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The Re-Resurrection
Hello! I’m back.
It has been too long since I last put hot words to use here.
It has been too long since I last let the fire in my belly come forth.
It has been too long since I last spoke my mind in defense of liberty!
No more. Beginning today with the return of Tru Blu Tuesdays I am back on the warpath of words. There is a lot going on that needs to be vetted. I can no longer hold my peace. The year 2014 is shaping up to be another year of turmoil in this country and Tru Blu Review will be there to cover it.
So back into the fray we go. Back into the glorious conquest of freedom. Back to the front lines of The Revolution!
Tyranny never sleeps, so neither shall liberty!
[Tru Blu Tuesday] Fighting Back
Bullies. They’ve been around since Cain slew Able. They’re a fact of life, really. From the school yard, to the sports arena, to the board room and -as pointed out last week- in your friendly neighborhood federal government. But what’s a citizen to do against a foe as vast and powerful as the body that governs his nation? How is justice reclaimed? How can the little man regain footing on the same ground as his oppressor? Not easily.
Not to say it can’t be done, but reality tells us that quite often, the bully gets away with his crime. Even when they are punished, as was Cain of 
the Bible, it doesn’t turn out that well for the Ables. Still, after being challenged by a friend and reader to write about how to take our authority back from our out of control government, I racked my brain for ways an individual like myself can make a difference towards that end. I’m sure you don’t need me to tell you that we are at a great disadvantage. I mean, our best defense was the Constitution, but apparently it had might as well be written in chalk on a Seattle sidewalk. A few pawns attacking an army of rooks and bishops would stand a better chance of success than we do right now. You don’t have to be an avid chess player to understand that predicament.
So in accepting my friend’s challenge, I first asked myself: how can we make the directors of the NSA be held accountable for their intrusions? It’s pretty much impossible, as government agents almost never get full justice, if any. There are, however, a few heavy hitters on our side for this fight:
- The American Civil Liberties Union has filed a lawsuit against the National Security Agency, for its breech of First and Fourth Amendment rights. A 2008 lawsuit by the ACLU against the constitutionality of the FISA Amendment act failed in Supreme Court due to lack of evidence. That would not likely be a problem in this instance.
- Senator Rand Paul is pushing a bill that would limit the NSA’s ability to continue their egregious afront to privacy. So far, he is sailing solo in his attempt to rock the boat.
What comes of these efforts, we’ll have to wait and see, but it is at least encouraging to have a few knights on our side. Personally, I’d like very much for big companies such as Google, Verizon and Facebook, in the interest of protecting their brands, throw their weight into the fray as well. One can only hope.
Unfortunately, even if the NSA was reprimanded for its actions, they are only a part of the bigger picture that is the authority struggle between us and the federal government. If we’re going to take on that beast, there’s going to have to be a shift in the status quo. We would have to change the culture in Congress, electing representatives and an Executive who respect the Constitution. In order to do that we would have to get a lot more pawns on our side! Inform more people about what is really happening in our country. To make that happen we’ll need more influences of liberty having their voices heard above the tumultuous distractions. That means media, journalists, and others pushing the real stories to the public. That means…That means…
That means I have to just keep doing what I’m doing.
It dawned on me that there is no magic formula for getting our authority back, just a lot of very hard work. As much as I’d like to, I can’t simply find a holy relic that gives power to the people in the blink of an eye. Our country eroded over a long period of time; it won’t be rebuilt in a night. My very first post on this little experiment of a blog even said as much. I just have to keep moving my little pawn self forward one space at a time.
Want to join in?
One person, or even a small handful, will always struggle to make a difference, but it is not impossible. It requires passion and persistence. I’ve quoted Samuel Adams before, and I’ll quote him again:
It does not take a majority to prevail… but rather an irate, tireless minority, keen on setting brushfires of freedom in the minds of men.
With those words echoing in our minds, here are two things anyone and everyone can do to make a difference: educate others and educate yourself. So let’s get to it!
Educating others:
There are all kinds of ways to keep people informed on the real issues and how they affect us. (Hint: I’m doing that right now.) Everyone has their own style of pushing an important message, whether that be in person, through social media or supporting productive media outlets.
