1913 – Book Review
I finished 1913 by Oliver DeMille about two weeks ago! It’s absolutely incredible. Seriously, if you care even a smidge about the freedom of America (or whatever country you live in, though the book is geared towards America), you will read this book.
It’s not very long, and the concepts are explained wonderfully so it’s easy to read. Just make sure you focus on the ideas carefully! DeMille goes into the topics in depth!
You can tell as you read it that DeMille is extremely passionate about freedom, and he does a marvelous job convincing his readers to care about freedom as well.
Honestly, this book might make you mad – but in a good way!
First, DeMille explains the demise America is currently in, then he goes into why we are in decline, and finally, proposes a solution. He argues that 3 different events that occurred in the year 1913 (thus the title) and one event in 1936 created a turning point AWAY from freedom.
4 Major Events that Created a Negative Turning Point:
1 – The Sixteenth Amendment – 1913
Before the 16th Amendment, the federal government got its money mostly from the states. This was a very good thing because it provided a natural check and balance system. The federal government had to adhere to the states’ wishes or risk losing its funding. The 16th Amendment changed all that. Now, the federal government taxes individuals directly – direct taxation. This gives the federal government SO MUCH more power! You never even see the money they take off the top and that’s dangerous because they can change that percentage amount whenever they choose.
2 – The Seventeenth Amendment – 1913
In the same year, the 17th Amendment was passed and added to the turning point away from freedom. Senators used to be elected by the State Legislature, and now they are elected by popular vote. Now, this may seem like a shift TOWARDS freedom, but in reality, it isn’t. DeMille says, “this took the direct protectors of the states out of Washington.” How? Well, before the 17th Amendment, the House of Representatives often voted for more spending because they were elected by the people (who wanted more benefits). In contrast, the senators often voted against such spending programs because they were elected by the ones (the State Legislature) who had to pay for said programs. This created a natural check and balance system that has been shattered because now the people elect both the House of Representatives AND the senators.
3 – The Federal Reserve – 1913
This is a big one. The Federal Reserve is nothing more than a fancy name for the 3rd National Bank. It’s not that different. This made it possible for the government to print money at will, which created inflation and artificial currency. That’s why things are more expensive now than they were ten years ago. The government creates money out of thin air, calls it money, and we pay the price. They loan us money for various things, and the money they loan us is fake. The trick is, we have to pay it back with REAL money. We can’t print money to repay our debts.
4 – United States v. Butler – 1936
Now, even after the three previous events that took place in 1913, the federal government was limited on exactly WHAT it could spend money on – it could only do the things outlined in the Constitution of the United States. Unfortunately, the Butler case changed all that. DeMille states, “Before the Butler case, all federal spending was required to benefit the whole nation equally. After the case, the government could spend money on anything it thought would be ‘good’ for the nation. [emphasis added]” Do you see the problem here? That term, “good for the nation,” is EXTREMELY subjective, and largely depends on peoples’ opinions. This becomes dangerous when those who come into power have a different definition of “good for the nation” than you do.
What Can Be Done?
Now that we are convinced that a freedom shift is necessary, DeMille presents a solution for ALL citizens to take action on. He argues that all that is needed is a small group of committed citizens to do the following three things, and a freedom shift can occur:
1 – Entrepreneurship
Entrepreneurship is the lifeblood of the economy. Entrepreneurs are naturally more intuned to government activities and have a spirit of persistence. DeMille says that future decisions will be made by “proven leaders,” and “most [of these leaders] will be successful entrepreneurs. The reason for this is that America, and in fact Western Civilization, was founded on the basis of commercialism.” Therefore, the more entrepreneurism is encouraged, the closer to freedom we get.
2 – Voracious Readers and Independent Thinkers
All citizens MUST be readers and thinkers! As a nation, we have become lazy and hardly know what we’re voting for anymore. It is CRUCIAL that we pay attention to what is happening in government. For when a nation ignores its government’s actions, that’s when freedom is lost. The people are supposed to be running the nation, and we can’t do that if we’re not actively involved in our government’s actions. Read books (such as 1913 and others), and read the bills that are being passed or reviewed. Think about these things with other people and discuss them. Be involved.
3 – Tribal Leaders
Leaders are needed, but more importantly, leaders of communities are needed. Leaders of communities of like-minded people who care about freedom and spreading awareness to others. Tribal leaders are ESSENTIAL to the freedom movement. We must band together if we are to have our freedom back – and keep it from slipping further from our grasp.
What Will You Do?
You can read this and think about how nice it is that someone cares enough to write a book like this, and you can finish reading my post and leave a nice comment on how these are all really great ideas. But if you don’t start doing something, what good will it do us?
Nothing.
“But what can I do?” you ask. You can encourage entrepreneurism, become a reader, and join a community of freedom fighters. I mean, compared to fighting a violent war for freedom, it isn’t really that hard. I have faith in you.
What else can you do? Read this book and get into as many hands as you possibly can. Help create a freedom shift that will be remembered for years to come.
Are our children’s freedoms worth it?
I’d say yes.
Until next time,
Hope Frances
