Dave,

Thanks for this article.

I’m 61 & have been watching this once great country begin to fall apart since …well probably since Eisenhower warned the country about the military/industrial complex 50 years ago. Seems like that was the beginning of the end…at least it seems that’s about when the destruction of the country began in earnest.

Guys our age have seen the best years of the U.S. I have a son & daughter ages 30 & 32 & a grandkid….am scared as hell for them & their generation. Son has some sense, girl is liberal as hell.

Wife & I can probably survive ok here in rural upper Midwest…gardens, firewood, water, meat. & spend little.

The U.S. Constitution? What did Dubya call it ? “nothing but a G– Damn piece of paper”. And today…in practice…that’s what it is. Can’t believe I just wrote that.

We do need to be strong & keep up the fight, Dave.

Thanks again for the article.

Charlie

Share or Bookmark

Dear Mr. Duffy

I was just reading in the newsletter, about you comparing our current economic upheaval. I have been watching developments and I have found eerie similarities with the economic collapse of Austria, and other European countries, as the National Socialist Party rose to power during the thirties:

1. Using the welfare state to take control of people live and getting them used to having the government take care of them

2. Hyper inflate the national debt, mainly by spending to [pay for] the welfare and increasing government control

3. Hyper deflating monetary value by printing paper money. (to pay for the debt)

4. Taking over and/or over regulating business. to cause failure of the jobs and money making machinery

5. And blaming capitalism for the problems

To those people, they only had two choices. One was the Communist Workers Party and the National Socialist Party. I hope that you can make a better connection than I can. Thanks and please keep up the good work

Chris Rakes
Mt. Airy, NC

Share or Bookmark

Reader Jefferey Goss opines in Letters, Nov/Dec 2009 that “In America, we have so much freedom that it’s ‘coming out of our ears, so to speak. Freedom and liberty are ‘over-emphasized’ to the point of ‘ridiculosity’, he says.’ Then he opines “we don’t need ‘less government, but a more efficient one.’

Really, Mr. Goss? How much freedom and liberty do you think you really have these days? Congress and the various states pass “hate crime” laws, which do nothing more than remove our right to free speech. It is now deemed a “crime” to express a personal opinion about protected groups or individuals – the commission of an overt act, i.e. a “crime” is no longer required to prosecute you. Just the mere thought or mention can get one jailed.

That is “freedom,” sir?

A well known pastor from New York who has been virulently opposed to the present administration was recently visited by police and the Secret Service – no doubt at the behest of the Obama administration thought police – over his videos stating that Obama is no doubt an illegal alien who has not proven he is fit by statute to be President. No threats to the president involved that would trigger a visit from the SS for any other President, mind you – just expressing his alleged “freedom of speech.”

How about those freedoms, huh! There is not enough room for me to illustrate for you what other “freedoms” you apparently think you have, you don’t have at all.

I wonder what history books you have read for you to allege that the Constitution’s real purpose was to expand government. Even a casual reading of the document would prove to anyone with a semblance of intellect that time and time again exactly the OPPOSITE is true. The document clearly restricts the power of a central government, gives some to the states, and everything else TO THE PEOPLE.

May I respectfully suggest to readers Goss, Lamkin, and Murray that they might be happier subscribing to “Mother”, and leave the rest of us “keep your nose out of my personal business” readers to enjoy BWH in peace.

Oh – and Ms. Murray … the United States is NOT a “democracy” despite what the great unwashed would have you believe. The United States is and always has been (and God willing always WILL be) a “Constitutional Republic.”

Keep up the great work, Dave and John!

Bruce Emmott
Merrick, NY
NYPD retired

Share or Bookmark

John is right on target, here.

As a 30+-year veteran RN, I’ve seen countless, real-life examples of the problems he discusses here. Health care and rest of the system is going to fail, mainly because it was designed that way!

As John intimates, there is a better way and, if ordinary people can just decide they want this better way, they will have it!!! Cuba can deliver good healthcare (free!!!) to all its citizens, yet still send thousands of doctors abroad to help other countries. The fact that the USA can’t do the same—or doesn’t want to—is shameful.

After Goldman-Sachs, the AMA should be the next to be strung up!!!

Bill Byford RN
(Still hoping for a healthcare system we can be proud of.)

Share or Bookmark

Dear Claire,

A professor of economics asked what happens under certain economic and social conditions.

I said  revolution!!

He said poor people never revolt. The middle class leads revolutions.

Thus we see why, having dumbed down the last two or three generations, the powers that be are entering into the next phase of destruction–impoverishment.

A hungry and uninformed people, whose medicines and other necessities are being held hostage, cannot revolt.