I have, on numerous occasions, spoken to family and friends on libertarian ideas, with mixed results. You’d be amazed at what people aren’t aware of in the world, thanks to the stifling of the truth and political paradigms perpetuated by the press. Speak out and speak often to the folks you know. Let them know of what is going on behind the scenes and how it will hurt them, but also what can be done about it.
Twitter, Facebook, YouTube….you know the drill. Some people have a knack for this that I certainly don’t. If you think you’d make a great host for your own YouTube channel show, do it! Get a good following on Twitter and keep them posted on current events as they happen. The internet world we live in is dripping with ways to get the word out there!
While it is true that there are so few news sources consistently keeping the American public abreast of the real problems facing the nation, there are a few bright spots still out there. I’m always raving about Cincinnati reporter Ben Swann and his great investigative journalism. Well now, having finished his local news contract, he is attempting to start a new campaign of sorts to bring the big issues to the public. Currently he is trying to come up with the funds to make his project successful. I am fully behind his efforts and have supported him with what I could. If you’d like to learn more about it, and how supporting the Liberty is Rising – Truth in Media Project, click here to visit the website. Doing so can help get the liberty message to so many more!
Educate yourself:
You want to help educate others on what is going on – great! But you have to keep yourself in the know as well right? Here are just a few suggestions on how to do that.
I’ve spoken before of Campaign For Liberty, the organization founded by Ron Paul, which seeks to put pressure on politicians and keep others, like myself, informed of the challenges presented in Congress. I highly recommend visiting their website at www.campaignforliberty.org and signing up for their news letter. I can’t tell you how many times they have alerted me about something rumbling under the surface in D.C. and then provided me with the means to get a hold of my representatives in order to help keep the pressure on them. Talk about putting information to work!
Also, I’m a big fan of Tom Woods’s Liberty Classroom. I am currently “enrolled” there and learning fascinating things about the world all the time. It requires a monetary investment, but it is very much worth it. Between the book lists, blogs and lectures there is so much to be learned! Check it out here at http://www.libertyclassroom.com.
These are only two ways to keep yourself ready. There is a great deal of information to be had. You only have to go out there and get it!
It is an uphill battle, that is certain. However, quitting is not an option. If the founders quit, threw in the towel, gave up on freedom – where would we be today? Yes, the odds are against us, but that is no reason to not fight back.
You know the neat thing about pawns, with all their limitations and lack of great power? When they reach the other side of the board….they can become queens….and then….
Checkmate!
[Tru Blu Tuesday] Liberty Rising
March 6th, 2013 on the Senate floor. The blue carpet supported the feet of a crusty Senator who labored his thoughts. As he finished speaking, a younger gentleman was acknowledged and given the floor. The Senator from Kentucky, son of a trouble-making Representative from Texas, set his binder on the podium and began talking:
“I rise today to begin to filibuster John Brennan’s nomination for the C.I.A., I will speak until I can no longer speak. I will speak as long as it takes, until the alarm is sounded from coast to coast that our Constitution is important, that your rights to trial by jury are precious, that no American should be killed by a drone on American soil without first being charged with a crime, without first being found to be guilty by a court.”
Rand Paul on the floor of the Senate, 3/6/13.
For many Americans, the nearly thirteen hours that followed this statement may be considered the beginning of a new era. Rand Paul’s filibuster, in which he personally spoke for over eight hours, sent shock waves through the political world. All he wanted was for the President to answer one simple question: Does the President have the authority to kill American citizens without trial? This supposedly simple question would not be answered until the next day, but by that time the country had taken notice. Several Senators stepped in to aid Mr. Paul in the prolonging of the filibuster. They were mostly Republicans, but even one Democrat Senator pitched in to aid the cause. In essence, what was witnessed was a minority of our nations leaders coming together and taking a stand for a serious civil rights issue.
Despite how fresh this may seem to many, this was not the birth of a new political ideology. That happened back in 2007, when Rand Paul’s father Ron took off on an underdog’s race to the White House. That was The Revolution 1.0. Four years later, battling the likes of Rick Santorum, Newt Gingrich and Mitt Romney for the right to challenge incumbent President Obama, The Revolution 2.0 took off twice as strong. What is currently being witnessed by the good citizens of America is, you guessed it, The Revolution 3.0. This go-around will not prominently feature the elder Paul, and it might not even be led by his son. What it will produce, however, is a distinct libertarian flavor not tasted as strong in this country for the last several decades. Still, this current push would more accurately be described as merely the rebirth of liberty in America. July 4th, 1776 being its original birthday.
