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RegardingIdeas Concerning a Post Collapse World:

If one understands the Declaration of Independence and the Republican form of government, reforming the Union of States (and their people) is a viable goal. Cooperation in the defense of private property rights from predation is one justification for the necessary evil of government.

However, I would not suggest using the Constitution as a model, since it was flawed from inception. It would require extensive modification to accurately define the relationship of the sovereign people with the servant government and its servants, the citizenry, with regard to rights and liberties (natural and personal). It would also need to explicitly bar enforcing contracts for usury, prohibit limited liability, and cease limiting lawful money to species coin. Furthermore, it would have to clearly delineate the difference between the right to absolutely own private property versus qualified ownership of estate (a privilege, subject to taxation and regulation).

Sadly, after 80 years of socialist indoctrination, it is highly unlikely that Americans would be able to resist the destructive forces of collectivism and usury (the abomination). Any attempt at reforming government would be crippled by embracing even just one flaw of the previous system. For once the rights of the individual are at the mercy of a group or a majority, no one’s rights are secure. So, why must the Constitution be extensively amended?

The current Constitution has too many flaws that open the door to predators and parasites.

What changes would be effective?

1. Clarify the relationship of the sovereign people to the servant government, and to its subject citizenry. The American people, created equal before the law (none can be of a higher status), are sovereign until they consent otherwise. The servant governments, instituted to secure rights, have no delegated power to tax, impair, or infringe rights, except by consent or in pursuit of justice on behalf of an injured party, whose person or property was damaged. Those who consent to be governed, drop in status and become obligated to perform to the terms of their agreement. Thus, the sovereign people are served, not ruled, by the servant government, which is created to help secure their rights. Whereas, the subject citizens are obligated to comply with the terms of their agreement and perform mandatory civic duties.

   Consider the surrender of the right to life and liberty inherent in mandatory militia duty (and Selective Service).

   The Supreme Court has held, in Butler v. Perry, 240 U.S. 328 (1916), that the Thirteenth Amendment does not prohibit “enforcement of those duties which individuals owe to the state, such as services in the army, militia, on the jury, etc.”

   In Selective Draft Law Cases, 245 U.S. 366 (1918), the Supreme Court ruled that the military draft was not “involuntary servitude”.

   If compulsory military service is NOT INVOLUNTARY, then it must be voluntary servitude. So are all civic duties derived from VOLUNTARY surrender of rights via asserting citizenship. Citizens are voluntary subjects of government, bound to obedience.

   In America, no one can be “born a citizen,” without being born a slave.

2. Clarify all parties’ rights and liberties– natural, personal, civil, and political. The natural and personal liberties of the non-consenting American include absolute power (sovereignty) over private property and the right of locomotion upon the public roads and waterways. Those who consent in order to exercise civil and political liberties may be required to waive rights and liberties, in exchange. That should be clearly noted.
3. Bar enforcing contracts for usury– charging a fee, in money, for the use of money. Usury is an abomination, proscribed for over 3500 years, denounced by all religions (that I checked), and is mathematically unsustainable in a finite money token system. This is due to the exponential equation used to calculate compound interest. Since the money supply is not infinite, the aggregate usury imposes an impossible obligation, and thus a portion of debtors shall default simply because enough money can never exist to pay all outstanding usury. This establishes the fact that usury is nothing more than a scam to steal other people’s wealth and property, by playing upon the ignorance of the victim.

   This is not news. In 1836 John Whipple, an American lawyer, showed the impossibility of sustaining long term metallic usury in this fashion:

   ” If 5 English pennies… had been invested … at 5 per cent compound interest from the beginning of the Christian era until the present time, it would amount in gold of standard fineness to 32,366,648,157 spheres of gold each eight thousand miles in diameter, or as large as the earth.”

   This illustrates the inherent problems of a metallic based money system plagued by usury. Such a system cannot operate without causing economic booms and busts, as the usurers cyclically destroy the economy, collect their debtors’ collateral, and repeat the process.

