Posts

Welcome To The Socialist Democracy Of America

Written by Jon DoubleTap Britton 25 March 2015 (Cold Dead Hands)

“America will never be destroyed from the outside. If we falter and lose our freedoms, it will be because we destroyed ourselves.” ~ Abraham Lincoln

The constitutional republic once known as The United States of America was conquered long ago and very few people even noticed. The US of A today has devolved into a socialist democracy bent on self-destruction. Stop and think for a minute, when was the last time you heard a politician, media talking head or ANYONE in any “official capacity” refer to America or her form of government as a “constitutional republic?” On the other hand, I doubt any one of you could even begin to count the number of times you have heard it referred to as a “democracy.” Democracy, defending democracy, spreading democracy around the world, democracy, democracy, democracy… Do you know what our founders thought of democracy?

Well, to begin with you will NOT find the word democracy, democratic or any other variation of the word in either the Declaration of Independence or the United States Constitution. Not even an honorable mention or a participation ribbon. What did they say about “democracy” outside of those founding documents? One of the most famous quotes is “Democracy is two wolves and a lamb voting on what to have for lunch. Liberty is a well-armed lamb contesting the vote!” ~ Benjamin Franklin. While old Ben had a colorful way of expressing it, others shared his distaste for the concept. “Hence it is that democracies have ever been spectacles of turbulence and contention; have ever been found incompatible with personal security or the rights of property; and in general have been as short in their lives as they have been violent in their deaths… A republic, by which I mean a government in which a scheme of representation takes place, opens a different prospect and promises the cure for which we are seeking.” James Madison [Federalist Papers No. 10 – 1787].

“A democracy is nothing more than mob rule, where fifty-one percent of the people may take away the rights of the other forty-nine.” Thomas Jefferson

“Remember, democracy never lasts long. It soon wastes, exhausts, and murders itself. There never was a democracy yet that did not commit suicide.” John Adams

“But government in which the majority rule in all cases can not be based on justice, even as far as men understand it.” Henry David Thoreau

Now, before you start throwing out phrases like “democratic republic” or “constitutional democracy” or “representative democracy” or some other concoction to cloud the issue, a CONSTITUTION and a DEMOCRACY are mutually exclusive. A constitution is a set “law of the land” with defined powers and rights. Our representatives are democratically elected to represent us WITHIN THE CONFINES of constitutional law, not mere public opinion. Changes to that “law of the land” can only be made by super-majorities of both the people AND the states. Even the Presidential election is not purely democratic, while the people do vote and the “popular vote” is counted, it is also balanced through the electoral college to insure that high population urban centers do not dominate the election while low population rural areas are left without representation. This insures that The President represents the WHOLE country and not just the few large cities of each state. Originally, US Senators were intended to be the voice of the STATES and the House of Representatives were the voice of THE PEOPLE. The passage of the 17th amendment was a MAJOR STEP AWAY from our constitutional republic and towards democracy by taking away the states’ voice and giving the people both houses of Congress based solely on popularity rather than states’ issues. Now there are those who call for the abolishment of the electoral college as well, which would for all intents and purposes complete that transformation. In a true DEMOCRACY there is no “law of the land” anymore, there is only the ever changing landscape of public opinion. Constant change and turmoil based on the hopes and whims of 50% + 1 of the population where RIGHTS no long exist for anyone, especially the minority, but privileges abound for the majority.

This really hit home for me as I was engaged in and following the debates regarding Open Carry in Texas. I heard over and over again that there was not sufficient “public support” for constitutional carry, so the best they could do is to expand the privileges of the very few CHL holders, who PAY to exercise their natural rights, to include the ability to open carry. It was, and still is, often argued that we lost the right a little at a time, incrementally, and that is the best or only way to get it back. That is a socialist-democratic thought process pure and simple. To think that we must restore natural rights a little at a time so as to build public support or avoid public outrage is, well outrageous. Our transition from republic to democracy has indeed happened incrementally over time in order to avoid detection of the destruction of our sovereign rights. To restore those rights that are already constitutionally protected does NOT require a democratic majority, public support or any other incarnation of democracy. Just after the completion and signing of the Constitution, in reply to a woman’s inquiry as to the type of government the Founders had created, Benjamin Franklin said, “A Republic, if you can keep it.” WE HAVE NOT KEPT IT!

Democracy inevitably leads to socialism such as the socialist democracy that we now have in place. Don’t kid yourself, we do in fact live in a socialist democracy, just look around you. Welfare, food stamps, social “safety nets” and redistribution of wealth (ie. progressive income tax)… “From each according to his ability, to each according to his needs!” Although this phrase is most commonly attributed to Karl Marx, the slogan was common within the socialist movement and was first used by Louis Blanc in 1851. The origin of this phrasing has also been attributed to the French utopianist Étienne-Gabriel Morelly, who proposed in his 1755 Code of Nature “Sacred and Fundamental Laws that would tear out the roots of vice and of all the evils of a society” including:

  1. Nothing in society will belong to anyone, either as a personal possession or as capital goods, except the things for which the person has immediate use, for either his needs, his pleasures, or his daily work.
  2. Every citizen will be a public man, sustained by, supported by, and occupied at the public expense.
  3. Every citizen will make his particular contribution to the activities of the community according to his capacity, his talent and his age; it is on this basis that his duties will be determined, in conformity with the distributive laws.

