D o w n s i z e r - D i s p a t c h
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01/25/08
D o w n s i z e r - D i s p a t c h
Change the environment. Recruit more Downsizers. Share this message with others.
Quote of the Day:
"Americans just want us to... not be concerned if they can be constitutionally justified...Why, if we had to do that we could not pass most of the laws we enact around here."
-- Sen. John Glenn (D-OH) 07/16/96
Subject: Where things stand with the "Enumerated Powers Act"
The "Enumerated Powers Act" would compel Congress to cite the section of the U.S. Constitution that provides the authority for every law they pass. We first introduced this bill to Downsizers on December 19, 2007, but what we didn't tell you is that this bill already has 38 sponsors in the House of Representatives.
You see, it is possible for members of Congress to support good legislation once in a while. That's the good news.
But the bad news is that no Senator has yet signed on as a co-sponsor, and there are no new co-sponsors in the House since December 12th. Can we encourage more Representatives and maybe a few Senators to climb on board? Let's try.
We've provided a full list of Congressional sponsors below my signature. If your Representative isn't on that list, please send a message asking him or her, as well as your two Senators to co-sponsor the bill. Our hardwired message to Congress already has the bill number in it. Use your personal comments to mention that the bill already has 38 co-sponsors, and how happy it would make you to see your elected representatives on the list.
If you're Representative is already on the list, use your personal comments to thank him or her, while urging your Senators to follow the good example of the 38 House members who are already co-sponsors.
Let's show that Senator Glenn was wrong. Let's show Congress that we do want our laws to be constitutional.
So far Downsizers have sent Congress 3,444 messages on this bill. Let's see how much we can increase that number today. Send your message here.
Thanks for being a part of the growing Downsize DC Army.
Perry Willis
Communications Director
DownsizeDC.org, Inc.
Here's the list of co-sponsors (listed alphabetically) . . .
Rep Akin, W. Todd [MO-2] - 3/6/2007
Rep Barrett, J. Gresham [SC-3] - 12/5/2007
Rep Bartlett, Roscoe G. [MD-6] - 3/6/2007
Rep Bishop, Rob [UT-1] - 3/6/2007
Rep Boozman, John [AR-3] - 4/24/2007
Rep Burton, Dan [IN-5] - 3/6/2007
Rep Conaway, K. Michael [TX-11] - 3/6/2007
Rep Duncan, John J., Jr. [TN-2] - 3/7/2007
Rep Davis, David [TN-1] - 3/27/2007
Rep Feeney, Tom [FL-24] - 4/24/2007
Rep Flake, Jeff [AZ-6] - 3/6/2007
Rep Foxx, Virginia [NC-5] - 3/6/2007
Rep Franks, Trent [AZ-2] - 3/14/2007
Rep Garrett, Scott [NJ-5] - 3/6/2007
Rep Gingrey, Phil [GA-11] - 3/6/2007
Rep Gohmert, Louie [TX-1] - 3/6/2007
Rep Goodlatte, Bob [VA-6] - 9/7/2007
Rep Heller, Dean [NV-2] - 8/1/2007
Rep Hensarling, Jeb [TX-5] - 12/12/2007
Rep Herger, Wally [CA-2] - 3/6/2007
Rep Hoekstra, Peter [MI-2] - 12/4/2007
Rep Johnson, Sam [TX-3] - 12/4/2007
Rep Kline, John [MN-2] - 12/12/2007
Rep Lamborn, Doug [CO-5] - 3/6/2007
Rep Mack, Connie [FL-14] - 12/12/2007
Rep Marchant, Kenny [TX-24] - 3/6/2007
Rep McCotter, Thaddeus G. [MI-11] - 3/6/2007
Rep Miller, Jeff [FL-1] - 3/6/2007
Rep Musgrave, Marilyn N. [CO-4] - 12/12/2007
Rep Myrick, Sue Wilkins [NC-9] - 3/6/2007
Rep Paul, Ron [TX-14] - 3/6/2007
Rep Pitts, Joseph R. [PA-16] - 10/25/2007
Rep Poe, Ted [TX-2] - 3/12/2007
Rep Sali, Bill [ID-1] - 12/5/2007
Rep Stearns, Cliff [FL-6] - 5/23/2007
Rep Walberg, Timothy [MI-7] - 3/9/2007
Rep Weldon, Dave [FL-15] - 5/1/2007
Rep Westmoreland, Lynn A. [GA-3] - 3/6/2007
D o w n s i z e r - D i s p a t c h
is the official email list of DownsizeDC.org, Inc. & Downsize DC Foundation
CONTRIBUTE to the Electronic Lobbyist project
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You are encouraged to forward this message to friends and business associates, and permission is hereby granted to reproduce any items herein as long as attribution is provided for articles and the subscription instructions above are included.
