Congressman Ron Paul

Last month, the House amended the 1978 Foreign Intelligence Surveillance Act (FISA) to expand the government’s ability to monitor our private communications. This measure, if it becomes law, will result in more warrantless government surveillance of innocent American citizens.

Though some opponents claimed that the only controversial part of this legislation was its grant of immunity to telecommunications companies, there is much more to be wary of in the bill. In the House version, Title II, Section 801, extends immunity from prosecution of civil legal action to people and companies including any provider of an electronic communication service, any provider of a remote computing service, “any other communication service provider who has access to wire or electronic communications,” any “parent, subsidiary, affiliate, successor, or assignee” of such company, any “officer, employee, or agent” of any such company, and any “landlord, custodian, or other person who may be authorized or required to furnish assistance.” The Senate version goes even further by granting retroactive immunity to such entities that may have broken the law in the past.

The new FISA bill allows the federal government to compel many more types of companies and individuals to grant the government access to our communications without a warrant. The provisions in the legislation designed to protect Americans from warrantless surveillance are full of loopholes and ambiguities. There is no blanket prohibition against listening in on all American citizens without a warrant.

We have been told that this power to listen in on communications is legal and only targets terrorists. But if what these companies are being compelled to do is legal, why is it necessary to grant them immunity? If what they did in the past was legal and proper, why is it necessary to grant them retroactive immunity?

In communist East Germany , one in every 100 citizens was an informer for the dreaded secret police, the Stasi. They either volunteered or were compelled by their government to spy on their customers, their neighbors, their families, and their friends. When we think of the evil of totalitarianism, such networks of state spies are usually what comes to mind. Yet, with modern technology, what once took tens of thousands of informants can now be achieved by a few companies being coerced by the government to allow it to listen in to our communications. This surveillance is un-American.

We should remember that former New York governor Eliot Spitzer was brought down by a provision of the PATRIOT Act that required enhanced bank monitoring of certain types of financial transactions. Yet we were told that the PATRIOT Act was needed to catch terrorists, not philanderers. The extraordinary power the government has granted itself to look into our private lives can be used for many purposes unrelated to fighting terrorism. We can even see how expanded federal government surveillance power might be used to do away with political rivals.

The Fourth Amendment to our Constitution requires the government to have a warrant when it wishes to look into the private affairs of individuals. If we are to remain a free society we must defend our rights against any governmental attempt to undermine or bypass the Constitution.

God In Your State Constitution !!!!

THIS IS VERY INTERESTING! After you check your state(s), look at the last sentence or two.

America’s founders did not intend for there to be a separation of God and state, as shown by the fact that all 50 states acknowledge God in their state constitutions:

Alabama 1901, Preamble. We the people of the State of Alabama, invoking the favor and guidance of Almighty God, do ordain and establish the following Constitution ..

Alaska 1956, Preamble. We, the people of Alaska, grateful to God and to those who founded our nation and pioneered this great land ..

Arizona 1911, Preamble. We, the people of the State of Arizona, grateful to Almighty God for our liberties, do ordain this Constitution…

Arkansas 1874, Preamble. We, the people of the State of Arkansas, grateful to Almighty God for the privilege of choosing our own form of government…

California 1879, Preamble. We, the People of the State of California, grateful to Almighty God for our freedom .

Colorado 1876, Preamble. We, the people of Colorado, with profound reverence for the Supreme Ruler of Universe .

Connecticut 1818, Preamble. The People of Connecticut, acknowledging with gratitude the good Providence of God in permitting them to enjoy …

Delaware 1897, Preamble. Through Divine Goodness all men have, by nature, the rights of worshipping and serving their Creator according to the dictates of their consciences .

Florida 1845, Preamble. We, the people of the State of Florida, grateful to Almighty God for our constitutional liberty … establish this Constitution…

Georgia 1777, Preamble. We, the people of Georgia, relying upon protection and guidance of Almighty God, do ordain and establish this Constitution…

Hawaii 1959, Preamble. We, the people of Hawaii, Grateful for Divine Guidance . establish this Constitution

Idaho 1889, Preamble. We, the people of the State of Idaho, grateful to Almighty God for our freedom, to secure its blessings ..

Illinois 1870, Preamble. We, the people of the State of Illinois, grateful to Almighty God for the civil, political and religious liberty which He hath so long permitted us to enjoy and looking to Him for a blessing on our endeavors
.

Indiana 1851, Preamble. We, the People of the State of Indiana, grateful to Almighty God for the free exercise of the right to chose our form of government
..

Iowa 1857, Preamble. We, the People of the State of Iowa, grateful to the Supreme Being for the blessings hitherto enjoyed, and feeling our dependence on Him for a continuation of these blessings … establish this Constitution

Kansas 1859, Preamble. We, the people of Kansas, grateful to Almighty God for our civil and religious privileges . establish this Constitution.

Kentucky 1891, Preamble. We, the people of the Commonwealth of grateful to Almighty God for the civil, political and religious liberties…

Louisiana 1921, Preamble. We, the people of the State of Louisiana, grateful to Almighty God for the civil, political and religious liberties we enjoy ..

Maine 1820, Preamble. We the People of Maine .. acknowledging with grateful hearts the goodness of the Sovereign Ruler of the Universe in affording us an opportunity … and imploring His aid and direction

Maryland 1776, Preamble. We, the people of the state of Maryland, grateful to Almighty God or our civil and religious liberty…

Massachusetts 1780, Preamble. We…the people of Massachusetts, acknowledging with grateful hearts, the goodness of the Great Legislator of the Universe…in the course of His Providence, an opportunity and devoutly imploring His
direction …

Michigan 1908, Preamble. We, the people of the State of Michigan, grateful to Almighty God for the blessings of freedom … establish this Constitution

Minnesota, 1857, Preamble. We, the people of the State of Minnesota, grateful to God for our civil and religious liberty, and desiring to perpetuate its blessings

Mississippi 1890, Preamble. We, the people of Mississippi in convention assembled, grateful to Almighty God, and invoking His blessing on our work.

Missouri 1845, Preamble. We, the people of Missouri, with profound reverence for the Supreme Ruler of the Universe, and grateful for His goodness .. establish this Constitution ..

