America: Out of Control, Mismanaged and Misgoverned [[Article]]

[Skippy00004]

http://economyincrisis.org/content/america-out-of-control-mismanaged-and-misgoverned

Our nation is armed to the teeth against external threats, while our own citizens are arming internally with handguns and rifles.

These citizens fear each other, and our under-supported police and fire departments are little help. They have been gutted in many areas of the country as the tax base that financially supports them diminishes.

Our system of government is not working. Our choices for the presidency and Congress are too limited, with voters forced to decide between an inadequate Republican and an inadequate Democrat. Our system is flawed because it allows no way to quickly replace a bad choice once they take office.

Congress is not helping the United States. We desperately need a procedure of ?no confidence? to get rid of an ineffective government, much as they have in other countries around the world. We need to be able to get these ineffective leaders out of office as quickly as possible. We should also have national referendums on important issues that greatly affect us, such as the Supreme Court?s disastrous Citizens United ruling.

Citizens United has further entrenched our failed system by allowing corporations and wealthy individuals to spend unlimited sums of cash to influence the results of our elections. This leaves our politicians beholden to donors rather than average citizens, and leads to bad policies. The American people overwhelmingly oppose this sort of corporate influence, but we have no way to vote on it currently. Making matters worse, the Supreme Court justices who put us in this disadvantageous position have been appointed for life. The Supreme Court is every bit as influential as Congress, but we have no term limits for justices and no way to remove them for poor performance. Does this really make sense?

Considering the speed with which we have seen our country descend from a self-sustaining, productive superpower to a nation that looks more like a third world country, living on imports and debt, it is obvious this system no longer works. Many of our legislators and Supreme Court Justices have held their positions for the entire 19 years we have been declining since NAFTA was implemented. Our current system is unable to cope with these changing conditions!

The task of changing the system is a difficult one. Because of our constitution, change must come from those we put in office. Unfortunately these politicians are more beholden to their donors than to the voters, because the voters may have no choice but to vote for one of two unqualified candidates. We as citizens must pressure these politicians to do the right thing. Those that are performing well have nothing to fear from a system where politicians are required to serve their constituents or face losing their jobs. We need accountability from Washington, and the current system has not delivered!

Tell your representatives in Washington that we need a better system so America can prosper again!

I agree with the premise, but I'm not sure how I feel about the whole article.

Your thoughts?

[JohnyMac]

I agree with your comment Skippy. As I read the article I started to think...

I have screwed up. I have been so focused on the past election, Benghazi, Fast & Furious, etc that I have taken my eye off the "prepping ball." If you take a moment to put your Tin Foil Hat on - Maybe that is what "they" wanted me to do. Pay no attention to the man behind the curtain.

Has our government been compromised? Yes! Can I do something to fix it? No. At lease not for 20 months or so. Then we vote out the bums for a new group of bums.

We all know that there is going to be a collapse. The left & right want it to happen. We all know that there is going to be a civil war of sorts. It might be as bad as the civil war that happened 150 years ago or as simple as local civil disobedience actions.

The actual battles in the earlier civil war were terrible; however the 20 years that followed were horrendous. Unlawfulness, famine, inflation, etc. which all slowed the USA's growth.

I could only imagine the carnage of today if that was going to happen again. Remember, in 1860 we were a agriculture driven culture. Now, people have a hard time growing poison ivy. It takes on the average, 1,000 sq feet per person to grow enough vegetables to sustain one person for one year. And you need more than vegetables to sustain life like protein and clean water.

Then on the other side of the spectrum is civil disobedience. In my opinion civil disobedience is: You drop out of the system. You grow your own food. The only taxes you pay are sales tax if your state has that and property tax. You do not keep your money in a bank. Invest your money into your house and property, e.g. tractor, solar panels and appropriate accessories, etcetera. If you need to send a check you go to the Post Office and get a check. You do not have a credit card. If you have a phone it is a track phone. You do not have the internet at your house. If you use the internet use the one in the towns library. I also believe that you can access the internet through the ham network. I will have to look into that. There will be doctors who opt out of healthcare. They will sell their version of insurance where you pay a retainer each year similar to what many lawyers do now. You ignore the governments mandates like gun registration or confiscation. Well my wife and I are debating taking this option.

We think all out civil war is not the answer. Opting out is.

Just think what would happen if just 10% of the population opted out. The government would not collapse but they would take notice. What would happen if 25% of tax payers opted out? What if these 25% of tax payers started their own party to challenge the Democrats and Republicans?

Well just some thoughts, comments and opinions from old JohnyMac.
   

 

[hjmoosejaw]

Just think what would happen if just 10% of the population opted out. The government would not collapse but they would take notice. What would happen if 25% of tax payers opted out? What if these 25% of tax payers started their own party to challenge the Democrats and Republicans?

I think that would be a great idea JM. I entertain the thought a lot. It's not in the cards for me right now though. If I can hold out for about a year and a half, my situation will change some, and opting out will be more of a possibility. It would still be a big decision, that would take careful planning. One would have to make sure they dotted their I's and crossed their T's. If the SHTF, there would be a line of people waiting to take your self reliant life away from you, only to move in themselves. Of course anybody with anything of use, in that scenario, is going to be a target.

[JohnyMac]

All true comments hj.

It's a decision that you, your wife and children have to make. Once you make the decision you have to be in for 100% or it will not work. I also think it would not work if you are living in Levittown. Where your piece of earth is a 150x150 foot lot and houses are so close that you can hear your neighbor fart. Where your neighbors idea of good government is entitlements. Or the 2A was all about hunting. 

We all can dream can't we?  [URL=http://www.smileyvault.co


 

[hjmoosejaw]

All true comments hj.

It's a decision that you, your wife and children have to make. Once you make the decision you have to be in for 100% or it will not work. I also think it would not work if you are living in Levittown. Where your piece of earth is a 150x150 foot lot and houses are so close that you can hear your neighbor fart. Where your neighbors idea of good government is entitlements. Or the 2A was all about hunting. 

We all can dream can't we? 

Yeah, that's why I typed in a different post, about going into those beautiful hills I saw the other day, while heading to the rally. I'd like to just go up there and build a lean to. The biggest worry I'd have is if anybody would see the smoke from my campfire. LOL!

[JohnyMac]

I was writing a overview of what we did at the camp in NE PA. I asked the group if they wanted me to continue with our story and I did not hear a yeah so I stopped at the 2nd or third installment.  Check out: http://straightprep.com/forum/index.php?topic=2805.msg31072#msg31072

But what I am getting at; do it in stages. Dream > plan > Land > 12'x20' shed > bigger shed or cabin. It's all doable just in small chunks.

If you want to stay in PA. stay away from land which is part of the Marcellus shale field. The reason being the price.

OR buy land that you give up your mineral rights too. You could probably buy for $2K an acre.

Before the natural gas find, land around here was going for $1,800 - $2,200- an acre. Now it is $10,000- an acre if you buy it with the mineral rights.

Dream > plan > act > land > 12'x20' shed > cabin....One step at a time. Rome wasn't built in a day. A stitch in time saves nine.....You get the picture  [URL=http://www.smileyvault.co

[hjmoosejaw]

 [URL=http://www.smileyvault.co

[CrystalHunter1989]

I say, "Keep calm and live your life."

[JohnyMac]

I agree crystal and prep