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states’ rights
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The Unjustified Deification of Lincoln
17 Jan 2011 by Jessica Hughes / 3 Comments
Since my political and historical awakening in 2008, I have come to realize historical ‘revisionism’ has been given a bad name. Revisionism just means to offer a revised perspective on what has been previously known or believed. If what was believed was a lie, revisionism is a good thing. Many conservatives are very big on Glenn Beck and the books he has been promoting on the truth about the Progressive Era – in particular whether Roosevelt and the New Deal saved us from the Depression. Since we have all been taught for generations in public schools that Roosevelt’s policies of market controls were the salvation of America, everything Glenn Beck is saying is technically revisionist history. I think his revisionism is great it just doesn’t go far enough.If the movement for liberty among conservatives is to have genuine lasting effects, we need to have a logically consistent view of our position and history. We cannot believe in decentralized, states’ rights, federalist style government and also be ardent nationalists staring back at previous Presidents through rose-tinted glasses. Of course with Obama in power, conservatives are much more willing to believe in the possible evils of government, but what happens when he is gone? Will we be at peace with the consolidation of power so long as it is in the hands of someone we believe is better? We must not go back to sleep. We must awaken to the dangers inherent in all government including our own. Glenn the Revisionist once castigated Debra Medina as a lunatic saying that anyone who believed our government would kill its own citizens is nuts (not that she said she believed that). I am not a 9/11 truther, but if Glenn believes the U.S. government would never kill its own citizens he obviously hasn’t gotten around to any revisionist history on Lincoln.
It is a testament to the power of public school, government-issued propaganda that a man such as Abraham Lincoln is revered rather than reviled. He was a blatant racist who advocated the superiority of whites, opposed slavery only in new territories on the grounds that black slaves took white jobs, supported a constitutional amendment to forever sanctify slavery in the existent states, launched a war against his own people over a tax protest, ordered the destruction of unfriendly northern newspapers by military gangs, imprisoned legislators who spoke unfavorably of his actions, placed a Supreme Court Justice under house arrest to prevent his upholding the right to appear in court for imprisoned dissidents, advocated water torture resulting in the deaths of political prisoners, ordered wholesale slaughter and property destruction of his own ‘countrymen,’ and attempted to get all freed blacks shipped overseas to Liberia. And most of that he did to the Northerners!
If that weren’t enough he was the man who single-handedly destroyed Federalism on this continent all in pursuit of collecting unfair taxes from the South (freeing the slaves was a strategic decision not a moral one). For modern day tax protesters to celebrate Lincoln is a study in historic-cultural Stockholm Syndrome. It’s like North Koreans starving half to death and weeping with joy at the sight of Kim Jong Il. This is the guy responsible for their plight but they are too brainwashed to see it.
Following his assassination there was a purposeful propaganda campaign to literally deify this consolidator of centralized power and destroyer of state autonomy. Today our children are taught that Lincoln overcame great adversities like poverty to become the President. They are taught that his deep morality and humility allowed this rags to riches story. The truth is everybody on the frontier lived in a log cabin for heaven’s sake. He married into a well-heeled family with lots of slaves and set about becoming a lobbyist for the railroads which earned him money and power not unlike happens today with corporatist, semi-fascist politicos who use regulation to line their wallets and lead them to the glory of Congress or the Presidency.
As long as we accept and propagate this myth of Lincoln as the savior of our nation rather than recognizing him for what he was: The destroyer of freedom, we will never be able to argue the case for a reassertion of the Tenth Amendment. Lincoln destroyed that case. He presided over the slaughter of more than half a million Americans in order to eradicate the rights of the states to be voluntary parties to the contract of the Constitution.
I believe that many conservatives who are aware of Lincoln’s malfeasance let this cult-like idolatry stand out of respect for the descendants of slaves. This needs to stop for two reasons. First, as long as we continue propagating the lie that Lincoln is a hero for freeing the slaves, we are conceding that the wholesale slaughter of hundreds of thousands and the destruction of the rights of all future Americans including those descendants was just the price we gladly paid to end slavery. What ideology will next be ‘worth’ such death and destruction? Already 90% of the country has determined it is ‘worth’ it to let TSA Nazis molest them in public. Second, so long as such a lie stands the words “States’ Rights” will still sound like the words of Jim Crow and Slavery as Chris Matthews so ignorantly remarked.
All of these truths regarding Lincoln are easily found in the pages of Thomas DiLorenzo’s books, Lincoln Unmasked and The Real Lincoln. But to give you a taste of what Lincoln’s contemporaries thought – and I mean those who told the truth, the lies being of no benefit to them – here is a piece of history. Lysander Spooner was a Northern abolitionist who regarded the end to slavery as simple: The government should cease enforcing slavery. Without government sanction slavery could not continue and would die as it had in countless other nations without bloodshed. Like many abolitionists of his time including Charles Dickens, Spooner believed secession of the South would result in a rapid and peaceful end to slavery because the South relied so heavily on imports from abolitionist nations. While it was joined to the North these nations feared boycotting the South, but once they were on their own trade with the North could continue while the protesting nations starved slavery out of the Southern States.
