Street Sense

Citizen discontent appears to be a global phenomenon. All over the earth people are marching in the streets and protesting against their respective governments. At first glance one might think that there is an international cabal stirring the natives and making them restless, but if you pay close attention to complaints of the protestors, you will note that each nation has its own unique catalog of abuses or inequities.

Some are rising up against torture and oppression. Other venues find small pockets of women protesting restrictive and unequal legal systems. In some countries the demonstrations are prompted by austere fiscal policies that limit government benefits. A few nations are experiencing ethnic turmoil as some minorities protest their second-class status while other countries find majority citizens objecting to their resident minorities, their cultures and their practices. A few nations are dealing with unsatisfied citizens who challenge the corruption and power of their ruling elites. It seems as if the common thread is discontent only…..the sources and types of their disgruntlements are varied. More than Arab Spring …. greater than European Fall …. It must be the Winter of Discontent. All over the globe people are sensing that there are major cataclysmic shifts ahead.

Here in the United States there are two distinct types of protest movements. The liberty and Tea Party groups and their affiliate partners are vigorously attempting to restore some semblance of small-government constitutionalism while the Marxist-inspired “Occupy Movement” appears to desire an acceleration of big government policies. These two highly visible efforts emphatically illustrate that the economy and the political system of the USA are balanced on a fulcrum of indecision. The teetering future of the Republic can be determined at any time if either of the polar opposite’s point of view captures the imagination of the large portion of citizens who are relatively uninvolved. We could have a massive movement toward restoring our original principles that promote personal liberty and prosperity, or we might slide into chaos.

Each of the two competing visions is undergoing some changes as we approach the critical year of 2012. Cold weather and police actions have caused many of the “occupy” locations to relocate or close down. The Tea Party Alliance appears to be somewhat in hibernation mode except for those states that are in the thick of the GOP Primary contest. The next 11 months, in my view, will determine the glide path for our nation. The funny-money machinations of the Fed and Wall Street will continue as the central bankers seek to stay ahead of the avalanche. The Street and the commodity traders will frantically try to anticipate major and minor shifts thus resulting in continued high tension volatility. These actions along with continued lowering of property values and the release of another 8 million or so foreclosed properties (the commercial bubble is rather quietly losing air) will provide some impetus in the spring for a resumption of “occupation forces.” It will be fascinating to observe what impact this will have on the Obama reelection campaign since he is a eager fellow-traveler with the organizers.  

The Tea Party patriots and like minded groups are more difficult to assess. Clearly the GOP contest for president is taking a lot of oxygen from the room as individuals within the movement are supporting various candidates. If their favorites do not secure the nomination, will they continue to be as passionate and involved as they were for the 2010 mid-term elections? If the Republican Establishment is successful in their efforts to secure the nomination for Romney, will the reformers and small government advocates take a pass, support a third party or stay somewhat engaged but in a lukewarm fashion?  

Revolutions are generally messy. So far the competing ideologies for the heart and soul of the nation have remained civil….for the most part. If the 2012 election process appears to be wrested from the hands of the active citizenry, it is possible that a portion of them may seek other means for achieving their goals. In Ohio for example we are facing a cluster of initiatives and referenda as the opposing sides attempt to take their messages directly to the electorate. The political system is fragile as disgruntled citizens from competing ideologies grope for the means to achieve their objectives. Will the vast indifferent population awaken and join those who wish to use the system to repair and restore its brokenness? Or will the people allow the surly anarchic destroyers to assume control of the national dialogue? We are at the tipping point….economically, politically and spiritually. Will freedom emerge as the victor or will the unrelenting movement toward tyranny continue unabated? The choice is ours. The task is immense. Liberty is the prize.

