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From Tom Woods newsletter.

View in browser Today is Independence Day in the United States, and I wonder how many people really get why it matters.
In school, we were told this: “No taxation without representation.”
Zzzzzzzz.
The real principles were more like the following.
(1) No legislation without representation.
The colonists insisted that they could be governed only by the colonial legislatures. This is the principle of self-government.
This is why a Supreme Court setting social policy for the whole country, or some agency dictating the terms of women's sports, is anti-American in the truest sense. It is the opposite principle from the one the American colonists stood for.
(2) Contrary to the modern Western view of the state that it must be considered one and indivisible, the colonists believed that a smaller unit may withdraw from a larger one. Today we are supposed to consider this unthinkable.
(3) The colonists’ view of the (unwritten) British constitution was that Parliament could legislate only in those areas that had traditionally been within the purview of the British government. Customary practice was the test of constitutionality.
The Parliament’s view, on the other hand, was in effect that the will and act of Parliament sufficed to make its measures constitutional. In other words: if they say it's constitutional, that makes it constitutional, even if that means the constitution changes from one day to the next.
So the colonists insisted on strict construction, if you will, while the British held to more of a “living, breathing” view of the Constitution.
Sound familiar?
So let’s recap: Independence Day is about local self-government, secession, and strict construction. Not exactly the themes you learned in school.
And not even what you'll learn in graduate school.
One day I decided I had to know what my fellow Columbia Ph.D. students thought Independence Day was all about.
What could these left-liberals possibly be celebrating? They don't favor local self-government, which is what the war was all about. They don't favor strict construction of the Constitution, while the colonists were insisting on precisely that, in a British context. And they certainly don't favor secession.
So what the heck did they think it was all about?
Only one person answered me: "There was a distance involved."
So the problem was that the ruling class was too far away?
"Come on, men, we must continue making sacrifices so that we may someday have exploiters who live close by!"
Awesome rallying cry they've got there.
This was a student, by the way, at what at that time was the #2 academic department in the country for American history.
Don't let people with fancy credentials intimidate you. If there's one lesson of the past several years, it's that.
We have moved so far away from 1776 ideals that is scary sometimes. It would be nice to have a refresher course for those in power "why are you here"? It changed radically from 'For the people' to 'From the people' (to their pockets)
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We have to forget the past if we want radical change and fundamental transformation.
If we eliminate symbols from the past we can revise the past.
What is wrong with rewriting history? The inner party rewrote history to enlighten us
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From the Declaration:
The history of the present King of Great Britain is a history of repeated injuries and usurpations,... To prove this, let Facts be submitted to a candid world…
He has excited domestic insurrections amongst us, and has endeavoured to bring on the inhabitants of our frontiers, the merciless Indian Savages whose known rule of warfare, is an undistinguished destruction of all ages, sexes and conditions.
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It's fascinating how Independence Day's true principles of local self-government, secession, and strict construction of the Constitution often get overshadowed by oversimplified narratives. It's a reminder that deep understanding sometimes requires looking beyond what we've been traditionally taught.
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Didnt texas talk about leaving for a while? Whatever happened to that?
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There is a movement. It will take many years if it did happen. I suspect it will happen. I don't fit into either dominant side but from where I sit the only peaceful path forward is succession. Our culture seems to have lost the ability to agree to disagree and stay out of each other's lives. Both sides (on different issues) seem hell bent on using force to make people live under their rules.
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What was the difference on? Or how will they benefit if they split from the USA?
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Its not about that. Have you not noticed how opposed the right and left are in the US?
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Yes, I know both dont get along. But is it that bad that they want to split from the USA?
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When I listen to people that hate Trump and his supporters, call him Hilter, and act like the world will end if he's elected I think there is no common ground. Same goes for the right.
It seems that neither side is interested in federalism, or each state kinda going its own way with culture. Its like they both want a strong central gov that forces their own moral code on everyone.
Its like a marriage where the love is gone. No interest in the other person. Just force. It may not happen but IMO the way to avoid open violent conflict is to separate. Most people do not see it this way yet but I see it as the peaceful path forward. There are multiple cultures clashing and the political class keeps stirring up conflict. It will eventually bubble up in violence. It doesn't have to though. Decentralization is the answer.
If you have a roommate and you begin to hate each other its best to separate. Right? If a woman is in an abusive relationship she should leave. Those that oppose succession to me are like like someone forcing a party to stay captive.
One the one hand most Americans support Taiwan. Yet, they oppose a state leaving the union even if a majority of the people in that state wanted to do it. People aren't logical at all.
That said secession seems logical to me. The US is just to big. I'm anti state but I do think more decentralized government is better than a strong central government.
Imagine how bad it would be if several Asian countries were all under one government. The cultural differences alone would cause issues.
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Hating on each other never helps. Picking each other up when we are down actually moves the world forward. We as a people need to do better.
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If you are interested in understanding there is a short book explaining it very well.
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Texas has its own power grid not subject to federal regulation or interstate commerce regulations
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17 sats \ 1 reply \ @jgbtc 5 Jul
Here's to the original insurrectionists.
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Funny how when people just want to be left alone, somehow that is radical.
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To understand who is ruling in this world people must see this mini docu. Secret City of London is a Corporation This is going way more back in the history, is not just from 17th century.
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