Saturday, June 21, 2014

Declarations Of War

Good morning, Gentle Reader. Have you been disturbed by the most recent news? Thinking that things really aren't as bad as that, because they're actually worse? Wondering if you'll ever manage to unravel that knot in your stomach short of hauling stakes and "going Galt?"

If the above applies to you, turn off the television -- those patent medicines won't do a damn thing for you and you know it -- and address this most important question with me:

What the hell are we going to do about it?

I've been perched at the edge of outrage for some time, but then, I'm a freedom weenie, and a hard-core one at that: the sort that believes passionately in individuals' God-given rights to their lives, liberty, and honestly acquired property; that believes that the Constitution means exactly what it says, with neither "penumbras" nor "emanations" nor bits written in invisible ink; that believes that for a federal official to defy the Constitution is an act of treason punishable by death. Some of Liberty's Torch's devotees are similarly inclined, but not all. Why, my vast and frighteningly efficient intelligence apparatus tells me that there are even one or two liberals who read this rag...probably for the humor pieces, though they might disagree about which ones those are.

But left, right, or center, pacifically inclined or maximally belligerent, if you've been keeping up with the news and don't feel as if it's time to lock and load, check your pulse: you may have died and not noticed.

War has been declared against us.


Japan's attack on Pearl Harbor changed a lot of thinking about modern warfare. One of the agreements implicit in the Westphalian system of nation-states was that wars would be conducted by sovereignties against other sovereignties, and with prior notice: open, formal declarations of war conveyed from one to the other through diplomatic channels. The unheralded attack on America's naval base was shocking not merely for its devastation, but because every significant military conflict for more than two hundred years had been preceded by a prior declaration of war.

Contemporary thought on such matters downplays the formal declaration of war, by reason of the importance of the first strike in a time of intercontinental ballistic missiles equipped with nuclear warheads. The whole development is massively unfortunate, and not merely because weapons of mass destruction make it likely that a major war will rack up a Biblical body count. A formal declaration of war makes explicit who will be fighting with whom; therefore, any parties not named are omitted from the festivities, and -- in theory at least -- can sit back and pass the popcorn. In the absence of such a declaration, no one can relax; once the lead starts to fly, every nation on Earth, and all of Mankind, are potentially at risk.

The best we can do today, if we'd like some assurance that our carcasses won't be among the ones dragged away by the bulldozers, is to assess the available data continuously, as carefully and critically as possible. So let's have a look at some of the most recent developments in that light.


First up, we have the massive influx of young illegal aliens across our southern border:

In broad daylight, with no fear of being seen, a group of Honduran girls -- some as young as 14 -- cross illegally into the United States.

"Because I want to see my parents in Austin," one tells CNN.

Moments later, another group of Hondurans admits crossing the Rio Grande to get here, McAllen station, a border crossing into the United States. "Thank God nothing happened," they say of the perilous journey.

This group quickly grows to 22. Most are children who traveled without any adults.

Unlike other stories of illegal immigration across a porous border, these immigrants aren't sneaking in. They're showing up and announcing themselves.

"We are seeing hundreds turning themselves in daily. And I mean hundreds at a time," said Chris Cabrera, a leader of the local chapter of the National Border Patrol Council, a labor union representing U.S. Border Patrol agents.

Many of the immigrants use rafts to cross the Rio Grande, equipped with instructions to follow the river until reaching the Border Patrol site to surrender.

"They know that once they get to the station, we are going to give them paperwork and we are going to set them free into the United States," Cabrera says.

U.S. law prohibits the Department of Homeland Security from immediately deporting the children if they are not from Canada or Mexico. Instead, the children are turned over to Department Health and Human Services supervision "within 72 hours of DHS taking them into custody," an official said.

"Most of the time, they're getting released to relatives in the U.S.," Cabrera said. "There's nowhere to put them, so they're released on their own recognizance and have a pending court date. I'd say between 95 and 97% of adults or youths don't show up for court."

The numbers are staggering. He estimates that more than 60,000 unaccompanied juveniles will cross in 2014 and that the numbers will rise from there.

This is the direct, easily foreseen consequence of the Obama Administration's non-enforcement of our border, coupled to its refusal to deport illegal aliens who are minors under our standards. But note that these children are predominantly not Mexican; they're from Central American countries south of Mexico, and therefore crossed the entire length of that nation to reach the United States. How?

