E-Newsletter No. 76                     April 2020     

This month, we are starting a series of newsletters regarding our Editorial Board’s views on why our federal government has become dysfunctional, and why this dysfunction is contributing to the growing divide between conservatives and the radical Left.  This month’s letter will address some of the “root causes” of this dysfunction and why, over time, our federal government has become “not so great.”  The members of our Editorial Board continue to believe in American Exceptionalism, and we want to ensure that we can keep it that way for future generations.  Therefore, we must begin to fix our federal government.   Next month, we are going to discuss the legislative branch, then the executive branch, then the judiciary, and lastly, the unelected / unaccountable “fourth branch of government” aka the Administrative State / the Bureaucracy / the Deep State.

America continues to be the most successful “melting pot” in world history.  People want to live here.  We take in more immigrants (by far) than any other country in the world.  And why is that?  We believe the primary reasons are Liberty and Freedom (which are under attack by the Left).  And we also believe in the power of E Pluribus Unum – our ability to help new legal immigrants learn and embrace our shared values and effectively assimilate to life in our country.  Unfortunately, because of the Left’s obsession with identity politics, this shared American value is also under constant attack. 

What is even more alarming is that the radical Left has now come to believe our country is fatally flawed.  The radical Left (the New York Times, etc.) believe our country is flawed because slaves were brought to our shores in 1619.  Therefore, last year, the New York Times launched The 1619 Project to “re-interpret” (spin) our country’s history to fit their (Leftist) narrative.  Please keep in mind that slavery was not an uncommon phenomenon throughout the world in 1619.  And even though slavery was ended in America in the 1860s (after a massive loss of life during the Civil War) the radical Left and The New York Times believe this stain on our country’s history is the root cause of all of our country’s current ills.  We have a different assessment of history and a different viewpoint regarding the trendlines of our country’s history, especially since the 1920s.  We believe the root cause of our growing divide is the steady (relentless) onward march of the “progressive” movement, which has as its primary goal the fundamental “transformation” of our country.

The members of our Editorial Board have grave concerns about the size and scope and growing intrusiveness of the federal government.  The Framers of our Constitution put into place a unique form of government, centered on the individual.   The federal government is supposed to be subservient to We-the-People (not the other way around).  The Constitution was based on sound, time-tested principles, and was based on the Framers’ study of history and their assessment of what has worked in the past.  We have strayed from the Framers’ original vision of a small, effective federal government that has specific (limited) powers and responsibilities, which focus on protecting the general welfare of the country as a whole and protecting each individual’s rights.  We reject the concept of a “living constitution.”   Unfortunately, the seed of the progressive movement was planted a long time ago, and it has given root to a constantly expanding federal government. 

We believe in the Tenth Amendment to the Constitution – “The powers not delegated to the United States by the Constitution, nor prohibited by it to the States, are reserved to the States respectively or to the people.”  These delegated (limited) powers of the federal government are enumerated in Article 1 of the constitution.

US Debt Clock – – March 1st – $71,024 per citizen / April 1st – $71,888

E-Newsletter No. 75                    March 2020     

Last month, we made an offer to mail a free yard sign (with a conservative theme) to anyone who wanted to request a sign (or two).  Please note that we still have a supply on hand that will continue to be available for the upcoming elections in November.

This month, we are offering some new free videos that we have posted to the Videos page on our website.  The only “cost decision” that you will need to make is whether you want to invest some time to watch these timely (and pertinent) videos.  (“Time is money” – Benjamin Franklin, 1748). 

Candace Owens’ Congressional Testimony on Nationalism –

Candace Owens’ Congressional Testimony on Being Black in America –

Joe Biden on Bribery –

Brian Riedl on the Federal Government’s Growing Debt Blob –

https://www.prageru.com/video/national-debt-who-cares/   

And because the purpose of our Foundation is to promote the concept of personal responsibility, we are providing the following link to a video about fixing yourself –

https://www.prageru.com/video/fix-yourself/

Please note that in addition to the five videos listed above, we added ten other video links on our website this month –  

Unfortunately, we have a bit of sobering news this month – – The $1,808 increase in the amount of federal government debt per person is the highest monthly increase since we began tracking this statistic these past six years.  With $23.6 trillion already borrowed, we should all brace ourselves for the fact that the hole our federal government has been digging is going to get a lot deeper over the course of the next few months. 

