Modern Guilds Crushing Freedom of Speech

By Tom Rhodes, 10/21/2013

Unless you keep your head in the sand, don't pay attention to history, and ignore what's happening in government, you know our Republic is devolving into neo-feudalism, where corporate officers and government bureaucrats are the modern equivalent of dukes, duchesses, princesses, etc. They are the modern royalty live off the work of the toil of serfs. No less prominent are modern guilds. But when you are thinking of a guild think government approved licensed professional.

In feudal times Merchant Guilds controlled the way in which trade was conducted in the towns and cities. Woe to you, if you weren't part of the brewer's guild and tried to sell or even give away your home brew. Today is not only no different, it's worse. Modern society is not nearly as dependent on crafts, as it is information, hence who can provide what information is now regulated by the appropriate guild. . . err... regulatory agency/ licensed professional.

The problem comes with that pesky First Amendment which interferes with information guilds control of their protected ideas. Speech, as in sharing information with your fellow serf (err. . . citizen), is constitutionally protected, unless of course your speech provides information that the guilds (I mean licensed professional) control. Modern guilds are called, licensing boards, and today are supported or controlled by government agencies. Modern guilds increasingly make sharing advice and information within the purview of a licensed professional's "conduct," virtually barring such speech from traditional First Amendment protections.

Not covered much in the main stream press is the story of Steve Cooksey. Cooksey was, to put it mildly, a fat pig of a man, diagnosed as obese with Type II diabetes and told by the government licensed professionals that he would be on insulin and drugs for the rest of his life. Not being content with the official prognostication, he researched and implemented the "Paleolithic" diet in his personal life despite the recommendations from the government sanctioned guild. The results were dramatic weight loss, and normal blood pressure, surgar, lipids, etc. Meaning he no longer needed drugs. Being enthusiastic about his success, he started both a blog gave free advice based on his experience and the benefits of a low-carb lifestyle.

This however undermines the state mandated dietary recommendations and the current teachings of the Nutritionists Guild. This modern guild is called The North Carolina Board of Dietetics/Nutrition, and it alleged that Cooksey was providing advise illegally, and that whether for free or through compensation, he could not provide such nutritional "counseling" without becoming a licensed nutritionist. So remember if your right to free speech conflicts with a government protected guild, in today's neo-feudal society those favored by the ruling elite, the guilds right to protect who is allowed to transmit information, supersedes any natural right of the individual to freedom of expression.

This isn't a unique case; even Dear Abby like columnists are now being silenced by neo-feudal guilds. America's longest running newspaper columnist, John Rosemond, writes a syndicated column providing parenting advice. The state of Kentucky has told Rosemond to either stop publishing or face both fines and prison. Rosemond is not a licensed shrink in Kentucky, where the attorney general determined his advice column conflicts with requirements of the state approved Shrink's Guild .

You get that, printing opinions in the newspaper is illegal if those ideas/information is controlled by some guild (err... I mean licensed professionals); so much for freedom of speech and freedom of the press.

Right now if you say: "based on my experience you should eat more meat and veggies and avoid sugary treats, pasta and other carbs" you are in violation of the Nutritionist's guild, and can not only be fined or jailed, but silenced. The last great republic to fall was Rome. The fall came with moral decay, the rise of despotic powers, and the end of the rule of law. Guilds of the middle ages provided a modicum of order but little or no liberty outside the blessing of the ruling elite. I guess reverting to neo-feudalism is better than anarchy. Freedom speech once the hallmark of the USA is now openly mocked by those we've elected, as they enact more and more regulations about who can say what and where they can say it. Even our colleges and universities now require that you get permission to speak, and what topics are acceptable and when and where you can share information, (there called free speech zones). What politician do you know today would say, "I may not agree with what you say, but I'll fight to the death for your right to say it."

Regimes of occupational and other government licenses have risen to a level where nearly 1 in 3 jobs have some bureaucratic barrier. Considering we are replacing labor with service jobs, which by definition rely on speech and information this doesn't bode well for the First Amendment. Across the nation the guilds (I mean licensing boards) supported by royalty (I mean elected officials and bureaucrats) are barring common advice and sharing of ideas and experiences with your fellow serf (I mean citizen).