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The last thing I claim to be is a political-campaign
tactician. Yet it seems obvious to me that revitalization of “the
Militia of the several States” ought to become a major issue in
Representative Paul’s Presidential campaign, for the following reasons:
1.
Revitalization of “the Militia of the several
States” is required by the Constitution—“[a] well regulated
Militia, being necessary to the security of a free State” (U.S.
Const. amend. II). To this author’s knowledge, at the present time no
State either has a fully constitutional Militia in place or intends to raise
such a Militia, notwithstanding all the problems of “homeland
security” that confront this Nation.
Self-evidently,
a constitutionalist candidate should promote whatever the Constitution
requires—particularly when the Constitution describes no
establishment or institution other than the Militia as being
“necessary” for any purpose. And especially when neither
Congress, nor any State, nor any Presidential candidate is doing or saying
anything of consequence about this unconscionable and dangerous disjunction
between constitutional mandates and political practices.
2.
Revitalization of “the Militia of the several
States” is necessary to set any program of “homeland
security” on a legally proper and practical foundation.
Basing
“homeland security” on the Militia will uniquely comport with the
Constitution, which explicitly assigns the authority and power “to
execute the Laws of the Union, suppress Insurrections and repel
Invasions” to the Militia and only to the Militia, and
explicitly assigns the duty to “take Care that the Laws be faithfully
executed” only to the President of the United States, who it
appoints as “Commander in Chief * * * of the Militia of the several
States, when called into the actual Service of the United States” (U.S.
Const. art. I, § 8, cl. 15; art. II, § 3; and art. II, § 2,
cl. 1).
Basing
“homeland security” on the Militia will promote federalism in the
most thoroughgoing manner possible, because it will organize “the
security of a free State” from the bottom up, through mobilization of
concerned and knowledgeable citizens within each of the States, not from the
top down, through a central bureaucracy staffed with supposed
“professional security experts” within the General Government.
Basing
“homeland security” on the Militia will remove any further excuse
for the on-going para-militarization of State and Local police forces,
ultimately subject to directives from the General Government’s
Department of Homeland Security. This will thwart the creation, whether
intentional or accidental, of a National police state in this country.
Basing
“homeland security” on the Militia will mobilize tens of millions
of Americans for various types of service—far in excess of any police
or emergency-response forces that could possibly be raised otherwise, let alone
funded.
Basing
“homeland security” on the Militia will prepare this country for
any conceivable crisis, because it will bring to bear on the question the
minds of millions of citizens best situated, most knowledgeable, most
experienced, and most highly motivated to foresee future problems in their
own States and Localities, and to devise workable solutions for those
problems that take maximum advantage of the personnel and resources locally
available.
Thus,
making revitalization of the Militia a major campaign issue would demonstrate
to the electorate Representative Paul’s concern for and realistic
assessment of what is requisite for successful “homeland
security.” Indeed, it would demonstrate that he is stronger and more
cogent on “national security” than any other candidate, because
he would be the only one with a plan that was at once constitutional,
comprehensive, practical, and proofed against a National police state.
3.
Revitalization of “the Militia of the several
States” will restore popular self-government in this country.
At
the present time, little scope exists for intensive self-government in
America, other than during elections and on those odd occasions when large
numbers of citizens may be moved to petition their representatives with respect
to some controversial pending legislation or other governmental action. In
contrast, when revitalized the Militia will be permanent institutions, in
continuous activity, directing the attentions of the vast majority of
citizens every day towards all the needs of “homeland security”
in their Localities, their States, and the Nation as a whole. The Militia
will provide citizens, not only with a context in which critical political
debate and action could take place, but also with a personal and collective
sense of need, of mission, of cohesion, and of competence. Moreover, through
the Militia, a large measure of initiative, authority, and responsibility
will pass from public officials to the people, to be exercised by them
directly. The people will be able to solve problems themselves, rather than
wait for others to solve them (and generally be disappointed by the results);
and to act immediately, often in advance of danger, not when it is too late.
Thus, as members of the Militia, citizens will become active, self-directed
participants in self-government, rather than remaining mere spectators who
can do little more than respond to the initiatives or (more likely) failures
of others.
The
bedrock of Representative Paul’s campaign—as of his entire career
in politics—is his concern for popular, constitutional self-government.
Making revitalization of the Militia a major issue would demonstrate how this
political philosophy can be translated into actions that truly promote
“the common defence” and “the general Welfare”
(U.S. Const. preamble).
4.
Revitalization of “the Militia of the several
States” will provide a means for the American people themselves to
effect many critical reforms in addition to the restructuring of
“homeland security” against “terrorists.”
The
likelihood of a collapse of America’s monetary and banking systems in
the not-too-distant future hangs over this country as a sword of Damocles.
Although major reforms of those systems are absolutely essential, for
Congress or the Judiciary to undertake any significant actions in that
direction unless and until a financial catastrophe erupts is improbable to
the point of impossibility. Representative Paul is the only major political
figure speaking out on the issue. But it is not enough even for him simply to
advocate “repeal” of the Federal Reserve System without
explaining exactly how—gradually and systematically, according to a
detailed plan—this country’s monetary and banking arrangements
could be restructured without plunging the markets into extreme turbulence,
and the country into social and political crises.
