“The beginning of wisdom is to call things by their right names.”

What name then do we use to describe democracy or freedom of speech or the will of the people or the rule of law or human rights in the U.S. today? Foolishness?

Ah, that we would consistently define terms -- but such in the catastrophe of language.

Steven, lets call Democracy what it has become, read on... The 10 PLANKS stated in the Communist Manifesto and some of their American counterparts are... 1. Abolition of private property and the application of all rents of land to public purposes. Americans do these with actions such as the 14th Amendment of the U.S. Constitution (1868), and various zoning, school & property taxes. Also the Bureau of Land Management (Zoning laws are the first step to government property ownership) 2. A heavy progressive or graduated income tax. Americans know this as misapplication of the 16th Amendment of the U.S. Constitution, 1913, The Social Security Act of 1936.; Joint House Resolution 192 of 1933; and various State "income" taxes. We call it "paying your fair share". 3. Abolition of all rights of inheritance. Americans call it Federal & State estate Tax (1916); or reformed Probate Laws, and limited inheritance via arbitrary inheritance tax statutes. 4. Confiscation of the property of all emigrants and rebels. Americans call it government seizures, tax liens, Public "law" 99-570 (1986); Executive order 11490, sections 1205, 2002 which gives private land to the Department of Urban Development; the imprisonment of "terrorists" and those who speak out or write against the "government" (1997 Crime/Terrorist Bill); or the IRS confiscation of property without due process. Asset forfeiture laws are used by DEA, IRS, ATF etc...). 5. Centralization of credit in the hands of the state, by means of a national bank with State capital and an exclusive monopoly. Americans call it the Federal Reserve which is a privately-owned credit/debt system allowed by the Federal Reserve act of 1913. All local banks are members of the Fed system, and are regulated by the Federal Deposit Insurance Corporation (FDIC) another privately-owned corporation. The Federal Reserve Banks issue Fiat Paper Money and practice economically destructive fractional reserve banking. 6. Centralization of the means of communications and transportation in the hands of the State. Americans call it the Federal Communications Commission (FCC) and Department of Transportation (DOT) mandated through the ICC act of 1887, the Commissions Act of 1934, The Interstate Commerce Commission established in 1938, The Federal Aviation Administration, Federal Communications Commission, and Executive orders 11490, 10999, as well as State mandated driver's licenses and Department of Transportation regulations. 7. Extension of factories and instruments of production owned by the state, the bringing into cultivation of waste lands, and the improvement of the soil generally in accordance with a common plan. Americans call it corporate capacity, The Desert Entry Act and The Department of Agriculture… Thus read "controlled or subsidized" rather than "owned"… This is easily seen in these as well as the Department of Commerce and Labor, Department of Interior, the Environmental Protection Agency, Bureau of Land Management, Bureau of Reclamation, Bureau of Mines, National Park Service, and the IRS control of business through corporate regulations. 8. Equal liability of all to labor. Establishment of industrial armies, especially for agriculture. Americans call it Minimum Wage and slave labor like dealing with our Most Favored Nation trade partner; i.e. Communist China. We see it in practice via the Social Security Administration and The Department of Labor. The National debt and inflation caused by the communal bank has caused the need for a two "income" family. Woman in the workplace since the 1920's, the 19th amendment of the U.S. Constitution, the Civil Rights Act of 1964, assorted Socialist Unions, affirmative action, the Federal Public Works Program and of course Executive order 11000. 9. Combination of agriculture with manufacturing industries, gradual abolition of the distinction between town and country, by a more equitable distribution of population over the country. Americans call it the Planning Reorganization act of 1949 , zoning (Title 17 1910-1990) and Super Corporate Farms, as well as Executive orders 11647, 11731 (ten regions) and Public "law" 89-136. These provide for forced relocations and forced sterilization programs, like in China. 10. Free education for all children in public schools. Abolition of children's factory labor in its present form. Combination of education with industrial production. Americans are being taxed to support what we call 'public' schools, but are actually "government force-tax-funded schools " Even private schools are government regulated. The purpose is to train the young to work for the communal debt system. We also call it the Department of Education, the NEA and Outcome Based "Education" . These are used so that all children can be indoctrinated and inculcated with the government propaganda, like "majority rules", and "pay your fair share". WHERE are the words "fair share" in the Constitution, Bill of Rights or the Internal Revenue Code (Title 26)?? NO WHERE is "fair share" even suggested !! The philosophical concept of "fair share" comes from the Communist maxim, "From each according to their ability, to each according to their need! This concept is pure socialism. ... America was made the greatest society by its private initiative WORK ETHIC ... Teaching ourselves and others how to "fish" to be self sufficient and produce plenty of EXTRA commodities to if so desired could be shared with others who might be "needy"... Americans have always voluntarily been the MOST generous and charitable society on the planet. Do changing words, change the end result? ... By using different words, is it all of a sudden OK to ignore or violate the provisions or intent of the Constitution of the united States of America????? The people (politicians) who believe in the SOCIALISTIC and COMMUNISTIC concepts, especially those who pass more and more laws implementing these slavery ideas, are traitors to their oath of office and to the Constitution of the united States of America... KNOW YOUR ENEMY ...Remove the enemy from within and from among us.

Wow, Sorry Mr. Editor. I didn't think the post was quite that big.

I don't know that it is the beginning of wisdom, but it is certainly key to communication, for without a shared nomenclature we are but animals grunting in our caves...

You absolutely nailed it Reston.There are those who seek to change commonly used words and morphy them into different things and thereby change basic concepts for their own ulterior purposes or to steal someone else's thoughts and make them appear to be their own or make something that may be good or neutral appear to be bad. Thus estate tax becomes death tax etcetera. Majority rule commonly known and called democracy beomes "republic not a democracy" etcetera. Intentionally failing to call things by their right name is deceit.

