This article was originally posted at americanchronicle.com on March 16th, 2008
I know next to nothing about Eliot Spitzer. Until this week, I didn´t even know he was the governor of New York, nor did I care. All I know about him I found out in the last week from news releases and opinion articles about his follies with some prostitute and his subsequent capture by the morality brigade. I must say that the moment the news broke I had mixed feelings about the whole episode. On the one hand I thought, "So what? He´s a politician. He deserves it. We all know they´re all corrupt anyway. Just look at the Deborah Jeane Palfrey case." Funny how we don´t hear much about that anymore. Then I thought, on the other hand, "I wonder why him? I wonder what is the real reason they decided to bust this guy."
Well, to be honest, Eliot Spitzer´s misfortunes don´t affect my life much. He´s more of a problem for the people of the state of New York. Still, I have been doing a lot of thinking about it this week. It has weighed somewhat heavily on my mind. Now, since I have to work for a living unlike some people who are governors, and since I´ve got familial and other obligations to take care of, I find it hard to always keep up on news. I´ve heard things and I´m uncertain as to all the facts. What follows is my opinion to the best of my understanding of the situation, a situation which I find to be sad, convoluted and perhaps a bit conspiratorial.
Let me first say this. Eliot Spitzer is a damn lucky man. I wish I had an extra $5000 dollars laying around that I could just give to some woman for sex. That´s two and a half months take home pay for me. If I were to pay that much to get laid, I´d have to go without food for two months. I have a little extra around the middle, but not that much. I would love to be able to afford such luxuries. No, like most men, and since my ex and I have separated, I have to try to win a woman over with what´s left of my good looks and my charm. Things are a bit rough for me. I have to get up the nerve to ask them out on a date, then I have to take them to dinner, or a movie, or bowling, or somewhere else that I guess they might like or find nice. I have to talk to them, listen to them, get to know them, tell them about myself, and then if we feel comfortable enough with each other some sparks may fly. Without a doubt, the prostitute thing would be a lot simpler, but I guess that´s just not my cup of tea. Even if I had the extra $5000 lying around the house, I doubt I´d spend it on a prostitute. Then again, who am I to judge? I´m not a super busy state governor with loads of pressure on me running around all over the place with hardly the time to stop in and see my beautiful wife.
Now, don´t get me wrong. I´m definitely no saint. I´ve done things I deeply regret. I am a human being and with that I get all the frailties, failings and imperfections that come with being a human being. Eliot Spitzer is no different. Yet he became elevated to a position of power. He was put into a position of trust to serve the people and so it was that people believe he is somehow better than human. So what if he had a prostitute service him? He´s a man, a powerful man, with urges that apparently weren´t be satisfied at home, and he simply paid for a service. It was just a simple business transaction. There should be nothing illegal about two consenting adults exchanging money for a service. It is a crime which, much like gambling and the consumption of marijuana, involves no victims, only people consensually agreeing to interact with one another or deciding what they want to put in their bodies. It is a crime simply because some people find it morally objectionable and feel they should be able to force their sense of morality on the rest of us.
It is, however, my understanding that Eliot Spitzer used to prosecute prostitution rings. In fact, I understand he used to prosecute such cases with much gusto and malicious zeal. I have no idea how many lives have been ruined because of his prosecution of such cases, but I imagine quite a few. This is where the real crime occurs, in my opinion, the crime of being hypocritical. Do as I say and not as I do is simply not a valid philosophy. Here is a man who could have used his position of power in a more principled manner. He could have refused to prosecute prostitution cases. He could have lobbied to make prostitution legal. He could have used his position to fight against bad law and to try to legalize crimes where there are no victims. Instead he decided to use the excuse that he was just doing his job to prosecute these crimes and destroy lives. It´s difficult to feel pity for such a man when he decides to break the very laws he so vehemently defended no matter what conspiratorial theories might be suggested as to why he was busted.
I have the feeling that prostitution was the least of Eliot Spitzer´s transgressions. He was busted because bank laws that shouldn´t be on the books caught some "strange" transactions taking place and alerted the government thugs to investigate. This could happen to anyone with enough money. This could be used by anyone with power and a political axe to grind, but remember, everything flows downhill.
The spy mentality that is pervasive throughout our society is out of hand. The artificial fear inundating the American populace is unhealthy. So long as police and prosecutors continue to use the excuse of "just doing their job" to enforce bad laws everyone will continue to be open to retribution. So long as we continue to elect representatives and government officials because of their party rather than their ethics and principles, we will continue to put in power those who will pass bad, unconstitutional laws. It´s good that Eliot Spitzer has been taken down. Perhaps they can start going through Ms. Palfrey´s client list and we can start replacing most of the federal government. Perhaps then people will start to realize that humans are fallible and the state should stop trying to legislate human morality.
Sunday, March 23, 2008
Sunday, March 16, 2008
Turn Off, Set Down, Log on, Engage.
This article was originally published in americanchronicle.com on March 9th, 2008
Turn off the TV. Set down the newspaper. Log on to the Internet. Engage yourself with others, find alternative viewpoints, and interact with reality.
Americans have a recent history of passivity. In the past we have been involved with each other. We would talk with each other on our front porches about the news of the day. We would gather together in our little groups and discuss things of interest amongst ourselves. We would listen to those we respected and use common sense and logic to form our opinions. We were interactive. Now, thanks mostly to technology, we have become passive animals willing to allow our opinions to be molded by strangers we hardly know who appear on corporate owned media networks or write for those same networks. These are hardly trustworthy people, but people who have an agenda, who long for power over you, and who are willing to bend reality and even lie in order to ensure that your opinion matches theirs. These are people who count mostly on visceral emotion to formulate opinion. There is a trend, however, toward interaction once again. This is thanks to the advanced technology known as the Internet. Passivity on the Internet takes a back seat due to the interactivity of email, blogs and instant messengers. America has begun to once again talk to each other on the virtual front porch that is the Internet.
Yet this still isn´t enough. For whatever reason, the politics of our nation continue to intrude on our lives. Police actions are escalating. Why do we as a society allow such atrocious behavior from our uniformed civil servants? Have we become so emotionally blackmailed by fear? Is security so important that we would ignore such abuses of power and allow our families, friends and neighbors to be humiliated and enslaved to the whimsical dictates of someone who may have let a small taste of power go to his head? Are the freedoms that are supposed to be the foundation of this nation of free men so unimportant that we will let them evaporate without so much as a whimper in protest?
Perhaps there is more to it than that. Perhaps this trend has been creeping into our beings for decades. Perhaps the violence of the late sixties still weighs heavily on our collective psyche. Perhaps the excesses of the nineties softened us up. Perhaps the horror of 2001 led us to the conclusion that resistance is futile and the only way to be safe is to surrender to big government and allow them to violate our God given rights with impunity in the vain hope that another terrorist attack could be avoided. I can´t say for certain when the majority of the people of this nation decided it was okay to give up on freedom, but I can opine that it is long past time to reverse this trend.
Looking back on my life, it seems to me as if the television was always there. It was a constant friend and companion. Back in the day, it not only relieved my boredom with it´s entertaining productions, it showed me images of a vicious jungle war and brought me news of our brave soldiers struggling to keep a check on the evil of communism. It allowed me to watch men walking on the moon. It helped to bring about the resignation of a president. It brought into my living room the fear of hostages and the anger of a nation that refused to accept our hegemony. It sold me an actor president who gave up his quest for small, constitutional government after an assassination attempt. It inundated me with school shootings, Ruby Ridge, Waco, flight 800 and finally the non-stop coverage of planes flying into two buildings and their subsequent collapse on September 11th, 2001. These things television showed me. Newspapers echoed television´s coverage. For the most part, I believed what I saw, trusting that the news media was there merely to inform me. But there was always something slightly off about them, always something I felt I wasn´t being told. And so I started to dig deeper.
I found out that I wasn´t getting the full story. There were things that happened that weren´t widely reported, and yet these things were recorded for posterity. Until recently, I had never known about the USS Liberty. I had never heard through the mass media that the Gulf of Tonkin incident was a lie used to justify a war that should not have been fought, much like the Bush administration used WMDs to justify the Iraq war. It was never adequately explained or emphasized enough that our CIA had helped to overthrow a democratically elected government in Iran to install the shah. There was always an agenda to push. There was always some sort of law needing to be passed to control some aspect of society. There was always someone benefiting, either gaining more money or more power or both. And the common man hardly said a word, and in fact agreed to let his rights be violated with hardly a whisper of protest, sometimes even supporting such moves. And still the television played on, filling minds with the vast nothingness of its inconsequential programming. Still the newspapers refused to report stories that mattered, relegating them to the back pages to be read by only the most voracious of newshounds and those least likely to do or say anything about it.
I finally turned off the television. It is useless to me. Oh, its allure still calls to me and I´ll watch a football game once a week during the season (da Bears) and I´ll watch the playoffs (because I like football) and every once in a while I´ll watch an interesting show or pop in a DVD, but I seriously watch less than an hour a week. There is simply more interesting things to do in life. I hardly ever read a paper and when I do I certainly don´t automatically believe what I´m reading. I can take the paper at its word, but I´d prefer to have a way to double check the facts. In any case, I have noticed that those who get their information from television or the paper have a tendency to believe that either Democrats are better than Republicans, or Republicans are better than Democrats. They don´t see that the vast majority of them are wolves in sheep´s clothing. They seem to have a hard time understanding that most politicians are corrupt to the core regardless of party affiliation, that they want nothing less than total control over your life. They seem more team oriented, "If he´s on my team, he can´t be bad." These people seem to close themselves up when one tries to explain that Democrat or Republican doesn´t matter, it´s the principle of the person, his honesty and integrity that should matter. It´s the issues that should matter, whether something is constitutional or not, not the personality.
