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Washington is Selling Servitude
Tenth Amendment Center ^ | Brian Roberts

Posted on 08/04/2009 7:25:10 PM PDT by Pantera

By Brian Roberts

Article 2 in Series, Restoring Freedom: An Entrepreneur’s Perspective – click here for part 1

Washington is selling servitude.

The fifth sentence of the Declaration of Independence states, “But when a long train of abuses and usurpations, pursuing invariably the same Object evinces a design to reduce them under absolute Despotism, it is their right, it is their duty, to throw off such Government, and to provide new Guards for their future security.”

Our product of freedom is competing with an illegal product. The federal government does not have the constitutional authority to sell servitude. It’s that simple. The 10th amendment positions our competitor as an outlaw and recent actions in Washington reaffirm this claim. This brings us to our first point of strategic significance:

A movement based on the 10th amendment is undeniably lawful and moral.

Washington is selling servitude. On fundamental issues, we the people are no longer represented by our national politicians. Our political leaders do not respect the people. They do not bother to read bills that steal away our money and freedom, but then they support these bills aggressively. They set up final votes at midnight in hopes that we do not notice the theft. They pit us against one another by highlighting trivial, but polarizing issues. When the people scream for a solution that doesn’t fit their personal quest for power they shelve the debate instead of making changes that would benefit the people. Despite this disrespect, many national leaders stay in office forever and when real opportunities arise to fill seats with true freedom oriented candidates, the establishment candidates step up, promote and install new big government-types that are mirror images of themselves. It is about personal power not representation. Washington is selling servitude.

Now, thinking like an entrepreneur, Washington used to be a strong ally in our quest to sell individual freedom. Together, we sold freedom to the world and earned the honorable title of “The shining city on the hill”. However, they have now decided to sell servitude. Washington has become a lost distribution channel for our product. Yes, they still want to offer our product, but only so they can do a bait and switch routine and create more customers for servitude. If we continue with these dynamics then the market share for servitude will quickly dominate the market share for freedom. And further compounding our problem, the federal government is a strong distribution channel and finding other channels that can compete is a challenge. To solve this problem, we need a game-changer, something that will expand our more loyal distribution channels while limiting theirs.

The 10th amendment states, “The powers not delegated to the United States by the Constitution, nor prohibited by it to the States, are reserved to the States respectively, or to the people.” This one sentence if effectively used to counter federal power can quickly shift power back to a more local level.

A movement based on the 10th amendment fundamentally changes the political landscape in favor of individual freedom.

Washington is selling servitude. Democrats are selling it outright as if servitude itself was a great product. Most Republicans are packaging it with just a dose of freedom so it goes down a little smoother. But when it comes to the fundamentals like smaller government and individual freedom neither party in Washington is representing us consistently. Both parties are using a horizontal marketing approach and this leaves “we the people” out. Let me explain.

In product marketing, you can position products for sale through a horizontal channel or a vertical channel. The national parties have broad horizontal platforms that work great when selling servitude because it allows them to pick and choose which “selling point” to highlight, which “product deficiencies” to hide and which controversial product features they can use to distract from the outright bugs in their product offering.

If you seek to bring a revolutionary product, such as freedom, to market then vertical marketing is key because it has the ability to capture a significant market share quickly and with minimal budget. The key to success is based on focus.

By focusing on a singular message our demands for more localized control of government will quickly be adopted in positions held by local politicians, followed by state politicians who are emboldened by a loud voice beating the same drum. Whether state politicians are driven to our message by greed or ideals the result is the same, a new ally with a legal precedent to counter federal abuse of power. This can happen in a dramatic way in the next election cycle.

A movement based on the 10th encourages a state government, accountable to the people locally, to challenge the federal government directly.

So how does this all tie together? Dual-power is the sharing of power between the federal government and the state government. This was a fundamental check on power that was envisioned by our founders and written into the Constitution and Bill of Rights.

Over the last 100 years, through judicial decisions, constitutional amendment and by simply ignoring it, the 10th amendment has been watered down significantly. Much of this can be changed if the people demand these changes with clarity. If the message is not clear, the the federal government will appease the population with trinkets of freedom but maintain the power to sell more and more servitude.

The 10th goes right for the jugular of federal power, it changes the overall dynamics and it does this through a legal means. A movement based on the 10th clearly has large strategic value in and of itself. The 10th also delivers strong tactical value on how to bring freedom to market. Next…

Brian Roberts is the President and a founder of an innovative software company in Texas. He has joined the tenth amendment movement as the meetup organizer of Texas Tenth Amendment Center. Follow Brian on Twitter, bcroberts_99.


TOPICS: Constitution/Conservatism; Front Page News; News/Current Events; Politics/Elections
KEYWORDS: 10thamendment; donttreadonme; statesrights

1 posted on 08/04/2009 7:25:10 PM PDT by Pantera
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To: Pantera

I honestly thought no one cared about the 10th Amendment anymore.

Does anyone realize that the entire BOR could disappear, save the 10th, and the 10th Amendment would still guarantee our freedom?

