warren nails it!

Once again the key to liberty is taking responsibility. The freeman must invariably defend himself against those that claim to be oppressed by him, who claim victimhood as their creed, and are therefore architects of their own bondage. Their demands are merely for better conditions of servitude, at the expense of freeman and their liberty.

If the printers want to stay in business, they must accommodate as inclusive an audience as they can -- in order to sell advertising. Slanted media will only draw an audience within the special interest groups to which they cater. The media is populist in nature, a balance of reporting and opinion kept in their respective columns keeps it clean. But when reporting is but opinion-making and opinions are gospel, the audience that remains represents merely those that have fallen for the narrative -- the rest simply will not submit themselves to such obvious contrivances.

Hence, The New York Times and the Washington Post are today a fraction of the size, worth, and influence they once possessed. A slanted press has a shaky foundation -- the facade may look the same, but it crumbles within.

Who are the 'electors' supposed to be? They were freemen with land patents. Only land holders were considered electors for Governor and President. The rest of the votes were a 'poll'. Votes for the House of Representatives were counted equally, and Senators were appointed by the state Legislatures, so that they were beholden to the state, not Washington.

But in order to put 'democracy' into action, which by the way was to SUBVERT the republican form of government, power has been centralized in a 'national' (not federal) government. Electors are not required to be land owners, so private property has been the object of perpetual taxes as per the voting of the masses. Senators are no longer picked by the State but by popular election -- just like the House of Representatives. The money system has been converted from hard currency to debt instruments, and all the States are beholden to Washington for funding and credit. All are in debt, no one holds land patents (and dares admit it). And what is the solution? More of the same!

Elections do nothing, and can NEVER fix this. Each State will have to make the effort to regain its RESPONSIBILITY. We see it with cannabis legalization and other 'grass roots' movements. Heck, even California is looking to secede now that Trump won -- that would be great! It is states like California that have implemented so much statist control that if they can manage to be self-sufficient, it will be the Brexit of ALL the states back to their sovereign status. (I am not holding my breath ...)

These presidential elections are a prime example of Americans not knowing what they are voting for. Ask a voter what they want from the president -- 9 times out of 10 it is to do what a president was never authorized or empowered to do. Washington DC draws more and more power to itself, power it 'assumes' with little to no check from the People. And yet that was Hillary's and even Trump's message -- more government, maybe less regulations, but not the renunciation of the assumption of power. Both candidates are nationalist populist -- just like Hitler was. And both will require 'regulation' by the People.

Indeed!!

But what I wanted to point out was that today, a bachelors degree today costs hundreds of thousands of dollars -- and Harvard and Princeton are out of this world. The only way is to borrow the money unless you are rich or a sponsored shill. Just like medical care, the expenses are too high for the average person, so insurance is required.

This just raises the cost of education and medicine because there is no check upon it by the market.

People are coming out of college with a HUGE debt and trained in programs for furthering statist rule -- either join them or starve.

The young are being conditioned to perpetual debt.

I'll go even further -- schools appear in order to train people in specific fields of study. They are founded by a 'company' of people who require skilled labor. Elementary education was required for certain trades, and higher education was required for the sciences. For the most part a school is a collection of writings, research, facilities, teachers and programs for training.

Doctors, lawyers, engineers, etc. have associations and certifications for 'grading' by degree one's mastery of the field of study.

In America, no one is permitted to be a slave -- it is unlawful. To dominate, monopolize, and regulate a field or industry is to enslave those in the field to the dictates of the group. It's just another example of taking a good thing too far.

Educate the population in liberty, and mutual respect and prosperity will be its fruit. Let the people sort out their own futures. But, no, now the federal government wants us to give up our children at age 3 for a service unneeded and potentially harmful on so many levels -- and demand it as a right/entitlement.

I have read the text books that are in the schools today. The 'social studies' (why don't they call it 'history'?) books were riddled with propaganda and biased writing. Even the science books were corrupted with 'climate change' politics -- so long honest research. But schools have never taught anything that threatens their 'turf'.

Very much like we have seen with the mainstream media, the government founded schools do indeed bias their programs to the benefit of government -- not the least of which are the unionized employees that run them.

