Good post, sir.

I watched a video a few months back (I'll dig it out for you, if I can find it), and it's even worse than 'we' imagined.(more so if you're a US citizen)
If I remember correctly, it basically states that the US was never given legal autonomy by the British government, (or crown), through legalese...(something to do with maritime law).

Sorry for the vagueness - I'll see if I can find the video. Fascinating stuff, if true..