Friday, December 22, 2006
Three From Pastor Chuck Baldwin
Pastor Chuck Baldwin has been producing tremendous material of late on the threats to our liberties. The former Vice Presidential candidate for the Constitution Party just calls things as he sees them, and usually calls them right. Here are three, including two from our recent "dead period." Of course, whether there is still time for a credible third party challenge to emerge to whatever pair of globalists emerge as the Democratic and Republican frontrunners in 2008 remains to be seen (an attempt to recapture the Republican Party via a Tom Tancredo run for the nomination ought to be considered as well).
Pay special attention to the third. (Note: I will return to edit and fill in the rest of the links.)
Military Commissions Act: A Precursor To Tyranny?
by Chuck Baldwin
December 5, 2006
In an interview with nationally syndicated radio talk show host Alex Jones, Rep. Ron Paul of Texas recently discussed President Bush's support for the Military Commissions Act. During the interview, Paul said that "the law officially allows for citizen concentration camp facilities."
Paul also warned that "the Military Commissions Act and the Defense Authorization Act . . . essentially wipes out Habeas Corpus."
Paul continued by noting, "Right now we don't have concentration camps, but . . . the authority has been given so that concentration camps can come without Habeas Corpus." He then said, "If they can lock you up, what good is freedom of speech or what good is a gun?"
Couple the implementation of the Military Commissions Act with the already-passed USA Patriot Act and all the legalities necessary to completely eviscerate America's constitutionally-protected liberties are in place. Think of it. Without firing a shot or dropping a bomb, President George W. Bush has done more to strip the American people of their liberties than all the world's despots and dictators combined!
Consider further the recent statements of former house speaker Newt Gingrich. According to the (Manchester, NH) Union Leader, "Former Speaker of the House Newt Gingrich yesterday [Monday, Nov. 27] in Manchester said the country will be forced to reexamine freedom of speech to meet the threat of terrorism.
"Gingrich, speaking at a Manchester awards banquet, said a 'different set of rules' may be needed to reduce terrorists' ability to use the Internet and free speech to recruit and get out their message."
Of course, Mr. Gingrich did not say how he plans to reduce people's free speech rights. Neither did he say a word about the fact that our greatest potential for terrorism is coming in the form of an invasion of illegal aliens across our southern border, and that it has been the words and policies of one George W. Bush that have mostly contributed to this threat.
Will someone please tell me how expunging the free speech of the American people is going to make the United States safer? And, pray tell, why are our brave troops fighting and dying in Iraq and Afghanistan, ostensibly to "promote democracy," if the same political leaders who sent them to the Middle East are working to shrink democracy here at home?
Ladies and gentlemen, please wake up! Under the leadership of President George W. Bush, rights and freedoms that have been lost to you include your right to an attorney, your right to know the charges being levied against you, the right to a speedy trial, the right to trial by a jury of your peers, the right to not be subjected to torture, the right to not have your home and personal items searched and seized without warrant, the right to not have your personal conversations (including letters and email) intercepted without court order, and the right to not incriminate yourself, just to name a few. And now we learn that our government has authorized and is planning to build "concentration camp facilities."
Furthermore, just because you or I have not yet been personally subjected to this tyranny, does not mean that we won't be! The seeds are already planted; the die is already cast. The time to act is not when you are being carted off to an "undisclosed location." By then, it is too late.
Thank God for Congressman Ron Paul. If it weren't for him, there would be practically no one on Capitol Hill willing to sound the alarm for the American people. I wish someone could convince him to run for President of the United States on the Constitution Party ticket. The GOP would never support his candidacy for president, but the CP would welcome him with open arms. And, given the American people's frustration with both major parties, a serious third party challenge is very possible in 2008.
In the meantime, the power establishment in Washington, D.C., continues to undermine our Constitution and fritter away our freedoms.
© Chuck Baldwin
This column is archived as http://www.chuckbaldwinlive.com/c2006/cbarchive_20061205.html
Is It Ignorance Or Misplaced Trust?
by Chuck Baldwin
December 12, 2006
For the life of me, it is difficult, even exasperating, to understand how my fellow Christian ministers can excuse and condone the un-American and un-Christian actions and policies of modern politicians. What in the world is going on? Are they blind to what is happening, or do they just not care? It is truly frustrating!
For example, I received a letter from a trusted friend (whose name I will not divulge) who told me of a private conversation he had with a notable conservative Christian leader (whose name shall also be withheld). During the conversation, my friend asked the esteemed Christian leader what he thought of the Council on Foreign Relations (CFR). To my friend's dismay, the popular Christian leader said that he knew absolutely nothing about the CFR.
Is it really possible that exalted, preeminent Christian leaders in America today truly know nothing of sinister organizations such as the CFR? If so, what else are they ignorant of?
Have Christian leaders and ministers not read any of Jerome Corsi's investigative reports regarding the North American Union, the NAFTA superhighway, or the soon-coming Amero? Have they never read any of Rep. Ron Paul's or former Congressman Bob Barr's reports regarding the dangers of the USA Patriot Act? Have they never questioned the official explanation of the 9/11 attacks? Have they never wondered what happened to the oil wells in Iraq? Have they not bothered to watch Aaron Russo's film, "America: From Freedom To Fascism"?
Are today's Christian leaders really that ignorant? In this ultramodern, technologically-advanced information age, how can Christian ministers be that uninformed? Or is it something else?
Is it possible that our illustrious Christian leaders have become so trusting, so gullible, that they choose to know only what they are told by the mainstream media or by political campaign offices? If so, will these same Christian leaders be as trusting of House Speaker Nancy Pelosi? I doubt it. Furthermore, I cannot imagine my esteemed preacher-brethren glibly swallowing the press releases of President Hillary Clinton.
Yet, when it comes to many of the aforementioned issues, there is virtually no distinction or disagreement between Pelosi and Clinton on the one hand, and George W. Bush and Dick Cheney on the other. When it comes to issues that facilitate a burgeoning One World Order and an emerging federal police state, both sides of the political aisle act as one. And the esteemed leaders of the Religious Right say nary a word. In fact, they act as if they know nothing about any of it. Not only that, if anyone tries to speak with them about these things, they dismiss the thought as totally irrelevant and unimportant.
In addition, virtually every one of our esteemed Christian leaders professes allegiance to historic American principles. They claim loyalty to the Declaration of Independence, U.S. Constitution, and Bill of Rights. They profess knowledge of American history and love to quote the Founding Fathers. They boast appreciation for the men who fought at Bunker Hill and the Alamo.
Beyond that, conservative Christian leaders almost universally laud Biblical stories such as Daniel and the three Hebrew children, men who defied their government for a Godly cause, along with Simon Peter who declared, "We must obey God rather than men." They promote the examples of Isaiah, Jeremiah, and John the Baptist, great men of Biblical history who were willing to defy the powers that be in order to be true to a righteous principle.
