tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-24766932.post2742210861868047823..comments2023-02-17T14:59:05.164ZComments on The Jacksonian Party: America's other ArmyA Jacksonianhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07607888697879327120noreply@blogger.comBlogger7125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-24766932.post-44587409913982023702008-02-05T22:59:00.000Z2008-02-05T22:59:00.000ZCannoneer - I seem to be having this discussion a ...Cannoneer - I seem to be having this discussion a lot today. I will post a response to an emailer... my thoughts have been running dark for sometime, but my response to darkness has been steady and unwavering:[begin]<BR/><BR/>We have two precedents for what is coming and neither is nice: the Revolutionary War and Civil War. Like at the time of the Revolution, our Nation is in dissolution, literally dissolving out from under us. It was nearly 100 years ago the 'progressives' were able to convince our fellow citizens to undo the wisdom of the foundres and shift the States out of the balance of power - thus we now find distant and disenchanted government ruling as it will, just like George III did leading up to the Revolution. And the divisions in the US run deep and hard between those willing to adhere to civilization and Nation and those wanting to get rid of it and be enslaved to the State and let bureaucrats rule everything until liberty is gone. Those divisions are like from the Civil War, save now only the Nationalists are willing to go armed... that should worry the Transnationalists a bit, but they seem relatively blithe about it.<BR/> <BR/>Trying to hold a Constitutional Convention *now* would shatter the Nation with disputed and hotly contested elections and the SCOTUS unwilling to step in *twice*. Look at each and every faction that wants *their* vision of America impressed on their fellow citizens. That gamut starts on the far Right and goes to the far Left with absolutists of all kinds in-between. That would be the Civil War scenario... and without a legitimate government and the tradition of civilian control over the military, the armed forces would stay aside and not get involved.<BR/> <BR/>Doing nothing, letting the tinder smoulder, will bring us another Shays, save that *this* time there will be far more competence involved. Imagine the charismatic Obama *losing* and his followers going haywire for a real uprising... there is far too much 'cult of personality' growing there to discount that happening if he gets the Nomination. And can you see someone like McCain trying to figure out what to do with a *revolution* inside the Nation? We can already tick off the hotspots of Berkely, Oakland, San Francisco, Los Angeles, parts of Chicago, Seattle, Portland (OR), Miami, New Orleans.... not 'ethnic riots' but 'man the barricades and get the oppressor' revolutionary sort.<BR/> <BR/>America has had a *lot* of dumb luck go its way over the past couple of hundred years. But luck is not a strategy nor policy.<BR/> <BR/>If we are *very lucky* the two parties will shatter this November, and then, out of the pieces, we just might be able to make something. It need not end in violence if the hotheads can be kept cool and not see violence as the only way left. That is why I stay calm, cool and my vitriol at a low level: I am keeping my head and offering a *better way* forward. A different way, not necessarily good but definitely *better*. That is a hard, hard path back to liberty... and requires us to undo a few things our great-grandparents did wrongly and, perhaps, learn some wisdom from the founders who talked about the *failings* of the Constitution. I am aghast at their prescience, quite honestly: those that worried about military dictatorship have proven unfounded by and large, but those worrying about tyrannical government are fully and completely vindicated.<BR/> <BR/>The screaming and shouting will lower... it had better or we get one of the first two scenarios. That is when it is time to step in and offer to discuss a *better* way and restart this long dying discussion of democracy, freedom, liberty and responsibility. Before blood runs in the streets, not after.<BR/> <BR/>A few calm, clear voices not calling for 'talks' but for an honest re-examination just might get heard. Because, by then, the abyss will be in front of us and the hotheads will be saying *jump*. That is when you whisper: there is a better way.<BR/><BR/>[end]<BR/><BR/>I do not think we will get that far... but with the way things are shaping up, this is not going to be a pleasant time for the Republic. I trust, and damned hard, the voices of that founding generation on the power of Reason. If we are beyond Reason, as a People, then that is it as an unreasoning government is tyranny itself. And a whispered voice of Reason often gains much attention amidst the clamor and chaos of unreason. So we shall see if we will be dusting off <I>Common Sense</I> in a bit...and it is very chilling to re-read that these days.A Jacksonianhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/07607888697879327120noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-24766932.post-17066145707061640742008-02-05T22:50:00.000Z2008-02-05T22:50:00.000ZI went and voted today, AJ, and I despair for the ...I went and voted today, AJ, and I despair for the Republic.