Bull Run

[i]"Can we all for a moment imagine a Federation where American nations are represented & welcome to discuss any & all matters regarding American affairs. A purely American Congress to reestablish & uphold a more unified continent where the states cooperate and compete peacefully. Where the States wield the ultimate control & any & all powers may only be derived from them- for if they're not, that any union of ours be abolished so that tyranny may not arise thereof. This would ideally establish a republic of American states where each would be represented equally to meet & discuss & act together. American progress which appears to hover inches above stagnancy, would begin to move by leaps & bounds. Merging should be outlawed. The sovereignty of the states should reign as the backbone of such an American Federation & secession being the highest States' right as well as a natural regulatory measure against any ambitions to ignore the will of the States. Our greatest protection should be the choose to part with oppression should ever it arise in any form. The beautiful thing about a republic is that we are all cooperating to serve each other. Our strength lies in our ability to work together to make a solid and secure nation. The republic is going to need the service of many Americans to ensure it’s long lasting success. Together we can make the change that our founding fathers believed in. Leading America & representing our continent across the globe should not be left to oligarchs- they simply cannot represent all of our interests. This job should be multilaterally reserved for every, if not at least the majority of American States together, it first needs Americans in support. We need the support of each and every free American State to help build the republic into all that it can be."[/i]

[i]"Mr. Wilkes, if I may politely remind you of what I stated,"[/i] [quote name='Bull Run' timestamp='1304174919' post='2702531'] [i][b]We have before us the tools to reconstruct the American Fortress that once guarded fiercely against expansionism- a legacy continued on by the Confederacy of American States as well as the Federal Republic of America to name a few[/b]. A Fortress that saw to it that despite our differences as American nations, our home was secure from foreign invaders & emperors at home. There may have been no political, financial, or military profits from keeping expansionists at bay. In fact, defending the homeland came at great costs, but it was done for the love of our common home & the brotherhood that American states are a part of despite our feuds & squabbles. And this policy was Law! Enacted by the United States of America, to defend our continent from sea to sea against enemies, foreign & domestic. And a tradition every American State guarded to the last. [/i] [/quote] [i]"Which would be in agreement with what you stated when you said,"[/i] [quote name='jeff744' timestamp='1304380017' post='2704462'] "Know well, your words will return to the CAS people, [b]we joined with the FRA to stop the same imperialism[/b] you accuse us of, we joined the Pacific Harmony Accords to bring further stability to region beyond our own nation. We have never have, nor ever will have visions of empire and while we may expand slightly over time we will [i]never[/i] force others to join our nation." "Perhaps we were mistaken in even considering such a short sided group that refuses to help people from other nations" [/quote] [i]"But then you also stated earlier,"[/i] [quote name='jeff744' timestamp='1304310931' post='2703833'] Jason Wilkes felt a twinge of anger at some of the words "Mr. Paul, you should note that [b]the CAS has had nothing but good relations with the empires that arrived in America[/b], and while some did not end well they did help their people. Additionally these isolationist ideas go against what many American nations have come to embrace, the CAS for example has recently joined the Pacific Harmony Accords. While we may have had an eventful past it is now becoming increasingly friendly even without these extreme ideas of yours" [/quote] [i]"Please, simply clarify where it is you stand. I applauded the CAS by name in standing against expansionism as you confirmed in you last response regarding imperialism which is by definition a policy of extending a country's power and influence through diplomacy or military force. I do retract my wrongly made statements about your own personal aspirations for empire. Also, remember this is a summit for discussion- widely varying opinions should be expected. Please, lets continue."[/i]

[quote name='jeff744' timestamp='1304310931' post='2703833'] Jason Wilkes felt a twinge of anger at some of the words "Mr. Paul, you should note that the CAS has had nothing but good relations with the empires that arrived in America, and while some did not end well they did help their people. Additionally these isolationist ideas go against what many American nations have come to embrace, the CAS for example has recently joined the Pacific Harmony Accords. While we may have had an eventful past it is now becoming increasingly friendly even without these extreme ideas of yours" [/quote] [i]"What is the Confederacy, in all its might & potential doing for America? We applaud you for your will to reach out. I only hope that you may offer the same here, to your neighbors. I may not agree with any relations with imperialism, if you have had any. Just as you may not agree with my standing against them. I do not know the specifics of said Accord, but I assume you likely offer either resources or American lives to foreign treaties, or both. I simply ask what is it you offer to America? I believe there is a great deal we can all do here, or I simply would have never called this summit. Of course, I never intended you all share my personal ideas or those of the American Continentalists, but it seems to me, and I hope I am not speaking out of line when I say that the CAS may itself have aspirations for empire."[/i]

