on a path to autocracy ?

# TOPICS FOR THIS ARTICLE

1 OVERVIEW / INTROA. GOVERNMENT OVER-REACH - A SERIOUS PROBLEM

THAT IS GETTING BIGGER

B. SOME CLUES TO THE FUTURE - - FROM THE PAST

2 WHAT'S THE PROBLEM?A. A FEW CLUE-LIKE EXAMPLES FROM THE HERE AND NOW

3 ROOT CAUSES & COUNTER STRATEGIESA. STRATEGIES TO COUNTER CLUES FOM THE PAST

4 WHAT'S THE SOLUTION?A. GIVING COUNTER-STRATEGIES A PERMANENT HOME

B. THE OVERALL ACTION PLAN

C. THE 9 "SPRING" AMENDMENTS

5 SUMMARY 6 REFERENCES

SECTION 1.A GOVERNMENT OVER-REACH - A SERIOUS PROBLEM

(i) Income taxes,

(ii) The Internal Revenue Service

The above 2 phrases are not on the Hit Parade of very many Americans today. The Tax Foundation

(ref 1) expressed its thoughts this way:

• "The income tax system in the United States is a sprawling mass of provisions spread across dozens of volumes and has been called everything from a 'disaster' to an 'abomination.' "

• Is this just another example of government getting too big, too complicated and too ineffective? Well, Yes and No. Yes, it's certainly big, complicated and ineffective. But that may not be all of it. How about an early warning sign of many worse things to come? Somewhat like the first heavy breezes in advance of a hurricane. That's the essence of this article. Is America on a path from the Land of the Free to a 2-bit autocracy? Some say, using the hurricane analogy, "It's past time for a windbreaker, it's time to look after our safety!" Read this article - then let's hear your thoughts.

The well-respected Judge Learned Hand wrote in 1947: "In my own case, the words of such an act as the Income Tax, for example, merely dance before my eyes in a meaningless procession: cross-reference to cross-reference, exception upon exception—couched in abstract terms that offer no handle to seize hold of—leave in my mind only a confused sense of some vitally important but successfully concealed purport, which it is my duty to extract, but which is within my power, if at all, only after the most inordinate expenditure of time…"

Fig 1.A-1 shows the

depth of complexity of

the annotated U.S. Tax

Code. The actual code

wording is only a tenth

of this size - - but as

Judge Hand indicated -

- the short version is

incomprehensible to

most legal scholars - -

so imagine what the

average Citizen could

make of it.

The annotated version

organizes the Code into

categories, dates and

Court decision

impacts. But, while

more logically

organized, the length

then poses a

formidable challenge.

Fig 1.A-1

The Tax Foundation (Ref

1) estimates the

cumulative annual effort

applied by taxpayers to

be about 3.5 million man-

hours.

This is comparable to the

man-years of effort

expended by the

Defense Department.

(see my graph, Fig 1.A-

2). An alternate

comparison shows it

slightly larger than the

cum effort of the 9 major

businesses shown.

In a world increasingly

competitive to America -

- is this a clue that we're

on a bad path?

Fig 1.A-2

Our tax system not only

provides $ to pay for National

expenses, such as the Military

and roads, etc. - - but monies

are also taken from the

wealthy and awarded to lower

income Citizens.

The green bars show the

income of 5 segments of the

population. The red bars

show incomes after Peter's

funds are taken and given to

Paul. Does anyone think that

this causes the wealthy

"givers" to work harder? Or

coaxes the less wealthy

"takers' to work harder?

In a word - - is this another

clue that we're on a bad path?

Fig 1.A-3

Section 1.A GOVERNMENT OVER-REACH - A SERIOUS PROBLEM

Tom Sowell, Ref 2, made some very fine points, which I adapt for this present note.

As Adolf Hitler was building up the Nazi movement in the 1920s, leading up to his taking power later, he deliberately sought to activate people who did not normally pay much attention to politics. He found such people helpful since they had far less basis for questioning his proposals. Vladimir Lenin used the term “useful idiots” in his rise to power in the USSR.

The lesson of course is that Citizens need to have some knowledge of their history, political approaches and potential Leadership to avoid being led down the primrose path. in his rise in the USSR.

THE LESSON HERE: Citizens encompassing too many "useful idiots" may soon find themselves under the thumb of a dictator. It was a history lesson of which America's Founders were keenly aware and determined to prevent in our new Nation. History tells us: voting Citizens mustn't be uneducated.


Modern medicine is opening up new avenues for dread disease cures using genomics. But predictably, some Regulators see their job as not only to inform Citizens, but to help manage their care. The Food and Drug Administration is now bidding to take over the emerging field of personal genetics. In a warning letter on November, 2013, the FDA ordered the company, 23andMe, to "immediately discontinue marketing" its genetic tests. The young Silicon Valley firm analyzes customer genomes to reveal information about their predisposition for some 250 diseases, as well as inherited traits and ancestry. (More info: ref 4)

23andMe does not make diagnoses. The company helps patients/clients understand their own biology and has already assembled the world's largest DNA registry for Parkinson's disease. In declaring 23andMe's service an "adulterated" product, the FDA is not informing the Citizens but, without any specific statutory authority, it is preempting control over the Citizen's health. 23andMe has been working with the FDA on approval for years. However, the FDA is demanding evidence of safety and effectiveness. But what does that even mean given that 23andMe is simply providing the patient useful information on how his/her body is chemically assembled - - information that will help the Patient with other advice for pursuing best health.


