HR 1207 Fax Bomb! Flier Second Draft
Thank you all for the constructive feedback on the first draft of this flier. I incorporated much of it, though I could not incorporate all of it, since a lot of it was conflicting! Nonetheless, I read all the comments and appreciate all of the insight and effort. There will be more to come in the future.
I created this version with the explicit intention that it be used in the fax bomb being discussed on the Ron Paul Forums. It is therefore not intended for general consumption, but rather directed at our representatives who have not yet co-sponsored this bill. You can fax this to them, or include it in a letter. An excellent sample letter can be found here: HR 1207 Lobby Pack
Here is a.pdf version of the flier. And, by popular demand, here is the original version. After any final comments, I'll have a downloadable version that can be made into postcards.
There is now a companion version that has been introduced in the Senate by Bernie Sanders of Vermont: S604.
A fax bomb being discussed over at the Ron Paul Forums:
FAXBOMB INFO
http://www.ronpaulforums.com/showthread.php?t=185042 ~H.R. 1207 Faxbomb thread at ronpaulforums.com
H.R. 1207 Faxbomb
-will be tested on this Friday
-will officially start on Monday March 30th
-will be all week long
-there will be an official thread put up on ronpaulforums.com
-should target only those who have not yet co-sponsored
How about snail mail bomb?
I don't know anything about the fax bomb plan, but I would hope it does not reach the level of vandalism or denial of service. You don't win friends and influence people by annoying the hell out of them and rendering their equipment inoperable.
Would Ron Paul sign it?
If I went to hear Ron Paul speak and had a chance to get his autograph, would he sign it? If my congrerssman passed Ron Paul and said, is this yours? Or are you leaving Ron Paul out of this, and why?
WE ARE GOING TO WIN!
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Why?
The response I got from my congress critter mentioned that Ron Paul is the sponsor. Because of the context, I think the CC thought knowing that Ron Paul sponsored it might cool my enthusiasm. Folks in this neck of the woods are 99 44/100 percent Democrats.
Michael...please consider switching
lines one and three!!
*****
"I truly wish that real life would no longer surpass the worst excesses of my nightmarish imaginings... Arthur Silber **
"I think we are living in a world of lies: lies that don't even know they are lies, because they are the children and grandchildren of lies." ~ Chris Floyd
Can you be excruciatingly
Can you be excruciatingly specific? Type it like you want to see it.
Thanks!
Michael~ ok more specific suggestion
Line 1. THE FEDERAL RESERVE (take out U.S. as that seems to give it government status )
Line 2. FEDRES
Line 3.It's as 'Federal' as Federal Express, and more secret than the CIA
*****
Just my two cents! Thank you for making these fliers!! I like version 2 also!
Oh, and heres a couple other thoughts: Perhaps to put on a fax cover sheet?
*The Federal Reserve.Should the very agency that manipulated the economic crisis be trusted to correct it?
*The U.S. Constitution Article 1, Section 8 : "The CONGRESS shall have the power to coin Money, regulate the Value thereof, and of foreign Coin, and fix the Standard of Weights and Measures"
*****
"I truly wish that real life would no longer surpass the worst excesses of my nightmarish imaginings... Arthur Silber **
"I think we are living in a world of lies: lies that don't even know they are lies, because they are the children and grandchildren of lies." ~ Chris Floyd
Okay Michael
Okay Michael, I did my homework assignment. Hope I get an A.
My goals were these:
0. Every word must be directed toward convincing a congress critter, who might be Democrat or Fed lover, to sponsor the bill.
1. Emphasize that constituents want the bill -
Votes are what congress critters want, second only to money.
2. Avoid any hint that those who want transparency think the very concept of the Fed is a Bad Thing (tm). That is a different fight.
3. Except for the big conclusion, avoid opinions and all facts that are not obvious and verifiable.
4. Secrecy is the evil.
5. Appeal to the target's nobler values. (A la, "How to Win Friends," etc.) In this case, fulfilling the obligation of oversight is the noble value. (Congress critters love control.)
