This article was originally published at americanchronicle.com on Sept. 26th, 2008
Recently, I wrote an article explaining my views on why Ron Paul was able to gain so much support from the common man and raise the kind of money he did while Bob Barr was not. I half expected to get some emails from Bob Barr supporters telling me I was wrong, but that never happened. Instead, I got a few messages from Chuck Baldwin supporters who took issue with the one sentence I wrote about him. In the interest of fairness and to further clarify my point of view for some of my readers who may be seeking the best alternative for this most confusing election cycle, I thought I´d offer up a bit more analysis of the third party candidates.
First, let me make it clear that my basic views on voting haven´t changed. I still believe that most third parties are significantly better (at least in some respects) than either the Democrats or the Republicans. It´s sad to think that a hundred million or more votes are going to be wasted on men like Barack Obama and John McCain who obviously couldn´t care less about the foundations this country was built upon. It´s insanity to keep electing these same party politicians over and over again and expect to get different results. I say the big government statists have had their opportunities and they´ve led this nation down the path to becoming a nightmarish mix of police, nanny, and surveillance states that even George Orwell would have had problems imagining. It is well past time the stranglehold this duopoly has on the nation was broken and someone else got the opportunity to lead. The change that this nation needs will not come from the establishment candidates who simply pay lip service to the concept of change. Perhaps the change needs to come from the people. We must be the change we seek. To help accomplish this, we need to change the types of people we vote into office. Unfortunately, I don´t foresee the vast majority of Americans suddenly becoming enlightened.
There are, indeed, a couple of very important issues that all the third party candidates agree on, and their points of view are in opposition to the establishment candidates´. War is a big issue where the third parties disagree with the Republicans and the Democrats. I know that Democrats will say that their man wants to end the war in Iraq, but we are involved in more countries than Iraq and the Democrats will carry on with occupying those and they certainly don´t want out of Iraq soon enough. While third party candidates are calling for immediate withdrawal of troops, Mr. McCain wants war with no end and I can´t be certain what Mr. Obama wants. If one wishes to vote on this issue alone, then any of the third party candidates would be a better choice than the two the establishment hopes you´ll vote for.
The other issue I think the third party candidates agree on is the issue of cleaning up the corruption in the federal government. This corruption runs deep and it stems, in my opinion, from the stranglehold on power the two establishment parties have enjoyed for far too long. I have believed this to be true for most of my life and I have voted accordingly. This year, for the first time since Ross Perot ran, I believe I saw a breath of life in the struggle to take the power of the establishment back from the elite and return it to the people. It would give this journalist great hope to see just ten percent or so of the electorate voting third party, if for no other reason than to send a message to the establishment that we grow weary of their failed policies and are looking for a genuine shift in direction. If twenty percent of the people were to do so it would be fantastic, the politicians would take notice, and I would be exuberant. The more people that can be convinced to vote third party, any third party, the better in my opinion, and that works for anyone who wants to send a message by writing in any candidate who advocates freedom or even writing in a "none of the above" vote.
That said, I believe that certain third party candidates are better choices than others. Bob Barr still hasn´t earned my trust, despite the fact that he´s joined the Libertarian Party and says he will abide by their principles. Merely stating something doesn´t make it so. Yes, I do believe he is a smaller government type of guy, but he still seems like the kind of person who is simply interested in gaining power, and the more the better. How am I to believe someone who has made a career out of equivocating and pandering? Perhaps he has changed and he is sincere, but I just don´t feel comfortable supporting him. He still strikes me as a big government politician, albeit one who has decided to call himself a Libertarian. Perhaps in a few years if he has the chance to prove himself I would support him, but not right now. In spite of all that, he is a much better pick than either the Republican or the Democrat candidates and I don´t begrudge his supporters when they decide to vote for him. At least they are sending a message to the establishment that they don´t feel represented by either of those parties.
Cynthia McKinney and Ralph Nader are also candidates that have their faults, in my opinion, but either one of them would be a better choice than Obama or McCain. Both those third party candidates have very good intentions, I´ve no doubt of their sincerity in their desire to help people and I am sympathetic to that, but using the power of the state to achieve such ends is nothing more than forced wealth redistribution. If they were to start a private charity I would certainly be willing to donate what I could afford, but forcing people to donate is morally objectionable. Both these candidates feel that government is the answer to too many of our problems, most of which are government created, where I feel that the private sector could do a better, more efficient job. They do, however, at least seem to have their hearts in the right place and I must commend them for that. They are also seemingly more honest and forthright than the average politician. At least they don´t try to hide their socialist tendencies and will not waffle or flip flop on issues. This, again, puts them one step above most politicians. Again, I would not fault anyone who decided to support either McKinney or Nader. Certainly there are many former Democrats who are fed up with their party cozying up to the Republicans who would prefer to see either one of these people in office than the Democrats´ candidate. I say, go ahead and vote that way, if that is your wish, and don´t waste your vote on Obama. It´s time to send the establishment a message.
This brings me to Chuck Baldwin. I have a lot to say about him, enough that I think he deserves an article dedicated to him. When I wrote a couple of weeks back – in an article which was supposed to be about Bob Barr´s failure to raise money – a simple sentence: "Chuck Baldwin is also a man of good intentions who claims to be a strict constitutionalist, and yet he wants to maintain a government presence in certain areas of one´s personal life where government presence does not belong." I was sent a few emails from a couple of Mr. Baldwin´s supporters questioning the meaning of that statement. I wrote that sentence because that was the genuine impression that I had of his campaign from looking at his website, looking at the Constitution Party´s platform, and listening to the opinions of some of those whose opinions I respect. I reported my objections to Mr. Baldwin´s stances on some of the issues and I was shown that my impressions were most likely wrong. Looking more deeply into the man´s political beliefs, reading his words in interviews and listening and watching some of his Youtube videos has caused me to reconsider his candidacy. Even before I did this I felt that if I was going to vote for someone other than a write in, it would most likely be him. Now I know beyond a shadow of a doubt that he is the best third party candidate out there for someone concerned about smaller government and personal liberty.
I will go into more detail explaining why I felt as I did and why I´ve changed my mind in another article. For now, I will conclude by saying Chuck Baldwin is not the perfect candidate for president, but neither was Ron Paul. There are some things I disagree with both these candidates on, but these are relatively minor issues when compared to the bigger issues of ending all foreign wars, bringing all our troops home, guarding our own borders, repealing unconstitutional laws, restoring lost civil liberties, returning to a constitutional monetary system and shearing down the federal government to a constitutional size. In these and other areas, Chuck Baldwin´s stances mirror Ron Paul´s policies. He is on the ballot in 37 states and available as a write-in in 10 more. They are still trying to get on the ballot in Pennsylvania. Citizens of Oklahoma and North Carolina will not be able to legally vote for him if he is their choice, to the shame of those two states. I certainly can understand why anyone would support this man and he seems an excellent choice to spend your vote on.
Voting is a very personal thing. What is right for me may not be right for you. It is something that we should all use our best judgment when doing. But it seems to me to be a waste to vote for a Republican or a Democrat and then expect anything to change for the better. There is an old adage that says something to the effect of if you keep trying the same failed solution to the same problem, you´ll get the same results. In fact, doing that is one definition of crazy. The time has come to shake up the establishment. A vote for a third, forth, fifth or sixth party candidate is not a wasted vote. I believe the majority of Americans in their hearts know this to be true, they just don´t seem to be able to let their brains act upon it. Hopefully, this can change.
Sunday, September 28, 2008
Police and the Mainstream Media, Government´s Most Obedient Pets
This article was originally published at americanchronicle.com on Sept. 22nd, 2008
I grew up in the sixties. Yeah, I was just a little kid, but I remember quite a bit of what was going on. I guess I have a pretty good memory. I watched a war in Vietnam on television. I watched protesters take to the streets. I saw a lot of violence on the evening news. Back then, the reporters got their feet dirty. They got down into the trenches and filmed for us, at great personal risk, footage of police bashing and breaking peaceful protesters, and then footage of those once peaceful protestors finally fighting back. It took much testicular fortitude, to borrow a phrase, to take on such a job. At least that´s how it seems to me as I look back on things.