Yet, when it comes to the way America's political leaders from both parties are trampling constitutional government, defying Declaration principles, and destroying liberties heretofore protected by the Bill of Rights, our illustrious Christian leaders claim to know nothing about it. Like Sergeant Schultz (from the old Hogan's Heroes TV show), they know nothing!
It is as if our Christian leaders today are unable to compute any issue other than abortion or gay rights. Or could it be that rather than address the hard issues, today's Christian leaders conveniently choose to trust their politicians with these matters?
However, do they not remember the sober warning of Thomas Jefferson, "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"? And if they forgot Jefferson, can they not recall how the Apostle Paul said, "Put no confidence in the flesh"?
Our entire system of government is established on distrust. That is, the people's distrust of their political leaders. Why else did America's founders set up three "separate but equal" branches of government, except that each was designed to serve as a check and balance to the others? Why else are congressional elections held every two years? Why else are we guaranteed a free and independent press, the freedom of speech, the freedom to redress government, and the freedom to keep and bear arms?
It is time today's Christian leaders learned an elementary truth: distrust of government is healthy. As our first and greatest President, George Washington, said, "Government is not reason; it is not eloquence; it is force! Like fire, it is a dangerous servant and a fearful master." Yet, why should we have to remind our esteemed Christian leaders of this truth? It is they who should be teaching the rest of us this valuable lesson. So, why aren't they?
Again, I ask the question, are our Christian leaders ignorant and blind, or is it a simple matter of lazy, misplaced trust? I honestly do not know. However, what I do know is, for whatever reason, America's conservative Christian leaders today are either wittingly or unwittingly, either through action or inaction, contributing to our nation's demise. And saddest of all, they-America's Christian pastors and preachers-are the ones who truly have it in their power to turn the country around. If only they would!
© Chuck Baldwin
This column is archived as http://www.chuckbaldwinlive.com/c2006/cbarchive_20061212.html
What Patriotic Christians Can Do For America
by Chuck Baldwin
December 19, 2006
Among the hundreds of email letters I receive, scores of them ask the same question: "I see the problem, but what can I do?" Today's column is an attempt to answer these people.
First, let's acknowledge that our Pilgrim forebears answered this question by leaving their homeland and risking their lives on a dangerous voyage across the Atlantic Ocean to a new world. There is no doubt in my mind that conditions in America today rival those of the ancient Pilgrims in Europe. (They are probably worse!) Obviously, there are no new worlds to settle, but I do know of people who are relocating to other countries for reasons very similar to those of our Pilgrim fathers.
However, what can those of us do who plan to stay and "tough it out" in America? Are we totally without recourse? Is there nothing we can do to truly help turn the ship of state around?
Let me begin by stating some things that will have very little impact on much of anything.
Continuing to vote for the majority of establishment candidates from both the Republican and Democratic parties will accomplish nothing. Voters have been changing the composition of their various and sundry elected offices for decades, and nothing has changed. The country continues to plummet down the proverbial slippery slope.
Attending the average church in the United States will produce little salt to protect against the forces of evil which currently seem to dominate our country. Regardless of denomination, most churches today refuse to address the crucial, salient issues that would educate and inspire people to make a difference.
Neither will listening to the major news media, including Fox News, prepare one to be a difference-maker. With very few exceptions, the major TV newscasts and radio talk shows are regurgitating the same redundant propaganda.
So, for those of you who really want to do something that will prepare you to make a difference in your country, I offer the following suggestions.
If you are a Christian, do your best to find a church where the pastor knows what is going on and is not afraid to teach and preach politically incorrect Bible truth. How far one might have to drive should not be a factor. Neither should denomination be a factor. Obviously, one cannot compromise fundamental convictions, but I would far rather worship in a church outside my denominational preference where the pastor was a bold and courageous champion of truth than stay in the denomination of my preference and sit under a milquetoast preacher. If one is not a Christian, he or she should become one and find this kind of church.
Our country's problems are, first and foremost, spiritual in nature. Therefore, solutions will ultimately never be discovered inside the halls of Congress; rather, they will be found in the hearts and lives of God's people. "Judgment must begin at the house of God." If enough people would leave these panty-waist, compromising, entertainment-evangelism, prosperity-theology, "purpose-driven" social clubs and start supporting true tell-it-like-it-is men of God, we could see a genuine revival in America.
Secondly, begin educating yourself. Stop relying on the major news outlets to bring you the news. I heartily recommend the New American Magazine. In my mind, it is the best news magazine out there. I also find Human Events newspaper very informative, and Middle American News is another good one. There are several smaller, independent papers out there, too. For example, in the Greenville, South Carolina area, the Times Examiner is an excellent resource.
Internet news sites such as News With Views and World Net Daily are also valuable sources of information. Read everything Jerome Corsi writes. Get on Congressman Ron Paul's mailing list. Everyone should subscribe to Howard Phillips' "Issues and Strategy Bulletin." It is a fantastic resource! For educational matters, read John Stormer. John Eidsmoe is as good as they get regarding constitutional issues. For a thorough and in-depth study of economics, read Don McAlvany.
Find non-establishment or independent radio talk shows. People such as George Putnam in California, Barbara Jean Whiteley in Utah, Stan Monteith in Colorado, and Adam McManus and Alex Jones in Texas come to mind. Alex is tough to take, sometimes, and I'm not sure I subscribe to everything he says, but at least he is in the fight and not afraid to take on the hard issues.
Joel Skousen's web site is a treasure-trove of useful information. Christians will, no doubt, enjoy David Alan Black's web site. Covenant News might be the best web site regarding pro-life issues. Alan Keyes and Tom DeWeese also have excellent web sites. For family resources, I recommend Doug Phillips' Vision Forum. One should definitely receive Phyllis Schlafly's newsletters. Pat Buchanan is an author and political commentator worth reading and listening to.
Thirdly, get involved with likeminded patriots. Hook up with your local John Birch Society. Join Larry Pratt's Gun Owners of America. Jews for the Preservation of Firearms Ownership is another terrific pro-Second Amendment organization you should be familiar with.
In addition, I recently left the GOP and am now proud to be identified with the Constitution Party. I recommend the CP to my readers. I also like what Jim Gilchrist is doing with the Minuteman Project. Congressman Tom Tancredo deserves our support, too.
Fourthly, never discount prayer. God's true champions have seldom, if ever, been a majority. Throughout history, God has used a small number of faithful and courageous Christian soldiers to accomplish His divine will. He can still do so.
If everyone reading this column would sincerely and seriously be willing to change their affiliations and associations, would endeavor to personally educate and inform themselves with the truth, would endeavor to not knowingly support organizations and individuals that contribute to the compromise of our national sovereignty and independence, and would be willing to fervently and faithfully pray for America, there is no telling what may result.
So, what are you waiting for? Get busy!
© Chuck Baldwin
This column is archived as http://www.chuckbaldwinlive.com/c2006/cbarchive_20061219.html
Pay special attention to the third. (Note: I will return to edit and fill in the rest of the links.)