[i] "I'd like to again welcome all to the first American Continental Congress. I am Boston Federacy Congressmen Ron Paul & champion of the movement for union of the American community."[/i] The congressmen offered a warm smile then took his seat alongside other representatives. Grinning as he sighed deeply, he continued with his opening discussion. [i]"We've inherited a mess. Each & everyone of you represents a sovereign American nation. You are neighbors, and friends, perhaps a few of you are rivals, but most important of all- we are all Americans. Do not forget there is a hostile world outside of, as well as within our home that we must secure our fortress against. Our continent is fragmented into few standing republics, empires on either side of the homeland; when I began my campaigning not for any political position, but for a reawakening of America, I have to say I did not have high expectations that our pro-American movement would catch wind even here in America! We quickly found ourselves in a whirlwind of rhetoric with 'imperial America' & relatively quiet band supporters. I am compelled, now, to reconsider my initial concerns & by the patriotism that we have begun to spark across the continent, I think now that the chance for greatness to come again to America-not under any empire, but as a community, is many folds greater. We have before us the tools to reconstruct the American Fortress that once guarded fiercely against expansionism- a legacy continued on by the Confederacy of American States as well as the Federal Republic of America to name a few. A Fortress that saw to it that despite our differences as American nations, our home was secure from foreign invaders & emperors at home. There may have been no political, financial, or military profits from keeping expansionists at bay. In fact, defending the homeland came at great costs, but it was done for the love of our common home & the brotherhood that American states are a part of despite our feuds & squabbles. And this policy was Law! Enacted by the United States of America, to defend our continent from sea to sea against enemies, foreign & domestic. And a tradition every American State guarded to the last. Believe this: there existed a time where defense & humanitarian aid actually meant helping each other- not occupation & annexation of lands. This new policy was popularized on our continent by the Empire of York at the time of the fall of the US Republic to the Empire's invasion. I lived in Virginia at the time. I recall the tragedy clearly. My point to all of you today is that America has had a blanket thrown over our heads & we need to wake up to our virtues and a time where there may exist mighty republics, not empires. A time when we took heed to champions of American union, not weak justification for invasion through televised address by some emperor. When America was a prosperous & immense power, not under one but AS one; as a community for liberty & justice for all. So now I ask you. All of you. Would you not consider opting out of this fragmented system; the dark age of empire & turmoil. Toward a renaissance of America values & American greatness. Is this not OUR home?"[/i]

[center][IMG]http://i287.photobucket.com/albums/ll137/Zapaw/ron-paul6-1.png[/IMG][/center] [color="#000080"][font="Palatino Linotype"]In a post-USA era, within the shattered continent of Elite & imperial domination, the fight for liberty & justice takes many forms; none more tragically than the people in open conflict against a violent tyranny. A 2nd American Revolution is already taking way. By the blood of new age patriots breathe life back into an American fighting spirit that lie dormant for years. And by the blood of tyrants, may that spirit be again free to manifest itself over this shaken continent. Maintain your will, relinquish your fears, & continue the fight for Liberty & Justice for All.[/font][/color] [font="Book Antiqua"][i][color="#0000FF"] We are the American Continental Party, and we approve this message.[/color][/i][/font]

