(Part 1 dealt with the Sixteenth and Seventeenth Amendments and the fact that they were probably not legitimately ratified to be part of the US Constitution.)

The Federal Reserve:

“I believe that banking institutions are more dangerous to our liberties than standing armies. If the American people ever allow private banks to control the issue of their currency, first by inflation, then be deflation, the banks and corporations that will grow up around the banks will deprive the people of all property until their children wake up homeless on the continent their fathers conquered. The issuing power should be taken from the banks and restored to the people, to whom it properly belongs.” (Thomas Jefferson, 1802)

It almost sounds as if Jefferson knew what was coming.

Like the other two progressive actions, the passage of the Federal Reserve Act is a nail in America’s coffin over the long term. Most Americans think the Federal Reserve is a branch of the federal government like the Department of Education, DOD, the EPA, DHS, DOJ (aka the Department of Cover Up), etc. Well, it is, and it isn’t. The Federal Reserve is a private corporation, actually a banking cartel. The federal government is only a partner in the cartel to add some legitimacy to it; to have the power of a federal law behind it. To use another term, it’s a monopoly over the nation’s money supply. It is designed to help member banks, not We The People. Remember the bank bailouts in 2009? The system worked, for the banks.

The Federal Reserve was NOT formed by Members of Congress, in Congress, or devised by a Presidential initiative. It was conceived in super-secrecy on Jekyll Island, Georgia in 1910. Jekyll Island was a private island owned by very wealthy people, mostly bankers and industrialists. Seven of these wealthy bankers met there, developed the idea, and over the next three years brought it to fruition.  The propaganda behind it was much as we see today from progressives. Words take on different meanings; deception; misinformation; “the ends justify the means.” In theory is was advertised as a way to break up the “Money Trusts;” various entities who had money and clout. Today’s term for these people is “corporate millionaires and billionaires.” Problem is, like today, the “money trusts” were the very people who were pushing the concept. They distract the people with what’s happening in the right hand so they don’t see what the left hand is doing. Obama bashes the millionaires and billionaires in public while taking millions from them in private. The same was true back in 1910-13 era. The secrecy of the Jekyll Island event reminds me of the Bilderburg Group and the Council of Foreign Relations group today.

Prior to the Federal Reserve and much later the Bretton Woods agreement (World Bank, IMF – the banking cartel grows), and the “Nixon shock” (Bretton Woods II), the US dollar was backed by gold; something of value. Today it’s backed by the “full faith and credit of the federal government.” Don’t we all feel better now. It’s fiat money, not backed by anything of value except the government’s word. How it all works can get complicated, which is why most Americans have no clue, but basically the Feds borrow money from other countries until their credit suffers and the interest rates rise too high then they just start printing it. They borrow, and borrow, and borrow and spend more than they borrow. Our national debt rises big time. When YOU get into a financial bind, can you LEGALLY print more money in your garage to solve your problem? The Fed can, legally. Currently they are doing so to the tune of @ $85 billion a month. This process creates another term we think we understand – inflation. We think inflation means the cost of goods and services we purchase is going up in “value.” In reality, the value of the money we use to buy these goods and services is going down because of this fiat printing, which means we need more of it to purchase what we desire. Examples: With the 1913 dollar equal to $1.00, the very same item purchased in 2013 would cost you $23.51. In 1913, a $1,000 automobile is $23,512.42 in 2013. And a home that cost $7,000 in 1913 would cost you $164,586.97 today. The cumulative inflation rate from 1913 to 2013 is 2251%.

Another way to look at it is that inflation is a hidden tax on all of us. And it’s a bigger problem that the taxes we see and know about because it lowers our standard of living and We The People can do nothing about it except suffer the lowering. In time, if not corrected, this will result in the total destruction of our monetary system. America will become a modern day serfdom. The dilemma, like with the 17th Amendment, there are repercussions in changing it. If we passed a law, cold turkey, to abolish the Federal Reserve, the worldwide monetary system would collapse. The US dollar, even if backed by nothing but words, is still the world’s reserve currency, accepted anywhere in the world. If we continue as is with no changes, the collapse will happen anyway down the road. It may take several decades, IF action were underway this minute, to gradually return us to a constitutional value-based money system. Though many have screamed and yelled (Ron Paul for one), no action is underway to shore up our system. We’re still borrowing, printing and spending to the heart’s content, oblivious to the eventual outcome.

For a real education on how the Federal Reserve came into being, the fallacies of it, and the eventual outcome if not corrected, see this video by G. Edward Griffin, 2005.

What Must America Do Now?

With another extremely progressive administration in control; most politicians still as corrupt as ever and looking out for their own self interest; a media that has abandoned its constitutional duty to report the news, opting instead to sway voters; and an uninformed, misinformed, apathetic voting public, how do we solve these problems? How do we prevent further slide into non constitutional laws passed, circumvention of the US Constitution, the government and political elitists gaining more power, political corruption, and the eventual bankruptcy and failure of our monetary system? How do we retain the Nation of Laws concept, prevent the “nation of men” reality from growing further, and prevent serfdom? A few quotes from wise men of our past should provide a clue.