Comment:  cearlwriting@hotmail.com

www.littlestuff-minoosha.blogspot.com

Tue. & Wed., 6-7:00pm, 1370 WSPD, Toledo   www.wspd.com

"Raveling"

Some people derive immense joy from solving puzzles. They commandeer the entire dining room table to hold thousands of tiny pieces of cardboard … all of which are strikingly similar. They spend endless hours attempting to reconfigure the picture featuring the white kitty in the snow bank. Each little piece is uniquely shaped and hued in order to limit its application to one distinct position in the picture. While I am puzzled by those who enjoy such a painstaking pastime, I do, however, appreciate their patience and persistence. It is the type of calm tenacity that is necessary for restoring our constitutional nation. It requires a sense of how the final product will appear (vision) and a plan for choosing or discarding the various puzzle-pieces on hand (priorities). The title of this column is “Raveling” because our nation has been unraveling in so many ways.

We have witnessed a political leadership that has blatantly ignored their constitutional duties while, at the same, expanding extra-constitutional government to the point where our government no longer serves the people by defending our liberties, but has become an ominous threat to our freedom. Many have joined the chorus to restore our nation or to return to our founding principles, but those lofty goals are difficult to define and nearly impossible to achieve. “Raveling,” on the other hand, is a process whereby we “re-weave” the fabric of our nation. It involves the social fabric, the political and legal tapestry and the broadcloth of fiscal and economic responsibility. Each thread has to be grasped and carefully woven back into the whole cloth as designed by our Framers. Presently, reformers are concentrating on the political aspect. That focus is doomed to fail because the entire structure has to be addressed and repaired for the fabric to regain its former integrity. If the approach does not address the whole cloth, the shredded remnant will remain…incomplete, unfulfilled and inadequate. The greatest obstacle to a systematic reconstruction of the Framer’s original plan is the impatience of the citizens. As we discard the chains of statism and knit together the liberty comforter, the progressives, statists and socialists will agitate ferociously for a return to the massive state apparatus. The fickle nature of surly voters could easily undo the restoration movement, and the leftists would not fritter away their opportunities to resume the construction of the dominant state.

Reality has presented us with a seemingly insoluble quandary: go slowly and methodically to reconstruct a firm(er) foundation, or accelerate the process to minimize discontent and thwart a hostile big-government constituency. To follow the deliberate foundational route is the preferred one because the Republic must be rebuilt in a manner that will render it nearly fail-safe. All precautions must be employed to prevent the hijacking of individual liberty and personal opportunity in future eras. To successfully implement the methodical path will require a massive education program that draws in the citizens as active stakeholders in the historic reclamation and restoration undertaking. Selling a form of government can be risky because there are clusters of people who will seek to pervert the process to serve their own purposes. It is better to promote liberty…choice…freedom…opportunity as benefits for individuals rather than promote the collective benefits that might accrue from reigniting the Framers plan. The sizzle should be in the sale by promoting the cornucopia of advantages of working for one’s freedom and self-interest.

So the “raveling” process breaks down into two basically unsatisfactory options: a slow educational piecemeal effort while fighting intense rearguard skirmishes, or a wholly disruptive dismantling of the present leviathan followed by a reconstructive period with additional safeguards added to limit opportunities for mischief. The slow route is extremely susceptible to assault and sabotage, and the faster remedy could result in widespread chaos. Personally, I find the educational systematic method more appealing, but I am aware that the more abrupt reconstructive measure may be the best available option if our economic troubles bring the nation to its knees amid swirling turmoil.

As we go forward with this challenge to restore constitutional principles to our nation, it is my hope that I can work with some like-minded patriots to design educational methods and materials to assist other patriots, patriot/liberty groups and citizens with their efforts to peacefully transition from the freedom-stealing, opportunity-denying and constitution-undermining government of today toward a re-establishment of the Constitution of the United States as the premier and sole beacon for guiding our federal government. The educational project should be a transformational tool that equips the people to shift from the present state of too-big government to a slim, sleek constitutional republic that was developed by our Framers. There is no magic wand for ending the oppressive monolith we have today and replacing it with a federal government that values freedom and protects individual liberty. We must begin work today on “Wand Building 101.” Think about it and be prepared to participate. We must all become teachers. We must all walk in the shoes of the Founders and the Framers.

Comment: cearlwriting@hotmail.com

www.littlestuff-minoosha.blogspot.com

Next Wed,, Nov. 9^th, 6-7:00pm, 1370 WSPD, Toledo www.wspd.com