I also remember Watergate. I remember that two reporters, Bob Woodward and Carl Bernstein, were heralded as heroes for breaking the Watergate story. That was back when the media had teeth. I don´t believe it was completely a free media back then, but it certainly wasn´t as controlled as it is today. Those who have become drunk with power have seemingly managed to neuter the mainstream media. There are those in power who know how to manipulate the information received by the masses and there are those of great influence who seek to control what information the masses receive and what information the masses are kept unaware of. In this way the establishment makes certain it stays the establishment. In this way the media becomes its lapdog, neutered, whimpering, dependent upon its master for survival, and willing to bark incessantly if it senses any intrusion upon the master´s private property. The establishment will pat the dog on the head when it does a good job and spank it when it´s naughty, sending it to a corner with its tail between its legs.
The mainstream media has lost its significance when it comes to news reporting. It is no longer the watchdog for the people. It is no longer able to report truthfully on government corruption, for it has fallen into bed with those in power and now sleeps peacefully at their feet while the masters plan their treasons against the American people and the Constitution. They are afraid to lose their comfy chairs in the White House press room and so they refuse to ask tough questions and more importantly refuse to investigate claims as they take the word of those in power as gospel. They are, in my humble opinion, just as responsible for the debacle in Iraq as the current administration, for they had ample opportunity to expose the lies and they chose to simply report the Bush administration´s claims as if they were fact. Yet that doesn´t seem to matter to a great many Americans as they seem to have forgotten that betrayal (among others) and continue to trust these propagandists as if we still had an uncompromised press.
With such news services, the masses don´t see any real news as it happens. Take, for instance, the recent political conventions just produced by the establishment politicos. They did not want the American people to see any of the protests taking place, and so the only place one could go to find coverage of these very significant events was Youtube. While scores of protesters marched during the DNC they were largely ignored by the mainstream media and a scripted convention brought to you by the established national powers was televised to a mostly unaware public in an attempt to sustain the illusion of party unity they want the masses to believe in. While at the RNC scores of our fellow citizens tried to exercise their God given rights to free speech, dozens inside the convention tried to foment a little bit of drama of their own and thousands gathered a few blocks away to take part in Ron Paul´s Rally for the Republic, hardly a peep was heard from the mainstream media as they decided instead to broadcast the meaningless drivel spewing from the mouths of inconsequential statists as they praised another statist named John McCain and his politically correct beauty queen pick for a running mate. In both cases the real news was happening outside, but the lazy, bought and paid for, neutered mainstream media proved once again to be the obedient pets of the state as they reported on only the trivial just like the establishment wanted.
Meanwhile, the state´s other favorite pets, the police, were and are busy with their own duties to the establishment. Unlike the media, these darlings are able to keep their man bits so that they can maintain their aggressiveness. Many of these unquestioning servants of the powers that be want nothing more than to be able to bash in the heads of some dissidents. Most likely it is only the fear of their violent crimes being exposed by some random blogger who just happens to film them and post it on Youtube that is keeping them from completely losing it and going gonzo on peaceful protesters. Their fellow state pets in the mainstream media certainly aren´t keeping them in check. There´s even the possibility that the castrati press are frightened of these mad dogs as they´ve seen their work first hand and don´t wish to get caught up in the mayhem should the police be unleashed upon unarmed activists. Recently, I´ve seen a couple of reports of police brutalizing even some in the press as they chillingly attempted to silence US citizens who tried to exercise their right to peaceably assemble and speak their minds at the RNC. This silencing of the commoners was mostly successful due to the lack of reporting by the mainstream media. The masses remain uninformed and go about their business as if all were normal, mostly unaware that they now live in a police state and that their freedoms they once cherished are no longer respected by that state.
It is the job of these police to be the sheepdogs of the establishment. Using fear and cruelty they manage to keep the sheeple from wandering off on their own. Using extortion and the threats of the justice system they fleece the sheeple and keep them in line. They are keeping the herd together and driving them toward, well, only the shepherd knows where we´re being driven and for what purpose. These police are no longer peace officers who are called upon only to keep the peace between individuals, but law enforcement officers called upon to enforce the dictates of a powerful elite regardless of whether their "laws" are good or bad, or whether they are constitutional or not. Today´s police are as adept at keeping the herd together as the best trained sheepdogs, and it seems to me they are patted on their heads and rewarded even when they get a bit too aggressive with the sheep and hurt a few of the herd. The established powers love their sheepdogs and want to be certain the most aggressive rise to the top.
One of the favorite laments of some of these state pets as they arrest someone or write them a citation for some "crime" that even they don´t think should be a crime is that we shouldn´t blame them. They are, after all, not responsible for writing the law, only enforcing it. They are just "doing their jobs." We shouldn´t take it personally as we are arrested, handcuffed and thrown in jail. We shouldn´t blame those who wrote the citation when we have to take a day off work, waste our time and go and stand before someone calling himself judge, explain our actions which harmed no one and beg him to let us keep our money/license/dignity/freedom. We shouldn´t blame our tormenters for tormenting us if that´s their job. They´re just doing their job. No thought process going on there. Just doing their job. The last lament of the unprincipled, obedient pet who loves its master and all he provides. Despite knowing what´s right, despite the faults of the system set up by the state, these pets chose to do no thinking as they go about their busniness.
These favorite pets of the establishment, the mainstream media and the police, almost seem to be working in concert to hold the common man in check. As our voices grow louder in a collective cry for justice, a return to the principles of our founding fathers, and a show of respect for our rights as sovereign individuals, the police grow more maniacal and the press becomes more silent. There is change brewing in this country, and it's not coming from some presidential candidate. The man on the street is walking on eggshells, and the uncertainty permeating the atmosphere does not help matters. There may come a time when these pets of the establishment have to make some hard decisions, and they may just decide to bite the hands that have fed them. After all, these are fellow human beings I´m talking about, and when push comes to shove, most human beings will know the difference between right and wrong.
I grew up in the sixties. Yeah, I was just a little kid, but I remember quite a bit of what was going on. I guess I have a pretty good memory. I watched a war in Vietnam on television. I watched protesters take to the streets. I saw a lot of violence on the evening news. Back then, the reporters got their feet dirty. They got down into the trenches and filmed for us, at great personal risk, footage of police bashing and breaking peaceful protesters, and then footage of those once peaceful protestors finally fighting back. It took much testicular fortitude, to borrow a phrase, to take on such a job. At least that´s how it seems to me as I look back on things.
I also remember Watergate. I remember that two reporters, Bob Woodward and Carl Bernstein, were heralded as heroes for breaking the Watergate story. That was back when the media had teeth. I don´t believe it was completely a free media back then, but it certainly wasn´t as controlled as it is today. Those who have become drunk with power have seemingly managed to neuter the mainstream media. There are those in power who know how to manipulate the information received by the masses and there are those of great influence who seek to control what information the masses receive and what information the masses are kept unaware of. In this way the establishment makes certain it stays the establishment. In this way the media becomes its lapdog, neutered, whimpering, dependent upon its master for survival, and willing to bark incessantly if it senses any intrusion upon the master´s private property. The establishment will pat the dog on the head when it does a good job and spank it when it´s naughty, sending it to a corner with its tail between its legs.
The mainstream media has lost its significance when it comes to news reporting. It is no longer the watchdog for the people. It is no longer able to report truthfully on government corruption, for it has fallen into bed with those in power and now sleeps peacefully at their feet while the masters plan their treasons against the American people and the Constitution. They are afraid to lose their comfy chairs in the White House press room and so they refuse to ask tough questions and more importantly refuse to investigate claims as they take the word of those in power as gospel. They are, in my humble opinion, just as responsible for the debacle in Iraq as the current administration, for they had ample opportunity to expose the lies and they chose to simply report the Bush administration´s claims as if they were fact. Yet that doesn´t seem to matter to a great many Americans as they seem to have forgotten that betrayal (among others) and continue to trust these propagandists as if we still had an uncompromised press.
