The Swiss Confederation Institute  Bookstore

Here I have complied a list of 26 books that together will help to acquaint the reader about the goals and ideals of the Swiss Confederation Institute. First we learn about the unique political structure and direct democracy in Switzerland and how it alone has survived as a model confederation in the world today. Then we go into the American and Confederate models of limited, decentralized confederation government and we learn how both were lost through violent means and a history written to vindicate the victors and hide the true history of American confederation government. Then we learn more about the real hidden history of America and how different authors want to restore lawful, limited-government to the United States. The Swiss Confederation Institute seeks to educate the public on the benefits of returning to a democratic, decentralized confederation government with direct democracy all on the Swiss model in order to restore the American republic of our founding fathers and end special interest control over the American political system at the expense and exclusion of citizen control. We do not favor conservative or liberal government policies but rather want to see government at it's lowest, localized common jurisdiction where programs, and policies  work best for those who need them and citizens can best defend their rights, liberties and wealth from special interests and politicians out to relieve the citizens of the burdens and benefits of both. - Ronald Holland

Switzerland

 

Direct Democracy in Switzerland by Gregory Fossedal, is an important analysis of Swiss democracy and a timely reminder that there is a successful, peaceful, prosperous, democratic example and solution to the ethnic, religious and political differences as well as foreign policy objectives which does not involve big government at home or aggressive military intervention around the world.

 

Why Switzerland? by Jonathan Steinberg, first published in 1976, offers a unique analysis of the structures that make Switzerland work and provides a short, concise "working model" for the visitor or student. Linking an analysis of the microeconomy to the major features in politics, history, religion and language, it shows how a "bottom up" society has survived in a world of "top down" states. For this new edition Jonathan Steinberg has completely revised and extended his text, and a number of unusual and attractive illustrations have been added.

 

The Politics and Government of Switzerland by Clive H. Church is one of the leading foreign experts on Switzerland, has crowned 30 years of research with a book, written in English, on the Swiss political system. The Politics and Government of Switzerland seeks to destroy the illusion of a sleep alpine nation where very little happens.' - www.swissinfo.org
 

 

Target Switzerland by Stephen P. Halbrook. The recent focus on Swiss accommodations to the Third Reich has obscured the facts surrounding Switzerland's success in deterring Nazi invasion, argues Halbrook in this narrative of Switzerland's preparations for armed resistance during WWII. Concessions on commercial or refugee issues, Halbrook contends, were not enough by themselves to fend off one of history's most ruthless dictatorships. What was decisive, he finds, was Swiss determination to defend itself by an armed force based on armed citizens. From Publishers Weekly

 

SECRET CHANNEL TO BERLIN by PierreTh Braunschweig. This book focuses on the delicate connection between the head of Swiss Intelligence, Colonel Roger Masson, and the German Chief of Espionage, SS General Walter Schellenberg. The author had access to hitherto inaccessible documents, including newly discovered material in American archives, to fully illuminate this secret connection for the first time. The book also includes surprising new details about the alarming military threats Switzerland faced in March 1943.
 

La Place De LA Concorde Suisse by John McPhee. Anyone who has ever traveled in Switzerland cannot help but to have remarked upon the overwhelming tranquility of the country. But this tranquility is illusory. As John McPhee writes in La Place de la Concorde Suisse, a rich journalistic study of the Swiss Army's role in Swiss society, "there is scarcely a scene in Switzerland that is not ready to erupt in fire to repel an invasive war." With a population smaller than New Jersey's, Switzerland has a standing army of 650,000 ready to be mobilized in less than 48 hours. The Swiss Army, known in this country chiefly for its little red pocketknives, is so quietly efficient at the arts of war that the Israelis carefully patterned their own military on the Swiss model. You'll understand why after reading this outstanding book.

U.S. Confederation History & Benefits of Reducing Government

Downsizing the U.S.A by Thomas H. Naylor He is a professor emeritus of economics at Duke University; Willimon, a professor of Christian ministry at the same school. Although at first this may seem an unlikely pairing, Naylor and Willimon have successfully collaborated on several books. The Search for Meaning (1994) was based on an undergraduate seminar they, along with Magdalena Naylor, taught at Duke. Here the two move beyond campus to continue their search for purpose and significance. Practically everywhere they turn, they see Americans paying a high price for the bigness and complexity of modern society, and they warn that imposed unity and universality are false solutions. They invoke the image of the U.S. as a modern-day Babel and hold out rural areas as the only possibility of hope, "because in the countryside farms, villages, towns, schools, churches, and governments are still small enough to fix." Naylor and Willimon appropriate the term downsizing for their own use; it becomes a tool for clearing away the physical and spiritual clutter in our lives to help us discover that less really can be more. David Rouse From Booklist

The Constitution in Exile - by Andrew P. Napolitano.  The Constitution permits Congress to regulate interstate commerce which, as Fox News analyst Judge Napolitano proves, has opened the floodgates of federal abuse, as the government trounces on state and individual rights, expanding its reach far beyond what the Framers intended. With no-nonsense clarity, Napolitano shows that Congress has "purchased" regulations by bribing states-giving huge amounts of taxpayer dollars on condition that states enact regulations of human behavior that Congress prefers but cannot legislate.

