2010: The Year of Reckoning, Part II
By Robert Ringer
Note: Click Here for ‘The Year of Reckoning Part I’
Those who talk about the U.S. now coming of the “recession” are either fools or propagandists. Via health care, cap and trade, and other wildly unconstitutional measures, BHO and the criminal Congress will assure that the economy is many times worse off by next November’s elections than it is now. The objective, of course, is to bring people to their knees so they will have “no other choice” but to look to benevolent government for help.
I believe that 20-25 percent unemployment is coming … more massive bailouts of companies “too big to fail” are coming … higher taxes are coming … government
controlled health care is coming … cap and trade is coming … and, yes, jail time for those who do not obey the unconstitutional edicts of the criminal class in Washington is coming.
Could I be wrong? Sure. I thought we’d have runaway inflation and a solidly entrenched police state by the mid eighties, but I underestimated the sheer power of Ronald Reagan’s personality — not to mention the government’s capacity to print fiat currency and borrow money from China & Friends LLC.
Having said this, the only way that a “fundamentally transformed America” can be avoided is if:
Free elections are held in 2010.
Conservative Republicans sweep into power.
Said conservative Republicans immediately began to repeal ALL unconstitutional legislation — including ALL government involvement in health care, ALL forms of government welfare (including unemployment benefits), ALL government regulation of the environment, ALL government involvement in education … and so on.
In short, get rid of ALL government functions other than providing a legal system for arbitrating disputes, protecting the lives and property of citizens, and providing for a national defense. (That’s defense, not offense.)
While all this is going on, those of us who are on the moral high road should be prepared to spend enormous amounts of time and energy educating the anesthetized, sports-crazy, entertainment-crazy, vacation-crazy masses about the wonders of the free market. We must demonstrate our allegiance to truth and non-aggression by putting forth the effort to explain to them why liberty is the most valuable commodity they can ever possess. We must have enough love in our hearts to help them understand that liberty, not government handouts, gives them the best opportunity to achieve economic freedom.
These ideas are wildly unpopular right now, not just with socialist Democrats but with their Republican comrades as well. But let us not forget that there also are true freedom advocates who operate within their inter sanctum — e.g., Ron Paul, Jim DeMint, and Michele Bachmann. We just need to add to their ranks.
The year 2010 will be like no other in American history. It is not just another Carter era of sheer stupidity and incompetence. This is the real thing. This is what progressives have been working toward since the days of Theodore Roosevelt. I guess the one consolation is that if you like excitement, this is going to be the mother of all thrill rides. We are living through a major historical time that may very well shape the destiny of the human race for centuries to come — or bring about its final demise.
With regard to the latter, you may want to watch Life After People the next time it runs on the History Channel if you’d like to get an idea of how Mother Earth will swallow up our human toys and edifices after we are gone. Just remember, you read it here first.
Hmm … maybe I’ll change my byline to “The Good Humor Man.” Nice ring to it.
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Copyright © 2012 Robert Ringer
ROBERT RINGER is a New York Times #1 bestselling author and host of the highly acclaimed Liberty Education Interview Series, which features interviews with top political, economic, and social leaders. He has appeared on Fox News, Fox Business, The Tonight Show, Today, The Dennis Miller Show, Good Morning America, The Lars Larson Show, ABC Nightline, and The Charlie Rose Show, and has been the subject of feature articles in such major publications as Time, People, The Wall Street Journal, Fortune, Barron's, and The New York Times.
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In general, I agree with Mr. Ringer’s well qualified and balanced assessment. I think he makes a significant statement when he says that he could be wrong on his prognosis.
If you take Mr. Ringer’s thesis of total collapse in 2010 and broaden the time frame to a range of 2010-2020, then the likelihood of the system completely breaking down to the point of revolution and civil war increases parabolically upward. In other words, the chances of 2010 being the single year in which the BIG COLLAPSE happens is much less likely than it happening sometime within the next ten years. And that’s how I’m planning for it to happen—-long-term. That doesn’t mean, however, that I won’t be ready for it to happen this year, because I will.
I don’t believe that the Republicans will ever implement the type of changes that Mr. Ringer so correctly recommends; therefore, the only real solution is a new party that has a wide appeal to the young. After all, when the shooting starts—and it will start when America unravels— the young will be the ones out on the streets getting bloody while most of the old are home hiding under their beds. This new party that I’m talking about, it will be baptized in blood just like the Founding Fathers were.