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01/24/08
D o w n s i z e r - D i s p a t c hChange the environment. Recruit more Downsizers. Share this message with others.
Quote of the Day:
"No man's life, liberty or property are safe while the legislature is in session."
-- Judge Gideon J. Tucker (1826-1899)
Subject: Urgent Action Item
The Senate may vote today to replace or extend the "Protect America Act" (PAA), a law that legalizes warrantless spying on Americans.
There is a version of a replacement bill that some organizations describe as acceptable. For one thing, it does not grant immunity to the telecom companies that participated in spying on Americans when such spying was still illegal. However, we have stopped asking you to ask Congress to favor this bill because . . .
We think we are more likely to get what we want, or a better compromise, if we ask for what we want, which is the termination of PAA.
We think it is strategically unsound to ask for less than what you really want. Doing so sends Congress a message that it is safe to compromise in the wrong direction. By asking for what we want, even if it is not what Congress is likely to grant, we make it more likely that any resulting compromise will be in the right direction.
Now, this may be your last chance to influence what Congress does. Please ask Congress to repeal the PAA, or let it sunset out of existence.
Also, in other news, gold moved above $900 an ounce this morning. Investors are trying to protect themselves from the Fed's inflationary interest rate cut from earlier in the week. You might want to send Congress a message urging passage of the "Honest Money Act," and mention $900 gold in your personal comments.
Thank you for being a part of the growing Downsize DC Army.
Perry Willis
Communications Director
DownsizeDC.org, Inc.
D o w n s i z e r - D i s p a t c h
is the official email list of DownsizeDC.org, Inc. & Downsize DC Foundation
CONTRIBUTE to the Electronic Lobbyist project
http://www.DownsizeDC.org is sponsored by DownsizeDC.org, Inc. -- a non-profit educational organization promoting the ideas of individual liberty, personal responsibility, free markets, and small government.
You are encouraged to forward this message to friends and business associates, and permission is hereby granted to reproduce any items herein as long as attribution is provided for articles and the subscription instructions above are included.
IF you have difficulties or inquiries, simply hit reply to this message. We're eager to help, including with requests to unsubscribe.
01/23/08
D o w n s i z e r - D i s p a t c h
Change the environment. Recruit more Downsizers. Share this message with others.
Quote of the Day:
"If you don't trust gold, do you trust the logic of taking a pine tree, worth $4,000-$5,000, cutting it up, turning it into pulp, putting some ink on it and then calling it one billion dollars?"
- Kenneth J. Gerbino
Subject: Changing the environment
The "American Spectator" reports that Mike Huckabee is out of money. His campaign workers are now having to volunteer. The same with Giuliani. People will vote for these guys, but they won't fund them.
We find this fascinating and instructive. People are easy with their votes, but stingy with their dollars. This tells us that support for the Big Government status quo is only an inch deep, though it remains a mile wide.
The Big Government Establishment is running on fumes. It continues to dominate through sheer inertia, and because it retains the loyalty of the most important constituency of all -- the mainstream media.
The media, under the guise of reporting, can provide its favored candidates with massive free advertising, without regulation from the campaign finance laws.
This is what keeps the house of cards standing. This is what keeps the Big Government status quo in power. This is what keeps Huckabee and Giuliani as contenders, when otherwise they would have collapsed for lack of financial support.
The market, denominated in dollars, has spoken. It has rejected these candidates and their views. But the market, denominated in votes and media coverage, keeps these candidates going past their expiration date.