Military Commissions Act: A Precursor To Tyranny?
by Chuck Baldwin
December 5, 2006
In an interview with nationally syndicated radio talk show host Alex Jones, Rep. Ron Paul of Texas recently discussed President Bush's support for the Military Commissions Act. During the interview, Paul said that "the law officially allows for citizen concentration camp facilities."
Paul also warned that "the Military Commissions Act and the Defense Authorization Act . . . essentially wipes out Habeas Corpus."
Paul continued by noting, "Right now we don't have concentration camps, but . . . the authority has been given so that concentration camps can come without Habeas Corpus." He then said, "If they can lock you up, what good is freedom of speech or what good is a gun?"
Couple the implementation of the Military Commissions Act with the already-passed USA Patriot Act and all the legalities necessary to completely eviscerate America's constitutionally-protected liberties are in place. Think of it. Without firing a shot or dropping a bomb, President George W. Bush has done more to strip the American people of their liberties than all the world's despots and dictators combined!
Consider further the recent statements of former house speaker Newt Gingrich. According to the (Manchester, NH) Union Leader, "Former Speaker of the House Newt Gingrich yesterday [Monday, Nov. 27] in Manchester said the country will be forced to reexamine freedom of speech to meet the threat of terrorism.
"Gingrich, speaking at a Manchester awards banquet, said a 'different set of rules' may be needed to reduce terrorists' ability to use the Internet and free speech to recruit and get out their message."
Of course, Mr. Gingrich did not say how he plans to reduce people's free speech rights. Neither did he say a word about the fact that our greatest potential for terrorism is coming in the form of an invasion of illegal aliens across our southern border, and that it has been the words and policies of one George W. Bush that have mostly contributed to this threat.
Will someone please tell me how expunging the free speech of the American people is going to make the United States safer? And, pray tell, why are our brave troops fighting and dying in Iraq and Afghanistan, ostensibly to "promote democracy," if the same political leaders who sent them to the Middle East are working to shrink democracy here at home?
Ladies and gentlemen, please wake up! Under the leadership of President George W. Bush, rights and freedoms that have been lost to you include your right to an attorney, your right to know the charges being levied against you, the right to a speedy trial, the right to trial by a jury of your peers, the right to not be subjected to torture, the right to not have your home and personal items searched and seized without warrant, the right to not have your personal conversations (including letters and email) intercepted without court order, and the right to not incriminate yourself, just to name a few. And now we learn that our government has authorized and is planning to build "concentration camp facilities."
Furthermore, just because you or I have not yet been personally subjected to this tyranny, does not mean that we won't be! The seeds are already planted; the die is already cast. The time to act is not when you are being carted off to an "undisclosed location." By then, it is too late.
Thank God for Congressman Ron Paul. If it weren't for him, there would be practically no one on Capitol Hill willing to sound the alarm for the American people. I wish someone could convince him to run for President of the United States on the Constitution Party ticket. The GOP would never support his candidacy for president, but the CP would welcome him with open arms. And, given the American people's frustration with both major parties, a serious third party challenge is very possible in 2008.
In the meantime, the power establishment in Washington, D.C., continues to undermine our Constitution and fritter away our freedoms.
© Chuck Baldwin
This column is archived as http://www.chuckbaldwinlive.com/c2006/cbarchive_20061205.html
Is It Ignorance Or Misplaced Trust?
by Chuck Baldwin
December 12, 2006
For the life of me, it is difficult, even exasperating, to understand how my fellow Christian ministers can excuse and condone the un-American and un-Christian actions and policies of modern politicians. What in the world is going on? Are they blind to what is happening, or do they just not care? It is truly frustrating!
For example, I received a letter from a trusted friend (whose name I will not divulge) who told me of a private conversation he had with a notable conservative Christian leader (whose name shall also be withheld). During the conversation, my friend asked the esteemed Christian leader what he thought of the Council on Foreign Relations (CFR). To my friend's dismay, the popular Christian leader said that he knew absolutely nothing about the CFR.
Is it really possible that exalted, preeminent Christian leaders in America today truly know nothing of sinister organizations such as the CFR? If so, what else are they ignorant of?
Have Christian leaders and ministers not read any of Jerome Corsi's investigative reports regarding the North American Union, the NAFTA superhighway, or the soon-coming Amero? Have they never read any of Rep. Ron Paul's or former Congressman Bob Barr's reports regarding the dangers of the USA Patriot Act? Have they never questioned the official explanation of the 9/11 attacks? Have they never wondered what happened to the oil wells in Iraq? Have they not bothered to watch Aaron Russo's film, "America: From Freedom To Fascism"?
Are today's Christian leaders really that ignorant? In this ultramodern, technologically-advanced information age, how can Christian ministers be that uninformed? Or is it something else?
Is it possible that our illustrious Christian leaders have become so trusting, so gullible, that they choose to know only what they are told by the mainstream media or by political campaign offices? If so, will these same Christian leaders be as trusting of House Speaker Nancy Pelosi? I doubt it. Furthermore, I cannot imagine my esteemed preacher-brethren glibly swallowing the press releases of President Hillary Clinton.
Yet, when it comes to many of the aforementioned issues, there is virtually no distinction or disagreement between Pelosi and Clinton on the one hand, and George W. Bush and Dick Cheney on the other. When it comes to issues that facilitate a burgeoning One World Order and an emerging federal police state, both sides of the political aisle act as one. And the esteemed leaders of the Religious Right say nary a word. In fact, they act as if they know nothing about any of it. Not only that, if anyone tries to speak with them about these things, they dismiss the thought as totally irrelevant and unimportant.
In addition, virtually every one of our esteemed Christian leaders professes allegiance to historic American principles. They claim loyalty to the Declaration of Independence, U.S. Constitution, and Bill of Rights. They profess knowledge of American history and love to quote the Founding Fathers. They boast appreciation for the men who fought at Bunker Hill and the Alamo.
Beyond that, conservative Christian leaders almost universally laud Biblical stories such as Daniel and the three Hebrew children, men who defied their government for a Godly cause, along with Simon Peter who declared, "We must obey God rather than men." They promote the examples of Isaiah, Jeremiah, and John the Baptist, great men of Biblical history who were willing to defy the powers that be in order to be true to a righteous principle.
Yet, when it comes to the way America's political leaders from both parties are trampling constitutional government, defying Declaration principles, and destroying liberties heretofore protected by the Bill of Rights, our illustrious Christian leaders claim to know nothing about it. Like Sergeant Schultz (from the old Hogan's Heroes TV show), they know nothing!
It is as if our Christian leaders today are unable to compute any issue other than abortion or gay rights. Or could it be that rather than address the hard issues, today's Christian leaders conveniently choose to trust their politicians with these matters?
However, do they not remember the sober warning of Thomas Jefferson, "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"? And if they forgot Jefferson, can they not recall how the Apostle Paul said, "Put no confidence in the flesh"?
Our entire system of government is established on distrust. That is, the people's distrust of their political leaders. Why else did America's founders set up three "separate but equal" branches of government, except that each was designed to serve as a check and balance to the others? Why else are congressional elections held every two years? Why else are we guaranteed a free and independent press, the freedom of speech, the freedom to redress government, and the freedom to keep and bear arms?
