Promoting Wisconsin State Sovereignty (Take Action)

1. Militarism

National Issue: The $1 trillion dollar a year military budget is bankrupting the country. The occupation and oppression of nations is immoral. We must vote out war supporting legislators. Despite protesting since the sixties, the military-industrial-complex continues to control foreign policy.

State Government: It is much easier to replace a state rep than a federal one. We must vote in only state representatives who are strongly opposed to war. Our state must support legislation such as AB 203. We need courageous state reps who will enact legislation to bring our troops home regardless of whether the federal government claims the legal authority to commandeer National Guard troops. When the states bring their troops home, the wars will end. Let's bring Wisconsin's troops home.

Personal Action: People can start by educating themselves and others about the effects of our military policy on the economy and our society at large. We must study and implement non-violence as a way of transforming our culture from one that supports militarism to one in which a spirit of peace, friendship and open commerce with all nations prevails. When the moral strength of the people develops out of its infancy, no support for war will remain.

2. Monetary Corruption

National Issue: The Federal Reserve, along with the federal government, has removed all physical backing from our currency. They are currently debasing the currency through monetization to pay for bloated military and welfare spending as well as corporate handouts. This is the real cause of the economic crisis and our most pressing problem. Nationally people have been active in supporting HR1207 and S604 to audit the Fed and bring transparency to our monetary policy.

State Government: The state must protect its citizens from currency manipulation and destruction. Our state reps could enact the "Constitutional Legal Tender Act" as outlined in "Ending the Fed From the Bottom Up." This act would either allow or mandate that state transactions, such as taxes and fees, take place in gold and silver denominated assets. Since individuals and businesses would be doing business with the state, this would encourage use of gold and silver by the general population. This would immediately shore up the economy. As Federal Reserve notes continued to lose value, the advantages of hard currency would lead people to gradually transition away from FRNs to sound currency in the rest of the economy as well.

People should be able to hold bank accounts denominated both in precious metals and Federal Reserve notes. They should be able to convert funds between these accounts easily, like converting dollars to euros. This would allow people to continue to use FRNs as needed as well as to hold the majority of their funds in a stable asset.

Personal Action: The best solution of all, that everyone can do right now, is to convert a portion their depreciating paper money into precious metals. Personal investment in gold and silver provides protection against inflation and currency collapse. By moving out of FRNs you limit the ability of those in control of the system to manipulate the value of your money for their own purposes. Take physical possession and keep it in a safe place. This is a personal insurance policy for you and your family. If everyone takes action it will be a decisive move toward honesty in our currency and will take control away from the powerful interests who have hijacked our financial system. This is possible right now without any legislation!

If the reader is not ready to invest in precious metals they are encouraged to take the first step and get their money out of the big banks who are using that money to rip us all off. Put that money in a local bank or credit union. If everyone took their money out of JP Morgan and Goldman Sachs, their ability to wreck havoc would quickly come to an end.

3. Environment

National issue: The U.S. is locked in fossil fuel dependency by corporate interests that control our energy policy. Gigantic agribusiness also set our farm policy. The combination of corporatist policies in energy and agriculture are leading to unhealthy and unsustainable food and energy production as well as a destruction of the bio-diversity which supports our ecosystem. All three parts of the system described under "personal action" could have been purchased for every home in America for the cost of the bank bailouts. Then we would never need to use a drop of imported oil again and people would have minimal gas and electric bills. Now that would be a stimulus package!

State Government: People were driving electric cars back in 1890. The technology exists today to radically change our energy infrastructure to clean, local, affordable, stable and sustainable sources. Our state could help implement this by eliminating taxes for businesses providing renewable energy systems. It could make Wisconsin the least bureaucratic state and attract great new jobs to the state as well. Wisconsin could also review the usefulness of current intellectual property laws that are of little benefit to society and more often than not serve to stifle technological progress. The state could also work to change the way federal agriculture subsidies are enacted in Wisconsin. It could steer economic incentives back toward small family farms that produce wholesome food that doesn't have to be shipped thousands of miles to get here. None of the real solutions involve carbon taxes or new taxes of any kind. The answer to our problems is to innovate, not to destroy creativity and productive capacity.

Personal Action: Turn off the television. Disconnect from corporate driven consumerism as much as possible. Vote with your wallet. Buy local, shop at farmers markets, support your community, get to know your neighbors, plant a garden. Homeowners can install a geothermal heating/cooling system along with professional home solar, eliminating up to 100% of their energy bills. Electric utilities will buy the extra power you generate. You could even use your own home-generated electricity to power a currently available, fully functional electric car and eliminate your gas bill. Keep that money instead of paying it to corporations who keep us dependent on antiquated technology.

4. Preserving Freedom

National issue: America has been an experiment in human freedom. This experiment has ushered in the greatest period of prosperity, creativity and human achievement ever known. Most of humanity has lived under tyrants and oligarchs. Paralyzed by post-9/11 fear and propaganda, the American people have allowed the federal government to undermine their freedom with the PATRIOT Act, related legislation and clandestine surveillance by various "Homeland Security" agencies. Despite massive resentment, the police state rolls on. People should consider repealing the 17th amendment, thereby returning federal representation to the state governments. A move toward state and local control is a move away from global governance and complete loss of sovereignty.

State Government: The states are supposed to be free and independent and are to be agents of the people to protect freedom. State sovereignty resolutions are being debated all throughout the United States. In Wisconsin there are currently two bills: SR 6 and AJR-51. We must have only courageous state reps who will stand up for the interests and freedoms of the people. Our state government must block the implementation of PATRIOT Act provisions and other repressive legislation in Wisconsin through nullification. The Bill of Rights must not be taken away by the federal government.

Our state should enact legislation that would increase the state's control over the federal government. One example would be the creation of a "Federal Tax Escrow Account." The federal government continually manipulates state policy by demanding that certain policies be implemented or else they will withhold highway funding or education funding, etc. This is not how things are supposed to work. We should not be bribed with our own money! The state should be in charge of collecting taxes and should hold them in an account to be paid to the federal government on an annual basis on the condition that the federal government is acting in line with state policy. In the event that the state determines that the federal government is not using the money effectively, the money could stay in Wisconsin for the benefit of our people. We should have control over our own money. We can build our own roads and fund our own schools without federal bureaucrats squandering our resources.

Personal Action: We live in unsettling and uncertain times. The most important thing to do is to not be afraid. The ideas of liberty and freedom are spreading. We will be able to restore a free and prosperous society through our collective persistent action. We must do all we can to educate our fellow citizens about our situation and the solutions of local and regional self-government. Every effort is important, from a simple conversation with a neighbor to a bid for state or local office on a freedom platform.

The Wisconsin Republic model can be repeated for many issues. Some people can focus on Washington to draw attention to issues. However, the real opportunities for change lie in our ability to use the state governments to enact legislation that promotes freedom, peace and prosperity as well as the individual choices we all make to support the same. We can enact significant change by bypassing the corruption of Washington all together and by focusing on our own state, our communities and our families. The future is not written in stone. It will be what we make of it.