We live and operate in an environment saturated by Big Government mythology. Debunk the mythology and you will change the intellectual environment. Build an army large enough to outshout the media and you will change the intellectual environment. Change the environment and you will change the result.
Every Downsizer Dispatch you share with others helps to change the environment. And every new Downsizer you help recruit by doing so increases our ability to change the environment even further.
While the media is busy reporting the horse-race between all the hobbled nags they support, here is what they are not telling you . . .
They are not telling you that the Federal Reserve's 75 basis point cut in the interest rate is going to inflate the money supply, causing still more price inflation. Your savings will be worth less. Your pay check will buy less. And the big financial interests that have the first access to this new money will be able to buy things cheap, before the price increases hit.
The media won't tell you that this Fed inflation is theft, transferring wealth from the poor and middle class to those who are first in line to receive the Fed's funny money. Instead of telling you the truth, the media continues to blame our current economic problems on rising oil prices. But those of you who are old enough to remember the 1970s should know better . . .
The media told us the same lies in the 1970s. They told us that high oil prices were causing all other prices to rise. They told us we needed the Fed to create more and more money to boost the economy. But they created more and more new money and the boost never came. All we got were higher and higher prices, and slower and slower economic growth. They called it "stagflation" -- inflation combined with a stagnant economy.
According to the pet theories of the Establishment's so-called experts, stagflation was supposed to be impossible. But it was all too real. Now we are seeing this old pattern repeated. We have price inflation. We have companies in trouble. We have all the signs of a coming stagflation -- recession and rising prices at the same time. And once again the Establishment is giving us the same old song and dance . . .
We need the Fed to create more money, they tell us. High oil prices are the problem, they claim. And the verdict on these assertions will be the same as it was in the 1970s. The stagflation of the 1970s was only ended when the new Federal Reserve Chairman, Paul Volker, stopped creating new money out of thin air. Those of you who were alive then will remember . . .
The adjustment was painful. Unemployment rose to 11% for a brief period as the economy corrected itself and purged all the bad investments that had been made during the inflationary 70s. But then the economy took off again, giving us nearly 20 years of growth, and rising standards of living.
Don't drink the Establishment's poison kool-aid. The only way to reduce the pain of the coming economic correction is to stop pouring fuel on the fire. The Fed must stop creating new money. The government should also cut spending and stop borrowing, to make more real capital (not funny money) available to create jobs.
This is the only path back to economic health. It worked before, it can work now, and the sooner we start the better it will go.
Help us change the environment, both in public, and in Congress. Share this message with the others. Then tell Congress that you know the truth. Send Congress a message asking them to pass Ron Paul's "Honest Money Act," which will create conditions that will make it harder for the Fed to inflate the money supply.
Use your personal comments to object to the Fed's latest move to create more inflation. Remind Congress of the example of the 1970s. Tell them you know that blaming things on high oil prices is a myth, just like it was in the 1970s. Let them know that you know that Fed inflation is the real problem. Tell them to cut spending and reduce borrowing to free up real capital (not funny money) to fuel real economic growth.
You can send your message here.
Thank you for being a part of the growing Downsize DC Army.
Perry Willis
Communications Director
DownsizeDC.org, Inc.
D o w n s i z e r - D i s p a t c h
is the official email list of DownsizeDC.org, Inc. & Downsize DC Foundation
CONTRIBUTE to the Electronic Lobbyist project
http://www.DownsizeDC.org is sponsored by DownsizeDC.org, Inc. -- a non-profit educational organization promoting the ideas of individual liberty, personal responsibility, free markets, and small government.
You are encouraged to forward this message to friends and business associates, and permission is hereby granted to reproduce any items herein as long as attribution is provided for articles and the subscription instructions above are included.
01/22/08
D o w n s i z e r - D i s p a t c hQuote of the Day:
"To declare that in the administration of criminal law the end justifies the means -- to declare that the Government may commit crimes in orderto secure conviction of a private criminal -- would bring terrible retribution."
-- Justice Louis D. Brandeis (1856-1941) US Supreme Court Justice
Subject: Sunset the "Protect America Act"
We need to keep hitting Congress on the "Protect America Act" (PAA).
