Dedication to Service

 

 

This Post Came from SFMedic's Blog This Morning

 

While we're enjoying our hot cup of coffee this morning . . . here's some perspective on dedication to service.  This one hit me right between the eyes.

________________________________________________________

 

 

Arlington Cemetery October 29th 2012

This photo was taken this morning at the tomb of the unknown soldier.

In 2003 as Hurricane Isabelle was approaching Washington , DC, our
US Senate/House took 2 days off with anticipation of the storm. On the ABC
evening news, it was reported that because of the dangers from the
hurricane, the military members assigned the duty of guarding the Tomb of the Unknown Soldier were given permission to suspend the assignment. They respectfully declined the offer, "No way, Sir!" Soaked to the skin, marching in the pelting rain of a tropical storm, they said that guarding the Tomb was not just an assignment, it was the highest honor that can be afforded to a service person. The tomb has been patrolled continuously, 24/7.
"The 3rd Infantry Regiment posted these pictures to their Facebook page showing the guards hard at work on Monday. Along with the pictures, they posted this message: 'The Sentinels at the Tomb of the Unknown Soldier maintain their vigil even as Hurricane Sandy bears down on the Eastern Seaboard. The Old Guard has guarded the tomb every minute of every day since April 6, 1948. Today will be no exception.' "



Milk Confiscation? Part Two . . .



If there is one thing that needs to be taught a bit better in the education system . . .

It's called  J U R Y  -  N U L L I F I C A T I O N .  That's right people, you have the power as a juror to acquit citizens brought to trial by unconstitutional laws.  Simple as that.  Your one vote as a juror has power.  It's a heck of a responsibility.

Raw Milk Co-Op Farmer Acquitted Through Jury Nullification

By JG Vibes
theintelhub.com
September 29, 2012

Last week a Minnesota man charged with violating the state’s restrictions on raw milk sales was acquitted in what he and his supporters called a victory for consumer freedom.
Alvin Schlangen is a peaceful farmer who connects people with the food sources that meet their high standards for health by providing private access under lawful ownership of farm animals.
The member owners pay the Amish farm family for labor to milk the leased 100% grass-fed cows, manage the pasture, store the feed, etc.

This co op is a sustainable farming effort where the value of food supports the cost incurred, without government subsidies or harm to the environment. The balance of food options are purchased by the club, for the members.

The group has multiple farm sources providing real food to member families- very efficiently, with lots of volunteer effort.

Over the past two years, the Minnesota Department of Agriculture has illegally raided Alvin’s van, warehouse, and farm resulting in the multiple charges that were decided upon in court last week.

Technically, Alvin was guilty of breaking the laws in question, even though the laws are totally ridiculous and unjust. Luckily this jury was informed about the process of jury nullification, and their legal right to rule in favor of the accused for breaking unjust laws.

According to Iloilo Jones, director of the Fully Informed Jury Association “Minnesota has long had highly visible FIJA Activists volunteering their time and efforts to educate every potential juror in Minnesota about the right of the people to veto bad laws through the use of the Juror Veto, or, as it is commonly called, Jury Nullification.

As laws become more and more invasive, punitive, and draconian, prison populations become more and more peopled by harmless, productive people, who have harmed no other person.

Jurors can stop the enforcement of bad laws. Jurors have stopped bad laws since freedom of religion was defended by jurors, and by later jurors who refused to enforce slavery.

We, the owners of all government, retain the peaceful, lawful right to refuse to enforce bad laws made by some judge or politician. Courageous jurors have always stood firm—for the human rights of their families and neighbors—by refusing to sanction bad laws.

The right of the People to drink the milk of their choice, and to feed their children healthy foods, is a human right.”

This news comes just weeks after a jury in New Hampshire dropped felony marijuana cultivation charges against a Rastafarian man because they believed that punishing him for the offense would be unjust.

Hopefully what we are seeing is a trend, and as more people become informed about jury nullification there will be less nonviolent people put in cages for breaking unjust laws.

