Saturday, June 10, 2006

Redemption

Much has occurred since I left the blogshere last June. For starters I allowed my domain name (southernnationalist.org) to expire. The group I started that project with is an interesting lot. It consists of fellows I made a vow with back in 1989. We will someday renew our cooperation but the work of Southern Nationalist ran its course. I also allowed the domain name for the American Secession Project to expire. I did not intend for that to occur, but my inattention to such matters ruled the day. In the process I lost some of the excellent papers (Secessionist Papers) written by some of the contributors. That is a real shame. A few months back I even received an email from a fellow involved with the Mildbury Institute asking me to participate in a secessionist conference. At the time I was not ready to contemplate such participation. I was still deeply involved in the objective of my hiatus. The biggest downside of letting my domain name expire was the loss of my email. My new address is posted to the left. I apologize to anyone that emailed me in the interim.

I notice that many more things have occurred. Stoney is gone and his page defunct. Likewise Matt, I notice someone else in blogging under his blogspot address now. Arkie is on a hiatus of his on with no explanation given on his page. It is encouraging that the membership rolls of the Rebel Alliance have grown tremendously.

I went completely AWOL from Christian Exodus. It was not intentional. The reasons and questions present in my head which precipitated my hiatus made is difficult for me to articulate why I simply had to pull away for everything related to the broader movement. I must apologize to Cory, Celtie, Sam and all the other good folks that fought and are still fighting the good fight. I will do that in good time personally. I would have been of little use to them the last year and my greatest fear was that my personal questions might have in some way discouraged them. Thus I left quietly and went off to arrive at answers on my own.

There are undoubtedly many other negative ramifications to my departure. The loss of my domain name will make it very difficult for anyone that read my blog in the past to find me now. I actually worked very hard on web optimization and search engine placement in the past and had good results getting people to find me based upon the topics I wanted to present. With a blogspot address that will simply not be as successful and at this point I am not ready to spend money on a domain name. I am not sure yet where I will take my blogging efforts.

I turned off blogging and stopped reading or answering most 'movement' related email for a simple yet complicated reason. I asked myself what is the point, what is possible, what will happen and what ought we do to get there. I have been constantly torn between my dispensational upbringing and my more or less covenantial adult outlook. I have pondered what is right; religiously, morally, and socially. I have contemplated the meaning of the word duty and what it means in the here and now and as it relates to future generations.

I began my contemplations with a bleak worldview. I became convinced that a few good people were doing the right thing, a lot of good people thought they were doing the right thing but consistently got it all wrong and the remainder were doing whatever was best for them. The last group by the way consistently seemed to do what was bad for the whole even if that was not their original intent. I was ready to give up. I have already sold my soul to an organization that does things on a daily basis that are inconsistent with my core beliefs. I have fought and killed for a country that has lost its way. I considered myself as much a part of the problem as any of the decision makers I loathe so intensely.


I began my search in the Bible and on my knees. I came up with only one concept to guide me through my ponderings, REDEMPTION. Redemption is what most religions teach in one form or another, some through knowledge, others through ritual, and Christianity through grace. Once I knew the real question and how to posit the inquiry I was set.

I am not talking about personal redemption; I am referring to the redemption of society, culture and our nation. In the Christian world there are two prevailing views regarding redemption, that of the dispensationalist and that of those that adhere to covenantial viewpoint. This is an oversimplification of course but the is beauty in simplicity.

The problem with the dispensationalist view is that they are convinced that the end of times is near and therefore it is unnecessary to contemplate multi-generational changes in the fabric of the world. So long as the dispensationalist votes for a politician that says they support Israel and gives lip service to hot button issues such as abortion all is well. To the dispensationalist it is most important to have your own house in order.

The problem with the covenantial point of view is that they do not give much credence to the notion of an end of times at all. They look to the promises of redemption in the Bible as applying to the Church as a whole. They believe that they church can redeem the world in Christ's name if only they can get their stuff right and work hard enough.

Neither view works well. The Church is the body of Christ on Earth but is it run by men, fallible men. The dispensationalist have it right in that only God himself can redeem the entire world, some through the acceptance of salvation and other through fire when the end of times actually occurs. That the dispensationalist occupy so much of their theology and dogma on the notion that the end is near is their downfall. It prevents them from working for small victories of redemption (collective not personal). The covenantial viewpoint often prevents those of that perspective from letting go of the global concept and instead focusing on what is obtainable and winnable.

Few are capable of facing the cold ugly truth. The real truth is that we do not know when the end may come but it will come indeed. Many before us have looked at the signs and proclaimed it was in their day. I know many "experts" make a living peddling arguments that "never before in history have all the prophecies been fulfilled". These people could be right, but then again they may have it all wrong. The Bible tells us that no man knows the time.

