Quote of the Day:
“Republican leaders can’t control the libertarians in their midst and are starting to conclude it’s better not to try.”
In this issue:
- Seven signs of positive direction
- Three heralds of growing rebellion
- Five signals that public opinion has turned in your direction
On Monday I told you about …
- Four Congressional victories on the subjects of Syria, Egypt, defense spending, and drone surveillance
- A positive step toward reducing conflict with Iran
- Two near-misses on the Amasha-NSA amendment and ending combat in Afghanistan
I count that as seven signs that things are starting to move in a positive direction.
I predicted that the Amash amendment would come back and pass in the near future.
I also said I couldn’t remember the last time the Military Industrial Complex had lost any decisions in Congress, let alone four of them.
I suggested that these events might represent a turning point leading to less conflict and foreign meddling. On Tuesday I shared two other reasons to think so. I described how …
- The Military Industrial Complex had to strain to defeat the Amash amendment
- The GOP leadership even had to resort to fraud to win by a mere dozen votes
I suggested that our opposition is losing strength, and promised that today I would share …
The heralds I see of a growing rebellion
I was watching C-SPAN during the Amash vote. They must've taken 30 or 40 calls during the voting. The callers were angry! (Herald 1)
- Many of them compared the Amash vote to the 2008 bailout vote. People have neither forgotten nor forgiven these past transgressions.
- One caller even suggested that a revolution is coming. She said she hoped it wouldn't involve force, but that this government would need to be replaced.
There are also indications that those who voted wrong on the Amash-amendment will face hostile crowds when they return home. (Herald 2)
Nancy Pelosi is a good example. Protests are already being planned for her August recess. So-called progressives are especially offended by her traitorous hypocrisy, and they’re saying so.
Groups of citizens are also starting to meet with their Reps. They’re going into these meetings with cameras rolling. They’re starting to treat politicians the same way citizens have taken to treating the cops. Don’t trust them. Record everything they do. (Herald 3)
I count that as three heralds of growing rebellion.
Think about how things have gone …
- The bailouts sparked the Tea Party AND the Occupy Movement
- Obamacare sparked hostile crowds at public forums
- Now this NSA vote is inspiring a new round of dissent
At no point has the public forgotten about the past transgressions. Public dissatisfaction has simply grown and grown and then grown some more. Will Congress finally respond, and start to change?
The votes held last week suggest that the answer could be Yes. But the response of the people suggests that it may not matter, because …
If the spirit of rebellion keeps growing, then we can’t help but win in the long run, no matter what Congress does in the short run. And please notice something else …
- The left-statists and right-statists are no longer leading the debate. Instead …
- A tiny minority of libertarians like Justin Amash and Rand Paul are making the whole system tremble.
Your work with Downsize DC is a part of this. So be of good cheer…
- When Congress votes with you, then you win , like you did last week on Egypt and Syria and drone surveillance.
- But when Congress votes against you then the rebellion grows , and you STILL win .
You are now in the driver’s seat, though you may not fully realize it yet. The key is public opinion, which has steadily swung in an anti-statist direction …
- 68% of Americans think government poverty programs either have no impact (19%), or make the problem worse (49%)
- 56% believe the feds are worse than Wall Street
- 55% want US troops out of Europe
- 53% of Americans believe that student loans have made tuition more expensive, not less
- 66% of Americans now OPPOSE closed borders — the highest number ever
I count that as five signals that public opinion has turned in your direction, but the list could easily be longer.
So what can YOU do to take advantage of this ? I hope you’ll keep supporting Downsize DC …
Today, is the last day of July. We are ready to plow ahead, fighting and expanding upon this progress. But, we’re about to get stalled by a shortfall, because we still need to raise $1,661 by midnight. Budget shortfalls in May and June mean we can’t wiggle out of this one. However …
- I know there is someone reading this who can cover all, or at least half of this bill
- And I know our odds of making the goal are greatly enhanced if many people, like you, do what they can, whether it’s $5, $50, or $500
- I also know that if all $1,661 came in the form of new or increased monthly pledges, we’d be able to focus more on Congress and less on our finances. Our pledgers give us the power to plan ahead.
Let’s not let these recent signs, heralds, and signals be the end of our story! There’s more to do. Please, make it a priority, TODAY , to support Downsize DC.
Thank you,
Jim Babka
President
DownsizeDC.org, Inc.