The "Protect America Act" -- which legalizes warrantless spying on Americans -- will sunset out of existence on February 1 unless Congress either agrees to a replacement bill, or votes to extend the sunset deadline. The Senate is having a hard time reaching an agreement on a replacement bill, so the main opportunity and threat is the deadline extension.
We must tell both the Senate and the House to let the PAA expire, and to oppose any replacement bill.
We also asked you to do this last Friday, but there were problems with the campaign that took us a while to fix. But the problems are now fixed, so you can go forth and pound Congress with confidence that they will get your message. PAA will either die or be extended in the next couple of weeks, so the time to act is now.
Thank your for being a part of the growing Downsize DC Army.
Perry Willis
Communications Director
DownsizeDC.org, Inc.
D o w n s i z e r - D i s p a t c h
is the official email list of DownsizeDC.org, Inc. & Downsize DC Foundation
CONTRIBUTE to the Electronic Lobbyist project
http://www.DownsizeDC.org is sponsored by DownsizeDC.org, Inc. -- a non-profit educational organization promoting the ideas of individual liberty, personal responsibility, free markets, and small government.
You are encouraged to forward this message to friends and business associates, and permission is hereby granted to reproduce any items herein as long as attribution is provided for articles and the subscription instructions above are included.
IF you have difficulties or inquiries, simply hit reply to this message. We're eager to help, including with requests to unsubscribe.
01/21/08
D o w n s i z e r - D i s p a t c hLet us begin with an extended quote:
"Mr. Speaker, today the Chief Executive sent to this House of Representatives a . . . bill for immediate enactment. The author of this bill seems to be unknown. No one has told us who drafted the bill. There appears to be a printed copy at the speakers desk, but no printed copies are available for the House Members. The bill has been driven through the House with cyclonic speed after 40 minutes debate, 20 minutes for the minority and 20 minutes for the majority. I have demanded a roll call, but have been unable to get the attention of the Chair. Others have done the same . . .
"I want to put myself on record against procedure of this kind and against the use of such methods in passing legislation affecting millions of lives and billions of dollars. It is safe to say that in normal times. after careful study of a printed copy and after careful debate and consideration, this bill would never have passed this House or any other House. Its passage could be accomplished only by rapid procedure, hurried and hectic debate, and a general rush for voting without roll call.
"I am suspicious of this railroading of bills through our House of Representatives, and I refuse to vote for a measure unseen and unknown. ... I want the RECORD to show that I was, and am, against this bill and this method of procedure; and I believe no good will come out of it for America. We must not abdicate our power to exercise judgment. We must not allow ourselves to be swept off our feet by hysteria, and we must not let the power of the Executive paralyze our legislative action. If we do, it would be better for us to resign and go home-and save the people the salary they are paying us.
"I look forward to that day when we shall read the bill we are considering, and see the author of the bill stand before the House and explain it, and then, after calm deliberation and sober judgment- after full and free debate-I hope to see sane and sensible legislation passed which will lift America out of this panic and disaster into which we were plunged.”
Powerful. We couldn't say it better ourselves. But who said it, and when? Was it Ron Paul on the Patriot Act? Dennis Kucinich on the Iraq Resolution?
Actually, these words were spoken by Rep. Ernest Lundeen from Minnesota in March, 1933 upon passage of the Emergency Banking Relief Act.
This was the act which, among other things, authorized the Secretary of the Treasury to steal gold from the American people. The people received the "equivalent" of their gold in paper money, which was later devalued. 75 years later, America is still drowning in inflation, and it's getting worse. We must restore the freedom of the people to to use gold, or any other commodity they mutually agree to, as money once again. Please tell Congress to pass the Honest Money Act.
But the power of Rep. Lundeen's words resonate even today. The worst bills Congress passes are the ones they rush through unread with little or no time for debate. And in 2007, that was how virtually every bill was passed. In 2007, Congress was in session for 39 weeks. The figures are imprecise, but on an "average" day the House passed three bills amounting to about 100 pages of legislation.
