“There is a lot of ruin in a nation,” wrote Adam Smith. His point was that it takes a long time for nations to fall, even when they’re dead on their feet. And he was certainly right.
America took its fatal blow in 1913, one hundred years ago; it just hasn’t hit the ground yet. This is a slow process, but it’s actually fast compared to the Romans. It took them several centuries to collapse.
The confusing thing about our current situation is that America – and by that I mean the noble America that so many of us grew up believing was real – has long been poisoned. Its liver, kidneys, and spleen have all stopped functioning. Its heart beats slowly and irregularly. But it still stands on its feet and presents itself as alive to all those who would let their eyes fool them.
And I’m not without sympathy for those who want to believe. They find themselves in a world where politics is almighty, and where their comfort, prosperity, and perhaps their survival all hang in a delicate balance. They don’t want to upset anything, and questioning the bosses is a good way to get yelled at.
But just because someone wants to believe doesn’t make it so. We are not children and we are not powerless. We Producers should never be intimidated by those who live at our expense. So let’s start looking at the facts.
1913: The Horrible Year
For all the problems America had prior to 1913 (including the unnecessary and horrifying Civil War), nothing spelled the death of the nation like the horrors of 1913.
Here are the key dates:
February 3rd:
The 16th Amendment to the United States Constitution was ratified, authorizing the Federal government to impose income taxes on individuals. An amendment to a tariff act in 1894 had attempted to do this, but since it was clearly unconstitutional, the Supreme Court struck it down. As a result – and mostly under the banner of bleeding the rich – the 16th amendment was promoted and passed.
As a result, the Revenue Act of 1913 was signed into law by President Woodrow Wilson in October. Income taxes began in 1914, with the government swearing (as in, “only a crazy person would say otherwise!”) that the rate would never, ever go higher than one or two percent.
And, by the way, the amendment was introduced by Senator Aldrich of Rhode Island, to whom we’ll come again shortly.
April 8th:
The 17th Amendment to the United States Constitution was ratified, taking the powers of the states and transferring them to Washington, by mandating the popular election of senators.
Previously, senators were appointed by state legislatures, restraining the power of the national government. This change gave political parties immediate and massive power, nearly all of which was consolidated in the city of Washington.
The amendment was ratified in the name of restraining the rich and making government into a force for good. It was true that state governments were often corrupt, but the implied idea that Washington was pristine was and remains a bad joke. A structure featuring small, separate pockets of corruption is far less dangerous than one featuring a single, large seat of corruption, to which oceans of money are gathered. As Thomas Jefferson wrote:
It is not by the consolidation or concentration of powers, but by their distribution that good government is effected.
December 23rd:
Woodrow Wilson signs the Federal Reserve Act, which had passed Congress just the previous day. This system – called the Aldrich Plan, and promoted by Senator Nelson Aldrich of Rhode Island – gave a monopoly on the creation of dollars to a consortium of large banks.
The Act was passed, by the way, in the name of financial stability.
And Senator Aldrich? Wikipedia says this about him:
He… dominated all tariff and monetary policies in the first decade of the 20th century… Aldrich helped to create an extensive system of tariffs that protected American factories and farms from foreign competition, while driving the price of consumer goods artificially high… Aldrich became wealthy with insider investments in streets, railroads, sugar, rubber and banking… His daughter, Abby, married John D. Rockefeller, Jr., the only son of John D. Rockefeller.
I’ll leave you to connect the dots on Aldrich, his family, the Rockefeller banking empire (Chase Manhattan and others), high political offices (such as Governor and Vice President Nelson Aldrich Rockefeller) and so on.
The Combination
Here is why I say that these three changes of 1913 killed America:
They robbed every producer in America of their money and handed it to politicians.
Until 1913, ordinary people kept their money. Carpenters, grocers, and repair men were able to make business loans and to retire on stock dividends. Once the income tax came in, however, politicians were empowered to skim off more and more of their money, which is precisely what happened. While the modern skim is multi-faceted, the average producer is now stripped of half his or her earnings every year, leaving politicians to spend it.