Boston Federacy Congressman, Ron Paul went one by one, shaking hands with everyone partaking in the summit, [i]"Please accept this free gift Mr. Representative...Representative Marks please accept this free gift, if you will...Oh! Madam representative..."[/i] The Congressman, [i]"Champion of the Constitution"[/i] handed everyone he greeted with a copy of the document as he made his rounds throughout the meeting chamber of the party headquarters. Usually the office was open to the public whom was invited to openly discuss politics & events with party officials on the spot, but today was a special occasion & the public would be limited to the main office for security purposes. [i]"We welcome all parties to this summit. Isolation is not so much a party platform as American cooperation, but regardless we warmly welcome any opposition & contribution to our ideals & the input of all in attendance."[/i] [quote name='Vince Sixx' timestamp='1304044540' post='2701662'] Representative Stephen Willoughby will attend the conference, although Cascadia is against any American isolationist organizations. [/quote]

[center][color="#8B0000"][size="4"][font="Impact"]The American Continental Congress[/font][/size][/color] [img]http://3.bp.blogspot.com/_QFFwBk5PXqw/R85X9fSZeGI/AAAAAAAAAA0/-YqV32OIr4w/S700/Bald-Eagle---Flag-Print-C10001654.jpg[/img][/center] [size="2"][font="Franklin Gothic Medium"][color="#000080"]We would like to welcome our fellow Americans to this summit for open discussions regarding American politics, economy, neighboring relations & cooperation hosted by the [i][color="#8B0000"]American Continental Party[/color][/i]. The States are in desperate need of a champion to lead America, a union of sovereign States to supersede the hegemony of the elite; cooperation set in common grounds towards progress of similar aspirations. America has never shied from difficult times or the challenges of rivals, neither threats from far off lands or clear & present dangers here at home. Through turbulent time & time again we have stood with our backs against the wall- & while we may stumble, we will never fall. If there may truly be found an order through chaos, then let our States, fragmented with their potential not lost only dormant, to realize the chaos that is the deliberate assault on the American ideal & the usurpation of the American way by Empires. If you will, a disorder through peace. Now, America is reawakening. As we lift our heads, the eagle soars. If we are to lift America we may only do so together by the central pillar of America's freedom, the US Constitution. In seeking liberty we need not fear the repression of imperial states because it is only under a temporary, if not false safety we enjoy by appeasing them by turning a blind eye to their political & military abominations & allowing a [i]"falling to the wayside"[/i] as they claim, of our liberties. Remember the wise words of Benjamin Franklin, [i]"Those who would give up essential liberty to purchase a little temporary safety deserve neither liberty nor safety."[/i] Let us not be they. Let us save our squabbles for a time of less urgency. Bring forth your ideas, your opinions, & your open minds to this summit. The fate of all America may very well rest in our hearts.[/color][/font][/size] [color="#8B0000"] [url="http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=i426pbQJZ_g"]American Anthem[/url] OOC: Say all who are going to attend are present, no further OOC please, only those invited[/color]

[quote name='Shadowsage' timestamp='1303951566' post='2700734'] As a surviving successor state to the previous incarnation of the United States, the Holy American Empire can attest to the futility of a family of republics; each of which are no more than a charade concerning freedom of the people, and a shoddy one at that. The Empire of Pravus Ingruo in its' various incarnations has done far more for the stability of North America than any other nation, and we applaud them for it. [/quote] You're empire may be the self-acclaimed successor, albeit nominal if anything, of the former United States. Was it not your empire that allowed, under [u]official order[/u], all vessels engaging the United States to resupply and rearm from imperial depots? You are a long time ally of the Empire of York, if not, clear enemy of the United States. In what way then is the HAE its successor?

