Canceling the American Experiment

As always, inspire -- don't fire, the small people who said something they now regret, but cannot escape it -- with care, for we are all Americans

PREFACE: Since some people are losing their livelihoods at this point, and no longer just 'one side' (I should have said it then), I feel it's my counter-point to ask people to reconsider any forced resignations, or other terminations, hence this article.

In the US, I feel we're headed down the road of Free Speech erosion that overtook the US during World War I, and accelerated by World War II. It was even supported by the Supreme Court of the United States (SCOTUS) at one point, until those prior rulings were finally overturned by the same. It was this sequence of events to radical changes over a decade, including the institution of things like 'internment camps' and other, shameful things we did by the second war.

MY POINT: Let people feel shame, but don't fire them, don't turn them into pariahs. Humility is a powerful incentive for people to change. Don't destroy their livelihoods. The US was very much founded on not doing that, ending debtors' prisons, ensuring trial by jury, and so much more.

Yes, there were the US Mass Media who were hinting at, even wanting, 'what happened,' all while they had jeered for and cheered on firings and making others into pariahs for even wearing a hat. Saturday Night Live (SNL) even suggested 'debanking' was 'made up,' even though it's becoming common in the US (let alone even the UK). We even canceled kids, who were still being 'canceled' into college, despite actually defending those of alternative lifestyles, against others who were actual bigots, because they were one party, one religion (yes, many American Christans in the US support the right of people to have alternative lifestyles).

And yes, there were powerful influencers on social media who said prior, that one politician, and anyone in that party that supported him, should have been censored, even had their livelihoods destroyed, and, yes, assassinated. They wold often bring up Hilter and the National Socialists as justification, but all without knowing their full and real history.

Saying Nazi, w/o Remembering Weimar & Soviet

Some in the Weimar Republic said all that and did similarly, to the National Socialists (Nazis), all while ignoring the Soviet Socialist doing the same. Yes, that's an oversimplification, but there is enough 1:1 to make my bigger point. It made the Nazis, let alone Hitler, more popular than ever. All the meanwhile, the same Wiemar Republic pushed authoritarianism and 'Never Question the State' attitudes, even ending trial by jury (something that is still institutionalized), let alone the Soviet was gaining popularity as they did.

Hardly 'enlightening' of an approach, yet ... we're repeating it.

If we Americans give into the same, we are no better, and only condoning State-encouraged retribution, even State-sponsored in some ways. It's amazing how we're literally defending the State saying and doing things these days, against our fellow Americans, instead of being Americans. We should be saying the State cannot define what is misinformation, what is allowed, and if people should always have access to their livelihoods, money and property, regardless of speech.

MY POINT: Let's not pick on the small people. Go after the major influencers. Political staffers are one thing. They signed up for getting fired over their speech. But everyday people, even bottom level public servants (to a point), have a right to the 1st Amendment. Yes, even here.

Remember, that same, still over-quoted, "Yelling Fire in a Crowded Theater" argument was later re-ruled Unconstititional for a reason. It was initially used to suppress anti-war speech, let alone pro-German and, later, subsequently, additional pro-Japanese sentiment. Then, it was just for being German, and finally any Japanese at all. To give you an idea how bad it was for some German-Americans even in WWI, they changed their entire family names, from names like Schmidt to Smith, and not just for nationalistic reasons. And I don't think I have to revisit what American forced on the Japanese-American, even some Native Americans.

History is dangerously coming close to repeating itself in the US. We've always, eventually, 'stepped back' and looked at our fellow American, and realized ... there are just enough powers that try to keep us divided. And there's a reason for that. And it's 250-plus years old too, such as what happened by 1770.

Why Our Experiment, Let Alone Nation, Exists

Way back then, the State declared the power of the Press came from the Crown, not the Individual Right of Free Speech being the real source of power of the Press. And that's just the start of it.

Remember, some behind the powers in the House of Commons and Lords even wanted the Crown Chartered Thirteen (13) Colonies to rebel against the increases in taxes too, like the Massachusetts even did. By 1775 they asserted the power of the Militia, like the Press, did not come from the Crown, but the Individual Right of Bearing Arms came being the real source of the Militia, and moved to seize armories. And that was the real start of it all.

Even if nearly all the other colonies were pleading with the Crown, and condoning what happened in Massachusetts, it was unstoppable by then. King George III, to his credit, was privately sympathetic. He had dealt with international trading companies getting into wars with their own, private militias and troops, with Parliament always bailing them out with Crown troops. Virginia was sympathetic to those in Massachusetts for this reason, especially being the home to several military leaders involved with those wars.

You see, King George III understood those Crown Chartered colonies were 'well developed,' and other trading companies now coveted them. Even the distrust between New England and Canada, especially around the Hudson Bay Company and others, was still going on after the war -- through 1812 -- among other issues. Yes, it wasn't always the Crown, and many times, it was more private affairs of corporations. But also, in the undeveloped areas, the Lords and military were also interested in new homesteads in America well. So either the colonies paid more taxes, or the they rebelled, and those colonies lost their charters to others, along with the undeveloped land they claimed after the recent war with the French.

