America: Freedom to Fascism (Authorized version)

[loserbydefault]

http://video.google.com/videoplay?docid=-4312730277175242198

don't worry it's not some socialist Michael Moore BS...investigate it yourself and make up your own mind...


This is the "Director's Final Cut" authorized version of Aaron... Russo's documentary, America: Freedom To Fascism (AFTF). It is being uploaded to Google Video for the first time during the evening of October 19-20th, 2006. Aaron has listened to everyone's feedback - volunteers, students, lovers of freedom & liberty, young and old alike - and, true to his word, he is putting this up "for free" on Google Video knowing that the hour has come for Americans to either be awakened to restore the Republic or be swept aside by the dark global forces of fascism that seeks to enslave mankind.

AFTF's main focus comes in a statement with six very simple words: SHUT DOWN THE FEDERAL RESERVE SYSTEM!!

[XShipRider]

Damn, lost me due to that innate American short attention span.

I'm going to try again when I have more time.

The Federal Reserve will never be shut down. Too much money being made by those that
control it.

[Kitsune]

Interesting. (Although not much help for me as a German - unfortunately our income tax is perfectly legal...)
The movie does its best to give everything a bad and ominous spin, of course. (For example: when this former IRS commissioner Cohen is allegedly threatening him, he actually just says "cannot help" in Yiddish. That is hardly a threat). In any case: even if the accusations are true and there is no law that forces the American citizens (not corporations) to pay income tax, many people could not only get the idea to stop paying those but may even want to have back the money they already have paid in their life! And, according to the documentary, the private income tax collected by the IRS in the year 2005 alone amounted to more than 900 billion dollars...
In other words, admitting to the accusations (even if they are true) would lead to an impossible situation.

[Durandal]

Now, I could be wrong here, but there is this pesky little voice in my head saying:

What about the 16th Amendment to the Constitution of the United States of America?

You know, the one that says:


The Congress shall have power to lay and collect taxes on incomes, from whatever source derived, without apportionment among the several States, and without regard to any census or enumeration.

Now do I feel that our tax system is screwed? Sure, but that does not mean that Congress does not have a legal right to levy such taxes. Is it something our founding fathers wanted? Probably not.

[XShipRider]

One of the longstanding arguments is that the individual states do not
have that right per the very clause in the Constitution you stated.

[2Sheds_Jackson]

Now do I feel that our tax system is screwed? Sure, but that does not mean that Congress does not have a legal right to levy such taxes. Is it something our founding fathers wanted? Probably not.

I agree completely. We could very easily go back to taxation the way it was done in 1800 - but our society would begin to revert to how it looked in 1800. The US hasn't seen real poverty since probably about 1960 - but lots of folks would quickly see it again.

The fact that Russo has claimed that 9/11 was an "inside job" is enough to put me off his movie.

Why is it that this űber-rich guy gets to make movies about not paying his taxes and gets to be a counter-culture icon, but if the guy that ran Exxon-Mobil did it, he'd be called a total bastard? :)

[Gibby]

Im not going to watch this. I will recommend a great movie though.

Entitled: Why We Fight. http://www.sonyclassics.com/whywefight/

I think every American should watch that movie! Truly incredible movie. I rented it one night after returning from Iraq a few days prior. It was the only copy at Blockbuster, next to a full wall of Basic Instinct 2. If that isnt telling...

2sheds, the US does have real poverty, we just dont have to deal with it in our well off suburbs or gated communities. Why do you think every single American is in debt? After hearing Warren Buffet explain our current situation Im not all that optimistic. Most people I know are having many more problems with money than they did before 2000. Getting more credit cards to transfer rates and almost all the people I served with or know are in credit counseling.

Speaking of that, have you ever met a truly poor republican?

[Durandal]

Speaking of that, have you ever met a truly poor republican?

Yes, plenty. Plenty of poor Democrats.


The true question is, have you ever met a "poor" politician after they have served a term?

Nope.

[Durandal]

One of the longstanding arguments is that the individual states do not
have that right per the very clause in the Constitution you stated.

States have the right, as determined by their Constitution to tax however they want. The 16th Amendment deals with the Federal government and the people of the United States.

In Ohio, its Article 12 of the State Constitution....which sums up that fact that they can and the people obviously support this otherwise it would be stricken from the Constitution by another Amendment.

In New Hampshire its says you can (Ironically, also Article 12 under their Bill of Rights), but there is NO personal income tax by choice of the people.

You have to love New Hampshire. The "Live Free or Die" state. On a completely unrelated note and trivia, it is one of the few States that has a right to revolution.

Article 10

Government being instituted for the common benefit, protection, and security, of the whole community, and not for the private interest or emolument of any one man, family, or class of men; therefore, whenever the ends of government are perverted, and public liberty manifestly endangered, and all other means of redress are ineffectual, the people may, and of right ought to reform the old, or establish a new government. The doctrine of nonresistance against arbitrary power, and oppression, is absurd, slavish, and destructive of the good and happiness of mankind.

Truly awesome.