A.L.E.R.T.
(America Law Education Rights & Taxation)

05-09-2002
Keep Your Toner Dry

Well, I'm back. The seasonal Tax Circus has packed its tent and left town for yet another year and the e-mail has finally stopped arriving in waves. "Taxpayer" anxiety levels have begun to abate and the public's brain will soon go to the beach for the summer, with the taxing statutes soon being of apparently little further concern.

It's always a little lonely around here between Memorial Day and Labor Day (sniffle), so those of you who are serious about your freedom education and protecting your "stuff", take advantage of that fact. I am always available for private consultation with anyone willing to abandon their fingernail clippers and fly in for a little one-on-one. Let me know and we can make arrangements.

It's been quite a show this year, what with: numerous jack-booted raids; a notorious "tax hearing" no-show at the National Press Club in the District of Corruption (did you REALLY think the IRS was going to show up, Bob?); the Commissioner flexing some muscle before Congress on the tee-vee; a few indictments, and; some threatened injunctions to shut down several tax websites. With half the country no longer filing, the federal tax till has GOT to be running low, so expect more of these scare tactics from the B.O.R.G. (Bionic Omnipresent Revenue Gestapo).

There's a fresh odor of fraud in the air as well. Some of you may have noted that the wording "If an individual gives you a written statement that he or she is a citizen ... you do not have to withhold tax ..." has ... POOF! ... been removed from IRS Publication 515 for 2002. It was there for DECADES, then all of a sudden, gone! More sleight of hand. You'd think the IRS was trying to suppress the truth or something.

It is obvious to anyone not glued to CNN that our Republic has reached the end condition known as Empire. Joseph Sobran does a marvelous job of describing this transition in a superb essay titled "How Tyranny Came To America", in which he wryly comments, "... the U.S. Constitution poses no serious threat to our form of government." He goes on to say that the Constitution "... serves the same function as the British royal family: it offers a comforting symbol of tradition and continuity, thereby masking a radical change in the actual system of power." Read the piece at his web site at http://www.sobran.com.

Like the characters in Heinlein's "Fahrenheit 451", the Republic lives on in the hearts and minds of constitutionalists everywhere, one day to re-emerge triumphant. Of course, as both Ghengis and Alexander came to discover, even Empires collapse eventually. But it takes a while. Meanwhile, the oppressed subjects of conquerors and tyrants are forced to emulate the efforts of the first fuzzy mammals that co-habited Earth along with the dinosaurs: their objective was to survive. Likewise, we have a tyrannical behemoth stomping around over our heads today. It's called the federal government, and it's totally out of control. Someday, just maybe, God will send the equivalent of another asteroid and Tyrannicus Federalis will disappear. Freedom will break out all over like a sunny day, and lovers of liberty will suddenly become the dominant species. But that ain't gonna' happen any time soon, Virginia.

Richard Maybury speculates in an interesting piece in the April issue of his "Early Warning Report" that an Islamic freedom fighter (one man's crusader being another man's "terrorist") will use one or more of the many missing nuclear backpacks to vaporize Washington, D.C., whereupon the Empire On The Potomac will reinstall itself somewhere within the 50 states. That location will in turn be quickly rendered a giant glowing crater, whereupon no other state will allow the federales to camp there. It will begin to dawn on the People that they really don't NEED a central government; that Patrick Henry and the rest of the anti-Federalists were right in rejecting one; that we can once again revert to the equivalent of the Articles of Confederation, with each state reasserting its own sovereignty. Having defeated the Evil Empire, the Islamic world would then be left to concentrate on killing each other in the age-old game of "king of the mountain". Maybury's views integrate well with those of James Dale Davidson in his book "The Sovereign Individual", available at http://www.amazon.com.

Nuclear attacks, civil war and other interruptions aside, I have some personal views on what the near future may hold for Americans. Hillary won't let me borrow Eleanor Roosevelt's crystal ball, so I can only offer an opinion. As the saying goes, opinions are like noses: we each have one. File the following under "For What It's Worth".

ALL wars throughout human history have been religious wars (although not understood as such by most), including the major European wars of the last century. While Pat Buchanan delicately dodges the fundamental and beyond-politically-incorrect issues behind the decline of western civilization in his recently released book, "The Death Of The West", he makes the obvious point that, by the middle of this century, the America the Founders envisioned will have evaporated, ceased to exist, and disappeared into the ashcan of history. 