Montana 1889, Preamble. We, the people of Montana, grateful to Almighty God for the blessings of liberty establish this Constitution ..

Nebraska 1875, Preamble. We, the people, grateful to Almighty God for our freedom .. establish this Constitution

Nevada 1864, Preamble. We the people of the State of Nevada, grateful to Almighty God for our freedom . establish this Constitution ..

New Hampshire 1792, Part I. Art. I. Sec. V. Every individual has a natural and unalienable right to worship God according to the dictates of his own conscience .

New Jersey 1844, Preamble. We, the people of the State of New Jersey, grateful to Almighty God for civil and religious liberty which He hath so long permitted us to enjoy, and looking to Him for a blessing on our endeavors
.

New Mexico 1911, Preamble. We, the People of New Mexico, grateful to Almighty God for the blessings of liberty ..

New York 1846, Preamble. We, the people of the State of New York, grateful to Almighty God for our freedom, in order to secure its blessings .

North Carolina 1868, Preamble. We the people of the State of North Carolina, grateful to Almighty God, the Sovereign Ruler of Nations, for our civil, political, and religious liberties, and acknowledging our dependence upon Him for the continuance of those

North Dakota 1889, Preamble. We, the people of North Dakota, grateful to Almighty God for the blessings of civil and religious liberty, do ordain…

Ohio 1852, Preamble. We the people of the state of Ohio, grateful to Almighty God for our freedom, to secure its blessings and to promote our common
..

Oklahoma 1907, Preamble. Invoking the guidance of Almighty God, in order to secure and perpetuate the blessings of liberty … establish this

Oregon 1857, Bill of Rights, Article I. Section 2. All men shall be secure in the Natural right, to worship Almighty God according to the dictates of their consciences .

Pennsylvania 1776, Preamble. We, the people of Pennsylvania, grateful to Almighty God for the blessings of civil and religious liberty, and humbly invoking His guidance

Rhode Island 1842, Preamble. We the People of the State of Rhode Island grateful to Almighty God for the civil and religious liberty which He hath so long permitted us to enjoy, and looking to Him for a blessing

South Carolina, 1778, Preamble. We, the people of the State of South Carolina grateful to God for our liberties, do ordain and establish this Constitution

South Dakota 1889, Preamble. We, the people of South Dakota, grateful to Almighty God for our civil and religious liberties . establish this

Tennessee 1796, Art. XI.III. That all men have a natural and indefeasible right to worship Almighty God according to the dictates of their conscience…

Texas 1845, Preamble. We the People of the Republic of Texas, acknowledging, with gratitude, the grace and beneficence of God

Utah 1896, Preamble. Grateful to Almighty God for life and liberty, we establish this Constitution .

Vermont 1777, Preamble. Whereas all government ought to … enable the individuals who compose it to enjoy their natural rights, and other blessings which the Author of Existence has bestowed on man …

Virginia 1776, Bill of Rights, XVI … Religion, or the Duty which we owe our Creator . can be directed only by Reason … and that it is the mutual duty of all to practice Christian Forbearance, Love and Charity towards each other
…

Washington 1889, Preamble. We the People of the State of Washington, grateful to the Supreme Ruler of the Universe for our liberties, do ordain this Constitution .

West Virginia 1872, Preamble. Since through Divine Providence we enjoy the blessings of civil, political and religious liberty, we, the people of West Virginia .. reaffirm our faith in and constant reliance upon God .

Wisconsin 1848, Preamble. We, the people of Wisconsin, grateful to Almighty God for our freedom, domestic tranquility

Wyoming 1890, Preamble. We, the people of the State of Wyoming, grateful to God for our civil, political, and religious liberties … establish this Constitution .

After reviewing acknowledgments of God from all 50 state constitutions, one is faced with the prospect that maybe, just maybe, the ACLU and the out-of-control federal courts are wrong!

“Those people who will not be governed by God will be ruled by tyrants.” - William Penn

Then & Now

Steven E. Moran, Jr.

February 21, 2008

“We hold these Truths to be self-evident, that all men are created equal, that they are endowed by their Creator with certain unalienable rights, that among these are Life, Liberty, and the Pursuit of Happiness – That to secure these Rights, Governments are instituted among Men, deriving their just Powers from the Consent of the Governed, that whenever any Form of Government becomes destructive of these Ends, it is the Right of the People to alter or to abolish it.”-from the U.S. Declaration of Independence

THEN: ”My ardent desire is, and my aim has been…to comply strictly with all our engagements foreign and domestic; but to keep the United States free from political connections with every other Country.  To see that they may be independent of all, and under the influence of none. In a word, I want an American character, that the powers of Europe may be convinced we act for ourselves and not for others; this, in my judgment, is the only way to be respected abroad and happy at home.”– George Washington (letter to Partick Henry, 9 October 1775)

NOW: “I will send you a proposal to double the budget of the National Endowment for Democracy, and to focus its new work on the development of free elections, and free markets, free press, and free labor unions in the Middle East. And above all, we will finish the historic work of democracy in Afghanistan and Iraq, so those nations can light the way for others, and help transform a troubled part of the world.”– George W. Bush, State of the Union Address, January 2006THEN:  “The constitution vests the power of declaring war in Congress; therefore no offensive expedition of importance can be undertaken until after they shall have deliberated upon the subject and authorized such a measure.” –George Washington

NOW:  “The dirty little secret is that both houses of Congress are irrelevant. America’s domestic policy is now being run by Alan Greenspan and the Federal Reserve and America’s foreign policy is now being run by the International Monetary Fund [IMF].” And, “…when the president decides to go to war, he no longer needs a declaration of war from Congress.”– Robert Reich, former Secretary of Labor, January 7, 1999

THEN:  “I have the consolation of having added nothing to my private fortune during my public service, and of retiring with hands clean as they are empty”

                          -Thomas Jefferson, 1807

NOW:  “Corrupt politicians make the other ten percent look bad.” – Henry A. Kissinger, former Secretary of State United States of America

THEN: “In questions of power, then, let no more be heard of confidence in man, but bind him down from mischief by the chains of the Constitution.”   -Thomas Jefferson