Travel back in time only a few months to November 6th of 2012. A day many Republicans shudder at with bitter distaste and Democrats celebrate with the thunderous thumping of their chests. While most establishment Republicans were being shown a cold hard shoulder by voters, there was a seismic difference for candidates, Republican candidates, who campaigned and stood for the cause of liberty. Incumbents such the aforementioned Senator Paul, and Congressman Justin Amash won their races handily. Across the country new faces were added in liberty lovers like Texas Senator Ted Cruz and several others. Granted, liberty candidates did not take over the federal legislature that night, but the sharp difference between the old pretend-to-be-small-government members of the GOP and the fresh faces of the future was incredible to say the least. It was clear to anyone who cared to notice, that liberty was gaining popularity.
Left to right: Rand Paul (R) Texas, Marco Rubio (R) Florida, Ted Cruz (R) Texas
Fast forward to today. While the rift between Republican’s was anything but a secret, after Rand Paul’s excursion into the flames of the untouchable powers of the executive branch, the division was never more obvious or more fierce. Senators John McCain and Lindsay Graham aggressively came to the defense of the President. McCain at one point referring to the likes of Senator Paul and his cohorts as “wacko birds”. Clearly the ideas of civil liberties and a restricted executive did not sit well with the old guards, despite the fact that the targeted individual of the filibuster was essentially a Democrat President. Regardless, the winners of the day were clearly the new kids on the block, as public support sky rocketed. If social media means anything, the #StandWithRand Twitter hash-tag reached the top spot of worldwide trending during the height of his speech. If the words of old foes mean anything, neo-conservative radio show host Rush Limbaugh slathered Rand Paul with praises for his efforts stating “There’s no question this Rand Paul business has totally upset the power structure in Washington. The neo-cons are paranoid.” The irony of his statement aside, the compliments sung by Limbaugh and others reveal the shift towards the popularity of libertarian ideas.
This is not the end by any stretch of the imagination. The fight for liberty is merely beginning to heat up and it could not have come soon enough. America is falling quickly in the world. People are waking up to the reality of the dire straights we are in. Collapse is imminent. But Liberty? Liberty is Rising.
I leave you with Ben Swann’s words of encouragement.
Ben Swann on Reality Check
Ron Paul’s Farewell to Congress
On November 14th, 2012, Congressman Ron Paul took the podium for possibly the last time in his lengthy career. He delivered an oration intended to bring down the House. It wasn’t eloquent and it wasn’t graceful as his tongue stumbled over a few of his own words, but what it lacked in style it more than made up for in substance. Just like he has done over the past few decades, Dr. Paul boldly spoke his mind, unafraid to speak the truth. He wasn’t pulling any punches, even at one point referring to Congress as “psychopathic authoritarians” TO THEIR FACES.
This was not an angry rant however. The good Doctor diagnosed each of the major issues currently dragging the nation towards oblivion. Then, like all good doctors, he closed with the proper cure. If the patient is willing to swallow the pill, recovery is possible.
The full speech can be found through this link to YouTube.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=qOgg0LdgTD0&feature=g-all-u
P.S. If you’re looking for a living example of what it means to me to be “Tru Blu”, Dr. Paul is it.
The Future: How The GOP Must Move Forward
In the wake of President Obama’s reelection, talk of change within the Grand Old Party is rampant. Everyone knows something must be done to save the party. More importantly, however, is the need to save the country. Fortunately there is a movement that, if embraced by Republicans, can do both. It will take a revamping of conservative policies, and an adherence to the constitution, but if preserving the Republic is truly at heart, the sacrifice of dishonest politics will be well worth it. Of course, if giving up power and control is too much for neo-conservatives, there will be more days that look like November 6th, 2012. The truth is that, even though the number of people who love big government currently outnumbers everyone else, there is a day fast approaching in which our status quo will fall on its face. When that happens, change will be the only option. The only question will be if there is change for the better, or for soul crushingly worse. If the GOP wants to be the vehicle for good change, they will have to first modify themselves….and it must start NOW.
