From: Steve Schear <azur@netcom.com>
Date: Thu, 22 May 1997 06:07:39 +0800
To: cypherpunks@cyberpass.net
Subject: Re: The USA is the world's biggest terrorist state
Message-ID: <v03102803afa91fef621c@[10.0.2.15]>
MIME-Version: 1.0
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>The United States of America sits astride the world, holding the riding
>crop and ordering the other nations of the world around in various ways. It
>sends troops to distant parts of the world. It even takes on the main
>"peacekeeping" (meaning: choosing a faction and suppressing the other
>factions) role in Yugoslavia...surely a European problem, if a problem at
>all.
>

The US is in very real danger of reaping the same sort of maelstrom that
vanquished the Romans.  They were also very powerful, with tentacles
reaching almost to the limits of their known world, before a combination of
internal decay and dissention and reprisal from those vanquished put them
asunder.

The government's recent emphasis on terrorism is apt since they have
created so many enemies of ethnic, political, religious and social groups.
Even paranoids have enemies.  The internal threat is not near as great as
they portray, but with increased emphasis on suppression and prosecution
rather than addressing the ills, it will likely become a self-fulfilling
prophesy.  However, addressing the complaints of these militias is not
under consideration because it would undo the very fabric of Federal
jurisdictional excesses which provide the government's power base.

Economics and the freedom, or lack, it entails is key.  One reason our
political system doesn't work is the Fed's right to tax internal economic
activity as opposed to the excise taxes it was originally granted.  Too
much money (power) is concentrated in too few representatives who work in
relative isolation (ever try and get a meeting with your rep.) for most of
their term.  If internal taxes could only be levied by states, who then
were free to revenue share what they wished with the Feds (who would submit
their requests and budgets to the states), power might be so diffused as to
make nationwide lobbying too difficult and expensive and there would be a
much closer adherence to local interest.

We appear to be heading straight for a Whiskey Rebellion type showdown.  In
fact, many of the same complaints of retreat from the founding principles,
which were ignored in the 1780-90s, are echoing in the writings and
speeches of today's militia.  In the 1790s it was wealthy and powerful
eastern businessmen, mostly former Torries, who supported Hamilton and
Washington against the frontiersmen.  This time its the military industrial
complex.  This time I hope the resistance is much bettered prepared.

--Steve