With such news services, the masses don´t see any real news as it happens. Take, for instance, the recent political conventions just produced by the establishment politicos. They did not want the American people to see any of the protests taking place, and so the only place one could go to find coverage of these very significant events was Youtube. While scores of protesters marched during the DNC they were largely ignored by the mainstream media and a scripted convention brought to you by the established national powers was televised to a mostly unaware public in an attempt to sustain the illusion of party unity they want the masses to believe in. While at the RNC scores of our fellow citizens tried to exercise their God given rights to free speech, dozens inside the convention tried to foment a little bit of drama of their own and thousands gathered a few blocks away to take part in Ron Paul´s Rally for the Republic, hardly a peep was heard from the mainstream media as they decided instead to broadcast the meaningless drivel spewing from the mouths of inconsequential statists as they praised another statist named John McCain and his politically correct beauty queen pick for a running mate. In both cases the real news was happening outside, but the lazy, bought and paid for, neutered mainstream media proved once again to be the obedient pets of the state as they reported on only the trivial just like the establishment wanted.
Meanwhile, the state´s other favorite pets, the police, were and are busy with their own duties to the establishment. Unlike the media, these darlings are able to keep their man bits so that they can maintain their aggressiveness. Many of these unquestioning servants of the powers that be want nothing more than to be able to bash in the heads of some dissidents. Most likely it is only the fear of their violent crimes being exposed by some random blogger who just happens to film them and post it on Youtube that is keeping them from completely losing it and going gonzo on peaceful protesters. Their fellow state pets in the mainstream media certainly aren´t keeping them in check. There´s even the possibility that the castrati press are frightened of these mad dogs as they´ve seen their work first hand and don´t wish to get caught up in the mayhem should the police be unleashed upon unarmed activists. Recently, I´ve seen a couple of reports of police brutalizing even some in the press as they chillingly attempted to silence US citizens who tried to exercise their right to peaceably assemble and speak their minds at the RNC. This silencing of the commoners was mostly successful due to the lack of reporting by the mainstream media. The masses remain uninformed and go about their business as if all were normal, mostly unaware that they now live in a police state and that their freedoms they once cherished are no longer respected by that state.
It is the job of these police to be the sheepdogs of the establishment. Using fear and cruelty they manage to keep the sheeple from wandering off on their own. Using extortion and the threats of the justice system they fleece the sheeple and keep them in line. They are keeping the herd together and driving them toward, well, only the shepherd knows where we´re being driven and for what purpose. These police are no longer peace officers who are called upon only to keep the peace between individuals, but law enforcement officers called upon to enforce the dictates of a powerful elite regardless of whether their "laws" are good or bad, or whether they are constitutional or not. Today´s police are as adept at keeping the herd together as the best trained sheepdogs, and it seems to me they are patted on their heads and rewarded even when they get a bit too aggressive with the sheep and hurt a few of the herd. The established powers love their sheepdogs and want to be certain the most aggressive rise to the top.
One of the favorite laments of some of these state pets as they arrest someone or write them a citation for some "crime" that even they don´t think should be a crime is that we shouldn´t blame them. They are, after all, not responsible for writing the law, only enforcing it. They are just "doing their jobs." We shouldn´t take it personally as we are arrested, handcuffed and thrown in jail. We shouldn´t blame those who wrote the citation when we have to take a day off work, waste our time and go and stand before someone calling himself judge, explain our actions which harmed no one and beg him to let us keep our money/license/dignity/freedom. We shouldn´t blame our tormenters for tormenting us if that´s their job. They´re just doing their job. No thought process going on there. Just doing their job. The last lament of the unprincipled, obedient pet who loves its master and all he provides. Despite knowing what´s right, despite the faults of the system set up by the state, these pets chose to do no thinking as they go about their busniness.
These favorite pets of the establishment, the mainstream media and the police, almost seem to be working in concert to hold the common man in check. As our voices grow louder in a collective cry for justice, a return to the principles of our founding fathers, and a show of respect for our rights as sovereign individuals, the police grow more maniacal and the press becomes more silent. There is change brewing in this country, and it's not coming from some presidential candidate. The man on the street is walking on eggshells, and the uncertainty permeating the atmosphere does not help matters. There may come a time when these pets of the establishment have to make some hard decisions, and they may just decide to bite the hands that have fed them. After all, these are fellow human beings I´m talking about, and when push comes to shove, most human beings will know the difference between right and wrong.
A Speech for the RNC Supporting a Ron Paul Candidacy
This article was originally published on Sept. 5th at americanchronicle.com
Some time ago, in the spring of 2008, I was contacted by someone involved with Ron Paul´s candidacy and asked to write a speech to be given at the RNC. It was to be a speech designed to entice the undecided delegates into casting their votes for Ron Paul to run for the office of President of the United States as the Republican candidate. Apparently this person had read some of my pro Ron Paul articles and felt I was perhaps talented enough to write a persuasive speech. I wrote a couple iterations of this speech, but this is the final version I came up with. I felt some of my readers would appreciate this story as we reflect on what might have been. At the same time, the basic principles of this speech remain forever true, and as time progresses and the DNC, RNC and the Rally for the Republic fade into memory, we can only hope that more people discover the message of freedom and that eventually citizens raise their voices and demand restoration of our freedoms in such numbers that they can no longer be ignored.
The Speech
"Friends, fellow Republicans, good citizens of this nation, I stand before you tonight humbled by your enthusiasm, but worried about our direction. An unpopular war rages on with no end in sight. Government has become far too large, intrusive and inefficient. The monetary policy has become too cumbersome. The burden of debt, with its massive interest and hidden inflation, is too heavy for the citizens of this nation to carry. The citizenry is breaking under its weight. The economy seems to be held together by toothpicks and bubblegum. These are problems that are going to take lots of work from many people to fix, and yet to listen to those who would lead this country one would think these problems didn´t exist. One would think that there was plenty of money, plenty of treasure, and not enough government to spend it. Those who ask to lead this nation seem to have no respect for the citizenry, believing the people can´t understand debt and would rather dig themselves deeper into it. They offer more illegal wars of aggression we need not involve ourselves in, more promises of entitlements without clear explanations as to how to pay for them, and no clear indication that laws violating human rights will ever be repealed. There is only one man, Ron Paul, who has addressed these issues with clear thinking during his campaign. He is the only candidate offering real change.
The American people can sense there´s something amiss here. They know there´s something wrong with the country and they´re willing to grasp at straws to try to fix it. They see a cult of personality in the Democrat´s candidate and they pin their hopes on him. They grow weary of war, inflation and uncertainty. They would place their faith in one who promises change but lacks the understanding and the will to affect it. In order to win we must offer the people genuine change. We must deliver to the people a candidate that has stood firm in his convictions for decades, one whose credentials are impeccable, one whose morality is unimpeachable, one that has proven himself to be a man of peace, a champion of the constitution and an advocate for freedom. We must deliver a candidate who will be able to deliver change. One who delivers a message of hope, not fear, one who will carry this country with pride, not shame, one who has faith in the people, not disdain for them, one who believes the people should rely on themselves, not on government. This party, this country, this world needs a man of principle standing as president of these United States of America right now. We need a man of honesty and integrity sitting at the helm as the head of state. Look deep into your hearts and you will know this to be true. There is only one man here tonight that fits that description. This country needs Ron Paul as president.
I could here use some quotes from our founders or great thinkers, quotes about the virtues of freedom and liberty, about the innate justice, opportunity and prosperity found in practicing such philosophies. I could quote these great figures from history that we all know and admire. But they lived in different times. They fought, died and lived for freedom. They were shining examples that showed us the way. This is our time. The time to reclaim our freedom is now.
Allow me to examine freedom from a modern point of view. Freedom is a concept we often speak about, but rarely define. It is the concept our nation was founded upon and yet today it means so many different things to so many different people. We hear the word used so often in so many divergent political points of view that we often times don´t realize when it´s being misused. Freedom is not something that is granted to us by government, freedom is an inalienable condition inherent in us by the mere fact that we are human. The government either respects that condition, or it does not. The founders of this great nation had great respect for this part of the human condition and therefore created a document called the Constitution guaranteeing the citizens of the original colonies that these freedoms would not be infringed upon should they decide to join the republic that would later be known as the United States of America. They limited the power of the three branches of government so that there would be three distinct and equal checks and balances set up in the hopes that a tyrannical state would not evolve and one branch would not usurp the others for control. We were warned that we must remain vigilant to keep our leaders from abusing our liberties. We have not been so vigilant lately. Sadly, our current government, our current administration, no longer respects the freedoms granted to us by nature. Even more sadly, those who ask us permission to lead would do nothing to restore the proper respect that government should show. This angers the people of a free nation, as well it should. They know that they have lost something important, something dear to them, and they seek to restore it, but if they are not given the choice they need, than how are they to choose? The lesser of two evils will simply no longer suffice. Ron Paul has a demonstrated history of supporting people´s freedoms. Present this to the American people and he will win in a landslide as they come to the understanding that he is the change they seek.