6. End with an assignment.
I made no attempt to pad it out. The mere presence of hundreds of these in the congress critter's mail is the message. (Shades of Marshall McLuhan) So here it is. The conclusion begins with "Your constituents..." and the assignment is, "co-sponsor the bill."
Because of goal 3, I removed the implication that the Fed is more secretive than the CIA. Dr. Paul thinks it is. I think it is. But the fact is arguable. I replaced it with a quote. If someone can come up with a better pithy quote, please suggest it. But I thought this one was good because it is brief, forceful, and the quotee is a Democratic icon. The bill's principle sponsor is a Republican, so that side of the isle is adequately covered.
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The very word 'secrecy' is repugnant in a free and open society. - John F. Kennedy
[Logo]
The Federal Reserve System [no colon] creates and controls the people's money, yet is exempt from FOIA requests. The GAO is barred from doing a meaningful audit of critically important functions of the Fed. Without transparency, congress cannot fulfill its duty of oversight.
Your constituents want you to ask,
WHAT IS THE FED DOING WITH OUR MONEY?
Support HR1207/S 604
The Federal Reserve Transparency Act of 2009
has broad bi-partisan support
PLEASE CO-SPONSOR THIS BILL. [This is the most imporant line. Use big, bold type.]
Again "Jive," "secrecy" is NOT main "evil"--it's something else
Concreteness Is Still Germane, Crucial To Issue
(Apollonian, 24 Mar 09)
"Jive" certainly deserves credit for keeping his mind on Mike's most creditable project. And surely his latest product (above) is excellent. Still, I humbly maintain all my previous arguments in favor of concreteness for basic premise, the COUNTERFEITING nature of Fed monster.
And I continue to assure comrades this concreteness will pay dividends. So let me herewith suggest an insertion for "Jive's" above submission.
This insertion would consist of following statement, "Note then there is huge problem for aforementioned "creation and controlling" of money, and it has to do with the COUNTERFEITING (even if it is legalized by Congress) nature and consequences which are necessarily inflationary, hence potentially highly deceptive, and effectively fraudulent."
CONCLUSION: This above sentence would be inserted, I submit, between first paragraph and "Your constituents...." Thanks for all ur attention. Honest elections and death to the Fed. Apollonian
I agree
I agree. If I had to make a list of all the things that are evil about the Fed, secrecy would not go at the top. What I mean is that for the purpose of convincing a random congress critter to vote for this bill, secrecy is the best hook. My own representative thinks the Fed is necessary and good, but he claims to be considering voting for the bill.
Once the bill is passed, other items on the list of grievances will come to light.
Jive - Excellent job!
I recall in a previous comment you said you didn't like the FedRes logo and would prefer a picture of the central bank. Did you change your mind on that? I'll start work directly.
Hey, how about firing up the old video camera and making a video to promote the Fax Bomb?
Okay.
Thanks Michael. I did some fishing around for a logo, but I didn't come up with anything great. One idea is a picture of the Fed building, or maybe the Fed emblem, with a magnifying glass over it. I'm more of a word guy than a graphics guy. (I could paint you an oil portrait of Jefferson or Jackson, but not tonight.) Put the graphics design team on the job.
I will fire up the old video camera. I might need a haircut first. :-)
Jive - Check it out:
http://www.dailypaul.com/node/87417
Hey - I need a haircut, too!
Hey - I need a haircut, too!
Watch the top of the page for a debut, and feedback.
BUMP MARCH ON!! An Eye for
BUMP
MARCH ON!!
An Eye for an Eye will ONLY make this world go blind~Ghandi~
To Jive, Flame and apollonian2nd
To reiterate:
This flier is for the fax bomb to Congresspeople. There are multiple points, one of which is the wording, and one is the logo. The logo catches the eye and piques curiosity. The copy short and to the point. The point is not to educate, but to get them to sponsor the bill. You can't educate in 85 words.
It lists a number of things that they probably don't know about the Fed, but strikes fear in their heart that their constituents know it. Especially if they get a bunch of these, they'll be really scared. At the heart of politics are two fundamentals: Fear and deception.