US Debt Clock – – February 1st – $70,539 per citizen / March 1st – $72,347

E-Newsletter No. 74                     February 2020     

Last month, we discussed how Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez wants our country’s citizens to stop using the term “Free Stuff” when she discusses all of the new programs and giveaways that the radical Left is proposing.  Instead, she wants us to use the term “Public Goods”, even if those goodies aren’t necessarily provided to (or even available to) everyone in our country.  (Some of our country’s citizens have actually already paid the cost for their own college education).

The members of our Foundation know that nothing in life is “free”.  However, it should be noted that it’s quite possible you may receive something from someone without being asked to pay for it.  But in those situations, the provider has freely agreed (without coercion) to bear the cost (because nothing in life is free). 

Our Editorial Board is pleased to announce this month that we have added a new page to our website for our new on-line Store.  We are also providing the following links, so you can check out our initial offering of “free” yard signs.  We initially discussed whether we should ask for a small donation to cover the cost of postage, but then decided we would cover that cost, too.  However, there is a small catch.  We are not going to be able to ship you the wire frame for your yard sign, so you will have to bear the cost of obtaining 7 – 8 feet of 9-gauge wire from your local hardware store.  Once you have your wire, you will need to make two 90-degree bends about 22 inches apart, plant your wire frame into the ground, and then slip your yard sign over the frame.    

Here is the link to our on-line Store –

 https://www.f2ppr.org/store/

The above link will take you to our website, where you can find additional details, along with a link to a template that can be used to email your order form to   info @ f2ppr.org.

And here is the link to the catalogue of available yard signs –

http://www.f2ppr.org/wp-content/uploads/2020/02/F2PPR-Yard-Signs.pdf

It’s time for our conservative messages to be heard. 

Don’t be shy about sharing your views.

US Debt Clock – – January 1st – $70,096 per citizen / February 1st – $70,539

E-Newsletter No. 73                     January 2020     

The Left continues to be quite masterful in utilizing the English language as one of their means to advance their political agenda.  Several examples come readily to mind.  The Left’s “progressive” agenda sends a message that they believe their policies and programs will somehow better our society.  However, we all know that this is simply part of their attempts to grow an ever-expanding government.  And history has shown that as government grows, liberty declines.

The “radical Leftists” want to deceive our country’s citizens by inserting the word “Democratic” in front of the word “Socialism”.  They believe that this adjective will somehow change the nature of Socialism (but we all know that it’s still Socialism).  They think that if they can trick a simple majority of our country’s citizens into believing that Socialism is a good thing, then they will be able to further their “progressive” agenda.  Alexander Fraser Tytler warned us that “A democracy cannot exist as a permanent form of government.  It can only exist until the voters discover that they can vote themselves largesse from the public treasury.  From that moment on, the majority always votes for the candidates promising the most benefits from the public treasury with the result that a democracy always collapses over loose fiscal policy…”  (See below).

The latest example of such “word perversion” is Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez’ attempt to stop our citizens from using the term “Free Stuff”.  In a recent town hall meeting in front of her Bronx constituents, she said “I never want to hear the term “Free Stuff” ever again.”  Instead, she wants to replace the term “Free Stuff” with the term “Public Goods”.  However, there is a very significant difference between these two terms that she is trying to obscure. 

According to the Oxford Dictionary, a Public Good is defined as “A commodity or service that is provided without profit to all members of a society…”  A Public Good has two characteristics.  The first characteristic is that when the good is consumed, it doesn’t reduce the amount available for others – i.e., benefiting from a streetlight or a public library doesn’t reduce the amount of light or knowledge that is available to others.  The same can be said for national defense, law enforcement, and fire protection, all of which are legitimate roles of government.