Spooner wrote extensively and critically of Lincoln’s actions in the War to End Southern Independence. His conclusion was that the manner adopted by Lincoln may have resulted in some being freed from chattel slavery, but it resulted in all being subjected to political slavery. His exposition in No Treason is worth reading in full here, but I offer the selection below as one of the most apt depictions of Lincoln’s accomplishments offered by a man who witnessed them first hand:
The pretense that the “abolition of slavery” was either a motive or justification for the war, is a fraud of the same character with that of “maintaining the national honor.” Who, but such usurpers, robbers, and murderers as [the government], ever established slavery? Or what government, except one resting upon the sword, like the one we now have, was ever capable of maintaining slavery? And why did these men abolish slavery? Not from any love of liberty in general – not as an act of justice to the black man himself, but only “as a war measure,” and because they wanted his assistance, and that of his friends, in carrying on the war they had undertaken for maintaining and intensifying that political, commercial, and industrial slavery, to which they have subjected the great body of the people, both black and white. And yet these imposters now cry out that they have abolished the chattel slavery of the black man – although that was not the motive of the war – as if they thought they could thereby conceal, atone for, or justify that other slavery which they were fighting to perpetuate, and to render more rigorous and inexorable than it ever was before. There was no difference of principle – but only of degree – between the slavery they boast they have abolished, and the slavery they were fighting to preserve; for all restraints upon men’s natural liberty, not necessary for the simple maintenance of justice, are of the nature of slavery, and differ from each other only in degree.
If their object had really been to abolish slavery, or maintain liberty or justice generally, they had only to say: All, whether white or black, who want the protection of this government, shall have it; and all who do not want it, will be left in peace, so long as they leave us in peace. Had they said this, slavery would necessarily have been abolished at once; the war would have been saved; and a thousand times nobler union than we have ever had would have been the result. It would have been a voluntary union of free men; such a union as will one day exist among all men, the world over, if the several nations, so called, shall ever get rid of the usurpers, robbers, and murderers, called governments, that now plunder, enslave, and destroy them.
Still another of the frauds of these men is, that they are now establishing, and that the war was designed to establish, “a government of consent.” The only idea they have ever manifested as to what is a government of consent, is this – that it is one to which everybody must consent, or be shot. This idea was the dominant one on which the war was carried on; and it is the dominant one, now that we have got what is called “peace.”
Their pretenses that they have “Saved the Country,” and “Preserved our Glorious Union,” are frauds like all the rest of their pretenses. By them they mean simply that they have subjugated, and maintained their power over, an unwilling people. This they call “Saving the Country”; as if an enslaved and subjugated people – or as if any people kept in subjection by the sword (as it is intended that all of us shall be hereafter) – could be said to have any country. This, too, they call “Preserving our Glorious Union”; as if there could be said to be any Union, glorious or inglorious, that was not voluntary. Or as if there could be said to be any union between masters and slaves; between those who conquer, and those who are subjugated. All these cries of having “abolished slavery,” of having “saved the country,” of having “preserved the union,” of establishing “a government of consent,” and of “maintaining the national honor,” are all gross, shameless, transparent cheats – so transparent that they ought to deceive no one – when uttered as justifications for the war, or for the government that has succeeded the war, or for now compelling the people to pay the cost of the war, or for compelling anybody to support a government that he does not want.
“All these cries of having “abolished slavery,” of having “saved the country,” of having “preserved the union,” of establishing “a government of consent,” and of “maintaining the national honor,” are all gross, shameless, transparent cheats – so transparent that they ought to deceive no one.” Unfortunately those transparent cheats have fooled many through the years but it is time to shine a light on them for what they really were. Lies to justify the maintenance of political slavery at the point of a gun. A shameful situation that unfortunately persists to this very day in the Land of the Formerly Free.
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TX Super-Majority has Nowhere to Hide
23 Dec 2010 by Jessica Hughes / 3 Comments
James White (R-Woodville) one of several East Texas legislators setting the bar high in 2011
In politics it’s always the other side’s fault. They wouldn’t go along and so ‘gosh-we-really-wanted-to-do-it-but-look-at-what-we-had-to-contend-with.’ Texas RINOs won’t have this fig leaf to cover their spinelessness in the 2011 session. With a super-majority of over two thirds in the House there will be no excuse to compromise principles. And what principles are being put forth!