If they Google "Federal as Federal Express" they'll find videos by Kucinich and Rick Santelli. At the moment, Santelli is hot. They know of the outrage and the millions of people who have seen his rant. They'll feel pressure. They see the bill has 42 cosponsors. They'll feel the pressure to sign on and to support it.
I've called for a lot of comments. I reworked the flier based on the best ones, in my opinion. Many of the comments were contradictory, so I obviously couldn't incorporate them all.
A lot goes into writing copy. Do me a favor if you want to help - don't describe what it should say - write the copy: 85 words. Make it catchy, and make it effective. Clearly you have a computer, and you can type.
This is my invitation to you: Write the copy.
Invitation accepted
Your wish is my command. See below. (Or above if you sort newest-first.)
Concreteness Renders Greatest Possible Strength For Premise
Auditing Aim Dependent Only Upon Premises--Which Should Be Concrete For Greatest Possible Strength, Indubitably
(Apollonian, 24 Mar 09)
This sure is "live" discussion, isn't it? Mike, u should reconsider--for I agree with and fully acknowledge ur excellent aim ("auditing"). But note ur aim is a conclusion following premises, and it's those premises I'm just trying to draw attn to. And note, I'm saying ur basic premise can well, even easily, be improved for ur aim.
For once u get down that basic, fundamental premise, that indisputable concrete nature (COUNTERFEITING) of what we're all basically talking about in first place--the Fed monster--ur conclusion must follow if it's only logical (which I think it is, regarding "auditing").
And don't forget, even if one quails fm admitting that dread concrete nature (counterfeiting)--still, it remains as distinct possibility which sticks necessarily in their minds--for they can't TOTALLY deny it, even again, if they fear to face it.
"Educating" then is no big thing--which then consists simply of identifying that indisputable concrete nature which is base for all the abstractions. And like I say, the conclusion rests upon certainty of basic premise. Fed is counterfeit scam ("legalized")--so at VERY LEAST it absolutely needs "auditing."
CONCLUSION: Indeed, if "auditing" leads then to knowledge of totally pernicious things (fraud, inflation, etc., pure and simple) Fed really is and does, then abolition may well be the excellent consequence. I already submitted my specific comments for ur otherwise excellent flyer design. Keep up ur good work. Honest elections and death to the Fed. Apollonian
There's no excuse for leaving out the most important thing.
The Fed is what allows government to grow. The growth of government is what Dr. Paul has been fighting against all these years.
The Fed exists to serve politicians so that they may grow the welfare/warfare state. Growth of government = reduction of freedom. That's why the Fed should be eliminated.
The Fed is just an elaborate scheme to make it LOOK like the government is not printing for itself, by providing the illusion that the Fed is a separate institution, when in practice it is really "a fourth branch of government" (quoting Dr. Paul).
How about putting this on the Flyer: "The Fed is a fourth branch of government." At least it would be consistent with Dr. Paul's thought, instead of Kucinich's warped, unsophisticated, uneducated, and downright stupid thought comparing the Fed with Federal Express. Dr. Paul would never say "it's as federal as Federal Express." If only it were!
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9/11 was blowback! 9/11 was blowback! 9/11 was blowback! Not an inside job!
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The Fed is not a private bank. PRIVATIZE THE FED!!!
"The Federal Reserve Banks should simply be regarded as governmental agencies." -Murray Rothbard
"I now call the Federal Reserve the fourth branch of government." -Ron Paul
CONCRETE Identity Of What we're talking about--most "important"
Utility, Value Of Simple Concreteness--Removes Confusion
(Apollonian, 24 Mar 09)
Though I don't agree with all of "Flame's" argument, he brings up good pt.s. And I warned Michael for leaving the very topic subject-matter so abstract and thus vague for exact, concrete identity. But it's important now, I suspect, Mike gets it behind him so he can more leisurely consider the most pertinent issue(s).
