Our Threatened Freedom

How Much of You does the Federal Government Own

Professor: Dr. R.J. Rushdoony

Subject: Political Studies

Lesson: 120-169

Genre: Conversation

Track: 120

Dictation Name: Vol. J - Part 03 - How Much of You does the Federal Government Own

Location/Venue: Unknown

Year: 1980’s – 1990’s

[Dr. Rushdoony] How much of you does the Federal Government own? This is R.J. Rushdoony with a report on our threatened freedom.

One of the interesting facts about the United States is the amount of land owned by the federal government. In Alaska, 90% of the state is federally owned. In Nevada it is 87%, Utah 65%, Idaho, 64%, Oregon 52%, Arizona 45%, California 44%, and so on down the line. Supposedly these lands are kept in trust for the people, but in reality private conservation groups and corporations have done and can do a better job of it, but this is not all. We need to ask another question. How much of us do the federal, state and local agencies of civil government own? About 5 to 10 years ago we were told that between 40 to 45% of our income went for direct and hidden taxes. Some now place that estimate at 50 to 60%. Whichever figure is right, it constitutes a very big share of our income.

Slavery is defined as a property right in the labor of other men. If you own a slave it means that he must work for you. Very obviously through taxation civil government now owns about half of us, and this means that we are half slaves, whatever else we may call ourselves.

When the federal government, more than a century ago, abolished slavery, it abolished only the private ownership of slaves, not public ownership. In fact, all over the world, slavery is more common than ever before. In the Communist bloc, all the people are slaves of the state, in the democracies we are half slaves and half free. What we need is an emancipation proclamation from slavery to the modern state. You can be sure that neither Washington D.C. nor the state house will issue any such charter of freedom on its own. Only if we the people compel them to t is do so will the various branches of civil government disgorge their powers over us.

We may think we belong to ourselves, our family, our church or our community, but with every paycheck we are reminded that we belong to Washington D.C. and before we see our paycheck, big brother has put his bite on us. The plain fact is that the modern state owns too much of us. Instead of being our servant it has become our master and we have been steadily stripped of our assets and our freedom. Very definitely it is time for a change. To gain that change, we must be changed. As Paul says, where the Spirit of the Lord is, there is liberty.

This has been R.J. Rushdoony with a report on our threatened freedom.