They consolidated all power in Washington DC.
This is precisely what James Madison wished to avoid when writing the US Constitution. (Again, note the Jefferson quote above.) By depriving the states of their remaining power, the City of Washington had no opposition. Since then, the Washington government has taken over practically everything on the continent and is choking it to death… a lot like the city and empire of Rome before it.
They created a money empire that took over almost everything.
When you start talking about the immense power of central banking, people generally turn away from it, because it’s just too much to take. So, let me say it this way:
How much money could you make, if you knew precisely when interest rates would go up or down?
A lot, right? Well, that’s exactly the power that these bankers have – because they’re the ones who set the rates.
Then, with that money, and with that foreknowledge, how many politicians could you pay off? How many pieces of legislation could you buy? Through all the financial problems of the past few years, which is the one group that has been protected at every step? Ever wonder why?
I could add more, but I think my point is made. America, as we grew up thinking of it, is dead. Whether the carcass hits the ground in days or decades is almost irrelevant; it’s over.
The question that remains is what we’ll do about it.
Paul Rosenberg
FreemansPerspective.com
Good history recap.
Use the word USA rather than “America”. There are many “Americas”.
Also, it takes extra time to look up a password for every comment.
Technically, the United States of AMERICA, often abbreviated to America is the only country in the world that has America in its name. Mexico is officially The United States of Mexico, but abbreviated to Mexico. There may be many countries on the continents of North and South America, but “America” is not in their names. We are the only country of America.
Technically we are just part of the Americas. But many just think of the USA when they talk about Americans.
True. I have visited 42 countries, and in every one of them we are called Americans.
Astute article. I didn’t realise all 3 things happened in the same year.
Creepy.
Tom DiLorenzo threatened to write a book a few years ago, to be called “The Revolution of 1913”. Too bad he never wrote it. Still, “Hamilton’s Curse” is a good substitute.
February 3rd:
The 16th Amendment to the United States Constitution was ratified
A dubious claim.
Yes, I have read about the research that someone had done indicating that the 16th Amendment was not properly ratified. For an amendment to be ratified, all the state legislatures must vote on the exact same wording. It seems that there were many different wordings for the 16th Amendment that were voted on by the state legislatures. And the differences weren’t mere typos.
I don’t recall the specific details uncovered, but one state actually voted down the amendment but its vote was listed, by whoever was keeping track of such things at the time, as having ratified it. Other states voted on wording that substantially changed the meaning of the originally proposed amendment. So according to this research it does appear that what we know today as the 16th Amendment received no where near the approval of the required 3/4 of the state legislatures.
The question comes to mind, didn’t the media or the amendment’s opponents back in 1913 figure out that it wasn’t properly ratified? And if so, why didn’t they blow the whistle on the fraud? I would think that it must have been known back in 1913 that the same wording had to be considered and voted on by everyone. Those legislatures who voted it down or voted on different wording must have known that they did not ratify the 16th Amendment. What puzzles me is, if the recent research on the ratification process is correct, why was there not massive vocal opposition in 1913 to the government’s claim that the 16th Amendment was ratified? Being much more diverse than today, the media of the day would certainly have covered this issue if it had come up.
What was the equivalent of the “race card” in 1913? Because it sure does have a big effect in 2013.
Remember, these dates of the 16A ratification are important:
3 Feb 1913: Ratification by the Delaware legislature, the 35th and last state needed.
25 Feb 13: Sec. of State Philander Knox certifies that Delaware has sent to him the necessary documents officially stating the state’s ratification. Knox declares the same day the 16A is in effect.
3 Mar 13: Woodrow Wilson is sworn into office, ending the Taft Administration.
Remember, on 25 Feb Knox had ONE WEEK left in his job. In the space of a week, who is going to catch him doing something wrong? And he knew he could get away with it, since the documents were so obscure and no one was collecting them besides his legal office.
