means nothing less than it says: a group will kill its host, the American republic in this case, before relinquishing even a modicum of benefits for itself.
If you want to see a microcosm of this principle in action, just look at what the unions did to the makers of Hostess Twinkies. They made sure it could not pull itself off the ground and now 18,000 of them are without a job.
On a local level just look at Detroit, Michigan. On a state level, watch California destroy itself within a decade. As they go, so too will our beloved country.
I do not know which is more tragic, the fact that the nation is now well down the road to permanent decline or the fact that so many, particularly those responsible for it, still remain completely blind to its ruin.
Friday, November 16, 2012
HUI holds at the last level of Chart Support
The barrage of selling that whalloped the mining sector seemed to have finally abated here at week's end. No doubt some of this was tied to shorts covering some very profitable positions. Additionally the rebound in the S&P 500 took the sector higher with it. I would think that some value based buyers were also at work here.
Regardless, the index bounced at the very last level of chart support shown. Additionally, the spike low in today's session went right back to the former downtrending line noted that was breached back in early September, a breach that I might add took the index sharply higher.
Oftentimes one will see a market that has broken out to the upside, run back lower and retest the broken downtrend line, touch it, then bounce back off of it giving evidence that the sellers have met up with sufficient buying to stymie any further downward move. That can be the end of the selling. We will see if that is indeed the case next week.
To give the bulls some breathing room, I would like to see this index move back past the 457-460 level for a bare minimum. A stronger confirmation would be a move back above 475.
Word came late in the session today that some supposed progress was within reach of some sort of compromise to deal with the upcoming fiscal cliff issue here in the US. I am not so confident that anything that emerges will have the least bit of impact on the problem but then again investors were perhaps looking for some reason to book profits on winning short positions in the equity markets ahead of the weekend.
Regardless, the index bounced at the very last level of chart support shown. Additionally, the spike low in today's session went right back to the former downtrending line noted that was breached back in early September, a breach that I might add took the index sharply higher.
Oftentimes one will see a market that has broken out to the upside, run back lower and retest the broken downtrend line, touch it, then bounce back off of it giving evidence that the sellers have met up with sufficient buying to stymie any further downward move. That can be the end of the selling. We will see if that is indeed the case next week.
To give the bulls some breathing room, I would like to see this index move back past the 457-460 level for a bare minimum. A stronger confirmation would be a move back above 475.
Word came late in the session today that some supposed progress was within reach of some sort of compromise to deal with the upcoming fiscal cliff issue here in the US. I am not so confident that anything that emerges will have the least bit of impact on the problem but then again investors were perhaps looking for some reason to book profits on winning short positions in the equity markets ahead of the weekend.
Gold Supported by Rockets in Israel
Gold continues to hold above support (see the earlier post from yesterday) as rockets flying in Israel and explosions are not something that even the most stalwart gold bear wants to deal with, especially over a long weekend during which anything could happen.
If we come into trading in Asia on Sunday evening here, and we have a further escalation over in the mid-East, gold will continue to attract buying. If we see tensions fade, then gold will likely move lower.
The mining shares appear to have finally attracted some decent buying after being beaten to a bloody pulp for most of this week.
The divergence between the shares and the price of the metal continues however so perhaps we will see a closing of the gap with the shares moving higher and gold either holding stable or drifting somewhat lower.
It is difficult to say which right now but the gap will be closed.
If we come into trading in Asia on Sunday evening here, and we have a further escalation over in the mid-East, gold will continue to attract buying. If we see tensions fade, then gold will likely move lower.
The mining shares appear to have finally attracted some decent buying after being beaten to a bloody pulp for most of this week.
The divergence between the shares and the price of the metal continues however so perhaps we will see a closing of the gap with the shares moving higher and gold either holding stable or drifting somewhat lower.
It is difficult to say which right now but the gap will be closed.
Do You Want to Stop Obamacare in your State?
Those of you who are opposed to this abomination and wish to prevent the destruction of what is left of our Republic, please read the following article. If you are fortunate enough to live in a red state, there is still a chance to see the states stop this thing dead in its tracks.
Please, please, pick up the phone and call your Governor's office and urge them to say NO to setting up the state run exchange. If the states refuse to implement this thing, it will wither and die on the vine.
This is how the States are able to stand on the Tenth Amendment and refuse to comply with a power grab by Leviathan on the Potomac.
http://www.redstate.com/2012/11/16/will-gop-governors-save-us-from-obamacare/
We all understand that elections have consequences and that there are certain issues which are ceded with an electoral loss. Obamacare is not one of them.
If Obamacare is allowed to survive, then our Constitution has no meaning and our Republic is finished. It will engender a takeover of 1/6 of our economy, create permanent dependency, induce unsustainable inflationary pressure on the cost of healthcare and health insurance, and saddle the next generation with crippling debt. Every intervention, program, and mandate prescribed under the 2010 healthcare law, if left intact, will limit freedom, increase insurance premiums, create more dependency, and lead to rationed care.
Quote of the Day
"Society in every state is a blessing, but government, even in its best state, is but a necessary evil; in its worst state an intolerable one." --Thomas Paine
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