<BR/><BR/>Perhaps the survivors will be more receptive to your message.Cannoneer No. 4https://www.blogger.com/profile/05235351920307868511noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-24766932.post-54424737760069364912008-02-05T22:39:00.000Z2008-02-05T22:39:00.000ZInteresting comments on the original Strategy Page...<A HREF="http://www.strategypage.com/htmw/htmurph/articles/20080108.aspx" REL="nofollow">Interesting comments on the original Strategy Page thread</A>.<BR/><BR/>I love the National Guard. But they are part-time <I>Federales</I> and We The People need to remember that.Cannoneer No. 4https://www.blogger.com/profile/05235351920307868511noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-24766932.post-42378999918134587732008-02-05T22:29:00.000Z2008-02-05T22:29:00.000ZThat is the problem with the modern world: no one ...That is the problem with the modern world: no one wants to remember what Nations can do. If I remember correctly al Qaeda was cited in 2001 as having ownership or part-ownership in 6 vessels in the Indian Ocean basin, and up to two 707 class aircraft (purchased during their period in Egypt while they dealt with the Red Mafia for nuclear material). Those would be, properly, considered to be Pirate vessels and also liable under the Letters language... with any US vessels needing demonstrable linkage of ownership to prove such. As the world grows more complex, and our National tools fail in the face of inspired groups and individuals (thinking here of Simon Reubens' work with the Chernoy brothers) their ability to actually tease out such networks gets to be limited by the very problems of National actors: their accountability is so high and ingenuity impaired by bureaucracy that getting to the bottom of something takes years. Getting to the bottom of the Bank of NY fraud has gone on for over 7 years at this point, with only the immediate actors imprisoned, while the entire web of front companies has thwarted Treasury, FBI, CIA and their UK counterparts (amongst many). Trying to trace down something far easier, like dodgy ownership certificates in Africa has also gone beyond their ability... no one wants to pay attention to those things.<BR/><BR/>So, we depend on haphazard law enforcement, incapable treasury, INTEL systems that can't even figure out how many nuclear separators Iran has (nonetheless running them), overworked and undernetworked FBI, and a military that can only act *if* it is near 100% certainty. And if a port goes missing someday in the US, we will be wondering just *why* we couldn't stop that.<BR/><BR/>Because we depend far too much on bureaucracy and do not, ever, want to depend on ourselves. And given that one plot was luckily stumbled across on a more mundane venue to do something like that with someone else's ship... why we don't warrant citizens to go after those owned by the enemy is beyond me. If we cannot dare the art of the possible, the probable that we do not want becomes near certainty.<BR/><BR/>While our enemy wages Private War we are unwilling to exhaust the means of Public War to confront them. That is not 'civilized' that is decadence to trust that much in government. Soon you find you will not have a State, a government or civilization if these things are not confronted. In that we are no different than other civilizations that could not or would not stand up to such. What follows is usually this thing called a 'Dark Age'.A Jacksonianhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/07607888697879327120noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-24766932.post-6152835534417097442008-02-05T22:08:00.000Z2008-02-05T22:08:00.000ZI doubt that our Allies in the Long War would refr...I doubt that our Allies in the Long War would refrain from interfering with such an American vessal. Certainly the Russians, Chinese and probably the Indians would seek such a vessal out for a test case. Any landing forces from an American privateer would be subject to attack by just about everybody.<BR/><BR/>I like the idea, though. Just don't think it is possible in the world as it is now.Cannoneer No. 4https://www.blogger.com/profile/05235351920307868511noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-24766932.post-56561807853177066022008-02-05T21:43:00.000Z2008-02-05T21:43:00.000ZCannoneer - That we have... the lovely Letters Lan...Cannoneer - That we have... the lovely Letters Language, for citizens willing to volunteer their ships so as to arm them and get warrant. That does apply somewhat more generally via the Letters language as Privateers also carried out land raids. The entire Prize Courts helped that system no end, as well as rewards for duty done. That part comes out of Roman trade law via the Black Book of the Admiralty and then into the Common Law... and is highly amenable with our system of government having been integral to the formation of it.<BR/><BR/>Not mercenaries but citizens given warrant to take up arms, represent the Nation and held accountable to the Laws of War. It is starting to look like we need that sort of America...A Jacksonianhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/07607888697879327120noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-24766932.post-38782159234929792332008-02-05T21:37:00.000Z2008-02-05T21:37:00.000ZAnother forgotten part of the Consitution:Private ...Another forgotten part of the Consitution:<BR/><BR/><A HREF="http://www.serviammagazine.com/mag/JanFeb2008/0208_Industry_Heritage.htm" REL="nofollow">Private Ships of War</A>Cannoneer No. 4https://www.blogger.com/profile/05235351920307868511noreply@blogger.com