by Ryan Mohr
The system is rigged. Here we are in yet another election year, and it seems that many have already forgotten that lesson. Is this a surprise? No, not really. When you’re constantly bombarded, day in and day out, with mainstream politics, something’s gotta give, right? As far as the establishment types are concerned, you have two choices for the office of the president, the Republican or the Democrat. If you want to be represented, you have to pick a side and they have to win. So we libertarians, being the subversives we are, say “Screw that, we’re getting our own candidate!” And right there, the battle is lost. See, because we’re accepting the paradigm the establishment has thrust upon us. “If you want to fix the system, go ahead and send your guy into the belly of the beast to fix it.” But are we really so naive, after all that we’ve seen, that we’d look at Washington and say “Hey, that looks like a good place to start?”
If lovers of liberty really want to be a force to be reckoned with, moving forward, maybe it’s time we ventured outside of the box and employed some less conventional tactics that have the propensity to be far more effective. After all, that’s what being a subversive is all about, isn’t it?
I recently caught up with Michael Boldin of the Tenth Amendment Center to briefly discuss what just may be the Liberty movement’s secret weapon: Nullification.
TLR: Hey Michael, I really appreciate you taking the time to answer some of my questions!
BOLDIN: Thanks again for asking!
TLR: So first of all, for those who may not be familiar with the nullification movement, what is it and why is it so important for those who are interested in advancing the cause of liberty?
BOLDIN: Nullification today is primarily recognizing that the federal government lacks the manpower and resources to carry out all its laws and regulatory programs. It relies heavily on help from the states and local communities. As James Madison advised in Federalist #46, people and states should employ a “refusal to cooperate with officers of the Union” as an effective method to stopping federal programs. It’s important – even essential – today – because relying on the federal government to fix problems caused by the federal government doesn’t work. “Voting the bums out” gets us new bums. And going to the federal courts to restrict the power of the federal government has proven to be a pretty bad strategy.
TLR: I love the work you guys are doing and I really believe that nullification is the key, moving forward, to fighting back against government overreach and really just giving the liberty movement teeth. I know it’s not a part of the mainstream conventional thinking, even in some libertarian circles, but since when has any worthwhile solution been ‘conventional’ anyway? So what would you say to those who say that this is a fringe issue and that it’s not worth any serious attention, “Move along, there’s nothing to see here?”
BOLDIN: An unfortunate fact, in my opinion, is that if it were “mainstream” it would be really awful. But, we should all know the ancient proverb, “The journey of 1000 miles begins with a single step.” Even with nullification, Thomas Jefferson advised being strategic. For example, he recommended pushing “as far as events will render prudent.”
TLR: So the DEA, a few weeks ago, announced it was standing pat on its stance on marijuana, this news coming when only last month a national poll was released showing that the majority of Americans are for legalizing it. We have wildly unpopular Common Core standards being adopted nationally, with polls showing a majority of Americans being against it. We have more pushes for unilateral action on gun control, when a majority of Americans oppose these restrictions. It seems like even with the issues that the majority of Americans can agree on, the Federal Government continues to circumvent their will. What’s the problem with looking for solutions in Washington?
BOLDIN: The DEA is a great example of how waiting on the federal government to fix itself is terrible strategy. That’s why organizations like NORML, MPP, DPA and others have shown us a powerful blueprint. Legalize in your own state first – and worry about the feds later. When enough people say no to the federal government and enough states pass laws backing them up, there’s not much the feds can do to force their so-called laws, regulations, or mandates down our throats.
TLR: While the rest of the country, including much of the Liberty Movement, is focused on national politics with this being an election year, what is the Tenth Amendment Center doing right now to make the American people more free?
BOLDIN: We’re doing the exact same thing we always do. Educate and activate. We work to teach people that there are other paths forward other than hoping some federal politician or federal judge is going to swoop in and save us. And that really begins with individual action, local action and state action. We need to learn how to exercise our rights whether the federal government wants us to or not. Like with marijuana. From gun control, to hemp farming, privacy, common core, sound money and more – we work with individuals, groups and state legislators to introduce and pass legislation to nullify federal programs in practice and effect.
TLR: Finally, what would you say to those who have been previously active in the Liberty movement, many who got involved when Ron Paul was running, but have become discouraged with the direction the country’s been moving in recent years? Why should they take heart, and what do Liberty lovers have to look forward to?
BOLDIN: Ron Paul was a strong advocate for nullification. For example, in a late-2011 candidate forum he not only said that the “states have to be able to nullify,” he also told us how effective nullification would be when used. He said, “This would reverse the trend and stop the usurpation of all the powers from the states to the federal government.” I don’t think this can be understated – Ron Paul said that nullification would stop all of it. We just need to put it into practice. And in recent years, we’ve send this happening more and more.
TLR: If someone wants to support TAC or get involved in the work you’re doing, how can they get started?
BOLDIN: The first step would be to get fully educated on these issues, and then move into more direct action. A great starting point is our annual “State of the Nullification Movement Report” which we last updated in late 2015 here: http://tenthamendmentcenter.com/report
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