4. Prohibit limited liability in all forms– artificial persons, licensed professions, and so on. Limiting liability by a grant from government is a most heinous violation of the rights of the people. This grant to groups of people who establish an artificial person allows them to profit while escaping the consequences for any harm done in the pursuit of profit. In addition, these artificial persons are tools for protecting usurers from the consequences of their damaging actions. The rationale for the mountains of regulations (to deal with irresponsible “persons”) would be eliminated, as well.
5. End the limitation of species coin as lawful money in tender in payment of debt. The stranglehold of species coin was a boon to the usurers of the 18th century, since America had no domestic sources of bullion sufficient for her coinage. This meant that the new country was beholden to the European bankers for bullion necessary for her coinage. (Dahlonega, Georgia, was the site of the first major gold rush in the United States in 1828.) Such a system insured scarcity and thus demand for credit– the “product” of usurers. No servant government should impose such a foolish limitation on the prosperity of the people it serves. Whatever is used as a medium of exchange, that passes value to a future trade, must be able to adjust to the changing marketplace of all goods and services. Also, only producers of goods and services should have the power to create the medium (or money token) used for trade, not parasites like government or usurers (bankers).

   One of the most insidious problems is money madness. Money madness is the indoctrinated belief system that a subset of a set (precious metal coins) can act as a representation of value for a whole set.

   As anyone with mathematical skills beyond 4th grade knows, you cannot equate a subset to a set.

   Let me demonstrate further.

   Imagine all goods and services divided into ten equal blocks: A, B, C, D, E, F, G, H, I, and J.

   G (gold) is enacted as a medium of exchange equivalent in value to the remaining 9 blocks.

   1/9 G trades for A, 1/9 G trades for B, and so on.

   The problem arises when one wishes to trade 1/9 G for all G.

   That Does Not Compute, and neither does any money token based system where a subset of a set is deemed to be money.

   Remember, the function of money is to facilitate trade, by passing value to a future trade. When all trades are over, and the money remains, what “value” can it hold for a future trade?

   What if one has a mountain of money and nothing to buy in the marketplace? (Gilligan’s Island scenario)

   Beyond barter, the function of any medium of exchange or money token is to pass value to a future trade, for equitable trade to occur. However, to believe that the token itself must have value or exist after the trade is a recipe for disaster. Making a subset of a set into one’s money is guaranteed to fail. No subset can maintain proportionality with a dynamically changing marketplace. In the end, the money drought collapses the economic system, and often the nation, as well.

6. Explicitly define what private property is and why it is constitutionally protected, whereas estate is subject to taxation and regulation. Private property is defined as land, houses, chattels, as so forth that are absolutely owned by an individual. Absolute ownership of private property is an endowed right, since only upon one’s private property can one “pursue happiness.” Everywhere else, one requires permission of the landlord. Any property not absolutely owned by an individual is estate, held with qualified ownership, and thus a privilege subject to taxation and regulation. Governments instituted to secure rights, therefore, must help secure private property rights.
7. Disenfranchise any recipient of public funds. Recipients of public funds will be unlikely to vote against their own interests and invariably will support candidates who promise to give them more. This is one of the fatal flaws of the democratic form– an electorate that votes itself benefits from the public treasury. However, subsidizing a recipient class at the expense of the donor class will inevitably destroy the nation.

Implementing these changes would eliminate many problems that corrupt the current government and plague Americans. Of course, the most important thing to remember is that only America has a republican form of government. That must be preserved at all costs.

In a post-collapse America, the American people would be far better off if they would avoid subjugation, usury, and socialism. Restoring their status as free inhabitants under the republican form of government would result in returning their lost sovereignty, freedom, independence, and full power to exercise natural and personal liberty over their private property, absolutely owned, and constitutionally protected.

References In Support

REPUBLICAN FORM– that form of government wherein the people directly exercise sovereignty, and are served– not ruled– by government (and its subject citizens). The sovereign people retain possession of all their inalienable rights, powers, and liberties, and no democratic majority can vote them away. The servant government only exercises power by special delegation. Though not the most perfect form, it is the best form, securing the maximum liberty and freedom to its sovereign people.

“We hold these truths to be self-evident, that all men are created equal, that they are endowed by their Creator with certain unalienable Rights, that among these are Life, Liberty and the pursuit of Happiness. –That to secure these rights, Governments are instituted among Men, deriving their just powers from the consent of the governed…” – Declaration of Independence, 1776.