NOW: “The illegal we do immediately. The unconstitutional takes a little longer.” — Henry A. Kissinger, former Secretary of State United States of America

THEN: “The right of the citizens to keep and bear arms has justly been considered as the palladium (safeguard) of the liberties of a republic…” — Joseph Story, Justice of the United States Supreme Court from 1811 to 1845NOW:  “Our task of creating a socialist America can only succeed when those who would resist us have been totally disarmed.” –Sarah Brady, Chairman, Handgun Control

THEN: “Firearms stand next in importance to the Constitution itself. They are the American people’s liberty teeth and keystone under independence. To secure peace, securely and happiness, the rifle and the pistol are equally indispensable. The very atmosphere of firearms everywhere restrains evil interference - they deserve a place of honor with all that is good.”  –George Washington

NOW:  “Banning guns is an idea whose time has come.” –U.S. Sen. Joseph Biden Associated Press 11/18/93
“Banning guns addresses a fundamental right of all Americans to feel safe.”
–U.S. Sen. Dianne Feinstein Associated Press 11/18/93

THEN:  “No free man shall ever be de-barred the use of arms. The strongest reason for the people to retain their right to keep and bear arms is as a last resort to protect themselves against tyranny in government.”–Thomas Jefferson

NOW:  “If it was up to me, no one but law enforcement officers would own hand guns…” - Chicago Mayor Richard Daley, in Washington, D.C., November 13, 1998.

THEN: “God who gave us life gave us liberty. And can the liberties of a nation be thought secure [without] a conviction… that these liberties are a gift from God?”  –Thomas Jefferson, Author of the Declaration of Independence

NOW:  “When we got organized as a country and we wrote a fairly radical Constitution with a radical Bill of Rights, giving a radical amount of individual freedom to Americans …… And so a lot of people say there’s too much personal freedom. When personal freedom’s being abused, you have to move to limit it. That’s what we did in the announcement I made last weekend on the public housing projects, about how we’re going to have weapon sweeps and more things like that to try to make people safer in their communities.”– U.S. President Bill Clinton, on MTV 3-22-94 

THEN:  “America does not go abroad in search of monsters to destroy; she is the well-wisher to freedom and independence of all.  She is the champion and vindicator only of her own” –John Adams

NOW:  “The story of America is the story of expanding liberty: an ever-widening circle, constantly growing to reach further and include more. Our nation’s founding commitment is still our deepest commitment: In our world, and here at home, we will extend the frontiers of freedom.” -George W. Bush

THEN:  “[O]ur fathers were men—they were heroes and patriots—they fought—they conquered—and they bequeathed to us a rich inheritance of liberty and empire which we have no right to surrender.  —Noah Webster

NOW: “It is the sacred principles enshrined in the United Nations charter to which the American people will henceforth pledge their allegiance.”  -George H.W. Bush, 19921 speech to UN General Assembly

THEN: “Democracy is the most vile form of government… democracies have ever been spectacles of turbulence and contention: have ever been found incompatible with personal security or the rights of property: and have in general been as short in their lives as they have been violent in their deaths.” -James Madison, Father of the U.S. Constitution

NOW:  “We are Americans, trustees of a vision and a heritage that commit us to the values of democracy and the universal cause of human rights.”
-John Kerry, United States Senator from Massachussetts

THEN: “The natural liberty of man is to be free from any superior power on Earth, and not to be under the will or legislative authority of man, but only to have the law of nature for his rule.”  -Samuel Adams 

NOW:  “Our aim is nothing less than to create a world system of financial control in private hands to dominate the political system of each country, and the world economy as a whole. Freedom and choice will be controlled within very narrow alternatives…”  -Carrol Quigley, CFR (1966), U.S. President Bill Clinton named Quigley as an important influence during his acceptance speech to the 1992 Democratic National Cnvention

THEN:  “The means of defense against foreign danger historically have become the instruments of tyranny at home. –James Madison

NOW:  “we will finish the historic work of democracy in Afghanistan and Iraq, so those nations can light the way for others, and help transform a troubled part of the world.”– George W. Bush, State of the Union Address, January 19, 2006

THEN: “The known propensity of a democracy is to licentiousness which the ambitious call, and ignorant believe to be liberty”.  -Fisher Ames, while making a speech during the Massachusetts Ratifying Convention

NOW:  “The experience of democracy is like the experience of life itself-always changing, infinite in its variety…” -Jimmy Carter, 39th President of the United States

THEN:  “I believe that banking institutions are more dangerous to our liberties than standing armies. If the American people ever allow private banks to control the issue of their currency, first by inflation, then by deflation, the banks and corporations that will grow up around [the banks] will deprive the people of all property until their children wake-up homeless on the continent their fathers conquered. The issuing power should be taken from the banks and restored to the people, to whom it properly belongs.”

Thomas Jefferson, Letter to the Secretary of the Treasury Albert Gallatin (1802),3rd president of US (1743 - 1826)

NOW: “…the nation-state as a fundamental unit of man’s organized life has ceased to be the principal creative force: International banks and multinational corporations are acting and planning in terms that are far in advance of the political concepts of the nation-state.”⁷

Zbigniew Brzezinski, In 1971,Former National Security Advisor during Carter Administration (Note) David Rockefeller recognized the shortcomings of the CFR when he founded the Trilateral Commission in 1973 with Zbigniew Brzezinski. Rockefeller represented Corporate and Brzezinski represented Academic.

(Note) Through its powerful membership, the Trilateral Commission dominates the executive branch of the U.S. government, the Federal Reserve System, and is closely aligned with the Bank for International Settlements, which controls the world’s currencies and money supply. This is seen even without analyzing the remaining two-thirds of Commission membership that resides outside of the U.S.

THEN: ”Any society that would give up a little liberty to gain a little security will deserve neither and lose both.” -Benjamin Franklin

NOW:  “…The one thing every man fears is the unknown. When presented with this scenario, individual rights will be willingly relinquished for the guarantee of their well being granted to them by their world government.”Henry Kissinger in an address to the Bilderberger meeting at Evian, France on May 21, 1992.