The Agency's regulatory move was extralegal, and the

Supreme Court and appellate circuits have begun to rein in

the FDA for abridging freedom of speech. This is a

welcome response. If America is becoming more hostile to

Citizen self-responsibility, innovative scientists and

entrepreneurs will predictably look to other nations as a

home for their efforts. Bid Farewell to American leading

edge pioneering. Say Hello to Big Brother.

is rise in the USSR.

“If people let the

government decide

what foods they eat

and what medicines

they take, their

bodies will soon be

in as sorry a state

as are the souls of

those who live

under tyranny.” –

Thomas Jefferson

LESSON: More centralized government, has enormous appetite

to continually expand its charter. But Citizen Freedom and

responsibility are inevitably eroded. Moreover, American

competitiveness is often a casualty. Citizens need to fight

government for any intrusion beyond the Constitutional limits. It

will help Freedom. It will help Prosperity. And it will deter the slide to Autocracy.

In this section 1., we've tried to set the stage for the analyses to follow which is intended to raise Citizen concern over the drift of America toward an Autocratic central government. Some may think the caveat is overstated and that America will not lapse into despotism. But there are many thoughtful analyses that suggest otherwise.

Will it happen tomorrow? Probably not. But history shows, and we'll look a bit at it in subsequent sections, that many democracies have slid down the slippery slope to Autocracy. Moreover these slides often have many characteristics in common: e.g., inattentive Citizens; Government promises of new Rights for the downtrodden; continued escalation of central government dollar outflows; Growth of unaccountable Government Czars and Agencies; focus on becoming a "provider" State; disregard of the Rule of Law; et al. Some of these sound close to home? Well,. that's the point. Please read on.

The moment the idea is admitted into society, that property is not as sacred as the laws of God, and that there is not a force of law and public justice to protect it, anarchy and tyranny commence. If "Thou shalt not covet," and "Thou shalt not steal," were not commandments of Heaven, they must be made inviolable precepts in every society, before it can be civilized or made free.

….John Adams


SECTION 1.B SOME CLUES TO THE FUTURE - - FROM THE PAST

History will help us compile some "CLUES**", so in the mode of Sherlock & Dr. Watson, we can use these to deduce conclusions about the issue we're pursuing, ( see Refs. 5,6).

Plato, in his "Republic", tells us that tyranny generally arises from democracy. Historically, this process has occurred along 3 quite different pathways. The strong linkage is inbred because: freedom and equality do not mix clue#1. The explanation: equality doesn’t exist in nature and therefore can be established only by force: geographic equality requires dynamite to level mountains and valleys. Equality of scholarship requires pressuring certain students into more work while holding back others. Of course equality of wealth has great appeal for the poor. clue#1. And it requires total gov't. control clues #9,10. The 3 paths are described further below.** in following charts, "CLUES" are numbered; refer to Figure 1.B-1

SECTION 1.B A DISTILLATION OF CLUES FROM THE PAST

ROAD #1: Although not the most frequently used path, Road #1 is the overthrow by force of a democracy through a revolutionary movement, typically a Group bent on tyranny, but unable to win at the ballot box. Moreover, the opposing parties represent philosophies so different as to make dialogue and compromise impossible clue#2.Clausewitz described war as a "continuation of diplomacy by other means". The result is the absolute rule of one “party” by force.

A typical case is the Red October of 1917. The Bolshevik wing of the Russian Social Democratic Workers’ Party could not win the elections in Alexander Kerensky's democratic Russian Republic and therefore staged a coup with the help of a defeated, marauding army and navy. A root cause is observed as: democracies are often enfeebled by party strife thus affording revolutionary organizations an easier path to power clues#4,5,8. But Road #1 is not the path we'll focus on here.


ROAD #2: The second avenue toward autocracy is, surprisingly, “free elections.” A totalitarian party achieves great popularity clues#1,3,6,7,10. and legally and democratically achieves office. This happened in Germany in 1932 when no less than 60 per cent of the electorate voted for the National Socialists.

How did the “Nazis” manage to win in this way? The answer: being a mass movement striving for a parliamentary majority, they singled out unpopular minorities (the smaller, the better) and then rallied popular support against them. The National SocialistWorkers’ Party was “a popular movement based on exact science” (Hitler’s words), militating against the hated few: the Jews, the clergy, the nobility & rich, the modern artists, the “intellectuals, the mentally handicapped and the Gypsies clues#1,2,3,8. Taxes & regulations were imposed on those singled out for hate. Special Czars enforced control.

National Socialism was the “legal revolt” of the common man against the uncommon. clues#2,3,4,9,10; of the “people” (Volk) against the privileged and other envied and hated groups. Moreover, the speechifying theme and words were adapted to this line of thought as in: Volkswagen (people’s car), Volksempfänger (people’s radio set), des ge-sunde Volksempfinden (the healthy sentiments of the people), Volksgericht (people’s law court).