For some reason, we have been conditioned not to talk about politics or religion. Yet these things are very important in most people´s lives. These topics should be talked about, and they should be talked about in public. It is time we started to engage each other in these topics. Ron Paul´s candidacy has opened many eyes to the freedom message. Liberty has become born again in America. Many have joined Ron Paul meet up groups. It is up to those of us who believe in the principles of liberty, freedom, small constitutional government, honest money and other issues to continue to spread the word. Certainly the mass media isn´t going to do it for us. We can start by scheduling meetings, perhaps once a week. Why not get together with others who feel as you do once a week? Doesn´t it always feel good to be able to discuss these things with people who agree with you? And why not schedule such events in a local pub or coffee house? After all, there are thousands of people who agree with the freedom message, but they still feel isolated. If these people start hearing the message expressed in a public forum, if they see a group of people who think in a similar fashion, they will be drawn to such a group. This is how to build a community that will be strong, one where everyone knows their compatriot face to face rather than just over a cold electronic medium. This is how the movement will grow, through the reality of the flesh rather than the fantasy of the tube or the printed word.
Returning this country to its former grandeur as the beacon of freedom to the rest of the world is likely to be a long, arduous process. We are not likely to be able to do it by electing one principled individual to the highest office in the land. We are most likely going to have to take small steps, taking back our government at the local levels first. As free humans it is up to us to band together and demand respect for our lives and liberties. It is up to us to once again find our interconnections with each other and make the world take notice.
Turn off the TV. Set down the newspaper. Log on to the Internet. Engage yourself with others, find alternative viewpoints, and interact with reality.
Americans have a recent history of passivity. In the past we have been involved with each other. We would talk with each other on our front porches about the news of the day. We would gather together in our little groups and discuss things of interest amongst ourselves. We would listen to those we respected and use common sense and logic to form our opinions. We were interactive. Now, thanks mostly to technology, we have become passive animals willing to allow our opinions to be molded by strangers we hardly know who appear on corporate owned media networks or write for those same networks. These are hardly trustworthy people, but people who have an agenda, who long for power over you, and who are willing to bend reality and even lie in order to ensure that your opinion matches theirs. These are people who count mostly on visceral emotion to formulate opinion. There is a trend, however, toward interaction once again. This is thanks to the advanced technology known as the Internet. Passivity on the Internet takes a back seat due to the interactivity of email, blogs and instant messengers. America has begun to once again talk to each other on the virtual front porch that is the Internet.
Yet this still isn´t enough. For whatever reason, the politics of our nation continue to intrude on our lives. Police actions are escalating. Why do we as a society allow such atrocious behavior from our uniformed civil servants? Have we become so emotionally blackmailed by fear? Is security so important that we would ignore such abuses of power and allow our families, friends and neighbors to be humiliated and enslaved to the whimsical dictates of someone who may have let a small taste of power go to his head? Are the freedoms that are supposed to be the foundation of this nation of free men so unimportant that we will let them evaporate without so much as a whimper in protest?
Perhaps there is more to it than that. Perhaps this trend has been creeping into our beings for decades. Perhaps the violence of the late sixties still weighs heavily on our collective psyche. Perhaps the excesses of the nineties softened us up. Perhaps the horror of 2001 led us to the conclusion that resistance is futile and the only way to be safe is to surrender to big government and allow them to violate our God given rights with impunity in the vain hope that another terrorist attack could be avoided. I can´t say for certain when the majority of the people of this nation decided it was okay to give up on freedom, but I can opine that it is long past time to reverse this trend.
Looking back on my life, it seems to me as if the television was always there. It was a constant friend and companion. Back in the day, it not only relieved my boredom with it´s entertaining productions, it showed me images of a vicious jungle war and brought me news of our brave soldiers struggling to keep a check on the evil of communism. It allowed me to watch men walking on the moon. It helped to bring about the resignation of a president. It brought into my living room the fear of hostages and the anger of a nation that refused to accept our hegemony. It sold me an actor president who gave up his quest for small, constitutional government after an assassination attempt. It inundated me with school shootings, Ruby Ridge, Waco, flight 800 and finally the non-stop coverage of planes flying into two buildings and their subsequent collapse on September 11th, 2001. These things television showed me. Newspapers echoed television´s coverage. For the most part, I believed what I saw, trusting that the news media was there merely to inform me. But there was always something slightly off about them, always something I felt I wasn´t being told. And so I started to dig deeper.
I found out that I wasn´t getting the full story. There were things that happened that weren´t widely reported, and yet these things were recorded for posterity. Until recently, I had never known about the USS Liberty. I had never heard through the mass media that the Gulf of Tonkin incident was a lie used to justify a war that should not have been fought, much like the Bush administration used WMDs to justify the Iraq war. It was never adequately explained or emphasized enough that our CIA had helped to overthrow a democratically elected government in Iran to install the shah. There was always an agenda to push. There was always some sort of law needing to be passed to control some aspect of society. There was always someone benefiting, either gaining more money or more power or both. And the common man hardly said a word, and in fact agreed to let his rights be violated with hardly a whisper of protest, sometimes even supporting such moves. And still the television played on, filling minds with the vast nothingness of its inconsequential programming. Still the newspapers refused to report stories that mattered, relegating them to the back pages to be read by only the most voracious of newshounds and those least likely to do or say anything about it.
I finally turned off the television. It is useless to me. Oh, its allure still calls to me and I´ll watch a football game once a week during the season (da Bears) and I´ll watch the playoffs (because I like football) and every once in a while I´ll watch an interesting show or pop in a DVD, but I seriously watch less than an hour a week. There is simply more interesting things to do in life. I hardly ever read a paper and when I do I certainly don´t automatically believe what I´m reading. I can take the paper at its word, but I´d prefer to have a way to double check the facts. In any case, I have noticed that those who get their information from television or the paper have a tendency to believe that either Democrats are better than Republicans, or Republicans are better than Democrats. They don´t see that the vast majority of them are wolves in sheep´s clothing. They seem to have a hard time understanding that most politicians are corrupt to the core regardless of party affiliation, that they want nothing less than total control over your life. They seem more team oriented, "If he´s on my team, he can´t be bad." These people seem to close themselves up when one tries to explain that Democrat or Republican doesn´t matter, it´s the principle of the person, his honesty and integrity that should matter. It´s the issues that should matter, whether something is constitutional or not, not the personality.
For some reason, we have been conditioned not to talk about politics or religion. Yet these things are very important in most people´s lives. These topics should be talked about, and they should be talked about in public. It is time we started to engage each other in these topics. Ron Paul´s candidacy has opened many eyes to the freedom message. Liberty has become born again in America. Many have joined Ron Paul meet up groups. It is up to those of us who believe in the principles of liberty, freedom, small constitutional government, honest money and other issues to continue to spread the word. Certainly the mass media isn´t going to do it for us. We can start by scheduling meetings, perhaps once a week. Why not get together with others who feel as you do once a week? Doesn´t it always feel good to be able to discuss these things with people who agree with you? And why not schedule such events in a local pub or coffee house? After all, there are thousands of people who agree with the freedom message, but they still feel isolated. If these people start hearing the message expressed in a public forum, if they see a group of people who think in a similar fashion, they will be drawn to such a group. This is how to build a community that will be strong, one where everyone knows their compatriot face to face rather than just over a cold electronic medium. This is how the movement will grow, through the reality of the flesh rather than the fantasy of the tube or the printed word.
Returning this country to its former grandeur as the beacon of freedom to the rest of the world is likely to be a long, arduous process. We are not likely to be able to do it by electing one principled individual to the highest office in the land. We are most likely going to have to take small steps, taking back our government at the local levels first. As free humans it is up to us to band together and demand respect for our lives and liberties. It is up to us to once again find our interconnections with each other and make the world take notice.
Media´s Deafening Silence and Ron Paul´s Candidacy
This article was originally published in americanchronicle.com on March 2nd, 2008
For all the reporting they´ve done on him, you´d think Ron Paul didn´t exist. He´s one of three candidates left in a Republican field that started with eleven, and yet you´d never know he was one of the last three survivors. If he was on American idol he´d be making headlines. Most everyone in America would know his name. People would be spending money on cell phone calls just to vote for him. Yet here he is running for the most important position in the world, one of three left who could possibly become the Republican presidential candidate, and so many still have no idea who Ron Paul is and what he stands for. So many people out there are just too lazy, just too dependent on the mainstream media to find out what their choices are. As a result, we all get the bottom of the barrel, the dregs of the political establishment, and so it is that corruption is so rampant in Washington DC.
Corruption is all over the news. The current crop of candidates for president is thick with it. We all know of the Clinton´s past. Many questions about Hillary´s ethics remain unanswered or unasked. Barak Obama´s career is also questionable. He may be young and he may give people hope, but already there are skeletons creeping out behind him and specters dancing in front of him that will not be scared back into the ethers by even the prettiest of words. John McCain has a long and illustrious career of scamming the public. Mike Huckabee´s past is anything but exemplary. Lately he´s stolen Ron Paul´s call to rid us of the IRS, but he wants to implement an unfair "fair tax" that would steal as much or more of our hard earned money than the IRS ever did. All these candidates have little to worry about as their rich contributors are happy to make certain they never feel the pain of having to decide between paying the rent or buying food. Meanwhile, an honest, principled man who does have a verifiable record of supporting the ideals of liberty, smaller government and the constitution is battling to get his message of peace and hope out to an ailing nation and the mass media couldn´t care less. A candidate exists who has received millions in donations from common folks and more donations from regular military personnel than all the other candidates combined, and the mass media ignores him. They don´t want you or anyone else to hear what Ron Paul has to say. They don´t care about Ron Paul and they don´t care about common human beings. They´re happy to maintain hold on their old media, government sanctioned monopolies, and would hate to see an advocate of truly free markets re-introduce competition into their field and make them actually have to do work and become real news reporters again.
This fact alone should make people want to see Ron Paul win. He is the underdog to end all underdogs, and the people love an underdog. The old media is part of the establishment that Ron Paul is standing up to. They are owned by the same multi national corporations that own our government. The same people that have bought and paid for congressmen, senators and presidents pay for the news and entertainment coming from these media conglomerates. These days, the mass media is not the voice of reason set in place to keep watch over those who are supposed to serve the people. It is not the fourth estate it once was. The mass media no longer serves us as a thought provoking source of information offering objective news and critical commentary. The mass media has become a mouthpiece for the government. Those who control it tell you who will be the next president, and who will not be. They tell you what to think. They tell you a version of reality they want you to hear and believe. If you´ve been listening to them, then you already know that they had picked Barak or Hillary long ago. It really didn´t matter to them which one. McCain was also picked long ago. Huckabee is also an establishment candidate thrown in there just to give a little twist and to make things seem interesting. Yet one might wonder if he isn´t in there just to give the media further reason to ignore Ron Paul and make sure his message is not as widely disseminated as it might be. If it was just Ron Paul and John McCain, they´d have to cover him. Why hasn´t there been a Republican debate since Jan. 30th, while there´s been two Democratic debates in February? That is the establishment trying to keep the only advocate for real change, Ron Paul, down.