Unless the young experience severe pain, there is no way in which to motivate a vast number of them to leave off playing their video games and get interested in a new party. And, in turn, create the kind of uprising that is necessary to destroy the socialists and restore their future. When the electric is finally shut off and there is no beer left in the refrigerator and no more weed left to smoke, then look out, because change is certain to happen. The only question remains is: who will win the hearts and minds of the young?
This brings me to something I want to say to everybody. If you’re not a lifetime member or haven’t joined the NRA, then please, please, if you do nothing else to secure America’s future, then at least support the NRA in it’s fight to keep the guns in our hands.
Yes, by all means, lets use reason and logic to educate people(especially the young) and hope and pray that it will be enough. But lets also have a plan B.
I think you know what plan B is.
And a Happy New Year to all!!! Even though I feel you MAY be just a little on the extreme side, I do believe you are correct in the concept. God help us!
Great points, Robert! Thank you for writing this issue. I read (and followed) what you wrote in the 80′s. I just think you were ahead of your time then.
Now? It is a genuine “ouch” time. However, I have a question as one who has followed you since the mid 70′s and love what you advocate.
Do you really believe we can persuade the masses of entertainment-crazed myrmidons to think for themselves? In a democracy (read “mobocracy”) they might think for a nano-second but then quickly default to what their “leaders” are promising them.
Frankly, I don’t think that education will work. Instead, what practical, specific steps can we take to “Go Galt” in the midst of the fire burning, the blood running in the streets and people going crazy?
They will blame the problems not on the ego-filled rulers in power but on the producers. We producers might need to “Go Galt” sooner than later. It’s not like the rulers are going to give us a time table for total martial law and confiscation of all assets.
What say you, Robert Ringer? This is from a die-hard follower of yours for many years who respects you greatly and listens to what you have to say. Thank you! Terry
It’s not as easy as a Republican Congress “repealing” all the socialist legislation. Any legislation has to be signed by the President. If he vetoes it, the veto may be overriden only by a 2/3 vote of each chamber of Congress, so the Republicans/Conservatives would have to have a 2/3 majority in both the House and the Senate, a practical impossibility. So, in reality, we will have to wait until 2012 and the hope of a Republican/Conservative President with a Republican/Conservative Congress with a filibuster-proof Senate (60 votes, which would be a 20 vote swing from today), or rely on a fair judiciary to throw out unconstitutional laws.
I think that this article is “right on” I am sorry to say. What really bothers me is that there aze dozens of books written that support these predictions but very few articles on the Internet. Hmmm. Oh by the way I no longer believe any of the governement reports on anything icluding unemployment, housing, health care etc. They are all filled with numerous lies. Cheers /DaveB
Perhaps you haven’t noticed, Robert, that “limited government” never stays limited. So electing what currently passes for conservatives doesn’t solve the problem.
Why don’t you try watching the DVD-set on Civilization Engineering that I sent to you a couple of years ago – you know, the set that you told me you were “too busy” to watch at that time. Rather that continue to joust windmills, try learning the real solution to the government coercion.
Groucho Marxist would be proud.
Robert, you are correct (of course) in your dire predictions. I am only confused by your undying – and unwarranted – faith in The Republican Party as our salvation. The Grand Ole Party has had ample opportunities to live up to its name, but while it talks the talk, it walks like the Democrats!
Everything you say we need to do has been suggested by the Libertarian Party. We need to provide it the support it needs to overcome the widely held belief that we can only have two parties. Both “major” parties have proven themselves unworthy of our support.
Sure, maybe the Libertarians will disappoint us once they get a taste of the power DC offers, but we must give them a chance, rather than condemn them before they’ve had that chance.
The people are ready for a third party. A recent Rasmussen poll demonstrated that. In a three-way “generic ballot” in which respondents were asked to support a party – not an individual – in a congressional race, the Democrat got 36% of the vote, compared to 18% for the Republican, and 23% for the Tea Party candidate. 22% were undecided.
Although I am dismayed that the Democrat got 36%, I am encouraged by the poll because, if you add the 23% the Tea Party received to the 22% that were undecided, you have a near-majority! (Please note the Republican finished dead last).
