COMMON SENSE; Revisited
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Economics in One Lesson
Book under: September 02, 2009 at 03:33 pm by COMMON SENSE; RevisitedAnother classic. This blows away the nonsense that is now taught about economics. This is the basis for understanding freedom-based economics
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The Destiny of Freedom
Book under: September 02, 2009 at 03:28 pm by COMMON SENSE; RevisitedA great description of what freedom is and how it was lost. This is a manual for understanding freedom and a game plan for winning it back.
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Money As Debt
Video under: September 01, 2009 at 02:14 pm by COMMON SENSE; RevisitedA great video on how all of our money is based on debt. Order at www.MoneyAsDebt.net.
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Money As Debt
September 01, 2009 at 02:12 pm by COMMON SENSE; RevisitedE-video under:A great video on how all of our money is based on debt.
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For Liberty Movie
Video under: September 01, 2009 at 02:09 pm by COMMON SENSE; RevisitedFor Liberty Movie can now be ordered at their website: www.ForLibertyMovie.com.
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America: Freedom to Fascism
Video under: September 01, 2009 at 02:07 pm by COMMON SENSE; RevisitedA great documentary by Aaron Russo. Bulk purchases at $1.50 each. Order at www.FreedomToFascism.com.
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America: Freedom to Fascism
September 01, 2009 at 02:03 pm by COMMON SENSE; RevisitedE-video under:Aaron Russo's America: Freedom to Fascism Documentary. An excellent film about the Income Tax and Central Banking cartel.
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Where do we go from here?
July 24, 2009 at 09:41 pm by COMMON SENSE; RevisitedPost under:“If you don’t know where you are going, you will probably end up somewhere else.”
Laurence J. Peter
US educator & writer (1919 – 1988)Where are we going? What is the destiny of America? Who is responsible to save our nation?
It seems apparent that at this time in our history we are struggling to know where we should be going. Given the constant cries for a “bailout” for every form of financial crisis it seems that Americans have resigned themselves to government solutions to our problems. Many are now admitting that our financial crises have been contributed to (if not caused outright) by the government’s unnatural involvement in this economy. Despite this we do not seem to have the courage, or foresight, to address our problems in any other way but through greater government debt, guarantees, etc. Certainly, the endless piling on of debt onto the backs of the American people cannot continue indefinitely.
Is this the direction we really want to go in, or is there any alternative?
To answer this question, I am reminded of Benjamin Franklin. Mr. Franklin has been called “the quintessential American” of his time. He was self-educated and after studying printing in his brother’s newspaper shop he went off on his own to Philadelphia, where he started his own printing company. As reported at The Franklin Institute website:
His most famous publications were a newspaper called The Pennsylvania Gazette and his annual Poor Richard’s Almanack. He had many new ideas for publishing and he is known for printing cartoons, illustrated news stories, and letters to the editor. He believed in the power of the press, using his printing press as a way to bring the news to all people. He used cartoons and pictures so that everyone could understand the news, even people who had not learned to read.
Mr. Franklin was instrumental in bringing street lighting to Philadelphia. Ben also helped to set up the first postal system in Philadelphia. In order to make Philadelphia a safer city, he started the Union Fire Company in 1736. A few years later, in 1752, he set up America’s first fire insurance company. He even organized a Night Watch and Militia to help keep peace and safety in Philadelphia. While in Paris, Ben proposed the idea of Daylight Savings Time.
In 1731, Ben founded America’s first circulating library so that people could borrow books to read even though they might not have been able to afford to buy books to read. He discovered the conductivity of heat by color and established the first volunteer fire-fighting union (in the world!) and fire insurance company in Philadelphia.
In an incredible history of his life, The Real Benjamin Franklin, the essence of Mr. Franklin is revealed. I found it very interesting how creative he and his associates were. For example, he (and his “master-mind” team) had the idea of laying bricks on one city block of Philadelphia. At that time, no city blocks were paved in the entire city. Despite naysayers, they went at it and successfully paved one of the city blocks. As a result, the citizens of Philadelphia became inspired and paved the entire downtown area. Mr. Franklin also devised the first lottery system in order to raise funds for the building of a church in Philadelphia.
He was instrumental in the implementation of a new money system for the colonies, including the printing of a new form of money, so the colonies would not be dependent on British notes.
Addressing other needs of his time he invented the lightning rod, through which he discovered electricity. He also invented the Franklin stove, which was a more efficient way to produce heat from wood (for which he refused a patent, as he stated it should be for the good of the people).
His other inventions include: bifocals, the glass harmonica, the library chair, swim fins, the long reach device, the catheter, and Daylight Savings Time.
So what can “Good old Ben” teach us today? To whom did Mr. Franklin look for the solutions of the problems of his day? He obviously took direct, personal responsibility for his environment and was not afraid to engage in the process of : “ask and ye shall receive.”Given what he created and cognized, he clearly had opened himself up to receive alternative answers to the dilemmas he and his countrymen faced.It’s amazing how we take so many of today’s institutions for granted, such as the library, volunteer fire departments, insurance, etc. We often fail to understand that it was committed individuals, such as Benjamin Franklin, who looked problems in their face and asked “how can I help to solve this problem?” instead of: “government, solve this for us, please!”