If you are the establishment, then freedom is a dangerous message and truth is a powerful enemy. The rot goes deep in Washington DC, to the core, and everybody knows it. The people are upset with government millionaires mishandling their funds. Yet the mass media conglomerates continue to spew government propaganda. They continue to pretend that everything is as it should be. They continue to promote the establishment candidates and ignore those who make sense and those who would make a real difference. The mass media has no respect for the common American. They believe we are stupid. I don´t believe that. I have a great deal of respect for common Americans. We have achieved so much. Yet the mainstream media makes all seem hopeless. They promote these establishment politicians as if we haven´t another choice. They all want us common folk to believe we are helpless. But there are still many subtleties in politics that many aren´t aware of. The establishment may think that by hook or by crook they will have their candidates in place come September, but the world is full of surprises and the best laid plans of mice and men oft times go astray. And those who lead, those who would rule the world, are nothing more than men, whether they believe otherwise or not.
The mass media´s silence is deafening. When it comes to Ron Paul, they also hope to keep us blind and dumb as well. Still, I haven´t seen the fat lady up on stage. As a great American, Yogi Berra, someone who can be thought of as one of us common folk, once said "It ain´t over until it´s over." It´s not over yet. Ron Paul aims to stay in this until the convention and I believe that no matter the outcome he and his supporters have already made an impact on this election and will continue to make an impact on political discourse in this country for years to come. And four years from now, when the 2012 elections roll around, the old media should play as insignificant a roll as the Internet played on the 2000 elections, that is if we can keep the government out of regulating the Internet until that time.
For all the reporting they´ve done on him, you´d think Ron Paul didn´t exist. He´s one of three candidates left in a Republican field that started with eleven, and yet you´d never know he was one of the last three survivors. If he was on American idol he´d be making headlines. Most everyone in America would know his name. People would be spending money on cell phone calls just to vote for him. Yet here he is running for the most important position in the world, one of three left who could possibly become the Republican presidential candidate, and so many still have no idea who Ron Paul is and what he stands for. So many people out there are just too lazy, just too dependent on the mainstream media to find out what their choices are. As a result, we all get the bottom of the barrel, the dregs of the political establishment, and so it is that corruption is so rampant in Washington DC.
Corruption is all over the news. The current crop of candidates for president is thick with it. We all know of the Clinton´s past. Many questions about Hillary´s ethics remain unanswered or unasked. Barak Obama´s career is also questionable. He may be young and he may give people hope, but already there are skeletons creeping out behind him and specters dancing in front of him that will not be scared back into the ethers by even the prettiest of words. John McCain has a long and illustrious career of scamming the public. Mike Huckabee´s past is anything but exemplary. Lately he´s stolen Ron Paul´s call to rid us of the IRS, but he wants to implement an unfair "fair tax" that would steal as much or more of our hard earned money than the IRS ever did. All these candidates have little to worry about as their rich contributors are happy to make certain they never feel the pain of having to decide between paying the rent or buying food. Meanwhile, an honest, principled man who does have a verifiable record of supporting the ideals of liberty, smaller government and the constitution is battling to get his message of peace and hope out to an ailing nation and the mass media couldn´t care less. A candidate exists who has received millions in donations from common folks and more donations from regular military personnel than all the other candidates combined, and the mass media ignores him. They don´t want you or anyone else to hear what Ron Paul has to say. They don´t care about Ron Paul and they don´t care about common human beings. They´re happy to maintain hold on their old media, government sanctioned monopolies, and would hate to see an advocate of truly free markets re-introduce competition into their field and make them actually have to do work and become real news reporters again.
This fact alone should make people want to see Ron Paul win. He is the underdog to end all underdogs, and the people love an underdog. The old media is part of the establishment that Ron Paul is standing up to. They are owned by the same multi national corporations that own our government. The same people that have bought and paid for congressmen, senators and presidents pay for the news and entertainment coming from these media conglomerates. These days, the mass media is not the voice of reason set in place to keep watch over those who are supposed to serve the people. It is not the fourth estate it once was. The mass media no longer serves us as a thought provoking source of information offering objective news and critical commentary. The mass media has become a mouthpiece for the government. Those who control it tell you who will be the next president, and who will not be. They tell you what to think. They tell you a version of reality they want you to hear and believe. If you´ve been listening to them, then you already know that they had picked Barak or Hillary long ago. It really didn´t matter to them which one. McCain was also picked long ago. Huckabee is also an establishment candidate thrown in there just to give a little twist and to make things seem interesting. Yet one might wonder if he isn´t in there just to give the media further reason to ignore Ron Paul and make sure his message is not as widely disseminated as it might be. If it was just Ron Paul and John McCain, they´d have to cover him. Why hasn´t there been a Republican debate since Jan. 30th, while there´s been two Democratic debates in February? That is the establishment trying to keep the only advocate for real change, Ron Paul, down.
If you are the establishment, then freedom is a dangerous message and truth is a powerful enemy. The rot goes deep in Washington DC, to the core, and everybody knows it. The people are upset with government millionaires mishandling their funds. Yet the mass media conglomerates continue to spew government propaganda. They continue to pretend that everything is as it should be. They continue to promote the establishment candidates and ignore those who make sense and those who would make a real difference. The mass media has no respect for the common American. They believe we are stupid. I don´t believe that. I have a great deal of respect for common Americans. We have achieved so much. Yet the mainstream media makes all seem hopeless. They promote these establishment politicians as if we haven´t another choice. They all want us common folk to believe we are helpless. But there are still many subtleties in politics that many aren´t aware of. The establishment may think that by hook or by crook they will have their candidates in place come September, but the world is full of surprises and the best laid plans of mice and men oft times go astray. And those who lead, those who would rule the world, are nothing more than men, whether they believe otherwise or not.
The mass media´s silence is deafening. When it comes to Ron Paul, they also hope to keep us blind and dumb as well. Still, I haven´t seen the fat lady up on stage. As a great American, Yogi Berra, someone who can be thought of as one of us common folk, once said "It ain´t over until it´s over." It´s not over yet. Ron Paul aims to stay in this until the convention and I believe that no matter the outcome he and his supporters have already made an impact on this election and will continue to make an impact on political discourse in this country for years to come. And four years from now, when the 2012 elections roll around, the old media should play as insignificant a roll as the Internet played on the 2000 elections, that is if we can keep the government out of regulating the Internet until that time.
DAMM – Drivers Against Madd Mothers
This article was originally published in americanchronicle.com on Feb. 17th, 2008
I heard of a radio talk show host that came up with the idea to a form a group DAMM, Drivers Against Madd Mothers. Recently events have occurred on a very local level that gave me pause to think about this. These events are tragic in their own way, and yet it seems to me that we as a society like to take such events and compound them. Sometimes when trying to make sense of the senseless groups of people can compound the issues that individuals should be dealing with on their own terms. Groups can certainly help a person deal with personal tragedy when done on a voluntary basis and when help is requested, but groups can also throw wrenches into already muddled situations and make things painful for all of us until even the most innocent in society are paying a price for a situation they had absolutely nothing to do with.
I heard a story about a young man, seventeen or so, who got drunk one night, got in a car, got in an accident and killed someone. Actually, it was in all the papers. It was a very sad story. It´s a story that, I´m afraid, has been repeated too many times. The boy had never been in trouble before. He was a good student. He had a loving family. He was by all accounts a nice person on his way to a productive life. Then he made a couple of bad decisions one night and something terrible happened. It was tragic.
The judge sat in his courtroom and listened to this story. It took about a year before things would be settled. The judge had considered all sides of the story and rendered his decision. He took all kinds of factors into consideration, factors that maybe some of us might not think about. That´s what good judges do. He sentenced the boy to six months in jail and five years intense probation. The papers had a field day reaming this judge. They claimed the sentence was too lenient. Personally, I think it was a good sentence. It was an accident, regardless of the circumstances or the consequences or the stupidity involved, and it was not done with forethought or malice. And it is my understanding that some people would rather do jail time than do intense probation which puts a lot of pressure upon the recipient. But my opinion of this young man´s sentence and this sad story is not what this article is about.
I have a friend whose son was involved in an accident in the same county while coming home from high school. It was a pretty bad accident. He and the other driver involved, a woman with a son his age at the same high school, were both hurt. Her injuries were pretty serious, but nothing life threatening or life changing. His son was not drunk, was not high, but he had a marijuana pipe in his car at the time of the accident. The police found it and tested him at the hospital. They found trace amounts of marijuana in his system, but he admitted to having smoked it three days earlier, which would mean there would still be traces in his system. He hadn´t been high at the time of the accident. There were even questions about whether he actually caused the accident or not, though the evidence did point to it being his fault. But none of that would matter. He was charged with felony DUI.
During the year this was dragged through the court system, the woman involved with the accident would show up for each and every hearing this young man had to go to. Every time she would have with her someone from Mothers Against Drunk Driving. She wanted to make sure this young man paid dearly for what had happened to her. And yet, did anyone from her family come to the courthouse to support her? Did any of her old friends come with her for support? No. It was always someone from Mothers Against Drunk Driving, someone who hadn´t met her until after the accident and someone with a political agenda to attend to. MADD may have felt they found a willing and productive poster child to hang their hats upon with this woman, and they were ready to use her to the best of their ability to further their agenda to get draconian zero tolerance laws passed in every state of the union. My guess is that they couldn´t have cared less about this woman, they only cared that she had been involved in an accident where a hint of marijuana use had been found.
When crunch time came in this case, a deal was struck, as happens so often in this country. We no longer have a system where one is innocent until proven guilty, we have a system where once arrested your lawyer will only go to trail if he is certain he can prove you innocent. Juries are no longer fully informed. People that should be sitting on them, people with principles and who know their responsibility, instead try to find ways to wiggle their way out of jury duty. Often times if a person with principles who knows what a fully informed juror knows, that the law itself can be judged, if found in the jury pool that person will be rejected by the prosecutor who does not want his precious law to be subjected to scrutiny by ordinary citizens. But that´s tangential. What happened is this case was that, due to the other case mentioned above, the judges in this county were now under pressure and giving out sentences that far exceeded minimum standards. They didn´t want to be seen as soft on crime by the papers and the vengeful masses who know little about the details of each individual case and are quick to judge those sitting in judgment without taking the time to find out the specifics.