THEN: “Would it not be better to simplify the system of taxation rather than to spread it over such a variety of subjects and pass through so many new hands.”  - Thomas Jefferson

NOW: “The taxpayer; that´s someone who works for the federal government, but doesn´t have to take a civil service examination.”–Ronald Reagan , 40th US President

THEN:  “What students would learn in American (public) schools above all is the religion of Jesus.”-George Washington

NOW:  “”By the year 2000 we will, I hope, raise our children to believe in human potential, not God…” -Gloria Steinem, radical feminist in 2/10/1973 edition of Saturday Review of Education

THEN:  “I believe that banking institutions are more dangerous to our liberties than standing armies. If the American people ever allow private banks to control the issue of their currency, first by inflation, then by deflation, the banks and corporations that will grow up around [the banks] will deprive the people of all property until their children wake-up homeless on the continent their fathers conquered. The issuing power should be taken from the banks and restored to the people, to whom it properly belongs.”-Thomas Jefferson, Letter to the Secretary of the Treasury Albert Gallatin (1802),3rd president of US (1743 - 1826)

NOW:  “Mr. Chairman, we have, in this country, one of the most corrupt institutions the world has ever known. I refer to the Federal Reserve Board and the Federal Reserve Banks. The Federal Reserve Board, a government board, has cheated the government of the United States out of enough money to pay the national debt”. -Congressman Louis T. McFadden, speaking on the floor of the House of Representatives on June 10,1932

THEN:  “Independence Forever!” -John Adams, final public proclamation during celebration of the 50th Anniversary of Indepe ndence

 NOW:  “The U.S. must strive to build a new international order… including states labeling themselves as ’socialist’… to maintain and gradually increase the authority of the United Nations.” -Statement from Council on Foreign Relations (CFR) in 1959

THEN:  “Property is surely a right of mankind as real as liberty.” -John Adams, 2nd President of the United States

NOW:  “Capital must protect itself in every way… Debts must be collected and loans and mortgages foreclosed as soon as possible. When through a process of law the common people have lost their homes, they will be more tractable and more easily governed by the strong arm of the law applied by the central power of leading financiers…” J.P. Morgan, Family involved in the 1913 secret meeting on Jekyll Island that formed the private banking cartel Federal Reserve

Yours In Liberty,

Steve

Chuck Baldwin
April 1, 2008

America’s most celebrated jurist, Daniel Webster (himself a dedicated Christian man), said, “God grants liberty only to those who love it, and are always ready to guard and defend it.” Obviously, Christian men down through our history have personally and collectively shown themselves more than willing to “guard and defend” our liberties. From Bunker Hill to the Alamo, Christian men stood tall in the defense of America’s freedom. So, it is more than a little disconcerting to realize that there is a sizeable percentage of today’s Christians who seem completely unwilling to “guard and defend” liberty in these United States of America.

Oh, I know that almost all of our pastors and church leaders will laud and honor a young Christian man’s decision to join our armed forces and go overseas to fight enemies abroad. But when it comes to opposing those within our own country who seek to dismantle constitutional government or the principles of liberty, their support for resistance turns to apathy and indifference. (The reason for this couldn’t be because they simply don’t want to do the hard work, could it? Please tell me it ain’t so!)

I have even had Christians tell me that we should not oppose any attempts to resist draconian developments within our country, because doing so would actually be resisting God. The reasoning goes something like this: “The Bible says things will get worse and worse. Therefore, all this ‘bad’ stuff happening is God’s will, and if we try to prevent it, we are fighting against God’s will.” I know it sounds incredible, but we might be shocked as to the number of professing Christians that actually subscribe to such nonsense.

Isn’t it interesting, however, that these same Christians did not believe we were fighting against God’s will when we sent hundreds of thousands of U.S. military forces (many of them Christians) to fight and destroy the evil regime of Saddam Hussein in Iraq? If things are supposed to get worse and worse and we would be opposing God’s will by resisting, why should we interfere in Iraq? Why should we send troops to Afghanistan, if we are not to resist evil?

And, of course, the bigger question is, If it is right to resist evil in a foreign country half way around the world, why is it not right to resist evil in our own country?

Furthermore, the same Christians that tell us we should not oppose any evil being perpetrated by those within our own government will scream about the importance of going to the polls in November and defeating the “evil” Democrats. But why? If Christians are not to resist evil, because the Bible says things will get worse and worse, why should we worry about who wins an election? In fact, it would seem that the best thing we could do would be to identify the absolute worst, most evil candidate we could find and vote for him (or her). After all, if God intends for things to get worse and worse, why don’t we help Him out by assisting the efforts of evil people?

I wonder if Christians actually think about what they are saying?

When Jesus said, “resist not evil,” (Matt. 5:39) did He mean that we should not oppose a would-be rapist or murderer? Did He mean we should not oppose those who would destroy our homes or country? I know a few honest pacifists. However, this is not the belief system of most Christians. Most Christians believe in lawful self-defense (including this writer).

The fact is, if it is right to oppose evil in Iraq (and I am among those who question the constitutional right and authority of the war in Iraq), it is right to oppose evil in America. If we Christians are willing to send our fellow believers to fight and die in opposition to tyranny half way around the world, it is right that we should be willing to fight and even die in opposition to tyranny right here at home. It is absolute lunacy for Christians to flippantly dismiss their moral, spiritual, and civil obligation to resist the tyrannical tendencies of corrupt political powers in these United States.

Christians are plainly commanded to resist the Evil One (James 4:7; 1 Peter 5:9). When Abraham’s nephew, Lot, was taken captive by an alien army, did Abraham say, “Things are going to get worse and worse and there is nothing we can do about it”? Or did he gather his own army and attack the invaders and deliver his nephew (see Genesis chapter 14)?

During the dark days of Israel’s captivities, did not God raise up deliverers to stand against the evildoers? When David saw Goliath, did he say, “Things are supposed to get worse and worse”? Or did he gather his sling and stones and march out to face the pagan?

The history of the early church in New Testament times is one continuous example of resistance to tyrannical authority. The apostles repeatedly refused to submit to the dictates and demands of both Jewish and Roman authorities. Every apostle, save John, was killed for resisting carnal authority.