The uglier still part of that truth is that we will be here from now until when ever the end does come. Things will not get better overall, they will get worse. Immorality, abominations, governmental encroachments into every facet of our lives, wars and rumors of wars, all of this will continue. Good culture will continue to pass away from the mainstream of popular culture. Society will continue to marginalize Bible-believing and Christ following Christians. If time continues a time will come when Bible-based Christians will be considered bigots and hate-mongers by society in general. In time the citizenry will completely forget the notion of personal freedom or privacy. We will, and already are to a large degree, accept governmental oversight of every aspect of our lives. To remain a freedom loving, principled Christian in the future will indeed be a challenge. Only the brave will walk the true path. Many will continue to claim Christianity and certainly new-aged, feel good congregations will continue to service these people but this will not comprise the church.

A year ago I was despondent over what I perceived as my personal and our collective inability to effectively change anything of substance. A few folks have good ideas and a small minority are actually working on sustainable and potentially successful projects. However, when one considers the general apathy of the general population, the advanced state of moral decay, the atrophy of good culture and the proven historical propensity of man to corrupt every good thing the outlook seemed bleak to me. I saw no point in fighting the fight any longer. I saw no reason to hope for anything better.

I spent the last year reading extensively. As I stated above I began with the Bible but I did not stop there. I have developed a theory of what will occur and why. Much of what I now believe is based upon historical, geopolitical and economic trends. My overall theory is tempered with faith and my understanding of the Bible. For many that in and of itself is enough to discount all I will say. So be it, I cannot speak to people that discount the Bible in a convincing way and that segment of the population will never be my audience.

I will write in time in detail about the particulars of my theory and attempt to provide proof and expanded justification for each point. For now I will merely summarize.

I believe the world as we know it is most likely a long way from the final judgment. Prophecy based preachers may claim that all the signs are there but that does not make it so. Jesus told his disciples of their fate, they would be tested, tortured and die because of their beliefs. God did not condemn Sodom and Gomora until all but one family had turned from righteousness. The notion that the church and believers will get off so easy as to be raptured away from the worst that the world has to offer is naive, likewise the notion that the church or Christians as a people will ever redeem the world and its institutions is foolish and naive. We are in essence engaged in a multi-generational war that we ourselves cannot and will not win. Our only hope is to win enough battles to enable our children the opportunity to continue the fight until the cavalry arrives. We can win small battles. This is, I now firmly believe, our true charge and commission in life. We must influence as many around us as we can, we must fight the good fight even when it is hopeless.

In practical terms this is what I see for the world. The United States is a waning power; economically, morally, and militarily. People argue over the validity and scope of these areas of decline (most fools do not even have a clue as to the military decline) but in coming posts I hope establish these as undeniable facts. The world is preparing for a seismic paradigm shift geopolitically and economically. Already China and its vast markets are influencing the status quo. The European Union, that decadent old man, is rising in power and influence, and getting into bed with China. The dollar struggles daily, burdened by excessive national debt and an enormous trade deficit. Immigration continues unchecked. Our education system is a complete failure. Our once noble system of government was long ago usurped by politicians and law making judges.

The United States will fade from the pages of history. Our zenith was much briefer than many historical world powers. The United States represented what was a grand hope for Christian values and morals in the world. Our downfall is as much a result of our abandonment of that commission as it is due to our greed and avarice.

The fall will not come abruptly. It will be long, slow and painful. Just like in ancient Rome, most citizens will not realize what is occurring until it has long since become a reality. The march toward socialism, began under Roosevelt, will continue. Totalitarianism, made so fashionable and passable by Bush after 9/11, will continue apace. The economic downfall will likely be incremental, even bearable if viewed in tunnel vision. There will however, come a time when the American public readily accepts taxation at 80-90%, inflation at 4-5% (or higher). GDP for now seems to outpace inflation (3.55% vs. 3.59%) but this does not account for the market orientation of our economy. Real industrial output is the key to long-term viability. It is true enough that the world economy is flatter and more interconnected than at any point in history. Most economist view the shift to a market and service economy in the US as non-problematic. They are fundamentally wrong, unsustainable spending on numerous governmental programs, enormous debt, and a growing trade deficit will all eventually demand retribution. It is a simple conclusion that if you spend too much, borrow too much and do not make enough eventually you will find yourself in trouble. No arguments that the world economy is too complicated for such comparisons can dispel that fundamental truth.

What does this mean? In the short term the US will continue as the defacto military superpower. We have not engaged an enemy that exposes the weaknesses within the military. Money and technology can and do compensate for flaws. It helps also if you fight weakling nations. In time the money will become scarce and without the money technology is hard to obtain or maintain. What will be left is the defective organization, the product of fifty years of social experimentation and deliberate dumbing down. On the home front the pretense of the “War on Terror” will continue to accelerate the march toward an Orwellian future. The events of 9/11 are not solely responsible for an increase in the tyranny level but it has certainly made it easier for the government to find its way into every facet of our lives. Our education system produces citizens incapable of wisely voting or exercising their proper role. This not only makes it possible for corrupt politicians to continue to “lead’ the nation down a path toward destruction it also makes it difficult to find people of real worth to invent, create and make; items required in a sustainable industrial economy.

