Forty Percent

 

The cure for the evils of democracy is more democracy!

H. L. Mencken, Notes on Democracy, 1926

 

 

{editors note: In discussions on how to approach this topic, two quotes kept entering the debate. We decided to utilize both, despite some question as to their origins.

To wit:

All tyranny needs to gain a foothold is for people of good conscience to remain silent. – credited to Thomas Jefferson

 

With the first link, the chain is forged. The first speech censored, the first thought forbidden, the first freedom denied, chains us all irrevocably.

Credited to Star Trek: The Next Generation}

 

 

Tyranny is at the door and it seems that the electorate appears to be, at best, either ambivalent or oblivious to that reality. The founders and framers constructed the United States Constitution specifically to protect the individual. It was designed to limit the power of government. The rights of freedom for America’s citizenry are beautifully enshrined within the first ten amendments, known as the Bill of Rights.

 

The political left is intent on dismantling those rights because of a specific hatred.

 

We would ask you to consider what happens when the following constitutional rights are ignored for any single American citizen.

 

To wit:

 

An American citizen is told that they may not speak about their court proceedings, but if they do, severe sanctions will be imposed for simply speaking.

First Amendment
Congress shall make no law respecting an establishment of religion, or prohibiting the free exercise thereof; or abridging the freedom of speech, or of the press; or the right of the people peaceably to assemble, and to petition the government for a redress of grievances.

 

Is it acceptable to be threatened with imprisonment for speaking your truth? The freedom of speech is meant not to protect speech you accept, but for that which you hate loathe and despise.

The same American is in dispute with the government over ownership of papers. Rather than allow the legal process to follow its just course, the government launches a raid to seize the documents. They even search underwear drawers, a site that would not be listed in a warrant, as mandated by the Constitution. Remember the Constitution limits the actions of the government. It might be difficult and cumbersome to legally delineate specifics in a warrant, but therein is the point.

 

Fourth Amendment
The right of the people to be secure in their persons, houses, papers, and effects, against unreasonable searches and seizures, shall not be violated, and no warrants shall issue, but upon probable cause, supported by oath or affirmation, and particularly describing the place to be searched, and the persons or things to be seized.

 

As the American citizen is prosecuted by the state, and while a civil and not criminal case, he is not afforded the right to examine the witnesses against him. Oddly, the only witness against him is the states prosecutor, who ran for office specifically to put the one citizen in jail. Not on a platform of protecting the people, but to railroad this singular person. The case brought against this citizen has no victims. All associated parties have all been made whole in the normal course of business. The state, however, wants this one citizen crushed. So the prosecution and persecution continues unabated.

  

Sixth Amendment
In all criminal prosecutions, the accused shall enjoy the right to a speedy and public trial, by an impartial jury of the state and district wherein the crime shall have been committed, which district shall have been previously ascertained by law, and to be informed of the nature and cause of the accusation; to be confronted with the witnesses against him; to have compulsory process for obtaining witnesses in his favor, and to have the assistance of counsel for his defense.

 

The State, having secured a guilty verdict, a decision THEY KNOW WILL BE OVERTURNED, nevertheless continues with imposing a penalty. The populace is aware that OJ Simpson who was found liable for butchering two human beings was ordered to pay thirty million dollars. There was no victim, and no crime in the case of the Citizen. Somehow a single judge was allowed to impose a penalty in excess of ten-fold to the OJ penalty. In addition, the citizen has 30 days to post that amount in order to appeal, and the prosecutor has gleefully announced the State will seize assets to satisfy the judgement.

 

Eighth Amendment
Excessive bail shall not be required, nor excessive fines imposed, nor cruel and unusual punishments inflicted.

 

We are confident that our readers are fully aware the citizen of this narrative is Donald Trump.

This post however is not a defense of Trump. It IS a warning to the American people to take heed of the quotes that led this column. The Constitution was written to prevent the government from doing exactly what they are attempting to do to Trump.

Love him or hate him, he is correct when he states that if they can do it to him, they will certainly do it to all of us.