Plato gave a similar account of the “popular leader” who takes to heart the interest of the “simple people,” of the “ordinary, decent fellow” against the crafty rich. He is widely acclaimed by the many and builds up armed supporters to protect himself and, of course, the interests of the “people.”


ROAD #3: Then there is the third way in which a democracy changes into totalitarian tyranny. This is the one of primary interest in our nation today. The first political analyst who foresaw this kind of evolution was Alexis de Tocqueville. He drew an exact and frightening picture of our "Provider" State (wrongly called Welfare State) clues#6.7, in the 2nd volume of his Democracy in America, published 1.8 centuries ago, in 1835. He envisaged a democratic government in which nearly all human affairs would be regulated by a mild, “compassionate”, but determined government, under which the citizens would practice their pursuit of happiness as “timid animals" clues#2,3,4,5,7, losing all initiative and freedom. The Roman Emperors, he said, could direct their wrath against individuals, but control of all life was out of the question in that Era. We have to add that in de Tocqueville’s time the technology for such a surveillance & regulation was quite inadequate. The computer had not been invented and thus his warnings found little echo in the past century.

The Founding Fathers feared pure democracy. But now a French ideology, only too familiar to de Tocqueville, had started to conquer America, and he wanted to observe it. He was highly suspicious of the tendency of a totalitarian welfare bureaucracy clues#1-10(all), with its decrease of personal freedom and initiative, to simply flounder with lack of focus. This process can be much more paralyzing than a mere personal dictatorship, e.g., the Franco and Salazar regimes, with their tendency to mellow over time.

De Tocqueville did not tell us just how the gradual change toward totalitarian servitude can come about. But the intervening history would produce two main types of parties: the "Santa Claus" parties, predominantly on the Left, and the "Tighten-Your-Belt" parties on the Right clues#3,5,6,7. The Santa Claus parties normally take from some people to give to others, acting in the name of “distributive justice", as well as “social justice” and “progress", and thus gain popularity. It's been an effective vote-getting strategy.

The Tighten-Your-Belt parties generally act more wisely, but they often lack the courage to undo the policies of the Santa parties. The Santa Claus parties sometimes defeat themselves by featuring hopeless candidates or causing political turmoil, economic disaster or resentment of Czar-like powers to some.

MAJOR LESSON:

The next chart summarizes 10 major

clues uncovered from a review of several

historical studies including the studies

from which excerpts were shown in the

previous charts.

Fig 1.B-1

Fig 1.B-2

CL

UE

#

PRELIMINARY ASSESSMENT OF CLUES

FROM HISTORY ON TYRANNY

BROADER FORMULATION OF CLUES INTO

AUTOCRATIC TACTICS & STRATEGY

1 Ensure Gov't growth in tax revenues and regulations

Enact Rules and assure revenue sources to support all Leadership objectives.

2 Exploit the "useful Idiot" syndrome; align the speechifying with key themes and code words; repeat often; craft arguments as the "decent,common Citizen" vs. the "crafty rich" opponents...

Keep Citizens assured that all Leader's activities will help his followers and hurt those who dare oppose him.

3 Use Bureaucratic fines & fees to take Citizen & Business monies for Pet projects or redistribution to Followers

Create added official Agencies and subordinates with power to punish, levy fines and help reward followers.

4 Exploit persistent public Castigation and Punishment of all potential critics of gov't. Blame failures on others. Employ tested, but unstated rationale : "Our ends justify any means". Identify scapegoats and encourage divisiveness between leadership followers and opponents.

Assure all Citizens that Leadership goals are beyond reproach and justify even very harshbehavior toward opponents. Blame failures on others.

5 Use unaccountable "Czars" to gain more centralized Executive power. View Citizens as timid and ignorant.

Empower trusted allies to all top positions of governing ("Czars") and delegate critical and unpopular tasks to them.

SECTION 1.B SOME CLUES TO THE FUTURE - - FROM THE PAST Fig 1.B-3

SECTION 1.B SOME CLUES TO THE FUTURE - - FROM THE PASTCLUE # PRELIMINARY ASSESSMENT OF CLUES FROM

HISTORY ON TYRANNY BROADER FORMULATION OF CLUES INTO

AUTOCRATIC TACTICS & STRATEGY

6 Focus on achieving popularity by becoming the "Provider" State. The provided "goodies" go mostly to your Followers. Expand the central bureaucracy to ensure harvesting the goodies and compliance with the complex rules for assuring their supply and distribution.

Create dependency on Leader's government of large blocks of Citizens via handouts of monies and favored treatment.

7 Reinforce the belief that "Government is the answer" because "Government knows best ! " Create programs that feature "wealth re-distribution from rich to poor.

Assure Followers that your government is wise and effective in its reign. Explain that monies are being taken from the wealthy to help the underclass.

8 Exploit "do good" policies to create National problems that require more centralized power "in order to address the problems properly". Weaken or ignore the Constitutional balance of Powers (Congress, States, Citizens) to favor the Federal Executive.