Unlike the other candidates, Ron Paul does not need to sell himself to the masses. He need not go out touting the voters to get support. On the contrary, his supporters found him. He needs no fancy makeover artists or image specialists preening him. The message of freedom and liberty needs no marketing. There is no need to con the voters into believing it. Its truth is self evident. And as these campaigns have progressed, it has become obvious that Ron Paul is the only candidate to support this message, and he has done so with strength and determination and the backing of the common man. Present him as the Republican candidate, let him debate the socialist policies of the Democratic candidate, and we will see an understanding light the minds of the American people as has not been done since the days of Andrew Jackson.
The American people must be given their due. They know taxes are evil. They understand that their money is being stolen. They realize the economy is in shambles. They understand more than many give them credit for. As a political party, we need to respect the people of this great country. We need to understand their hatred of war and their desire for peace, and we need to respect that. We need to understand that they will reject a policy of war, of any taxes, whether called a fair tax or an income tax, and entitlements which promise a false hope that can never be delivered. Ron Paul will show the people their proper respect, and they will respond by showing respect for him. He will allow them to take responsibility for their own lives and shrink the government to assure a smooth transition back to a country worthy of the dreams of not only our founding fathers, but of all current Americans and their progeny for generations to come.
Honesty, integrity and principle, these are words that are laughed at when used to describe a politician. However, this is not true when these words are used to describe Ron Paul. Dr. Paul´s reputation on capital hill is exemplary. His fellow congressmen and the lobbyists that court them know of Ron Paul´s honesty and strict adherence to the Constitution, and they shun him for it. It is a lonely job to stand up for the citizens of this fine nation if you are their representative and attempt to actually represent their interests and honor the oath of office that every elected federal official must take. That is the type of leader this nation needs, that is the type of leader this nation thirsts for, and it is this kind of leadership, honest leadership, principled leadership, which can root out the corruption and return this government of the people, by the people and for the people back to the people. Ron Paul´s candidacy has been termed by some as a revolution, with the word love highlighted. This second American Revolution that has chosen him as its symbol is not a revolution of violence and hatred, but a peaceful revolution of love instead of force. It´s an understanding that freedom holds within it the power to transform this entire planet into a world where human interactions work on a voluntary basis and no one is more equal than their neighbor. It is the realization that the Constitution was written to protect the common man from an unencumbered, unreasonable power that is known as The State. It is the knowledge that this idea is not something that can be thwarted by simply ignoring the words as they are written, but that the concept itself lives on regardless of whether or not The State suggests otherwise. It is these simple concepts that we must move forward, these precepts on which our country, our culture, our society was based on. To lose these concepts means to lose what it is to be American. The people of this nation know this intrinsically, and it is for this reason they will vote for Ron Paul. It is for this reason Ron Paul will win if he is presented before the American people as the Republican candidate, for freedom is a powerful message, and truth is the most powerful ally."
I still plan on writing in my vote for Ron Paul, for I refuse to vote for either of these two major party candidates who I find despicable. Both McCain and Obama will do nothing to shrink government. It will continue to grow like a cancer upon mankind until it metastasizes and kills its host. I refuse to be a part of a system that continues to infringe upon the rights of my fellow human beings. I refuse to voluntarily take part in a system that continues to steal from me and my neighbors. It seems America has been given a choice between communism or fascism, and I will not vote for either one. I desire only my freedom, and I pray that enough people come to realize they are no longer truly free and begin to do something about it before it´s too late.
Some time ago, in the spring of 2008, I was contacted by someone involved with Ron Paul´s candidacy and asked to write a speech to be given at the RNC. It was to be a speech designed to entice the undecided delegates into casting their votes for Ron Paul to run for the office of President of the United States as the Republican candidate. Apparently this person had read some of my pro Ron Paul articles and felt I was perhaps talented enough to write a persuasive speech. I wrote a couple iterations of this speech, but this is the final version I came up with. I felt some of my readers would appreciate this story as we reflect on what might have been. At the same time, the basic principles of this speech remain forever true, and as time progresses and the DNC, RNC and the Rally for the Republic fade into memory, we can only hope that more people discover the message of freedom and that eventually citizens raise their voices and demand restoration of our freedoms in such numbers that they can no longer be ignored.
The Speech
"Friends, fellow Republicans, good citizens of this nation, I stand before you tonight humbled by your enthusiasm, but worried about our direction. An unpopular war rages on with no end in sight. Government has become far too large, intrusive and inefficient. The monetary policy has become too cumbersome. The burden of debt, with its massive interest and hidden inflation, is too heavy for the citizens of this nation to carry. The citizenry is breaking under its weight. The economy seems to be held together by toothpicks and bubblegum. These are problems that are going to take lots of work from many people to fix, and yet to listen to those who would lead this country one would think these problems didn´t exist. One would think that there was plenty of money, plenty of treasure, and not enough government to spend it. Those who ask to lead this nation seem to have no respect for the citizenry, believing the people can´t understand debt and would rather dig themselves deeper into it. They offer more illegal wars of aggression we need not involve ourselves in, more promises of entitlements without clear explanations as to how to pay for them, and no clear indication that laws violating human rights will ever be repealed. There is only one man, Ron Paul, who has addressed these issues with clear thinking during his campaign. He is the only candidate offering real change.
The American people can sense there´s something amiss here. They know there´s something wrong with the country and they´re willing to grasp at straws to try to fix it. They see a cult of personality in the Democrat´s candidate and they pin their hopes on him. They grow weary of war, inflation and uncertainty. They would place their faith in one who promises change but lacks the understanding and the will to affect it. In order to win we must offer the people genuine change. We must deliver to the people a candidate that has stood firm in his convictions for decades, one whose credentials are impeccable, one whose morality is unimpeachable, one that has proven himself to be a man of peace, a champion of the constitution and an advocate for freedom. We must deliver a candidate who will be able to deliver change. One who delivers a message of hope, not fear, one who will carry this country with pride, not shame, one who has faith in the people, not disdain for them, one who believes the people should rely on themselves, not on government. This party, this country, this world needs a man of principle standing as president of these United States of America right now. We need a man of honesty and integrity sitting at the helm as the head of state. Look deep into your hearts and you will know this to be true. There is only one man here tonight that fits that description. This country needs Ron Paul as president.
I could here use some quotes from our founders or great thinkers, quotes about the virtues of freedom and liberty, about the innate justice, opportunity and prosperity found in practicing such philosophies. I could quote these great figures from history that we all know and admire. But they lived in different times. They fought, died and lived for freedom. They were shining examples that showed us the way. This is our time. The time to reclaim our freedom is now.
Allow me to examine freedom from a modern point of view. Freedom is a concept we often speak about, but rarely define. It is the concept our nation was founded upon and yet today it means so many different things to so many different people. We hear the word used so often in so many divergent political points of view that we often times don´t realize when it´s being misused. Freedom is not something that is granted to us by government, freedom is an inalienable condition inherent in us by the mere fact that we are human. The government either respects that condition, or it does not. The founders of this great nation had great respect for this part of the human condition and therefore created a document called the Constitution guaranteeing the citizens of the original colonies that these freedoms would not be infringed upon should they decide to join the republic that would later be known as the United States of America. They limited the power of the three branches of government so that there would be three distinct and equal checks and balances set up in the hopes that a tyrannical state would not evolve and one branch would not usurp the others for control. We were warned that we must remain vigilant to keep our leaders from abusing our liberties. We have not been so vigilant lately. Sadly, our current government, our current administration, no longer respects the freedoms granted to us by nature. Even more sadly, those who ask us permission to lead would do nothing to restore the proper respect that government should show. This angers the people of a free nation, as well it should. They know that they have lost something important, something dear to them, and they seek to restore it, but if they are not given the choice they need, than how are they to choose? The lesser of two evils will simply no longer suffice. Ron Paul has a demonstrated history of supporting people´s freedoms. Present this to the American people and he will win in a landslide as they come to the understanding that he is the change they seek.
