Liberty requires Responsibility. Cultivating a culture of irresponsibility and blame is the despot's game.

Life is an amazing gift and this world a true blessing. What we do with it determines our happiness. Creation is a constant process, as is awakening to it. I am ever in awe. To sing in harmony with it is transcendent. And to be in a community of like-minded is paradise. "Thy kingdom come."

"Extremism in pursuit of moderation" is not moderation either. The natural law cannot be broken -- it may appear to bend but it bends back. Extremism is relative to how far it appears to bend, but the forces of nature reckon a balance. If already off balance and returning to center, the transition could seem extreme while actually just returning to center. Both circular and linear -- a spring. It can be compressed or expanded, but always pushing to return to its 'normal' form. The pursuit of moderation is that you let a spring just sit there unused. ;-) Extremism in that regard is to spend energy to keep from spending energy... like rioting for peace, or beating up Trump supporters by pacifists.

'Sacrifice' -- the statist theocracy's offering to the god of Power.

Mike is right. Voluntary unionism has mutual benefits. But few can resist the temptation that power brings with it - there must always be a check against centralized power. Voluntary association is the engine of innovation. Forced unionism is but another form of servitude.

The unvarnished truth! Rick Graber nails it.

To make 'war' on something is to aim for its destruction. When destruction becomes the modus operandi for 'solutions' we are fooling ourselves if we think that creates the new paradigm. The War on Terror, War on Drugs, War on Whatever... This is just war! And war is the trade of kings.

In a world of this and that, there will always be differences. But this and that are not static. The young become old. New ideas become fads, then some become traditions -- often challenging long-standing customs. With time, one political group's views can completely change -- the Democratic party is a good example. With a 2 party system, each party represents the collective interests of the group -- if one party takes a position, the other must take the opposing position, depending on the sentiments of the day. Over time the parties dance.

In America today, the political parties have become blocs for arbitrary power -- whoever is in the majority rules the rest. The Libertarian ideal is what freed America from monarchy. Global socialism now aims to take over, but America was founded upon different principles and cannot join in without losing their Independence. Libertarianism is starting to return as more Americans learn who they are.

Decentralization of power is now a global movement, since centralization has just merely tightened the noose. Brexit, Trump, and more 'exits' are a sign.

I was born into a song already being sung. I may listen and be moved by it. I may sing in harmony with it. I may even improvise a little. As I have gotten older, I have learned how to compose and conduct. Jamming with others is a lot of fun -- it takes on a life of its own as each musician plays their part, the result is wonderful. Learning how to play with others seems to be a primary purpose in this life -- harmony is the reward. ;-)

I wonder what he was referring to... the rarity of his own competence or his fellows? A politician always speaks out of both sides of his/her mouth -- this is one of those statements that says nothing but reinforces the speaker's reputation for being wise...

A Reckoning is due. America must address the corrupt acts of the past that have now become de facto law. Every check against oligarchy has been challenged, and many have been breached. The takeover has been long and silent. But you can't fool all the people all the time. It may happen here, it may happen somewhere else, but a Reckoning is coming...

A return to State sovereignty and honest currency would be revolutionary and, dare I say, inevitable if Americans are ever to put the boat upright. The federal government was supposed to be like the U.N. and the States sovereign. Instead, Washington DC has become like London ruling the British Empire. The common people of America lost their federal government, and in its place is a de facto ruling class, the result of the 'transformation' of a democratic-republic of sovereign states into a nationalist-democracy of vassal states ruled by an oligarchy -- a monarchical form of government essentially, with a religion devoted to power in which all are indoctrinated. I do not think natural law will support it, though. Such systems historically fall from their own weight. The truth needs no props. Perhaps we are in the midst of the next Renaissance? ;-)

It's what made the primitive man a civilized man.

Fascism took over both US political parties in the 30's. The communists upped their game and 'progressively' took over the Democrats. Once Americans lost control of their money and power, the globalists perfected their system of hegemony.

