Very good exposition. I’d like to add that there is an ongoing effort to educate Americans of their perfect right to judge the law and the facts in every trial by jury.

I’m proud to say that I got the Jury Rights plank into the Libertarian Party platform at LP10, Denver, 1981, from the floor in open convention. I was a lot younger, and hot from reading Lysander Spooner’s “Trial By Jury.”

In 1987 Larry Dodge and Don Doig, then of Montana, were reading the 1982 LP platform and decided to take it out of one Party’s province and make it a public issue.

So they founded the Fully Informed Jury Association (FIJA) which is still active.

I hope you choose to mention FIJA to your readers. FIJA also offers some tips on surviving voir dire with one’s principles intact.

Regards,

Jim Lorenz

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Dear Editor(s)

After listening to a local radio morning show discussion involving the indoctrination of public school children by our latest president I was left feeling drained and disillusioned with the state of our nation. For many years I’ve known something was wrong in America. I was raised as many of us were. Watching the glorious feats of the one off free nation that never was before and always would be.

I was positive of the greatness of a nation. As I have grown older, learned, read, thought and seen; There is something wrong with our system. I grew up extremely poor, impoverished even. Many nights we went without food, in these United States. Even so, I had faith in the natural rights granted to Americans. Slowly though, it waned as the youthful imaginings were jolted by the brutal realities of our situation.

Needless to say, it is an illusion. So many times in my life I have been presented the opportunity to “Do the right thing,” And, have. I have been honest johnny, I have been even Stephen. I have worked and paid and fought to be a good person. Literally from the depths of homelessness, I have rebuilt my life. I have worked any honest job a man can work and I have not tasted that forbidden fruit. Yet, I am at best lower-middle class. I manage paycheck to paycheck and work like that simpleton on a treadmill chasing the pot of gold that never comes.

Now, beyond those physical labor and minimum wage pains, I am still in the cogs of a giant machine turning with absolute [intent] to enslave. I am angry and irrational, often blaming politicians and the idiocy of my fellow citizens. Sure, I’ve learned to play within the rules. I’ve managed to color within the lines and “Yes’sa,” “No’sa” through a corporate society. For a kid who grew up in Los Angeles dirt poor and never finished High School, I am through pain and persistence struggling upward.

But, it still lingers, that knowing, that understanding of the absolute obscured nature of my goals. The distaste of the sweet fruit of life in the eyes of the greater picture. When I see a man on television proclaiming he will be different, crested by his brilliant star spangled button, I taste that concoction of poison drenched in sugar. And still, I blame politicians, shadow masters with unlimited power, time, influence and money. I am apathetic in the hopelessness. That is, until I searched Google for the only thing I could think to call this situation: “The American Dictatorship.”

On this search I came across your article: The coming American dictatorship – Article by John Silveira from Issue #66. [Editor's Note: See also The Coming American Dictatorship, Part XI and The Coming American Dictatorship Parts I - XI]

How apt, succinct, honest and sad I found it. The eloquence of the piece was quite frankly refreshing, disheartening and alarming. I know that is a rather odd compliment, but, I assure you it is true. This article struck a nerve of unwavering truth. And so, I have written you to thank you for stating it as such. Also, to let you know, despite my apathy in regards to our system and the extreme disbelief in any real, meaningful change in our country. I will try, honestly try to be “The people” again. I will not let the feeling of utter helplessness against the idiocy of my peers and the massive size of the machine prevent me from getting started. If you can write, I can write and call and sing and kick and scream and no longer be a bystander to the rape of the inherent rights of humans.

I would also like to point out that I have loathed the loud mouthed opinionated political persons and as such, it will be difficult for me to begin on this path, however, it must be done. I thank you.

Sincerely,

Isaac N. Acuna

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Hi,

I found your web site a few years ago searching sausage making information. I saved the article to my favorites. Last weekend I came across it, reread it and looked around your site. I found The path to another Depression By John Silveira .

I was wowed. I have been talking like this for 25+ years.

What is going on is madness. I don’t mean rhetorical madness, I mean real full blown madness.

(Extraordinary Popular Delusions and the Madness of Crowds)

(“Men, it has been well said, think in herds; it will be seen that they go mad in herds, while they only recover their senses slowly, and one by one.” )

I don’t think there is a stopping this train wreck. The people have been mass hypnotized. The end is near.

I believe in Jesus returning soon and even if you don’t, we have much in common.

Keep up the good work.

I wish that I had looked at your site more closely, sooner.

Thank You,

Jon Holzapfel

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Well, in spite of some letters I have seen from time to time complaining about the “political” views expressed in Backwoods Home, it seems that you guys were right on in your series about the coming dictatorship.

In the article it was noted that we had set the economy up as a fascist system – well – now the government control’s the banks, the auto industry and the administration has simply done away with the congress by appointing “czars” who can act without congressional supervision, and by claiming executive privilege can refuse to testify and explain their actions to congress.