It wasn’t until the 1980s that someone actually visited all 42 states and dug out of state archives the legislative histories of poorly passed bills 70 years earlier.
Knox was one smart, devious cookie. He eventually went on to be elected to the US Senate from Pennsylvania, dying in 1921 with his secret machinations safe for the next 60 years.
Always thought that ba$tard had the most perfect first name possible for what he did to this nation’s people. Who says God doesn’t have a sense of humor?
Great article.
Now, and Paul says, what do we do about it?
One of the nasty effects of the 17th Amendment could be seen with the Clinton Impeachment Trial. Rather than a jury of statesman Senators [as the Founder imagined], it was a straight party-line vote. Thus, in practice, the 17th Amendment has negated the Impeachment option which could have protected citizens from Executive Branch abuses. Indeed, 1913 was a bad year! We have never recovered!!
There is debate around whether or not the 16th and 17th Amendments were properly ratified by 3/4 of the States.
I have come to enjoy your perspective more as I read what you write.
I have said for years and stated simply that “The Federal Reserve is the root of all evil.”
What should we do? I for one have taken matters into my own hands. I have purchased a farm and will become self-sufficient.
Please spread the word about “Back to Eden”
Good article. It connects the dots well. But human beings are part of the problem regarding our current lack of freedom. Had it not been for racists wanting to restrict the rights of people of color (and harm free black people), there would have been no need to have the Federal government get involved and grow as large to the extent that has evolved. So in a way, you can blame racism for the fact that white people are now experiencing the same impediments to their freedoms that rogue white organizations and the KKK attempted to prevent when black people wanted to develop their own communities and businesses free of interference from white control. Consider the “Black Wall Street” that was destroyed by white men in the 1920s who thought they should be able to dictate how blacks should live.
I hope you connect the dots between all of this. When one race attempts to control all other people, they are setting up the very system they do not want imposed on them. And the sociopaths of all races end up winning and having most of the power, not us decent human beings of all races who prefer the freedom and autonomy you describe well in this article.
INDEED- SEE WHAT THE SOCIOPATHS HAVE DONE TO THE MUSLIM WORLD
You mean theocrats. You can do such things and still be normal. And sociopaths and psychopaths don’t necessarily kill either.
How typical to point the finger at sociopaths in other countries/places while denying the existence of those in one’s own immediate community and country.
oicu812a, Those without legitimate points tend to rely on ignorant stereotypes and personal insults. Or should I take pity on you since perhaps you were smoking meth or crack when you wrote this nonsense? Can you even handle true freedom? Obviously, you fall apart when women and people of color challenge you…
So all you could reference is something about a crack pipe to a person who has a master’s degree.Did you even get a high school diploma? Based on your comments, you fail to grasp history. Government is made up of people — more than brick and mortar. Simple fact. Those who maintained slavery were violent, primitive, sociopathic and lazy. More proof that your superiority theory is backwards.
The only people or organizations who ever wished to dictate how Black people should live are the same ones causing these problems today and the ones who started it all in 1913. namely Leftist progressives a bulk of the votes for which are made up by the very Blacks you claim are interfered with.
I have never read anywhere that the KKK or any other group tried to keep Blacks from colonizing Liberia or having their own communities. In fact since you are convinced the USA is so racist why don’t you immigrate there and show us how Blacks can see to their own affairs or begin asking for segregation and Jim Crow laws once again. Only Blacks and the Left are the one’s constantly pushing for integration, which is understandable because Detroit is a prime example of what happens when Blacks see to their own affairs.