While we do still cling to some of the trappings of free society and free markets, it is increasingly becoming more socialized. You do not “own” property, even if your house or land is paid off, you still lease it from the government through property taxes. Stop paying the taxes and see how long you “own” your property. Public schools and universities increasingly teach our children that they are “citizens of the world” and denounce individualism through group think such as political correctness. What was once embraced as self-evident truths have been dissolved in a sea of collectivist thought and propaganda. Life is no longer a sacred right, at least not if you are as yet unborn or a military veteran seeking the care that was promised them for serving their nation. Liberty has become an antiquated idea because people cannot be trusted to exercise it in a manner that is agreeable to all, or at least that is the subtext behind the socialization and reliance upon government regulation. The pursuit of happiness, which was meant be long term happiness as in property, opportunity and security has given way to instant gratification and hedonism.

The more socialized we become, the less civil society becomes. The more democratic we become, the more divided we become. We split up into groups battling each other for what we want and the majority wins, whether their position is good for the nation or even state, the city or the individual is irrelevant. Mob Rule, winner take all and since the “have nots” will always outnumber the more productive and industrious “haves” then “democracy” works in their favor. Everyone imagines that the bottom 99% will be raised to the level of the upper 1%, but the reality is that the upper 99% will be lowered to the level of the lowest 1%. True “equality can only be achieved mathematically and socially at the lowest common denominator. At first it looks great. take from the rich and give to the poor in true Robin Hood fashion, there is just one problem.

“The problem with socialism is that you eventually run out of other peoples’ money.” ~ Margaret Thatcher

BAFTE: Infringing on our rights again?

In this article published at Cold Dead Hands by Patrick James, he explains how the ATF is overstepping its authority and what he believes people should do about it:

Is our federal government at it again or better said; are they still trying to find new and interesting ways to take away our rights. In specific, is the ATF currently looking at reasons to ban M855/SS109 ammunition in regards to protecting LEOs. Is said ammunition, that can penetrate level 2A body armor when fired from a pistol so completely evil that they want to take it away from us or… are they creating a NEW supply and demand for money? I completely agree that LEOs should be protected, but being an LEO is inherently dangerous and just comes with the job. Are they trying to further restrict and infringe on our rights? I have no doubt that is a definite possibility, but I’m more likely to believe that they are creating a “money” scheme here. So let me explain this little scenario.

Many of you (hunters) in particular might be saying; “what’s this got to do with me? I have absolutely no need for “armor piercing” ammunition.” Well let me say this about that. They are postulating that with the advent of handguns that can fire rifle caliber ammunition such as the FN Five-seven and other hand-held AR-15 pistol/stock configurations that they now need to limit “our” access to this dangerous level 2A body armor piercing ammunition. Now I know most hunters could care less about handguns that can fire “armor piercing” rounds, but understand this; it’s not about what you DON’T need, it’s about what they CAN take away from you. What’s next? 30-30, 30.06? Remington or Thompson competition or hunting handguns? What about ALL those hunting rifles you are carrying whose ammunition can penetrate level 2A body armor?

Let’s have a quick history lesson and I’ll explain (in my opinion) what’s truly going on. The Gun Control Act of 1968 (GCA), as amended, 18 U.S.C. Chapter 44 prohibits the import, manufacture, and distribution of “armor piercing ammunition” as defined by the statute, but there is an exemption that allows the Attorney General to determine if that specific ammunition is primarily intended for sporting purposes as it has been for a very long time, until now. Originally the provisions defining and governing these so-called “cop killer” rounds were enacted within the Law Enforcement Officers Protection Act of 1986 (LEOPA), but when LEOPA was finally passed by Congress in 1986, the final bill focused on two specific definitions; composition of the ammunition and whether it can be fired from a handgun, and size, jacket weight as well as design and intent. This created a huge loophole in the original intent of LEOPA, by expanding the definition of armor piercing ammunition to include any ammunition containing a specified metal content and that it can be fired from a handgun. Viola. Eric Holder defers his responsibilities to define and rule as Attorney General as was always intended, to the BATFE Director and now they can propose the change, rule on the change and completely ban this ammunition without Congress’ approval.

So now we have the HOW they can do it, but some might still be unclear as to the why? It’s coming, but bear with me a bit longer as I wade through a few more defining actions and reasons I believe make this scenario a money making scheme.