We implore you to let your voice be heard in defense of the Constitution, or surely those quotes will become self fulfilling prophecies.

Unless you are comfortable surrendering 40 percent of your constitutional rights.

 

Willful Retention

 

The cure for the evils of democracy is more democracy!

H. L. Mencken, Notes on Democracy, 1926

 

 

 The special counsel investigating Joe Biden’s handling of classified documents released his final report last week. Immediately, the  political and punditry class, in conjunction with a sycophantic and stenographic media began a coordinated obfuscation of what the report said.

 

The Madison Conservative will distill the report down to its essential point and in doing so bring clarity to the issue.

 

We will wait until a later date to discuss the comparisons to former President Trump’s classified documents case until such time as it is properly adjudicated.

 

The core of the Biden case comes down to two words:

 

“Willful retention”

 

The special counsel found that Biden had KNOWINGLY  broken federal law going back to his days in the United States Senate. He had illegally taken documents out of a ‘skiff’. A skiff is a location that forbids any type of electronic devices and any type of recording instrument. Nothing comes out of a skiff. As a senator and then vice-president, Biden was fully aware of skiff protocols.

Biden and his defenders attempted to place blame at the feet of “staff”. Staff were never in the skiff. We do not know if his staff even had sufficient security clearances to handle the top secret classified documents stored in his garage. Joe broke federal law all on his own, with full knowledge of his crime.

 

The political left has attempted to paint the special counsel as a partisan hack intent on embarrassing the President. Their argument states that the only reason a prosecutor would make note of Biden’s failing memory would be to cause political damage to his hopes for re-election.

As to why a prosecutor would say such things, those decrying the  comments, they might have had a point. In unison, the buzz word is that questioning Biden’s  mental capacities was “gratuitous”. Biden himself expressed outrage at many of the comments about his forgetting the date of his son’s death. He then promptly forgot the church where his son received the rosary Biden carries. He then confused Egypt as Mexico.

There is  sadly a growing list of Biden losing cognitive function, but such examples would not support a decision by the special counsel to opt out of bringing charges against the President.

The people raising their voices to declare that Biden has been vindicated have not read the report and are wildly ignorant of the law.

 

To wit:

The evidence against Biden was deep and  damning. He was NOT found innocent. The reason the special counsel did not bring charges was that he felt a jury would not convict “an old man with a poor memory”. That belief was based upon two days of interviews spanning five hours. Biden demonstrated such poor memory he might not remember actions he had taken. Those findings are what seem to drive the political left and the media to distraction.

 

We do not understand why.

By federal statute, if a special counsel chooses not to prosecute, he MUST explain why, in his report to the Attorney General.

 

Consider that the President of the United States was found not mentally competent to stand trial, but can fulfill the requirements of his office?

 

If the Biden administration wishes to refute the findings, their course is simple and clear.

Release the recordings from the president’s interviews. Bill Clinton did.

 

The American people are waiting.

 

  

        

 

 

 

 

 

The Madison Conservative 2023 Platform - It's Your Right - Secure It Or Lose It

 

The cure for the evils of democracy is more democracy!

 

H. L. Mencken, Notes on Democracy, 1926

 

The right to vote, and to do so in secret without fear of reprisal or retribution, has been at the core of democracy for as long as people have yearned to breathe free.

Sadly, the current governing political class, across all persuasions, abetted by a sycophantic media, have not been fair and honest stewards of that dream. Rather, the need for power and control has left our electoral process in a shambles, and if we do not fight to preserve it, it and America herself, will surely  perish from the face of the earth.

This is not hyperbole. It is a guarantee.

 

Before a problem can be solved, it must be acknowledged, so let us examine where liars and narcissists have taken us.

The Republicans have tried to institutionalize their private organization by securing a “.gov” domain suffix. The “.gov” domain is intended for official government departments. The Republicans are NOT a government agency, try as they might. The Democrats use the appropriate “.org” domain designation.

 

The political left decries “dark money” in politics, then raise record fundraising totals from untold and unknown sources. Yes, the Republicans follow suit.