The second characteristic is that it must be “non-excludable”.  The members of our Editorial Board like to equate this characteristic with the Founders’ original intent behind the “General Welfare” clause (see our November newsletter).  Unfortunately, the Democratic Socialists want us to believe that higher education, health insurance, housing (along with utilities, transportation, food, etc.) are Public Goods, i.e., new “Rights” that should be provided by the government (for “free”).  Conversely, we believe that these are examples of Personal Responsibilities, and we believe that such goods and services are best provided by the free market, not the public sector.   

So, here is the pertinent question – Once the government provides “free” higher education, “free” health care, “free” housing, “free” utilities, transportation, food, etc. where does such a list of Public Goods end?  Some members of the radical Left actually go so far as to believe the government should provide a Universal Basic Income, regardless of whether someone wants to work or not.  (See the above warning from Alexander Fraser Tytler).  As you will note below, this past month, the federal government’s “on-book” debt of $23.1 trillion has now passed an amount that exceeds $70,000 for every man, woman, child, and retiree in the country.  We believe this is a textbook example of “loose fiscal policy.”

US Debt Clock – – December 1st – $69,895 per citizen / January 1st – $70,096

E-Newsletter No. 72                     December 2019     

Last month we discussed the progressive agenda and the Left’s erroneous view that the US Constitution is a “living constitution.” This view enables the Left to advance its belief that the General Welfare clause is an open invitation to have the federal government grow to be whatever the political elites in Washington DC want it to be. 

There are 4,543 words in the original US Constitution (excluding the subsequent amendments).  The original constitution, along with all twenty-seven amendments that have since been ratified, is oftentimes published in a booklet format that usually totals around twenty pages. 

The federal government’s General Printing Office periodically publishes a book entitled “The Constitution of the United States of America:  Analysis and Interpretation”.  This book, oftentimes referred to as The Constitution Annotated, contains an analysis of virtually all Supreme Court cases that are relevant to interpreting the constitution.  The latest edition of this book is now over 3,000 pages long and weighs more than ten pounds.  Very few citizens know about the existence of this book, and even fewer know about its contents, but in effect, it represents the printed version of the “living constitution” under which we now live.

Under the original constitution, one of the Supreme Court’s primary functions was to hear testimony about a wide variety of matters and make rulings based on the original intent of the country’s Founders.  But over the years, there have been a number of unfortunate rulings that have contributed to the unchecked growth of the federal government.  Many of these Supreme Court rulings occurred during the 1930s and 1940s under pressure from President Franklin D. Roosevelt, who was one of our country’s first “progressive” presidents.  FDR and the Democrat Congress pushed through several “non-constitutional” programs, such as Social Security, that have contributed to the growth of the federal government and drive a large portion of its taxation and spending, AND “borrowings” from future generations.

FDR’s progressive Supreme Court also made several “interpretations” that fundamentally altered some of the Founders’ original intentions.  One of the worst examples is in regards to the Commerce Clause (Article 1, Section 8, Clause 3) which gives the Congress the power “to regulate Commerce with foreign nations, and among the several states…“  The case in question is Wickard vs Filburn, and dealt with an Ohio farmer and his wheat crop.  The federal government had passed The Agriculture Adjustment Act of 1938 to establish quotas for wheat production (aka as meddling in the marketplace).  Roscoe Filburn produced twice as much wheat than the quota allowed, and he was fined under the act. 

Filburn challenged the fine, claiming that the excess wheat could not be regulated because it was for private consumption to feed his animals and not to sell on the market.  The wheat was never in commerce, and therefore could not affect interstate commerce.  Unfortunately, the Supreme Court ruled against him, stating that because he produced additional wheat, he would not go into the marketplace to buy wheat for his private use, which affected interstate commerce (even though his “excess” production was for “intra-farm” use and was non-commercial).

Similar perversions of the Commerce clause over the years have greatly expanded the size and scope and jurisdiction of the federal government.  These instances of meddling in the marketplace have enabled the federal government to further intrude into various aspects of our lives.  Because of the size and coercive power of the federal government, there are oftentimes significant price distortions in the marketplace.  Some of these examples are particularly noteworthy, such as the meddling in the home mortgage loan marketplace, the effects on the cost of higher education, and the total disruption of the health insurance marketplace.

