Politics and the American Republic

In America today, before anyone steps into politics with the hope of reform, the first and most important task is to understand what the Founding Fathers were trying to accomplish. Their writings are not relics; they are warnings. And among those writings, The Declaration of Independence and Thomas Paine’s Common Sense stand as essential starting points. In truth, a citizen could understand almost everything necessary for civic renewal by studying these two documents alone.

Why are they so important? Because very few people ever stop to ask a basic question:
Why do we need a government at all?
Most of us are born under one, taught never to question it, and conditioned to believe it is simply part of the natural order. But imagine for a moment a world with no government, and then imagine you are responsible for creating one from scratch. What would it look like? How would it function? What powers would you give it—and more importantly, what powers would you refuse to give it?

The Declaration of Independence gives us a clue. It was written because the existing government—under a young king thousands of miles away—had abandoned its duties and treated the people as subjects rather than citizens. Laws were imposed without regard for the colonies’ needs. Taxes were created for the benefit of the Crown, not the people. The King governed for his own power, not for their well-being. When that abuse reached its peak, the people rose up.

But here lies the deeper question:
What makes you so certain that any new government you create will not become just as corrupt, self-serving, or tyrannical as the one you are replacing?
Recognizing this danger, the Founding Fathers searched history, debated endlessly, and sacrificed personally to design a system that could wield only as much power as was necessary to protect liberty—while being restrained enough to prevent its own evolution into a new monarchy.

Thomas Paine’s Common Sense brilliantly explains why this caution is necessary. He wrote:

• “Society is produced by our wants, and government by our wickedness.”
• “Society in every state is a blessing, but government even in its best state is but a necessary evil.”
• “When we suffer, or are exposed to the same miseries by a government which we might expect in a country without government, our calamity is heightened by reflecting that we furnish the means by which we suffer.”

These were not abstract ideas. They were warnings born out of lived experience.

Today, many people believe the Founders were frauds or collaborators with Britain. Such claims collapse in the face of the overwhelming correspondence, debates, letters, and journals that survive from the era. These men expended enormous effort designing a system unlike anything the world had seen—one meant to avoid the rise of another king and to safeguard the natural rights of the people. Their debates were intense, their disagreements real, and their ultimate compromise fragile.

One moment captures this brilliantly. As Benjamin Franklin left Independence Hall, he was asked:

“Well, Doctor, what have we got—a republic or a monarchy?”

He responded:

“A republic, if you can keep it.”

And that is the challenge we face now: keeping it.

To keep it, Americans must educate themselves—not only in history, but in law and the Constitution. We must relearn the tools of citizenship that have been quietly taken from us. For example, the monopoly of State Bar Associations has effectively walled off the courts from ordinary citizens. Only licensed insiders may represent others, and the result is predictable: the public grows lazy and dependent, while the legal system drifts further and further from the Constitution it was meant to serve. The Bar will never correct this imbalance; it benefits too greatly from it. Only the people can.

To further discourage public engagement, the political establishment promotes candidates who are widely disliked or untrustworthy. Who wants to join a profession associated with corruption, deceit, and hypocrisy? This is not accidental—it is a strategy. If the public despises politics and distrusts courts, they will not participate. They will complain, but they will not act. Meanwhile, the government grows stronger and more insulated from accountability.

But there is a solution, and it does not require a majority. History proves this. At the time of the Revolution, only about 10% of the population actively resisted the Crown. The rest watched, followed, or did nothing. This reality persists today. Roughly 80% of people throughout history have had little interest in reform or leadership. They live their lives, avoid conflict, and accept whatever system exists. They are not the obstacle—and they are not required for change. They will follow whoever demonstrates leadership.

We already have a Constitution. We already have the legal framework. What we lack is a determined minority willing to enforce it.

So what is the path forward?

1. Build a genuine civic-education network.

We must create training materials that teach ordinary citizens how the courts work, how the Constitution operates, and how to navigate both without relying on attorneys.

2. Identify constitutional violations and develop standardized pro se complaints.

When a rights-violation pattern is identified—whether in taxation, surveillance, due process, or any other area—we must craft litigation templates that any trained citizen can file.

3. Work together through every stage of litigation.

Court cases are not expensive when undertaken pro se. We are not seeking monetary compensation. Our goal is structural correction, constitutional compliance, and restoration of the limits placed on government power.

I am already developing the educational framework for this effort, and I currently have multiple court cases underway across several areas. My intention is to share everything I learn and help others begin their own constitutional enforcement actions.

If we want to keep our republic, we must act—patiently, intelligently, and relentlessly. The government will not restrain itself. Only the people can do that. And we have done it before.