Hypocrisy abounds. As the saying goes, campaign finance reform is like the weather. Everybody will complain about it, but nobody does anything about it.

The Democrats and Republicans – private political parties – have created a byzantine and convoluted ballot system designed to limit third, fourth, even fifth parties from gaining equal access to being on the ballot for voter’s consideration.

The media supports the two-party power conglomerate by featuring stories on how Americans should not “throw away” their ballots on third party candidates. The media creates a false narrative by talking about “off-year” elections, which is nothing short of voter suppression.

Instead of preserving the sanctity of the secret ballot, the political class has diluted it by extending election cycles to months, under the claim that the beleaguered voter needs time to cast their ballot. This requires months?

America used to announce election results on Election Night. Because of Covid, laws were passed to extend voting windows past Election Day, under the guise of extending democracy. No one has explained how that works, and the media has demonstrated an astounding level of ambivalence on that point.

Ensuring the axiom of one man, one vote, and providing a valid ID at the polling place is now racist. Apparently securing a valid ID is too difficult

for citizens of color. Who’s the racist, given a current and valid government ID was required to receive a Covid shot?

There are an almost infinite number of issues, but time and space are limited.

Now that the problems have been identified, instead of merely complaining, we propose these following starting point solutions:

MONEY –

This has a simple remedy. If you run for office, you may only accept money from legal residents of the district in which you are running. Any monies from any other source would be considered felonious election racketeering and will be prosecuted as such. There is no reason for a Los Angeles donor to fund a congressional race in Tennessee. NOBODY is that altruistic.

 

BALLOT ACCESS -

America is a country of 350 million. We deserve more than two choices.  Any candidate who can collect signatures from 15% of the district’s electorate will be allowed on that districts ballot.

 

VOTER ID -

Every voter must present a valid, current, government issued photo ID in order to cast a vote. The strict restrictions for absentee ballots remain in place.

 

The reality is that the workforce has dramatically changed and must be addressed. Election Day should be extended to the Saturday, Sunday and Monday preceding Election Day Tuesday.

It’s time to vote for freedom from electoral monopolies.

 

The Madison Conservative 2023 Platform - Free Speech (pt.1)

 

The cure for the evils of democracy is more democracy!

 

H. L. Mencken, Notes on Democracy, 1926

 

When we decided to do the “election platform series”, our outline for this particular post was to discuss how Joe Biden and the political left, with unbridled support from the full swath of media, has been attempting to destroy free speech in the name of ‘truth’.

The world has changed quickly as of late, and the battle for free speech is being fought on new terms of engagement. We will revisit our intended discussion at a later date.

There is a more immediate debate to be had on free speech.

 

The slaughter of innocents in Israel by the terrorist group Hamas has led to protests and riots around the globe.

The concerning part is that they seem to be in support of the butcher.

In the United States, the rise of anti-Semitic rhetoric is cause for deep concern.

History has shown us that it is a short leap from word to action when the language of hate is concerned. Officials seem more than willing to prosecute citizens for calling someone  the wrong pronoun, but advocating for genocide is protected speech?

The truth is that free speech does not provide cover to anyone who is promoting a call to arms in support of murder. In the case of “mis-gendering”, the political left claims that “language is violence”.  No, language is language, the means by which we communicate. Violence is when language becomes violent action with the intent to cause physical harm or bodily injury.  Calling someone a ‘he’ who prefers to identify as a ‘she’ is an apology. Surrounding a group of people, pushing them around and chanting “death to Jews” is violence and is not free speech.

This is the delicate tightrope walk American democracy has been walking for 220+ years. The freedom of speech is not protected for just the popular, widely accepted opinions. It’s purpose is to give the minority view the same protected rights to express their thoughts with equal freedom.

As long as there is no violence, or the promotion of violence, beliefs you may find abhorrent MUST have the same right to be heard.

The axiom of “I hate what you say but will defend with my life your right to say it” must return to prominence in the debate on free speech.