Typical response of a white person projecting flaws onto others and refusing to own up to your own racial group’s flaws. I was born and raised in America. My black ancestors helped build America. That means white people are not the only race that owns America. The Native Americans were here first, and part of this land was stolen from Mexico. Isn’t it arrogant on your part to imply I don’t have a right to be here. Mediocre white males like you fancy themselves as inherently deserving, wanting to be regarded as above all others. Black people are not interested in integrating with people like you — as if they will be magically transported to some nirvana due to your presence. They simply want equitable access to resources and opportunity rather than being blocked with multiple obstacles when they have invested in education and worked hard. Since you can’t handle diversity, perhaps you might want to go back to where your ancestors came from.
As far as cities like Detroit, they were run by mostly white politicians forever. Just because the downfall happened when a black person was elected to the mayoral office doesn’t mean the underlying systemic damage hadn’t already been in process while whites were completely in power. Cities are not destroyed overnight. If you were so smart, you would stop trying to blame a relatively small group of black politicians in authority positions who came into office after many incompetent and greedy white officials had already looted the urban treasuries and took off with most resources (or made sure their friends got government contracts) like bandits. This is the typical pattern for why and how urban areas deteriorated.
Fact is, most white people are average just like most people of all races. In the overall human population, relatively few people are above average and even those who are brilliant in some subjects still have blind spots. Limitations of some sort are part of all humanity since no individual can have expertise in every area. Accept it. You simply are not that special. Using skin color as the basis for promoting yourself as superior is indicative of mental disorder.
The downfall didn’t even start until Blacks gained political control. Ameri-Indians were not the first group of people to inhabit North America nor does a few scattered nomads with a population of less than 1 per 100K miles equal owning a country either. The entire world owes it’s very existence to White American agriculture and civilization building.
Blacks got Pigford.
You are not only in denial but the most blinded hate filled racist out there and as long as you spew forth your lies and hatred and infect those around you all you will achieve is more Detroits and all those other cesspools that follow.
I am far from being racist because I reject the ideology of white supremacy. If you didn’t know that black people can’t be racist due to the power structure set up in this country (based on collective white systems to oppress people of color), you can’t even have an intelligent conversation on this topic. Blacks can be prejudiced, but not racist. And while it is true that many whites contributed a great deal to building this country, they also stole ideas from various people of color — and often took credit that should have been given to black inventors. You personally don’t get to ride on the coat-tails of your white ancestors. You have not shown anything that would convince me of your personal superiority. Unless you can prove it, I’m not buying it. So look in the mirror and there you will find hatred — staring back at you. You come across as narcissistic — as most racists are. You blame all that is bad on blacks and say that all the good is due to whites. At least I am balanced enough to give credit where credit is due. I don’t live and breathe hatred like you apparently do. I can recognize the value in most human beings.
You are unbalanced enough to give credit where none is due, blinded as you are by your hatred. Anyone who can see a Black man as President and still claim they are oppressed is little more than a race-baiter and scam artist looking for a convenient excuse.
You are the one who doesn’t get a free ride on the coat tails of those who came before you. No longer can you blame the White man for you own failures.
Not once did I “blame the White man” for “my failures” as you claim. I do not consider myself a failure — I have a master’s degree and prospects. But none of this changes the fact that racism is a sociopathic system. One black man elected president does not change instutitonalized racism — if anything, it has illuminated it. Many white people feel threatened by intelligent people like President Obama. How the extremist Republicans are behaving shows this — they hate him so much they will cause the country to suffer just because they want to see Obama fail. This is no different than how whites have historically behaved. Everytime blacks make progress at new levels, there is white backlash.
Whites generally feel more comfortable with blacks whom they can feel superior to (blacks they can “rescue” or who need whites to think for them) — those who fit negative stereotypes. But they don’t know how to handle blacks who are their equals or better. So whites go “crazy” in creating chaos due to power struggles when it would be easier to cooperate with intelligent and decent blacks for mutual benefit and shared power.
My comments illustrate that no nation’s prosperity can be sustained when inequality due to systemic oppression is embedded, diverse people cannot thrive when the decked is fully stacked against them, and those who attempt to dig graves for others will eventually fall into the graves they dig.