Across the North American Continent, branches form of the American Continental Party as it launched the [i][color="#8B0000"]Rally for the Republic![/color][/i] to reach out to, inform, & reawaken the North American public to their true destiny of Liberty. Thousands arrive to local rallies where party members address the various audiences from the American South all the way to Canadia. Generating an unpresidented following among Americans, Continent-wide. [color="#000080"][font="Courier New"] Boston, Boston Federacy[/font][/color] Boston residence fill their local stadium, taking part in the rallying cries of a restored Constitution & Union throughout the Americas in years following the annexation of the United States by domestic expansionists by the aid of foreign allies. [center] [IMG]http://i287.photobucket.com/albums/ll137/Zapaw/ron-paul1-1.jpg[/IMG][/center] [i]"It has been said that when in the course of human events, an oppression so revolts its subjects that it becomes necessary to alter or abolish the means of that tyranny. Is it that time when the Constitution is forced to the wayside, when aggression of the past threaten our security today. When empires usurp the destiny of a continent through force, free nations enslaved by fear of repression & content with protection. When people of North America tremble under the thumb of aggressive expansionism and now, America is drifting dangerously away from its foundations counter to tyranny & forceful conquest. When Emperors maintain a culture of fear, we are a movement for bravery, patriotism, & the American way. We seek neither prestige nor political power if only we may awake the minds of American nations to come again into a more perfect Union, because America should be more than a theater for land grabs, far more than a basing for imperialist adventures abroad. The time is now, the threat is clear. The bands of tyranny are tightening around the Continent & it is our duty to resist!"[/i] [font="Courier New"][color="#000080"] St. John's, Commonwealth of Canada[/color][/font] Canadian audiences offer no less enthusiasm as their (former US) American counterparts, rallying to the outdoor event to hear the message of this new Continental Party that unifying a challenge to what they say to be an imperialist hegemony over America. [i]"As empowered patriots let us take part in the commitment to the ideals in which this country was founded. America out of Union may be likened to a corpse without a soul. Each state is a limb to a lifeless corpse that only liberty & our Constitution may revive. The challenge before awakening America, is no less than to bring about a revolution of values & inspire a renaissance of American politics & breath new life into the tortured body of our fragmented Continent. We will meet that challenge with courage & love. And as always...We the people will prevail!"[/i] [color="#000080"][font="Courier New"]Austin, Federal Republic of America[/font][/color] Once dismissed as inconsequential by Imperial public opposition, the American Continental Party & Constitutional Movement has risen to shoot those dismissals down. The audience converging on Austin offered an impressive answer to any dismissals with the message reaching swaths of FRA citizens. At all rallies, copies of the US Constitution where handed out & decor was an elaborate explosion of Red, White, & Blue banners & colorations. [i]"...the American Continental Party, we are resisting an occupation over the hearts of minds of America we once bought in too. We lived supporting & defending the new way of American geopolitics, until we found out the hard way that the greatest enemies to America are not to be found in some far off land, but they are right here at home! With truth & informing, we are inspiring a generation of Americans young and old to remember a better way of leading America then striving for Empire and by supporting those who are peacefully resisting we inspire further resistance. This whole movement is moving past the external wounds to the greater evils plaguing this continent. We know that the greatest threat to American sovereignty is the current hegemony of Empires. No tyrant has ever restored the Constitution, freedoms where won not by any legislature but by a movement. We have bright hope for America, but it comes not from any Emperor's recompense. No. This hope, comes from you. We have a vision of where America should be & we're need to move forward with it together!"[/i]

[quote name='Pravus Ingruo' timestamp='1303928712' post='2700466'] Assassination of US officials? None were killed. The United States claimed we struck Washington D.C. with a nuclear missile, which was simply not the case. The White House was the only building hit, and zero, I repeat, zero bodies were found in the rubble afterwards. Our attacks were symbolic. If we had managed to kill the President, it would have ended the war faster. We didn't, and in the end simply destroyed a symbol of the dysfunctional American government. As for the implementation of martial law, that was only in York and lifted very soon after. Martial law was never imposed on the liberated states. Again, your facts need checking. [/quote] What you are doing is putting words into our statements that where never really there. It is our word against imperial media that the bombing of Washington D.C. before even a shot was fired at the York Empire, was malicious & again, preemptive. What we say is fact. Many of us alive during that time remember it clearly, & research into the history both Pravus & World history versions, backs up our statements. We argue the government was by no means defective, tell us why you say it was, other than of course to justify the invasion. Martial law was placed on the York Republic while the Empire was ushered in. We never claimed Martial was placed on the conquered states- it wasn't necessary, it was already a [u]military occupation[/u].

[quote name='Pravus Ingruo' timestamp='1303927626' post='2700452'] Quietly deposed? Tom Dobbs stepped down because he had tired of politics. He left of his own volition, knowing exactly what was going to take place. Please, actually learn history before attempting to repackage it and sell it as something different. [/quote] And this justifies your abrupt end of Republic- yours and the US? Your assassination of US elected government officials is horrifying evidence against that weak excuse. Was it the will of the people? Your implementation of martial law says otherwise.

