Over the past few years, the Cafe has become a regular stop for patrons from the newly insane state of North Carolina. They're generally very nice, and we appreciate their business. A whole bunch of them came in for lunch the other day.

The curriculum, a model bill from conservative free-market think tank American Legislative Exchange Council, or ALEC, requires students to receive education on the nation's "Founding Philosophy and Principles" as found in the Declaration of Independence, the Constitution and the Federalist Papers. "We have some concerns about how DPI implemented the course," Curtis told the Senate Education Committee Tuesday, referring to the state Department of Public Instruction.

Concerns, Your Grace? What might those concerns be?

The five principles to be added to the curriculum are as follows:

"Constitutional limitations on government power to tax and spend and prompt payment of public debt"

"Money with intrinsic value"

"Strong defense and supremacy of civil authority over military"

"Peace, commerce, and honest friendship with all nations, entangling alliances with none"

"Eternal vigilance by 'We the People"

Am I to understand that, up until ALEC got involved, the schools in North Carolina were teaching that the military was superior to the civil authority? Whew. That was a close one. But what about this goldbuggery about money with intrinsic value?

"Money with intrinsic value – is that in the Federalist Papers?" asked Sen. Josh Stein, D-Wake. "Yes, it is," Curtis replied, with agreement from Sen. Jerry Tillman, R-Randolph. In fact, it is not. A search of all 85 letters that make up the Federalist Papers turns up no mention of money with intrinsic value. It is, however, taken verbatim from the ALEC model bill.

The money with the most intrinsic value, of course, is the money Art Pope spent to buy himself a legislature full of goobers willing to pass this nonsense.

The change to "fiat" money – money that isn't backed by a government-held commodity – allows governments to more easily control the supply of currency in circulation. That's a favorite topic of conservative pundits such as Glenn Beck, who distrust the Federal Reserve system and recommend the buying of gold and other commodities as a hedge against inflation.

The difference between the Carolinas these days is not vast.

Charles P. Pierce Charles P Pierce is the author of four books, most recently Idiot America, and has been a working journalist since 1976.

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