It is time today's Christian leaders learned an elementary truth: distrust of government is healthy. As our first and greatest President, George Washington, said, "Government is not reason; it is not eloquence; it is force! Like fire, it is a dangerous servant and a fearful master." Yet, why should we have to remind our esteemed Christian leaders of this truth? It is they who should be teaching the rest of us this valuable lesson. So, why aren't they?
Again, I ask the question, are our Christian leaders ignorant and blind, or is it a simple matter of lazy, misplaced trust? I honestly do not know. However, what I do know is, for whatever reason, America's conservative Christian leaders today are either wittingly or unwittingly, either through action or inaction, contributing to our nation's demise. And saddest of all, they-America's Christian pastors and preachers-are the ones who truly have it in their power to turn the country around. If only they would!
© Chuck Baldwin
This column is archived as http://www.chuckbaldwinlive.com/c2006/cbarchive_20061212.html
What Patriotic Christians Can Do For America
by Chuck Baldwin
December 19, 2006
Among the hundreds of email letters I receive, scores of them ask the same question: "I see the problem, but what can I do?" Today's column is an attempt to answer these people.
First, let's acknowledge that our Pilgrim forebears answered this question by leaving their homeland and risking their lives on a dangerous voyage across the Atlantic Ocean to a new world. There is no doubt in my mind that conditions in America today rival those of the ancient Pilgrims in Europe. (They are probably worse!) Obviously, there are no new worlds to settle, but I do know of people who are relocating to other countries for reasons very similar to those of our Pilgrim fathers.
However, what can those of us do who plan to stay and "tough it out" in America? Are we totally without recourse? Is there nothing we can do to truly help turn the ship of state around?
Let me begin by stating some things that will have very little impact on much of anything.
Continuing to vote for the majority of establishment candidates from both the Republican and Democratic parties will accomplish nothing. Voters have been changing the composition of their various and sundry elected offices for decades, and nothing has changed. The country continues to plummet down the proverbial slippery slope.
Attending the average church in the United States will produce little salt to protect against the forces of evil which currently seem to dominate our country. Regardless of denomination, most churches today refuse to address the crucial, salient issues that would educate and inspire people to make a difference.
Neither will listening to the major news media, including Fox News, prepare one to be a difference-maker. With very few exceptions, the major TV newscasts and radio talk shows are regurgitating the same redundant propaganda.
So, for those of you who really want to do something that will prepare you to make a difference in your country, I offer the following suggestions.
If you are a Christian, do your best to find a church where the pastor knows what is going on and is not afraid to teach and preach politically incorrect Bible truth. How far one might have to drive should not be a factor. Neither should denomination be a factor. Obviously, one cannot compromise fundamental convictions, but I would far rather worship in a church outside my denominational preference where the pastor was a bold and courageous champion of truth than stay in the denomination of my preference and sit under a milquetoast preacher. If one is not a Christian, he or she should become one and find this kind of church.
Our country's problems are, first and foremost, spiritual in nature. Therefore, solutions will ultimately never be discovered inside the halls of Congress; rather, they will be found in the hearts and lives of God's people. "Judgment must begin at the house of God." If enough people would leave these panty-waist, compromising, entertainment-evangelism, prosperity-theology, "purpose-driven" social clubs and start supporting true tell-it-like-it-is men of God, we could see a genuine revival in America.
Secondly, begin educating yourself. Stop relying on the major news outlets to bring you the news. I heartily recommend the New American Magazine. In my mind, it is the best news magazine out there. I also find Human Events newspaper very informative, and Middle American News is another good one. There are several smaller, independent papers out there, too. For example, in the Greenville, South Carolina area, the Times Examiner is an excellent resource.
Internet news sites such as News With Views and World Net Daily are also valuable sources of information. Read everything Jerome Corsi writes. Get on Congressman Ron Paul's mailing list. Everyone should subscribe to Howard Phillips' "Issues and Strategy Bulletin." It is a fantastic resource! For educational matters, read John Stormer. John Eidsmoe is as good as they get regarding constitutional issues. For a thorough and in-depth study of economics, read Don McAlvany.
Find non-establishment or independent radio talk shows. People such as George Putnam in California, Barbara Jean Whiteley in Utah, Stan Monteith in Colorado, and Adam McManus and Alex Jones in Texas come to mind. Alex is tough to take, sometimes, and I'm not sure I subscribe to everything he says, but at least he is in the fight and not afraid to take on the hard issues.
Joel Skousen's web site is a treasure-trove of useful information. Christians will, no doubt, enjoy David Alan Black's web site. Covenant News might be the best web site regarding pro-life issues. Alan Keyes and Tom DeWeese also have excellent web sites. For family resources, I recommend Doug Phillips' Vision Forum. One should definitely receive Phyllis Schlafly's newsletters. Pat Buchanan is an author and political commentator worth reading and listening to.
Thirdly, get involved with likeminded patriots. Hook up with your local John Birch Society. Join Larry Pratt's Gun Owners of America. Jews for the Preservation of Firearms Ownership is another terrific pro-Second Amendment organization you should be familiar with.
In addition, I recently left the GOP and am now proud to be identified with the Constitution Party. I recommend the CP to my readers. I also like what Jim Gilchrist is doing with the Minuteman Project. Congressman Tom Tancredo deserves our support, too.
Fourthly, never discount prayer. God's true champions have seldom, if ever, been a majority. Throughout history, God has used a small number of faithful and courageous Christian soldiers to accomplish His divine will. He can still do so.
If everyone reading this column would sincerely and seriously be willing to change their affiliations and associations, would endeavor to personally educate and inform themselves with the truth, would endeavor to not knowingly support organizations and individuals that contribute to the compromise of our national sovereignty and independence, and would be willing to fervently and faithfully pray for America, there is no telling what may result.
So, what are you waiting for? Get busy!
© Chuck Baldwin
This column is archived as http://www.chuckbaldwinlive.com/c2006/cbarchive_20061219.html
Tuesday, December 19, 2006
Dr. Robert Pastor: North American Union Is Just a Crisis Away
The Feds have long been warning us that another 9/11 is possible, while doing nothing substantive to protect our borders or profile potential suspects—keeping in mind that even according to the government's official account of 9/11 it wasn’t the Methodists who brought down the Twin Towers.
Enter Dr. Robert Pastor, stage left. Pastor is the author of the 2001 book Towards a North American Community and was lead author of that now-infamous 2005 CFR study Building a North American Community. WorldNetDaily.com recently interviewed Pastor, who spoke with surprising candor. Although he refuses to use the phrase North American Union, he clearly does favor the deep integration of the three North American nations, spelling out such steps as the creation of a customs union and a North American Investment Fund, and encouraging a mindset “in which people are able to think as citizens of North America.” His remarks on what could bring this about ought to give us pause: referring back to 9/11, he observed that another such event might be the catalyst for establishing an integrated North America with a single currency: the amero.