Unlike the other candidates, Ron Paul does not need to sell himself to the masses. He need not go out touting the voters to get support. On the contrary, his supporters found him. He needs no fancy makeover artists or image specialists preening him. The message of freedom and liberty needs no marketing. There is no need to con the voters into believing it. Its truth is self evident. And as these campaigns have progressed, it has become obvious that Ron Paul is the only candidate to support this message, and he has done so with strength and determination and the backing of the common man. Present him as the Republican candidate, let him debate the socialist policies of the Democratic candidate, and we will see an understanding light the minds of the American people as has not been done since the days of Andrew Jackson.
The American people must be given their due. They know taxes are evil. They understand that their money is being stolen. They realize the economy is in shambles. They understand more than many give them credit for. As a political party, we need to respect the people of this great country. We need to understand their hatred of war and their desire for peace, and we need to respect that. We need to understand that they will reject a policy of war, of any taxes, whether called a fair tax or an income tax, and entitlements which promise a false hope that can never be delivered. Ron Paul will show the people their proper respect, and they will respond by showing respect for him. He will allow them to take responsibility for their own lives and shrink the government to assure a smooth transition back to a country worthy of the dreams of not only our founding fathers, but of all current Americans and their progeny for generations to come.
Honesty, integrity and principle, these are words that are laughed at when used to describe a politician. However, this is not true when these words are used to describe Ron Paul. Dr. Paul´s reputation on capital hill is exemplary. His fellow congressmen and the lobbyists that court them know of Ron Paul´s honesty and strict adherence to the Constitution, and they shun him for it. It is a lonely job to stand up for the citizens of this fine nation if you are their representative and attempt to actually represent their interests and honor the oath of office that every elected federal official must take. That is the type of leader this nation needs, that is the type of leader this nation thirsts for, and it is this kind of leadership, honest leadership, principled leadership, which can root out the corruption and return this government of the people, by the people and for the people back to the people. Ron Paul´s candidacy has been termed by some as a revolution, with the word love highlighted. This second American Revolution that has chosen him as its symbol is not a revolution of violence and hatred, but a peaceful revolution of love instead of force. It´s an understanding that freedom holds within it the power to transform this entire planet into a world where human interactions work on a voluntary basis and no one is more equal than their neighbor. It is the realization that the Constitution was written to protect the common man from an unencumbered, unreasonable power that is known as The State. It is the knowledge that this idea is not something that can be thwarted by simply ignoring the words as they are written, but that the concept itself lives on regardless of whether or not The State suggests otherwise. It is these simple concepts that we must move forward, these precepts on which our country, our culture, our society was based on. To lose these concepts means to lose what it is to be American. The people of this nation know this intrinsically, and it is for this reason they will vote for Ron Paul. It is for this reason Ron Paul will win if he is presented before the American people as the Republican candidate, for freedom is a powerful message, and truth is the most powerful ally."
I still plan on writing in my vote for Ron Paul, for I refuse to vote for either of these two major party candidates who I find despicable. Both McCain and Obama will do nothing to shrink government. It will continue to grow like a cancer upon mankind until it metastasizes and kills its host. I refuse to be a part of a system that continues to infringe upon the rights of my fellow human beings. I refuse to voluntarily take part in a system that continues to steal from me and my neighbors. It seems America has been given a choice between communism or fascism, and I will not vote for either one. I desire only my freedom, and I pray that enough people come to realize they are no longer truly free and begin to do something about it before it´s too late.
A Speech to be Read by Ron Paul to the RNC
This article was originally published at americanchronicle.com on Sept. 5th, 2008
Some time ago, in the spring of 2008, I was contacted by someone involved with Ron Paul’s candidacy and asked to write a speech to be given at the RNC. It was to be a speech designed to entice the undecided delegates into casting their votes for Ron Paul to run for the office of President of the
The Speech
“Ladies and gentlemen, friends and neighbors, fellow citizens of this great nation, fellow Republicans, I come before you tonight not as one seeking power, not as a man seeking your permission to rule over you, but as a compatriot genuinely worried about the direction this country has taken, and as a man deeply concerned about the fate of this political party. I do not come before you as one ready to beg to be allowed to lead, but rather as a man willing to take the reins of leadership and yet empower the common man, the rank and file of this Grand Old Party, the passengers on this ship of state, to determine the direction we shall take.
The politics of old are dying. We are observing an empire in its death throes. And yet we don’t have to watch it happen. Our nation can be the greatest on earth once again. Our people are industrious. They are willing to work hard to prevent collapse. They are willing to make the necessary changes and sacrifices necessary to rebuild our standing in the world. But this is, as it has always been, a nation of free people. They must be allowed to use their natural ingenuity. They must be allowed to use their inherent capability to innovate. It is up to the leadership of this country to see to it the people can operate in markets unencumbered by government regulation. It is up to the leadership of this country to provide the people with the tools they need to rebuild. It is up to the leadership of this country to stand up to the powers that have dragged us down into the financial depths of despair and demand that constitutional money be reinstated as the money of this nation. It is time for our people to be trading money that represents the honest labor of their fellow man rather than his debt and servitude. And it is time to stop running an empire we can no longer afford, to bring our troops home, and to put to work the peace dividends such a move would create.
None of my opponents will even publicly recognize these problems. They wish to blind the electorate to these very real hazards. They wish to lead this nation into more war. They wish to lead this nation into more debt. They wish to lead this nation into more servitude. Of that there is no doubt, and you only have to listen to their empty rhetoric to realize that their answers only lead us further down a ruinous path that has already greatly cost us in lost lives, treasures, and the rights we so greatly cherish and our forefathers sacrificed so much to gain.
I ask to be the Republican candidate not to rule, but to serve. I wish to pursue not a policy of war, but one of peace, not a policy of occupation, but one of friendship, not a policy of empire, but one of goodwill and fair trade.
Our opponents would continue waging wars of empire. To do so, they must maintain a policy of monetary monopoly rather than competition. They would steal the future from our children and grandchildren, putting off the inevitable for as long as they can. They would push repayment off on their distant progeny if possible, knowing they will be long buried before payment comes due. They would sentence the unborn to a life of servitude rather than dealing with these problems themselves. Yet there is still hope if we don’t sell ourselves out. There is still a chance we can slip out of this financial yoke and regain our wealth. Our founders foresaw this eventuality and gave us the answer in the constitution. We have to but listen to them.”
That was as much of this speech as I ever completed before I realized I was writing for the wrong person and switched gears. I’m certain I was going to go on and talk about the government respecting the rights of the individual as guaranteed in our Constitution. These are, in fact, the principles which will help us to regain the respect of other nations rather than their fear and disdain. These are the principles which will lift humanity from the servitude of others and help create a world of respect and honor of each sovereign individual.
I still plan on writing in my vote for Ron Paul, for I refuse to vote for either of these two major party candidates who I find despicable. Both McCain and Obama will do nothing to shrink government. It will continue to grow like a cancer upon mankind until it metastasizes and kills its host. I refuse to be a part of a system that continues to infringe upon the rights of my fellow human beings. I refuse to voluntarily take part in a system that continues to steal from me and my neighbors. It seems
Sunday, August 24, 2008
Texas Tyranny and Braveheart Sam
This article originally appeared on Aug 22nd, 2008 in americanchronicle.com
I have a new hero. He calls himself Sam I am and he´s from Texas. He has bravely decided to take on a gang of thugs, liars and thieves armed with nothing but a camera. He put his life and fortune at risk to expose these criminals. He rattled their cages a little and got under their skin. He took a big chance, realizing the violence they could perpetrate upon him, and yet he stuck to his quest and managed to film their shady activities for all the world to see. You can see the results here: http://www.youtube.com/ObscuredTruth
If you go to the above link and watch the videos, you will see that Sam I am is taking on the Texas justice system. He felt that there was an inherent conflict of interest in the system and wanted to demonstrate this for all to see. As he explains, he was pulled over by two armed men and detained for forty five minutes while they questioned him. According to Sam, they did not show him proper ID and did not tell him why he was being detained. They demanded he appear to be judged by one of their black robed men under the threat of being kidnapped and thrown in a cold cage if he should have decided not to show up. Knowing that any black robed man behind a bench would be paid by the same people that paid the uniformed men who had detained him, Sam felt that perhaps there was a conflict of interest here and that he would not be fairly judged. He decided to confront these people who seem to believe they are better than the rest of us. He armed himself with a video camera for his own protection and thought he might ask a few questions to get a better understanding of the nature of our convoluted justice system. What he found was deeply disturbing to anyone who loves freedom and wants to live their lives free of tyranny.