By the way, this past month, the federal government’s “on-book” debt passed the $23 trillion mark.

US Debt Clock – – November 1st – $69,505 per citizen / December 1st – $69,895

E-Newsletter No. 71                     November 2019     

Last month we pondered the question about why the Left is fixated on the “non-issue” of income inequality.  Is that fixation driven by envy, or by the Left’s sense of entitlement to other people’s wealth, or is it simply a desire for power and control?  Here is another possible reason – – Maybe the Left thinks the political elites and their experts in Washington DC can spend our citizens’ money more wisely than we can.

The US Constitution says the federal government was being established to form a more perfect union and to promote the general welfare of the country.  Unfortunately, Big Government Leftists have erroneously interpreted the General Welfare clause as a blank check to expand the federal government to whatever the political elites want it to be.  The Left has a tendency to forget that Article 1, Section 8 of the Constitution explicitly lays out the duties and responsibilities of the (limited) federal government, and the Tenth Amendment explicitly states that the powers not delegated to the federal government are reserved to the individual States or to the people themselves (aka civil society / not the federal government).

Today, there is a widening gap between conservatives and progressives regarding the role of the federal government.  Half of us believe we live under the original Constitution, as it was written and understood by the country’s Founders, with its guarantee of liberty and its expectation of self-reliance.  The other half believes in a “living constitution” that permits countless Administrative State agencies that make rules like a legislature, administer those rules like an executive, and adjudicate and punish infractions of those rules like a judiciary.  The progressive agenda has become an agenda of tyranny.

Our Editorial Board doesn’t like to quibble about words, but words are important.  The Left has altered the meaning of the word General to fit their narrative.  We believe the word General (as put forward by the Founders) pertains to the country as a whole.  Therefore, the federal government’s primary role is to militarily protect our country’s sovereignty and protect each and every citizen’s rights that are spelled out in the Bill of Rights.  The federal government should promote the general welfare of the country by creating Opportunities for All and should show Favoritism to None. 

The Left’s “identity politics” agenda, and the Democrat party’s innumerable attempts to try to fix each and every problem of each and every special interest group is a perversion of the General Welfare clause.  Until we return to the concept of a limited federal government, we will continue to experience the damaging effects of the progressive agenda.  Simply put, the Left’s agenda of Favoritism to Each and Every Special Interest Group will cause resentment in others who will not be similarly benefiting.  While many might sympathize with a particular group’s issue(s), they might also be offended by the idea that the federal government needs to expand beyond its stated, limited role.

US Debt Clock – – October 1st – $68,652 per citizen / November 1st – $69,505

E-Newsletter No. 70                     October 2019     

Let’s flip the script on Bernie Sanders and ask a very pertinent question – ”What is the direct impact on my own specific personal life today that stems from the fact that Bill Gates’ net worth is $90 billion and Warren Buffett’s net worth is $83 billion?”  By the way, we are not picking on Bill and Warren.  It’s just that they are two of the most financially successful, wealthiest people in America.  

If you ask yourself that question (and answer it honestly) you would have to admit “The wealth of Bill Gates and Warren Buffett does not have any direct effect on my own personal life.”  So, what is the source of the moral outrage that you constantly hear from Bernie Sanders, AOC, and the other “Democratic Socialists”?  Could it possibly stem from one of the Seven Deadly Sins called Envy?  OK, maybe that’s a little harsh.  So, maybe it’s just because they feel they are entitled to a large chunk of Bill’s and Warren’s wealth.  (More on that later).

So, let’s flip the script on Bernie once again, and ask “What is the direct impact on my own specific personal life today that stems from the fact that Bernie Sanders owns three homes, including a home in one of the most expensive areas of the country called Washington DC, and one on the shores of Lake Champlain?”  Again, an honest answer would have to be “The wealth of Bernie Sanders has no direct effect on my own personal life.”

So now let’s alter the question slightly to ask “Do these individuals’ wealth have a possible effect on my own personal life in the future?”  In the case of Bill Gates and Warren Buffett, the answer is “possibly”.  Because they are entrepreneurs and businessmen, they might possibly use some of that wealth to create new companies that could employ additional members of our society, which just might possibly include you.  In the case of Bernie Sanders, he might use his public platform to push for more crony socialism in our country, in an attempt to draw even more of our citizens’ tax dollars to Washington DC.