 

Democracy in America by Alexis de Tocqueville. In the mid-1800s, a French political scientist named Alexis de Tocqueville came to the United States to appraise the meaning and functioning of democracy. This extraordinary book, written as a result of his visit, contains his comments and criticisms-many of which are still vital in today's world-and is a must-read for anyone interested in American politics.
 

 

The Articles of Confederation by Merrill Jensen. I don't suppose one in ten Americans realize there was a first constitution of the United States before there was "the" Constitution of the United States. Merrill Jensen is the definitive historian of that period - up to 1789 when the present Constitution took effect - and this book is one of several of his covering the topic. Reading of this period would do much to remind Americans that the debate over the nature of American government has been going on since 1776. The debate concerns "weak" central government (the Articles of Confederation) vs. "strong" central government (the Constitution). The Federalists (favoring the Constitution) won politically, but their victory did not settle the argument. Any American presidential or congressional election campaign brings out the same themes sounded 200 years ago as the Constitution faced ratification. In any event, Jensen does much to rehabilitate the history of the Confederation, clarify the agruments, and takes care to note the remarkable accomplishments of the Confederation congress. His writing style is very accessible and the book is a quick read. The reviewer on Amazon.com is Russell E Saltzman "saltzman@integritynetwork.net"

 

Collective Action Under the Articles - Keith L. Dougherty. "Dougherty provides ample food for thought in this volume, and gives readers an interesting analysis of the first dozen years of U.S. politics...thought-provoking and insightful...For anyone interested in a solid analysis of government under the Articles, this book is very worthwhile." Public Choice

 

 

Swiss Gnomes by Ronald Holland. A tape series narrated by Louis Rukeyser and written by Ronald Holland about the history of Swiss banking, financial privacy and Switzerland during World War II as well as a discussion of Swiss direct democracy and their unique form of limited, decentralized confederation government.

 

 

A Constitutional History of Secession  by John Remington Graham.  My friend Jack does a great job explaining the historical context of basis for the right of secession, going in depth into the history of England, where we inherited most of our law. More Americans need to learn the truth about the right of secession that our founders reserved to the states.

 

On Remaking the World Cut Nations Down To Size  by Harry Schultz. Although this book was first written a few years ago, Harry was the first to call for peaceful democratic secession of large nation-states into smaller more governable entities where citizens could better defend their liberties and freedoms from out-of-control government tyrannies. This book is a must-read for all lovers of liberty and you can subscribe to The International Harry Schultz Letter based in Monaco by going to our links page.

 

When in the Course of Human Events  by Charles Adams. Using primary documents from both foreign and domestic observers, prominent scholar Charles Adams makes a powerful and convincing case that the Southern states were legitimately exercising their political rights as expressed in the Declaration of Independence when they seceded from the United States. Although conventional histories have taught generations of Americans that this was a war fought for lofty moral principles, Adams eloquent history transcends simple Southern partisanship to show how the American Civil War was primarily a battle over competing commercial interests, opposing interpretations of constitutional rights, and what English novelist Charles Dickens described as a fiscal quarrel.

 

From Union to Empire by Clyde Wilson.  Dr. Clyde Wilson is a Christian, a Southerner, an American, an historian, and a conservative. For over three decades he has worked on the 28-volume definitive edition of The Papers of John C. Calhoun, has written on Calhoun and published a collection of Calhoun’s most important writings. He has also seen to it that at least a corporal’s guard of younger historians, whose work he has supervised at the University of South Carolina, will not fit the standard pattern stamped out nearly everywhere else. I suppose these are the bare essentials. He is also, as his essays demonstrate, a teacher and writer of great merit. His writings – published in Modern Age, Chronicles, Telos, LewRockwell.com, and many other forums – show Professor Wilson off as the kind of conservative who is a stalwart defender of federalism and republicanism, and the liberties associated with them. Such conservatives are few and far between these days. Click here to read Joseph Stromberg's book review on LewRockwell.com

 

The Confederate Constitution of 1861  by Marshall L. Derosa. This book is perhaps the best I have read on the Confederate Constitution. The book explains the basis for the state's rights and tariff issues and how they effected the writing of the CS Constitution. A large portion of the book talks about John C. Calhoun and his stance on the issues. Also read to learn the improvements in the CS Constitution over the US counterpart. I would recomend this too all Americans, not just Southerners. If you were ever unsure as to what "state's rights" was, this is the book for you. Read! and learn the real reason the South seceeded.

 

The Rise and Fall of the Confederate Government by Jefferson Davis. His book should be required reading for all Americans and others interested in confederations, the right of secession and create new government jurisdictions. He was the leader of a new nation and this is the story of the second attempt at true confederation government in America, an attempt that lost where two republics were destroyed and replaced by the seeds of empire now taking hold in the United States today.  Davis shows himself to be a constitutional scholar with his in-depth analysis of the 10th Amendment and the inherent right of the states to secede from the union into which they voluntarily entered. 