Waffler, the schools you are referring to were founded by churches not the 'state'. Primarily that is how ALL schools came into being in those times. They were usually connected to a church that raised donations, but students paid to attend. The Jesuit education was considered the highest. Note that Western 'law' originated with the Catholic Church. Schools obviously promoted the religion upon which the curriculum was founded.

Montessori schools promote a Montessori method for learning. Catholic and Hebrew schools teach according to their methods. Harvard and Princeton are not the ecclesiastical institutions they originally were -- these institutions have changed owners and the curriculum supports THEIR agenda (as did the others). That is what schools DO!! The crux is, forced education. Once the education is compelled, the curriculum becomes dominated with statist thought.

Waffler, are you saying that because Adams went to Harvard that he couldn't have been home-schooled? And what is SCHOOL, Waffler? What if I read every book in the school's curriculum on my own -- would I have enough 'education' for you? Face it, most of the today's educational process is one of programming. If you like and want the program, then great. But what if you don't? I can choose not to go to Harvard, but can I choose not to ingest the crap I am compelled to in 'state' institutions? Here comes the Ritalin ...

The only thing protecting the Declaration of Independence is the force of the American people -- and of course their willingness to give it all they have got.

The wars in the Middle East are simply business. Winning is spending trillions of dollars, not bringing freedom and prosperity to those war-torn countries. End the war, end the business.

Multiple trade routes have been claimed by the West in the Middle East -- oil and opium being the 2 biggest. These wars are for making money, not for helping the people. Also, reducing the populations in this region is a globalist 'to do' item.

It should be no surprise that after 25 years of bombing these people, all that is left are religious fanatics who credit Allah with their survival. Christian Americans would do no less.

My home-schooled children are in college now. My daughter was accepted to university but switched to college after a year because she was years younger than her classmates but years ahead in math and other subjects. She wanted to be with students her own age, so went to 'college'. She enjoys the socialization, that's what there is most there. She has chosen new fields of study to keep it interesting. But for sure, public education is designed to create an employee mindset that obeys without questioning. She is now exposed to all manner of craziness -- she has a transgender friend who is suicidal and has been consoling her/him. Man, so many kids' minds have been twisted by public education.

I find it interesting that the darlings of the left are praising Cuba's national health care and education -- it's called population control, literally. Sheesh. You need a permit to conceive, and forced abortions for those that did not get permission to procreate. Totalitarianism absolutely requires national education and medication. Firing squads are also popular.

The Cuban people are imprisoned on an island. Southern Florida has millions of Cubans living there -- ask them if they would trade their lives in America for the free health care and education of Cuba!

Thus atonement and forgiveness balance the equation. I learn through making mistakes. To prevent me from making mistakes is to prevent me from growing up and being responsible. The return to that shore is possible, if the lesson is learned -- if not, smashed upon the rocks.

American political discourse has devolved into nothing more than calling people names. Worse is that the media and schools promote fallacies as reality. I voted for the policies and principles I want represented -- that represent me. I define myself in terms of what I stand for, not what I look like.

Whatever happened to the "content of their character"? Growing up, 'prejudice' was strongly frowned upon. Now, prejudice is the governing rule -- calling someone a racist is prejudice. The Left is falling off the edge and hanging on to all they have -- cursing the rest of us as they fall into the pit... ;-)

Hey, inner cities, the rest of us have grown up with diverse people from all walks of life -- this is AMERICA, you know! Calling us racists does not ring true. That old racket just doesn't carry enough weight in America -- the first black president got elected by the majority of white voters, many of whom voted for Trump this time. What is clear, given the chance, the People will vote to get away from socialism, for a return to honest government of PRINCIPLE, not persona.

Good point Valerie. I think substituting 'liberty' with 'power' makes your argument. How much power can we 'permit' another to have? This is the age-old question for a voluntary association of people -- how they answer will determine Nature's response.

Whatever happened to "don't believe everything you read"? I'm afraid the Washington Post has fallen a great height from when Katharine Graham ran the paper. I used to read the Washington Post regularly in those days, along with the New York Times and Wall Street Journal.

But TODAY, the WaPo, NYT, even the WSJ, have dumbed-down their content and their 'reporting' has become more and more opinionated -- it's all op-ed now, round table discussions: OPINION-MAKING and it's a racket. Remember that the media is in the advertising business, and thus are experts in mass psychology for selling their products. Over the decades they have turned 'reporting' into a business to sway the opinions of the masses to not only buy their drugs but also their ideology of dependence and conformity for the masses. THEY are the experts, and we need only listen and do as they suggest.