The lesson then, I submit, is if u give folks the chance to go off on tangents and be confused or distracted, they will, not surprisingly, most often take that opportunity. The proper (info) art of such ad is to direct attn to absolute, necessary, undisputed nature and reality of problem--Fed counterfeiting. Of course specific ad then wants to advocate subsequent action ("audit").
Mike says Fed is a "rogue agency"--but though it's surely true, that just begs obvious question as to how and why. Why be "clever"?--why "dance" about the truth which (so urgently, so crucially) needs to be grasped? It's feminine treatment of issue at best.
For Fed is simply a COUNTERFEITING scheme/scam/mechanism, etc., as I noted--yes, it's now "legalized" counterfeiting. But counterfeiting is precisely the concrete nature and exact identity for what Fed is. Virtue then, again, is EVEN CHILDREN can now understand Fed counterfeiting, now rendered concrete, out of realm of mere hazy abstraction.
"Flame" says it (Fed) is "elaborate"--but that's only partially true. Actually Fed is simple, again, a mere counterfeiting scam--BUT yes, it does have an elaborate-type cloaking/exterior, that's for sure.
Fed exists not primarily to serve politicians, who are only front-men; rather, Fed literally is the basic existential (practical) weapon, in merely financial guise, to achieve absolute power, now controlling and affecting so much of everything else.
And once then one sees the fundamental fraud nature (counterfeiting) of Fed, one sees the NECESSARY conspiratorial nature/quality--the next conclusion/observation. To then so fear the conspiracy nature that one fails to name the immediate, indisputable counterfeit essence is TOO TIMID, too delicate.
CONCLUSION: And Fed then gives the basic FRAUD nature and essence to everything else about our Mammon culture, so degenerate, so disgusting, putrid, and never doubt--deathly. Fed is anchor and base for "Empire of Lies," indubitably. So good effort, Mike Nystrom--if nothing else, it gives patriots food for thought regarding necessity of clarity and CONCRETENESS, once again. Honest elections and death to the Fed. Apollonian
Think of the target
Think of the target audience: This is for the fax bomb to members of the government.
1) They most likely don't understand the Fed.
However,
2) They want to keep growing the government.
Therefore they wouldn't want to curtail anything that would hinder their growth.
"Growth of government = reduction of freedom" would be an affront to them. They wouldn't listen to that. (Though I can see this is your style).
As for Kucinich's "warped, unsophisticated, uneducated, and downright stupid thought comparing the Fed with Federal Express,"
1. He got it from G. Edward Griffin, the author of The Creature from Jekyll Island: A Second Look at the Federal Reserve, who has used this phrase numerous times in documentaries. Do your epithets apply equally to Mr. Griffin? I don't think people in this movement would take kindly to your describing Mr. Griffin this way.
2. We're not going to win this battle on our own, I think we all know this. We need allies and friends across the political spectrum. Your name calling does nothing to build a coalition with groups that can be helpful to our cause, even if we don't agree on everything. This kind of name calling is what gives Ron Paul supporters a bad name.
If this is site is about Dr. Paul,
and his ideas, then why would we be saying something Mr Griffin said that Dr. Paul would most likely NEVER say? It's in direct conflict with Dr. Paul's position.
If you're sending this to members of government, complaining that the Fed is comparable to Federal Express as if that would be a bad thing, the message you're sending the message that money supply creation and regulation should not be left to the free market. I don't see how it's productive to say that, from Dr. Paul's standpoint - which is why he wouldn't say it.
Reagan won an election saying that more government = less freedom. I don't why we would be afraid to use the same message.
As far as what gives Dr. Paul supporters a bad name it's conspiracy theorism. Everything from "the Fed is a private bank" to "9/11 was an inside job" to Fema camps, to chemtrails, to MSM conspiracy theory.
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9/11 was blowback! 9/11 was blowback! 9/11 was blowback! Not an inside job!
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The Fed is not a private bank. PRIVATIZE THE FED!!!
"The Federal Reserve Banks should simply be regarded as governmental agencies." -Murray Rothbard
"I now call the Federal Reserve the fourth branch of government." -Ron Paul
You're right. This site is
You're right. This site is about Dr. Paul. This flier is about getting his bill passed. There is a difference. This is my contribution to that end, and I reserve the right to think for myself, as everyone should.