As we see more and more of the failure of governments surface in the future, let us remember the greatness, the faithfulness and the true righteousness of men like Benjamin Franklin. Let us imbue into our soul their spirit of self-empowerment, and self-reliance. Let us have the courage to take back our sovereignty and our divine right of self government.
I have no doubt that we can save our nation, and end up where we want to go, if only we can remember who we really are.
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The FDA, the Food Pyramid, and Our Health
July 24, 2009 at 09:38 pm by COMMON SENSE; RevisitedPost under:It is interesting to consider the effect of the federal government’s involvement in the area of food choice and diet. I have previously stated that the founder’s were adamant that the federal government should not be involved in legislating food choices for our nation. No enumerated powers were given to the federal government in this regard. The 9th and 10th amendments clearly restrain any involvement in these issues. Despite these “chains of the constitution” we, the people, have sat back while the federal government goes merrily on dictating laws and choices for the American people.
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The Founders and their Abhorrence of War
July 24, 2009 at 09:35 pm by COMMON SENSE; RevisitedPost under:James Madison, the father of the US Constitution, stated:
"If tyranny and oppression come to this land, it will be in the guise of fighting a foreign enemy. Of all the enemies to public liberty, war is perhaps the most to be dreaded because it comprises and develops the germ of every other. War is the parent of armies; from these proceed debts and taxes; and armies, and debts, and taxes are the known instruments for bringing the many under the domination of the few. The loss of liberty at home is to be charged to the provisions against danger, real or imagined, from abroad."
We are all aware that George Washington issued a warning in his farewell address against entangling alliances with other nations and cautioned us explicitly to pursue the opposite of war as our fundamental foreign policy.
If possible, Thomas Jefferson was even more opposed to war as an instrument of effective policy. Among the many times he spoke on this subject he stated:
"I love peace, and am anxious that we should give the world still another useful lesson, by showing to them other modes of punishing injuries than by war, which is as much a punishment to the punisher as to the sufferer."
"War has been avoided from a due sense of the miseries, and the demoralization it produces, and of the superior blessings of a state of peace and friendship with all mankind."
"Having seen the people of all other nations bowed down to the earth under the wars and prodigalities of their rulers, I have cherished their opposites, peace, economy, and riddance of public debt, believing that these were the high road to public as well as private prosperity and happiness."
"I abhor war and view it as the greatest scourge of mankind."
"War is an instrument entirely inefficient toward redressing wrong; and multiplies, instead of indemnifying losses."
The founders were intimately aware of the corrupting influence of power and the endless examples in history of rulers taking their nation to war for improper reasons. These reasons included personal glory, revenge against insult or simply a conquest of other lands for the natural resources that said lands possessed. It is a truism that the people fight the wars while the leaders reap the political benefits of conquest.
The concern for the corrupting influence of power was later warned against by Dwight Eisenhower who stated in his farewell address:
"In the councils of government, we must guard against the acquisition of unwarranted influence, whether sought or unsought, by the military-industrial complex. The potential for the disastrous rise of misplaced power exists and will persist."
Eisenhower's warning was from one who had personal knowledge of the culture of war given his position as the Supreme Commander of the Allied forces in Europe during World War II, the first supreme commander of NATO and our 34th President.
Today, America has become a nation dominated by a "military industrial complex." The Center for Arms Control and Non-Proliferation, February 20, 2008 reports:
- U.S. military spending accounts for 48 percent, or almost half of the world's total military spending.
- U.S. military spending is more than the next 46 highest spending countries in the world combined.
In an article entitled The Billions For "Defense" Jeopardize Our Safety, Center For Defense Information, March 9, 2000 reported:
The lion's share of this money is not spent by the Pentagon on protecting American citizens. It goes to supporting U.S. military activities, including interventions, throughout the world. Were this budget and the organization it finances called the "Military Department," then attitudes might be quite different. Americans are willing to pay for defense, but they would probably be much less willing to spend billions of dollars if the money were labeled "Foreign Military Operations.
Given where we obviously are today is there any possibility that America could return to the peace loving nation longed for by the founders? The venerable Benjamin Franklin was once quoted as saying: "He who shall introduce into public affairs the principles of primitive Christianity shall revolutionize the world." The originator of that primitive Christianity Jesus of Nazareth (also known as the Prince of Peace) once said: "Put up again thy sword into its place: for all they that take the sword shall perish by the sword." Matthew 26:52.
I can only pray that the American people have the courage to "put thy sword into its place" and return to the "light upon the hill" that lights the way for the world to embrace peaceful resolution to its problems. Given the absolute dominance the military industrial complex now has on our government, the impotence of our elected representatives, and the blatant disregard for constitutional limitations exhibited by the executive branch, it is only we, the people, who can change the direction of our nation. I leave you with another quote from Thomas Jefferson who gave us our declaration of independence:
I do not believe war (is) the most certain means of enforcing principles. Those peaceable coercions which are in the power of every nation, if undertaken in concert and in time of peace, are more likely to produce the desired effect.