The Senate's pace was slower. Sometimes they spent a whole week debating one bill, and then passed dozens of bills the following week. But on an average day in session, the Senate managed to push through 1.4 bills and 70 pages of legislation.
Of course, there are no "average" days and no "average" bills, but it is clear that neither chamber takes the time to read and seriously deliberate the bills they pass. Many sail through the House with "suspend the rules and pass" procedures, while in the Senate many bills pass with "unanimous consent," without the Senators even knowing what they consented to.
We can't under-estimate the harm that unread bills have inflicted on the Republic. The Patriot Act was passed in a rush with scant opposition, and Patriot Act II was passed before its supporters discovered shocking provisions in it. The Real ID Act was attached to a bill funding the troops and sailed through the Senate unanimously, giving the people no chance to react or respond. And as we now know, the disastrous 1933 Emergency Banking Act was passed in a similar fashion.
We can put an end to this. We can tell Congress what Rep. Lundeen said 75 years ago, and demand that they introduce and pass the Read the Bills Act. You can do so here.
We also invite you to join the Read the Bills Act Coalition. You can draw traffic to our Read the Bills page, and we will link to you at our blog. Details are here.
Today we welcome one new member to the Coalition:
Serf City
The Adventures of Captain Unixbeard
Thank you for being a DC Downsizer.
Sincerely,
James Wilson
Assistant to the President
DownsizeDC.org
D o w n s i z e r - D i s p a t c h
is the official email list of DownsizeDC.org, Inc. & Downsize DC Foundation
CONTRIBUTE to the Electronic Lobbyist project
http://www.DownsizeDC.org is sponsored by DownsizeDC.org, Inc. -- a non-profit educational organization promoting the ideas of individual liberty, personal responsibility, free markets, and small government.
You are encouraged to forward this message to friends and business associates, and permission is hereby granted to reproduce any items herein as long as attribution is provided for articles and the subscription instructions above are included.
IF you have difficulties or inquiries, simply hit reply to this message. We're eager to help, including with requests to unsubscribe.
01/20/08
D o w n s i z e r - D i s p a t c hOn today's (Sunday) Downsize DC Conference Call, my now 2 hour long radio show, my guest will be Jack Mullen. Jack is Chair of the Downsize DC Foundation, a businessman with several businesses, and an investor.
He convinced me to buy gold. I waited too long, and gold went up in price. He said, it's not too late. And he was right. Already, I'm profiting.
Our topic today is the economic collapse. What does it mean to you? ...to your neighbors and friends? How do we explain things like fiat currency, fractional reserve banking, and so forth? Why bother?
And what are you doing to prepare for the coming economic earthquake?
Tune in at 3:06 PM Eastern (2:06 PM Central, 1:06 PM Mountain, 12:06 PM Pacific).
More on that in a moment, but first . . .
SPONSORSHIP
We've had several inquiries, but no sale yet on additional sponsorship.
On top of that, there's been progress on adding an FM talk station. And I can tell you the state now -- Missouri.
So I took the additional hour anyway because I believe big things are in the works.
But I'm going to be honest. I'm over-committed. I have a lot of fun doing this show, but I just can't continue to go down this path without additional sponsors. What I mean to say is that if I don't get the additional sponsor, the show won't grow. And if it won't grow, I'll end up pulling the plug and doing something else with my time.
Sponsorship opportunities range from $160 - $450 per month. For details, please email CALL at DOWNSIZEDC dot ORG.
LISTEN AND PARTICIPATE
My show, which is sponsored by DownsizeDC.org, can be heard on a couple of stations, but the best way for nearly everyone on this list to hear the show is online at GCNLive.com
And as usual, we'll have an update from my other sponsor, Gun Owners of America.
I look forward to you calling-in with great observations, insights, and questions for my guest. It's the number of callers and emailers that my show has been getting, lo these recent months, which has convinced my network I'm worth two hours.
Thank you. Let's keep it up.
The number is 1-800-259-9231. You can email the show at CALL at DOWNSIZEDC dot ORG.
