2022 Federalist Papers No. 3
Concerning Dangers From Foreign Force and Influence (continued)
To the People of the United States,
IT IS NOW that I must admit, as I have inclined in my previous writing, that I WAS WRONG concerning my observation of a country, such as Our Once Great Nation, when it comes to our intelligence and propensity for being informed, when I said,
IT IS not a new observation that the people of any country (if, like the Americans, intelligent and wellinformed) seldom adopt and steadily persevere for many years in an erroneous opinion respecting their interests.
Although, I included an IF, I also included an assumption, which over time, has proven to been less that true. That ASSUMPTION was that our populous would remain intelligent and well informed (on matters of NATIONAL INTEREST). Over the past few decades, I have observed and move of this away from a NATIONAL INTETREST to a more PROVINTIAL or INDIVIDUAL INTEREST, which I have heretofore referred to as our “hyphenated America.” In that I included the IF, I was right, but as that IF no longer holds true, I was wrong, specifically, with respect to SAFETY.
I wrote so long ago under the pretext of NATIONAL SAFETY,
Among the many objects to which a wise and free people find it necessary to direct their attention, that of providing for their SAFETY seems to be the first. The SAFETY of the people doubtless has relation to a great variety of circumstances and considerations, and consequently affords great latitude to those who wish to define it precisely and comprehensively.
At present I mean only to consider it as it respects security for the preservation of peace and tranquillity, as well as against dangers from FOREIGN ARMS AND INFLUENCE, as from dangers of the LIKE KIND arising from domestic causes. As the former of these comes first in order, it is proper it should be the first discussed.
Returning to our Common Cause and our Common Purpose, we must first have a Common Sense. That Common Sense is based on a right understanding of Society’s role verses the Role of Government was the underpinning of my assumption. That distinction was well put by Thomas Paine prior to my earlier writing, when he stated,
SOME writers have so confounded society with government, as to leave little or no distinction between them; whereas they are not only different, but have different origins. Society is produced by our wants, and government by our wickedness; the former promotes our happiness Positively by uniting our affections, the latter negatively by restraining our vices. The one encourages intercourse, the other creates distinctions. The first is a patron, the last a punisher.
Society in every state is a blessing, but government even in its best state is but a necessary evil in its worst state an in tolerable one.
WHEN this underpinning of SOCIETY, being a basis for bringing us together out of Common Bonds is, is USURPED by a Government which focuses on DEFINING us and DIVIDING us based on it’s own definition of Society, which is counter to every previous generations understanding, our Common Sense is lost.
That is exactly what has been accomplished these past few decades. Instead of focusing on our Common Cause of FREEDOM, which puts at the forefront, the protection of Life, Liberty and Property from HOSTILITIES from WITHIN and WITHOUT, Our Once Great Nation has been driven by our WICKEDNESS and encouraged by our Government.
Although WARS CONTINUE ABROAD, they have also been IGNITED WITHIN by those who wish to exercise their dominion over others, so much so, that they have used our SAFETY as a PROD to herd us like cattle into COMPLIENCE to THEIR DESIRES and our own CARNAL DESIRES. This is the worst kind of WICKEDNESS EVER TO WALK THIS EARTH. I have said it before,
The number of wars which have happened or will happen in the world will always be found to be in proportion to the number and weight of the causes, whether REAL or PRETENDED, which PROVOKE or INVITE them. If this remark be just, it becomes useful to inquire whether so many JUST causes of war are likely to be given by UNITED AMERICA as by DISUNITED America; for if it should turn out that United America will probably give the fewest, then it will follow that in this respect the Union tends most to preserve the people in a state of peace with other nations.
AS our Government has hyphenated America, we have fallen from our UNITY into DISUNITY.
WE should ask, “WHERE has this WICKED IDEOLOGY come FROM?”
I can only say, that it has come WITHIN from WITHOUT through the very means by which I supposed would UNITE US against the EXTERNAL - through Treaties. When I first discussed this topic, we were but a Federation Thirteen States with Six Foreign Nations. TODAY with FIFTY States and our Several Territories, our Government has, by our Executive Branch’s own attestation expanded our exploitation of
Treaties and other international agreements [that] are written agreements between sovereign states (or between states and international organizations) governed by international law. The United States enters into more than 200 treaties and other international agreements each year.
The subjects of treaties span the whole spectrum of international relations: peace, trade, defense, territorial boundaries, human rights, law enforcement, environmental matters, and many others. As times change, so do treaties. In 1796, the United States entered into the Treaty with Tripoli to protect American citizens from kidnapping and ransom by pirates in the Mediterranean Sea. In 2001, the United States agreed to a treaty on cybercrime.
AS our Constitution states,
The President shall … have Power, by and with the Advice and Consent of the Senate, to make Treaties, provided two thirds of the Senators present concur …
and
No State shall enter into any Treaty, Alliance, or Confederation; [or] grant Letters of Marque and Reprisal …
Finally, it was established in Article VI that
This Constitution, and the Laws of the United States which shall be made in Pursuance thereof; and ALL TREATIES MADE, or which shall be made, under the Authority of the United States, SHALL BE THE SUPREME LAW OF THE LAND; and the Judges in every State shall be bound thereby, any Thing in the Constitution or Laws of any State to the Contrary notwithstanding.
I can assure you that those of us who wrote that fine document never envisioned a time when over 200 treaties and other national agreements would be used to tether this Once Great Nation to the wills and obligations of OTHER GOVERNMENTS, irrespective of our OWN LAWS, even at the State level.
In essence, our Government is no longer, just the Government of WE THE PEOPLE, but the Government of the GLOBAL COMMUNITY from which we fought to establish our INDEPENDENCE.
AGAIN, this is WICKEDNESS!
In the ANCIENT DAYS, it is recorded that the loss of Greatness for the Nation of Israel, came as the result of One King establishing Treaties through marriage, which drove the underpinning of that Once Great Nation to one ripe for conquering and eventual Exile. Is this to be our Fate, or will we be able to Repent and Return to our Former Greatness?
PUBLIUS