Note that the necessities are very little produced in North America anymore and so are unobtainable.

Enjoy your writing.

God’s protection on you.

Sincerely,

Deborah Harvey

Share or Bookmark

Ms. Wolfe,

You’ve touched on a topic that I’ve thought about time and again. Speaking with liberty minded friends I’ve said that the only places left are Space and some area in the Antarctic! And the statists are doing their damnedest to cut off the last option. Think about it. On our planet we have nations laying claim to territory they don’t even tread upon yet they say its “theirs”. What kind of Imperialistic, cockeyed, brain damaged reasoning is that?

I also had to laugh when you used the word “criminals” in how some folks, albeit brainwashed statists, describe the odd balls who don’t fit their tiny mold. Yes, some can certainly be considered criminals by any set of standards, and yet I’m left scratching my head knowing full well that the definition itself, as used by government and its boot licking minions, is corrupt. They see every problem as a nail to be beat down with its “authoritative” hammer. Which is to say that you’re to shut the hell up and do as you’re told while forking over dough with a gun pointed to your head. That kind of “freedom” and “order” I can live without.

With regards to the last great frontier we have NASA endlessly sucking tax dollars to beat down ones hope that anything will ever be accomplished in our lifetime. This isn’t by accident but by design. When you have people being paid to “produce” nothing what incentive is there? It reminds me of that movie “The Truman Show” where the lead character, when he’s young, has this burning desire to discover the world while his controlled life (just like governments everywhere) seeks to discourage any such notions so that it can financially benefit off of his existence and share in some sick pleasure in playing the part of God while manipulating him.

I’ve also said to my friends that the only reason people in America managed to find any “freedom” at all was because it was too far away and too expensive for the powers that be to reign them in. It also didn’t hurt that they had enough weapons to reinforce that fact. Sadly these founders pulled the same stunts on their newly minted citizens that they wailed and bemoaned about their British brethren. They made it illegal to do what they just finished doing. How very hypocritically convenient!

Escaping this planet is mankind’s last chance, short of global revolution, of fleeing from these rat bastards. So lets encourage a search for alternate energy and a way to flee so that all “criminals” such as ourselves can forever be paroled from this present Earth. Time to leave the nest.

David

Share or Bookmark

I’m sorta speechless Claire, these are things I have been seeing slowly taking shape over the last few years and I have to agree with you one hundred percent.

Suffice it to say, I intend to survive THAT problem if it arises…I have NO intention of going and looking for trouble, I abhor violence, however, if trouble comes here, to my doorstep, my family and I will survive.  I did NOT spend twenty plus years as a combat instructor in the Marine Corps for nothing.

I hope and pray that we never see it happen, and I mean that with all sincerity, but with the same sincerity, there will be hell to pay if unrest comes out our road.  We live fairly isolated, by mutual choice in East Tennessee, so that helps, and we grow our own food crops and our own meat, and that helps, so I’m HOPING we’re fairly well prepared if the excrement impacts the air flow moving device…

Have a GREAT Day!

John Campbell

Share or Bookmark

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

Share or Bookmark

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

Share or Bookmark

Your article was of great interest to me and I wish more people would have that attitude in their heads to just say no to all this nonsense.

However, you and I are approaching this “federal” problem from two different points of view and I’m hoping that you will give some thought to my approach because from reading your article, it appears that you believe that the Constitution is alive and well but just being violated.

When honest weights and measures (gold and silver) were removed from our monetary system the Constitution was replaced by Maritime Law.  We are no longer under the Law of the Land; we are under Maritime Law which deals with Treaties, Contracts and Trusts.  How does one know this?  Because to be under the Constitution, the Law of the Land, there would be many, many people in jail for treason at this time.   When we contract to various activities/benefits with the ‘federal” government by our signature, we give them credence for their unlawful activities and put ourselves under their thumb.  Take the Constitution into any court today for your defense and you will one of two remarks from the Judge.  He will either tell you that you may not bring the constitution into his court or he will say GUILTY, because you never argued the point of “show me the contract that I signed that gives you jurisdiction over me”.

Instead of just saying NO, let us stop signing our lives away to them and after withholding our signatures from licenses, contracts, etc., we will no longer be giving them “federal” jurisdiction over our lives.  It’s time to get back to the States and let this “federal” nonsense disintegrate into the very small place of power they were given originally.

Joyce

Joyce,

Oliver

Share or Bookmark

Claire,

I greatly enjoyed your article.

I’ve promoted it on my blog.

Keep up the good work.

Henry Cate III

Share or Bookmark

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

Share or Bookmark

Good job [with the article],

I’ve read about and have ‘adopted’ a strategy in regards to a “Level 4′ type scenario.