[quote name='Pravus Ingruo' timestamp='1303925879' post='2700435'] The United States was dead long before the war of North American Freedom. We were simply the final nail in the coffin. To think otherwise is simply naive. Also, you once again need to check your facts. York began as a Republic, and was that way for a long, long time. It became an Empire due to a legislature that would not perform the duties they were elected to do. The Republic of York was not a dictatorial, militaristic regime as you claim, but rather a beacon of how things should work in government, opposed to the United States, which was the dysfunctional family of republics that eventually ended up killing itself from the inside out. And yes, this nation did have a Manifest Destiny, one to free all the people from York to Florida and establish a government that not only cared for their needs, but functioned properly. Conventional ballistic missiles were fired at legitimate military targets with the aim of taking out the country's command and control centers. I defy you to find a single nation that would not have done the same. Further, we never admitted to imperialism. You need to learn the definition of imperialism. We did not subjugate a people. Simply acquiring land is not imperialism. The statement you quote is not a lie, and is in fact backed by facts and history, unlike many of your claims. The "American people" did not fight tooth and nail to save their nation. Quite the contrary. Our troops were greeted as liberators, with open arms. The American President did not fight, but merely abandoned his people at the first sign of hardship. You are merely a group of disgruntled history buffs living in the past, without an eye towards the future. There is no fight. There is no struggle. Your pathetic attempts to manufacture one through revisionist history have failed before they even gained momentum. [/quote] We do not argue that York began as a honorable Republic, but following the events of the collapse of Atlantis, martial law was initiated over York after which not an hour later its President was quietly deposed & the Republic itself was replaced! In their place stood Emperor Sir Michael Harland and the seed of the New Order that was being bred to end the beacon of Liberty, the United States, as the Republic was shaken by regional unrest, & internal manipulation by forces of infiltration, i.e. Mr. Crooks. The Republic York became the Empire of York in a matter of minutes. The US government was by no means dysfunctional. Issues over the Tahoen war, the illegal actions made surrounding the inclusion of Southwestern Tahoe into the Union, & bouncing back from the turmoil where all that you claim where sufficient evidence that the United States was inefficient, yet these issues are similar to any government, [u]especially[/u] those of North American nation, not only the US. And you killed these people! You bombed this elected, representative government while they where in office governing their nation- neither aggravating, nor threatening you Republic turned Empire, & always taking care of the American citizens first. Oh, and acquiring land is too light a term for the actions of Pravus Ingruo. It was an aggressive war/ invasion of sovereign US soil & [u]conquest[/u] of land. So how then could a Republic turned Empire through martial law, "liberate" another functioning Republic (despite the fact that is was clearly expansion- evidence we see even today) through preemptive & devastating war for a humanitarian cause? If you want history revised, tune into [b][i][u]The Imperial Times[/u][/i][/b]. America is reawakening to Liberty & the Constitution. Goodnight Conquest & Empire.

