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Statement by Alfred F. Andersen

The purpose of the following statement is to urge socially concerned adults to give serious consideration to not only the conscription faced by young men, but a wider and deeper conscription, that which takes place all over the world today; namely, the conscription of everyone born within the territory claimed by this or that nation state, and claiming "sovereignty" over every individual person born within such borders. This is the most fundamental conscription around the world today, including in the USA.

Consider the following from "Obligation and the Body Politic" by Joseph Tussman, former Chair of the Philosophy Department at UC Berkeley during the 1964 Free Speech Movement:

"When we reflect upon what we mean when we describe ourselves as members of a body politic I think we come to accept that it means we have agreed to something, that we are parties to a social compact. But we must accept it as plain fact that many native 'citizens' have in no meaningful sense agreed to anything. They have never been asked and have never thought about it. They are political child brides who have a status they do not understand and which they have not acquired by their own consent." Pages 36-37

That's just to lure you into reading more in this remarkable book.

Each of us must ask oneself is s/he is going to accept such basic conscription. I decided over fifty years ago that I would not accept it. So, after coming out of prison for refusing that more common conscription I told the US State Department that I should only be considered a limited citizen; that I should not be counted on to obey any law I could not in good conscience obey. One law I could not in good conscience obey involved by helping to finance the US Government. So, I haven't filed Federal Income Taxes for over fifty years. Yes, they seized our house in Berkeley about thirty years ago. But I can record from my own experience with the many IRS agents and government officials I spoke to, and which I have on about eight of audio tape) that when one meets these people face to face as fellow persons they will enter into intelligent and responsible conversation. I told each one that if he could persuade me that filing was the morally responsible thing to do that I would do it. But they wouldn't speak to that question. And I had a feeling that they knew they were evading the basic question in not speaking to that issue.

I invite you to our Web Site, given below, but I most seriously urge you to check out Tussman's book!

Also, check out two books of mine:

Liberating the Early American Dream
Challenging Newt Gingrich, Chapter by Chapter

Either of mine can be had for $5 postpaid by writing to

Tom Paine Institute, 2308 Willamette St., Eugene, Oregon 97405

http://csf.colorado.edu/sustainable-justice
Alfred F. Andersen <[email protected]>