As for Mr. Griffin's book, it is one that Dr. Paul recommends in the back of "The Revolution, A Manifesto"
Thank you for your input. I've considered and rejected it.
Hey, here's a great idea: Why don't you make your own flier? You can put whatever you want into it
How were WTC building exploded if not by "inside job"?
How Did WTC Buildings Collapse And Fall Down?
(Apollonian, 24 Mar 09)
Mike: "Flame" is a "live" one, for sure, and I just want to ask him if 9-11 was NOT "inside job"--how in the heck then were WTC buildings exploded?--are u saying they just fell down by themselves--as gov. (9-11 Commission Report) says?
CONCLUSION: So isn't "conspiracy" only possible answer to WTC buildings so collapsing as is obvious? Thanks much for ur info. Honest elections and death to the Fed. Apollonian
Make your own flier then!
_________________________________
My liberty-minded home base of thought:
www.ponderthis.net
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Freedom - Peace - Prosperity
He asked for feedback.
I'm just trying to help out.
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9/11 was blowback! 9/11 was blowback! 9/11 was blowback! Not an inside job!
-------
The Fed is not a private bank. PRIVATIZE THE FED!!!
"The Federal Reserve Banks should simply be regarded as governmental agencies." -Murray Rothbard
"I now call the Federal Reserve the fourth branch of government." -Ron Paul
If you want to help, write
If you want to help, write the copy.
Right on
_________________________________
My liberty-minded home base of thought:
www.ponderthis.net
_________________________________
Freedom - Peace - Prosperity
Much better
Much better,. Michael, but it still dwells on the "Fed bad" theme rather than the "secrecy bad" theme. It also introduces extraneous facts that many a congress critter would consider daft. (It's the cause of the current financial crisis.)
I wrote to my congress critter. He was quite familiar with the bill, and he knew a bit of history about the Fed. He knew the statuary limitations on the GOA when it comes to auditing it. He did not reject supporting the bill out of hand. He said he is considering it, but he was concerned that it would distract the auditors or some such nonsense. But he does think the Fed is a good and noble thing. I'm still working on him. The point is, I along with others might be able to convince him to support the bill, but getting him to make a quick 180 on his thinking about the Fed is not going to happen. One step at a time.
How about a third draft that goes right to the point and does not dilute it with vilification of the Fed? We know it's villainous, but first things first. The message is, Audit the Fed!
"Jive" misses real pt.--which is NOT "secrecy"--but danger
Auditing Should Be Done Not Merely For Secrecy--But For More Critical Dangerousness
(Apollonian, 24 Mar 09)
"Jive," u say u "know it (Fed) is villainous," but obvious question then is HOW?--why?--and try not to be abstract. Be specific and be concrete.
Because obviously, if it isn't "villainous" then it doesn't so critically require such auditing--seems logical to me. And note then the obvious tendency is for politicians (and everyone else) not to face up to the horrific truth about real and absolutely disastrous, pernicious nature of Fed.
So if by presenting that absolutely SMASHING concrete nature of Fed counterfeiting, which is ultimately un-deniable, no matter how one may want to avoid facing it, we can then get them to audit and then even abolish such horrific Fed, we've attained and achieved our object, both long- and short-range.
Message, properly understood, is we should audit things especially which are potentially dangerous, like the Fed, and that's why then we should most critically and urgently audit this (at least) potentially dangerous and questionable Fed which is a counterfeit operation, which is obviously potentially dangerous, even catastrophic.
CONCLUSION: There's no good excuse for pretending Fed is "good and noble"--especially when confronted with un-deniable counterfeiting nature which is fraudulent by its very essence, just at the outset--even if it is "legalized." So is murder okay--as long as it's "legalized"? Fraud remains fraud, hence un-Constitutional, for obvious reason, which u're missing terribly. Get a clue. Honest elections and death to the Fed. Apollonian