There is only one plausible answer: their travel here was facilitated by persons with the necessary means, confident that when they'd finally crossed into the U.S., they would be permitted to stay. More, it's impossible that the Administration is unaware of this. Resourceless minors do not traverse a thousand miles of hostile territory on their own initiative, nor without experiencing tragedy.

Surely none of this is surprising to you. If there's any surprise to be had from it, it's that the popular reaction against it has been so muted. But the salient point is this: Given the Administration's openness about the relevant policies, the consequences were easy to foresee. Therefore we must conclude that those consequences, and their devastating effects upon the border states where Obama is so unpopular, were what the Administration wanted.


Next up we have yesterday's fusillades in the House of Representatives:

And:

I cannot remember an exchange between an appointed Cabinet official and an elected federal legislator that's remotely comparable to these. Commissioner Koskinen's arrogance and defiance are unprecedented. He appears unconcerned with what might follow his open refusal to cooperate with the investigation, the most important such since Teapot Dome. No appointee concerned with his tenure in his position would exhibit such an attitude except after having secured assurance of protection against any significant penalty. Such protection could only issue from higher up in the Administration: specifically, from the White House.

The politicization of the Internal Revenue Service, which has extraordinary powers over American citizens, is a far graver matter than corruption of specific individuals. It sets the most feared and fearsome agency of the federal government at war with the citizenry. Indeed, given its routine guilty-until-proven-innocent practices, under which it may seize a citizen's assets on arbitrary charges, thus denying him the resources required to defend himself against them, even members of Congress must feel a tremor or two at the thought of openly going up against the IRS. That's why the charge in the bill of particulars against Richard Nixon that data from the IRS was provided to the White House to be used against Nixon's enemies was so serious.

Despite the implications for the further use of the IRS as a weapon against anyone it chooses to target, the Administration is just fine with it. They want us to know...and to fear.


Finally for this morning, consider the blatant use of "Operation Choke Point," supposedly targeted at terrorism and money laundering, to shut down legal businesses, especially firearms-related businesses:

Gun retailers say the Obama administration is trying to put them out of business with regulations and investigations that bypass Congress and choke off their lines of credit, freeze their assets and prohibit online sales.

Since 2011, regulators have increased scrutiny on banks’ customers. The Federal Deposit Insurance Corp. in 2011 urged banks to better manage the risks of their merchant customers who employ payment processors, such as PayPal, for credit card transactions. The FDIC listed gun retailers as “high risk” along with porn stores and drug paraphernalia shops.

Meanwhile, the Justice Department has launched Operation Choke Point, a credit card fraud probe focusing on banks and payment processors. The threat of enforcement has prompted some banks to cut ties with online gun retailers, even if those companies have valid licenses and good credit histories.

“This administration has very clearly told the banking industry which customers they feel represent ‘reputational risk’ to do business with,” said Peter Weinstock, a lawyer at Hunton & Williams LLP. “So financial institutions are reacting to this extraordinary enforcement arsenal by being ultra-conservative in who they do business with: Any companies that engage in any margin of risk as defined by this administration are being dropped.”...

“We’re being threatened with a regulatory regime that attempts to foist on us the obligation to monitor all types of transactions,” Richard Riese, a senior vice president at the American Bankers Association, said in the April 28 issue of American Banker. “All of this is predicated on a notion that the banks are a choke point for all businesses.”

In an interview with The Times, Mr. Riese said the cost of doing business with gun retailers outweighs the benefits for some banks, given that regulators deem the industry as “risky,” state laws vary on the sale of guns and ammunition, and the Justice Department’s enforcement.

A regulatory process is being used, without statutory authority and outside all possibility of correction by judicial action, against institutions disfavored by the Obamunist regime. FDIC's authority to audit and scrutinize financial institutions chartered under its auspices is largely noncontroversial. The desirability of the FDIC's insurance provisions being as high as it is, few (if any) American banks exist outside that orbit. Thus, the weight of regulatory scrutiny can inhibit banks from making credit available to any business the regime wants to discourage: a perfect weapon to use against gun rights, which have been increasingly successful in the federal courts.