Representative-elect James White (R-Woodville) has made clear his intentions to fight unfunded mandates to help close the budget shortfall. The East Texas educator and rancher shocked the Austin elites when he overwhelmingly defeated incumbent Jim McReynolds who had long enjoyed bi-partisan support in his district. While early nay-sayers clucked that an African-American could never win in East Texas let alone against a popular legislator like McReynolds, White upset conventional wisdom with a stunning 16 point victory; and he isn’t wasting any time:
Preparing for the next legislative session, I am working on a number of bills to nullify unconstitutional federal actions that intrude on our freedoms to make health choices, raise cattle, and responsibly use our divinely blessed resources. In particular, I will support legislation, such as State Representative Leo Berman’s (Tyler) bill that nullifies nationalized health care in Texas. Furthermore, my efforts to restore constitutional government will extend to abuses performed by the state government in the form of unfunded mandates on our local governments and school districts. Where liberty flourishes, prosperity thrives and this begins by restraining government within its constitutional bounds. (source)
Speaking of Berman, he is out at the head of the nullification movement as detailed in our earlier post here, and he also happens to be another East Texas legislator. Is there something in the water? As if that weren’t enough, White also campaigned openly- against the advice of numerous Republicans – on abolishing the property tax. “Stop renting our homes from the government” his Issues link proclaims.
East Texas seems to be mounting a revolt against the old guard in Austin. White joined incoming freshman Erwin Cain (R-Como) several weeks ago to announce their support for the underdog Ken Paxton as Speaker of the House. With all indications still pointing to an easy Straus victory, White and Cain stuck to their principles and cast their lot in with the candidate for whom their constituents were clamoring. They are now joined by reps Berman, Hughes, Christian, and Flynn; all also of East Texas.
With freshmen like White and Cain in the midst of veteran legislators Bryan Hughes, Leo Berman, Wayne Christian, and Dan Flynn, East Texas is setting the bar awfully high for the rest of the Lone Star State. Maybe that’s why the goofiest rumor running around Austin this week is that numerous incoming Freshmen including James White are shocked that they don’t receive Congressional-level pay. I can personally attest to the falsity of this claim, having spoken on multiple occasions as far back as a year ago with James White regarding his concerns about making ends meet on the nominal $600 or so per month legislators receive. Combined with the alleged threats by Straus operatives to draw Erwin Cain and others out of a district if they didn’t support the former Speaker, it looks like the machine is gearing up to devour those who refuse to march lock-step with the big-government program.
This may be the session which bursts the Texas Liberty Bubble I previously described and begins the tough work of rolling back government to allow genuine freedom to flourish once again. If it isn’t we will have the GOP Old Guard to blame. There is a fire in the hearts of some veteran legislators which I believe has been stoked by the election of so many strong ideologues for Liberty. Unfortunately there is a tsunami of good ol’ boys determined to extinguish any real reform but this time around they will be easy to identify. Our task will be to pay attention, take note, never forget, and be sure the voters in their districts never forget either.
2010 was just a warm-up. Republicans should be aware that they have been given just enough rope to hang themselves and behave in all things accordingly.
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Victory in Court is Small Indeed
13 Dec 2010 by Jessica Hughes / 1 Comment
Imagine Dr. Frankenstein had created a three-headed beast which, as in the story, turned on its maker. Should he appeal to one head to reason with the other two?
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Know Your Nullification
07 Dec 2010 by Jessica Hughes / 2 Comments
The Ludwig von Mises Institute, for those of you not familiar, is a research and educational center of classical liberalism, libertarian political theory, and the Austrian School of economics. They provide tens of thousands of classical academic works, from books to audio lectures, online for free download. While the philosophy of the LvMI may sometimes advocate even less government than some of us would agree is wise, they are without a doubt the leading provider of materials advocating freedom and proving that Liberty works.Thomas J. Woods, Jr., Senior Fellow in History at the Mises Institute, has appeared numerous times on the Glenn Beck Show as well as Judge Andrew Napolitano’s Freedom Watch on FOX News. He holds a bachelor’s degree in history from Harvard and his master’s, M.Phil., and Ph.D. from Columbia University. Woods is the New York Times bestselling author of ten books, and his writing has appeared in dozens of popular and scholarly periodicals.
Last year he released Nullification, a historical and educational guide to how Nullification has worked in the past, what are the justifications for it, and how exactly can it be implemented today. Now he is running a four-week lecture series online to educate us in this invaluable tool for defending our rights. I have posted below the first week’s lecture, which was provided for free by LvMI. It runs about one hour and gives an excellent overview of the history of Nullification. Learn how our Founders ratified the Constitution and what they said in those conventions about its limits and the remedies left to the states in the event of tyranny.
If you want to be able to speak knowledgeably about this path and to defend against accusations that you are a racist or a radical because you believe in States’ Rights, you need to make time for this video! If you wish to participate in the remainder of the course information is available online here.
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Giving States’ Rights Real Teeth
30 Nov 2010 by Jessica Hughes / 4 Comments
Can you imagine if the United Nations decided to send its ‘blue helmets’ into the U.S. to the home of a citizen and arrest them
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