______________________________

 

 

On a side note, the article mentioned that little thing called "human right".  It's not defined enough what exactly human rights are . . .

 

We like to call them what the American Founding Fathers called them: Unalienable Rights.  Meaning . . . you as a human are born with these rights and no one can legislate them away from you so as long as you are not interfering with another's Unalienable Rights.  Easily defined as the right to Life, Liberty and Property.  (Sarcasm On: Apparently, drinking milk processed however you like, doesn't seem to fall into that category. Sarcasm Off)

 

Jury Nullification was an important check and balance placed on the government by the founders of our government, so that even if the Executive, Judiciary or Legislative branches of government failed to properly check and balance each other, individuals brought to trail by unjust laws, could still be acquitted by their fellow citizens.

 

Just something to think about . . .

 

Thanks for reading,

 

- The GLSC Team

Long-Term Survival Food for the Family

 

As this blog is a side effort for free information provided by Great Lake Survival Company, we set out to find good information for in terms of “Survival” for families and individuals.  We try not to write about anything we have not done before and or are in the process of testing.  That being said, we’ve been turned on to a great way to inexpensively start building a family larder to feed those little mouths during hard times.

It’s no question that the economy is in trouble.  If you check the math based on our current spending, national deficit, interest due on that deficit vs. our GDP, devaluing dollar, etc. etc. etc., . . . it doesn’t look good.  Let’s say this first . . . fear mongering has no place in the logical thought process, so let’s “86” that atmosphere right now.  On the other hand, let’s not, (as smart individuals), bury our heads in the sand.

Simply put, if the economy has a “hick up”, crashes, or there is anything that causes the trucking industry to stop “rolling”, are you confident that your local supermarket will have enough food to feed your area for 3 weeks to a year?  The answer should be a resounding, “NO!”  Because simply put most Super Everything Marts only have 3 days of food on their shelves during normal shopping activity.  There’s less than that if you figure a food buying frenzy.  In reality, if everyone was trying to buy food at the same time, you’d probably never make it in the door.

So without hammering the point any further, wouldn’t it be great if we had a year or more worth of baseline food stocked up, that had a 20 year life in correct storing conditions, all while running under $400 out the door?  “WELL YES THAT WOULD BE AWESOME, TELL ME MORE!”  It sure would be a great little insurance policy and give us a little peace of mind.

Scotch Broth –  There’s recipes for this all over the net, but here is the one we are familiar with:

The recipe will feed 3 to 4 adults for up to a year.  If there are only two adults, it will feed them up to 2 years.  If you have 2 adults and 2 children it will probably feed you up to a year and a half.  You get the point I’m sure.

What you will need:

1.       All in dried form: 88 lbs of rice; 22 lbs red kidney beans, 22 lbs barley, 22 lbs lentils, 6 lbs split peas, 6 lbs chick peas, 54 oz of powdered chicken or beef stock.  All of this can be obtained at your local super deluxe market or cost savings mart.

2.       6 Food grade 5 gallon buckets with appropriate lids, and lid opener: http://www.bayteccontainers.com/

3.       6 Mylar bags to fit appropriately into each 5 gallon bucket: http://www.bayteccontainers.com/

4.       50 count, 300CC oxygen absorbers, 7 per bucket: http://www.bayteccontainers.com/

Our total for all of this was around $375 including shipping.

_____________________________________

PREPARING, STORING AND MAKING THE SOUP:  Taken from http://christianviewpoint.yuku.com/reply/8636/Scotch-Broth-Recipe-and-others#reply-8636

"Method:
Put the rice in a mixing container. Then add each of the other ingredients 5kg at a time, mixing as you go. (Use surgical gloves or you'll have no nails left, LOL!).
When you have all the other ingredients mixed in with the first two bags of rice, add the last two bags of rice and *REALLY* mix well or you'll get all rice on the bottom of your mixture."