People give a lot of importance to the 1st (a good one to be sure) and the 2nd (critical for freedom), but you could reconstruct those from the 10th.

This is a great site and I will be staying in touch with it.

Thanks for the post!


2 posted on 08/04/2009 7:30:48 PM PDT by freedumb2003 (Communism comes to America: 1/20/2009. Keep your powder dry, folks. Sic semper tyrannis)
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To: Pantera

btt


3 posted on 08/04/2009 7:32:23 PM PDT by Cacique (quos Deus vult perdere, prius dementat ( Islamia Delenda Est ))
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To: Pantera

We’re not going to change any of this at the ballot box. The system is corrupt and there isn’t much of a difference between Republicans and Democrats. A Revolution where we throw them all out and start again is our only chance. Its either that or get used to a life of slavery, ruled by leftists.


4 posted on 08/04/2009 8:04:55 PM PDT by Astronaut
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To: Astronaut

In your scenario, will the state governments side with we the people or the federal government?


5 posted on 08/05/2009 9:16:46 AM PDT by Pantera
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To: Pantera

Governments will side with governments. State governments are agents of tyranny as well. If the people ever wake up, we can throw the tyrants out.


6 posted on 08/05/2009 2:33:57 PM PDT by Astronaut
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To: 11th Commandment; 17th Miss Regt; 2001convSVT; 2banana; 2ndDivisionVet; A_Former_Democrat; ...
Thanks Pantera!

I haven't read the complete article yet but if it's anything like the FIRST ONE in the series, it's a keeper...

Click the 10th Amendment button for articles tagged "10thamendment". A "statesrights" link is atop the forum page.



Please ~ping~ me to articles relating to the 10th Amendment/States Rights so I can engage the pinger.

I've stopped scouring threads and unilaterally adding names to the ping list, so if you want on or off the list just say so.

Additional Resources:

Tenth Amendment Chronicles Thread
Tenth Amendment Center
The Right Side of Life/State Initiatives
Sovereign States
Find Law(Brief narrative on 10th Amendment)

CLICK HERE TO FIND YOUR STATE REPRESENTATIVES

7 posted on 08/06/2009 6:21:20 PM PDT by ForGod'sSake (You have two choices and two choices only: SUBMIT or RESIST. Have I missed anything?)
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To: All
Oops, see a second ARTICLE for additional discussion.
8 posted on 08/06/2009 6:31:26 PM PDT by ForGod'sSake (You have two choices and two choices only: SUBMIT or RESIST. Have I missed anything?)
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To: Astronaut

One has to BE THERE to throw the tyrants out.
Obamacare and Romneycare are there to make sure
their political opponents DIE.


9 posted on 08/06/2009 6:55:42 PM PDT by Diogenesis ("Those who go below the surface do so at their peril" - Oscar Wilde)
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To: ForGod'sSake

thanks, bfl


10 posted on 08/06/2009 7:21:09 PM PDT by neverdem (Xin loi minh oi)
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To: Pantera

Is it time yet?


11 posted on 08/06/2009 8:01:18 PM PDT by mojitojoe (All tyranny needs to gain a foothold is for the people to remain silent.)
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To: Astronaut

I fear you are right


12 posted on 08/06/2009 8:02:15 PM PDT by mojitojoe (All tyranny needs to gain a foothold is for the people to remain silent.)
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To: Pantera
They left one off the list, and it has a frighteningly good chance to pass in the Senate, under the radar.
13 posted on 08/06/2009 10:25:26 PM PDT by TenthAmendmentChampion (Be prepared for tough times. FReepmail me to learn about our survival thread!)
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To: mojitojoe

I’m ready. Been ready for 30 years waiting for everyone else to catch up.


14 posted on 08/07/2009 5:02:17 AM PDT by central_va ( http://www.15thvirginia.org/)
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To: central_va

We MUST dismantle the power of the federal government and return political power to the several states. Our freedoms are dying...


15 posted on 08/07/2009 7:12:10 AM PDT by April Lexington (Study the constitution so you know what they are taking away!)
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To: freedumb2003

The 2nd Amendment PROTECTS the 1st Amendment. Without either of those rights, the 10th Amendment will never regain traction.


16 posted on 08/07/2009 7:40:13 AM PDT by o_zarkman44 (Obama is the ultimate LIE!)
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To: ForGod'sSake

Definitely a keeper, FGS. Thanks again.


17 posted on 08/07/2009 8:03:37 AM PDT by TheOldLady (zer0 the granny killer)
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To: Astronaut
"...there isn't much of a difference between Republicans and Democrats."

That's why for the past 12 or so years I've been referring to them as Republicrats.

I've said it years ago and still stand by my convictions.

We don't need a third party in this country, we need a second party.

The only party that has consistently stood up for the constitution for the United states is the Constitution Party

18 posted on 08/18/2009 8:18:16 PM PDT by Mikey (He that refuses to know and exert his rights, doesn't deserve them.)
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