The great Anglo-Saxon tradition of liberty achieved through rugged individualism as displayed from the Magna Carta (where the King capitulated) on up to the surrender of the British at Yorktown (where the King again capitulated) will have been snuffed out and replaced by Hillary's view of benevolent communitarianism -- the iron hand in the velvet glove. Already, Mr. Bush wants us all to volunteer for community service, soon to be mandatory. Shades of Hitler's "Brown Shirts". It's "all for the children", you see.

By the mid-2000's, the political, cultural and economic strife now plaguing California will have perfused every federal colonial outpost, er, state, reaching from the tip of sun-baked Baja to the northernmost tip of verdant Maine. That is, if our nation hasn't already splintered into factious, warring gangs engaged in a third, bloody civil war divided across racial lines.

The only force that can counteract this fatal trend is education in the principles of liberty, as brilliantly summarized by Frederick Bastiat in his 1848 essay, "The Law". Nothing short of proper education will suffice. But education is a slow and steady process. Nevertheless, somewhat less-than-seasoned patriots, in particular those in the tax awareness arena, continue to treat the "freedom movement" (which I contend is neither free nor moving in any discernible direction) as if it were some sort of sporting event, soon winnable and complete with trophy ("Let's recapture the Constitution!").

The reality is that the freedom we seek will not arrive within the lifetimes of anyone reading this. That's a big pill for Big Egos to swallow, but, c'est la vie. The best we can hope for -- in light of the fact that it has taken about twelve human generations thus far (gestationally speaking, that is) for our nation to sink this low -- is that we can begin to turn things around in a generation or two. Or three.

The Baby Boomers are essentially useless for this task, now thoroughly marinated in socialism, having spent 12 of their most critical developmental years being intellectually neutered in a government ejukashun camp. They certainly won't save us. As for the "Generation X'ers", well ... just take a look at the body-pierced life forms that pop out of the drive-up windows at any Dunkin' Donuts. They won't save us either. If the burgeoning home-education movement fails us, it's "lights out". For the best resource available on this subject, visit the National Home Education Research Institute at http://www.nheri.org and buy all of Dr. Brian Ray's books. Tell him I said hello.

More and more, home schooling is becoming fashionable, driven not by ideology, but by concerns of in-school shootings, metal detectors, lascivious presentations of "alternative lifestyles" by N.A.M.B.L.A. (the North American Man-Boy Love Association, I kid you not) and other factors having nothing to do with learning. 

To avoid these issues, soccer moms everywhere are heeding the clarion call of Dr. James Dobson and talk radio's Dr. Laura, and pulling their kids out of the government schools in droves. That's right, they take the kiddies home, sign them up with the State Superintendent of Schools as home schoolers, then proceed to sit at the kitchen table from 9:00AM to 3:00PM each weekday studying from the exact same government school books as the kids up the street in the near-windowless government conditioning center, er, public school. All such activity is now included within the broad definition of "home schooling".

Who alive today COULD run for national office and restore Jeffersonian republicanism? The one shining performer we have right now in the House of Representatives is populist obstetrician, Dr. Ron Paul, a stand-up guy, a real patriot, and the closest reflection of Representative Davey Crockett currently legislating. Unfortunately, the good doctor apparently doesn't quite grok the Constitution. Why do I say that? Because he doesn't understand the scheme of federal taxation, from which all other constitutional understanding floweth (money being the root of all legislation). He thinks that repealing the 16th Amendment would save us. Not even close, Ron. And certainly, no cigar.

Besides, he'd never get elected. If you've watched the "Votescam" video (mandatory viewing) or read the book (mandatory reading, and both available at http://www.votescam.com); if you've viewed intrepid investigator Daniel Hopsicker's video "The Big Fix 2000" (available at http://www.madcowpress.com); if you've reviewed the website of indefatigable conspiracy investigator Sherman Skolnick at http://www.skolnicksreport.com and followed the roles of money laundry lady Catherine Harris, Bush Crime Family enforcer James Baker III, Brother Jeb and other Bush Bagmen in laundering Florida drug funds and steering them into the Bush-A-Matic election machine; if you've read the current best-seller "Stupid White Men" by Michael Moore (no doubt causing Dubya's handlers sleepless nights) and learned of Ms. Harris' role in fraudulently removing 137,000 registered Democrats from the Florida voter rolls; you know that the 2000 presidential elections were as rigged as a roulette wheel on a Louisiana steam boat. All A-B-O-A-R-D!