"MAKING SOUP.
Take 16oz of the dry mixture and put in about 6-7 quarts of water (with a nut of butter or a tsp. of olive oil to prevent soup boiling over) and add 3 tablespoons (or to taste) of powdered soup stock. We like to use chicken stock.
Then add any veggies, meat, & seasoning you like (if available). (We like to also put in lots of garlic) (DO NOT USE ONIONS - they'll spoil the mixture).
Bring to a boil and let simmer for two hours and you have enough soup for two days for 4 people.

On the second day you'll need to add some more water (it thickens in the fridge overnight) and another tablespoon of stock. Make sure to boil for at least 10 minutes the second day to kill off any potential bacteria, - especially if you are not storing in fridge, but just in a root cellar or like that in the event of no electricity in summer.

We make our own bread and have a thick slice fer dunkin' with a large bowl of this delicious soup and it serves as a main meal. You are FULL after just one (large size) bowl of this stuff.

Kids will usually only be able to eat half a bowl w/bread, or a small bowl, whichever you prefer. Adults will likely want a nice big bowl.

If there is any mixture left on the third day, just add the new mixture to it. You will need less of course, but you'll get to know how to gauge things as you go along catering to the requirements of your own little family."
"ONIONS>>>Re: onions... They ferment too quickly, and cut down the amount of time you can safely store already cooked soup.

Assuming there are no refrigerators etc., it's best to err on the side of caution and not use them in the soup. If you want to waste fuel and make your soup daily, then onions aren't a problem.

We LOVE onions in our house, and cook them by wrapping them in tinfoil, and putting them in the ever-burning wood stove for an hour. We put in some potatoes too usually, and have a meal of tatties & onions. They taste wonderful prepared in this way, particularly if you add a little butter or olive oil and some herbs when you take them out of the fire. This and some greens is all you need to exist except for vitamin B12.”

 ___________________________

The whole point of this blog was to increase the scope of the term Survival and what it means in to individuals and families.  We think that having a base line food store that has an incredible shelf life, for very little money, respectively, is a high priority.  Yes you will need to store other foods such as fruits, other veggies, meats to add to the scotch broth, etc.  But it’s a lot easier psychologically to build up stores when you already have a base line taken care of.

Hopefully the bottom never drops out of the economy, nothing ever shuts down food supply trucks, and everyone always gets along . . . although I wouldn’t hold my breath on that.  But even if everything is puppy dog tails, sugar and spice for the rest of your life, you’ll have something put away for a rainy day, and it will be one more thing that you’ve done as a leader for your family and friends, who may depend on you more than ever someday.

Thanks for reading,

-          GLSC

 

The .22 Survival Pistol

 

Everybody has one of these tucked in a waterproof container inside their ruck sack right?

For what it weighs, the match grade .22 pistol can mean a great deal to the stranded survivor who is either trying to be found, or escape and evade.  From taking wild game to quietly defending one’s life, for the return on investment you cannot beat a match grade .22 pistol.

Major benefits of the .22 Survival Pistol

 

1. 150 rounds of .22LR ammo weighs very little
2. Generally quiet report when rounds are fired compared to larger caliber handguns
3. Pretty decent accuracy with match grade sights / trigger out to 60 yards
4. Ability to take up to deer size game with proper shot placement
5. Highly concealable and easy to keep waterproof for long term storage in a ruck

It’s generally accepted that being able to shoot golf balls at 25 meters is a pretty good standard for accuracy.  If you can hit a golf ball with your .22 pistol 9 out of 10 times at that range, you’re doing well.

Match grade iron sights work well, but optics give one a better chance to hit what they’re aiming at.  A note though, . . . if you do have optics on your survival pistol, make sure you have quick release levers in case your scope gets “boogered” and goes “tits up”.

Browning, Smith & Wesson and Ruger make the most recognized match grade .22 pistols.  They are all easy to customize with optics, lights, ammo and grips.

As far as ammo goes, your “survival pistol” can eat all sorts of specialized .22 LR rounds.

We recommend you try different types of .22 rounds as long as they are specifically made for your firearm, and see how they perform for you.

One last note, a day at the range with the .22 pistol can be fun for you, your spouse and your young adult.  Ammo costs next to nothing, and learning to shoot builds confidence in one’s person.