Mr Ringer is correct in his predictions but wrong about the cure. What Mr. Ringer fails to understand is that the Federal goverment has been slowly enslaving the American public since WW2. Using propganda and fear and it goes way beyond the Republican and Democrats parties.That is just the theater used to distract the public.
I agree with Paul Anthony that “conservative Republicans” will not be the answer–they never cease to disappoint because politics has become a game of goodies for votes, and big government enables the game. Yet, third parties are at a huge disadvantage in terms of entrenched infrastructure, organization, and fund raising ability.
The solution is for libertarians of all stripes to mount an insurgency (a la Reagan) in the primaries and caucuses and take over one of the two main parties. Since the Republicans are in opposition and still in somewhat disarray, the GOP is by far the most likely candidate.
Once the libertarian wing is ascendant, the party must immediately be re-branded as the Liberty Party or Freedom Party (maybe even the Tea Party) to disassociate itself from failed Republican policies and expand appeal among youth and minorities. We will need a dynamic leader to lead charge and rally the troops afterward, toward 2012.
Reagan failed to roll back the welfare state, but he was faced with a Democratic Congress. It will take unbelievably deft leadership and PR to reassure Americans as various federal goodies are phased out.
We must neutralize the power of the leftist media, Hollywood,and public and university education systems to neutralize all the “horror stories” after a Libertarian victory. We need start making now, as Mark Steyn said, the “long march through the institutions” as the left did.
Interesting point about “sports crazy”. It seems our country has a lot of parallels to the decline of the Roman empire. Romans were crazed over the circus maximus and suffered inflation and fought in many wars outside of their borders.
People who have followed Robert’s philosophies over the years have always been a step ahead of the so-called conservative movement. It would almost seem like America has been late to it’s own funeral while we were on time.
Conservatives are now preaching “own gold” like many of us were years ago. I have personally changed my mind about gold and feel the conservatives are still somewhat deluded with false hopes about our country’s future freedom. A brief study of history reveals that gold has been illegal to own in the past-indeed when we were in fact more like a free country than today. Buy it now and you will have a heck of a time spending it when the crash comes. It’ll probably be illegal to own again. I suggest silver or better yet copper, food, or more practical and less obvious forms of wealth.
Hi Robert,
I am not as optimistic as you in having faith that most people can even realize that extreme danger that the country is in at present. As you point out, most people are “out to lunch” when it comes to taking the constant chipping away of our liberties seriously. They are too complacent and virtually sedated by the toys, entertainments, and distractions of modern life.
I’ve come to believe that in order to understand the real gravity of our current situation, the mass media and any information being provided by the government, has to be ignored. That information is compromised and more propagandistic in nature, that factual.
The democrats are outright thieves and liars, yet they can still convince many people to vote for them. The Republicans have become liars and when elected, most fail to stick to the values of the party, and instead fall on the sword of whichever leader of the party is calling the shots.
Either way, we have no true representation
anymore among those elected to represent us.
Many vote Republican, not because they believe the Republicans rhetoric anymore, but simply because these voters despise the Democrats, as the Democrats are becoming more easily recognized to the average thinking individual as the fast track party to communism and every individual’s eventual involuntary servitude to our own government.
Again, either way in the extrapolated outcome of where we are going as a nation, we will lose with just the choices of the current two major political parties.
A viable and uncorrupted third party is the ONLY option that be used as a challenge to the death grip that the corrupted and soiled Republican and Democratic parties hold on our future.
If more people would declare openly what is obvious to most of us, which is that the major two U.S. political parties are too far gone to salvage, and declare “none of the above” when offered only those two options, then there is a chance of slowing down the decline and perhaps even reversing the current U.S. slide into the obscurity trap that whereas many of our historic predecessors can actually claim they “didn’t know any better”. We would not have that right.
We have the advantage of possibly correcting our present social, economic, cultural, and political decline by the lessons of those before us. We can see ourselves in their fatal complacency to take remedial action, and by their now acknowledged examples of decay and collapse. These negative dynamics can easily be recognized in our own present course and if not addressed and amended, we will all suffer the inevitable negative consequences.
Prosperity and stability can never be maintained over time by the threat of bayonets. The need for survival urges one to attempt to just survive, but under that spirit numbing condition, there is no urge for most, to attempt to thrive.
We need to be proactive in stemming the current tide and not reactive, after all our present options are squandered. Educate and intellectually confront, if need be, your tranced out family, friends, and neighbors ………while that option is still available.