The Final Chapter

Creeping Federalization

The 21st Century



The first ten years of the 21st century have seen an unprecedented power grab by the Federal Government beginning with September 11, 2001 and the subsequent Patriot Act. The Republican Party, which was in control of the House, the Senate and the Presidency, failed completely to act true to its’ long standing principle of limited government and fiscal responsibility. This showed that both parties spend according to what is best for the individual’s and/or the Party’s re-election chances in the next election.

Reagan Conservatism was forgotten or ignored. States rights were not even a consideration worthy of discussion. And, Federal power grew exponentially. True, there was a war to fight and there still is. Afghanistan is a just war and one we have no alternative but to win. Iraq is subject to discussion. And it matters not what I or the reader feels regarding the Iraqi war. My personal feeling is that we could have avoided that conflict and used other means to remove Saddam. Nevertheless, the war in Iraq was expensive in lives, in treasure and, of perhaps most import, in the erosion of the rights of our citizenry.

Central government power grew at a steady rate from the turn of the century through the election of 2006. The rise to power of Nancy Pelosi and Harry Reid signaled the beginning of an attempt at a power grab of proportions second only to the Civil War. The election of Barak Obama provided the leaders of the Party with the control they needed of the Executive Branch. They now have utter control of two of the three branches of our government. Only the Judicial branch remains somewhat independent.

Appointment of federal judges, held up for eight years under the Bush administration were suddenly pushed through by the new Democrat majority. Stimulus spending began to skyrocket and the imposition of unfunded Federal Mandates have caused many states to limits approaching bankruptcy.

The fact that it was the Democrat Party which caused the main problem, banks forced to make illogical mortgage loans to unqualified buyers, was forgotten and all problems blamed accordingly because they were all “inherited” from the Bush administration.

Cap and Trade, the largest tax increase in history except for WWII, and the grab for federal control of the health industry represent a departure from actions prescribed in the Constitution. This represents nothing less than an attempt by the current leaders of the Democrat Party to destroy the capitalist economy and to replace it with a central government planned and controlled economy.

Appointment of Czars, more than all previous Presidents combined, consisting of avowed communists and very left leaning persons, together with questionable Cabinet appointments have caused an utter lack of faith in the integrity of the Obama administration by many of the citizenry.

The question which arises is simple and clear. “Is this what we really want?”

The answer to this question is a moving target. In January of 2009, for the majority of our citizens one would have to say that this is, indeed, either what they want or what they have been told they want.

Asking this question today gives a very different answer. Approval ratings for the President (Obama), the Senate, the Leader of the Senate (Reid), the House and the Leader of the House (Pelosi) are at or near historic lows. Aggressive citizens have caused many Democrat office holders to either cancel town halls or control access to these, then ill named, town halls.

Tea Parties and citizen rallies have reached a fever pitch. The so called “main stream media” has abandoned its’ certain lauding approval of all things Democrat and begun to challenge the administration. Obvious misstatements and even lies are no longer ignored by all but Fox News. And even other cable news instruments criticize illogical proposals.

Eight States have recently appealed to the 10th and 9th Amendments to the U.S. Constitution to assert their state rights over federal government. These are Washington, New Hampshire, Arizona, Montana, Michigan, Missouri, Oklahoma and Hawaii. They are expected to be joined by Alaska, Alabama, Arkansas, California, Colorado, Georgia, Idaho, Indiana, Kansas, Nevada, Main, Pennsylvania, and Texas within the year.

Where are we going?

Which path will we ultimately take?

The most desirable path may be a continuation of a States movement to declare themselves Sovereign and independent of and not subject to any actions of the Federal Government not ceded by the Sovereign States to the Federal Government by the United States Constitution. (See the first ten amendments earlier in this series.)

A New Confederacy comprised by those States which decide they cannot work within the current system. This would mean Secession by these states from the United States of America and could lead to a second War Between the States. This is hardly a desirable path. But, there is one path which would be less desirable.

The least desirable path is the one upon which the triumvirate of Pelosi, Reid, and Obama have embarked. A complete takeover of the American Economy by the Federal Government and the institution of a people ruled by the Government and subservient to a One World Order.

The choice is yours.

Creeping Federalization - The 20th Century

Creeping Federalization

The 20th Century



As the Gay Nineties gave way to a new century, the country was in high spirits. Work was plentiful, the country prosperous and people looked ahead to an unending future of continuous growth. It was this sense of “anything goes” that led to a Christian Revival (read you CAN legislate morality) and Prohibition.

WWI, was a terrible time. But, it had little effect upon the ongoing life of the country as a whole only from the perspective of federalization. In other ways, it was the worst time since the War Between the States.

The roaring twenties, while lots of fun to be sure, gave people the Speakeasy and illegal booze. Wild parties and booze and drugs (they were not yet illegal.) Crime syndicates grew, street warfare raged in large cities. Still, prosperity reigned and the “bigger fool” theory of stock market investment gave the people a sense of live hard and play harder.

Then 1929. The feel good era gave way to bread lines and massive unemployment. Prohibition was repealed in 1933. By now the carefree “individual” had become the hungry sufferer who begged the government to save him.

The New Deal. An awful lot has been written about The New Deal. Suffice it to say here that it proved unsuccessful. It proved that the government cannot be the savior of the populace with massive spending and borrowing. But, more of that when we get to the 21st Century. Let’s leave it at that government “by the people” had given way to “big government” at the expense of “state’s rights.”

Ever so slowly the country began to crawl out of the Depression and by 1940 most people had jobs and the bread line was no longer the mainstay of the American diet. “Happy Days” seemed, at least, in “the light at the end of the tunnel.”

WWII. The only thing we need to say here about the war is that WWII was the single most terrible time in our country’s history. It was costly both in human cost and money with 418,888 American dead at a monetary cost of about $304 Billion. The Korean Conflict was the first of Cold War period conflicts which, along with the Vietnam War caused an ever widening separation of two camps, the liberal - anti war group and the conservative - “There is no Substitute for Victory” group.

President Eisenhower warned in his farewell address against a Military/Industrial Complex which would lead to out of control spending and economic ruin of the United States. His words were prophetic.

The balance of the 20th century saw battles back and forth between the Reagan conservatives and the Clinton liberals. Nixon and Carter will be ignored as morally irrelevant. Carter’s Camp David Accords and Nixon’s opening of China were both of great merit. But, otherwise neither man had lasting impact on American life.

The Clinton years saw strong efforts to implement big government programs, such as National Healthcare. But, all in all the century ended with little change in the balance of power between the States and the Federal Government.

Next, the 21st Century.