Morally the nation declines every year. Clearly there are still among us enough right thinking Christians to press certain issues (unsuccessfully). The notion that several states may ban abortion is but one example. These are minor and temporary victories (if they become victories at all). More likely these will be temporary movements in the right direction, followed by massive movements back toward evil. In time just speaking out against the immorality of homosexuality will equate to bigotry. The notion of denying gay couples parental rights is already viewed in many places as discriminatory. The Christian right has lost every battle it has fought for the last 40 years. They will continue to lose the war no matter what minor, temporary victories they achieve.

The Constitution of the United States is long dead. It is a well written document that any citizen with a decent high school education ought to be able to read and understand. Any decently educated college graduate ought to be able to interpret the nuances therein. There exists nothing more complicated in the document that that. However, the reality is that the document is interpreted and the interpretations are interpreted. Since 1861 successive presidents and congresses have ignored portions and redefined the original contract (without consent or authority). The Supreme Court has taken it upon itself to make law by judicial fiat. The Constitution is dead and with it the Republic it gave birth to.

There is no correction for the current system. It cannot be fixed. Replacing all the members of Congress will not fix it; a new President will not correct the course. It is impossible to cut out the cancer of bureaucracy and corruption that plague the system, the body is dying. A new system of government is the only solution. (mind you not a permanent solution because all built by man will eventually corrupt).

Thomas Jefferson knew full well that eventually all things must be done away with and started anew. "The tree of liberty must be refreshed from time to time with the blood of patriots and tyrants." In our current environment the notion of patriots spilling the blood of tyrants is almost insane. The Federal government (and the numerous state and local governments that have abandoned their rightful role as sovereigns and become instead lackeys of the Fed) will not go quietly even in the face of decline. The very same spy and surveillance systems established today to protect good citizens against “terrorist” will serve a troubled government against an unhappy citizenry. Ignorance and apathy abound in the general population today, few even understand what good government ought to do and not do. How could one ever expect such an ignorant, selfish and lazy people to ever rise against a slightly or greatly more oppressive government, it will not happen. By the point that rational ordinary men ask what happened to my liberty the bindings of surveillance and control will be so complete that no hope will exist for a successfully spilling of tyrant blood.

We have set our course and we must now endure the consequences. Worse still our children must endure a fate we bequeathed them. We spent our time concerned with “hanging chads” and minor congressional squabbles and never once have we risen up as a people deserving of liberty and demanded our country back. We allowed our government to wage war illegally, grossly waste financial resources, implement numerous socialist programs and we were content to vote for people that claim to care about the important issues.

Do I see any hope at all? Yes at the end of a long and painful period of suffering two possible scenarios might play out.

First it is possible that our economic downturn could occur more dramatically than the incremental process we currently face. A depression with massive unemployment and hyper-inflation sustained over a period of a couple years or more would strain the socialist systems and create turmoil in the lower strata of society. This would result in a strengthen of government tyranny and suppression of the people in order to "save us". This event could be the catalyst for good people to do the right thing.

Second, and more probable the decline will remain incremental, even if there are spikes of extremely difficult times. Twenty to thirty years from now the system will not crash but the apparent weakness and ineptness will be apparent. States or people groups that wish to take advantage of that weakness will have an opportunity to reclaim their sovereignty and liberty. The devolution of the Soviet Union followed this model, relatively non-violently. Once the monster is too weak to fight that is the time to sneak from the cave.

I believe firmly that the second scenario is not only plausible but probable. That is so long as when the time comes there are other entities ready, willing and able to step in. The time between now and then will be difficult, it will be ugly and it will be painful. We ought not bemoan the death of the Federal government. It is already a terminal case, nothing we can do, nothing at all can save it. There is no point in spending effort or thought on saving it. We should look to history, realize that all things pass away and rejoice that we are able to see the death before the beast falls and crushes us. Our time is far better spent preparing for the time when we can reclaim our liberty.

This is now my charter. Folks like Bruce Beach, Cory Burnell, the Free Vermonters and everyone else looking to secure their little piece of liberty when the time comes have it just right. When the time comes, when the beast enters its death throws localities must be prepared to assert or reassert their sovereignty. The people must be educated enough to at least understand what is at stake and a core group of founding father type leaders must be available to build anew. My mission is exposing the failures of the current system and praising the efforts of those that are building movements that will eventually lead us to a better future (at least until man corrupts the new system and it too has to be replaced.)


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