And so the lady from MADD had made her presence felt. They have done this all along by waving pictures of dead babies in our faces and making us all feel guilty. They have taken the pain from personal tragedy and spread it throughout the public until even the most tea toddling senior citizen might feel its sting one day when forced to stop at a random, unconstitutional roadblock while trying to get to the drugstore before it closes to pick up much needed meds. Their loud screams and fascist demands have reverberated in legislative chambers across this land and it seems they will not stop until prohibition is reinstated and we as a society get to relive the nightmare of the roaring twenties gang wars. It seems as if the cowardly lawmakers are easily swayed by their persistence and will not take a stand against them for fear of being labeled a criminal sympathizer rather than a constitutionalist. Certainly, those who are driving dangerously should be taken off our roads, but just because someone´s blood alcohol level is .08 or some other random number does not automatically mean he is a danger on the road. Just because a kid has a marijuana pipe in his car and trace amounts in his system does not necessarily mean he was smoking recently or that his driving was impaired by it. We need to start dealing with people as individuals, not as statistics. And a very important thing I personally think we as a society have forgotten is that forgiveness is good for the soul. We should remember to forgive others as we would want to be forgiven under similar circumstances.
My friend´s son was sentenced to sixty days in jail, two years intense probation, and he will have to pay restitution. I don´t think jail time was necessary for the kid. It does no one any good, not him, not his parents, not the woman who was injured, not her family, not society in general, not even the woman from MADD, except maybe to satiate her vindictiveness. I hope he is strong enough to survive the two years intense probation without permanent psychological damage. I believe that paying restitution was the fairest part of the sentence, for he did cause harm to another and should make every effort to repair what has been broken.
As for the woman, she read a statement to the court in which she blamed the accident for everything that had gone wrong with her life recently. She blamed it for her husband leaving her. She blamed it for her kids abandoning her. She never considered that her own actions may have brought these things about. She never considered that maybe she was driving them away. By some accounts these things had been manifesting before the accident. But that accident gave her the opportunity for attention. It gave her the opportunity to make a new friend with the MADD woman who wants to stick her nose in everyone else's business and make sure anyone who may have even thought about driving under the influence of any illicit substance is cast out of society and thrown into a prison cell for as long as possible. It gave her the opportunity to try to make someone else´s life as miserable as her own. She took that opportunity and lapped it up. How empty her life must feel now.
I heard of a radio talk show host that came up with the idea to a form a group DAMM, Drivers Against Madd Mothers. Recently events have occurred on a very local level that gave me pause to think about this. These events are tragic in their own way, and yet it seems to me that we as a society like to take such events and compound them. Sometimes when trying to make sense of the senseless groups of people can compound the issues that individuals should be dealing with on their own terms. Groups can certainly help a person deal with personal tragedy when done on a voluntary basis and when help is requested, but groups can also throw wrenches into already muddled situations and make things painful for all of us until even the most innocent in society are paying a price for a situation they had absolutely nothing to do with.
I heard a story about a young man, seventeen or so, who got drunk one night, got in a car, got in an accident and killed someone. Actually, it was in all the papers. It was a very sad story. It´s a story that, I´m afraid, has been repeated too many times. The boy had never been in trouble before. He was a good student. He had a loving family. He was by all accounts a nice person on his way to a productive life. Then he made a couple of bad decisions one night and something terrible happened. It was tragic.
The judge sat in his courtroom and listened to this story. It took about a year before things would be settled. The judge had considered all sides of the story and rendered his decision. He took all kinds of factors into consideration, factors that maybe some of us might not think about. That´s what good judges do. He sentenced the boy to six months in jail and five years intense probation. The papers had a field day reaming this judge. They claimed the sentence was too lenient. Personally, I think it was a good sentence. It was an accident, regardless of the circumstances or the consequences or the stupidity involved, and it was not done with forethought or malice. And it is my understanding that some people would rather do jail time than do intense probation which puts a lot of pressure upon the recipient. But my opinion of this young man´s sentence and this sad story is not what this article is about.
I have a friend whose son was involved in an accident in the same county while coming home from high school. It was a pretty bad accident. He and the other driver involved, a woman with a son his age at the same high school, were both hurt. Her injuries were pretty serious, but nothing life threatening or life changing. His son was not drunk, was not high, but he had a marijuana pipe in his car at the time of the accident. The police found it and tested him at the hospital. They found trace amounts of marijuana in his system, but he admitted to having smoked it three days earlier, which would mean there would still be traces in his system. He hadn´t been high at the time of the accident. There were even questions about whether he actually caused the accident or not, though the evidence did point to it being his fault. But none of that would matter. He was charged with felony DUI.
During the year this was dragged through the court system, the woman involved with the accident would show up for each and every hearing this young man had to go to. Every time she would have with her someone from Mothers Against Drunk Driving. She wanted to make sure this young man paid dearly for what had happened to her. And yet, did anyone from her family come to the courthouse to support her? Did any of her old friends come with her for support? No. It was always someone from Mothers Against Drunk Driving, someone who hadn´t met her until after the accident and someone with a political agenda to attend to. MADD may have felt they found a willing and productive poster child to hang their hats upon with this woman, and they were ready to use her to the best of their ability to further their agenda to get draconian zero tolerance laws passed in every state of the union. My guess is that they couldn´t have cared less about this woman, they only cared that she had been involved in an accident where a hint of marijuana use had been found.
When crunch time came in this case, a deal was struck, as happens so often in this country. We no longer have a system where one is innocent until proven guilty, we have a system where once arrested your lawyer will only go to trail if he is certain he can prove you innocent. Juries are no longer fully informed. People that should be sitting on them, people with principles and who know their responsibility, instead try to find ways to wiggle their way out of jury duty. Often times if a person with principles who knows what a fully informed juror knows, that the law itself can be judged, if found in the jury pool that person will be rejected by the prosecutor who does not want his precious law to be subjected to scrutiny by ordinary citizens. But that´s tangential. What happened is this case was that, due to the other case mentioned above, the judges in this county were now under pressure and giving out sentences that far exceeded minimum standards. They didn´t want to be seen as soft on crime by the papers and the vengeful masses who know little about the details of each individual case and are quick to judge those sitting in judgment without taking the time to find out the specifics.
And so the lady from MADD had made her presence felt. They have done this all along by waving pictures of dead babies in our faces and making us all feel guilty. They have taken the pain from personal tragedy and spread it throughout the public until even the most tea toddling senior citizen might feel its sting one day when forced to stop at a random, unconstitutional roadblock while trying to get to the drugstore before it closes to pick up much needed meds. Their loud screams and fascist demands have reverberated in legislative chambers across this land and it seems they will not stop until prohibition is reinstated and we as a society get to relive the nightmare of the roaring twenties gang wars. It seems as if the cowardly lawmakers are easily swayed by their persistence and will not take a stand against them for fear of being labeled a criminal sympathizer rather than a constitutionalist. Certainly, those who are driving dangerously should be taken off our roads, but just because someone´s blood alcohol level is .08 or some other random number does not automatically mean he is a danger on the road. Just because a kid has a marijuana pipe in his car and trace amounts in his system does not necessarily mean he was smoking recently or that his driving was impaired by it. We need to start dealing with people as individuals, not as statistics. And a very important thing I personally think we as a society have forgotten is that forgiveness is good for the soul. We should remember to forgive others as we would want to be forgiven under similar circumstances.
My friend´s son was sentenced to sixty days in jail, two years intense probation, and he will have to pay restitution. I don´t think jail time was necessary for the kid. It does no one any good, not him, not his parents, not the woman who was injured, not her family, not society in general, not even the woman from MADD, except maybe to satiate her vindictiveness. I hope he is strong enough to survive the two years intense probation without permanent psychological damage. I believe that paying restitution was the fairest part of the sentence, for he did cause harm to another and should make every effort to repair what has been broken.
As for the woman, she read a statement to the court in which she blamed the accident for everything that had gone wrong with her life recently. She blamed it for her husband leaving her. She blamed it for her kids abandoning her. She never considered that her own actions may have brought these things about. She never considered that maybe she was driving them away. By some accounts these things had been manifesting before the accident. But that accident gave her the opportunity for attention. It gave her the opportunity to make a new friend with the MADD woman who wants to stick her nose in everyone else's business and make sure anyone who may have even thought about driving under the influence of any illicit substance is cast out of society and thrown into a prison cell for as long as possible. It gave her the opportunity to try to make someone else´s life as miserable as her own. She took that opportunity and lapped it up. How empty her life must feel now.
Thursday, February 14, 2008
Ron Paul; The Candidate That Understands Reality
This article was originally published at americanchronicle.com on Feb. 13th, 2008
I know a bit about fantasy. I write Fantasy novels. In them, there is a clear cut good versus evil theme. The evil is always supreme, bent on the total destruction of life and beauty, and the good is always striving to save the world and a culture of decency. Real life is quite a bit different. In this world, good and evil aren´t always clear cut. They intermix and entwine, wrapping around each other like ethereal lovers who may despise each other but want to get to know one another better nonetheless. Often times evil is born of good intentions, those trying to better mankind causing unintended consequences. The same can be said of the good that comes from evil. I´ve heard it said that everything happens for a reason, and there are often positives born of negative situations. When life gives you lemons, make lemonade.
I´ve recently had to face reality. The government has found me and wants their money. You see, I borrowed a whole bunch of it from them so I could earn a Master´s degree. Even though I earned the degree, I have so far been unable to find a better paying job. Now I have to pay back a lot of money, and I´m not making any more than I was before I started school. So the reality is that I´m going to have to cut back on my expenses. I won´t be able to live the life I´ve come accustomed to. I won´t be able to afford certain luxuries. I can give up cable. I´ll have to live in a smaller place, in a cheaper neighborhood. I´ll have to find cheaper food, shop better. I´ll have to turn down the thermostat a little. But that´s the reality of the situation and I´m going to have to face up to it and buckle down, because if I don´t then it will just get worse. Right now the important thing is to dig my way out of debt.