Dig In.

Our food/gas/electricity/medicines deliveries are so just-in-time these days, that any lengthy scenario (over a month or two) massive amounts of the general population will die. An on-your-own scenario of six months encompassing the winter months may trim the population by 50%. If this ever happens it will be Mad Max time.

Dig In and be invisible.

After the unprepared population is weeded out, sadly, that may be the reason that calm and reason reappear.
I do disagree with your (and others’) philosophy of massive military and police control in a very bad scenario.

Here is why:

They are us.

In China and other countries we have seen the military and police seem to have a ball beating down their own people. I do not believe that will happen here. I feel this mainly because in other countries the military and police enjoy a certain better standard of living than a majority of the population. In the USA our cops and military are just like you and I. In fact, a great many will probably be in the Dig In mode protecting their own families.

On the other side, I live smack in the middle of Iowa; lol, yep, I can only imagine the coastal populations flocking here……

Dave

Share or Bookmark

Claire,

Loved your article about homeschooling. My son and daughter were homeschooled, and are now continuing the tradition with eight grandchildren. The grandchildren are so far beyond the “normal” level of education that many people feel they must make excuses “well, your children are obviously geniuses.”

One scene from Alexis de Toqueville’s Democracy in America stood out in my mind: a high school class engaged in debate in the town square, in classical Latin and Greek.

If the event was held in the public square, does this not suggest that the public could appreciate classical Latin and Greek? This was not the geeks speaking to the geeks; this was a set of bright students speaking to the public of which they were a part. Elsewhere, Alexis de Toqueville remarked on how widespread was the understanding of the Constitution.

We greatly underestimate the desire and capacity among children for learning. I taught my 6 year old grandson how to add a series of consecutive integers, starting with an explanation of that old formula n(n+1)/2, which was taught in high school.

I wanted to know how well he could generalize, so I asked the sum of the even numbers from 2 to 50. He had the answer while I was still putting my mind in gear. In the future, I shall have to pre-compute answers to my little test questions, lol.

Thank you for your articles, which I always enjoy.

Regards,

Terry McIntyre

Share or Bookmark

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

Share or Bookmark

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

Share or Bookmark

Dear Ms. Wolfe,

I read your article with great enjoyment and approval. I agree with everything you said. I have two personal observations.

One is that far from being a failure, the public indoctrination system (why grace the system with the word “schools”, which has a very positive connotation) is a brilliant success. The object never was to teach literacy, but to inculcate the qualities of an obedient and docile underclass, unable to think critically, intellectually dead, subservient, and worshipful of authority.

There is a brilliant young 6th grade student who lives across the street. I talk to her occasionally, and a few days ago we discussed what the children were learning in school. It happened to be the “Civil” War (I explained what a civil war is and disabused her of the notion that the War for Southern Independence was fought to wrest control of the central government), how Lincoln “freed the slaves” (again, another discussion),etc. Our conversation illustrates that what the children learn in the indoctrination camps is propanganda, pure and simple. That and worship of the State (the Pledge of Allegiance, the deification practiced by the Lincoln Cult, etc.) and the habit of subservience and obedience (“Teacher, can I go to the bathroom?”).

My second point is that once the indoctrination is complete, it takes a massive effort to reverse it. After all, the basic tool to do so, the power of critical thinking, has been suppressed almost to the point of disappearance.

My own view is, that is largely responsible for the fact that in the midst of the greatest economic catastrophe in modern times, mos
people remain cheerfully distracted by “American Idol”, the latest football team standings, and the latest Hollywood celebrity scandal, none of which personally impact most of us in the least extent.

So keep up your good work. A quality education is the path to liberation.

John Sampson

Share or Bookmark

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

Share or Bookmark

Hi Claire.

Thanks for your article titled Ten Real Inspirations.  I wasn’t aware that Vince Miller had passed away last year.  I’m sorry to hear it.

Years ago I helped set up the first BBS system for Vince in his ISIL bookstore in San Francisco.  As I recall, we used an old Wildcat BBS software program in order to keep the system as simple as possible.

In exchange for my help, Vince offered me $100.00 worth of books from his store.  One of the books I selected was a collection of works by Lysander Spooner.  That book was my first real introduction to Spooner and what were, to me, several “new” concepts that conflicted with public school teaching.  Spooner has been a major influence in my thinking since that time.

Thanks again.

Simon Jester

Share or Bookmark

Are there phone numbers to use to let “them” know we do not want federal health care?

I want to help fight this thing.

Cliff

Cliff,

Good luck!

Share or Bookmark