A
controlled reform, however, could be effected through “the Militia of
the several States.” As part of a plan for providing economic
“homeland security,” the Militia could require their members
gradually and methodically to acquire adequate amounts of silver and gold
coin, to maintain accounts in “electronic” silver and gold (such
as through or an equivalent service), and to conduct their
common business transactions in silver and gold as well as in, or even in
preference to or to the exclusion of, Federal Reserve Notes. Because the
Militia would consist of the vast majority of the general public, these steps
would quickly create a parallel currency system of silver and gold coinage,
actually employed in day-to-day transactions as media of exchange, that could
circumvent, supplement, compete with, and if necessary in (or even before) an
economic calamity altogether replace the Federal Reserve’s fiat
currency and the Treasury’s base-metallic coinage—whether in just
a few States or throughout the Nation as a whole. Moreover, in his
constitutional capacity as “Commander in Chief * * * of the Militia of
the several States,” President Ron Paul could encourage, facilitate, or
even direct this process without having to wait for a politically
reluctant or incompetent Congress to act—and without having to defer to
the Federal Reserve’s “monetary policy”, because the use of
silver and gold by common Americans within the Militia is neither a part of,
nor subject to, that “policy.”
Thus,
by incorporating revitalization of “the Militia of the several
States” into his campaign, Representative Paul could present to the
voters a very concrete, comprehensive, and credible method for dealing decisively
with the dangers the Federal Reserve System poses.
A
problem that Representative Paul, as a constitutional “strict
constructionist,” will be forced to face throughout his campaign will
be the attempt on the part of other candidates and the big media to malign
him as “insensitive” to the needs of the poor and disadvantaged,
because he refuses on principle to endorse proposals to alleviate poverty and
other economic ills by means of “top-down” bureaucratic schemes
for redistribution of wealth. Here, too, supporting revitalization of the
Militia could materially assist his candidacy.
One
critical function of “homeland security” assigned to the
revitalized Militia will be to maintain economic and social stability in
their States and Localities. “The economy” and
“society” are not bloodless abstractions, however. First and
foremost, maintaining economic and social stability entails maintaining the
economic and social stability and well-being of particular individuals,
families, local businesses, educational and charitable institutions, and so
on.
Because
every able-bodied adult citizen will serve in some capacity in the Militia,
everyone through the force of circumstances will learn to work with everyone
else, and through relationships of mutual reliance and responsibility will
come to be concerned with everyone else’s welfare. Participation in the
Militia will teach Americans—from all social and economic classes, and
all walks of life—
that their
legitimate interests are often identical, and even more often interdependent;
that people should gain from the community in proportion to what they
contribute to it; that the selfish outlooks of special-interest groups and
factions are counterproductive, socially destabilizing, and unpatriotic; and
that unity in a community depends upon instilling in each member a
recognition of his personal duty to every to other member, and through that
recognition creating a spirit of mutual purpose, cooperation, reliance, and
trust.
Thus,
the Militia will become, in important part, institutions for promoting true
social welfare, primarily on the Local but also on the State level. Militia
units will concern themselves with the economic condition of their individual
members and their members’ families. They will raise money for those in
difficulty, arrange for jobs, and generally act as clearing-houses to match
the needs and skills of some members to the resources and opportunities that
other members can provide. They will assist legal immigrants to assimilate
quickly. And they will even help to socialize troubled youths, by taking them
from street gangs and other undesirable milieux (including the menticidal
“public schools”) into the discipline of Militia training where
responsible members of the community will mentor them in patriotism,
constitutionalism, and general civilized behavior. [See Ron Paul and Edwin
Vieira in the new DVD "Fiat Empire"]
Moreover,
because the Militia will operate in the very Localities where social-welfare
work may prove to be needed; will number among their members not only the
individuals who may require assistance but also those who can best provide
it; and will otherwise have unique knowledge of Local needs, personnel, and resources;
they will perform the social-welfare function far more efficiently than
distant, aloof, and uncaring governmental agencies and the bureaucrats
infesting them.
Applying
federalism, subsidiarity, self-reliance, and concern for the general welfare of
their communities, the Militia will demonstrate a “compassionate
constitutionalism” that will exceed in scope and effectiveness anything
that could be accomplished either through “liberal”
politicians’ bureaucratic “welfare” schemes, or through
“conservatives’” “trickle-down economics.”
Thus, making revitalization of the Militia a key issue in Representative
Paul’s campaign would enable him to turn the tables on all of his
detractors.
5.
Revitalization of “the Militia of the several
States” will cut across the dividing lines on America’s phony
“right/center/left” political spectrum, and unite Local
communities in mutual efforts directed towards providing the only true
“homeland security,” “the security of a free State.”
Tens
of millions of Americans instinctively know what “the security of a
free State” is—and that they do not now enjoy it. They have been
prevented from attaining that security primarily because of: (i) the
political oligopoly consisting of the “two” major political
parties, professional politicians, special-interest groups, and the big
media; and (ii) the “divide-and-rule” tactics that oligopoly has
successfully employed in election after election. Americans realize that this
is the situation, and resent it—but they do not know what to do to
rectify it.
Revitalizing
the Militia is the answer. The Militia will disarm the oligopoly and
frustrate its tactics. Because their purpose is unitary—providing
“the security of a free State”, and nothing less—the
Militia will tolerate no parties, special-interest groups, or factions that
detract from the unity necessary to achieve that end. And “divide and
rule” will have neither place, nor proponents, nor practitioners within
the Militia, because (as pointed out above) mutual duty, purpose,
cooperation, reliance, and trust will be the rule.
Edwin
Vieira
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