[quote name='Pravus Ingruo' timestamp='1303922933' post='2700419'] What outlawing of actions? We have no banned your party from setting up as a political entity in the Empire, nor have we ever banned mentions of the United States. I ask you to point to a way that we are less free than the United States was. Just one. We have freedom of the press, dare I say more so than the United States had, we have freedom of speech, we have elected officials who submit legislation. The Empire simply has a centralized form of government, one that is more effective and streamlined. It is what has allowed the Empire to survive crisis after crisis while others have fallen by the wayside. If the Legislature is not doing its job, they can be dismissed. If they pass legislation that is not good for the people of the Empire, it can be vetoed. I fail to see how these things are oppressive in any way. We also ask you to point out these "once free states" that are no longer free. Your Constitution is no danger to us, because we are not destroying the core values of the document. The document itself is irrelevant. Finally, you say the United States failed because they upheld the rights of the people. I'll even quote you on it. "The question why has the United States collapsed in the past? Because the Union had been the foremost protector of the rights of the people, their freedoms, in history & the strongest nation that repeatedly & throughout its history has opposed the imperialists scams." You admit the United States was weak and could not hold onto its power. Power by the people, indeed. If the people supported the government so much, the United States would still be here. Give it up. You have failed. Multiple times. The United States brought nothing but bloodshed and heartache to the North American continent. It will not be allowed to do so again. [/quote] The United States fell to war, beginning with that struggle with the Tahoen states & ending by your very own invasion, as you say by "liberating armies". Was it not your empire (the former militaristic, dictatorial regime of York) that declared upon attack of the wounded Union that your nation has a, "Manifest Destiny, one that stretches from York to Florida..." As ICBMS where fired at the nations capitol, decapitating the people's government while you refuted numerous global claims of imperialism, yet following occupation admitted to imperialism by promising the community that your Empire "shall no longer undertake wars of aggressive expansion for more land in the North American continent or anywhere else in the world." That was per the Dobbs Doctrine. Because of US standing against imperialism, imperialist forced its downfall. In this case, the following statement was a blatant lie: "There may be calls that this is an imperialistic move, meant only to gain more land. Anyone who has even the slightest recollection of history will know that this is not the case. Any nation led by myself has never been one after more land. We have been content to stay a small nation, however the cries of our brethren to our south have reached our ears, and we shall free them from a corrupt, ineffective, and weak government." There is clear evidence, not limited to our party's rise, that the American people fought tooth & nail to save their weakened Republic from the grips of military empire. Here the American President stated defiantly counter the imperial propaganda channels that, "The American character, and the American dream, could never be disentangled, and ultimately the latter would go only as far as the former would take it. We are prepared to fight the good fight. May God bless us." We are still fighting that battle.

[quote name='Pravus Ingruo' timestamp='1303920656' post='2700393'] Territorial gains? No. The United States could no longer provide the basic needs for her people, and was completely dysfunctional. This is fact, given what was found by liberating armies and how the nation simply ceased to fight or function very soon after liberation began. You say the ideals of the US Constitution will outlast us? I think you need to pick up a history textbook. The United States has not been what she was since Tahoe seceded during the Civil War. She has tried to regain her former glory only to fall. The Constitution is an outdated, worn document that has fallen by the wayside of history. The men who wrote it were geniuses for their time, but that document is not relevant today, and it will never be relevant again. Any attempt to subvert Imperial rule will be met with the harshest of punishments. [/quote] It was predicted that any occupation of the United States that should outlaw its Constitution & really any mention of the Republic, would be under the guise of humanitarian intervention & liberation. The wolf in sheep's clothes was to be identified by these actions, including the annexation of conquered territories (once free states). This empire would strike when the Union was wounded & it was so from a regional war that should have never engulfed it. The Constitution by the wayside? Why then is this party rising by the ideals of the Constitution. You are right it is completely irrelevant to the empire who seeks consolidation of power into its own hands & the destruction of a former protector of American liberties. While we are looking to history, see how imperialists have manipulated the fate of the American people, but here again arises an age old enemy to oligarchs- an enemy the imperialist thought they had destroyed with America several times over. The question why has the United States collapsed in the past? Because the Union had been the foremost protector of the rights of the people, their freedoms, in history & the strongest nation that repeatedly & throughout its history has opposed the imperialists scams. And you know, our Constitution is [b]the[/b] great danger to not only Empires, but through the entire New Order atmosphere that outlaws its creed. Remember the victory of 1776. Here it will be again.

[quote name='Pravus Ingruo' timestamp='1303919394' post='2700382'] Considering the United States has fallen three times due to internal and external influences, and the Empire of Pravus Ingruo has heralded the longest reigns of peace and prosperity on the North American continent in quite some time, your facts should be checked, sir. The United States was weak, it was corrupt, and it has fallen. Three times is enough. The Empire has presided over the continent with a just and steady hand, including the land you now form in. [/quote] What other statement might be predicted from the infamous Empire who, itself helped bring down the Union for its own territorial gains. You understand how to raise, maintain, & launch an army- for this the world should applaud you, but you will never be the virtuous nation that this continent needs & more powerful than armies are the ideals of the US Constitution. They will outlast even you.