Throughout church history, martyrdom was common. Some such as Huss and Tyndale died passively at the hands of various religious and political elements, while others such as Zwingli died on the battlefield resisting corrupt and tyrannical governments.

The fact is, for more than two thousand years of Church history–from John the Baptist to John Witherspoon–Christians have repeatedly and consistently resisted evil authorities. How dare pastors and Christians now say that we should not resist the evil, tyrannical tendencies of powerful politicos? How dare they suggest that it is “God’s will” that we allow evil to triumph in our land?

Worse still is the apathy and indifference that many Christians display toward the great freedoms and liberties into which they have been born as Americans. We enjoy these great liberties, because our forebears (many of them Christians) were willing to fight and die to bequeath them to us. We do not enjoy the rights and freedoms enumerated in the Constitution and Bill of Rights and announced in the Declaration of Independence by chance or luck. These freedoms were secured by the blood, sweat, and tears of brave Americans who chose to fight evil in our own country.

America has enjoyed the blessings of liberty, because, as Webster said, our fathers and grandfathers were willing to “guard and defend” it. Will this be the generation that refuses to “guard and defend” liberty? Will this be the generation that permits the evil machinations of powerful, but corrupt, authorities to steal liberty from our posterity?

There is another statement by Daniel Webster that today’s Christians need to take to heart: “There is no nation on earth powerful enough to accomplish our overthrow. Our destruction, should it come at all, will be from another quarter. From the inattention of the people to the concerns of their government, from their carelessness and negligence. I must confess that I do apprehend some danger. I fear that they may place too implicit a confidence in their public servants, and fail properly to scrutinize their conduct; that in this way they may be made the dupes of designing men, and become the instruments of their own undoing.”

Should Webster’s warning come true for America, it will be because our pastors and Christian leaders refused to “guard and defend” liberty in our own land. Should this happen, our tombstone will read, “Here lies the United States of America: killed by the apathy and indifference of its pastors and churches.”

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© Chuck Baldwin

Chuck Baldwin is Founder-Pastor of Crossroads Baptist Church in Pensacola, Florida. Dr. Baldwin is also the host of a lively, hard-hitting syndicated radio talk show “Chuck Baldwin Live” and was the Constitution Party vice-presidential nominee in 2004.

To learn more about his radio talk show please visit his web site at: www.chuckbaldwinlive.com. When responding, please include your name, city and state

Congressman Ron Paul

These past few weeks have provided an unfortunate opportunity to discuss inflation. The dollar index has reached new all-time lows. The total money supply, M3, as calculated by private sources, is growing at a disturbing 17% rate. The Fed is pumping dollars into the economy at an alarming rate. Just recently the Fed announced new loan auctions totaling $100 billion. That is new money created from thin air. If these money auctions, combined with the bailout of Bear Stearns, continue to be the trend, we are in for some economic stormy weather. The explanation lies in understanding the basics of money, and why it is dangerous to give government and big banks control over it.

First, money is not wealth, in and of itself. You cannot create more wealth simply by creating more money. Wall Street bankers cry out for more liquidity, but what is really needed is more value behind the dollar. But the value, unfortunately, isn’t there.

You see, the Fed creates new money and uses it to purchase securities from banks. Flush with funds, these banks seek to put this money to use. During the Fed’s expansionary period, much of this money went to home loans. Through a combination of federal government inducements to lend to risky borrowers, and the Fed’s supply of easy money, the housing bubble took shape. Fannie Mae and Freddie Mac were encouraged to purchase and securitize mortgages, while investors, buoyed by implicit government backing, rushed to provide funding. Money that could have been invested in more productive, less risky sectors of the economy was thereby malinvested in subprime mortgage loans.

The implicit guarantee from the Fed is quickly becoming explicit, as those institutions deemed “too big to fail” are bailed out at taxpayer expense. Wall Street made a killing during the housing bubble, reaping record profits. Now that the bubble has burst, these same firms are trying to dump their losses on the taxpayers. This approach requires more money creation, and therefore debasement of all dollars in circulation.

The Federal Reserve, a quasi-government entity, should not be creating money or determining interest rates, as this causes malinvestment and excessive debt to accumulate. Centrally planned, government manipulated economies always fail eventually. The collapse of communism and the failure of socialism should have made this apparent. Even the most educated, well-intentioned central planners cannot plan the market better than the market itself. Those that understand economics best, understand this reality.

In free markets, both success and failure are options. If government interventions prevent businesses, like Bear Stearns, from failing, then it is not truly a free market. As painful as it might be for Wall Street, banks, even big ones, must be allowed to fail.

The end game for this policy of monetary inflation is that the money in your bank account loses purchasing power. So, by keeping failing banks afloat, the Fed punishes those who have lived frugally and saved. The power to create money is a power that should never be granted to government. As we can plainly see today, the Fed has abused this power, and taxpayers are paying the price.

Chuck Baldwin
March 28, 2008

A friend recently turned me on to the CBS television series, Jericho. I watch so little network television that I confess to never having seen the show before this week. Obviously, then, I am quite uninformed as to the overall plot and previous episodes. What I saw Tuesday evening, however, stunned me. Why? Because it very aptly depicted what could become a very real-life scenario for these United States in the not-so-distant future.

If I accurately picked up the basic plot of the show, average, freedom-loving citizens in the Western U.S. are fighting against tyrannical elements of their own government, including military forces. The State of Texas has declared its independence from the corrupt new government and another civil war is breaking out in America. And all this was predicated upon a nuclear attack, which some believed was an inside job. Am I close?

Contributing further to my amazement was the way Jericho used real-life political events to depict America’s fall into tyranny. I was flabbergasted to see the characters of Jericho refer to the Continuity of Government act as the foundation for the government’s declaration of martial law after the nuclear attack had occurred.

Ladies and gentlemen, the Continuity of Government (COG) act is not television make-believe: it is the real deal.

To read up on COG, go to Wikipedia’s entry at http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Continuity_of_Operations_Plan

In addition, I have reported the potential problems associated with COG in this column.