BUT the digital age and social media have utterly destroyed the printed and broadcast mediums -- that is how the Post and the Times lost their power and value. The owners have all changed as the businesses were sold, foreign ownership of these old presses is increasing, the older investigative journalists are fading away or have their own media brands and outlets.

Along with Graham, Huntley and Brinkley and Cronkite are dead and with them went the journalistic integrity they kept. When will Integrity be included as an American value?

I suppose the phrase "do something to" is vague enough to weaken the argument. So, it all depends on what the "do something" is.

The recent Trump election has been the excuse for a lot of people "doing something to" others that have spoken and voted for Trump. Trump supporters - students and faculty alike - have been beaten, intimidated with death threats, have been refused public services, businesses and property destroyed, IRS targeted, insulted by employers, insulted by celebrities, talking heads, bureaucrats -- and all use whatever power available to them to HURT those who dare to speak and vote their conscience.

This is neo-liberalism, the intolerant, and frankly the irresponsible, and thus they are oppressed by their own ideology -- a purgatory of their own making. I do not deny their suffering, only their claimed cause.

I should add, being truthful with oneself is the primary task of a truth seeker.

Robert, I do not claim to be a Christian, but I do endeavor to be christian. "God is Love" That was the phrase painted on the Christian Scientist church, and I have ever been empowered by it. Catholicism is fine for learning the history and ancient customs, but Christian Science is more like Buddhism. A Course in Miracles is another interesting approach to Christian teachings. But the Baptists and the Catholics will have none of it. ;-) The vedic Upanishads contain the earliest version of the 'do unto others' quote -- a millennia before the Hebrews.

As a Truth seeker, I can attest that what is true is true -- my ability to discern, to accept, and to speak the truth will determine my comprehension of the truth, whatever it may be. SO it looks like being truthful is all I can really do if I want to discover the truth ... how else? ;-)

A great deal of thanks to Wikileaks for exposing the "fake news" of the mainstream media. I do not believe ANY of their polls -- now that their polls show a higher favorability rating for Trump, I can only assume it is even higher than what they say, and Obama's much lower. They are not telling us how it is, they are telling us how it 'ought' to be.

This is the corruption of the press, science, religion, and politics: DECEIT but with good intentions. Accompanied with self-delusion and narcissism, and you've got one hell of a problem.

If the Truth sets one free, what does Falsehood do?

Mick, don't fall for the propaganda -- I am sure Americans have plenty of misconceptions about England by reading the British press without real life experience. Many foreigners coming to visit NYC ask to see my gun and how many people I have had to shoot. ;-)

It is true -- the cities with the strictest gun laws have the highest incidents of gun-related deaths, AND those with open carry laws have the LOWEST rates of gun violence.

This year's crime stats are skewed because of all the racial protests and violence associated with Soros' Black Lives Matter movement.

100 million gun owners did NOT harm anyone with a gun this month -- and it will be the same month after month. Again, the silent majority will be heard from if you attempt to take away their power to defend themselves -- and they will be armed. Why be surprised?

Thanks to the Internet, voters' memories and awareness of their representatives actions are getting harder to hide.

We would have had Hillary as president if it weren't for Twitter and Wikileaks.

Anonymous and Reston were right -- during both Bush presidencies, the press was all in. Desert Storm and Iraqi Freedom were well supported by the media -- that's when CNN really came into its own.

The 'liberal' media is in fact the 'establishment' media which spends its energy propping up fallcies that justify government power grabs. The masses of uneducated, poor and immigrants make good audiences for the propaganda as they are the most controlled and regulated due to their dependence upon the money and benefits the government provides.

It is not so much a LIBERAL press as a STATIST press glorifying government POWER.

The point cannot be understated: the Constitution and Bill of Rights are the rules for the federal government, not the People. Whatever has not been explicity agreed to in these founding contracts, is reserved to the States and the People.

The purpose of these declarations is to limit government power and keep it in check -- not the opposite, to justify the exercise of unlimited power, i.e. to rule. Have we elected a president to rule? Or to preside over the execution of the laws designed to protect the lives, liberty, and property of the People who are the rulers of themselves, not each other.

Another argument for republican government, rather than democratic oligarchy.