Read for yourself what is motivating the economic integration zealots: not freedom but efficiency--the protection of freedom built into Constitutionally limited government, we find out from Dr. Pastor, is in their way! Freedom prevents their "mov[ing] forward on important issues"--like consolidating wealth and power the world over and centralizing the planet!
Pastor's remarks make crystal clear how far out of touch with this country’s founding principles globalists really are. Our system was indeed designed to protect our freedoms; it was not designed to be “efficient”! “Efficiency” is often assumed by economists to be a good thing. It is manifestly not a good thing if it results in systems that run roughshod over ordinary citizens. In the hands of the Rockefellers, the Rothschilds, the Warburgs, and their more visible minions the Robert Pastors of the world, “efficiency” will lead us to economic serfdom if it continues to be the priority within the corporatist economic system likely to consume the planet if the global power elites gets its way.
No "conspiracy theory" here. It's right out in the open. Read Pastor's words for yourself. Or get his book. Also be thinking: Hegelian dialectic. Crisis, reaction, response. If another 9/11 does occur, there will be even more reason for thinking it an "inside job" designed to move a specific process forward.
THE NEW WORLD DISORDER
North American Union leader
says merger just crisis away
Leading intellectual force behind effort toward EU-style unity looks at future
Posted: December 15, 2006
1:00 a.m. Eastern
By Jerome R. Corsi
© 2006 WorldNetDaily.com
Original here
Robert Pastor, a leading intellectual force in the move to create an EU-style North American Community, told WND he believes a new 9/11 crisis could be the catalyst to merge the U.S., Mexico and Canada.
Pastor, a professor at American University, says that in such a case the Security and Prosperity Partnership of North America, or SPP – launched in 2005 by the heads of the three countries at a summit in Waco, Texas – could be developed into a continental union, complete with a new currency, the amero, that would replace the U.S. dollar just as the euro has replaced the national currencies of Europe.
In May 2005, Pastor was co-chairman the Council on Foreign Relations task force that produced a report entitled "Toward a North American Community," which he has claimed is the blueprint behind the SSP declared by President Bush, Mexico's then-President Vicente Fox, and Canada's then-Prime Minister Paul Martin.
Robert Pastor of American University
At American University in Washington, D.C., Pastor directs the Center for North American Studies where he teaches a course entitled "North America: A Union, A Community, or Just Three Nations?" As WND previously has reported, Pastor is on the board of the North American Forum on Integration, the NAFI, a non-profit organization that annually holds a mock trilateral parliament for 100 selected students drawn from 10 universities in the U.S., Canada and Mexico.
Pastor had published an interview in Spanish in the Oct. 24 issue of Poder y Negocios. He told the magazine crises can force decisions that otherwise would not be made.
"The 9/11 crisis made Canada and the United States redefine the protection of their borders," Pastor explained. "The debt crisis in Mexico forced the government to adapt a new economic model. The crises oblige the governments to make difficult decisions."
This was the first time WND had found a major intellectual leader behind the push to integrate North America suggesting that a crisis of 9-11 proportions might be just what was needed to advance the process toward establishing a North American Union and the amero. WND reached Pastor in his office at American University and conducted a telephone interview to make sure the Spanish publication accurately reflected his views.
He affirmed the Spanish interview represents his thinking.
"What I'm saying is that a crisis is an event which can force democratic governments to make difficult decisions like those that will be required to create a North American Community," he said. "It's not that I want another 9/11 crisis, but having a crisis would force decisions that otherwise might not get made."
Pastor noted, for example that "Europeans, facing the crisis of two World Wars, turned to the European Community as a means to prevent war and advance their economic interests."
"The United States turned to the Marshall Plan when faced with the crisis of Western Europe falling into the hands of communism," he said. "So, I'm not advocating, or encouraging, or wanting a crisis, I'm only saying that in order to take important initiatives, sometimes one manner in which this occurs is when there is a crisis to which leaders need to respond."
Pastor told WND he lamented that the leadership of the three North American countries is not positioned to make the type of tough decisions needed to advance a North American Community agenda.
In his interview with Poder y Negocios, he argued, "Canada has a minority government and Mexico will soon have a minority government that will be confronted with what amounts to an uprising that we hope will be peaceful. The United States has a lame duck president whose principle preoccupation is the war in Iraq and instability in the Middle East."
Pastor further told WND Mexico's Fox made a tactical mistake by laying out an overly ambitious agenda to integrate with the United States.
"President Bush then took on the issue of illegal immigration, and it proved to be much more difficult than anticipated," he said. In the absence of strong North American leadership, is a crisis the way greater North American integration can be expected to happen?
"There are alternatives to a crisis for getting a major decision adopted by the president and by the congress," Pastor responded. "But what I am saying is that we lack the kind of North American leadership we need. Our founding fathers created a system of governance that was not designed to be efficient but was designed to protect freedom. Therefore, you created checks and balances that did protect freedom but also made it difficult to move forward on important issues."
Pastor was asked what North American leaders would need to do to move toward integration.
"We need to form a customs union to move North American integration to a new level," Pastor argued. "A customs union would eliminate rules of origin on the border and agree to a common external tariff. This would not be easy but not as difficult as NAFTA was, and it would lead to efficiencies in our economies and in the end contribute to a better standard of living for all parties."
Pastor also called for a North American Investment Fund to invest in Mexico's infrastructure.
"If we had a North American Investment Fund," Pastor explained, "over the long term, you would narrow the income gap between Mexico and the U.S."
WND previously reported Sen. John Cornyn, R-Texas, dropped his support for legislation (S. 3622) he introduced in the 109th Congress to create a North American Investment Fund after WND pointed out the proposed law would advance an important part of Pastor's agenda to create a North American Community.
Pastor was careful to distinguish that his proposals were designed to create a North American Community and that he never has proposed to create a North American Union as an EU-style regional government.
"What I am recommending is a series of functional steps that are more than incremental," Pastor admitted. "Each of the proposals I have laid out represent more than just small steps. But it doesn't represent a leap toward a North American Union, or even to some confederation of any kind. I don't think either is plausible, necessary, or even helpful to contemplate at this stage."
The idea seems to be to put new structures in place that change the look of the landscape. WND pointed out to Pastor that this step-by-step approach is the same approach taken to create the European Union. The memoirs of Jean Monnet, regarded as the architect of European unity, finally disclosed he had used a strategy of deceit, knowing his plan to form a European Union would never succeed if it were openly disclosed.
Pastor was asked if he thought a North American Union was a bad idea.
"No," he replied. "I don't think a political union of North America is an inherently bad idea, nor do I think it is a good idea for North America right now. I teach a course at American University in which I look at the different options for political integration of North America, and I put the options before the students."
Then why is a North American Union a bad idea right now?
"The reason the political integration is not a good idea at this stage now, perhaps never, is because of people like yourself who immediately begin to fear that their sense of America could disappear," Pastor responded. "Somehow, if you're fearful that America's sovereignty will disappear, you won't even take small steps forward. You just get mired in the status quo. The problem is that the world is moving very rapidly, and you can't stay competitive if you don't move."