See http://www.chuckbaldwinlive.com/c2007/cbarchive_20070112.html

See also http://www.chuckbaldwinlive.com/c2007/cbarchive_20070525.html

Here is a quote from the Wikipedia entry: “The George W. Bush administration put the Continuity of Operations plan into effect for the first time directly following the September 11, 2001 attacks. Their implementation involves a rotating staff of 75 to 150 senior officials and other government workers from every Cabinet department and other parts of the executive branch in two secure bunkers on the East Coast . . . .

“The Bush Administration officially admitted the implementation of the plan on March 1, 2002. Key congressional leaders say they didn’t know this government-in-waiting had been established.

“On July 18, 2007 Rep. Peter DeFazio, D-Ore., a member of the U. S. House Committee on Homeland Security, was denied access to the classified version of the continuity of government plan. Though members can access classified information, this is the first time documents have been denied.”

As I wrote on January 12, 2007, “In a nutshell, proponents of COG envision a terrorist attack that would precipitate the suspension of the U.S. Constitution. Specifically, COG would authorize Congress to appoint its own members, including those in state legislatures, without a vote of the people. COG even envisions the enactment of such authority for reasons of ‘incapacitation’ (whatever that is) even if no emergency exists.”

Noted author, Dr. Jerome Corsi, wrote this of Bush’s enactment of COG, “Translated into layman’s terms, when the president determines a national emergency has occurred, the president can declare to the office of the presidency powers usually assumed by dictators to direct any and all government and business activities until the emergency is declared over.”

Contrary to the ranting of politicians and media talking heads about how great things are going in these United States, millions of Americans are becoming increasingly aware of the total corruption, crookedness, and chicanery of government officials. They have had it with being lied to, cheated, and beaten down with thousands of rules, regulations, and laws, which serve only to empower the political and business elite. They do not trust any of their politicians to tell them the truth. Their money and jobs are disappearing; their children are being brainwashed in government schools; their homes and property are being taxed out of existence; and even their country’s very sovereignty is being forfeited to foreign interests. I believe the level of frustration and anger is rising to the point that a Jericho scenario could very easily occur.

I personally believe there are only three reasons why we are not already living the Jericho experience. One, people have been quite comfortable in their own personal lifestyles. They have enjoyed comfortable homes, nice automobiles, fine clothes, and pleasure-filled vacations. Who in their right mind wants to give up the tranquility of hearth and home? Two, most of America still rests upon a Christian foundation. As such, Americans believe in peace and harmony. They believe in law and order. They believe in submitting to authority. Three, there has not been an overt, large-scale attempt by government to confiscate the firearms of the American people. Remember, it was the Crown’s attempted gun confiscation at Concord that ignited the American Revolution back in 1775.

However, the materialistic comfort of the average American is quickly fading away. People are losing their jobs, their livelihoods, their homes, and their savings. More than that, they are losing hope for a better tomorrow, and they are losing confidence in their government to honestly protect their freedoms–even their national identity.

Plus, most Christians know that there is such a thing as lawful rebellion. Even Christ’s early disciples said no to various governments during extreme situations. And for us Americans, freedom and liberty runs deep in our veins. Many of us have not buried our Don’t Tread On Me banners. We share the sentiment of Benjamin Franklin who said, “Rebellion to tyrants is obedience to God.”

Furthermore, Hurricane Katrina put the American people on notice that their government is more than willing to confiscate their firearms. Plus, the forthcoming Supreme Court ruling regarding the right to keep and bear arms is likely to authorize even tighter government regulation on this fundamental right. Even more disconcerting are the reports we are hearing from soldiers coming home from Iraq and Afghanistan telling us that they are being told to prepare for orders to turn their weapons on the American people, should the President declare martial law. (I have had more than one Iraq War veteran tell me this.)

I am afraid that the CBS television series Jericho is more than fantasy: it could be a prediction of the future. As Thomas Jefferson said, “I tremble for my country.”

*If you enjoyed this column and want to help me distribute these editorial opinions to an ever-growing audience, donations may now be made by credit card, check, or Money Order. Use this link:

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© Chuck Baldwin

Chuck Baldwin is Founder-Pastor of Crossroads Baptist Church in Pensacola, Florida. Dr. Baldwin is also the host of a lively, hard-hitting syndicated radio talk show “Chuck Baldwin Live” and was the Constitution Party vice-presidential nominee in 2004.

To learn more about his radio talk show please visit his web site at: www.chuckbaldwinlive.com. When responding, please include your name, city and state

Constitution Party
News and Information

In His Own Words:
Why Alan Keyes Is Running For President

The Alan Keyes for President Campaign has recently indicated that Alan Keyes will seek the Constitution Party Presidential Nomination at the 2008 Constitution Party National Convention in Kansas City, Missouri, April 23-26. (For Constitution Party National Convention information please visit: http://constitutionparty.com/view_events.php).

Just as Constitution Party News and Information and/or www.constitutionparty.com have previously provided a forum for other prominent individuals who were reportedly interested in seeking the Constitution Party nomination, including Former Senator Bob Smith, Former Alabama Chief Justice Roy Moore and, of course, our own Chuck Baldwin, we now provide, for informational purposes, the following article which sets forth, in his own words, why Alan Keyes is running for President.

(For more information about the Keyes for President Campaign, please visit http://www.alankeyes.com/)

Q&A: Why Alan is running for president

Why is Alan Keyes running for president, and what is his campaign about?

On Oct. 11, 2007, Alan participated in the Ohio Christian Alliance Presidential Candidate Forum, and on that occasion he was asked “why he was running for the presidency of the United States.” Here’s his response in his own words:

I’m running for president because I think this republic is collapsing. I think our system of self-government is being replaced by a system in which we will be dominated by foreign powers, by globalist institutions, by self-seeking corporations, instead of having a government of, by, and for the people.

This collapse of our national sovereignty and the sovereignty of our people is taking place because we have abandoned the basic moral principle on which this country was founded: that our rights come from God, and that therefore we must exercise them and apply them with respect for the authority of God.

In every area, we are finding that this retreat from principle is leading to the destruction of innocent life in the womb, the collapse of the family structure, the loss of our self-confidence in the defense of our borders, and finally, a misunderstanding of what the war on terror is about, since our aim must be to defeat the forces that disregard the claims of innocent life, in violation of the fundamental principle on which our country was founded.