Happy Listening,
Jim Babka
Host
Downsize DC Conference Call
D o w n s i z e r - D i s p a t c h
is the official email list of DownsizeDC.org, Inc. & Downsize DC Foundation
CONTRIBUTE to the Electronic Lobbyist project
http://www.DownsizeDC.org is sponsored by DownsizeDC.org, Inc. -- a non-profit educational organization promoting the ideas of individual liberty, personal responsibility, free markets, and small government.
You are encouraged to forward this message to friends and business associates, and permission is hereby granted to reproduce any items herein as long as attribution is provided for articles and the subscription instructions above are included.
IF you have difficulties or inquiries, simply hit reply to this message. We're eager to help, including with requests to unsubscribe.
01/18/08
D o w n s i z e r - D i s p a t c hMEDIA ALERT: I'm on the Jerry Hughes show today. Details below the signature.
Quote of the Day:
"It seems the telecoms, who are claiming they were just being 'good patriots' when they allowed the government to spy on us without warrants, are more than willing to pull the plug on national security investigations when the government falls behind on its bills . . . It sounds as though the telecoms believe it when the FBI says the warrant is in the mail, but not when they say the check is in the mail."
- Mike German
Subject: TELL YOUR SENATORS TO LET THE "PROTECT AMERICA ACT" EXPIRE!
The "Protect America Act" (PAA) was rushed through Congress last August. It legalized executive branch domestic wiretapping without warrants. Now this law is scheduled to sunset out of existence unless Congress moves to extend the date.
It's possible the PAA could sunset. The Senate can't agree on replacement legislation, so Senate leaders want to extend the PAA sunset date to allow time for more negotiation. But there's opposition to the extension in the Senate. We need to support that opposition.
Please encourage your Senator to vote against any extension of the PAA sunset date. You can do so here.
We need all-hands-on-deck to pressure the Senate, because the Bush administration is fighting dirty.
This week National Intelligence Czar, Mike McConnell, fought to preserve PAA by claiming that the 9-11 attacks happened because al-Queada exploited our weak domestic wiretap laws.
Well, guess what? Warrantless wiretapping started BEFORE 9/11.
Sadly, this "Invent-a-Claim" approach by the administration has been effective in the past, scaring a spineless Democratic majority into submission. Usually, by the time the latest "Invent-a-claim" has been debunked, it's too late.
In other news, Reuters informs us that the telecom companies pulled the plug on a FISA warrant for a time because the FBI failed to pay its bill. So much for Michael Moore's claim that at least the federal government is highly competent at writing checks. But this event also undermines the already weak case for granting retroactive immunity to those telecoms that participated in the illegal spying program. (Reuters story)
We are told that these companies acted for patriotic reasons to aid national security, but now we know the truth. We like how former FBI agent Mike German put it, "It sounds as though the telecoms believe it when the FBI says the warrant is in the mail, but not when they say the check is in the mail."
TELL YOUR SENATORS TO LET THE "PROTECT AMERICA ACT" EXPIRE! They're back to work on Tuesday.
Do it now. Do it here.
Thank you for being part of the growing Downsize DC Army. And see the media notice below the signature.
Jim Babka
President
DownsizeDC.org, Inc.
P.S. I'm on the Jerry Hughes show today. Please tune in, call in, and/or send an email question or comment. This show is a great opportunity to spread the Downsizer message. Please support the show. You can do so by listening, but especially by calling-in or sending an email.
The toll-free call-in number is: 1-866-222-2368
The email is: Jerry at AccentRadio dot com
Time: 3:00 PM Eastern, 2:00 PM Central, 1:00 PM Mountain, Noon Pacific
Length: 1 hour
Host: Jerry Hughes
Show: Straight Talk w/ Jerry Hughes
Internet: www.accentradionetwork.com/chooseplayer.htm
Click Winamp or Windows Media Playerm, as appropriate.
D o w n s i z e r - D i s p a t c h
is the official email list of DownsizeDC.org, Inc. & Downsize DC Foundation
CONTRIBUTE to the Electronic Lobbyist project
http://www.DownsizeDC.org is sponsored by DownsizeDC.org, Inc. -- a non-profit educational organization promoting the ideas of individual liberty, personal responsibility, free markets, and small government.