Pastor did not reject the idea that a North American Union could form, but only after further continental economic integration and the development of a North American Community in which people are able to think as citizens of North America.
Is China the winner in the NAFTA super-corridors being planned for North America?
"If you define trade in zero-sum terms, China may be the winner in the transportation corridors," Pastor conceded. "But even in zero-sum terms, consumers benefit from the increasing imports that give them more choice and give them more quality. In the final analysis, we are all consumers."
Pastor affirmed he favors globalism.
"I believe," he explained to WND, "that globalization is a net plus for the world economy, for the middle class, and for all people."
Enter Dr. Robert Pastor, stage left. Pastor is the author of the 2001 book Towards a North American Community and was lead author of that now-infamous 2005 CFR study Building a North American Community. WorldNetDaily.com recently interviewed Pastor, who spoke with surprising candor. Although he refuses to use the phrase North American Union, he clearly does favor the deep integration of the three North American nations, spelling out such steps as the creation of a customs union and a North American Investment Fund, and encouraging a mindset “in which people are able to think as citizens of North America.” His remarks on what could bring this about ought to give us pause: referring back to 9/11, he observed that another such event might be the catalyst for establishing an integrated North America with a single currency: the amero.
Read for yourself what is motivating the economic integration zealots: not freedom but efficiency--the protection of freedom built into Constitutionally limited government, we find out from Dr. Pastor, is in their way! Freedom prevents their "mov[ing] forward on important issues"--like consolidating wealth and power the world over and centralizing the planet!
Pastor's remarks make crystal clear how far out of touch with this country’s founding principles globalists really are. Our system was indeed designed to protect our freedoms; it was not designed to be “efficient”! “Efficiency” is often assumed by economists to be a good thing. It is manifestly not a good thing if it results in systems that run roughshod over ordinary citizens. In the hands of the Rockefellers, the Rothschilds, the Warburgs, and their more visible minions the Robert Pastors of the world, “efficiency” will lead us to economic serfdom if it continues to be the priority within the corporatist economic system likely to consume the planet if the global power elites gets its way.
No "conspiracy theory" here. It's right out in the open. Read Pastor's words for yourself. Or get his book. Also be thinking: Hegelian dialectic. Crisis, reaction, response. If another 9/11 does occur, there will be even more reason for thinking it an "inside job" designed to move a specific process forward.
THE NEW WORLD DISORDER
North American Union leader
says merger just crisis away
Leading intellectual force behind effort toward EU-style unity looks at future
Posted: December 15, 2006
1:00 a.m. Eastern
By Jerome R. Corsi
© 2006 WorldNetDaily.com
Original here
Robert Pastor, a leading intellectual force in the move to create an EU-style North American Community, told WND he believes a new 9/11 crisis could be the catalyst to merge the U.S., Mexico and Canada.
Pastor, a professor at American University, says that in such a case the Security and Prosperity Partnership of North America, or SPP – launched in 2005 by the heads of the three countries at a summit in Waco, Texas – could be developed into a continental union, complete with a new currency, the amero, that would replace the U.S. dollar just as the euro has replaced the national currencies of Europe.
In May 2005, Pastor was co-chairman the Council on Foreign Relations task force that produced a report entitled "Toward a North American Community," which he has claimed is the blueprint behind the SSP declared by President Bush, Mexico's then-President Vicente Fox, and Canada's then-Prime Minister Paul Martin.
Robert Pastor of American University
At American University in Washington, D.C., Pastor directs the Center for North American Studies where he teaches a course entitled "North America: A Union, A Community, or Just Three Nations?" As WND previously has reported, Pastor is on the board of the North American Forum on Integration, the NAFI, a non-profit organization that annually holds a mock trilateral parliament for 100 selected students drawn from 10 universities in the U.S., Canada and Mexico.
Pastor had published an interview in Spanish in the Oct. 24 issue of Poder y Negocios. He told the magazine crises can force decisions that otherwise would not be made.
"The 9/11 crisis made Canada and the United States redefine the protection of their borders," Pastor explained. "The debt crisis in Mexico forced the government to adapt a new economic model. The crises oblige the governments to make difficult decisions."
This was the first time WND had found a major intellectual leader behind the push to integrate North America suggesting that a crisis of 9-11 proportions might be just what was needed to advance the process toward establishing a North American Union and the amero. WND reached Pastor in his office at American University and conducted a telephone interview to make sure the Spanish publication accurately reflected his views.
He affirmed the Spanish interview represents his thinking.
"What I'm saying is that a crisis is an event which can force democratic governments to make difficult decisions like those that will be required to create a North American Community," he said. "It's not that I want another 9/11 crisis, but having a crisis would force decisions that otherwise might not get made."
Pastor noted, for example that "Europeans, facing the crisis of two World Wars, turned to the European Community as a means to prevent war and advance their economic interests."
"The United States turned to the Marshall Plan when faced with the crisis of Western Europe falling into the hands of communism," he said. "So, I'm not advocating, or encouraging, or wanting a crisis, I'm only saying that in order to take important initiatives, sometimes one manner in which this occurs is when there is a crisis to which leaders need to respond."
Pastor told WND he lamented that the leadership of the three North American countries is not positioned to make the type of tough decisions needed to advance a North American Community agenda.
In his interview with Poder y Negocios, he argued, "Canada has a minority government and Mexico will soon have a minority government that will be confronted with what amounts to an uprising that we hope will be peaceful. The United States has a lame duck president whose principle preoccupation is the war in Iraq and instability in the Middle East."
Pastor further told WND Mexico's Fox made a tactical mistake by laying out an overly ambitious agenda to integrate with the United States.
"President Bush then took on the issue of illegal immigration, and it proved to be much more difficult than anticipated," he said. In the absence of strong North American leadership, is a crisis the way greater North American integration can be expected to happen?
"There are alternatives to a crisis for getting a major decision adopted by the president and by the congress," Pastor responded. "But what I am saying is that we lack the kind of North American leadership we need. Our founding fathers created a system of governance that was not designed to be efficient but was designed to protect freedom. Therefore, you created checks and balances that did protect freedom but also made it difficult to move forward on important issues."
Pastor was asked what North American leaders would need to do to move toward integration.
"We need to form a customs union to move North American integration to a new level," Pastor argued. "A customs union would eliminate rules of origin on the border and agree to a common external tariff. This would not be easy but not as difficult as NAFTA was, and it would lead to efficiencies in our economies and in the end contribute to a better standard of living for all parties."
Pastor also called for a North American Investment Fund to invest in Mexico's infrastructure.
"If we had a North American Investment Fund," Pastor explained, "over the long term, you would narrow the income gap between Mexico and the U.S."
WND previously reported Sen. John Cornyn, R-Texas, dropped his support for legislation (S. 3622) he introduced in the 109th Congress to create a North American Investment Fund after WND pointed out the proposed law would advance an important part of Pastor's agenda to create a North American Community.