True reform would be a return to State sovereignty -- there are so few who can make their way through the gauntlet of authoritarian opposition to the seats of power to dismantle the DC statist machine.

That's how a de jure government becomes a de facto government. Income taxes come to mind. Taxing a man's labors has always been considered a form of servitude -- that's why the income tax act was a VOLUNTARY tax for those in the higher earning brackets. The American Revolution was in response to taxes from England and being forced to use British fiat currency.

And, via precedent, we have duplicated the very tyranny of King George in America today -- and we can get no one in government to return to obeying the rules -- how? Precedents in court decisions relating to taxing authority, medicine, law, transportation, communications -- you name it -- now fence in the free people of America into chattel to be divvied up as collateral for the central bankers.

Delusion is as powerful a weapon as ever. Giving men in black robes such authority has historically been the downfall of a free people.

The fact that Madison can't answer his own question demonstrates that the Constitution is not perfect. Governing has always been a racket to 'rule' and an imperial quest for power. The Constitution was supposed to be a rule book for the government so that they could never assume dominance over the people.

But KNOWLEDGE of how to live free is absolutely essential to a free republic. And if the people lose the knowledge of how to be responsible for oneself, to raise a family, live in a community, produce, trade, play, sing, dance ... -- they become serfs on their own land. And since Education today promotes a culture of passengers on a bus rather than owners of race cars, little by little the people are being conditioned into beasts of burden for the ruling class.

The responsibility still rests with the individual to keep his government in check -- of course, it helps if you have others of like mind with you.

It's not so much the court as the jurisdiction that bothers me. As the federal government continues to extend its claim over the labors and property of the people, the expanded jurisdiction of the courts is assumed -- how else to challenge the claim but in government courts? Thus, no real redress. The inter-state commerce clause has been used to justify all matter of legislation that supposedly the common man must 'obey' -- after all that is what legislatures do, right? Wrong! Regulating commerce has turned into regulating everyone.

Will America ever return to honest law and due process?

One of the weaker links of the chains of the Constitution -- how to check the Judiciary and the lawyers' guild/monopoly/racket? It's the fox guarding the hen house. Seize all aspects of the law and due process, and rule by judicial diktat. That is how the de jure common law has been substituted with de facto commercial/civil/colorable law. Statist theocracy indeed, Mike.

Fascism has been the de facto form of government of the US since the days of FDR and the New Deal. Capitalism is usually defined as the enemy of communism. Trade is the life-blood of a nation. 'Capital' is a form of property; honest and voluntary exchange of property is considered 'fair trade.' Theft and thievery can take on a myriad of deceptive forms -- 'free trade,' 'fair share,' 'insurance,' 'security,' 'investment' -- twisting the meaning of words is the con man's game. All forms of authoritarianism and statism are cons against the free man/woman.

I liked the quote, but Mike got me thinking. Aside from the semantics, Cavallo makes the point that :

"The only role of government in the economy should be to guarantee the integrity of market transactions."

This was the concept behind government bonds -- people could invest in them (i.e. loan the government money) if they believed in the government's causes. If not, they wouldn't.

Now all our money is backed by government bonds -- we have no choice but to trade our labors and goods for them, and the government has no check against issuing more bonds than can be repaid without borrowing more. Thus massive inflation -- US purchasing power has been lost by 99% since the Federal Reserve was chartered in 1913. The transfer of the nation's wealth and labors to the central bank has been MASSIVE! It's unconscionable. Americans are under occupation and servicing a perpetual debt that continues to rise exponentially. Something's got to give ...

Notice the biggies complaining now of Trump's policies -- these are the ones that have benefited from regulations often at the expense of local labor and small business.

Finally a crack in the establishment facade. Trump was not a Council on Foreign Relations pick -- they have picked the candidates for as long as I can remember. The people have been waking up over the last 25 years and getting smarter. Has the revolution already begun?

Yep. Good comments!