The seed has already been planted…..From The American Conservative’s W. James Antle III:
Who Killed Rudy Giuliani?
How Ron Paul won the war for conservatism’s future
When Ron Paul leaves office in January, he will have been more successful than many of the legislators who spent decades maligning him. Paul’s ideas have gradually gone from marginal to mainstream, and his record shows how much even a single determined man of principle can do to change a movement. In foreign policy especially, the Texas congressman leaves behind a new generation of leaders, both libertarian and conservative, who challenge the disastrous bipartisan consensus.
A decade ago, only seven Republican members of Congress voted against the Iraq War—six congressmen and one senator. The number of conservative legislators who opposed the war was even smaller still, the redoubtable trio of Jimmy Duncan, John Hostettler, and Paul.
Rand Paul for President: 2016
For Republicans, there is a silver lining to the re-election of Barack Obama. The door is now open for real change in 2016. The recently adopted Romney Rules at the RNC, which would have locked out any true democratic participation and guaranteed eight more years of GOP establishment, top-down, Brahman-style, domination, are now moot. The gate is open.
The change that will be debated in the next presidential election will not be about tax percentages, or troop withdrawal timetables, or welfare for Big Bird, or who should be the next chairman of the Federal Reserve. The change that will be debated will be about fundamentals, about monetary policy, about the philosophical underpinnings of our foreign policy, about the relevancy of the American Constitution and where we are headed as a people.
It will not be the red team against the blue team, espousing the same things in different degrees, rather…
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The REVOLUTION: Coming Soon To A Nation Near You
I’ll never forget the first time I heard the Revolution referenced. It was still somewhat early in the 2012 GOP primaries and someone had asked a friend of mine who she was supporting for the Presidential nomination. “Ron Paul of course! Join the Revolution!” she replied, playfully fist pumping the air. I was on the ‘Herman Cain train’ at the time and didn’t even know who Ron Paul was, much less his movement. I thought it was just another campaign slogan. Little did I know that when I went home that night to look up this man and his mission that a seed had just been planted in my barren, freedom starved mind……
What is it?
The Revolution is a changing of the hearts and minds of people in our country. It is a fundamental shift in the way people see government, politics, liberty….hope. It is an intellectual wildfire set to scorch the earth with the truth. It is a push for a change to the status quo of widespread blissful ignorance. It is a mission to take back the country we love.
The problem….
For too long people have been apathetic or misinformed or downright lied to. Corrupt politicians, mainstream media, the Federal Reserve Bank and the military industrial complex, among others, have all enjoyed the splendors of ignorance and made sure to perpetuate it amongst Americans. The result has been the many problems we see in the world around us. Whether it is the devaluing of the dollar, the rising gas prices, the mounting debt, the endless threat of terrorism or the growing loss of personal liberties, our way of life is under attack! The time has come for all of that to change, and with it the oppressive regime that pushes it.
The options for change we are given are not enough. It is either Republican or Democrat, red or blue, conservative or liberal, FOX or NBC, Romney or Obama; regardless of the fact that they have more in common than they pretend. Minuscule problems are highlighted. Petty arguments break out. Fingers are pointed. Names are called. All the while the world burns around us.
The winds of change
This is where The Revolution comes in. Begun by Dr. Ron Paul, it seeks to uproot the long reigning weeds of corruption and return to the roots of this great nation: the Constitution. The Revolution, while ambitious in its aspirations, is not a violent one. Nay, the primary vehicle of the liberty movement is simply truth in information. Already people have woken up by the millions to understand what is really wrong with our country. The Independent-identifying voter bloc is the largest it has been in U.S. history, indicating the dissatisfaction with the choices given. Mainstream media outlets lose viewers by the day. Blogs, vlogs, independent journalists and others carry to them the message of liberty and it spreads like a disease without a cure: a cancer feeding off the monstrous beast of tyranny.
The Revolution, however, will not be televised. Don’t go looking for it within the mainstream media, for theirs is a wasteland deprived of forward, constructive thought. Treating it as a fringe element, they ignore the movement in hopes it will go away and never return…but it will not. In terms of media, the liberty movement has spread mostly through the internet, since it is free, uncensored and can spread much more quickly here than through traditional news outlets.