However, I’m not sure that makes a difference. Our congress is the best that money can buy (and they have been bought) so we see the spectacle of the house voting for huge spending bills they haven’t read, and allowing the president to fire people in private industry, because of his wisdom and vast experience in business.

I am not sure where our government found the “right” to interfere in our every day lives – it seems that we had perfectly adequate bankruptcy laws.

Self sufficiency seems to be a lot more important now that we have decided equality of outcome is more important than equality  of opportunity.

Bob McPherson
Santa Fe, Texas

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I subscribe to your magazine and look forward to each issue. I especially enjoyed the most recent article on the Coming Dictatorship. I agree with you, and that is why I am deeply concerned about the future of our country.

There is a huge machine (U.S. Government) that is out of control. This machine is consuming everything in its path, but mostly it is consuming and wasting our hard earned tax dollars, and borrowed money (T-Bills, etc.). I fear for my children and grand children. They most definitely will not spend their lives in the same country you and I grew up in.

I’ve been thinking about how to bring this machine to a halt, non-violently, before it is too late. The machine runs on a lot of tax dollars. Without those tax dollars it would be slowed down, and maybe stopped. Would it work to organize as many people and companies as possible to quit sending tax dollars to D.C.? This might be a really bad idea, but something along these lines must be  done.

People in other countries hold worker layouts and strikes to cripple a country for a short period of time. Sometimes it works. Do you think it would work here?

What if truckers shut down their rigs for 24, 48 or 72 hours? Think what that would do, especially if the trucks going into Washington D..C. did this. We the People have the power to bring this machine down if we organize. My guess is that would be the problem. Getting enough Americans to agree to stay home would be very difficult.

I hope I don’t sound desperate. I want the best for our country and all of those that will have to live in it. I don’t really think of myself, only my family. I do not want to exclude anyone, harm anyone or discriminate against anyone either. I realize not everyone will agree with what I have said here. All I know is that those who were elected to represent me are not representing me. They are completely disconnected. I can only imagine who really controls this country now.

By the way, I am a military veteran, and I took an oath to uphold the Constitution and defend it from enemies both foreign and domestic, and I will do so. I am afraid there are those Americans who also took similar oaths who will not do what they swore to do. I just wanted to share with you that I recently found an organization called OATHKEEPERS.org. I think this is a step in the right direction, if this is a legitimate organization.

Thank you for listening to me, and thank you for your magazine.

Thomas Wilson

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Thank you for disseminating Mr Silviera’s article.

While I don’t think the act will ever fly in the U.S.A. It is alarming. But there is much food for thought  in the effort.

We North Americans, U.S and Canada, are among the very few nations that use the Boxer primer in our ammo. The central flash hole in the cartridges makes it easy to punch the spent primer out and simple to reload the cartridge. Most countries use the Berdan primer with three off center flash holes, making it very difficult to remove the spent primer and reload the cartridge case. I believe this was intentional to prevent their people from reloading ammunition. Think about who uses which type of primer and their form of government and the truth will slowly sink in.

Here we should give thanks that our “Commie sit down to pee pen raised rabbit liberals” do not understand firearms or ammunition. The technology to serial number all ammo and I.D. Fired cases to the  gun they were fired in does not exist and the bureaucracy to do so would be enormous and ultimately be a failure. BUT!  A Federally mandated switch to Berdan primers would render all of our ammunition un-reloadable. I think an attempt to do this is coming “As sure as God made little green apples!”  Let’s  stay alert for the attempt!

Leon Kania
Ex Captain, 5Th Special Forces, Viet Nam

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To Whom It May Concern:

The [linked] article by Mr. John Silveira is woefully out of date. Leaving the article in its current state only adds to the misinformation, panic, and stridency generally found on the internet and in mass emailings of dire warnings regarding our personal liberties. The Ammunition Accountability Act, in every form and everywhere introduced, failed. It was never brought to a vote in any of the 18 states in which something of this nature was introduced, either dying in committee, dying due to no action taken, or even having been withdrawn. Though the tools of research and verification are at the fingertips of anyone possessing a computer and who could read the article at the above link, the tendency all too often is to immediately post such misinformation to everybody they know, distributing concern, unease, and panic, while contributing nothing constructive. There is no current threat from the Ammunition Accountability Act or anything resembling it anywhere in the Union.

As a matter of service to your readers, the author might compose a follow-up article, updating the fate of the bill in each of the states, or even just a paragraph denoting that the bills are currently a dead issue. Perhaps your editorial staff would undertake the project. Will it/they resurface? It is likely, even probable. And that would be the time to update once again, inform and motivate the reading/shooting public to the new threat. Letting old, inaccurate, outdated information stand serves no good purpose, informs no one, and only leads to useless spam, and frankly, de-sensitization of the reading/shooting public to real, clear, and present threats to our liberties and the 2nd Amendment.