Those who foment violence will get their just punishment. The rest of society must raise their voices as one to put the lie to the statement that genocide is a solution. Those who remain silent will be the next group marked for elimination.

This debate will continue, but we suggest that if you feel the need to limit somebody’s speech, take a deep breath, count to the ten amendments and reconsider your stance.   

 

The Madison Conservative 2023 Platform - Immigration Is By Definition A Legal Act

 

The cure for the evils of democracy is more democracy!

 

H. L. Mencken, Notes on Democracy, 1926

 

America can be, and is, defined in many different ways. At its most basic, America is a sovereign nation due to the fact it has clear and definable borders.

Joe Biden and the political left believe enforcing borders is hateful, racist and should allow for anyone to stroll on in.

Insanity defined.

 

The Trump administration was successful in bringing the illegal immigration chaos under a level of control, having the flow of humanity across the border slow  to manageable levels. It was not perfect, but the trend lines were heading noticeably lower. In short, the Trump policies were working. Tactics such as ‘remain in Mexico’ kept the issue as a process, not a crisis.

 

Joe Biden and the political left, driven by their psychotic hatred of Trump, blew up our immigration policies and laws. Nobody seems to know why, and our sycophantic and stenographic media has never questioned the rationale for doing so.

 

Consider:

Opponents of legal immigration asserted that Trump put children in cages, even providing photographic evidence. Minor problem – the photos dated back to the Obama administration.

Whoops.

 

Homeland Security Secretary Alejandro Mayorkas lied to the American people, Congress, and anyone who would listen as he supported Joe’s persecution of  INNOCENT border agents, promising the nation “they will pay. They will pay!”

Pay for what? Biden tried, convicted, and passed sentence on officers who were FALSELY accused of ‘whipping’ illegal aliens. When the evidence was presented after Biden’s declaration, the President punished them and destroyed their careers in an attempt to shield his lie. Perhaps the most heinous act in the entire episode was that Secretary Alejandro Mayorkas KNEW the officers were innocent. The e-mail informing him of that fact, BEFORE Biden spoke, has been released. This man is the same one who lied to Congress that the U.S. southern border was secure, even as his department released the number showing the border was wide open.

The facts continue to demonstrate that the border is broken, with intent, by the political left, the group who keeps repeating the mantra that “no one is above the law!”

Ok. Lets frame our solution playing by their rules.

 

Every Democratic politician claims that the system is broken and the answer lies in a ‘comprehensive’ immigration process.

We ask this simple question.

Why? We have immigration laws and policies being broken every hour. How is it that future citizens are able to go through the existing process to obtain citizenship? Obviously the system is working well at some level. Apparently though, not for those who feel they can ignore the law. The same law Democrats claim everyone must obey. Their argument has no merit.

 

The political left plays the sympathy card, sobbing for the innocents who only want a better life but have been forced to live in the shadows. These illegal aliens put themselves into the shadows all on their own. Their first action when entering our country was to break the law. The law, remember, we must all obey.

Is America a land of immigrants? Of course. A nation of LEGAL immigration. Do we welcome new citizens? Also of course. But become part of the melting pot. The right way.

And the end of the line is over there.

 

{ed. Note. We will revisit this issue in much greater detail after the New Year}

 

 

The Madison Conservative 2023 Platform - "The Baneful Effects of Party"

 

The cure for the evils of democracy is more democracy!

 

H. L. Mencken, Notes on Democracy, 1926

 

The framers of the United States Constitution have had their brilliance proven again, almost 235 years after its inception. President George Washington, in his farewell address to the nation, tried to implore future generations to heed its wisdom.

To wit:

The Constitution does not provide any inclusion of political parties within the framework of a functioning government.

Washington explicitly warned of the “baneful effects of party.”

 

The recent display of idiotic surrealism in  electing a Speaker of the House sadly demonstrates that the political class and the imbecilic media are more concerned with blood sport than providing for a flourishing democracy.