Yep just Like Detroit fell in the grave your brothers tried to dig for the Whites that were there. Until the Whites said adios.
You reap what you sow.
And that is precisely the problem. People who “want” “access” to resources and opportunities. Create your own damned resources and opportunities and stop stealing those created by others!
connorhus — Oh please stop with your attempt to portray the KKK as boy scouts. They were a terrorist group that once had millions of members including professional men who should have known better than to join a hate organization to curtail freedom of other human beings based on race. Look up “Black Wall Street” Rosewood for proof of violent white men in the 1920s who destroyed a thriving black business and middle-class residential community in the South, due to attempts to “keep blacks in their place.” Why didn’t they just leave people alone who were just living their own lives and not doing any harm to whites? Now the modern KKK membership also includes some of the poorest white people who apparently have no clue they are working against their own best interests.
You should pay attention and understand what truth lies behind the fairytale yarn you wish to spin. The Tulsa race riots started When a Black man assaulted a White Woman. Just like 70% of all assaults today. Then while White protested in front of the jail a group of Black Men attacked and unleashed the sleeping giant of peaceful Whites.
Seems you have a lot in common with those middle class (at best) Blacks and attempt to revise the history once again by labeling it with a name it in no way deserves.
Black Wall Street. That’s like calling MLK H.S. Harvard. But it’s the best you got.
http://www.Wall Builders.com/Black History Facts don’t lie. Both blacks and whites deserve to know the truth.
The government of the United States was created to have a separation of powers with the People being represented by the House, and the States being represented by the Senate.
Now ask yourself why would the States ratify an amendment which stripped the States of their representation in government?
They would not, and that is exactly what you find when you investigate the ratification of the 17th Amendment.
1913 was the year of the coup that overthrew the government of the people and instituted the government of the Morgan’s and the Rockefellers.
One more point. The provision that “no state shall be denied its representation in the senate” was not repealed.
So the 17th Amendment would have had to be unanimous. It was not, therefore it is null.
The end of the Republic was 1789, when 9 former Colonies seceded (in
fact) from the Articles, the new Constitution was adopted. That is when
the empire began.
When we went from Confederation to Federal Republic did change things. Just imagine now after over 200 years. I would like to see us like a giant Switzerland, but instead it would be more like Afghanistan with the states fighting each other in economic and bloody wars. Not to mention successions continuing. No going to the moon, no satellites, no highway system probably not much in the way of dam building either. Or maybe more like Europe was for the longest time.
Right now we are at the cusp of either going full Empire or returning to a Republic. The Romans chose empire. What will our oligarchs and plutocrats choose for us?
what happened to my reply to nightgaunt?
“The question that remains is what we’ll do about it.”
seems simple enuf:
http://www.nazisociopaths.org/modules/article/view.article.php/c8/42
Bill Ross, I went to your blog. The name itself makes me cringe because I’m not clear if you are supporting NaziSociopaths or want to prevent them from having too much power. Some of what I read on your site makes sense, particularly where you stress that humans are individuals and not to be viewed as a collective based on group identity. Nevertheless, I’d like to point out a fallacy: The belief that affirmative action is widespread. It is not the norm for black people to get positions due to affirmative action. White women have benefitted far more on this. The government you say you do not trust may have some law on the books, but many are misled about affirmative action. Being mis-guided results in targeting the wrong sources as an enemy. You know that.
Name NazisSociopaths “makes me cringe”. Good, you are emotionally alerted to the danger. You KNOW, by your reaction that this is a personal survival issue.
Nazi defined: those whom, by word and deed do not acknowlege all human beings “are to be treated equally, in terms of measurable rights and respnsibilities, by law”.
“prevent them from having too much power”. Per REAL law nobody has the power to compel, except as proportional defence from aggression, including against “glib sociopaths with pretexts / rationalizationations”. We all equally posess the power of “right to life” and, proportional defence.