The first thing Sam discovered is that these people are very afraid of video cameras. They don´t want their actions to be public knowledge. They seem to want to prevent the "common folk" from finding out some little secret. They also appear to be frightened of questions. The man in the black robe who calls himself "judge" is especially adverse to answering any questions one may have. How dare anyone question his authority? How dare anyone not understand the nature of his proceedings? Doesn´t everyone know we are all to simply bow down before him and do his bidding, no questions asked? And how dare anyone bring a recording device into a courtroom? Why, all the proceedings are recorded by the state sanctioned stenographer, as they have been for centuries. No need to bring a twenty first century device which would reveal all into the room. Certainly the stenographer, who by the way is paid by the same people who pay the judge and the police, certainly he would never make a mistake, lie, change the testimony or bare false witness should something go amiss. There´s a reason these people do the things the way that they do them, and I highly doubt it has anything to do with protecting the accused against the power of the state.
The refusal of the judge – who is supposed to be a servant of the people, not their master – to allow a video camera into the courtroom should concern everyone. After all, if he´s not doing anything illegal, if he´s not doing anything wrong, then he should have nothing to worry about. Isn´t that what they always tell us when they want to intrude on our privacy? His refusal to give straight forward answers to straight forward questions should be of even greater concern. How is one supposed to defend oneself in a system where the judge refuses to explain the rules of the game? Sam should be ashamed of himself for wishing to obtain knowledge. Why, doesn´t he know that in the courtroom the judge´s word is law? To him, it matters not what any silly state constitution might say. He can change the rules anytime he wants if they get too inconvenient. After all, it´s his courtroom, right?
Then there´s the judge´s insistence that Sam hire a lawyer to answer his questions. It seems to me that here we have another inherent flaw in the system. First off, hiring a lawyer for a traffic ticket is a bit like hiring a mechanic to fill up your gas tank. You´re just going to pay that much more for the gas. After all, defense lawyers swear an oath to the same powers that judges and prosecutors do. They´re all on the same team! They´ve all joined the same club. They´re all there for the purpose of relieving the common folk of their cash. Besides, it´s always been my understanding that the law should to be clear and concise so that everyone can understand it. Why have we allowed it to become so complicated that only a certain class of people can understand it? Why have we allowed a ruling class to develop in this country where everyone is created equal? How did we devolve to such a point where men´s egos become so important that they believe themselves to be of more value than their fellow human beings? How did we become a nation of wimps who have forsaken their God given rights and allowed such individuals to rule over us like kings without even questioning what was happening?
Then there´s Sam. He´s a man who wants to learn, wants to defend himself, and yet the man who calls himself judge does not respect this. After entering a plea for Sam – a blatant conflict of interest since no one should be able to both act as a judge in a person´s case and represent him – the railroading really begins. Rather than simply ask Sam what it was he didn´t understand, "judge" orders one of his uniformed men to remove him from the courtroom. It is out in the hallways of this public building that we find out the real shocker. The police, those who are supposed to protect the rights of individuals, those who swore and oath to uphold the constitution of the state of Texas, don´t care about their oaths. They are more concerned with the orders of their master, the man known as "judge". It is they who ultimately empower him.
And so it is for Sam, taking on the system for something that could have easily been dealt with for a few bucks. Indeed, many of us would probably have buckled and paid the extortion demanded by these men who believe themselves better than us commoners. Why bother with something that would make us feel so uncomfortable? Why challenge something that seems so small? It´s not just the money, it´s the principle. We need men like Sam to remind us of these things. We need to remember out dignity. We need to remember that we are a nation of free people, not a nation of sheep willing to follow without question whatever hollow men present themselves as authority. Indeed, our forefathers founded this nation because they questioned authority. They bravely stood up to a very powerful authority, the most powerful of its day. And that is what Sam has done.
It has been the small things that have mattered. It is the small things that have been used to slowly convince us to stop caring about the liberties we once proudly proclaimed we would die to protect. It is in small ways and with guile that our politicians and justice officials have been able to convince us that we should allow them to stop respecting our rights and start violating them. Sam has concerned himself with something small to alert us to something big. He has done so in a very brave manner, putting himself in harm´s way to sound the alarm to the rest of the freedom loving people´s of the world. He is a freedom lover and a hero much like William Wallace was, and so I name him Braveheart Sam. I wish him the best of luck and pray he gets the backing he deserves.
I have a new hero. He calls himself Sam I am and he´s from Texas. He has bravely decided to take on a gang of thugs, liars and thieves armed with nothing but a camera. He put his life and fortune at risk to expose these criminals. He rattled their cages a little and got under their skin. He took a big chance, realizing the violence they could perpetrate upon him, and yet he stuck to his quest and managed to film their shady activities for all the world to see. You can see the results here: http://www.youtube.com/ObscuredTruth
If you go to the above link and watch the videos, you will see that Sam I am is taking on the Texas justice system. He felt that there was an inherent conflict of interest in the system and wanted to demonstrate this for all to see. As he explains, he was pulled over by two armed men and detained for forty five minutes while they questioned him. According to Sam, they did not show him proper ID and did not tell him why he was being detained. They demanded he appear to be judged by one of their black robed men under the threat of being kidnapped and thrown in a cold cage if he should have decided not to show up. Knowing that any black robed man behind a bench would be paid by the same people that paid the uniformed men who had detained him, Sam felt that perhaps there was a conflict of interest here and that he would not be fairly judged. He decided to confront these people who seem to believe they are better than the rest of us. He armed himself with a video camera for his own protection and thought he might ask a few questions to get a better understanding of the nature of our convoluted justice system. What he found was deeply disturbing to anyone who loves freedom and wants to live their lives free of tyranny.
The first thing Sam discovered is that these people are very afraid of video cameras. They don´t want their actions to be public knowledge. They seem to want to prevent the "common folk" from finding out some little secret. They also appear to be frightened of questions. The man in the black robe who calls himself "judge" is especially adverse to answering any questions one may have. How dare anyone question his authority? How dare anyone not understand the nature of his proceedings? Doesn´t everyone know we are all to simply bow down before him and do his bidding, no questions asked? And how dare anyone bring a recording device into a courtroom? Why, all the proceedings are recorded by the state sanctioned stenographer, as they have been for centuries. No need to bring a twenty first century device which would reveal all into the room. Certainly the stenographer, who by the way is paid by the same people who pay the judge and the police, certainly he would never make a mistake, lie, change the testimony or bare false witness should something go amiss. There´s a reason these people do the things the way that they do them, and I highly doubt it has anything to do with protecting the accused against the power of the state.
The refusal of the judge – who is supposed to be a servant of the people, not their master – to allow a video camera into the courtroom should concern everyone. After all, if he´s not doing anything illegal, if he´s not doing anything wrong, then he should have nothing to worry about. Isn´t that what they always tell us when they want to intrude on our privacy? His refusal to give straight forward answers to straight forward questions should be of even greater concern. How is one supposed to defend oneself in a system where the judge refuses to explain the rules of the game? Sam should be ashamed of himself for wishing to obtain knowledge. Why, doesn´t he know that in the courtroom the judge´s word is law? To him, it matters not what any silly state constitution might say. He can change the rules anytime he wants if they get too inconvenient. After all, it´s his courtroom, right?