At one point on his video, a cautious Hopsicker stands in front of the Marlton, New Jersey home of millionaire Mafioso, Pasquale Ricco Ricci, president of Sequoia International -- the organized-crime company that manufactured the voting machines that were first used to rig the Louisiana elections, and were then shipped to Florida to do the same -- and explains to the camera exactly how the vote was rigged (with the help of the Syndicate, the CIA and the Supremes) and Bushscam 2000 pulled off. The real president is wandering the land sporting a beard and hugging trees. But he would have been even worse (if that's possible).

It seems that in addition to electronic voting machines (where you push a button for the pol of your choice and there's no possible reverse audit trail that can confirm the vote after the fact), Sequoia International also manufactures casino slot machines and electronic video games. Same difference! Bottom line: no third party candidate will make it to the White House any time soon. Not with Da' Boyz rolling back the vote odometer like a seedy used car dealership. And if he does, he won't live long to tell about it. Just ask Jack Kennedy.

Thanks to the recent and ongoing publicity efforts of politically naive activists in the tax education movement, the inevitable National Sales Tax (NST) will arrive a few years earlier. Dubya and the Go-Slower Socialists (Republicrats) will probably be re-elected in 2004 since most of the voters favor the illusion of security over the reality of liberty. The Republicrats may well attempt to hijack the NST issue as a plank in the 2004 presidential platform, stealing it from the Go-Faster Socialists (Demicans) and selling it to the voters on the basis of class envy (a theme commonly fed to hypnotized juries during tax trials) -- i.e., everyone must pay their Marxist "fair share". All nonfilers must be "flushed out of their holes" and forced to cough up a little monetized labor like everyone else. The Constitution? Lawful taxation? No problem. That "living document" now authorizes ANYTHING.

When the NST arrives, plan on paying an extra 15-25% for virtually everything you buy, while taking a huge plunge forwards towards an all-electronic ("cashless") society. At first, the so-called "underground economy" (the REAL economy where folks voluntarily agree on exchanges of value absent all government interference) will explode, the shelves of consignment stores will bulge, and the local Penny Shopper will look like the Manhattan white pages.

For a while, that is, until planned obsolescence requires the replacement of everything manufactured in the last three years, at which point backyard barter clubs will explode, organizations like Liberty League will swell in numbers, and the Evil Empire will order neighbors to begin snooping on each other in order to win the soon-to-be-launched "War On Tax Avoidance". Expect the B.O.R.G. (see above) to run a toll-free "800-TAX-CHEAT" number so that indoctrinated soccer moms everywhere can "drop a dime" on their "right wing" neighbors to report private (untaxed) transactions taking place at garage sales and elsewhere.

I predict that the Central Planners will hold off on forcing the National ID issue at the federal level, however the DMV's in the 50 outposts are conspiring as I write to turn the driver's license into a de facto mandatory National ID, complete with SSN, thumbprint and retinal scan (and maybe even DNA from a mandatory urine test, to keep the roads safe from drugged drivers, all "for the children").

Sometime in the not-too-distant future, in order to combat "terrorism", a state-issued photo ID will be required by law to be produced for each and every retail transaction. Meanwhile, the Federal Reserve Note will gradually incorporate electronic tracking devices now being tested in the Euro. Point-of-sale retail credit card terminals will be modified to swipe and read not only VISA, MASTERCARD and all other plastic dogtags, but those sober pictures of Washington, Lincoln, Hamilton, Jackson, Grant and Franklin as well. 

Go to the store to make a "cash" purchase and both the "bill" AND the ID will be swiped. The government will then have real-time knowledge of exactly WHO made which purchase, WHAT was bought, exactly WHERE and WHEN the purchase occurred, and HOW it was paid for. Welcome to THX1138 (rent the video). And you thought the NST was a solution.

Devvy Kidd apparently does. Devvy's a very nice lady, a luminary in the tax awareness movement, and certainly not one lacking in patriotism. Unfortunately, she's now calling for a 1% "Fair Tax" to replace the income tax, a tax which no American lacking qualified foreign sources of taxable income has ever owed. Go figure. A 1% "Fair Tax" would offer an easy opening for the federales to get the camel's nose under the tent, then crank the rate up a little later. But they wouldn't do THAT, would they? But, wait a minute ... hasn't that happened ALREADY? What about the Income Tax Act of 1913 with an initial rate of just 1/2 of one percent, a tax sold to the voters on the basis that none of THEM would ever pay it, that it would only "soak the rich". I mean, the government wouldn't try to pull something like that AGAIN, would they Devvy? Funny how the circle turns.