The FN Five-Seven has been on the civilian market for over 10 years, and all of those years the Brady Campaign has been working to ban it. U.S. Rep. Eliot Engel (D-NY of course) even wrote three separate bills that were introduced to the Senate and all three times the bill failed to proceed to a vote. They could NOT find reason to even entertain the thought of why it should be even voted on, let alone banned. Then add in all the new AR pistols to hit the market recently and we have the “gun control” nuts freaking out, using LEOPA as a battle flag and doing it without even realizing what they are creating. If we add to that everything we know about Level 2A body armor, and that there hasn’t been any significant studies to prove that deaths occur more frequently from penetration versus blunt force trauma. Yes, blunt force trauma is a much more common injury to occur when shot while wearing body armor. And we also know that almost every modern sporting rifle will penetrate even level 3 body armor. So who exactly does the government intend to protect by banning this evil, malicious cop killing ammunition? I’m interested in that answer, but I know what the politicians would say and it stinks like a fresh cow pie.

So again I ask this perplexing question; Why is the BATFE trying to ban M855/SS109 based ammunition when many other types of ammunition are just as dangerous with similar penetration qualities? Again I will say; money making scheme. Now, do I believe they are concerned with the lives of
LEOs, of course. Does our government want a chance to infringe on our rights? Again, of course they do, and we can see just how destructive this current administration has been toward our 2nd Amendment rights simply by looking at how many times the BATFE (ATF) has ruled and restricted our firearms regulations throughout the years. Here are a few facts that kind of lay out what this administration has accomplished. From 1969 to current the BATFE has had 52 rulings entered into the books in regards to firearms restrictions. Now that doesn’t seem like a whole lot in 37 years (although in my book, any restriction is too many) but here’s the kicker, 21 of those rulings have been since 2008. You read that right. There were 31 rulings in the first 37 years, and 21 rulings in the last 7 years. Do you think Obama is doing a good job trying to destroy the 2nd?

So what about this “smoke & mirrors” money scheme I was talking about? Well, if we do the research and math, we know that the government is going to be holding a very large stockpile of “armor piercing” ammunition very soon (conflicts abroad are winding down and we all know that) and no corporation would “ban” a product that you are holding a large amount of, that just wouldn’t make good fiscal sense (if you noticed the word “corporation” then good for you, because yes, our government is nothing more than exactly that). What better way to leverage that product and drive prices higher, than to release information that implies an impending shortage? Then once everyone and their brother has “run” and wiped out every store shelf in town, because they’re worried it’ll be gone tomorrow, who’s left with the biggest supply? You guessed it… Big Brother Army/Navy surplus. Now trust me, I’m not telling you to NOT run out and buy more ammunition, God knows there’s no such thing as too much ammunition. And I am certainly not telling you to NOT be concerned, we can see just how much the Obama Administration has done in regards to our 2nd Amendment rights. What I am saying is; “Don’t be surprised if this little scare doesn’t just “go away” in a few weeks/months and the prices “skyrocket” to absurd heights.

So what can we do about it all? It’s just like everything else that happens within our governmental “dog and pony” show, if you don’t stand up and question them, they will assume you don’t care and rule without your consent. So let’s all get involved and bombard them with questions regarding this injustice. Below is all the contact information you need to make an impactive statement. Write it up in your own words being as professional as possible (remember, although we all might be mad and frustrated for all this asinine bullsh*t, you will still attract more bees with honey). Give them logical talking points, use facts and make concise statements. And it doesn’t hurt to let them know that WE the PEOPLE are watching their every move. So let’s “blow it up” (their phone lines that is) and let them know that NO matter what reasons they are even contemplating this action, We are not happy.

Email: APAComments@atf.gov
Fax: (202) 648-9741
Mail:
Denise Brown
Mailstop 6N-602, Office of Regulatory Affairs,
Enforcement Programs and Services, Bureau of Alcohol,
Tobacco, Firearms, and Explosives
99 New York Avenue, NE,
Washington, DC 20226
Attn: AP Ammo Comments

Telephone: (202) 648-7070

Patrick James

Patrick James is the creator and founder of Cold Dead Hands and CDH, Inc. He is an author, gun enthusiast and avid outdoorsman who can be found chasing his passions 24/7’s. “I’d rather enjoy my life and skid sideways into the grave, worn out and beat up screaming that was a “helluva” ride than to never take chances and risk it all just to arrive in one pretty piece. Passion in all things is the key to a successful life.” ~ Patrick James

Having worked as a firefighter/EMT for several services throughout the years, he has also worked as a custom metal fabricator, certified personal trainer and chef. Growing up in the rural suburbs of Detroit, it was during his frequent trips to Northern Michigan where he learned of his love for hunting and fishing. Spending several of his adult years in upstate South Carolina, his love of extreme sports took root in the foothills of the Great Smokey Mountains as he learned to rock climb and kayak.

“Courage and perseverance have a magical talisman, before which difficulties disappear and vanish into air.” ~ John Quincy Adams

You can find his published work A Frail New World: Digital Conspiracy at: http://goo.gl/XNaDMe

You can also find more information regarding Mr. James at:

https://www.facebook.com/colddeadhands

https://www.facebook.com/patrickjames2a

https://www.facebook.com/patrickjamesphotog

https://www.linkedin.com/in/patrickjames2a