A military strategist will tell you: your first strike should always be aimed at the enemy's weaponry. Once you have denied him the power to harm you, your plan of conquest can proceed in confidence.

Is there any other way to interpret the above strikes on the American firearms industry -- at this time, one of the few unabashedly profitable and growing sectors of American enterprise?


War has been declared against us, the American people. The declarer is the federal government. Indeed, many state governments are its tacit allies. Several declarations are presented above; there are many more of subtler impact.

On a related subject, hearken to the great Mike Hendrix:

So whatcha gonna do about it, tough guy? Not one damned thing, that’s what. The entire rotten edifice of American government is rife with this sort of thing. Opportunities for amoral corruption is what government is; it’s what it does. Government is little more than a jobs program for incompetent, greedy bums who could never survive in a competitive, free-market environment…which is just one of many reasons to keep it small, under close supervision and tight restriction.

What we have now is very nearly the precise opposite of what the Founders envisioned. This is but a small representation of that essential, inescapable truth.

The war has been declared. The battle lines are sharp and bright. No American can call himself a noncombatant; no American can be confident that he's off the battlefield. And there's absolutely nowhere to flee.

Will we surrender meekly, or will we stand and fight?

19 comments:

Grog said...

Some of us will Resist, most of the sheep will submit, some from both groups will be removed from the circumstances, within the first week, when the ruckus kicks off.

KG said...

I don't believe it will kick off.
All across the West a slow slide into serfdom is underway, and barring a miracle, it is unstoppable.
What's that quote about trading an illusory security for liberty, again?

Joseph said...

A willingness to let the US be invaded gives us the ability to invade other nations without blushing.

Anonymous said...

I would estimate that the probability for a poor, un-acompanied minor to traverse Mexico and get to US border untouched is at best 20%. That would imply that 300,000 have started a journey and 240,00 perished along the way. That clearly did not happen, so it apparent that this is highly organized operation, at best through some NGO's with direct access to White House, at worst funded with US taxpayer money. It is simply a new way of implementing Cloward-Piven and that must have originated in the US, as Cloward-Piven is almost exclusive modus operandii of US-based Marxist gangs currently running the show.

Unknown said...

Its way too late to fight back now. We should have fought back a long time ago.

Anonymous said...

It's nothing like this in Australia. Believe me, there's nothing like this in Canada. It isn't like this in New Zealand either. There's some corruption similar to this in the UK b/c the state in the UK is far too powerful, despite ceding much of its lawmaking authority to the EU. The EU is the closest thing in the free world to what the USA has become. I would not now live in the US, unless I was offered a 6-figure income subject to less than 35% net loss through the hundreds of different statist taxes that infest and choke US commerce. This situation is entirely the creation of the USA and the EU. Nowhere else is it anything like this in the democratic world. Seriously. I have no idea why. You're right, this IRS official has to be the smarmiest slimiest most slithering parasite I've ever seen. He just makes you feel soiled watching his smug expression & oily smile. I confess I'm sort of fascinated how the USA could fall so far so fast with so few apparently being aware of what's happening and fewer still caring very much. It's like America is under some dark curse.

Tim Turner said...

Well, I'm part of the problem. I was born in '50, enlisted for Viet Nam, and then was satisfied to make $ as a system programmer and not yell loud enough (I guess) at Reagan's immigration reform or anything else lately.

I thought Reagan was ok. I thought Bush was. I hate myself for not realizing what a bad deal Medicare PART D was, and I hate myself for not realizing what a mistake it was to not name the Muslim religion as a problem instead of something as nebulous as "terrorism."

For all those errors, however, I think we're witnessing a worse one. Have you noticed all the government commercials? About boating, about the availability of WIC, about government programs available to you?

Fran, of course, has said this better than I ever could, but how did we get from the idea that government is the thing we give violence to in order to PROTECT us, to the idea that government should have unions, commercials, and a lifetime bureaucracy to protect ITSELF at out expense and funded at our expense?

There is no doubt that there are people who hope and expect that government will provide for them and address cultural issues and take care of them.

Let's face it. Even in America, 50% of people WANT the government to do that.

At least 48% of Americans do NOT want us to discriminate (look up that word) or believe in our historical culture or even teach the good points of what a monumental achievement the founding of the United States was.