Thanks for reading,

The Great Lake Survival Team

Another Check and Balance Gone

House Passes Bill Eliminating Senate Approval of Presidential Appointments         

Written by Joe Wolverton, II

By a vote of 261-116, the House of Representatives passed a bill rewriting Article II of the Constitution and divesting the Senate of the power to accept or reject the appointment of many presidential nominees.

Last year, the Senate passed the measure by a vote of 79-20, so it now goes to the desk of President Obama for his signature.

"Important positions will be filled faster, government agencies will be more capable of offering valuable services to their constituents, and the overall confirmation process will be more efficient,” said Senator Joseph Lieberman (I-Conn.), chairman of the Senate Homeland Security and Governmental Affairs Committee.

Dozens of key management positions in the Departments of Agriculture, Defense, Commerce, and Homeland Security (including the treasurer of the United States, the deputy administrator of the Federal Aviation Administration, the director of the Office for Domestic Preparedness, and the assistant administrator of FEMA) will now be filled by presidential edict, without the need of the “advice and consent” of the Senate, a phrase specifically removed from the process in the text of the bill.

Although the House vote occurred on Tuesday, the Senate voted to surrender its constitutional check on the executive over a year ago on June 29, 2011.

Despite a last-minute attempt by some House leaders to put the measure to a voice vote, thus allowing members to vote in favor of the legislation without being listed on the record, a roll call vote was taken, and the name of every congressman who voted to unconstitutionally neuter the legislative branch is listed.

The process began last March when Senator Chuck Schumer (D-N.Y.) and 15 cosponsors, including Republicans Lamar Alexander (Tenn.); Scott Brown (Mass.); and Mitch McConnell (Ky.), introduced S. 679, the “Presidential Appointment Efficiency and Streamlining Act.” The measure struck from many current laws the “advice and consent” requirement for many executive branch appointments, giving the president unchecked power to fill key administration positions.

In a memo sent to Capitol Hill in advance of Tuesday’s vote in the House, Thomas McClusky of the Family Research Council reminded lawmakers, “The United States Constitution does not bestow kingly powers on the President to appoint the senior officers of the government with no process.”

Although McClusky’s reading of the Constitution is accurate, as of Tuesday it is no longer the law of the land. According to proponents of the measure, the bill benefitted from such strong bipartisan support (95 Republicans joined 166 Democrats voting in favor of passage) because its sole purpose is to relieve the backlog of unconfirmed appointees by eliminating the confirmation requirement for about 200 offices.

The process by which heads of executive branch departments are appointed and confirmed is set forth by Article II, Section 2 of the U.S. Constitution. The “Appointments Clause” provides that the president:

shall nominate, and by and with the Advice and Consent of the Senate, shall appoint Ambassadors, other public Ministers and Consuls, Judges of the supreme Court, and all other Officers of the United States, whose Appointments are not herein otherwise provided for, and which shall be established by Law: but the Congress may by Law vest the Appointment of such inferior Officers, as they think proper, in the President alone, in the Courts of Law, or in the Heads of Departments.

Now, as soon as President Obama adds his signature to the bill, the checks and balances established by our Founding Fathers as a protection against tyranny will be eliminated, as well as the concept of enumerated powers.

This history of the delicate system created by our Founders was synopsized in an article published by the Heritage Foundation:

When the delegates of the states gathered in Philadelphia in the summer of 1787 and wrote the Constitution, they distributed the powers of the federal government among two Houses of Congress, a President, and a judiciary, and required in many cases that two of them work together to exercise a particular constitutional power. That separation of powers protects the liberties of the American people by preventing any one officer of the government from aggregating too much power.

The Framers of the Constitution did not give the President the kingly power to appoint the senior officers of the government by himself. Instead, they allowed the President to name an individual for a senior office, but then required the President to obtain the Senate’s consent before appointing the individual to office. Thus, they required the cooperation of the President and the Senate to put someone in high office.