You are encouraged to forward this message to friends and business associates, and permission is hereby granted to reproduce any items herein as long as attribution is provided for articles and the subscription instructions above are included.
IF you have difficulties or inquiries, simply hit reply to this message. We're eager to help, including with requests to unsubscribe.
You are subscribed to this newsletter at this email address: ashby_cameron@yahoo.com
01/17/08
D o w n s i z e r - D i s p a t c h
Quote of the Day:
"We are thus in the position of having to borrow from Europe to defend Europe, of having to borrow from China and Japan to defend Chinese and Japanese access to Gulf oil, and of having to borrow from Arab emirs, sultans and monarchs to make Iraq safe for democracy. We borrow from the nations we defend so that we may continue to defend them. To question this is an unpardonable heresy called 'isolationism.'"
-- Pat Buchanan
Subject: Courage is Contagious
If you don't get the results you want at the ballot box, it may be because the environment isn't right. And how could the environment possibly be right when . . .
- Government schools use your tax money to teach fraudulent history and economics that favors an all-powerful state?
- The Mainstream Media is populated by apologists for monopolistic government?
- Mainstream political candidates are funded by people who benefit from your tax dollars?
Those are three big megaphones that combine to drown-out your voice. Your beliefs, and any candidates who come along to promote your beliefs, are relegated to the fringe. Then, in a wicked twist, the resulting low vote totals those candidates receive are pointed to as confirmation that your ideas aren't worth considering. It becomes a vicious cycle and a self-fulfilling prophecy.
The establishment drumbeat is constant: We ignore your candidates because they believe fringe things, and we know they believe fringe things because everyone ignores them.
But the result is a little bit different when you're not playing this rigged game. While the "sports reporters" in the media talk about the latest odds for the latest batch of clones in the electoral horse race, you can be talking to real people about real issues, changing real minds, by real increments, in a real way.
People tend to listen just a little bit better when you aren't making a direct challenge to their favorite sports team (political party) or performer (candidate). And just a few increments of improved listening is the crucial first step in starting to change the environment.
Change the environment, and you will have a chance to change the result. Allow the environment to remain what it is and the result will remain the same.
But to really change the environment we need to be able to match and exceed the volume of the big megaphones mentioned above. This will come from building a Downsize DC Army large enough to make the message seen and heard by everyone, everywhere, every day. We repeat this assertion constantly because repetition of the crucial points is what will bring the required change in the environment.
Consider the "I Am Not Afraid" campaign. The word is spreading. Courage is contagious . . .
Doug Bandow has caught the bug, here. And so have 19 other writers . . .
#2 http://adams.id.au/blog/2008/01/refuse-the-terror/
#3 http://drstephencw.blogspot.com/2008/01/downsize-dc.html
#4 http://blog.cocagne.com/i-am-not-afraid.htm
#5 http://snarkybytes.com/?p=192
#6 http://www.eridu.org.uk/blog/2008/01/04/i-am-not-afraid/
#7 http://www.zachalexander.com/politics/2008/01/i-am-not-afraid/
#8 http://grahamglass.blogs.com/main/2008/01/downsize-dc-has.html
#9 http://agonist.org/bex/20071230/new_campaign_tell_washington_you_refuse_to_be_terrorized
#10 http://freedomb4safety.blogspot.com/2007/12/i-am-not-afraid-campaign.html
#11 http://bentwave.blogspot.com/2007/12/dont-be-scared-in-2008.html
#12 http://www.adoptioncurve.net/archives/2007/12/we-could-use-some-of-this.php
#13 http://theneutralist.blogspot.com/2007/12/new-links.html
#14 http://xark.typepad.com/my_weblog/2007/12/refuse-to-be-te.html
#15 http://www.thechunk.com/blog/archive/fear-real-and-imagined/
#16 http://malechem.blogspot.com/2007/12/imperative-send-downsize-dc-message.html
#17 http://donoevil.propeller.com/story/2007/12/18/downsize-dcs-i-am-not-afraid-initiative
#18 http://www.itsmynet.info/GARKO.blog/?p=385
#19 http://national.teambio.org/2007/08/08/quote-of-the-day-2/
#20 http://mrgeddylee.livejournal.com/252104.html
If you visit the above links you will notice how many people heard about "I am not afraid" because they heard about it from someone else. Yes, courage is contagious, and so can ideas be. The politicians have created an environment of unreasonable fear. It is up to us to create a new environment of reasonable courage.