MY POINT: The British Merchant Republic saw the Crown Charter one the greatest, collections of self-governing, subsidiary representations of an ultimate community over 150 years, and one might argue as far back as almost twice as long, and then destroyed its relationship in less than 3 years. We can do it just as fast, and just like the British did too. We're even following their lead, including 'tearing down' almost every single one of our top eight (8), individual protections based on our top 8 greivances against British rule.

Benjamin Franklin, among other, major 'influencers' of the time, realized where that was heading the second he tried to plead with the American case in Parliament. The attitude, with very few exceptions by Parliament, was the same 'Submit and Conform,' without any consideration, which is where the whole 'representation' argument eventually came from. Republics aren't built -- or rebuilt -- out of ideas, but just people just expecting to 'at least have a say,' if they are expected to 'conform.' Censorship and, ultimately, 'forced submission,' destroys that.

The few in the UK that warned against what Parliament was doing, on the behest of major corporations, were listening to the associations and guilds of the independent merchants, traders and Workers. They were the ones that saw and even dealt with those huge, international trading companies that controlled Parliament. They knew the motives and reasons, but in our rush of nationalism v. State (Crown) submission, we destroyed any understanding, and 'went at each other.' We Americans would do it again with ourselves 'another four score' later, instead of stopping to address the real issues. That's why slavery really didn't exactly 'end' for at least another century, as we didn't want to 'face the economics,' just blame everyone else, selfishly, for cheaper goods.

RELATED: And just like the 1860s failed to address things through even the 1960s, we're repeating more history with a broken, anti-meritocratic, non-immigration, trillion-dollar unrealized GDP system, that neither party seems to address rightfully as well, but that is another, very deep, discussion.

We've managed to reverse course enough times, with the worse being WWI-II, with a global depression, especially one that hit the US hard, after an era of 'cheap debt' in the 1920s. There's always a reason, and it's a small subset who benefits from us 'being distracted.'

Rough Economy Ahead ... Be Even More Vigilant

When people have to eat, they tend to listen to those who promise otherwise. But for me, whenever I hear anyone talk of 'certainty' or even pry on fear in their 'message,' and call for all others to be censored for 'misinformation,' I begin to question. And it's not that I 'take issue' with the politicians, but the people listening. Why? Because it's every one of us Americans that have the power to implement what is being said. Instead, we should care.

Especailly right now, as one party does not have a 'defacto monopoly' on popularism or nationalism or misinformation, far from it! And just because one is sympathetic to their fellow Americans, or others, doesn't mean one is 'against Democracy' either.

MY POINT: Just like Germans, and Japanese, in America, there are plenty of Russian ex-pats in the US now, even Europe, who have been debanked, but are about as far from being 'Russian oligarchs' as one can get too. There will be more in the future if we don't reverse as well, and we need to stop saying people are 'in Putin's Pockets' too**, for questioning.

We Americans should stop and not be quick to judge others, but get to know them, help them. And that includes being sympathetic to the 'shame' some must feel right now for things they said or did, even promoted, as the 'lessons' they needed, and the 'humility' they likely have. We don't destroy our fellow Americans when their down, especially if they had little-to-no influence, and are just everyday Americans who 'made a mistake.' It's no different than during the lockdowns when people were screaming, "You're going to kill my grandmother!"

These are our fellow Americans far from the trenches of politics, and the swamp of those who say and support, 'in politician,' things like "Never let a good tragedy go to waste." These are our fellow Americans are the ones who make up this country, and are the ones we should continue to support, and argue for inclusion. Just like those independent merchants, traders and workers tried to warn their fellow Brittons about what Parliament was up to, and the international corporations behind them, in His Majesty's name, at the expense of their fellow, Crown subjects ... we Americans.

No more 'us v. them.' It's just us Americans, together.

**P.S. Coincidentally, writing this article, as it was reported just days later, a LTC Army Reservist, and former Congresswoman -- one who has been politically demonized as 'in Putin's Pockets' / 'Putin's puppet' -- was noted to be on at least an US TSA watch list and having up to a half-dozen US Marshalls follow her travels at any time. She uses a military ID to travel, which made even TSA agents question why she was being tracked, and it was not 'random' either. US Marshall whistleblowers have reported her 'status' to their leading union and advocate group as wasteful ad unwarranted. It is enough of an issue, elected officials from her home state, have openly questioned why their citizen is being tracked, to little response. It's time we Americans get back to trusting our fellow citizens, and not questioning everyone, much less 'turning them in,' whenever we disagree with their political views. This includes not moving to 'distance ourselves' from our peers, and recognize we don't need to be 'isolating' ourselves from one another ... no matter what is said in the heat of a passionate discussion.

From experience, being that 'unifier' and 'seeing all sides,' as well as 'contrarian' that 'only cares about risk,' that is often accused of 'sitting the fence too much,' I get so many 'labels' thrown in my direction, that people have wondered how I have a job ... despite being a lifelong 'No Party' affiliation, and not someone who believes in organized religion for myself, but respects all religions, all creeds and all cultures of others, and always 'takes the time' to 'listen and understand' other viewpoints. The concept of 'insider threat' really isn't about people who say unpopular things or have strong views, but those who are the ones who actually 'act' upon them. There are great differences between 'views' and 'acts.' Otherwise, we're literally going to be 'turning in' half the country ... or 'the other half,' and we don't need that type of tribalism to overtake us.