Many of the Framers had practical experience with government and recognized that not every office would be of sufficient authority and consequence as to merit the attention of both the President and the Senate to an appointment to the office. Therefore, they provided a means by which the Congress by law could decide which of the lesser offices of government could be filled by the President alone, a court, or a department head.

The Presidential Appointment Efficiency and Streamlining Act removes these barriers between the branches and shifts the powers of appointment in such a way that the very foundation of our Republic is weakened under the crushing weight of a powerful executive branch.
In light of this impending imbalance, it must be inquired as to what could compel Congress to legislate away its own power? Why would so many representatives in the Senate and the House willingly abolish their role as bulwark against executive despotism?
Arguably, the answer is a desire to reduce its workload and improve the efficiency of government.
To the minds of many, however, the trade of rightful power for a more streamlined appointment process is a ripoff. As the Heritage Foundation says:

The Congress should not reduce the number of Senate-confirmed appointments as a means of dealing with its cumbersome and inefficient internal process for considering nominations. Doing so gives away Senate influence over a number of significant appointments, does nothing to improve the Senate process, and still leaves nominees whose offices require nominations mired in the Senate process. The proper solution to the problem of a slow Senate is to speed up the Senate rather than to diminish the role of the Senate. The Senate should look inward and streamline its internal procedures for considering all nominations. The proper solution also is the faster one, as the Senate can accomplish the solution by acting on its own in the exercise of its power to make Senate rules, while S. 679 requires approval by both Houses of Congress.

Assuming for the sake of argument that there is a bottleneck in the nomination and confirmation pipeline, one solution is for the executive and legislative branches to work within the framework of the Constitution’s separation of powers to remove the blockage.
Alternatively, however, the Congress could eliminate the problem altogether by reducing the size of the bureaucracy by absolutely refusing to sign off on the creation or continuation of any department, program, or agency that isn’t specifically authorized by the powers granted by the states to the federal government in the Constitution. Such a commitment to be bound by the Constitution would significantly reduce the number of executive branch offices for which appointments would be necessary, thereby dissolving the confirmation clog.

Survival Training - Where to Start?



This is a “take-off” on the earlier post in June, “getting out there”.

In our case, we have our Level 1, 2 and 3 kits, ready to go.  The kits are configured the way we’d best use them, we’ve balanced load properly, we carry our Level 1 gear everywhere we go, and our Level 2 and 3 gear usually isn’t too far away . . . Now what?

Instruction:

Proper instruction is definitely a pre-requisite to getting out and training.  Printed instruction is good, and a live instructor who demonstrates, trains you, and then grades you, is better.

Basic survival instruction should cover the following:  Body Temperature Regulation (Shelter and Fire), Hydration (Water Purification), First Aid, Sanitation and Food collection / preparation.

A good printed source for that kind of information:

Free: FM 21-76 US Military Survival Manual: http://www.equipped.org/fm21-76.htm

$15 shipped:  The USRSOG Manual:  http://www.usrsog.org/manu.htm (probably the best information for the money around today).

Again, instruction given in person with demonstration is probably the best return on investment.  If you know a former military instructor who knows his or her way around the survival world, who’s willing to help you learn, that’s always a plus.

Another thing to do is search out companies in your local area that offer survival training.  For example, in Michigan, Great Lake Survival teams up with Ravenswood Enterprises to offer disaster preparedness, wilderness survival and team building training.

If you’re not in the Michigan area, there are several survival training companies that we recommend across the country.  Drop us a line and we might be able to point you in the right direction depending on where you live.

Training:

Assuming we’ve had proper instruction, we now have our Level 1, 2 and 3 kits squared away.  We’re ready to go do some Training.  The backyard is a good place to start.  Here’s how we would recommend getting one’s “feet wet” with survival training.