Create policies that intentionally invite problems, which then "require" more centralized control to solve them. Promote laws that assure stronger, "legal", Leadership role. Weaken or Ignore the Constitution as needed.

9 Push Inexorably toward total control - -Totalitarianism. Push for "equality of all Citizens, even if implementation may degradeCitizen Freedoms. Exhibit unwillingness for dialog and compromise on policy.

Effect a constant leadership push for power over all aspects of governance and the lives of Citizens.

10 Align the media voice to that of the Government Assure total control over all media so there is no news beyond what the Leadership wants told.

Fig 1.B-3

SECTION 2.A A FEW CLUE-LIKE EXAMPLES FROM THE HERE AND NOW

REGULATORY AGENCIES CREATING NEW LAWS

RESTRICTING CITIZEN POLITICAL VIEWS - - HUH??

Government officials, reacting to the growing voice of

Conservative news outlets are angling to curtail the

media's exemption from Federal election laws governing

political organizations, a potentially autocratic

intervention that the current Chairman of the Federal

Election Commission (FEC), Lee E. Goodman, is vowing

to fight. Goodman, a Republican, holds the

chairmanship through December, 2014.

Goodman argues that the Right has begun to break the

Left’s media monopoly, including the internet and thinks

some on the Left are starting to worry over the breadth

of the media exemption and internet communications.

Noting the success of sites like the Drudge Report,

Hannity's radio show and Citizens United movie

division, Goodman sees this as a positive trend towards

democratization of the media. And he thinks we need to

be careful to keep the media free and the internet free.”

GOVERNMENT MUZZLING THE

OPPOSITION RIGHT HERE IN

AMERICA ?


But, he sees "at least the possibility or indeed proclivity for "selective" enforcement. He feels that some

Government officials, reacting to the growing voice of Conservative news outlets are angling to curtail

the media's "exemption". All media have long had an exemption from FEC rules, thereby allowing outlets

to pick favorites in elections and promote them without any limits or disclosure requirements like Political

Action Committees. But: (i) Liberals over the years have also pushed for a change in the Federal

Communications Commission's (FCC) "fairness doctrine" to cut off Conservative voices, and (ii) Some

at the FEC "think we can actually regulate” media, he added, opening concern over disparate treatment

of Conservative media. “The picking and choosing has started to occur,” said Goodman.

Of course, recently, the whole issue erupted into public view, with condemnations of Lois Lerner and the

IRS stalling permissions for non-profit-status of many Conservative entities. Investigations are still

proceeding on this front.

A NOTE TO SHERLOCK AND DR. W., THIS ISSUE DOESN'T SEEM TOO FAR REMOVED FROM OUR CLUE LIST, NUMBERS:• CLUE # 10 - Align the media voice to that of the government

• CLUE # 1- Ensure Gov't growth in tax monies and regulations

• CLUE #5- Use unaccountable "Czars" to gain more Executive power

• CLUE # 8- Exploit "do good" policies to create National problems that

require more centralized power "in order to address them properly"

• CLUE # 8- Weaken the Constitutional Balance of Powers (Congress,

States, Citizens) to favor the Federal Executive

• CLUE # 9 - Push Inexorably toward TOTAL control


AGENCIES CITING LITTLE KNOWN REGULATIONS IMPOSE

FINES ON CITIZENS

Federal bureaucrats too often escape prosecution for known abuses of public trust, while at the same time levying questionable charges and fines on Citizens. Are some of these fines levied primarily to add resources to Agency coffers ? Consider the case of Mr. Ernesto Pulido, a California man with a tree trimming business, who was referred for federal prosecution for doing the job the government hired him to do (Ref 7).

The U.S. Postal Service wanted some trees trimmed around a parking lot for their mail trucks. Mr. P's company began the job, but it was later brought to his attention that the trees they just cut back were home to several rare Night Herons, a species protected under the Migratory Bird Treaty Act. No birds died, but some of the birds sustained injuries due to changes to their habitat. Mr. Pulido publicly apologized for disturbing the birds and made a $2,500 contribution to a local shelter where they were taken for treatment.

But the Fish and Wildlife Service (FWS) decided to refer Mr. Pulido for federal prosecution where he could face up to six months in jail and a $15,000 fine. But as Mr. Pulido pointed out: he was authorized by the Federal USPS; he was not aware this was a habitat for a specially designated bird; he apologized and tried to help the bird shelter.

THE BLACK-CROWNED NIGHT HERON - - A CONVENIENT SUPPLIER OF EXTRA GOVERNMENT REVENUES ?

A CITIZEN TO PAY A $15,000.

FINE WITHOUT THE DUE PROCESS

OF A COURT ?

As Darrell Issa, Chairman of the Congressional Gov't Oversight and Reform Committee, observed: there seems something amiss when officials at the FWS believe that "everyone should know that trimming trees in May is criminal. Through cult-like bureaucratic group-think, officials at an environmental agency and their radical allies in the environmental movement may convince themselves that this is commonsense, but it‘s really not."