NATURAL LIBERTY– The power of acting as one thinks fit, without any restraint or control, unless by the law of nature. The right which nature gives to all mankind of disposing of their persons and property after the manner in which they judge most consistent with their happiness, on condition of their acting within the limits of the law of nature, and so as not to interfere in the equal exercise of the same rights by other men. 1 Blackstone’s Commentaries, 123, – Black’s Law Dictionary, Sixth edition, p. 919.

“Natural Liberty is the right which nature gives to all mankind, of disposing of their persons and property after the manner they judge most consonant to their happiness, on condition of their acting within the limits of the law of nature, and that they do not in any way abuse it to the prejudice of other men.” – Bouvier’s Law Dictionary

PERSONAL LIBERTY– The right or power of locomotion; of changing situation, or moving one’s person to whatsoever place one’s own inclination may direct, without imprisonment or restraint, unless by due course of law. 1 Bl. Comm. 125. Black’s Law Dictionary, Sixth Ed., p. 919.

“Personal liberty, or the Right to enjoyment of life and liberty, is one of the fundamental or natural Rights, which has been protected by its inclusion as a guarantee in the various constitutions, which is not derived from, or dependent on, the U.S. Constitution, which may not be submitted to a vote and may not depend on the outcome of an election. It is one of the most sacred and valuable Rights, as sacred as the Right to private property…and is regarded as inalienable.” 16 C.J.S., Constitutional Law, Sect.202, p.987.

“Personal liberty largely consists of the Right of locomotion to go where and when one pleases only so far restrained as the Rights of others may make it necessary for the welfare of all other citizens. The Right of the Citizen to travel upon the public highways and to transport his property thereon, by horsedrawn carriage, wagon, or automobile, is not a mere privilege which may be permitted or prohibited at will, but the common Right which he has under his Right to life, liberty, and the pursuit of happiness. Under this Constitutional guarantee one may, therefore, under normal conditions, travel at his inclination along the public highways or in public places, and while conducting himself in an orderly and decent manner, neither interfering with nor disturbing another’s Rights, he will be protected, not only in his person, but in his safe conduct.” II Am.Jur. (1st) Constitutional Law, Sect.329, p.1135.

TRAVEL– Within the meaning of a constitutional right to travel, means migration with intent to settle and abide. Black’s Law Dictionary, Sixth Ed., p.1500

Dear Hugh,

Three cheers for the article “Ideas Concerning a Post Collapse World”! “M.S.” is obviously a very bright and literate person, and while the blog offering is short, it is packed with a lot to think about. I believe the author is likely “spot on” with most of its outlook for the future with one question mark for me as to whether a foreign army (or two) would invade the CONUS or not. I see that as more likely than the author does, but only time will tell. I would though like to take the opportunity to address an item briefly mentioned in the offering that I believe has become somewhat of an “Urban Legend” amongst some survivalist types. That is the notion that absent modern medical care we are all just one paper cut away from infection, gangrene, and dying a horrible death.

For the past ten years we have lived and operated a “small scale farmstead” as the author speaks of. Our farmstead is 20 acres and has gardens, orchards, and myriad livestock. That lifestyle is hard work, and we are constantly building, fixing, mending, and dealing with what we call “barnyard drama”. Cuts, scrapes, scratches, wounds, and bruises are a regular occurrence in farmstead life. The number of times I have bled in the last ten years on the farm are not countable, and I have never once become infected much less needed antibiotics for a wound including two dog bites. Frequently, I don’t even wash or bandage smaller cuts and scrapes. (I do encourage puncture wounds to bleed though!) Do we have antibiotics on hand for more serious problems in a post collapse world? Sure. Will we be more diligent with wound management in a post collapse world? Sure. Yet for most wounds, Povidone Iodine, Vetracyn, triple antibiotic ointment, and sterile dressings are going to be all you need to treat them. As I said, I have seen this notion come up in numerous survival offerings where we are all one infected scrape away from death, which to me is a bit over the top fatalism. Regards – B.J.