Fran's right. Most of us here recognize the soul of what America is. But I don't own a gun. And I can't even convince my wife that MSNBC is hours of socialist drivel.

It's gonna get worse before it gets better because governments ARE worse, but also because "nice" folk don't stand up and "not nice" folk let governments lull and buy them them until things get intolerable and evil.

America is maybe the ONLY example where the MINORITY of "gun-clinging" right-wing capitalists stood up and fought for anything. The country they formed became a beacon.

But everyone else has been trying to tear us down for 200+ years.

Tim Turner said...

"Will we surrender meekly, or will we stand and fight?"

We'll surrender meekly, until civilization collapses and economies implode. Then we'll try to stand and fight with clubs and dark ages "feed yourself" communities until the next thing comes along.

All you brave warriors - Ann Barnhardt, etc. - will be targeted first and taken out. All the brave warriors and patriots on the internet will lose contact when the internet is taken down by the government. You'll be mopped up individually and scorned as "militias" by the government. You'll be categorized as David Koresh - whatever that is - and reactionary, dangerous, armed thugs.

And you will be overwhelmed by the thousands of armed bureaucrats of the United States of America.

And several TV channels will report this as a victory.

And very few "schools" or other supposed higher-learning "think-places" will offer a different view.

Then the world's economy will implode. The places that feed others. . . won't. The places that trade labor for capital will lose touch with each other.

Contraction.

But with the remnant of tanks, aircraft, nuclear weapons, bio-weapons and Muslim fanaticism.

Hell on earth.

Anyone who cares about their children instead of abortion-rights, or their grand-parents instead of rewriting American history, or understands the role of culture instead of the morally bankrupt idea of "multi-culturalism" KNOWS where this is headed and is gonna be targeted.

I'll die in the first wave. My daughter - who doesn't even understand the issues - in the second. Many of you "miltarists" will survive even when things collapse.

Then we'll see.

Until several men like Adams, Jefferson, Monroe, etc., come together in an incredibly lucky time, it might be awhile til things get demonstrably better.

It is the crazy sign of our times that 48% of of our own people can't see what a great thing they created. Worse, they can't see that some percent of their own people are evilly trying to knock down the great idea they established.

Anonymous said...

The myth is that "it" will kick off. I think Fran has correctly identified the fact that "it" kicked off long ago. We are being destroyed as we watch and wait for some grand conflagration to occur. Meanwhile the forces of darkness have launched multiple attacks accross a wide spectrum of the battle space.

Tim Turner said...

I'm sorry. There's one last thing I want to relate. Sometime in the early 70s, when I was pretty involved in historical simulations - wargames - there was one that dealt with the hundred-years' war in Germany.

I didn't buy it, but the cover art was of a well-armed, vicious-looking brute snarling in your face and looking like he'd be more than ready to kill you, rape your wife and daughter, and then run off with anything you had that was worthwhile.

Even though I'd been to Viet Nam by then, I was pretty innocent. [Read: dumb or naive.]

But that snarling guy - who was NOT a barbarian from some inexplicable horde like Ghengis Khan or something - scared the daylights out of me.

Why? Because he was from my culture, my country, or my civilization. And the circumstances of that time and place made him totally and implacably my ENEMY.

I know it's hard to "get" this from one picture on the front of a wargame box, but that guy wasn't my enemy because of the Pope, or a German prince. He was my enemy because culture and society had lost meaning and it was HIM OR ME.

He had nothing to gain from believing in the things I believed in. He had no belief that a government or society was gonna impose any structure, so why not take whatever he could by force?

That wargame cover is scarier to me than any Orc or dragon or mythical beast. That guy was a real person with no belief and no hope, but with a weapon and a need.

That's where we're headed when we doubt our culture and past.

Western culture has been INCLUSIVE and forward-thinking and hopeful and inspired. It has not been judgmental and exclusive to the degree that oriental or middle-eastern or African cultures have. Sure, we had slavery, mocked the Irish, Italians, or whatever.

We're afraid of what we don't know.

And, with one exception, nobody's perfect.

But the Greco-Roman-European-Britsh-American progression of economics, religion, society and government has been -I believe, DEMONSTRABLY - better than anything else. Flawed - OF COURSE!

