Just a few questions...?

[Michael]

Hey, My first ever posting of a blog anywhere! Give me a grade between A or F. Just don't expect anything
great. I'm going from what I've learned over the years and just want either confirmation or correction.

Here are 5 question I would dearly love answers for:
1)Did we not once start a revolt over higher taxes with the British? I wonder if anyone can tell me what the tax rate was THEN as it is NOW?
2)Did the Civil War start over slavery or higher taxes? I"m not sure if the war was fought for money reasons or over slavery?
3)How many times prior to 1913 did we have taxes on income and how long did they last?
4)True of False-when the income tax was created in 1913 you sent a check to the govt. if you owed them cash. This stopped and direct taxes from your paycheck started as America entered WW2?
5)For the first time in my life, I'm looking at making over $50,000 in one year. Now, according to "know it all's" in DC, I'm one of the evil "rich". Hey wait a second, when did that happen? One day, the govt is doing all it can to help me out, the next i'm the spawn of satan? Did I miss a meeting somewhere?

Some of these questions are very basic and I'm sure most anyone who reads this will have some if not all the answers. I "think" I know most of them already. I could be wrong. I'm less worried about being right than getting to the right answers. No one seems to be asking anything. Should I even ask or should I just shut up and be happy?

Enjoy the Day
Michael

[Randy Speeg]

I hope that if there is ever an unfortunate nuclear event within the US in the near future that people will be smart enough to remember the story about how the air force misplaced 6 nukes for a period of 36 hours, but then later news reports changed the number to 5. So what happened to nuke number 6? Diverted somewhere for another false flag operation?

http://www.popularmechanics.com/technology/military_law/4251490.html

http://thescotsman.scotsman.com/nucleardefence/USAF-B52-flew-with-five.3324271.jp

I understand the point you are making about the average citizen being unmatched to the US military, but you can't seriously be suggesting that every Joe Schmoe should armed with nuclear explosives? That's all we need is some asshole in Detroit to loose his job and pension when the big automaker he worked for goes bankrupt and then he goes home suicidal and the next thing you know the state of Michigan is wiped off the map!

[Richard Fitzgerald]

Being from the South, and having heard the recurrent cries of " the south shall rise again", I don't really look forward to the sort of Armed Military Conflict a Civil War would seem to require. In a Nation where we argue over the possession of a particular type of Rifle, based upon it's usefullness as a hunting device, it demonstrates the utter lack of understanding of the right to bear arms. The citizens are tasked with the dubious responsibility to oust an unjust government, by force when all else fails.

That is the true need for a right to bear arms. I'm sorry to say this to everyone, but an AK47, or a 9mm handgun aren't much use to you when faced by Stealth Bombers with Nuclear Smart Bombs. Until the American people realize that the true right to bear arms, must include each and every type of arms, Nuclear, Biological, Chemical, or any other type that may exist, or will ever exist. Had the Conferate Forces faced an opponent with such a huge technological gap in arms as we face today the war would've lasted only minutes.

Secession would only be possible, if the State confiscated enough modern arms ( Nuclear and otherwise ) to offer some sort of meaningful resistance to the inevitable Military response that would result. A peacefull secession is generally unlikely. I'd like to see someone try to bring up the matter in congress though, it might be a good indicator of the Imperialistic Federal Government, when we see their response on C-Span.

Let's say a state like Louisiana decided to try it alone. Stop remitting the Federal Taxes of all types, collected them instead for themselves. Administered the funds based upon State Programs and priorities, and tried to maintain normal relations with the US and other Nations. Maybe it could survive, maybe not. Would it become a third world nation, or join another well off Nation like say Norway?

I think the US government does indeed see it's states as political zones, and the state's occupants as their indigenous worker drones, working, paying taxes, and enabling the companies that control political power, to grow more powerfull. We are so easily distracted by ball games, and pop stars, never realizing that we are trapped in a consumer society, with no real hope of amassing any independence economically or freedom in general. We have mortgaged our lives, to accumulate things we are told we need, the McMansion in the Suburbs, the Luxury Cars, the Gadgets, and the clothes.

What this country fears the most about economic downturns, is that we will stop chasing the stuff and find time to think and do. Free thought, and free actions can be very dangerous to those who want worker drones.

Start the civil war this way. Do less for the corporations and governments. Say no to Madison Avenue, and Wal-Mart. Vote no on every new issue, no new legislation, or amendments. When the government says they're broke, and will have to start shutting down "essential services" like schools and government, say "OK, don't really need that anyway". When the Federal Gov't is seen to serve no purpose, then it will serve no purpose. Then the States will walk away from the Union without any resistance from the other States.

[Randy Speeg]

In response to the Civil War, one has to wonder...

When the States today, who are being fiscally responsible decide it's in their best interest to leave the Union (which was never intended by our Founding Fathers to be a permanent blood oath of membership) rather than being forced through taxation to shoulder the burden of a fiscally irresponsible Federal Government, who is also subsidizing other fiscally irresponsible States like California, will the Federal Government be bold enough to attempt military action to prevent such secessions?

Secession is a inalienable right of every free State provided for by the Declaration of Independence and protected by the Constitution.

From a purely philosophical standpoint the Civil War an unconstitutional war. Even though the Civil War did a good thing in bringing an end to slavery, you must understand this was not the reason the war started (although I'm sure that is what they are teaching our school children...the winners write the history books you know). Prior to the civil War there was a happy coexistence between "slave states" and "free states" and The Federal Government respected each States right to govern it's own laws per the Constitution. I haven't studied the Civil War in any detail so I can't say what exactly triggered the Southern secession, but I'm pretty sure that Lincoln used the issue of slavery as a purely military tactic to encourage blacks to join the Union Army. Black soldiers played a key part in the Union's victory over the Confederacy.

After the Civil War the Federal Governments attitude toward the States changed, no longer looking at each State as an independent sovereign State loosely unionized into a Republic for the national defense of Liberty and Prosperity, but now as geographic regions of one solid nation. This was the true beginning of the transformation of the U.S. from a Constitutional Republic into a Democracy.

So, as the numbers of individuals who are awakened to the fact that we are a Republic and our Liberties are being slowly taken from us grow, what are the chances that we may one day see the beginning of a second civil war?

[Michael (L-MI)]

A1. In his testimony to the Parliament in Feb. 1766, Ben Franklin estimated the tax rate in Colonial Pennsylvania at 12.5%. But as he was arguing that Americans already paid their fair share of taxes, he had every reason to exaggerate. (By comparison, the British tax rate at that time was about 20%; In 2006, the tax rate in the U.S. was 17%., and in Britain 26%). So the revolution saved us about 9% in taxes (but of course we have to pay that out in private health insurance!).

A2. The civil war was fought over a state or states right to leave the union

A3. to much to poast so here is a good place to find that answer. http://lovetolearnplace.com/SpecialDays/IncomeTax/index.html

A4. Not really sure on this one, will see if I can find anything written on this.

A5. Yes, you are the spawn of satan. How dare you achieve a good living from your hard work in school and in personal life. You have to realize that if you are not extorting money from the problem [rich people] then you must be the problem. at least that is the impression I get from the idiots out there who think that they are "owed" something for just sharing the same air as other people who have succeeded