Pastor was careful to distinguish that his proposals were designed to create a North American Community and that he never has proposed to create a North American Union as an EU-style regional government.
"What I am recommending is a series of functional steps that are more than incremental," Pastor admitted. "Each of the proposals I have laid out represent more than just small steps. But it doesn't represent a leap toward a North American Union, or even to some confederation of any kind. I don't think either is plausible, necessary, or even helpful to contemplate at this stage."
The idea seems to be to put new structures in place that change the look of the landscape. WND pointed out to Pastor that this step-by-step approach is the same approach taken to create the European Union. The memoirs of Jean Monnet, regarded as the architect of European unity, finally disclosed he had used a strategy of deceit, knowing his plan to form a European Union would never succeed if it were openly disclosed.
Pastor was asked if he thought a North American Union was a bad idea.
"No," he replied. "I don't think a political union of North America is an inherently bad idea, nor do I think it is a good idea for North America right now. I teach a course at American University in which I look at the different options for political integration of North America, and I put the options before the students."
Then why is a North American Union a bad idea right now?
"The reason the political integration is not a good idea at this stage now, perhaps never, is because of people like yourself who immediately begin to fear that their sense of America could disappear," Pastor responded. "Somehow, if you're fearful that America's sovereignty will disappear, you won't even take small steps forward. You just get mired in the status quo. The problem is that the world is moving very rapidly, and you can't stay competitive if you don't move."
Pastor did not reject the idea that a North American Union could form, but only after further continental economic integration and the development of a North American Community in which people are able to think as citizens of North America.
Is China the winner in the NAFTA super-corridors being planned for North America?
"If you define trade in zero-sum terms, China may be the winner in the transportation corridors," Pastor conceded. "But even in zero-sum terms, consumers benefit from the increasing imports that give them more choice and give them more quality. In the final analysis, we are all consumers."
Pastor affirmed he favors globalism.
"I believe," he explained to WND, "that globalization is a net plus for the world economy, for the middle class, and for all people."
Monday, December 18, 2006
Real Trouble: the $4.6 Trillion Shortfall--We Are Swimming in a Near-Bottomless Sea of Red Ink
WE'RE BACK!!! To those who emailed and asked, thank you for your concern. It's been a difficult several weeks--with a friend having been hauled off to jail on a bogus CDV charge, term papers to grade for three classes, final exams to prepare and grade for five classes, and ... well, isn't that enough? There's a lot that should be here but isn't, because a lot has happened over the past several weeks. Suffice it to say, we're in more trouble now than we were before, shall we say, October 17, the day Bush signed the two most draconian and dangerous pieces of legislation yet produced by that gaggle of certifiable idiots we dignify by calling a Congress.
Meanwhile, if the news of the past several days can be trusted, the bankster class has almost succeeded in completely ruining this country's finances--to put the dollar out of its misery to make way for the Amero? We'll see.
The object lesson here is simple: YOU CANNOT AND SHOULD NEVER TRUST GOVERNMENT NUMBERS! The political / bureaucratic / bankster class lies routinely about the unemployment rate (at least double the "official" number), the inflation rate (probably at least triple the "official" number), just as they lied about the existence of "surpluses" back in the 1990s (from having raided the Social Security trust fund). These people are criminals and should be locked up in penitentiaries for the rest of their lives for what they've done to this once-free, once-prosperous nation!
Especially the banksters, whom Andrew Jackson once told to their faces, "You are a den of vipers & thieves! I want to rout you out, and by the Eternal God I WILL rout you out! If the American people understood the rank injustice of our money & banking system, there would be a revolution before morning!"
That was in 1832. What makes anybody think the bankster mindset has changed??? Anyway, on with the star of the show, Jerome R. Corsi who has become--IMHO--a national treasure as a whistleblower. He exposed Kerry as unqualified to be president, exposed the Peak Oil myth (in BLACK GOLD STRANGLEHOLD), has worked diligently to expose the North American Union plot, and his current research reveals--voila--that the banksters have succeeded in leaving us all swimming in a bottomless sea of red ink!
The Yates recommendation: BUY GOLD / BUY SILVER! I built a "cash stash" while I was living in Columbia--it now consists mostly of precious metals with a little extra cash set aside for minor emergencies.
Real U.S. shortfall: $4.6 trillion in red
'Taxing 100% of all wages, salaries, corporate profits would not eliminate a deficit of this magnitude'
Posted: December 17, 2006
11:45 p.m. Eastern
By Jerome R. Corsi
© 2006 WorldNetDaily.com [orig. here.]
The real 2006 federal budget deficit was $4.6 trillion, not a previously reported $248.2 billion, according to the 2006 Financial Report of the United States Government as released by the Treasury Department Friday.
"The 2006 federal budget deficit of $4.6 trillion is $1.1 trillion more than the 2005 federal budget deficit," econometrician John Williams, who publishes the website Shadow Government Statistics, told WND. "The Bush administration is in an untenable situation with a budget deficit this dramatic. Taxing 100 percent of all wages, salaries, and corporate profits would not eliminate a deficit of this magnitude, and cutting Social Security and Medicare spending is politically impossible."
In his subscription newsletter, Williams comments that the GAAP accounting numbers reported in the 2006 Treasury report show that, "the actual deficit number was nearly 19-times the size of the gimmicked 'official' deficit for 2006 of $248 billion. Total obligations were 4.2-times annual U.S. gross domestic product (GDP)."
The difference between the $248 billion "official" budget deficit numbers and the $4.6 trillion budget deficit reported in the 2006 Financial Report of the United States Government is that the official budget deficit is calculated on a cash basis, where all tax receipts, including Social Security tax receipts, are used to pay government liabilities as they occur.
The calculations in the 2006 Financial Report of the United States Government are calculated on a GAAP basis ("Generally Accepted Accounting Practices") that includes year-for-year changes in the net present value of unfunded liabilities in social insurance programs such as Social Security and Medicare.
Under cash accounting, the government makes no provision for future Social Security and Medicare benefits in the year in which those benefits accrue.
"Truthfully," Williams points out, "there is no Social Security 'lock-box.' There are no funds held in reserve today for Social Security and Medicare obligations that are earned each year. It's only a matter of time until the public realizes that the government is truly bankrupt and no taxes are being held in reserve to pay in the future the Social Security and Medicare benefits taxpayers are earning today."
(Story continues below)
Calculations from the 2006 Financial Report of the United States Government also show that the GAAP negative net worth of the federal government has increased to $53.1 trillion, while the total federal obligations under GAAP accounting now total $54.6 trillion.
"The Treasury is right in that Social Security and Medicare must be shown as liabilities on the federal balance sheet in the year they accrue," Williams argues. "To do otherwise is irresponsible, nothing more than an attempt to hide the painful truth from the American public. The public has a right to know just how bad off the federal government budget deficit situation really is, especially since the situation is rapidly spinning out of control."