But better.

And when that progress of society, economics, religion and government breaks down? You get that surly, dangerous brigand on the front of that wargame box.

And that's hell.

Anonymous said...

I have been living with that "knot in my stomach" for the past few years. But it has doubled in size watching the invasion of illegals. Having Holder's first response be we have to get them lawyers and a NJ Senator call them refugees so we owe them asylum, as if Central America hasn't always been a basket case, made me sick. These are the remarks of traitors.

I don't believe this garbage will stop without real confrontation between the feds and either states or citizens. Federal office holders are as dedicated to their chosen profession of power as the best tradesman is to his craft. They live and breathe the manipulation of issues and people, and they are good enough at it to have reached the major leagues of their profession. They and the people aspiring to be them, make the rules of the political game and a disgusted citizen is not going to beat them at their game. They, along with their buddies in the judicial system, who they got appointed, won't allow it. We might temporarily slow things down now and then, but the overall tide is against us. As they are doing right now, they can always import a new people to out vote the rest of us. We can't work 50 hours a week, raise our families, and turn things around playing the political game at the same time. They are going at it 24 hours a day. We can't.

The problem is finding a way to begin the confrontation without everybody ending up in chains as individuals the first day. Had the Governors of Texas and Arizona been anything but apparently aspiring federal politicians, the recent invasion of their states offered the best opportunity to start.

A Governor not worried about their future federal career would have stated the truth. Their states were being invaded and the federal government was refusing to do its duty to stop it. Therefore,they had an obligation to protect the borders and citizens of their state and were calling all able bodied citizens in conjunction with their National Guard and Sheriff's, to man the border, with arms, with logistical support and immunity from the state. At that point the feds would have been forced to act, either to do their duty, which they wouldn't, or to confront the state authorities and its citizen's, which they would. The corruption of the feds would have been on display as federal law enforcement suddenly mobilized to try and stop the only people attempting to defend this country. A real Governor would have been willing to pay whatever personal cost there was to do their duty. And those citizens living with a knot in their stomach would have been able to do what they are dying to do, knowing someone had their back and they weren't going to run into a road block and holding pen 5 miles outside of town.

It has to start somewhere. It could have been now.

T. Paine said...

It will kick off. Here's why: Up until now, it has been hard to conceive that we have a media, congress and president who actively seek and conspire to bring the downfall of this great nation. It is (almost) inconceivable that congress sits on the sidelines and watches the most egregious usurpation of power imaginable. NOW however, people are slowly, inexorably awakening. And when they do, don't expect some grand show of force in DC or in Chicago demanding things be 'returned to normal'. No, expect that the activist judge will be killed or forced from office. Expect the corrupt town sheriff who refuses to enforce immigration laws to be removed from office. Expect corrupt state lawmakers to be removed from office. If I need to spell it out more precisely, the 'kick off' will be about 100% local focus. As the old saying goes, keep your friends close and your enemies closer! The enemy is out in the open; what are we waiting for?

Anonymous said...

I sure hope not, but I imagine there will still be a "kick off", or several. Even nice people get fed up. It's already late in the game, and if any more time passes, it will be even later, but I can't see how they won't come. The people and groups involved will be branded as isolated and nutty cults when they do, but each such incident will be a hesitation wound of sorts. A minor event here, a minor event there, and all the while, freedom-loving Americans will be watching and learning. What did they do? What didn't they do? What worked? What didn't? It will be easy enough to read between the lines of the Quisling media, so the best thing they could do as faithful collaborators would be to keep it completely quiet. But even that will be anticipated and accounted for. Minor critical mass may be achieved regionally as the hubbub unfolds. Communication will be difficult or impossible, so things like coordination and messaging will be hindered. But history books still exist, and people still have mouths and ears and ingenuity, so there will be minor victories.

What will then remain to be seen in this imaginary scenario is whether what's left of our government which hasn't been completely corrupted can re-establish an order of a Constitutional type, or if the irons will finally be applied in-full. We'll hear from both sides of the aisle, debating from behind their secure walls. Some will say "see, this is why we need to return to the principles of our founding, the people have had enough of the illegality and the corruption" and others will say "see, this is why we should have taken their guns and seized complete control of their lives sooner". Martial law will loom. Checkpoints will appear, and prison camps will roar to life. Debate and argument will continue, as will the ever-growing proliferation of "hesitation wounds".