Consider, in contrast, just a few examples of behavior the Environmental Protection Agency never

pursued as a criminal matter. One deputy assistant administrator accepted an $8,000 discount on a

Mercedes-Benz arranged by a lobbyist doing business with the EPA. Another EPA employee was

collecting full salary and benefits, even though, unable to work, she was given telework options for

medical reasons, but seemingly noticed that no one really cared if she illegally continued collecting a full

salary without actually working.

So was Mr. P's $15,000 fine just an extreme and arrogant attempt at "saving the environment" or was it

just exploiting a good opportunity: (i) for a little good P.R., or (ii) to generate future funding tor the FWS?

A NOTE TO SHERLOCK AND DR. W., THIS ISSUE DOESN'T SEEM TOO FAR REMOVED FROM OUR CLUE LIST, NUMBERS:

• CLUE # 3- Use bureaucratic fines & fees to take Citizen & Business monies for redistribution to Followers

• CLUE # 4- Divide The Population and Single out scapegoats for any Leadership failures and unpopular goals

• CLUE # 2- Exploit the "Useful Idiot" idea to sow divisiveness


AUTOCRACY LIKES POWER AND ONLY TOTAL POWER IS

LARGE ENOUGH!

Shaun Donovan, current Chairman of the Housing and

Urban Development Agency (HUD) holds a progressive

activist vision to increase multi-family housing for minorities

-- not only to provide them with housing, but to integrate

them into predominantly white neighborhoods. A social

engineering experiment is underway to radically transform

the ability of municipalities to enforce zoning ordinances

while impacting the rights of property owners to control

property as they see fit.

Donovan made some caustic statements at a recent NAACP

convention: “White-based discrimination forces blacks to

live in dangerous neighborhoods and attend bad schools.”

He did not explain how black neighborhoods got so bad. Yet

the fact remains that during LBJ’s Great Society millions

were spent to revitalize black inner-city neighborhoods like

Bedford Stuyvesant and Harlem among others across the

country. Those housing projects were destroyed by their

own residents.

AUTOCRATIC GOVERNMENTS WILL

PROMISE A LOT TO GET IN - - BUT

CAN THE CITIZEN EVER GET OUT ?

Said Donovan further: “I’m talking about good schools, safe streets, jobs, grocery stores, healthcare and a host of other important factors. To help families gain this access -- HUD is working to strengthen our stewardship of federal dollars to maximize the impact they have on communities in advancing fair housing goals.”

http://topconservativenews.com/2013/07/obama-administration-to-spend-billions-to-forcibly-integrate-white-neighborhoods/


Secretary Donovan unveiled his plan to, “affirmatively further fair housing”. He stated that HUD’s

investigations resulted in $65 million worth of compensation to 25,000 victims, many of whom did not know

they were discriminated against. A new phrase, “allegedly subjected to housing discrimination,” was

created.

In this brave new world of emboldened progressivism, all you have to do is allege discrimination against a

white landlord and HUD, using your tax money, steps in and investigates. No objective evidence or facts

are needed. Progressives believe that minorities are being denied access to the American Dream and the

only way to get there is to move into white neighborhoods. Everything that comes with the American

Dream, good neighborhoods complete with vibrant businesses, safe communities, and good schools --

these “ladders of opportunity” are deemed missing in minority communities.

Why the push to move into traditionally white communities? It’s about power, not what’s best for

minorities. HUD is forcing Westchester, N.Y. and affluent areas in Los Angeles and across the country to

integrate. In Westchester County, County Executive Rob Astorino implemented HUD’s consent decree to

build 750 units of affordable housing in mostly white neighborhoods within 7 years or face fines. HUD

maintains that not enough blacks and Hispanics live on every block and neighborhood within the county.

HUD Assistant Secretary John Trasvina said in July that a tenant’s source of income is “often used as a

proxy for race or national origin” in denying housing. Donovan’s HUD is now holding back in excess of $7

million because Westchester didn’t do enough to “foster fair housing”. Another HUD requirement would

prohibit landlords from rejecting tenants who use Section 8 government subsidies to help pay their rent.


HUD's attitude, not unlike many Agencies, stems from a belief that Government knows best. It does not

matter that a high preponderance of Section 8 tenants trash apartments and many Social Security

disability applicants are unsavory types with drug, alcohol, and criminal backgrounds. In the end this is

not about the landlord. Its about a know-it-all, do-it-all Agency that has little regard for all Citizens or the

Constitutional rights of some of those involved.

A NOTE TO SHERLOCK AND DR. W., THIS ISSUE DOESN'T SEEM TOO FAR REMOVED FROM OUR CLUE LIST, NUMBERS:

• CLUE # 4- Exploit persistent public castigation and punishment of all critics of gov't. Employ the tested, but unstated rationale : "Our ends justify any means"

• CLUE # 6- Focus on becoming the "Provider" State. Spoils go mostly to your Followers.

• CLUE # 7- Reinforce the belief that "Government is the answer" because "Government knows best ! "

MAJOR LESSON:

The next chart relates the 10 earlier

Clues from chart #21 to several major,

very current American issues, of which

all readers will be aware.