There is a reality most people in the United States of America are ignoring. That reality is that the national debt is unmanageable. Ron Paul is the only candidate for president that is facing up to this reality. The other remaining presidential candidates want to sell the American public a fantasy. They want to make believe that everything is fine with the economy. They want to pretend that they can keep printing money and accruing debt without consequence. They want to promise the populace entitlements such as health care and pretend they can do it without pain, just to get votes. If anyone knows about the reality of the state of health care in this country today, it´s Dr. Ron Paul, yet I hardly ever hear any news organizations ask him about that issue. The reality folks, is that our government simply cannot continue to spend at the rate they´re spending and remain solvent. Ron Paul is straight forward on this point not only because he understands this reality, but because he feels we the people can handle this reality. The other candidates, living in never never land where they wish the rest of us to join them, simply have no respect for us "little people." They must believe we are like children unable to handle the reality of the cold, harsh world.
Ron Paul understands the reality of war. He understands not only the cost in human life and treasure, but the cost in moral standing. He served as a flight surgeon in the Vietnam war and saw first hand war´s ravages. The reality is that these wars we are involved in, these exercises in empire building, are breaking the country. They are sapping funds which would be better spent on right here, at home, on stabilizing our economy, balancing the budget, and paying off debt. They are wasting our youth, more than simply killing our young men and women, but returning thousands of them broken in both body and spirit. They are wasting innocent lives, lives of men, women and children who harmed no one in this country, had nothing to do with any crimes committed against our nation, and perhaps even liked the United States of America and at one time may have dreamt of living here.
These wars are wasting the collective spiritual karma of the nation, if such a thing exists. They are not justified, as has been shown by the admissions and proofs of lies that have been told to us to justify going to war. They have laid waste to our constitutional protections against tyrannical government as the wars have been used to shred the Bill of Rights. The reality is that these wars have enabled those in power to use torture, dispense with common law, ignore habeas corpus, and defile and ignore long standing international treaties to further their political agendas and grow their personal fortunes. We have already lost the moral high ground and any respect we may have had in the international community, except for maybe the respect that fear brings. The reality is that Ron Paul is still the only candidate who has called for the immediate withdraw of all troops and an end to these unconstitutional wars. More frightening still, all the other candidates have refused to take an attack on Iran off the table and intimate that they would get us into another costlier, bloodier, more dangerous war that will most certainly shake this country to its foundations. The reality is that these wars divide us, they force some who cannot believe their country is anything but perfect to live in denial and others to make excuses rather than ask pertinent questions. Either Ron Paul is the only presidential candidate who understands this reality, or the other candidates have less than good intentions in mind.
Ron Paul understands the realities of maintaining an empire. He knows that it costs money to do so. He understands the reality that we can no longer afford an empire. He understands the reality that all empires eventually fail and we are most likely watching one in its death throes. It would be best to let it do so gracefully by bringing our military men and women home to protect our borders. We would leave the diplomats, but let other countries step up and provide protection for themselves. We have come to a point in human history where a world policeman, a world empire, a superpower, is no longer necessary. Certainly most countries would be able to think of better solutions to their squabbles than wars that could possibly lead to their mutual annihilation. Our troops no longer need be based in foreign countries. It is time to bring them home, worry about our own defense, and let the rest of the world do the same. It´s time to let the rest of the world go, and for those of you worried about this, it´ll be ok, really. Ron Paul understands the importance of trade and the realities of the world economy and we will continue to keep in touch with friendly nations and do business with them in a fair and even handed manner.
Ron Paul understands the reality of the world today. He understands the realities of politics. And so do I. I realize his bid for the white house has floundered drastically. I realize his chances are slim to nil. I also understand this tidbit of wisdom. It ain´t over until it´s over. Ron Paul will keep going to the end, be it sweet or bitter. He will keep going despite the media blackout. He will keep going in spite of the nay-sayers and pundits who still don´t understand this movement isn´t about putting a certain man in the white house, it is about preserving the freedoms and liberties that so many in power would like to cast aside and violate. He will keep going because of his frugality and the fortitude of his supporters. He will keep going because there is a message here that needs to be broadcast to the world, the message that there are still some of us who understand what it means to be free, to be truly free, and we will stand and be heard. Ron Paul supporters are not going away that easily. They will stick with their man right up to the Republican convention and they will let everyone know that there is a heavy contingent of the population who are still truly conservative, who still believe in small government, who still believe in the spirit of the constitution and its mandate to limit government power, and who still believe that the president should be a person of honesty and integrity. We will not go away and we will be heard, and we may prove to be a greater influence than anyone has yet to imagine.
I know a bit about fantasy. I write Fantasy novels. In them, there is a clear cut good versus evil theme. The evil is always supreme, bent on the total destruction of life and beauty, and the good is always striving to save the world and a culture of decency. Real life is quite a bit different. In this world, good and evil aren´t always clear cut. They intermix and entwine, wrapping around each other like ethereal lovers who may despise each other but want to get to know one another better nonetheless. Often times evil is born of good intentions, those trying to better mankind causing unintended consequences. The same can be said of the good that comes from evil. I´ve heard it said that everything happens for a reason, and there are often positives born of negative situations. When life gives you lemons, make lemonade.
I´ve recently had to face reality. The government has found me and wants their money. You see, I borrowed a whole bunch of it from them so I could earn a Master´s degree. Even though I earned the degree, I have so far been unable to find a better paying job. Now I have to pay back a lot of money, and I´m not making any more than I was before I started school. So the reality is that I´m going to have to cut back on my expenses. I won´t be able to live the life I´ve come accustomed to. I won´t be able to afford certain luxuries. I can give up cable. I´ll have to live in a smaller place, in a cheaper neighborhood. I´ll have to find cheaper food, shop better. I´ll have to turn down the thermostat a little. But that´s the reality of the situation and I´m going to have to face up to it and buckle down, because if I don´t then it will just get worse. Right now the important thing is to dig my way out of debt.
There is a reality most people in the United States of America are ignoring. That reality is that the national debt is unmanageable. Ron Paul is the only candidate for president that is facing up to this reality. The other remaining presidential candidates want to sell the American public a fantasy. They want to make believe that everything is fine with the economy. They want to pretend that they can keep printing money and accruing debt without consequence. They want to promise the populace entitlements such as health care and pretend they can do it without pain, just to get votes. If anyone knows about the reality of the state of health care in this country today, it´s Dr. Ron Paul, yet I hardly ever hear any news organizations ask him about that issue. The reality folks, is that our government simply cannot continue to spend at the rate they´re spending and remain solvent. Ron Paul is straight forward on this point not only because he understands this reality, but because he feels we the people can handle this reality. The other candidates, living in never never land where they wish the rest of us to join them, simply have no respect for us "little people." They must believe we are like children unable to handle the reality of the cold, harsh world.
Ron Paul understands the reality of war. He understands not only the cost in human life and treasure, but the cost in moral standing. He served as a flight surgeon in the Vietnam war and saw first hand war´s ravages. The reality is that these wars we are involved in, these exercises in empire building, are breaking the country. They are sapping funds which would be better spent on right here, at home, on stabilizing our economy, balancing the budget, and paying off debt. They are wasting our youth, more than simply killing our young men and women, but returning thousands of them broken in both body and spirit. They are wasting innocent lives, lives of men, women and children who harmed no one in this country, had nothing to do with any crimes committed against our nation, and perhaps even liked the United States of America and at one time may have dreamt of living here.
These wars are wasting the collective spiritual karma of the nation, if such a thing exists. They are not justified, as has been shown by the admissions and proofs of lies that have been told to us to justify going to war. They have laid waste to our constitutional protections against tyrannical government as the wars have been used to shred the Bill of Rights. The reality is that these wars have enabled those in power to use torture, dispense with common law, ignore habeas corpus, and defile and ignore long standing international treaties to further their political agendas and grow their personal fortunes. We have already lost the moral high ground and any respect we may have had in the international community, except for maybe the respect that fear brings. The reality is that Ron Paul is still the only candidate who has called for the immediate withdraw of all troops and an end to these unconstitutional wars. More frightening still, all the other candidates have refused to take an attack on Iran off the table and intimate that they would get us into another costlier, bloodier, more dangerous war that will most certainly shake this country to its foundations. The reality is that these wars divide us, they force some who cannot believe their country is anything but perfect to live in denial and others to make excuses rather than ask pertinent questions. Either Ron Paul is the only presidential candidate who understands this reality, or the other candidates have less than good intentions in mind.
Ron Paul understands the realities of maintaining an empire. He knows that it costs money to do so. He understands the reality that we can no longer afford an empire. He understands the reality that all empires eventually fail and we are most likely watching one in its death throes. It would be best to let it do so gracefully by bringing our military men and women home to protect our borders. We would leave the diplomats, but let other countries step up and provide protection for themselves. We have come to a point in human history where a world policeman, a world empire, a superpower, is no longer necessary. Certainly most countries would be able to think of better solutions to their squabbles than wars that could possibly lead to their mutual annihilation. Our troops no longer need be based in foreign countries. It is time to bring them home, worry about our own defense, and let the rest of the world do the same. It´s time to let the rest of the world go, and for those of you worried about this, it´ll be ok, really. Ron Paul understands the importance of trade and the realities of the world economy and we will continue to keep in touch with friendly nations and do business with them in a fair and even handed manner.
Ron Paul understands the reality of the world today. He understands the realities of politics. And so do I. I realize his bid for the white house has floundered drastically. I realize his chances are slim to nil. I also understand this tidbit of wisdom. It ain´t over until it´s over. Ron Paul will keep going to the end, be it sweet or bitter. He will keep going despite the media blackout. He will keep going in spite of the nay-sayers and pundits who still don´t understand this movement isn´t about putting a certain man in the white house, it is about preserving the freedoms and liberties that so many in power would like to cast aside and violate. He will keep going because of his frugality and the fortitude of his supporters. He will keep going because there is a message here that needs to be broadcast to the world, the message that there are still some of us who understand what it means to be free, to be truly free, and we will stand and be heard. Ron Paul supporters are not going away that easily. They will stick with their man right up to the Republican convention and they will let everyone know that there is a heavy contingent of the population who are still truly conservative, who still believe in small government, who still believe in the spirit of the constitution and its mandate to limit government power, and who still believe that the president should be a person of honesty and integrity. We will not go away and we will be heard, and we may prove to be a greater influence than anyone has yet to imagine.