Respectfully,

John L. Corstorphine, Jr.

John,

Thanks for calling that to our attention. The author just added to the article a couple of paragraphs updating the current status.

Dave

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I always ask my friends when they send me articles like this or about other government intrusions, “when do we start shooting”.

I have read about this before and at this point in time I would say that it would be the spark to ignite more than anyone proposing such a policy would have bargained for.

Richard Miller

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John,

Thanks for another insightful analysis pertaining to what ails this country. Your argument is spot-on, and I whole-heartedly agree we are going down the same path toward depression as we did in the 30′s due to massive government intervention.

I like to ask people nowadays, “If the goal of today’s government is to completely wreck the economy, should they be doing anything differently?”

Again, thanks for lending clarity to this issue, as the mainstream media will not connect the dots anytime soon.

Bob Wood
Churubusco, IN

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Hello Mr Silveira

Your article Our Energy crisis: Part 3 was very informative.

Just wanted to tell you that about a year ago I invested in a mutual funds that only includes businesses world wide that involve alternative energy,
called New Alternatives (NALFX on the stock exchange).  Like ALL businesses, it took a hit last fall, but is rebounding.

I truly believe that alternative energy will be a profit maker someday, I just hope I live long enough to see it.

Kindest regards,

Coleen Czechowski
Alden, NY

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Thank Heavens – At last, a balanced, well written, factual article on “Alternative Energy”.

Useful data that was clearly well researched and presented in an unbiased manner that is nearly possible to pull off these days with this heated topic.

Congratulations to Mr. Silveira for providing a reference I will save and use for some time to come.

Dave
Katonah, NY

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I just have to comment on your online article The path to another Depression by John Silveira.

I live in a small farm in central Alberta and my husband and I have discussed the automaking industries woes many times, as the situation here in Canada is the same as south of the border for the auto industry.  We have both said many times – “let them go bankrupt, it’s the only way they’ll get the unions out and truly become competitive in the world market”!  We have opened from scratch (& without bank financing), grew our small business to 5 times it’s original square footage, and maintained it and turned a decent profit every year for 13 years (then we sold it), so I feel that we have the right to say this.  Business owners MUST have the ability to cut costs, cut people, change suppliers, etc. as needed to keep their company profitable – unions null and void this ability on many fronts.

Over and over in government, it’s individuals who have no ‘real world’ business skills who are in power.  Could they, on their own, open and run a successful small business in a competitive industry? I believe that for most of them, the answer would be no.  If they can’t manage a small business successfully, how can we possibly expect them to manage an entire country?

This is the first time I’ve come across your website and must say – so far I’m very impressed with the common sense advice that is being given!

R. Dixon
Alberta, Canada

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Hi Editor,

I love the article by John Silveira, If you don’t like it here why don’t you move to another country?

This article so aptly expressed what I so often feel – if people want to live in a country that is different than the USA then by all means move there, but leave us freedom loving Americans alone and stop trying to turn this country into something that is was not intended to be. As I see more and more liberties being under attack or taken away I become disheartened and wonder if anyone else feels the way I do. This article answered that for me and I knew I wasn’t the only sane person left in America!

Thanks for your great magazine, I found a copy at a health food store over 10 years ago and have been a fan ever since. I’m glad I’m not alone in my views and frustrations as of late.

Sincerely,

Anna Colbert

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Everyone should read this article, whether you are struggling in this economy or not.

I know many families losing their houses. Three of which are close friends. I remember wondering how they where going to make the large mortgage payments or home equity loan payments with their incomes. But who am I to judge? The banks know better than me right?

Well here we are and until some of them figure out what they are going to do next, my property is starting to look like a compound. That just means a bigger garden and more hands to help with it! We may end up having to use the local food bank. But many of us will be donating time and plants to the new garden being installed there this year. I live in a small community and in the last two years the number of families using the food bank has nearly doubled.

Back to John’s article, thank you for writing this in a way everyone can understand. Instead of trying to explain it myself I just hand them my magazine. Works great.

Sandra Housego
Whidbey Island

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John,

Having received this issue a few weeks back and finally getting a chance to read the Last Word from this issue I was struck by the simplicity that could have prevented the current meltdown.

I have a 14 year old stepson. He is given a set amount each weekend that is enough money to pay for his school lunches for the week and give him a small amount of pocket money. If he goes to the mall and spends it all on something, that is not my problem. The money was there. If he could not be responsible with it, when it is gone it is gone. I refuse to bail him out by giving him more money. If it costs more then he is willing to spend that is what saving your money is all about.

If governments acted like a tough love parent and kept their hands out of our pockets this could have been avoided. Yes the less efficient companies would have failed. So what? They’re in what is called business not what is called bail me out. Show the backbone I show to my stepson when someone comes whining for more. Suck it up companies, your mommies are not in government.

Jamie Allen
Sacramento, CA

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