Here are a couple of other thoughts about the “non-issue” of wealth inequality – – if the federal government were to “appropriate” (aka “confiscate”) the entire net worth of both Bill Gates and Warren Buffet (which they have accumulated over their lifetimes) that one-time confiscation would not even put a dent in our federal government’s one-trillion-dollar  ANNUAL deficit.  Please note that in The 2020 Initiative, we do recommend that the top marginal income tax rate be increased to 45%.  (The socialists want a 70% rate).  However, we oppose the idea of a “wealth tax,” because that idea simply means the federal government would then be taking four different cuts from a person’s income – Social Security Taxes, Medicare Taxes, Income Taxes, and a new additional wealth tax down the road on the same income.  Our message to Elizabeth Warren is “Stop!  Enough is enough!”  It’s time for the federal government to cut spending.

This month, we have added a new Conversation Piece on our website entitled “Some Wisdom from Thomas Sowell”.  Here is the link –

https://www.f2ppr.org/wp-content/uploads/2019/10/Some-Wisdom-from-Thomas-Sowell.pdf

We hope you appreciate his Pearl of Wisdom at the end of the piece – “If you have been voting for politicians who promise to give you goodies at someone else’s expense, then you have no right to complain when they take your money and give it to someone else including themselves.”

It is time to call for an Article V Convention of States, to propose amendments to the US Constitution to impose fiscal restraints on the federal government, limit the power and jurisdiction of the federal government, and limit the terms of office for its officials and for members of Congress.

US Debt Clock – – September 1st – $68,426 per citizen / October 1st – $68,652

E-Newsletter No. 69                     September 2019     

Is that a good question, or what?  As we all recall, that was one of the main campaign themes for Barack Obama.  But why would we want to change the nature of our country?  In our July newsletter, we talked about three shared values that We-the-People hold dear, and which have served to make America great.  So, why does the radical Left despise each of these values? 

As we have noted, “identity politics” is the exact opposite of E Pluribus Unum.  America is the most inclusive, least racist multi-cultural society in the world.  That is the reason why so many millions of people around the world want to immigrate to our country.  The main thing conservatives want to see happen is to have each immigrant assimilate, embrace our shared values, embrace the principles in our Constitution, and learn to speak English, so that they can become a full member of our One society.  Multi-culturalism and diversity are good things, but only if they are secondary to E Pluribus Unum.  Unfortunately, if you do not agree with the radical Left’s agenda, you run the risk of being labeled a racist, a person of “privilege”, a sexist, a homophobe, a xenophobe, an Islamophobe, and / or a religious bigot (as per whatever their perceived “injustice” might be).  

Liberty is an American value as well as a French value.  However, the essence of this shared value means something entirely different in America.  The focus of the American value is on the Liberty of the individual.  The radical Left (and the French) want the equality of outcomes.  It should be readily apparent that you cannot achieve equality of outcomes without infringing upon the rights of the individual.  Many (hopefully most) Americans don’t want to be French.

Why does the radical Left want to eliminate the reference to God in our Pledge of Allegiance?  There is a quote from Karl Marx, who said “Religion is the opium of the people.”  Religion and our trust in God prevents the Left from elevating trust in government above our trust in God.  Big and Bigger Government has become the true religion of “progressives” and the American Left.

So, why DOES the Left want to transform America?  The common thread seems to be the Left’s desire for power and control.  As Dennis Prager mentioned in his video about the Seven Inevitable Results of Big Government, “The Left believes the State should be the most powerful force in society.  There should be no power that competes with government – – not parents, not businesses, not private schools, not religious institutions, not even the individual human conscience.”  Of course, the Left’s world view is exactly opposite from the founding principle that our federal government is subservient to We-the-People.  The government works for us, not the other way around.

The progressive movement is based on the belief that the political elites in Washington DC (along with their experts and “expertise”) can solve each individual’s problem, whatever it may be.  And if the radical Left is able to achieve their dream of One World Order, they would then be in a position to have power over the lives of everyone.  So of course, they want Open Borders, and want to eliminate the idea of sovereign nation-states.