Fairness and Life, Collectivism and Freedom
This article was originally published at americanchronicle.com on Feb 10th, 2008
Has anyone ever told you that life´s not fair? I remember hearing that many times when I was a child. Life isn´t fair. We can see it all around. Nature provides many examples. Life certainly doesn´t seem fair to the poor little antelope when he´s caught by a vicious lion. Yet the lion has to eat. Besides, it probably doesn´t seem fair to the lion that the antelope can run so fast. So lions, being clever, will use their brethren and set up traps for their prey. Perhaps to our sensibilities it seems more fair for the lion to attack the water buffalo. They are bigger and can defend themselves better with their horns. Still, the lions have a distinct advantage over these creatures with their long sharp claws and teeth. It hardly seems fair. Yet I´ve seen footage where a herd of buffalo come together to fend off a pack of lions attacking a baby buffalo. This has to seem grossly unfair to the lions, they being so hungry and there being so many water buffalo. No sense in taking a chance at getting hurt. I´ve never seen footage of a lion attacking an elephant. This must seem very unfair to a lion, so much meat in such a package and yet it´s too dangerous for them to try to obtain. But these things are just the way nature is, and so we as humans observe it, shrug it off, and say "that´s life." There´s really not much we can do about it.
It´s quite different when it comes to human constructs. We have a tendency to believe in fairness when it comes to human activity. We try to make everything we do as fair as possible. Of course, that doesn´t always work. Let´s face it, life´s not fair. There are many tales of unfairness I could tell from my own life, more than I could fit in an online article, so many, in fact, that I can fill an entire book, and so I am. That´s life. Still, we humans seem to believe that we can somehow make things better, that we can somehow make life fair for all, or at least fair for the majority of mankind. Perhaps it´s possible, perhaps not, but it seems to me to be a worthwhile endeavor. So, if we are to try to make life fair, the question becomes "how do we do it?"
I remember as a boy in school there would be occasions where someone, usually another boy, in class would do something devious such as shooting a spitball or making some obnoxious noise. The teacher would not know who it was and would dutifully ask the question "who did it?" Inevitably she would not get a confession and would appeal to the class to snitch out the perpetrator. Of course in those days there was an unwritten law amongst us kids that one did not rat out one´s classmates. That was perhaps the cardinal sin back then, and doing so would quickly subject the tattletale to peer condemnation. Despite knowing this, the teacher would threaten collective punishment. I doubt she ever expected anyone to tell, and so we were inevitably all punished in some minor way, less recess time, more homework, sitting quietly doing nothing, or some such thing, perhaps with the hope that we children would end up taking matters into our own hands and chastising the little classroom lawbreaker. Sometimes we did and sometimes we didn´t, but that´s inconsequential. The point is that collective punishment hardly seemed fair to us. This was the first time in our young lives that we experienced the exercise of authoritarian power over the masses.
Collective punishment is always going to be unfair to someone. If some person or group of people commit a crime, only those directly involved in the crime, those who knew what was happening and/or intended harm, should be punished. If everyone associated with them, no matter how innocuously, is punished, then innocent people end up being punished. In the real world, the results of this punishment can be devastating and tragic. Bombs, even smart ones, have no conscience. The shrapnel they produce will strike and kill a nearby innocent child as easily as a nearby soldier. The indiscriminant nature and inherent unfairness of group punishment, a concept stemming from a collectivist mentality, is destined to cause resentment and unintended consequences.
There are many who will contend that collectivism is the fairest type of social system. These social engineers will argue that it is everyone´s duty to help out those in greatest need. While these arguments are well intentioned and have a tendency to make a sort of moral sense, fallacies abound within them. There are always lines drawn and individual situations that make socialism unfair, sometimes to a few and sometimes to many. Wealth redistribution has a history of failure, many times resulting in the fall of great civilizations. Freedom and individual responsibility, on the other hand, have historically brought prosperity to the general population. We would do well to remember that.
The big problem becomes how to go about cutting the economic pie so that everyone has their "fair" share. Unfortunately the way societies around the world have always chosen is to do it by force. They use the arms of government. Equally unfortunate is the corruption that comes with this. Those put in charge of redistributing seem to have a tendency of making sure they and their friends receive far more than their fair share. Perhaps they catch a bit of the "one for you, twenty for me" syndrome. Whatever the case, I´ve noticed at least that those making our laws seem to be incredibly rich while those in the middle are constantly asked to sacrifice. It sure seems to me that the current system we have is anything but fair. The rich are getting richer, the poor are getting poorer, and the middle class are becoming extinct.
It seems a fairer approach would be to let those earning money keep the money they earn and spend it in the manner they see fit. In this way, while it may be true that some will earn more than others for their efforts, it is also true that earners will not have their money stolen from them by bureaucrats and politicians that end up stuffing their own coffers and justifying their own existence before trickling down anything left over to those who really need it. Individuals are far more in tune with their own lives, far more able to handle their finances than government. While it may not seem fair that some in society end up unemployed, even those that want to work, and while charitable organizations and other forms of financial help for the destitute may not be perfect, certainly they are preferable to government agencies forcing everyone to "give" their "fair" share. While it is true that some people at times may need a hand up, it is also true that some take advantage of the system. If the state believes itself to be so great at determining who is truly in need, then let them become a voluntary organization competing with other private voluntary organizations claiming the same thing and we´ll see which organizations thrive and which fold.
Collectivism comes in many shapes and sizes. When it is practiced, the individual who is doing his best to get along in this world could very well find himself on the losing end of an injustice. Groups are afforded protections while individuals are left hanging. It hardly seems fair that someone who has harmed no one can end up jailed. It hardly seems fair that the individual should lose his freedom so that a group can be protected from perceived wrong, but no actual, physical harm. Collectivism allows for the injustice and unfairness of victimless crimes. Collectivism allows for the persecution of those who think differently or have different points of view. Collectivism allows for the state to become all powerful while the individual struggles to find justice against such persecution. Collectivism allows for the protection of one group at the expense of another. It makes for an "us versus them" mentality that does no one in society any good. Even those gaining the perceived benefits of this system lose at a fundamental moral level, and they may one day find the opposing group in power and therefore lose their benefits. One only has as much freedom as he is willing to grant another. It is time for the idea of freedom to come home to roost. We as a society can no longer afford to quietly allow our freedoms to fade into obscurity while the state turns us into a collection of groups. It is time we reclaim our individuality and independent spirit or this great experiment known as America may well fade into the annuls of history as just another failed attempt to free man from the scourge of collectivism.
Has anyone ever told you that life´s not fair? I remember hearing that many times when I was a child. Life isn´t fair. We can see it all around. Nature provides many examples. Life certainly doesn´t seem fair to the poor little antelope when he´s caught by a vicious lion. Yet the lion has to eat. Besides, it probably doesn´t seem fair to the lion that the antelope can run so fast. So lions, being clever, will use their brethren and set up traps for their prey. Perhaps to our sensibilities it seems more fair for the lion to attack the water buffalo. They are bigger and can defend themselves better with their horns. Still, the lions have a distinct advantage over these creatures with their long sharp claws and teeth. It hardly seems fair. Yet I´ve seen footage where a herd of buffalo come together to fend off a pack of lions attacking a baby buffalo. This has to seem grossly unfair to the lions, they being so hungry and there being so many water buffalo. No sense in taking a chance at getting hurt. I´ve never seen footage of a lion attacking an elephant. This must seem very unfair to a lion, so much meat in such a package and yet it´s too dangerous for them to try to obtain. But these things are just the way nature is, and so we as humans observe it, shrug it off, and say "that´s life." There´s really not much we can do about it.
It´s quite different when it comes to human constructs. We have a tendency to believe in fairness when it comes to human activity. We try to make everything we do as fair as possible. Of course, that doesn´t always work. Let´s face it, life´s not fair. There are many tales of unfairness I could tell from my own life, more than I could fit in an online article, so many, in fact, that I can fill an entire book, and so I am. That´s life. Still, we humans seem to believe that we can somehow make things better, that we can somehow make life fair for all, or at least fair for the majority of mankind. Perhaps it´s possible, perhaps not, but it seems to me to be a worthwhile endeavor. So, if we are to try to make life fair, the question becomes "how do we do it?"
I remember as a boy in school there would be occasions where someone, usually another boy, in class would do something devious such as shooting a spitball or making some obnoxious noise. The teacher would not know who it was and would dutifully ask the question "who did it?" Inevitably she would not get a confession and would appeal to the class to snitch out the perpetrator. Of course in those days there was an unwritten law amongst us kids that one did not rat out one´s classmates. That was perhaps the cardinal sin back then, and doing so would quickly subject the tattletale to peer condemnation. Despite knowing this, the teacher would threaten collective punishment. I doubt she ever expected anyone to tell, and so we were inevitably all punished in some minor way, less recess time, more homework, sitting quietly doing nothing, or some such thing, perhaps with the hope that we children would end up taking matters into our own hands and chastising the little classroom lawbreaker. Sometimes we did and sometimes we didn´t, but that´s inconsequential. The point is that collective punishment hardly seemed fair to us. This was the first time in our young lives that we experienced the exercise of authoritarian power over the masses.
Collective punishment is always going to be unfair to someone. If some person or group of people commit a crime, only those directly involved in the crime, those who knew what was happening and/or intended harm, should be punished. If everyone associated with them, no matter how innocuously, is punished, then innocent people end up being punished. In the real world, the results of this punishment can be devastating and tragic. Bombs, even smart ones, have no conscience. The shrapnel they produce will strike and kill a nearby innocent child as easily as a nearby soldier. The indiscriminant nature and inherent unfairness of group punishment, a concept stemming from a collectivist mentality, is destined to cause resentment and unintended consequences.
There are many who will contend that collectivism is the fairest type of social system. These social engineers will argue that it is everyone´s duty to help out those in greatest need. While these arguments are well intentioned and have a tendency to make a sort of moral sense, fallacies abound within them. There are always lines drawn and individual situations that make socialism unfair, sometimes to a few and sometimes to many. Wealth redistribution has a history of failure, many times resulting in the fall of great civilizations. Freedom and individual responsibility, on the other hand, have historically brought prosperity to the general population. We would do well to remember that.