Then there´s the judge´s insistence that Sam hire a lawyer to answer his questions. It seems to me that here we have another inherent flaw in the system. First off, hiring a lawyer for a traffic ticket is a bit like hiring a mechanic to fill up your gas tank. You´re just going to pay that much more for the gas. After all, defense lawyers swear an oath to the same powers that judges and prosecutors do. They´re all on the same team! They´ve all joined the same club. They´re all there for the purpose of relieving the common folk of their cash. Besides, it´s always been my understanding that the law should to be clear and concise so that everyone can understand it. Why have we allowed it to become so complicated that only a certain class of people can understand it? Why have we allowed a ruling class to develop in this country where everyone is created equal? How did we devolve to such a point where men´s egos become so important that they believe themselves to be of more value than their fellow human beings? How did we become a nation of wimps who have forsaken their God given rights and allowed such individuals to rule over us like kings without even questioning what was happening?
Then there´s Sam. He´s a man who wants to learn, wants to defend himself, and yet the man who calls himself judge does not respect this. After entering a plea for Sam – a blatant conflict of interest since no one should be able to both act as a judge in a person´s case and represent him – the railroading really begins. Rather than simply ask Sam what it was he didn´t understand, "judge" orders one of his uniformed men to remove him from the courtroom. It is out in the hallways of this public building that we find out the real shocker. The police, those who are supposed to protect the rights of individuals, those who swore and oath to uphold the constitution of the state of Texas, don´t care about their oaths. They are more concerned with the orders of their master, the man known as "judge". It is they who ultimately empower him.
And so it is for Sam, taking on the system for something that could have easily been dealt with for a few bucks. Indeed, many of us would probably have buckled and paid the extortion demanded by these men who believe themselves better than us commoners. Why bother with something that would make us feel so uncomfortable? Why challenge something that seems so small? It´s not just the money, it´s the principle. We need men like Sam to remind us of these things. We need to remember out dignity. We need to remember that we are a nation of free people, not a nation of sheep willing to follow without question whatever hollow men present themselves as authority. Indeed, our forefathers founded this nation because they questioned authority. They bravely stood up to a very powerful authority, the most powerful of its day. And that is what Sam has done.
It has been the small things that have mattered. It is the small things that have been used to slowly convince us to stop caring about the liberties we once proudly proclaimed we would die to protect. It is in small ways and with guile that our politicians and justice officials have been able to convince us that we should allow them to stop respecting our rights and start violating them. Sam has concerned himself with something small to alert us to something big. He has done so in a very brave manner, putting himself in harm´s way to sound the alarm to the rest of the freedom loving people´s of the world. He is a freedom lover and a hero much like William Wallace was, and so I name him Braveheart Sam. I wish him the best of luck and pray he gets the backing he deserves.
Politicians, Gods and Messiahs
This article was originally published on Aug. 10, 2008 at americanchronicle.com.
I heard a conversation take place the other day where one person was explaining to another how he felt about Barack Obama. He told this woman that to him, and to people in his generation, Barack Obama represented the same hope that Jack Kennedy had represented to that generation. This statement sent shivers down my spine. Here was a man in his late fifties not only comparing Barack Obama to John F. Kennedy, (no offense, but Mr. Obama is no John F. Kennedy) but he´s hanging his hopes and dreams on one individual who has an undetermined agenda, may have a questionable past, and has a collectivist voting record. I think this man´s faith is misplaced and the thought that there are millions more out there like him disturbs me.
Let´s start with the John F. Kennedy thing. I was born the year Mr. Kennedy was elected president and was only three when he was assassinated, so I personally remember nothing about his presidency. What I know about him I know from what I´ve read in history and what I´ve read I liked. One of the things I understand about JFK is that he was not a fan of the Federal Reserve or of central banks in general. He was a threat to them. Mr. Obama has not taken such a position. JFK also took a stand against secrecy and secret societies. Mr. Obama has done no such thing. Many have suggested that it was these facets of John F. Kennedy´s policies along with his brother´s stance against organized crime that got him assassinated. It appears to me that Mr. Obama is working with the establishment rather than against it. He may promise change, but all I hear is propaganda and happy speak spewing from his mouth and all I see is more of the same should he be elected. He offers no real change and any change that should come about from his promises will not necessarily be change for the better.
Yet this is nothing new. People have always expected their politicians to save them from some perceived injustice or threat ever since they ceded their own personal responsibility and thrust it upon some appointed leader. Even back in the days of the Roman Empire the leaders were considered gods. In fact, it was mandated that the people worship them as gods. It is frightening to consider that this is the direction our nation is taking. The United States of America was supposed to be a country based on the premise that all men are created equal, not the premise that there is one among us who is more perfect than the rest of us. It was based on the premise that each individual can best determine his own needs, not the premise that one amongst us knows what´s best for all. It was based on the idea that individuals and localities could best determine which policies suited the general area, not the idea that a centralized government or a single leader should force some utopian idea down the throats of all Americans in a one sized fits all construct.
In the days of the Roman Empire it was easy to keep the people worshipping the state. There were threats surrounding them. Armies of "barbarians" gathered on the borders of the empire and threatened the citizens of Rome. The "less civilized" peoples of the world were easy targets for the Roman leaders to demonize and attack. The people of the Roman Empire often looked to their military and their emperor for protection. It´s not so simple in today´s world. Boogie men are harder to come by. Sometimes they may need to be invented or a group may need to be labeled and marginalized to provide the necessary fear factor. In this way modern man will look to his leaders for protection, so that he may be "saved" from some perceived threat. In this way he will give up his liberties for a measure of security. In this way one may very well be conned into giving up his rightful property for an empty promise. As it was in Roman times, so it has become presently.
The emperors of Rome had other ways of controlling the masses besides the fear of attack from the outside and the promise of safety the military provided. They also knew the value of spectacle. They knew the benefit they could derive from public works. They also understood the concept of class warfare and knew very well how to play the people of one class against another. In this way they could keep the populace entertained and prevent them from realizing they were being fleeced. In this way they could keep groups of people focusing their ire on other groups rather than on the elite atop the economic pyramid. Modern politicians work in much the same way. They promise the fruits of other people´s labor to those considered less fortunate while the political class and their friends wallow in unearned wealth. They keep the focus of the people off those who are truly conspiring to manipulate them by delivering to them gifts stolen from the public treasury. With such promises it is no wonder the masses will look upon them with the adoration usually reserved for gods. In this way the masses give up their self reliance and become dependent on those in power to provide for them. As it was in the time of the Roman Empire, so it has become presently.
The mass media is only too happy to provide spectacle for the masses. With the promise that the huge media conglomerates will be able to keep their information monopolies they are just as happy to project a positive image of any politician they anoint as the chosen one. In such a manner they can decide which image to promote and which stories to bury so the common man perceives a diluted and manipulated picture of those who seek power. In this way those who own the media also own the politician. Even the vilest, most depraved human can worm his way into the hearts of millions so long as he says what the people want to hear and the media shows only what it wants the public to see. Like the emperor of old presiding over the gladiatorial games, the masses see only a strong, vibrant personage in the public figure of their future leader. It is a distorted view the masses see. It is a dangerous practice to put the faith of a populace in the hands of such a figure. Perhaps the old adage that some things never change applies here.
The founders of this nation gave us a gift. Though that gift is embodied in the Constitution of this land and the Declaration of Independence that helped birth our nation, those documents are not the gift I speak of. The founders of the United States of America, having been brought up in the age of enlightenment, understood the principles of liberty, personal responsibility and self reliance. They chose these principles as a template for building the nation. They understood the folly of giving too much power to one man, or to one class, and fought to prevent such a situation from happening to their progeny. The Constitution has been ignored and defiled for decades now, but the founders taught us what it means to be free. That is their gift, and hopefully their ultimate legacy.
We should regain our self reliance. We should stop depending on others to do so for us. We should take matters into our own hands. We should reclaim our liberty and our power. We should strip the federal government of its control of our lives and shrink it down to the point where we´re hardly aware it even exists. Decentralization is what´s needed now, not bigger government, more bureaucracy and failed wealth redistribution schemes. We need to stop believing that some messiah is going to come to our rescue and show us the way to some promised land. Each one of us needs to be his own savior. Each one of us needs to be the change he desires.