Without going into details, here are a few further current day issues that cause

concern in light of the past historical clues of sliding toward Autocracy:

FURTHER WELL KNOWN CURRENT DAY

ISSUES

APPLICABLE HISTORICAL

CLUES ADDING TO CONCERNS

OVER THESE ISSUES

EXECUTIVE BRANCH CHOOSING TO IGNORE

ENFORCING BORDER LAWS

CLUES # 2,4,5,7,8,10

EXECUTIVE BRANCH CREATING AND

PUSHING THROUGH THE AFFORDABLE CARE

ACT

CLUES #1,2,3,4,5,6,7,8,9,10

CHAOS AT THE VETERANS ADMINISTRATION CLUES #4,6,7

FAILURE TO REDUCE NATIONAL DEBT CLUES #1.2,4,5,6,7,9

CONTINUED GOVERNMENT OVER-REACH AND

MEDDLING INTO CITIZEN'S PRIVATE LIVES

CLUES #1,2,3,4,5,6,7,8,9,10

Fig 2.A-1

SECTION 3.A STRATEGIES TO COUNTER CLUES FOM THE PAST

MAJOR LESSON:

The next 2 charts address the broad

form of the 10 original historical clues

and translate them to specific strategic

actions which Americans can put in

place to mitigate or totally preclude from

America, the events leading to other

nations drift into Autocracy.


CLUE

#

BROAD STRATEGIES FROM HISTORY SEEN LEADING TO AUTOCRATIC TAKEOVER

MANDATED COUNTER-STRATEGIES PRECLUDING AUTOCRATIC TENDENCIES OR ACTIONS(TO BE CONSTITUTIONAL AMENDMENTS)

1 Enact Rules and assure revenue sources to support all Leadership objectives.

• Congress must approve all Regs• Formal CITIZEN PANEL-Approval & ATTESTATIONS of

all Regs• Firmly Capped FEDERAL Budget• Cost-Benefit Analysis + Mandated performance analysis

for every Law & Reg

2 Keep Citizens assured that all Leader's activities will help his followers and hurt those who dare oppose him.

• CITIZENSHIP & Heritage Test to VOTE • Citizen multi-Options for all Gov't- mandated purchases • "News" Label criteria to assure objective Media• Bi-ennial Federal Budgeting• Required # of In-person & Televised CITIZEN -REP Mtgs

3 Create added official Agencies and subordinates with power to punish, levy fines and help reward followers.

• Limited annual # and words for all Laws & Regs• Congress must approve all Regs• Judicial Constitutionality Ruling for every Law & Reg

4 Assure all Citizens that Leadership goals are beyond reproach and justify even very harshbehavior toward opponents. Blame failures on others.

• FORMAL, empowered Federal CITIZEN PANEL• At least 15% 2nd Party vote for passing all Legislation• "News" Label criteria to assure objective Media

5 Empower trusted allies to all top positions of governing ("Czars") and delegate critical and unpopular tasks to them.

• Congress must approve Top Leader for all Fed. Agencies

• Required # of In-person & Televised CITIZEN -REP Mtgs

Fig 3.A-1


CLUE

#

BROAD STRATEGIES FROM HISTORY SEEN LEADING TO AUTOCRATIC TAKEOVER

MANDATED COUNTER-STRATEGIES PRECLUDING AUTOCRATIC TENDENCIES OR ACTIONS(TO BE CONSTITUTIONAL AMENDMENTS)

6 Create dependency on Leader's government of large blocks of Citizens via handouts of monies and favored treatment.

• Firmly Capped FEDERAL Budget• Citizen multi-Options for all Gov't- mandated purchases

by Citizens • Bi-ennial Federal Budgeting• Cost-Benefit Analysis + Mandated performance analysis

for every Law & Reg

7 Assure Followers that your government is wise and effective in its reign. Explain that monies are being taken from the wealthy to help the underclass.

• "News" Label criteria to assure objective Media• At least 15% 2nd Party vote for passing all Legislation

8 Create policies that intentionally invite problems, which then "require" more centralized control to solve them. Promote laws that assure stronger, "legal" Leadership role. Weaken or Ignore the Constitution as needed.

• Judicial Constitutionality Ruling for every Law & Reg• CITIZENSHIP & Heritage Test to VOTE • Citizen multi-Options for all Gov't- mandated purchases

9 Effect a constant leadership push for power over all aspects of governance and the lives of Citizens.

• Constitutionality Ruling for every Law & Reg by State Governors

• Congress approve all Regs• Mandated CITIZEN COMPLAINT SYSTEM

10 Assure total control over all media so there is no news beyond what the Leadership wants told.

• "News" Label criteria to assure objective Media• Formal CITIZEN PANEL-Approval & ATTESTATIONS of

all Regs • Judicial Constitutionality Ruling for every Law & Reg • Constitutionality Ruling for every Law & Reg by State

Governors

Fig 3.A-1

SECTION 4.A GIVING COUNTER-STRATEGIES A PERMANENT HOME

As noted by Sherlock, we will now correlate each of the Counter-Strategies with a prior formulation called the "SPRING" Constitutional Amendments, of which there are 9. A caveat with the earlier SPRING publication was that, although the Amendments were believed to be fairly robust, in that they have been tested against a number of contemporary issues, they would undoubtedly benefit from further wording optimization as some future issues were explored. And indeed some further optimization will be applied here.