The Speaker of the House is the only Legislative officer specifically named in the Constitution, and is second in line of succession to the Presidency of the United States. The position was vacated by a person of no significance and with no concept of actions having consequences. The process, nevertheless was handled under agreed upon rules of the House, and so we can find no constitutional flaw within the process.

Stupid is as stupid does.

However, there are several constitutional concerns raised by the situation that we believe merit discussion.

In no particular order;

The media was flooded with majority this person, minority that person all spewing forth that the process was bordering on a “constitutional crisis”, or it “shaking the foundations of our democracy”.

Utter nonsense. The Constitution is well equipped to deal with a Speaker vacancy. The ones claiming that democracy is in danger are actually the ones visiting havoc on democracy. The majority and minority officials are a creation of over-inflated egos and have absolutely no constitutional standing. They are political hacks getting perks and cash, supplied by the taxpayer, for doing partisan, non-governmental political work on behalf of a political party. The positions should be abolished and not replaced.

The political class has successfully entered into the American electoral bloodstream that America is based upon a two-party system, a belief created by the two parties in a bold faced power grab. They have told a nation of 350 million they have one more elective option that Russia, China and North Korea.

The political class has institutionalized the farce that is the primary season. The taxpayer is paying for private entities to choose their nominee. By all means, engage in the process, but pay for it yourself. America was founded without any political parties, and can do just fine without them.

A free people should have diverse opinions as to how best to support their nation. While we do not support the concept of polls – just ask President Dewey, Hillary Clinton, or even John Kerry - but for this discussion, let’s use polls as a starting point.

A majority of polls show a majority of Americans:

-Favor some limitations on abortion

-Think the government spends too much

- Want answers as to how the tax dollars sent to Ukraine were spent

- Believe there are only two genders; male and female

The economy under Bidenomics is failing.

 

There is no political party that the majority of Americans can call home. It is time to dissolve the political parties and return America to a true constitutional republic.

In this way, the next Speaker vote will require a true American political coalition, which will better serve our nation.

Or does an either or sound better?

 

The Madison Conservative 2023 Platform - Do Not Forget The Warriors

 

 

 

The cure for the evils of democracy is more democracy!

 

H. L. Mencken, Notes on Democracy,

https://www.vva.org

 

President Joe Biden recently took a trip to southeast Asia, ostensibly to promote lines of diplomatic communications and to begin discussing potential trade issues.

Biden, as did each of his predecessors for the past 50 years, failed to demand discussions of the only number which should ever concern a United States President:

  As of June 9, 2023, the number of Americans missing and unaccounted-for from the Vietnam War was 1,579: 1,238 in Vietnam, 285 in Laos, 48 in Cambodia, and 7 in the People’s Republic of China’s territorial waters.

Ever the hypocrite, Biden makes the grand gesture of ending his nonsensical ramblings with the comment “may God protect our troops.”

When the opportunity to take action on that prayer, he chose to go silent. As noted, every president has failed in securing a full account of our American heroes. Given Biden’s conduct regarding his cowardly retreat from Afghanistan at the cost of 13 active military personnel, his silence on the POW/MIA issue is particularly painful. When the coffins of the 13 returned, Biden checked his watch and told grieving families he understood their pain given he lost his son who served in Iraq. Sadly, Beau Biden died from cancer, but not from war-incurred wounds, and his family was able to say goodbye. The families of the 13 had no chance for such farewells, and were met by a president who had other things to do.

Biden’s disdain and contempt for our military is evident, and a bell that cannot be un-rung.

 

It IS heartening to see that the public’s view has changed for the positive. People who see an active duty or veteran will reach out and thank them for their service.

It would be nice if the commander-in-chief shared that respect.

 

When the Vietnam veterans first returned, they were spat upon, given no parades, and ignored by the political class as undesirables. As time marches on, we are quickly losing our veterans to age and declining health.

Joe Biden must offer the vets a salute and demand in the name of each and every hero who has not yet come home a full accounting of those still lost.

Americans must demand that not a single cent go to any country harboring the remains of our warriors.

Failure to do so will cause us, and deservedly so, national pain and shame.

American citizenship demands no less.