ROTTEN TO THE CORE--AND WHAT WE CAN DO ABOUT IT

 

 We have heard the past ten years described as "the lost decade." The average citizen has watched his assets erode, has had his income decline or disappear entirely, and has had his ability to effectively change his circumstances be reduced to the point of extinction. With zero-net job-growth in the past decade, what has risen instead with the decline of the middle class is a newer version of the culture of the super-rich, whose mentality and influence threatens to submerge the former middle class under a barrage of measures which further limit their abilities to break-free from the economic and social constraints which imprison them. We are not only mired in the quicksand of economic stagnation, but those out-of-control elites who created this nightmare have now been given the blessings of our judicial branch, along with the power to recruit new congressional adherents. What more remains to the average person than to petition Congress for a redress of these actions? If Congress supports the Supreme Court in their action, President Obama has no choice but to veto this legislation. If Congress insists on punching this carte blanche ticket for the rich and powerful, ordinary citizens must call for a united effort at the local, city, county and state levels to ensure that the power of the majority is never usurped by a wealthy and powerful, self-serving and predatory minority again.

 

Another year has come and gone, along with a further deterioration of our world and nation. If it were just a matter of inaction on the part of Congress, due to their inability and unwillingness to compromise, it would be more forgiveable and more fixable. But when there exists throughout the federal government at every level an ideology which continues to protect the most wealthy and powerful and disregard and disparage the opinions and welfare of the people of the United States and the world in general, there is no longer any other option available to us as citizens than to dissolve the federal government. Such a remarkable undertaking would be impossible for us as individuals acting alone, but America was founded on the belief that all men are created equal, and as individuals acting together in our best interests, we have been and continue to be the most powerful human force in the history of the world. Although that may not be true in many places, at least for now in these United States we still have the freedom to determine which form of government best represents our will and are able to effect the changes necessary to accomplish it. As such we are able to influence and set a good example for citizens of other nations who are desperately looking for a way forward. We can show them the way, and we have the means at our disposal to accomplish it.    

 

How can we best accomplish this? We already have effective governments at the local city, county and state levels which have proven themselves to be effective for years before the federal government was formed. As the original peoples' representatives who originally granted power to the entity we call the federal government in 1787, these same governments have the ability to revoke and dissolve the form of government which they created. Let us then proceed to call the people of America to action, using our voices and persuasion at the grassroots level in our neighborhoods, cities, counties and state governments to mobilize efforts for a convention to be held in each of the 50 states as soon as that is feasible. Let us send as our representatives those who will best speak for all of the people of this nation, particularly for those who have been left out of public policy and largely ignored. The topics for discussion must include the ability and readiness of each individual state, working in cooperation with all of the other states to dissolve the existing federal governmental entity and what effect this joint act will have on our future as a nation, insofar as our power to redirect federal revenues into state and local treasuries, our combined efforts to preserve certain joint efforts such as national defense, transportation, and our national currency, (which, even in its damaged condition is still the benchmark currency of the world), and other pressing issues that bear consideration regarding our relationship with our fellow nations, so that a seamless transition may be effectively accomplished.

 

State governors conferences and city mayor conferences are already held periodically to insure that our existing state and local governments are aware of public policy and are making the best use of their power and influence both at home and at the national level. Leaders from county and city governments and their equivalent parishes, boroughs, etc., must also be included, as their voices are essential to the formulation of public policy. These state and local governments are no strangers to adversity and have already relied on each other for wisdom and strength when facing economic struggles which often put them at odds with the federal government and its agenda. They are also experienced at identifying those whose wish to retain power at the national level has blinded them to the greater good of the public and they can quickly expose the methods and motives of the wolves before they can destroy the sheepfold from within. The goal of these conferences must be that the people of this nation and her finest representatives act in unison and speak with one voice in their decision to remove the power and authority of the national government and return it to the states, counties, cities and the various local authorities who faithfully represent and discharge the will of the American people.

 

Members of the national and local press, who are often accused of political bias, will have ample opportunity to hone their skills and develop new and better relationships with state and local governments which have been newly-empowered to speak the will of the people to the local, state, national and international audiences. Perhaps the public will be persuaded that there is merit in renewing our faith in the ability of the press to faithfully report the news in an unbiased and apolitical fashion, and that true freedom of the press carries with it an implicit responsibility to safeguard the public's trust and the truth on which we all rely. The public and the press can work together to protect the freedoms which we both enjoy and to further protect these same truths from those determined to seize power and wealth at the public's expense.

 

Educating the public and reminding them that this is still, and must forever remain a nation which is of, by and for the people is the responsibility of all of us who care about the losses of individual freedom which our misguided national government has forced upon us. Now is the time to raise our individual voices and unify our will, as fellow citizens who are determined to bring about transformative change at the national level through the joint efforts of our citizens, our local governments and the 50 independent and united states which represent our collective will.

 

We did not choose this war which has been forced upon us by a minority of wealthy and powerful elitists who are determined to use our federal government to dominate the will of the people. We can choose to ignore this loss of freedom or we can determine to stop it and then set about restoring the freedoms which have been lost. Why not just continue attempting to change the existing federal government, hoping that its leaders will come to their senses and actually do the will of the people? To begin with, you can forget about those letters to your congressmen and others who have been sleeping with the enemies of the people. They have already revealed their true loyalties to us and  have passed numerous laws which enforce their loyalties and prove how little they regard the opinions and interests of the general public. Any meaningful change and reversal of the federal policies which have been instituted must be the result of a grassroots effort, beginning with all of us working through our local city, county and state governments to dissolve the rebellious and dysfunctional federal government which refuses to do the will of the people who created and have sustained it.

 

Let's first prepare and organize ourselves into a cohesive unit capable of assuming our proper role as guardians of this great nation, speaking with one voice and unified in our resolve to protect and promote the will of the people. Then as truly united states we can reassume the duties that we subordinated to a federal entity beginning in 1789, which eventually proved to be a misguided and too-easily-corrupted tool of a powerful and wealthy minority who insist on forcing their will upon us, hijacking our individual freedoms and holding us hostage to their economic policies. Let's begin now to change our local and state policies from within in order to replace the existing federal entity with more capable, worthy and truly united states who are determined to do the will of the people they represent.

 

Mark Overt Skilbred