While mostly thought of as only an abstract concept to unify the various factions of the liberty movement, The Revolution has concrete compartments as well. The Campaign for Liberty, or C4L for short, is the political embodiment of Ron Paul’s continuing legacy in government as it strives to keep pushing vital issues through congress with ambitious new freedom fighters in the House and Senate. Young Americans for Liberty, a very important arm of the movement, takes its core principles to college campuses around the country, giving eager students something their professors won’t tell them. 
Endorsed by Dr. Paul for its mission of providing sound free market and Austrian economic education is the Mises Institute. Named after Austrian economist Ludwig von Mises, the Institute has been teaching these principles for thirty years. Thanks to these organizations, a growing number of liberty minded politicians, and many others, the message of The Revolution marches on.
The Message:
- Restore the Constitution: This is the foundation of the republic and everything else rests on this document. “Claims that our Constitution was meant to be a “living document” that judges may interpret as they please are fraudulent, incompatible with republican government, and without foundation in the constitutional text or the thinking of the Framers.” -C4L
- Return to the free market: Long term economic growth and prosperity is impossible with excessive government regulation, market manipulation and counterfeiting by central banks.
- Reclaim individual liberties: We must take back the freedom granted to the people in the Bill of Rights. These rights have been trampled on by legislation such as the PATRIOT Act and the NDAA as well as overreaching organizations like the TSA. If we are not safe from unjust law, we are not free.
- Revoke our current foreign policy: Manipulating the lives of the citizens in other countries is not a policy of peace. It only results in fear and loss of freedom for them as well as us, provoking aggression and tension. Our unwanted presence is a deterrent to our survival as a nation as well as a drain on our economy.
With Love,
Finally, as previously noted, the Revolution is not an act of violence. While the first American Revolution culminated in a bloody, eight year war, the 21st Century version hopes to continue in peace. That is why the popular logo highlights the ‘EVOL’ in the word; to emphasize that love is an fundamental value of the movement. It also serves as a reminder that we can do this without injury to our fellow-man. That doesn’t mean it will be easy, nor do we expect to go unscathed through the trials ahead. However, with a firm reliance on the protection of Divine providence, we will prevail.
In the beginning of a change the Patriot is a scarce man, brave, hated and scorned. When his cause succeeds however, the timid join him, for then it costs nothing to be a Patriot. -Mark Twain
It does not take a majority to prevail… but rather an irate, tireless minority, keen on setting brushfires of freedom in the minds of men. -Samuel Adams
Tru Blu and You
Hello there!
The times are changing. But you didn’t need me to tell you that. In fact you might say they’ve always been changing. Since the beginning of man change has come, either slowly or dramatically, for better of worse. Right now, however, the change is not for the better. The last great hope for true freedom in the world is under attack. But our blessed United States of America is not facing some great military threat at its shores, nor an apocalyptic plague. No, it is under attack from within. A crumbling economy, a weakening currency, a growing debt, an expanding global empire, eroding rights, an abusive, unchecked government, corrupt bureaucrats and an apathic public are but a few of the foes challenging the fate of our nation. A good change is what is needed to push back against the opposing front.
How do we, as a nation, fight back? Without a doubt the outlook is bleak. The mess we’re in didn’t happen overnight. It has been in the making for generations, and some would argue, even before we became a world super power. Therefore we cannot expect a change to happen instantly, as much as we wish it could. What is more likely is that it will get worse before it gets better. Most likely we will see more and more rights abused and a horrible economy get worse, possibly even collapsing on itself. I hope to God it doesn’t happen but I’m not holding my breath. In the face of our plight we need to be able to set the stage for recovery. And it begins here.
Ok, not literally here in this blog, but in thousands of other blogs and in the hearts and minds of millions of Americans like you. I’m talking about an intellectual revolution. Fortunetly this revolution has already begun. It was started by a man named Ron Paul; you may have heard of him. Because of him the efforts he has inspired people have begun to wake up by the thousands. I myself have only recently joined in the fray, but the simple fact of the matter is that before and during the contest for our future we need to know our past and present to be successful. I will go into further detail on the stages of the Revolution later, but right now just remember that knowledge is power.
Until next time: Be Tru Blu!
Tru Blu ReView 