The "I Am Not Afraid" idea is simple but powerful. Win the war on terror instantly, by not being afraid of terrorism. Send the following message to Congress . . .
“I am not afraid of terrorism, and I want you to stop being afraid on my behalf. Please start scaling back the official government war on terror. Please replace it with a smaller, more focused anti-terrorist police effort in keeping with the rule of law. Please stop overreacting. I understand that it will not be possible to stop all terrorist acts. I accept that. I am not afraid.”
And then ask your friends to do the same. You can send your message here.
Meanwhile, we raised $669 yesterday, including a number of new monthly pledges that are highly encouraging. But we still need to raise another $1,771 to win the matching pledge of $3,000 that will meet our budget for January. If you want to help you can contribute here.
Thank you for being a part of the growing Downsize DC Army.
Jim Babka
President
DownsizeDC.org, Inc.
D o w n s i z e r - D i s p a t c h
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01/16/08
D o w n s i z e r - D i s p a t c h
Recruit more Downsizers. Share this with others.
Quote of the Day:
"Never believe anything in politics until it has been officially denied."
-- Otto Von Bismark
Subject: What's the REAL (ID) story?
A headline in the "L.A. Times" trumpets the news that the REAL ID national identification system has been postponed for 5 years. Glory be! Hurray! Are we on the road to victory?
Read further and you'll learn that starting this May you won't be able to board an airplane if you live in a state that's resisting the implementation of REAL ID. So . . .
Does it really matter that the official launch of REAL ID has been postponed if it's going to start harming innocent people as soon as this May?
This is typical of the "Alice in Wonderland" way government works. They postpone things they are really starting now. They cancel things they are really expanding. And they cut costs by spending more money.
Of course, the Department of Homeland Security claims you'll be able to fly anyway come May if you live in one of the rebellious states. All you have to do is file some paperwork. Glory be! Hurray!
Meanwhile the Feds are months behind on granting passports to people who filed paperwork, and innocent Americans who also filed paperwork still can't get off the Terrorist Watch List, which has swollen to more than 750,000 names. All hail good government!
And the good news continues . . .
The Terrorist Watch List was riddled with security flaws that exposed people's personal identity information to potential theft. The contract to create the software was awarded in a typical no-bid procedure the standards for which were written to exclude all companies but one. This company happened to be run by people who were friends of the bureaucrat in charge of the project. All hail good government!
But don't worry, REAL ID will be different! Except . . .
Oops! Jim Harper, the go-to guy on this issue at the Cato Institute, reports that the Department of Homeland Security has wasted $300 million dollars on programs that they've had to cancel for failure to comply with privacy regulations.
Well, at least the programs were stopped, even if the money was wasted. Shouldn't that give us a little confidence that REAL ID will be secure? Well, as Jim Harper also reports, federal judges will be excluded from REAL ID because . . . drum roll . . . it may not be secure.
We could go on. The Feds have slowly reduced the estimated cost of REAL ID to make it more acceptable, but we should know by now that federal programs always cost more than projected, not less. And money to implement REAL ID is being allocated to state governments based not on what it will really cost, but to serve as a carrot for cooperative states, and a stick to those that are not.
Send Congress a message demanding repeal of the REAL ID Act.
Use the news items mentioned above in your personal comments.
BTW: A small minority of House members have changed their software in a way that may make it difficult for some of you to get your messages through. We're working to fix this problem. Don't let it slow you down. Try to hit them with a message anyway.
And then spread the word to others. Recruit more Downsizers. Share this message.
Please, also consider making a contribution to further our work.
Thank you for being a member of the growing Downsize DC Army.
Jim Babka
President
DownsizeDC.org, Inc.
is the official email list of DownsizeDC.org, Inc. & Downsize DC Foundation