No telling where it could go from there. But to preemptively stress the most important points here, IT DOESN'T HAVE TO BE, and ALL THAT FREEDOM-LOVING AMERICANS WANT IS TO BE LEFT ALONE. It wasn't too much for our founding fathers to ask, and it's all that the patriots of today might ask. If it does come to pass, which I surely hope it does not, all one can hope for is the recognition that the biggest mistake would be to not go far enough, and the second biggest mistake would be to go too far. True American patriotism represent freedom, Liberty, and justice, and it recognizes that the old girl MUST survive, hopefully with a few new Constitutional teeth, to prevent future misunderstandings. But I have a vivid imagination.

Anonymous said...

Many people who would otherwise remain bystanders and victims could be brought into the battle if they had clear orders of battle. We need more commanders. Ideally, we should have one commander per town, or, in larger cities, one per significant sub-division, district, or ward.

People may be willing but they need to be told by someone they trust EXACTLY what to do, and when.

Let us provide command and control for the "coalition of the willing" instead of blaming the confused and beleaguered "sheep" for the downfall of the Republic.

I am tired of reading comments about how the American people are "sheeple". Most people have NO IDEA how to proceed on their own against a tyrannical regime. They need to be approached in a benevolent, yet firm, way and they need to be trained by able commanders to perform
in ways that are appropriate for the situation.

I do not care about being such a leader, but I damn sure would take the duty if I believed that my service would be effective. I hope that we can raise up many "roll-up-his-sleeves" leaders so that our people can organize and resist the tyranny that threatens us.

Jimmy the Saint said...

"Will we surrender meekly, or will we stand and fight?"

Given the history of the human race, bet heavily on "surrender meekly."

Most people so like being ruled that they are quite willing to accept being misruled.

Unknown said...

I have a personal message to Fran, the author:

Thank you.

There are those of us who have thrown off the euphoria of modern culture and remain aware of what has happened to the once-mighty nation we called home.

I, too, have written as you have, about the tribulation we as Americans now endure. And I, too, lament this nation's passing.

There is no voting our way out of this. That means, elections are DONE. OVER. Cook County went national. What remains is Kabuki Theater, an illusion of choice to placate the sheep.

The Rule of Law is DONE. OVER. We've seen this now for the last six years - the law can and will be changed arbitrarily to suit the needs of the Leftist agenda.

If people continue to hang onto the naive, Pollyanna notion that our electoral process and institutions are still a means to hold tyranny at
bay - then I submit they are LOST to delusion.

I bid your readers remember this fact of history - once Marxists have achieved total power in key places - GENOCIDES happen to political enemies of the
regime. My people remember. It would do them well to learn from history.

I hope we might correspond - and collaborate on words.

Lt. Greyman, NVA said...

In the coming festivities, you will find their are many groups that have foreseen and prepared.

Your skin color will be your uniform.

Whites will be a broad range from the Amish (noncombatants) to the Mormons (quiet collaborators) to the Nationalist Groups trying to form a White Homeland.

Decide who your group is and be ready.

White Homeland! NorthWest Front!

Anonymous said...

Fran and Tim Turner,

It's weird to say thank you to folks who REALLY scare me for my own good and benefit.

I'm a newbie prepper. I don't want to be a sheeple. I don't want to give into the temptation of cowardice.

It's just insane to me that my own country has been hijacked and that my family and I have had war declared on us by our own government.

I don't want to say, "Game on." Or, "Saddle up, boys." Or "Defcon 1" or whatever number it's supposed to be. Or "Battlestations, battlestations!"

Because it looks like peacetime, even though conditions are visibly degrading.

Is the little boy crying "Wolf!" really right this time, and I'll be a sorry a$$ if I don't get to general quarters, and strap up?

If courage is acting faithfully while you're still scared, then Lord please give me courage.

Signed,

A Free Slave

josephpmartino said...

May I put in a shameless plug for my book RESISTANCE TO TYRANNY, which is a primer on how to conduct an armed revolt? It just may be needed, since we are actually under attack.