1913 marked a very important year for American economics. It was during that year that Congress passed the Federal Reserve Act, marking the establishment of the Federal Reserve, an act that would radically change the way banking would be regulated in the United States from that point forward. Since that year the Federal Reserve, commonly known as The Fed, has played a crucial role in American, and by extension, global economic policy through its creation and issuance of printed American currency.
If you are anything like me, recollecting memory from high school history lessons, 1913 doesn’t stick out more than any other year of that era. Given the light of today’s economic woes and the hundreds of billions in bailout checks being dished out and cashed, however, it is imperative that the year and its resulting establishment be given more attention by the general public. The reasons why can be summarized by Thomas Jefferson who is credited with saying, “The central bank is an institution of the most deadly hostility existing against the principles and form of our constitution. I am an enemy to all banks discounting bills or notes for anything but coin. If the American people allow private banks to control the issuance of their currency, first by inflation and then by deflation, the banks and corporations that will grow up around them will deprive the people of all their property until their children will wake up homeless on the continent their fathers conquered.”
How can we, citizens of America, stand idle whilst such institutions have grown rampantly domineering over the ways and means of our modern economy? Such is the form of question posed in an independent film produced by a man named Aaron Russo. “America: Freedom to Fascism,” takes the viewer through an informative, thoughtful, provocative, and sometimes humorous expose of certain institutional injustices that have been purveyed by establishments such as the Federal Reserve Bank and Internal Revenue Service (IRS).
Russo, also known for other career highlights such as “Trading Places” starring Dan Aykroyd and Eddie Murphy and “The Rose” starring Bette Midler, created the “America: Freedom to Fascism” film to awaken the American public to the very real changes that have been happening to our country. Much of the film’s dialogue revolves around the topic of the IRS and the fact (proposed through court evidence and recorded testimony in the film) that there is no law on the books that mandates the American people have to pay a federal income tax.
As astonishing as that may sound, Russo delivers his themes with well planned dialogues, engaging interviews, and a great sense of humor. In just under two hours, the film unravels some deep rooted misconceptions people have about the government, our tax system, and some of the fiscal challenges we are facing today.
Viewing the film for the first time, I was quite moved to learn that after several years as a working class citizen and one who files my taxes annually and on time, the legality of tax filing itself was something I never thought to investigate further; it was simply something that I took to be for granted and just assumed that it was something that had to be done. Beyond the tax issue though, Russo also sheds light on the enforcement tactics employed by certain law enforcement agencies, including the IRS, and the ethics, or lack thereof, that some people have been subjected to at the hands of entrusted institutions. This type of footage is delivered right alongside others on topics such as RFID chips; something chilling to ponder, seemingly inspired out of an Orwellian science fiction novel, but ever so real.
Outside of his film-making career, Aaron Russo was active in certain political campaigns. He ran for Governor of Nevada in the late 90s and sought the Libertarian Party’s nomination for President in 2004 before the creation and release of “America: Freedom to Fascism” in 2006. Aspiring himself as a “freedom fighter,” he dedicated many efforts to the preservation of liberty, the constitution, and the vision our founding fathers had for our beloved country. Aaron Russo died of cancer in late summer 2007.
Since his passing, his memory lives on. Fellow “freedom fighters” have since commemorated Russo with silver and gold coins and maintain the spirit with which his film is inspired. As tax season ensues, it is not in this writer’s intentions to advise the readers to cease paying their taxes. I do hope, however, that you will further pursue the beneficial and relevant content presented in Russo’s “America: Freedom to Fascism.” The movie can be downloaded freely from the internet and reproduced DVD copies can be ordered online for a minimal production and shipping fee. Happy viewing!
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