I used “affirmative action” as an example of “inequality under law” and was targeting no group, apart from coercers with guns, preying on whomever has something they want, mainly the honest and productive (civilized), since predators, by definition do not produce, just prey on the unwary.
Good summary you offer of predators: “By definition they do not produce, just prey on the unwary.”
I’ve had too many truthful posts deleted here. Clearly, non-truthful agenda at work. Won’t be back.
We producers, including you who write this crap?
Why is it crap? He is 100% correct.
P-R-E-C-I-S-E-L-Y.
Talk about chutzpa! Anyone see what you are being misdirected from here?
I’m glad to see these ominous 1913 events highlighted in a well-written article. I’m only sorry that the situation in the United States is all but hopeless. There just aren’t enough of us left who both understand what has and is happening, and who have the means, intellectual and financial, to do anything about it.
We live on the plantation united states. The constitution was for landowners and the King of England.
The slaves think they are free, ha, ha, ha.
Corporations rule the person. The whole thing is rigged in favor of Washington D.C>
The corporations wish they ruled. From time to time some do. Also from time to time labor unions have ruled. Today, who knows who is ruling. It certainly is not the corporations.
Creating the US Inc. in 1871 known as the act of 1871 is what allowed the nation to be destroyed–
America is ruled by the foreign owned Crown, they choose the presidents, they own the entity that you think is your govt, they own the federal reserve, and they own the IRS as their collection agency–
They control the military, they make all of the federal laws, and no one that works in DC is working for the citizens–They all know they are working for the corporation known as US Inc, which currently has over 175,000 franchisees–Including you state government and all representatives–
That is why America has been decimated..
Brilliant , concise , and accurate !
Wilson was he devil incarnate itself. Sad that we are on the brink of destruction and most still don’t realize this. With the FED printing (actual and virtual) $80 Billion per month in continuum, how long will it be before the dollar literally is worthless. Hope we don’t get a Wiemar situation where folks literally cart wheelbarrows of cash to just buy a loaf of bread. 🙂
There is a solution. Some people are advocating revolution. That would be a big mistake.
January 1, 2014 Walter E. Williams released an article titled “Parting Company”. In it he advocates we “find a way to peaceably separate into states whose citizens respect liberty and the Constitution”. http://econfaculty.gmu.edu/wew/articles.html
There is a way to do that. It involves becoming citizens of the organic state, in the state where we live. That sounds funny, I know, but the fact is that US citizens are not citizens of the original states where they live. In every state there are two separate governments. The original state governments are all but dead. The present state governments are extensions, field offices, of the US government.
The way to get back to being a citizen of the original state is to sever the nexus to the US government. Here’s an article that contains information about our citizenship:
http://noconstitutionforyou.blogspot.com
Thank you for this important article and the truth of it rather than the lies they teach in public schools and even in colleges ……Americans do not know their true history.
What a dumbass. Before that there was no Federal money. These “loans” and other issues did not exist. The 1800’s was filled with illegal land giveaways of land that was not America featuring the illegal murder of millions of Indians to take that land. Not too mention the abuse of the average citizen by corporations, timber and railroad barons. Unlike the picture you paint of a pristine 1800’s rather it was the bloodiest most chaotic time in this country’s past. Murderous and filled with economic collapse every decade. I suppose you would like to paint that era as some sort of Grand Destiny of Americans Freeing the land from Indian tyranny. But in the 1800’s most Americans were illiterate morons that had murder and rape for lunch daily. At least the 20th century provided a modicum of living wherein children no longer had to labor in coal mines. You sir are an idiot. Complaining about The People having the right to vote. Complaining of taxation yet leaving out the fact that in the beginning companies were to pay 90% of all taxes. Or that companies had been the only ones to pay taxes at all before 1912. So byu trying to get rid of taxes all together you are nothing more than a corporate shill. So easy to see thru your pathetic writing with actual historical facts. You are no better educated than some simpleton of the 1800’s themselves.