And I don’t hear anybody else articulating this vision which makes it clear that we are urgently involved in an effort to save our republic, to save our system of self-government, and that effort especially depends on reasserting our allegiance for the basic founding vision and principles that our Founders put in place for this country.

I’m just sick of all the people dancing around it and acting as if we’re dealing with this issue and that issue and the other issue. There is one issue, and all these other issues are like the fissures and cracks in the wall that bespeak the collapse of the foundations.

It’s time we dealt with the real problem, articulated it with vision, and faced it with moral courage. And that is what my effort is about: to call people together on the common ground of our faith in God and our acceptance of the Declaration’s principles, so that we can once again become a government of, by, and for a people who have reclaimed their active citizenship and reestablished real liberty in this country.

In the same Presidential Candidate Forum, Alan was also asked, “What specifically would you do to advance a conservative social agenda?” He gave an answer that summed up the approach of his campaign — which he has called “the first real national grassroots campaign in the history of our country”:

Well, the first thing that needs to be done is we need to break the stranglehold of the godless media — the ungodly media — and the ungodly money on politicians in this country, on both sides of the aisle. We have a lot of Republicans who get the bulk of their money from fundraisers who are abortion-minded and who don’t care about the moral issues. That’s why all of them lose their courage, because they are taking money from these sources.

You can’t deal with it after you get elected. You have to deal with it in the way you get elected. That means that you’ve got to put together a truly grassroots community of faith that will stand firm in defense of these moral principles, and that’s what we’re doing on the Keyes campaign.

If folks go to alankeyes.com, they will find there something we call the “Pledge for America’s Revival,” pledging support for our return to the godly principles of the Declaration and the application of those principles in every area of policy where we confront crisis.

People who believe in that need to stand up and start working, not just on election day, but right now. And we ask that they commit to find five others, at least, who will do the same thing until we have built up an army — a new community that is based on commitment and allegiance to the first principle that our rights come from God and must be exercised with respect for the authority of God.

The grassroots people of this country must again get active — stop acting like politics is a spectator sport, something you watch on T.V. — and get involved again. They must realize that candidates shouldn’t run for office, the people should run them for office.

That means that the people have to be the active component of every campaign for political office, spreading the word in their families, their workplace, their community.

We need government of the people, by the people, for the people, but that means that people have to be active in putting together the coalition, so that then you won’t have ungodly money undoing the election result — you won’t have the ungodly media lying and undoing the election result — because we, the people, will have made the choice and determined the choices, rather than letting these people be the gatekeepers of our choices so that all we get are evil choices, and then they tell us we have no choice but to vote for the lesser of evils, which our Lord forbade us to do.

So, I think that we need to get busy, and that’s what the Alan Keyes campaign is about. I think we have to build the community that is going to advance these kinds of policies and get them moving, but you have to do it while you are doing your campaign. You have to organize people around the country to be active so that they will control the result once the election is over.

www.constitutionparty.com

Chuck Baldwin
March 25, 2008

I think it is time that we all stood up and gave the Republican Party a big round of applause. I mean, they have done us all a huge favor. By an overwhelming majority, the GOP has prevented a potential plague from enveloping these United States of America, and I think it is time that we acknowledged it. Yes, the GOP stopped a potential catastrophe. Without the combined efforts of millions of Republicans, there is no telling what kind of disaster might have ensued. Let’s hear it for the GOP! Hip Hip Hooray!

For a few minutes there, I thought the GOP might have lost its mind, but I am glad to report that all is well with the Republican Party. The international bankers and oil companies, and the military-industrial complex, as well as the presidents of Mexico and Canada, can breathe easy. With John McCain as the presumptive Republican nominee, the globalist power brokers who have dominated the last three Presidential administrations can know that they are still in charge. There will be no changing of the guard this November.

It was scary there for a while. You see, there was this kook who was running for the Republican nomination that had the potential to upset the applecart real good. But thankfully, the fine people within the GOP rose to the occasion and beat back the attempts of his nutty supporters to vault him to the nomination.

After all, just think what would have taken place if this kook Ron Paul had won the Republican nomination for President. This nut case actually believes that the U.S. Constitution is the supreme law of the land. Imagine that. That means he would never take America to war except with a Declaration of War by Congress. Think how such a thing would prevent America’s meddling and interventionism worldwide. Think of the billions and even trillions of tax dollars that would not need to be spent overseas. Think of how much money Halliburton would lose. Think of how much money the Federal Reserve bankers would lose by not being able to loan money to the U.S. government. It is too ghastly to think about.

Furthermore, this Ron Paul nut might have actually insisted that the federal government declare unborn babies to be “persons” under the law. Think of it. This would mean that every unborn baby would have the immediate protection of law. And this would have happened without the necessity of appointing a single Supreme Court justice. Whew! The Republican Party dodged a bullet on that one. Now they can continue to talk about being “pro-life” for the next thirty years in order to fool Christian conservatives into voting for them without having to actually do anything about it.

This Ron Paul kook would also have put a stop to the incessant spying on the American people by their own federal government. Egad! This Paul character would have set America back two hundred years. Think of it. No more illegal wiretaps. No more reading private emails, letters, and telegrams. No more harassment by the BATFE of law-abiding firearms dealers for honest errors in paperwork. No more using the wars on “terror” and “drugs” to violate the Fourth Amendment. Think of the money that would be lost by the feds not confiscating the private property of the American people.

In addition, if this Ron Paul nut had actually become President, he might have succeeded in abolishing the Internal Revenue Service and overturning the Sixteenth Amendment. Holy Horrors! Can you imagine the tragedy that would have ensued? No more income taxes. No more tax forms to fill out. No more IRS agents arresting hard-working citizens for “tax evasion.” No more government tracking of our private financial transactions. Think of the US attorneys whose services would no longer be necessary. Imagine that. The federal government would actually be required to live within its means; it could no longer raise taxes, because there would be no more taxes to raise.