As we all know, this was also the goal of global communism.  Fortunately, history intervened (along with individuals’ desire for personal liberty) and that terrifying goal was never achieved.  Having said that, this doesn’t mean the progressive movement’s desire for power and control has diminished in the least.   

US Debt Clock – – August 1st – $68,250 per citizen / September 1st – $68,426

E-Newsletter No. 68                     August 2019     

The Democrat Party’s “identity politics” agenda is the exact opposite of one of our country’s founding principles – E Pluribus Unum (Out of Many, One).  Unfortunately, this focus on various sub-segments of our citizens and on “victims” also seems to be contributing to the drop in their feelings about our country.  Is America perfect?  No.  Does America have a spotless history?  No.  Is America an exceptional country?  Absolutely yes.  That is the reason why so many millions of people around the world want to immigrate to our country (legally or otherwise).  No other country can make such a claim.

Recently, Gallup released the results of their latest Gallup Poll Social Series interviews.  Seventy-four percent of Republicans say they are “extremely proud” of our country.  This result has remained relatively consistent going back to 2013 and is on a slight upward trend over the past couple of years.  This is probably due to conservatives’ belief in our country’s shared values of Liberty, E Pluribus Unum, and In God We Trust (which are engraved on every coin).  This year’s result could also be partly due to our strong economy and low unemployment rate.

However, the Democrats’ results continue to slide.  There was a 12-point drop over the last three years of the Obama administration and an additional 12-point drop the past two years.  The Democrats’ response to the question now stands at a new all-time low of thirty-two percent.  There is now a 42-point gap between Republicans and Democrats.  Could this drop in the Democrats’ feelings be caused by the radical Left’s growing antipathy towards our country’s founding principles?

Conservatives’ pride in our country is one thing.  Unfortunately, the same thing cannot be said about our citizens’ attitude towards our federal government.  This month we have added a new Conversation Piece to our website entitled Our Federal Government is Broke and Broken –

http://www.f2ppr.org/wp-content/uploads/2019/08/Broke-and-Broken.pdf

Our Editorial Board continues to believe that the best solution to deal with our dysfunctional federal government is to call a Convention of States, to propose amendments to the US Constitution to impose fiscal restraints on the federal government, limit the power and jurisdiction of the federal government, and limit the terms of office for its officials and for member of Congress.

US Debt Clock – – July 1st – $68,112 per citizen / August 1st – $68,250

E-Newsletter No. 67                    July 2019     

Just a short newsletter this month, because we’re going to let Dennis Prager and Dan Crenshaw share their thoughts about our country’s heritage and the shared values that have made America great.  In our May newsletter, we mentioned that we have added a new page on our Foundation’s website entitled “Videos”.  If you haven’t had a chance yet, you should check out these two videos (along with the other videos on our website). 

Dennis Prager discusses the American Trinity, which are the three mottos (our shared values) engraved on every coin – E Pluribus Unum, Liberty, and In God We Trust.

https://www.prageru.com/video/the-american-trinity-the-three-values-that-make-america-great/

Most Americans don’t care about a person’s national or ethnic origins.  However, it should be noted that the radical Left’s “identity politics” agenda is the exact opposite of E Pluribus Unum.

America gives Liberty to people, so they can end up wherever their abilities, work ethic, and luck take them.  Our shared value is that each individual is equal under the law.  Dennis makes some interesting observations about France, and he notes that even though each person is born equal, with Liberty, there will not be equality of outcomes.

Rights come from God, not from men.  If rights are given by men, men can take them away.

Dan Crenshaw’s video expands upon this discussion about American values.

Our Editorial Board is very appreciative of Dan’s comments about personal responsibility – “That is why personal responsibility is so important.  Because that leads to Liberty.  These things are connected.  You can’t escape them.  And that’s what America is about.”

Happy 243^rd Birthday, America. 

Our Editorial Board hopes that you and your family have a great 4^th of July.

US Debt Clock – – June 1st – $67,897 per citizen / July 1st – $68,112