1.       Basic Survival Training:  Stay a night out in your local camp ground or back yard with your level 1 and 2 kit.  (obviously if you have a medical condition, this trumps whatever training you are attempting, use common sense).  Construct a shelter with your knife and paracord.  Make survival fire.  Make an insulated place to sleep in your shelter.  If available try and catch some fish with the line, hooks and insects for bait.  Filter and purify some water with in your utility pot.  If the going gets too tough, go inside and figure out what went wrong or what you could do better.  The next time, do it on a rainy day and night in the same area.  Each time you have a successful experience, record it, what went well, what you could do better.  Each time you do a new training day, make the conditions just a little more difficult.  Basic Survival Training should be just over night.  Surviving outside for a night is a skill that just about anybody with the right tools, instruction and attitude can obtain.

2.       Intermediate Survival Training:  This is where we like to turn survival training into a “weekend thing”.  One night here or there is great, but now we’re ready for a couple days in the bush.  Still it would be good to go close to home in the woods not too far away in case something goes wrong.  We have our Level’s 1, 2 and 3.  We’ve set up shelter, made a fire, have purified water (hot or tepid depending on the weather).  Maybe (if it’s legal with the proper hunting permits), want to set up a few animal snares and do some hunting with our “survival pistol”.  Maybe some wild game over the camp fire that night would be tasty.  Each time we go out we test out selves a little more, making sure not to get in over our heads.

3.       Advanced Survival Training:   The only thing different in advanced training is that we’re extending our stay in the wild, and the weather might be a bit more extreme or the location a bit more remote.  There is inherent risk in this type of training.  The individual bears the sole responsibility for his or her outcome.  If your skills aren’t up to snuff or you haven’t been properly trained, it could cost a life.

Having been trained properly, we think the inherent risk in survival training is worth the return on investment to us.  Each time we “push” ourselves to be a little better or a little less comfortable in our training, we develop the attribute of being tough.

People will ultimately have to make the decision inside their mind, whether critiquing a few episodes of “Man vs. Wild” has the same merit as getting out on a regular basis to train and re-train survival skills.  We try not to fool ourselves into thinking that it does.

There is a sense of satisfaction in retraining old skills and testing new skills, knowing that our loved ones can count on us to give them a fighting chance in bad situations. 

As always, Thanks for reading,

-          The Great Lake Survival Team     

Republicans and Democrats

http://www.newswithviews.com/baldwin/baldwin709.htm

Chuck Baldwin has written another great article.  Who's to blame for current infringements on American Liberty?  Republicans or Democrats?  You decide.

A LOOK AT HOW DEMOCRATS AND REPUBLICANS DIFFER

By Chuck Baldwin
July 12, 2012NewsWithViews.com

It is an absolute fact that no matter which of the two major parties in Washington, D.C., is in power, the freedoms and liberties of the American people continue to be eroded. However, this does NOT mean that there are not basic differences between the two parties. The two parties differ greatly on HOW government will take our liberties. Where they are similar is in the fact that neither of them has any interest in preserving liberty. Until the American people awaken to this reality, whatever freedoms we have left in this country are doomed.

Let me ask you a question: does it really matter whether a free man is enslaved by a socialist state or a fascist state? Are the prisons any more accommodating? Are the lashes from the whip any less painful? Is the agony of losing a loved one any less grievous? Is the persecution any less revolting? What difference does it make to a free man if his liberties are stolen by an Adolf Hitler or by a Joseph Stalin?

Do you want a quick reference to the difference between how the Democrats and Republicans in Washington, D.C., are stealing our liberties? When the Democrats control things, America gets more socialism; when the Republicans control things, America gets more corporatism, which is a polite word for fascism. Socialism requires government to own everything, while fascism requires government to control everything. And remember, too, fascists and socialists have always hated each other. Big deal! Fascists and socialists alike hate freedomists, which is why inside-the-beltway Repubs and Dems can’t stand people like Ron Paul, Bob Barr, and yours truly. (Remember the MIAC report identifying the three of us, and our supporters, as being potential “dangerous militia” members?) So who cares which of these two parties happens to be in power? Our freedoms continue to be under siege. That’s why the battle in Washington politics has nothing to do with preserving freedom, but everything to do with HOW government will take freedom. Will they take it by ownership or by control? And, unfortunately, what we have right now is the worst of both worlds: government is using a combination of both ownership and control to steal our liberties. Why? Because except for a very precious few elected civil magistrates (like Congressman Ron Paul), there is no one on Capitol Hill or the White House who remotely understands--or fights for--the principles of liberty.