Figures 4.A-1 provide a correlation of the mandated "Counter-Strategies" to prevent the tendencies previously discussed of democracies sliding into Autocracy. As an example, the very 1st clue item was this:

Also the 9 full Spring Amendments are included here for Reader convenience as charts # XXX. However, we'll content ourselves merely to discuss the 1st example in this article. The Reader can then just individually relate the others as he may wish.

Fig 4.A-1


Again, CLUE #1 has 4 COUNTER-STRATEGIES as per the prior chart. For the 1st element of CLUE #1,The

relation to the SPRING Amendments is this:

• Congress must approve all Regs: This strategy was shown as a counter to the historical tendencies for the

autocratic happenings: For just this first element of the #1 COUNTER-STRATEGY, we see that Spring

Amendments #1,#2,#3,#6, and #9 would mitigate to prevent a Tyrant's goal to put more subjects under

control through the mechanisms of increased taxes and Regulations.

CLUE # PRELIMINARY ASSESSMENT

OF CLUES FROM HISTORY

ON TYRANNY

BROAD STRATEGIES FROM

HISTORY SEEN LEADING TO AUTOCRATIC

TAKEOVER

MANDATED COUNTER-STRATEGIESPRECLUDING AUTOCRATIC TENDENCIES OR

ACTIONS(TO BE CONSTITUTIONAL AMENDMENTS)

RELATED

"SPRING"

AMENDMENT

#'S

1 Ensure Gov't growth in tax revenues and Regulations

Enact Rules and assure revenue sources to support all Leadership objectives.

• Congress must approve all Regs• Formal CITIZEN PANEL-Approval &

ATTESTATIONS of all Regs• Firmly Capped FEDERAL Budget• Cost-Benefit Analysis + Mandated

performance analysis for every Law & Reg

#1,#2,#3,#6,#9

The Reader will note that Amendments #4, #5, #7 and #8 are not specifically cited. That is because they relate to later elements of the 4-part CLUE #1. But dealing here with the 1st element only: Amendment #1 provides that, unlike today, each Legislator voting to approve ANY Bill or Regulation

(required by subsequent of the 9 SPRING Amendments), must sign a statement that he has read, and understands, the Bill before him and believes it is Constitutional.

Fig 3.A-1

Fig 4.A-2


Amendment #2 provides that, ALL Regulations directly impacting Citizens, must be approved by Congress. This includes a retroactive clause, requiring a review and approval of existing regulations too.

Amendment #3 provides for a total limit on all Budget expenditures authorized and appropriated by Congress. This should help steady National expenditures and make more difficult, the diverting of funds to help change the National governance.

Amendment #6 provides that approval of every bill (and Regulation) must be preceded by a public report providing analysis results of a sound cost-benefit analysis. If Taxpayer monies are to be spent, Citizens must know and be able to understand how the monies provide a valid and effective National benefit. Moreover, if sufficient Citizens inquire for further clarification of any Bill or regulation, the Congress must provide a published and timely reply.

Amendment #9 provides that a formal Citizen's Oversight Panel be created. It becomes a part of the Governance process. The panel will add extra convenience and "credentials" to Citizen questions. Concerns about any aspect of government. The Panel will not replace any of the 3 Federal government branches, but will give the Citizens a prominence that is implied by our Constitution, but can now, with our digital technologies, be effectively implemented.

So that's an insight, by example, of the essence of this Article - - which is to strengthen the Nation's governance with more Citizen oversight - - so that tendencies of Leaders with Czar-like thinking will be hobbled from any such implementation.



Clue#

MANDATED COUNTER-STRATEGIES RELATED

AMENDMT##

1 • Congress must approve all Regs• Formal CITIZEN PANEL-Approval & ATTESTATIONS of all Regs• Firmly Capped FEDERAL Budget• Cost-Benefit Analysis + Mandated performance analysis for every

Law & Reg

#1,#2,#3,#6, #8,#9

2 • CITIZENSHIP & Heritage Test to VOTE • Citizen multi-Options for all Gov't- mandated purchases • "News" Label criteria to assure objective Media• Bi-ennial Federal Budgeting• Required # of In-person & Televised CITIZEN -REP Mtgs

#3,#5,#6,#9

3 • Limited annual # and words for all Laws & Regs• Congress must approve all Regs• Judicial Constitutionality Ruling for every Law & Reg

#1,#2,#4,#8,

4 • FORMAL, empowered Federal CITIZEN PANEL• At least 15% 2nd Party vote for passing all Legislation• "News" Label criteria to assure objective Media

#4,#9

5 • Congress must approve Top Leader for all Fed. Agencies• Required # of In-person & Televised CITIZEN -REP Mtgs

#6,#9

Fig 4.A-3


Clue#

MANDATED COUNTER-STRATEGIES RELATED

AMENDMT #

6 • Firmly Capped FEDERAL Budget• Citizen multi-Options for all Gov't- mandated purchases by Citizens • Bi-ennial Federal Budgeting• Cost-Benefit Analysis + Mandated performance analysis for every