The Hunt for Confederate Gold by Thomas Moore. A mystery, a thriller, and a love story all in one, The Hunt for Confederate Gold is based on one of America’s most intriguing unanswered questions: what happened to the Confederacy’s gold in 1865? And what might be the consequences if it were recovered today and returned to its rightful owners? And just who are the rightful owners, the U.S. Government, claiming it as contraband of a hundred-and-forty-year-old rebellion; or the Southern people? The Hunt for Confederate Gold is an exciting journey into an unsolved mystery of the past and into the crises of the present. A book of national significance, it strips the veil of falsehood from officialdom and illuminates the threats to our liberty and prosperity from those charged with safeguarding them – our own government. The Hunt for Confederate Gold is written not just about the South, but for the South; not just by a Southerner, but for Southerners. Powerfully and beautifully written, it captures the haunting beauty of the Southland and the ache in Southern hearts to preserve a proud heritage.

The Making of America by W. Cleon Skousen. This book is extremely interesting because it commenced with the development of the constitution, the inspiration of the founder's. Their total alligence and dedication to a document so vitally important to the building of a nation deemed for the freedom of all. Totally interesting and informative to scholars and lay people alike.

 

Restoring Liberty

 

How Capitalism Saved America by Thomas Dilorenzo. Tom has written a great defense of free-enterprise and capitalism in America as he debunks many historical myths from a libertarian and freedom oriented perspective. This books follows his controversial book on Lincoln which leads the way in showing the economic factors behind the War Between the States that have been hidden from view by Lincoln apologists.

 

 

How I Found Freedom in an Unfree World  by Harry Browne. Harry wrote this classic book on freedom way back in 1973 and I still rate it as my personal favorite on personal freedom. He lived in Switzerland and published a very successful book on Swiss banks and banking that help set the stage for my interest in Switzerland, the Swiss Franc and the Swiss model of limited government through confederation and citizen direct democracy.

 

 

Speaking of Liberty by Llewellyn H. Rockwell. Ludwig von Mises said that teaching the public was just as important as addressing scholars — maybe more so. That is what Lew Rockwell specializes in: history and theory and analysis in defense of the free society, written in clear prose to reach a broad audience. Rockwell's new book is as pro-liberty as it is brutally critical of government. It is relentlessly forthright yet hopeful about the prospects for liberty. It is rigorous enough to withstand the enemy's closest scrutiny, and chock full of the energy and enthusiasm that will keep you reading.

Speaking of Liberty is a collection of speeches delivered by Rockwell over a period of ten years. The book begins with economics, and explains why Austrian economics matters, how the Federal Reserve brings on the business cycle, why we need private property and free enterprise, the unrecognized glories of the capitalist economy, and why the gold standard is still the best monetary system. Other sections deal with war, Mises and his work, other important thinkers in the libertarian tradition, and the culture and morality of liberty.

The book is united by a set of fixed principles: the corruption of politics, the universality and immutability of the ideas of freedom, the centrality of sound money and free enterprise, the moral imperative of peace and trade, the importance of hope and tenacity in the struggle for liberty, and the need for everyone to join the intellectual fight. We all have searched for the book we could give to friends and neighbors, business associates and family members, to explain why we believe in the cause of liberty. Speaking of Liberty is that book.

 

 

The Politically Incorrect Guide to America  by Thomas E. Woods Jr. Tom offers this guide as an alternative to "the stale and predictable platitudes of mainstream texts." Covering the colonial era through the Clinton administration, he seeks to debunk some persistent myths about American history.  This is a quick read but with sources for readers interested in more what I believe to be the true history of America. Remember, the victors always write the history and this is why the American Articles of Confederation our first government is so short-changed in history texts.

 

Reclaiming Liberty by James Ronald Kennedy. Ron writes that we can no longer afford to depend upon incumbent politicians, party hacks, and business-as-usual conservative leaders to defend our personal freedoms. The past one hundred years have been disastrous for constitutional rights in America. Direct and indirect taxation now consume more than 60 percent of our income--we are no longer the land of the free but have become a land of tax serfs. Government interference in our social life has grown from almost nothing in 1900 to almost overwhelming today. Over the past century America’s politicians transformed the U.S.A. from the land of individual liberty and personal accountability to a land of socialist feudalism.

 

Taking America Back by Joseph Farah. According to Joseph Farah, Americans are faced with an unresponsive and unaccountable one-party political system, an establishment propaganda machine posing as a free press, and cultural institutions—educational, charitable, entertainment, religious, medical, and others—seduced by the materialist gods of an all-powerful secular state. Even more important, the crisis this represents cannot be resolved through the political system by electing new politicians to office. A much more profound, long-term, and fundamental shift if needed, one that rejects the validity of the all-powerful, all-knowing, all-controlling state and affirms the values upon which the American nation was founded.

 

 

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