Even worse is that when the Donkeys and the Elephants do agree, it almost always is in an effort to point the bayonets at the American citizenry. What does it matter whether government owns it or controls it? What does it matter whether it more resembles socialism of corporatism? What it doesn’t look anything like, is FREEDOM!

Take the Democrat/Republican debate over Obamacare. Even if Mitt Romney and the GOP prevail in the November elections, Obamacare will be replaced with Romneycare. And Romneycare will be 85% Obamacare, with a slight shift toward government control and a slight shift away from government ownership. Again, I say, BIG DEAL! What neither party is talking about is that the federal government has no business being in health care. Period! Just like the federal government has no business being in over 90% of everything it is involved in today. But who do you hear saying that in Washington, D.C., except Ron Paul?

Take the issue of the burgeoning surveillance society. What does it matter which major party is in power in Washington, D.C.? The TSA gets more and more obnoxiously tyrannical; abuses of civil liberties under the guise of fighting a “war on drugs” continues unabated; abuses of the Bill of Rights under the guise of fighting a “war on terror” continues unabated; the federal police state continues to grow exponentially; unconstitutional foreign entanglements continue to proliferate; ad infinitum, ad nauseam.

In a book that I have recommended numerous times, “Hitler’s Cross,” Erwin Lutzer writes on page 72, “Through surveillance, wiretaps, spying, and rewarding those who betrayed their friends, Hitler tried to control the citizens of Germany.” On page 73, Lutzer continues the thought saying, “But Hitler did not have the technology to bring every subject of his realm into line.” So, given the technology that is available today, what would Hitler do differently if he were running things in Washington, D.C.? I ask readers to think seriously about that question. What would Hitler do differently?

Today, the federal government monitors virtually every piece of electronic communication. The federal government monitors virtually every major banking transaction. It has spies infiltrated in even harmless organizations all over the country. It threatens people with the loss of their jobs or freedom (or both) to betray their friends. It spies on us with satellites; it spies on us with drones. On July 6, 2012, President Obama signed an Executive Order authorizing the federal government to take control of America’s entire communications industry. In 2006, under President George W. Bush, the US military began planning armed confrontation against the American citizenry. (I have the document in my possession.) And, of course, we must not overlook the Patriot Act which has been authorized and reauthorized under both Republicans and Democrats; the Military Commission Act which was signed by G.W. Bush; NDAA 2012 and 2013 which was signed by President Barack Obama, and which was passed by both Republicans and Democrats. And let’s not forget the federal attack against the Branch Davidians under Democrats Bill Clinton and Janet Reno, and the assault against the Randy Weaver household under Republican President George Herbert Walker Bush.

So, again, pick your poison. Both the socialist-leaning Democrats and the corporatist-leaning Republicans in Washington, D.C., meet together in pointing the bayonet against the American citizenry. And you really wonder why nothing significant changes in this country?

And in this regard, the platforms of the two major parties are completely meaningless! I dare say that Barack Obama has never read the Democrat platform and doesn’t care one iota what it says. I also guarantee you that Mitt Romney hasn’t read the Republican platform and doesn’t care one iota what it says either. Can anyone remember when Republican Presidential candidate, Bob Dole, in a rare moment of candor, publicly admitted that he had not read his party’s platform and didn’t care what it said? Party platforms are for the benefit of rank and file party members to make them feel like their ideas count for something to the party leadership. They don’t!

So, do the Democrats and Republicans in Washington, D.C., differ? Yes! They differ on how our freedoms will be taken from us. They differ on the degree of government ownership and control. They differ on the nuances of political tyranny. Where they are twins is in their lust and ambition for power, in their approval of stripping more and more freedoms from the American people, and in their absolute and total disregard for constitutional government.

Without some sort of “Great Awakening” both politically and spiritually, whatever is left of our liberties is doomed--and both major parties in Washington, D.C., are equally culpable.