The term 'liberal" was becoming less popular, so the Libs changed it to "progressive'. I'm all for calling things by their right names, so let's call them what they really are. How about "socialists"

J Carlton, beats any list of mine, very well done. Thankyou

Since you continually bring it up Waffler, you're the one that cannot bridge the founder's contempt of Democracy with their established form of government, as you're a deceitful hack who cannot let go of his prideful ignorance even when truth is presented over and over and over again -- as we have all given you plenty of sources wherein you can plainly see the change in words over the last 200 years.

Jim, this is not a blog for your abuse but for sensible dialogue please try and be a gentleman. Please also read the difference between Left and Right politics, Liberal, Conservative, Republican, Socialist, Communist, Theocratic and Secular societies. (Just out of interest Carlton, was that canned or did you write this post off the cuff - I'm impressed). Now on the subject of the quote: The beginning of Wisdom? Wow, what a topic: To call or write things by their name is not necessarily a word but a philosophy - the truthful name of anything can only be explained through experience and dialogue. Wisdom is the shot not fired or the word not spoken so wisdom can also reside in things not done or said. Wisdom is as beautiful as dew on a blade of grass and as ugly as necessity may prevail. True Wisdom resides in the heart and minds of all things - it's that tree that falls when there's no one there to hear it. Man is as pernicious as he can be kind and the road between the two is where most reside. Wisdom, I believe, can only be achieved when there is total control of our emotions, when there is a total consideration for the happiness of others, and when the mind is no longer controlled by our thoughts and chattels. There is no wisdom without honor and you are the only person that is able to know that. Wisdom is not something you teach - wisdom is the soul of the heart and can only be understood by its owner. A wise man never answers a students question of why or what instead you are given a task. As Dickens put it 'A loving heart is the truest wisdom'. Waffler, in the end you only fall yourself... and Reston, you are correct though only with regard to communication of the written word and dialogue. Nomenclature has no meaning in the hearts and actions of man - you just do what you feel is right regardless of its classification.

Wise words like these stand the test of time. Awesome, J Carlton! 1913 was a bad year for America and heralded the introduction of communist ideals into American culture and government -- and it was accomplished by the very 'capitalists' that the communists supposedly abhorred -- communism is merely the absolute monopoly of capitalism in the hands of the VERY few. The 'socialists' have been assaulting the language since then. That is when Wilson spoke of making the world safe for 'democracy,' and the socialists have held tight to the corruption of that little word to further the ends of the ruling class. The poor obviously would vote away the property of the prosperous, which is an obvious attack on private property rights and the very Constitution that is supposed to protect them. (Why would the rich want the poor to vote away the property of the 'rich'? Because that is how they hold on to THEIR power -- THEIR property never is taxed or confiscated -- in fact they 'own' all the money anyway, they own every dollar in Bill Gates pocket!) America is 'democratic' but not 'a democracy.' Its form of government is a federal representative republic, but few make the distinction. Today Americans advocate a 'national social democracy' -- the very terms used by the Nazis. The educational 'system' has dumbed down several generations now even to the point that the Waffler's of this world defend their subjugation as the original intent of the American Revolution and the founding declarations and charters that formed the ONLY free constitutional republic of the age. The fact remains that the average 'voter' or 'citizen' has absolutely no idea how much power is in the hands of a small cartel of families that have been ruling for centuries, and still rule today -- it seems unbelievable that this ruling junta can and do manipulate education, media, telecommunications, transportation, medicine, military, and commerce not just in the US but around the world. But the founders understood all that in their time -- they had been under the thumb of Church, State, and Bank (rolled into one in the form of 'the Crown') and were well-read on the history of the world. All you have to do is listen to a Presidential press conference to understand that the twisting of words is the primary weapon used against a freedom-loving people. We need to make the world safe for Liberty, not 'democracy' -- what is the problem with that? The ignorant worship only one thing: their ignorance.

Language is as good at prevarication as the human mind because it is simply an extension of human thought. By our very nature we will twist meanings to our own advantage. We all know it and we act accordingly. To twist meanings not only clouds the issue for others but in your own mind as well. It is always refreshing when someone will just be straight up with you and call something what it really is, and it will almost always lead to a clear and concise conclusion. Clouding issues by morphing words to your own advantage just leads to endless bickering.

So the intent of liberals is to call everything by a different name or redefine any word to remove its true meaning is an attempt to destroy wisdom.

Sorry, liberals, progressives, socialists, communists, and fascists are just slight variations of the same thing.

Very well said Archer

Logan and I are prime examples of Reston's "animals grunting in cave" comment. We have agreed about the basic substance of American society and what the founders intended but we still use different words to describe the same meaning. We can only keep hoping. As long as an overwhelming % of the population of this country, the world, teachers, professors use the one word over the other I do see what is the problem of us all using it especially if it means the same thing that Mr. Logan means by using a different word. What are we missing here or better yet what is he missing? Great remarks Ken, five thumbs up to you especially your remark that "we all know it". Sadly though we don't all admit it!

Robert, No I can not take credit for these words exactly as they are. I've been researching this stuff for years and this is the best accumulation of this information that I have found. What I do is is find and disseminate information to a very many people whom I hope will at least read it, if not allso pass it on to others. I generally use the Libertarian party of Canada as my vehicle. But I'm an American living up North and I'm concerned with growing Globalism/Fascism on both sides of the border.

gosh people in the west so literal,its not about words at all.

Seeing that the "Word" is Holy, ( separate ) in and of itself, it is best well defined. A very wise quote. "Wisdom is known of her children".