The big problem becomes how to go about cutting the economic pie so that everyone has their "fair" share. Unfortunately the way societies around the world have always chosen is to do it by force. They use the arms of government. Equally unfortunate is the corruption that comes with this. Those put in charge of redistributing seem to have a tendency of making sure they and their friends receive far more than their fair share. Perhaps they catch a bit of the "one for you, twenty for me" syndrome. Whatever the case, I´ve noticed at least that those making our laws seem to be incredibly rich while those in the middle are constantly asked to sacrifice. It sure seems to me that the current system we have is anything but fair. The rich are getting richer, the poor are getting poorer, and the middle class are becoming extinct.
It seems a fairer approach would be to let those earning money keep the money they earn and spend it in the manner they see fit. In this way, while it may be true that some will earn more than others for their efforts, it is also true that earners will not have their money stolen from them by bureaucrats and politicians that end up stuffing their own coffers and justifying their own existence before trickling down anything left over to those who really need it. Individuals are far more in tune with their own lives, far more able to handle their finances than government. While it may not seem fair that some in society end up unemployed, even those that want to work, and while charitable organizations and other forms of financial help for the destitute may not be perfect, certainly they are preferable to government agencies forcing everyone to "give" their "fair" share. While it is true that some people at times may need a hand up, it is also true that some take advantage of the system. If the state believes itself to be so great at determining who is truly in need, then let them become a voluntary organization competing with other private voluntary organizations claiming the same thing and we´ll see which organizations thrive and which fold.
Collectivism comes in many shapes and sizes. When it is practiced, the individual who is doing his best to get along in this world could very well find himself on the losing end of an injustice. Groups are afforded protections while individuals are left hanging. It hardly seems fair that someone who has harmed no one can end up jailed. It hardly seems fair that the individual should lose his freedom so that a group can be protected from perceived wrong, but no actual, physical harm. Collectivism allows for the injustice and unfairness of victimless crimes. Collectivism allows for the persecution of those who think differently or have different points of view. Collectivism allows for the state to become all powerful while the individual struggles to find justice against such persecution. Collectivism allows for the protection of one group at the expense of another. It makes for an "us versus them" mentality that does no one in society any good. Even those gaining the perceived benefits of this system lose at a fundamental moral level, and they may one day find the opposing group in power and therefore lose their benefits. One only has as much freedom as he is willing to grant another. It is time for the idea of freedom to come home to roost. We as a society can no longer afford to quietly allow our freedoms to fade into obscurity while the state turns us into a collection of groups. It is time we reclaim our individuality and independent spirit or this great experiment known as America may well fade into the annuls of history as just another failed attempt to free man from the scourge of collectivism.
An Open Letter to the Citizens of the United States of America
This article was originally published at americanchronicle.com on Jan. 29th, 2008.
There are many times in every nation´s history when that nation reaches a crossroads. The decisions made at those times help to define that nation´s character for many years, perhaps decades to come. It is my humble opinion that this great nation known as the United State of America has come to such a time. There are many decisions that will be made in the next few months, important decisions that will define the character of this nation and perhaps the character of the world we all live upon.
In the past few years, in fact, in the past few decades, our nation has diverted itself from the path the founding fathers set it upon. Slowly the rights of the individual have been eroded in an attempt to build the security state. Slowly life´s decisions have been removed from the individual and put into the hands of the state. Slowly the concepts which helped build this great nation and bring us prosperity have been mutated, twisted into nothing more than buzz words with no intrinsic meaning. At best, this republic with its checks and balances on power is on life support, and if it hasn´t already truly died, then the simple pulling of a plug will kill it. The laws are in place. The constitution has been subverted. The word just needs to be spoken and the protections it affords the people of this nation need no longer apply. In our attempt at security, in our fear of the outside world, the apparatus was built which could end up taking from us not only our freedoms, but any security we might have hoped to purchase at such cost.
Freedom means more than the ability to choose whether to go to McDonald´s or Burger King. Liberty means so much more than having a choice of television stations to watch. These concepts are an expression of our desires to take control of our own lives with as little interference as possible from outside forces. It is this ability that has led this nation down the road of prosperity. It is the ability of the individual to be able to make the best life possible for himself that has led to so many great achievements credited to our fellow countrymen. This is the bravery of our nation, the willingness to take on personal responsibility and fearlessly face life without safety nets. Such is the courage of our citizenry, to be able to declare "Keep your tyrant and his promise of security, for we prefer standing tall as freemen to kneeling in subservience to the state." This is true freedom, when one challenges the rights of the individual over the force and coercion of that group entity known as the state.
Liberty is a legacy handed down to us by the founders of this great nation. It was codified in the Constitution and is known as the Bill of Rights. This is a great legacy and one we should cherish deeply. It was meant to put chains upon those who would govern us and to make certain that abuses of power did not occur. But, alas, it seems to have failed us. Slick politicians and callous leaders have subverted the very document they vowed to uphold. A fearful populace and a complicit media have failed to demand adherence to the vital law of the land. And so we now find ourselves facing the prospects of never ending war, a failing currency, and the presence of a brutal police state which can be unleashed against anyone who dares speak out in dissent or protest against state policy.
And so I wonder, what kind of legacy will we leave for our children, or their children, or their children? Will they learn of freedom and independence, or will they be forbidden by decree to know of such things? Will they realize the joy of personal responsibility and the pride that comes from achieving self reliance, or will they be taught subjection to the rule of the political elite? Will they be corrupted by entitlements and privileges that can be taken away on a whim? Will our progeny know liberty and respect individual rights, or will they know only collectivism and the tyranny of the majority? Will they be able to own private property and know the American dream, or will those that rule be able to confiscate whatever they want whenever they want for the "good of the public commons?" The America I knew as a child no longer exists. Or perhaps it was already gone when I was young and I only learned of what it was meant to be. But the pendulum appears to be swinging back. America is not yet completely broken. There is still hope.
This is where one would expect to find an explanation for a simple solution to put this nation back on track. The fact is, there is no simple solution. There is no one man that can deliver us from the trap we have fallen into. Unfortunately, we cannot elect any single individual into any office and expect our liberty to be restored. Yes, I would like to see Ron Paul or any man with a libertarian mindset elected president, that would be a huge step in the right direction, but that is not the end all, be all. It will take a massive effort involving many to bring back the freedom and prosperity we once knew. Like an overweight middle aged man looking to regain a healthy physique after years of neglect, it will take a lot of hard work before we can look in the mirror and be proud of our accomplishments. There will be many aspects we must consider as we move forward with this great undertaking.
There are many steps that we as a people should consider in order to regain what we have lost. The first is to be certain that honest and fair elections are taking place. With recent events in New Hampshire and other primary states, the electoral process is in shambles. How are we to survive as a representative republic when we can´t even be certain we can hold our representatives accountable for their actions through the ballot box? An end to electronic voting and a demand for verifiable, traceable, transparent methods where votes are counted at the precinct level in front of representatives of all parties involved would do much to alleviate the doubt and uncertainty in our electoral process. If we know our elections are fair, then at least we know we´ll be able to vote a representative who does something reprehensible out of office.
Citizens should also consider turning off their televisions, especially TV news. They should consider dropping any subscriptions they may have to newspapers or news magazines. These are filled with collectivist propaganda. They no longer report the news so much as they try to tell you what to think about it. There are other avenues to take to become informed, other sources less compromised and more willing to deliver unbiased information, sources that have little to gain by lying and much to lose should they be caught doing so. Those who realize the folly of the news organizations and the entities they represent should fight back by boycotting their advertisers. A huge swath of the American public not buying advertised merchandise and looking to other sources of competition will make any advertiser think twice about paying to have his product demonized. The loss of revenue should cause the news organizations to think twice about the news they present to the American public. In this manner, we can begin to affect the old media and perhaps a fair coverage of people and events that affect our world will begin to change some of the hearts and minds the new media has yet to reach.
Citizens should endeavor to learn about money. It all seems to come down to money. Politicians can´t campaign without it. Corporations fight and scrap for it. People work hard to earn it. But what is money? Is it true that the Federal Reserve creates money from nothing? According to more than a few reliable sources, it is. But while these notes are printed, real treasure is being stolen. Those who create this instrument of debt also have first dibs on it. They can use it to buy gold or other precious metals, or real property, or to buy out entire corporations if they so desire. They can even use these notes to leverage lawmakers to create laws to protect their activities. Money as it stands now represents only debt, maybe not yours, but it represents somebody´s debt. If we know this is the true nature of money, then it is up to us to demand a change in our monetary system. Should we demand that congress dutifully respect its obligation under the constitution to supply the people of this country with honest money backed by gold, then what would that money represent? Since that money isn´t just created from nothing, and since fractional reserves would no longer be allowed, then money would no longer be possessed unless it was earned in one way or another. Money would no longer represent someone´s debt, it would represent someone´s labor, and it could only be acquired through hard work or a good reputation. A private monopoly on money was something the founding fathers warned us against. It would behoove us to listen to them. This nation should never have allowed it.
We the people should demand restoration of the constitution. We should demand of our representatives an end to the politics of fear. Some of our representatives are already hearing these demands and beginning to act on them. Others are sticking by their guns and digging in for a fight, and it will be a fight against the citizenry of this country. We should let it be known in no uncertain terms that we will settle for nothing less than the true liberty and freedom that is ours by birthright. We should let it be known that any unconstitutional law is repugnant to the concepts the founders and our ancestors fought and died for and that these laws need to be repealed. There are many organizations that have sprung up in the last few years that will help us achieve these goals. If enough people make a clamor on the street, those in the tower will eventually have to listen.
Involvement is essential. There are many who are waking up to this fact today. There are many young people who are coming to understand the message of freedom and what it means to each and every individual in this country. They understand that these concepts are worth fighting for and worth the vigilance necessary to preserve them. The best thing that could happen is for people to become involved. People who believe in freedom, who believe in less government, should themselves run for local office. Others who understand the message should vote for those who agree to smaller government and more individual freedom on every issue, every time. In that way, we can slowly take back the instrument of government and relieve the people of its burden.