"The federal government is bankrupt," Williams explained to WND. "In a post-Enron world, if the federal government were a corporation such as General Motors, the president and senior Treasury officers would be in federal penitentiary."
In a letter included in the 2006 Financial Report of the United States Government, David M. Walker, the comptroller general of the United States, commented on the $53 trillion federal government GAAP accounted negative net worth by noting, "This translates to a current burden of about $170,000 per American or approximately $440,000 per American household."
Remarkably, the U.S. Government Accountability Office refused to certify or render an opinion on the consolidated financial statements contained in the 2006 Financial Report of the United States Government, noting serious financial management problems at the Department of Defense, the federal government's inability to adequately account for and reconcile intragovernmental activity and balances between federal agencies, and the federal government's ineffective process for preparing the consolidated financial statements.
In his letter, David Walker commented that until these financial reporting problems were resolved within the federal government, the problems outlined in the audit report "will continue to have adverse implications for the federal government and American taxpayers."
"That's an understatement," Williams told WND.
"What the comptroller of the United States is telling us is that as bad as a $4.6 trillion federal budget deficit and a $53.1 trillion GAAP negative net worth are today, the situation with the Bush administration federal budget deficit might even be worse yet if the government’s overall bad accounting procedures could be fixed. With truly accurate GAAP reporting by the various administrative agencies, the 2006 financial report of the federal government would have shown even larger deficits and a larger negative net worth, hard as that may be to imagine."
Meanwhile, if the news of the past several days can be trusted, the bankster class has almost succeeded in completely ruining this country's finances--to put the dollar out of its misery to make way for the Amero? We'll see.
The object lesson here is simple: YOU CANNOT AND SHOULD NEVER TRUST GOVERNMENT NUMBERS! The political / bureaucratic / bankster class lies routinely about the unemployment rate (at least double the "official" number), the inflation rate (probably at least triple the "official" number), just as they lied about the existence of "surpluses" back in the 1990s (from having raided the Social Security trust fund). These people are criminals and should be locked up in penitentiaries for the rest of their lives for what they've done to this once-free, once-prosperous nation!
Especially the banksters, whom Andrew Jackson once told to their faces, "You are a den of vipers & thieves! I want to rout you out, and by the Eternal God I WILL rout you out! If the American people understood the rank injustice of our money & banking system, there would be a revolution before morning!"
That was in 1832. What makes anybody think the bankster mindset has changed??? Anyway, on with the star of the show, Jerome R. Corsi who has become--IMHO--a national treasure as a whistleblower. He exposed Kerry as unqualified to be president, exposed the Peak Oil myth (in BLACK GOLD STRANGLEHOLD), has worked diligently to expose the North American Union plot, and his current research reveals--voila--that the banksters have succeeded in leaving us all swimming in a bottomless sea of red ink!
The Yates recommendation: BUY GOLD / BUY SILVER! I built a "cash stash" while I was living in Columbia--it now consists mostly of precious metals with a little extra cash set aside for minor emergencies.
Real U.S. shortfall: $4.6 trillion in red
'Taxing 100% of all wages, salaries, corporate profits would not eliminate a deficit of this magnitude'
Posted: December 17, 2006
11:45 p.m. Eastern
By Jerome R. Corsi
© 2006 WorldNetDaily.com [orig. here.]
The real 2006 federal budget deficit was $4.6 trillion, not a previously reported $248.2 billion, according to the 2006 Financial Report of the United States Government as released by the Treasury Department Friday.
"The 2006 federal budget deficit of $4.6 trillion is $1.1 trillion more than the 2005 federal budget deficit," econometrician John Williams, who publishes the website Shadow Government Statistics, told WND. "The Bush administration is in an untenable situation with a budget deficit this dramatic. Taxing 100 percent of all wages, salaries, and corporate profits would not eliminate a deficit of this magnitude, and cutting Social Security and Medicare spending is politically impossible."
In his subscription newsletter, Williams comments that the GAAP accounting numbers reported in the 2006 Treasury report show that, "the actual deficit number was nearly 19-times the size of the gimmicked 'official' deficit for 2006 of $248 billion. Total obligations were 4.2-times annual U.S. gross domestic product (GDP)."
The difference between the $248 billion "official" budget deficit numbers and the $4.6 trillion budget deficit reported in the 2006 Financial Report of the United States Government is that the official budget deficit is calculated on a cash basis, where all tax receipts, including Social Security tax receipts, are used to pay government liabilities as they occur.
The calculations in the 2006 Financial Report of the United States Government are calculated on a GAAP basis ("Generally Accepted Accounting Practices") that includes year-for-year changes in the net present value of unfunded liabilities in social insurance programs such as Social Security and Medicare.
Under cash accounting, the government makes no provision for future Social Security and Medicare benefits in the year in which those benefits accrue.
"Truthfully," Williams points out, "there is no Social Security 'lock-box.' There are no funds held in reserve today for Social Security and Medicare obligations that are earned each year. It's only a matter of time until the public realizes that the government is truly bankrupt and no taxes are being held in reserve to pay in the future the Social Security and Medicare benefits taxpayers are earning today."
(Story continues below)
Calculations from the 2006 Financial Report of the United States Government also show that the GAAP negative net worth of the federal government has increased to $53.1 trillion, while the total federal obligations under GAAP accounting now total $54.6 trillion.
"The Treasury is right in that Social Security and Medicare must be shown as liabilities on the federal balance sheet in the year they accrue," Williams argues. "To do otherwise is irresponsible, nothing more than an attempt to hide the painful truth from the American public. The public has a right to know just how bad off the federal government budget deficit situation really is, especially since the situation is rapidly spinning out of control."
"The federal government is bankrupt," Williams explained to WND. "In a post-Enron world, if the federal government were a corporation such as General Motors, the president and senior Treasury officers would be in federal penitentiary."
In a letter included in the 2006 Financial Report of the United States Government, David M. Walker, the comptroller general of the United States, commented on the $53 trillion federal government GAAP accounted negative net worth by noting, "This translates to a current burden of about $170,000 per American or approximately $440,000 per American household."
Remarkably, the U.S. Government Accountability Office refused to certify or render an opinion on the consolidated financial statements contained in the 2006 Financial Report of the United States Government, noting serious financial management problems at the Department of Defense, the federal government's inability to adequately account for and reconcile intragovernmental activity and balances between federal agencies, and the federal government's ineffective process for preparing the consolidated financial statements.
In his letter, David Walker commented that until these financial reporting problems were resolved within the federal government, the problems outlined in the audit report "will continue to have adverse implications for the federal government and American taxpayers."
"That's an understatement," Williams told WND.
"What the comptroller of the United States is telling us is that as bad as a $4.6 trillion federal budget deficit and a $53.1 trillion GAAP negative net worth are today, the situation with the Bush administration federal budget deficit might even be worse yet if the government’s overall bad accounting procedures could be fixed. With truly accurate GAAP reporting by the various administrative agencies, the 2006 financial report of the federal government would have shown even larger deficits and a larger negative net worth, hard as that may be to imagine."