And if all of the above is not bad enough, this Ron Paul kook would actually demand that the federal government obey the Tenth Amendment. This, all by itself, would reduce the size and scope of the federal government by at least fifty percent. Imagine if the American people suddenly had the federal government out of their pocketbooks and off their backs? What would they do with all that newfound freedom? It is too scary to contemplate.

Do not worry, however. Thanks to the fine men and women of the Republican Party, John McCain will carry their standard into the November elections. Yes, my dear friends, David Rockefeller and his fellow travelers at the Council on Foreign Relations can rest easy. Should McCain win the general election, they will retain their influence in the White House. Indeed, we can all rest easier knowing that John McCain will be the Republican nominee for President.

After all, John McCain will see to it that our borders and ports remain open to illegal aliens. In fact, a McCain Presidency will ensure that illegal aliens become permanent U.S. citizens. Or better yet, that the U.S. and Mexico will be merged into a North American Community, thus eliminating the need for U.S. citizenship altogether. This will greatly help the Chamber of Commerce and Big Business. Think of the money they can save by hiring cheap Mexican labor. Think of the plants and factories that can be moved to Mexico. Think of the cheap Chinese goods that can be loaded onto Mexican trucks from Mexican ports and shipped into the United States on the NAFTA superhighways.

And did I mention the advantage a John McCain Presidency will provide to incumbents in future elections? Because John McCain does not believe in the U.S. Constitution, the First Amendment means nothing to him. This is good, because he can use the bully pulpit of the Presidency to promote his McCain/Feingold bill that would make it illegal for citizens to voice their concerns and opinions regarding the voting records of incumbents during a general election. That means those sinister organizations such as the National Rifle Association and Gun Owners of America will no longer be able to publicly promote their views regarding the anti-Second Amendment voting records of congressmen and senators.

That Ron Paul kook would never have tolerated such a law as McCain/Feingold. But thanks to the fine men and women of the Republican Party, we do not need to worry about these little inconveniences such as the First and Second Amendments (or any of the other articles within the Bill of Rights, for that matter), because they wisely selected John McCain to be their standard-bearer.

Furthermore, because the good men and women of the GOP decided to nominate John McCain, we can look forward to one hundred years of war in the Middle East. We can all anticipate the opportunity of sending our troops into harm’s way all over the world to promote the interests of international corporations, nation-building, and other U.N. machinations.

Had that nut Ron Paul been elected, he would have practiced a non-interventionist foreign policy. He would have sought peace with all nations. And, instead of preemptively invading foreign countries, he would have dealt constitutionally with terrorists, resulting in their capture or death, the protection of America, the absence of long-term war, and the respect of nations throughout the world. Furthermore, that nut Paul would have refused to use U.S. forces to do the bidding of the United Nations and other international entities.

However, we do not need to worry about old-fashioned, out-of-date ideas such as constitutional government, conservative principles, or common sense, because the fine men and women of the Republican Party wisely chose John McCain as their presumptive Presidential nominee. Yes, indeed. Let’s hear it for the GOP!

*If you enjoyed this column and want to help me distribute these editorial opinions to an ever-growing audience, donations may now be made by credit card, check, or Money Order. Use this link:

http://www.chuckbaldwinlive.com/donate.php

© Chuck Baldwin

Chuck Baldwin is Founder-Pastor of Crossroads Baptist Church in Pensacola, Florida. Dr. Baldwin is also the host of a lively, hard-hitting syndicated radio talk show “Chuck Baldwin Live” and was the Constitution Party vice-presidential nominee in 2004.

To learn more about his radio talk show please visit his web site at: www.chuckbaldwinlive.com. When responding, please include your name, city and state

Congressman Ron Paul

Five years ago last week, the US military’s “shock and awe” campaign lit up the Baghdad sky. Five years later, with hundreds of thousands of Iraqis and nearly four thousand Americans dead, we should pause and reflect on just what has been gained and what has been lost.

From the beginning, the march to war was paved with false assumptions and lies. Senior administration officials claimed repeatedly that Iraq was somehow responsible for the attacks of September 11, 2001. They claimed that Iraq had weapons of mass destruction. They manipulated the fear of the American people after 9/11 to further a war agenda that they had been planning years before that attack. The mainstream media was complicit in this war propaganda.

Nearly ten years ago, long before 9/11, I requested the time in opposition to the fateful Iraq Liberation Act of 1998, where I then stated on the Floor of the House of Representatives, “I see this piece of legislation as essentially being a declaration of virtual war. It is giving the President tremendous powers to pursue war efforts against a sovereign Nation.” Less than five years later we were invading Iraq .

Five years into the invasion and occupation of Iraq , untold hundreds of thousands of Iraqis are dead; some two million Iraqis have fled the country as refugees; and the Iraqi Christian community – one of the oldest in the world – has been decimated more completely than even under the Ottoman occupation or the rule of Saddam Hussein.

On the US side, nearly four thousand Americans have lost their lives fighting in Iraq and many thousands more are horribly wounded. Our own senior military officers warn that our military is nearly broken by the strain of the Iraq occupation. The Veterans Administration is overwhelmed by the volume of disability claims from Iraq war veterans.

A study by Nobel Prize economist Joseph Stiglitz concludes that the cost of the war in Iraq could be at least $3 trillion. The economic consequences of our enormous expenditure in Iraq are beginning to make themselves known as we fall into recession and possibly worse.

Iraq war supporters claim that the “surge” of additional US troops into Iraq has been a resounding success. I am not so confident. Under the “surge” policy the United States military has trained and equipped with deadly weapons those Iraqi militia members against whom they were fighting just months ago. I fear by arming and equipping opposing militias we are just setting the stage for a more tragic and dangerous explosion of violence, possibly aimed at US troops in Iraq . There is no indication that the Iraqi government has made any political progress whatsoever.

The sooner we withdraw the better. The invasion and continued US occupation has strengthened both Iran and Al-Qaeda in the region. Continuing down the road of a failed policy will only cost more money we do not have and more lives that should not be sacrificed. Interventionism has produced one disaster after another. It is time we return to a non-interventionist foreign policy that emphasizes peaceful trade and travel and no entangling alliances. We can begin by withdrawing from Iraq immediately.