As a nation, we have just begun to understand ourselves and the real meanings of the concepts it was built upon, or perhaps we are rediscovering them. There is a revolution taking place in this country, a peaceful one, a revolution to win the hearts and minds of the populace. There are those who believe in the credo of the collectivist. They believe it is okay for the state to steal from some and give to others. There are those who believe there is nothing wrong with the state denying the right of the individual for the security of the many, without realizing that when the individual loses his rights, we all lose our rights. Many of these people are filled with good intentions, but that does not make them right. Then there are those who believe the individual knows best how to run his own life, that stealing from those who have earned their money in an honest fashion is wrong, and that using force and coercion on people is not a proper approach to issues. There are those who understand that power corrupts and those who obtain it will use it against those who disagree with them. These are the individualists and they, like those who founded this country, can see the danger that lurks in collectivist systems of government.
We can take this country back with a bit of hard work and perseverance. After all, isn´t that what this country was founded upon? We can expose the collectivist mentality for what it truly is, an unjust system that runs on mob mentality and turns those who rule into nothing more than criminals and mob enforcers. We can once again make this country a place respected and looked up to by the rest of the world. We can make it a place of principle once again and a shining example for others to emulate. We can regain the moral high ground. In fact, this movement is becoming a worldwide phenomenon. With luck, one day the entire world will enjoy freedom and liberty. With luck, we can find ourselves living in a world where tyrannical governments and those who seek to exercise power over others will be just a bad memory, a nightmare forgotten in the light of a new morning.
There are many times in every nation´s history when that nation reaches a crossroads. The decisions made at those times help to define that nation´s character for many years, perhaps decades to come. It is my humble opinion that this great nation known as the United State of America has come to such a time. There are many decisions that will be made in the next few months, important decisions that will define the character of this nation and perhaps the character of the world we all live upon.
In the past few years, in fact, in the past few decades, our nation has diverted itself from the path the founding fathers set it upon. Slowly the rights of the individual have been eroded in an attempt to build the security state. Slowly life´s decisions have been removed from the individual and put into the hands of the state. Slowly the concepts which helped build this great nation and bring us prosperity have been mutated, twisted into nothing more than buzz words with no intrinsic meaning. At best, this republic with its checks and balances on power is on life support, and if it hasn´t already truly died, then the simple pulling of a plug will kill it. The laws are in place. The constitution has been subverted. The word just needs to be spoken and the protections it affords the people of this nation need no longer apply. In our attempt at security, in our fear of the outside world, the apparatus was built which could end up taking from us not only our freedoms, but any security we might have hoped to purchase at such cost.
Freedom means more than the ability to choose whether to go to McDonald´s or Burger King. Liberty means so much more than having a choice of television stations to watch. These concepts are an expression of our desires to take control of our own lives with as little interference as possible from outside forces. It is this ability that has led this nation down the road of prosperity. It is the ability of the individual to be able to make the best life possible for himself that has led to so many great achievements credited to our fellow countrymen. This is the bravery of our nation, the willingness to take on personal responsibility and fearlessly face life without safety nets. Such is the courage of our citizenry, to be able to declare "Keep your tyrant and his promise of security, for we prefer standing tall as freemen to kneeling in subservience to the state." This is true freedom, when one challenges the rights of the individual over the force and coercion of that group entity known as the state.
Liberty is a legacy handed down to us by the founders of this great nation. It was codified in the Constitution and is known as the Bill of Rights. This is a great legacy and one we should cherish deeply. It was meant to put chains upon those who would govern us and to make certain that abuses of power did not occur. But, alas, it seems to have failed us. Slick politicians and callous leaders have subverted the very document they vowed to uphold. A fearful populace and a complicit media have failed to demand adherence to the vital law of the land. And so we now find ourselves facing the prospects of never ending war, a failing currency, and the presence of a brutal police state which can be unleashed against anyone who dares speak out in dissent or protest against state policy.
And so I wonder, what kind of legacy will we leave for our children, or their children, or their children? Will they learn of freedom and independence, or will they be forbidden by decree to know of such things? Will they realize the joy of personal responsibility and the pride that comes from achieving self reliance, or will they be taught subjection to the rule of the political elite? Will they be corrupted by entitlements and privileges that can be taken away on a whim? Will our progeny know liberty and respect individual rights, or will they know only collectivism and the tyranny of the majority? Will they be able to own private property and know the American dream, or will those that rule be able to confiscate whatever they want whenever they want for the "good of the public commons?" The America I knew as a child no longer exists. Or perhaps it was already gone when I was young and I only learned of what it was meant to be. But the pendulum appears to be swinging back. America is not yet completely broken. There is still hope.
This is where one would expect to find an explanation for a simple solution to put this nation back on track. The fact is, there is no simple solution. There is no one man that can deliver us from the trap we have fallen into. Unfortunately, we cannot elect any single individual into any office and expect our liberty to be restored. Yes, I would like to see Ron Paul or any man with a libertarian mindset elected president, that would be a huge step in the right direction, but that is not the end all, be all. It will take a massive effort involving many to bring back the freedom and prosperity we once knew. Like an overweight middle aged man looking to regain a healthy physique after years of neglect, it will take a lot of hard work before we can look in the mirror and be proud of our accomplishments. There will be many aspects we must consider as we move forward with this great undertaking.
There are many steps that we as a people should consider in order to regain what we have lost. The first is to be certain that honest and fair elections are taking place. With recent events in New Hampshire and other primary states, the electoral process is in shambles. How are we to survive as a representative republic when we can´t even be certain we can hold our representatives accountable for their actions through the ballot box? An end to electronic voting and a demand for verifiable, traceable, transparent methods where votes are counted at the precinct level in front of representatives of all parties involved would do much to alleviate the doubt and uncertainty in our electoral process. If we know our elections are fair, then at least we know we´ll be able to vote a representative who does something reprehensible out of office.
Citizens should also consider turning off their televisions, especially TV news. They should consider dropping any subscriptions they may have to newspapers or news magazines. These are filled with collectivist propaganda. They no longer report the news so much as they try to tell you what to think about it. There are other avenues to take to become informed, other sources less compromised and more willing to deliver unbiased information, sources that have little to gain by lying and much to lose should they be caught doing so. Those who realize the folly of the news organizations and the entities they represent should fight back by boycotting their advertisers. A huge swath of the American public not buying advertised merchandise and looking to other sources of competition will make any advertiser think twice about paying to have his product demonized. The loss of revenue should cause the news organizations to think twice about the news they present to the American public. In this manner, we can begin to affect the old media and perhaps a fair coverage of people and events that affect our world will begin to change some of the hearts and minds the new media has yet to reach.
Citizens should endeavor to learn about money. It all seems to come down to money. Politicians can´t campaign without it. Corporations fight and scrap for it. People work hard to earn it. But what is money? Is it true that the Federal Reserve creates money from nothing? According to more than a few reliable sources, it is. But while these notes are printed, real treasure is being stolen. Those who create this instrument of debt also have first dibs on it. They can use it to buy gold or other precious metals, or real property, or to buy out entire corporations if they so desire. They can even use these notes to leverage lawmakers to create laws to protect their activities. Money as it stands now represents only debt, maybe not yours, but it represents somebody´s debt. If we know this is the true nature of money, then it is up to us to demand a change in our monetary system. Should we demand that congress dutifully respect its obligation under the constitution to supply the people of this country with honest money backed by gold, then what would that money represent? Since that money isn´t just created from nothing, and since fractional reserves would no longer be allowed, then money would no longer be possessed unless it was earned in one way or another. Money would no longer represent someone´s debt, it would represent someone´s labor, and it could only be acquired through hard work or a good reputation. A private monopoly on money was something the founding fathers warned us against. It would behoove us to listen to them. This nation should never have allowed it.
We the people should demand restoration of the constitution. We should demand of our representatives an end to the politics of fear. Some of our representatives are already hearing these demands and beginning to act on them. Others are sticking by their guns and digging in for a fight, and it will be a fight against the citizenry of this country. We should let it be known in no uncertain terms that we will settle for nothing less than the true liberty and freedom that is ours by birthright. We should let it be known that any unconstitutional law is repugnant to the concepts the founders and our ancestors fought and died for and that these laws need to be repealed. There are many organizations that have sprung up in the last few years that will help us achieve these goals. If enough people make a clamor on the street, those in the tower will eventually have to listen.
Involvement is essential. There are many who are waking up to this fact today. There are many young people who are coming to understand the message of freedom and what it means to each and every individual in this country. They understand that these concepts are worth fighting for and worth the vigilance necessary to preserve them. The best thing that could happen is for people to become involved. People who believe in freedom, who believe in less government, should themselves run for local office. Others who understand the message should vote for those who agree to smaller government and more individual freedom on every issue, every time. In that way, we can slowly take back the instrument of government and relieve the people of its burden.
As a nation, we have just begun to understand ourselves and the real meanings of the concepts it was built upon, or perhaps we are rediscovering them. There is a revolution taking place in this country, a peaceful one, a revolution to win the hearts and minds of the populace. There are those who believe in the credo of the collectivist. They believe it is okay for the state to steal from some and give to others. There are those who believe there is nothing wrong with the state denying the right of the individual for the security of the many, without realizing that when the individual loses his rights, we all lose our rights. Many of these people are filled with good intentions, but that does not make them right. Then there are those who believe the individual knows best how to run his own life, that stealing from those who have earned their money in an honest fashion is wrong, and that using force and coercion on people is not a proper approach to issues. There are those who understand that power corrupts and those who obtain it will use it against those who disagree with them. These are the individualists and they, like those who founded this country, can see the danger that lurks in collectivist systems of government.
We can take this country back with a bit of hard work and perseverance. After all, isn´t that what this country was founded upon? We can expose the collectivist mentality for what it truly is, an unjust system that runs on mob mentality and turns those who rule into nothing more than criminals and mob enforcers. We can once again make this country a place respected and looked up to by the rest of the world. We can make it a place of principle once again and a shining example for others to emulate. We can regain the moral high ground. In fact, this movement is becoming a worldwide phenomenon. With luck, one day the entire world will enjoy freedom and liberty. With luck, we can find ourselves living in a world where tyrannical governments and those who seek to exercise power over others will be just a bad memory, a nightmare forgotten in the light of a new morning.
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