Law & Reg

#3,#5,#6,#8,#9

7 • "News" Label criteria to assure objective Media• At least 15% 2nd Party vote for passing all Legislation

#7

8 • Judicial Constitutionality Ruling for every Law & Reg• CITIZENSHIP & Heritage Test to VOTE • Citizen multi-Options for all Gov't- mandated purchases

#1,#4,#5

9 • Constitutionality Ruling for every Law & Reg by State Governors• Congress approve all Regs• Mandated CITIZEN COMPLAINT SYSTEM

#1,#4,#5,#6,#9

10 • "News" Label criteria to assure objective Media• Formal CITIZEN PANEL-Approval & ATTESTATIONS of all Regs• Judicial Constitutionality Ruling for every Law & Reg• Constitutionality Ruling for every Law & Reg by State Governors

#1,#4,#6,#7,#9

Fig 4.A-3

Fig 4.B-1

SECTION 4.B THE OVERALL ACTION PLAN

Arguments why several Constitutional Amendments would be healthy for America have been given. The

ways to create a Constitutional Amendment are shown in chart #37. But the idea must be sold to Citizens,

Congress, Governors, Media and others. A detailed action plan isn't intended here - - but a brief summary is

shown below, Fig. 4.B-1. Additionally, the 9 "SPRING" Amendments are shown in Section 4.C, (Figs 4.C -1 to

4.C-9) for convenience. A more complete discussion is given here:

http://www.slideshare.net/MarkS181/specl-mbs-ppt-supporting-blog-issues-of-spring-amndmt .

Thanks for your attention.

http://www.slideshare.net/MarkS181/specl-mbs-ppt-supporting-blog-issues-of-spring-amndmt

SECTION 4.C THE 9 "SPRING" AMENDMENTS Fig 4.C-1










5 SUMMARY

6 REFERENCES

SECTION 5 SUMMARY

Our Summary here has 2 major points:1. History is providing sad, but true, lessons to contemporary Citizens of free,

democratic nations: That democracies often stumble and then plod on as dictatorships, is not a rare

event in global history. One might even say it's always a worrisome cloud on the horizon.

Fortunately, those who study history have an opportunity to mitigate political adventurism. But studying history is not enough. Citizens must take measures to brush perilous political encroachment away before it causes disaster.

In this article, we've tried to connect the dots between clues from the past, and mis-directed future actions to prevent their consequences from happening here.

2. Moreover, the preventive steps to be taken must have permanence beyond the next election and even beyond multiple Presidencies. In America, we call that making such actions part of our RULE OF LAW (i.e., Amendments to our Constitution). A modest action plan toward this goal has been presented. Readers: your thoughts?

So that is the essence of this article, but a bottom line caveat is this: Free Citizens must be vigilant and active to preserve their Freedom. And, fellow Citizens - -we have much work to do. 2 key Founders thoughts follow on the next chart.

SECTION 5 SUMMARY

I'm pleased to be able to credit a number of fine references (see below) which I was able to use to support construction of this article. I'm particularly indebted to references #1 and # 6, for information that assisted directly, some of the aspects I'd hoped to cover.

#1 "Putting a Face on America's Tax Returns: A Chart Book", Scott A. Hodge, October 21, 2013, The Tax Foundation, http://taxfoundation.org/slideshow/putting-face-americas-tax-returns

#2 "Is U.S. Now On Slippery Slope To Tyranny?". Thomas Sowell06/21/2010, Investors Business Daily, http://news.investors.com/ibd-editorials-on-the-right/062110-537967-is-us-now-on-slippery-slope-to-tyranny-.htm

#3 "The Path to Tyranny", Michael E. Newton, 2nd

Edition, 2010, Eleftheria Publishing

#4 "The FDA and Thee - - Regulators Move to Control 23andMe's New Genetic Tests.

Nov. 25, 2013, Wall Street Journal Online,

http://online.wsj.com/news/articles/SB10001424052702304465604579220003539640102

#5 "Democracy's Road to Tyranny", MAY 01, 1988 , Erik Kuehnelt-Leddihn, July 24, 2014, www.fee.org

#6 "The Road To Totalitarianism", Henry Hazlitt , July 11,2012, Mises Daily

#7 "Federal Bureaucrats Wrongly Go After Tree Trimmer", Darrell Issa, June 6, 2014, OC Register

#8 "Tax day Report Sounds Alarm on the $175 Trillion Hidden Costs of Federal Regulations", Christine Hall, April 18, 2011, Competitive Enterprise Institute

#9 "The Road to Tyranny", Mike Maharrey, August 31, 2012, 10th

Amendment Center

REFERENCES

http://taxfoundation.org/slideshow/putting-face-americas-tax-returns

http://news.investors.com/ibd-columnists/thomas-sowell.aspx

http://news.investors.com/ibd-editorials-on-the-right/062110-537967-is-us-now-on-slippery-slope-to-tyranny-.htm

http://online.wsj.com/news/articles/SB10001424052702304465604579220003539640102

http://www.fee.org/

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