“I know of no safe depository of the ultimate powers of the society but the people themselves; and if we think them not enlightened enough to exercise their control with a wholesome discretion, the remedy is not to take it from them, but to inform their discretion by education. This is the true corrective of abuses of constitutional power.” (Thomas Jefferson, letter to William Charles Jarvis, 1820)

“Republics are created by the virtue, public spirit, and intelligence of the citizens. They fall, when the wise are banished from public councils, because they dare to be honest, and the profligate are rewarded, because they flatter the people, in order to betray them.” (Joseph Story, Commentaries on the Constitution, 1833)

“Government is instituted for the common good; for the protection, safety, prosperity, and happiness of the people; and not for profit, honor, or private interest of any one man, family, or class of men; therefore, the people alone have an incontestable, unalienable, and indefeasible right to institute government; and to reform, alter, or totally change the same, when their protection, safety, prosperity and happiness require it.” (John Adams, Thoughts of Government, 1776)

There must be a mass awakening of the American citizenry from their coma. Easier said than done in a tuned-out society. In my opinion, the three greatest threats to our Constitutional Republic are: (1) Citizens who are uninformed, misinformed and vote for people / parties for the wrong reason or are otherwise not involved; (2) A political class who is aware of this and plays on it to stay in power for personal gain; putting self ahead of country. (3) Lack of honest, moral and dedicated local and national leadership. For America to regain our Constitutional moorings and prevent our eventual demise as a constitutional republic, a lot must take place and soon. Addressing leadership first, we need a new breed of Patriot to step forward. We need America’s Re-Founders to come forward. They’re out there, just reluctant to step into the fray and who can blame then. But it is essential that men and women of courage, honor, integrity, and honesty be identified, supported, pushed into elective office, and take the necessary steps to save America regardless of the cries from the Left that are sure to come. It is also essential that we rid ourselves of those who do not measure up to this standard. Leadership is everything. Nothing replaces or substitutes for it. Currently we don’t have constitutional, patriot, honest, responsible leadership. We have a tyrannical Marxist mentality form of leadership.

Simultaneously, there must be a movement undertaken to wake up, then properly educate, the citizenry as to what their responsibility is and how they are deeming themselves to a life of serfdom by not knowing that and taking it seriously. Lastly, we must dissolve the elitist, professional, political class. The career path of “Politician” must cease to exist in favor of “statesmen” or public servant. They work for us; we don’t bow and show obedience to them. These are the broad steps. Below is a list of specific actions that must be taken that will help do this and save our country from the progressive movement (communists, socialists, statists, Marxists, etc.). The list is extensive and no priorities are established but all must be done, in my opinion, and the initiative must begin now. Tea Parties, other grass roots groups, various conservative entities, veterans, Christians, patriots, ALL must come together. Put petty differences and egos aside for the good of the country and our posterity. Remember, if the Left side of the boat sinks, so does the Right side. Come together under one large umbrella and do what our Divinely given responsibility calls for us to do as responsible citizens.

Needed Actions: Pray for our country. Abolish the Department of Education. Reintroduce our history and founding principles and documents into the school systems. Establish Term Limits on Members of Congress. Repeal the 17th Amendment. Audit the Federal Reserve. Develop a commission to determine how to de-fang the Feds, over time, and replace our money system with a constitutionally based real value money system. Establish a Senate Reconfirmation Hearing process whereby federal judges and justices are reconfirmed periodically so as to evaluate their “good behavior.” Pass a law whereby ALL Members of Congress are held accountable for violating their Oath of Office. Documented, proven violations results in dismissal from Congress. De-fund or overturn Obamacare. Pass a National Voter ID Law whereby IDs are checked for all national elections. Reduce the power of the EPA. Investigate / expose the mainstream media for their blatant disregard of their constitutional responsibility of “reporting” instead of “swaying.” Pass a federal law that requires ALL candidates for the national ticket for President or Vice President to prove their Natural Born Citizen status before their name can go on any ballot. Abolish the Department of Energy. Investigate the Department of Justice with a Special Prosecutor. No unaccountable Czars appointed by the White House. Pass a Balanced Budget Amendment. Laws introduced in both the House and Senate must pass a certified Constitutional “sniff test” before being introduced in either house. Have a Fact Checker at all candidate debates who is part of the debate process. Replace the prime-time TV Debate format with the Job Interview format. Secure the border, period! Lower the corporate tax rate. Reform the tax system; simplify it and reduce the IRS to less than 1,000 personnel. Review every federal agency, department and program as to it constitutionality and methodically abolish those that are not. Review every agency, department and program as to its effectiveness and usefulness. Eliminate any duplication, waste, fraud and abuse. Stop the war on Christianity and put God back into the classroom and the public square. Ban Sharia Law in any form in the US. Take a realistic view of Islam; believe it when they say they are at war with us. Publicly expose elected officials who belong to anti-American groups (including CPUSA, DSA, etc.) (McCarthy Hearings II). Strong consideration should be had to the American voters looking more favorably on candidates who are veterans than those who are not. Require ALL Representatives and Senators to pass an Econ. 101 test and a US Constitution test before taking their Oath of Office. De-emphasize political party relationships in elections; focus on track record, vision, experience, honesty, character, integrity – Duty, Honor, Country. Lastly, when a sitting President commits fraud and forgery, the Congress, the Courts and the media should not turn a blind eye to the crime. It makes you complicit in the cover up.

If we don’t solve the problems we’ve allowed to develop, we will always be on the outside looking in while our rulers will be on the inside looking out. The clock is ticking and the majority of us who are informed and working towards solutions are aging rapidly. “Let’s roll” America.

(Mr. Reams is a family man, Army veteran and a retired small business owner; www.AllianceofConstitutionalPatriots.com and http://VeteransVent.Wordpress.com )