What about the "War On Terrorism"? Will it ever be won? That is precisely what mega-billionaire Warren Buffet and arguably one of the savviest investors alive recently asked. One thing's for certain. It sure will cost a lot. Maybe every dime in the Social Security Trust fund. That is, if there really were any dimes there to begin with. And if it really were a fund. You get the idea.

As I'm fond of asking, will Elmer ever catch Bugs? Will Dubya ever catch Osama? Would viewer interest decline in both situations? Incidentally, Mr. Buffet recently stated that an act of nuclear terrorism WILL occur with a certainty in America. It's just a matter of time, he says. Why? Because the rest of the world hates our guts for interfering in their internal affairs. George Washington warned of this in his Farewell Address To Congress. But, hey, what did he know? He's just a dead white guy who owned slaves. Besides, times have changed. 

To explain the virulent animosity of literally billions of foreigners towards Amerika, Richard Maybury asks in the May 2002 issue of his Early Warning Report, "How would Americans feel about the government of, say, Pakistan if armed Pakistani troops landed in America in support of the democrats against the republicans?" This is precisely how Muslims in particular feel about the Great Satan, Uncle Sam. Mssrs. Buffet and Maybury are no slouches. I imagine they're pretty well connected, and they're certainly worth listening to. But, not to worry. Just get in line at the airports and take your shoes off. 

Meanwhile, notwithstanding the panoply of fluttering flags (made-in-China) adorning the car antennas (made in China) of instant patriots everywhere, our borders remain largely unguarded and as porous as Dubya's understand of civil liberties. Anthrax, suitcase "nukes" and cannisters of sarin nerve gas can all be literally walked into America by anyone with a GPS receiver, some chewing gum and a hiking stick.

Count on major future attacks, likely biological or nuclear. Are you prepared? Minimum proper preparations include all those wacko "survivalist" items still gathering dust from the "Y2K" non-event, including six months worth of cash (safely distributed and cached); six months worth of food, toiletries and staples (ditto); six months worth of, er, the usual supply of, uh, 2nd Amendment items (ditto); a reliable method of water filtration; potassium iodide for your thyroid (see http://www.4pi.com) plus colloidal silver and tetracycline (available from any health food and tropical fish store, respectively) for those less-than-totally-nasty designer bugs, and some remedies from your local homeopath for the really nasty bugs like anthrax and smallpox. Add a deck of cards, a radiation dosimeter, a can opener, a guitar, your dog-eared copy of "101 Things To Do Until The Revolution" by Claire Wolf, and you're all set.

The answer to the encroaching nightmare is that we must attack the problem from the bottom up. The top is too far gone and too corrupt. Petitioning tyranny to correct itself at its head has never worked throughout recorded history. Just ask the boys at Concord and Lexington. Dubya won't help us, Hillary won't help us, the corrupt courts won't help us, voting won't matter anyway, and all petitions and entreaties to "please give us back our rights" will go unanswered. Remember, the logo at the Ministry of Truth is a Smiley Face. Bottom line: we're on our own, folks.

Is there hope? Yes, there is. It's a two-part plan.

(1) Patriotic Americans, that is, REAL Americans everywhere, must start identifying and locating each other. We must band together and patronize one another in a private economic society (OK, call it an "underground") that preserves and respects individual rights (the job government is supposed to do), while properly and thoroughly educating the next crop of citizens behind closed doors, beyond the hearing of the King's minions and spies (your neighbors). 

(2) Run for office and make a difference, but start at the BOTTOM of the food chain. Think locally. Act locally. Get yourself or your buddy elected Sheriff, county clerk or magistrate. Get on the school committee and the zoning board. Get elected Mayor of your town, or Police Chief. Infect local politics with true patriots. Tip the apple cart.

To accomplish the above, a little birdie informs me that a new nationwide organization called "Liberty League" is burning the midnight oil in preparation of an introductory piece that I believe will rock the righteous. The solution and the philosophy which they propose appears to me to be the only viable answer to our present malaise. Meanwhile, stay tuned. I'll be back often now that things are slowing down (sniffle). Coming soon, lots more to share. Keep your toner dry.