I heard a conversation take place the other day where one person was explaining to another how he felt about Barack Obama. He told this woman that to him, and to people in his generation, Barack Obama represented the same hope that Jack Kennedy had represented to that generation. This statement sent shivers down my spine. Here was a man in his late fifties not only comparing Barack Obama to John F. Kennedy, (no offense, but Mr. Obama is no John F. Kennedy) but he´s hanging his hopes and dreams on one individual who has an undetermined agenda, may have a questionable past, and has a collectivist voting record. I think this man´s faith is misplaced and the thought that there are millions more out there like him disturbs me.
Let´s start with the John F. Kennedy thing. I was born the year Mr. Kennedy was elected president and was only three when he was assassinated, so I personally remember nothing about his presidency. What I know about him I know from what I´ve read in history and what I´ve read I liked. One of the things I understand about JFK is that he was not a fan of the Federal Reserve or of central banks in general. He was a threat to them. Mr. Obama has not taken such a position. JFK also took a stand against secrecy and secret societies. Mr. Obama has done no such thing. Many have suggested that it was these facets of John F. Kennedy´s policies along with his brother´s stance against organized crime that got him assassinated. It appears to me that Mr. Obama is working with the establishment rather than against it. He may promise change, but all I hear is propaganda and happy speak spewing from his mouth and all I see is more of the same should he be elected. He offers no real change and any change that should come about from his promises will not necessarily be change for the better.
Yet this is nothing new. People have always expected their politicians to save them from some perceived injustice or threat ever since they ceded their own personal responsibility and thrust it upon some appointed leader. Even back in the days of the Roman Empire the leaders were considered gods. In fact, it was mandated that the people worship them as gods. It is frightening to consider that this is the direction our nation is taking. The United States of America was supposed to be a country based on the premise that all men are created equal, not the premise that there is one among us who is more perfect than the rest of us. It was based on the premise that each individual can best determine his own needs, not the premise that one amongst us knows what´s best for all. It was based on the idea that individuals and localities could best determine which policies suited the general area, not the idea that a centralized government or a single leader should force some utopian idea down the throats of all Americans in a one sized fits all construct.
In the days of the Roman Empire it was easy to keep the people worshipping the state. There were threats surrounding them. Armies of "barbarians" gathered on the borders of the empire and threatened the citizens of Rome. The "less civilized" peoples of the world were easy targets for the Roman leaders to demonize and attack. The people of the Roman Empire often looked to their military and their emperor for protection. It´s not so simple in today´s world. Boogie men are harder to come by. Sometimes they may need to be invented or a group may need to be labeled and marginalized to provide the necessary fear factor. In this way modern man will look to his leaders for protection, so that he may be "saved" from some perceived threat. In this way he will give up his liberties for a measure of security. In this way one may very well be conned into giving up his rightful property for an empty promise. As it was in Roman times, so it has become presently.
The emperors of Rome had other ways of controlling the masses besides the fear of attack from the outside and the promise of safety the military provided. They also knew the value of spectacle. They knew the benefit they could derive from public works. They also understood the concept of class warfare and knew very well how to play the people of one class against another. In this way they could keep the populace entertained and prevent them from realizing they were being fleeced. In this way they could keep groups of people focusing their ire on other groups rather than on the elite atop the economic pyramid. Modern politicians work in much the same way. They promise the fruits of other people´s labor to those considered less fortunate while the political class and their friends wallow in unearned wealth. They keep the focus of the people off those who are truly conspiring to manipulate them by delivering to them gifts stolen from the public treasury. With such promises it is no wonder the masses will look upon them with the adoration usually reserved for gods. In this way the masses give up their self reliance and become dependent on those in power to provide for them. As it was in the time of the Roman Empire, so it has become presently.
The mass media is only too happy to provide spectacle for the masses. With the promise that the huge media conglomerates will be able to keep their information monopolies they are just as happy to project a positive image of any politician they anoint as the chosen one. In such a manner they can decide which image to promote and which stories to bury so the common man perceives a diluted and manipulated picture of those who seek power. In this way those who own the media also own the politician. Even the vilest, most depraved human can worm his way into the hearts of millions so long as he says what the people want to hear and the media shows only what it wants the public to see. Like the emperor of old presiding over the gladiatorial games, the masses see only a strong, vibrant personage in the public figure of their future leader. It is a distorted view the masses see. It is a dangerous practice to put the faith of a populace in the hands of such a figure. Perhaps the old adage that some things never change applies here.
The founders of this nation gave us a gift. Though that gift is embodied in the Constitution of this land and the Declaration of Independence that helped birth our nation, those documents are not the gift I speak of. The founders of the United States of America, having been brought up in the age of enlightenment, understood the principles of liberty, personal responsibility and self reliance. They chose these principles as a template for building the nation. They understood the folly of giving too much power to one man, or to one class, and fought to prevent such a situation from happening to their progeny. The Constitution has been ignored and defiled for decades now, but the founders taught us what it means to be free. That is their gift, and hopefully their ultimate legacy.
We should regain our self reliance. We should stop depending on others to do so for us. We should take matters into our own hands. We should reclaim our liberty and our power. We should strip the federal government of its control of our lives and shrink it down to the point where we´re hardly aware it even exists. Decentralization is what´s needed now, not bigger government, more bureaucracy and failed wealth redistribution schemes. We need to stop believing that some messiah is going to come to our rescue and show us the way to some promised land. Each one of us needs to be his own savior. Each one of us needs to be the change he desires.
The Fear of Failure, the Failure to Allow Failure
This article was originally published on Aug 1st, 2008 at americanchronicle.com
When I was in the fourth grade, I had a friend named Andy. I walked to school with him every day. Back then we had neighborhood schools, so we were allowed to walk home at lunch time to enjoy a home made meal. People might say that times were different then, that people were different, but I don´t believe we were so much different than we are now. I don´t believe that the nature of human beings has changed, but perhaps the attitudes reflected in our society have.
Andy would pick me up in the mornings and we´d walk to school together, then at noon break we´d walk together as far as we could until we had to separate to go to our respective homes. After lunch, I often times walked back to school alone. Andy often failed to make it back to school on time. He was tardy quite often during the course of the year. As a result, when the final grades came out and we were passed to the next grade, Andy was held back. He failed to move on that year and would be forced to spend an extra year in school.
I doubt very much a similar circumstance could occur in today´s society. Even if it did, it is not likely one of today´s schools would fail Andy and hold him back. We as a society seem to have developed this fear of failure, as if to say that failure is bad and should not be tolerated. It is a fear that is unwarranted, in my opinion. Failure can and should be a good thing if one learns from it and deals with it accordingly. As it turns out, Andy was hardly ever tardy again after that year. The importance of punctuality was a lesson he learned well. To this day Andy is very conscientious of the time and is certain to keep any appointment he makes. Had he not been allowed to fail in the fourth grade, had he not learned his lesson back then, there is every possibility that he may have learned it in a far more significant way when he got older, such as by not finding employment or getting fired from a job. As it is, things turned out fine, which they usually do.
Today´s students are never held back. They hardly ever fail. This is because educators have become afraid that failing a child may hurt his self esteem. They seem to fear that the child will learn the wrong kind of lesson and turn into a psycho killer or something if one should fail. More likely the child will learn that the behavior or non behavior he engaged in will lead to failure and therefore change the undesired behavior. Unfortunately, this type of attitude has crept up from the educational system and leached into our nation´s economic system.
Recently in the news there´s been several bailout stories including Bear Stearns, Freddie Mac and Fannie Mae. There´s all kinds of fears surrounding what would happen should these institutions fail. Politicians and those in power seem to believe that should these institutions fail the world would come to an end, or at least the economy would come crashing down around us. Perhaps it would, but perhaps not. We will never know because these behemoths, these privately owned publicly traded companies, will be or have been bailed out using our money, the money the hard working middle class of this great nation have labored hard for. The extremely wealthy caretakers and the investors who should be lamenting their poor judgment will benefit while the working class foots the bill, with interest that could keep our progeny in debt for generations, all because of fear of failure.
Now, I don´t claim to know what would happen if these institution failed like some financial psychics might, but I can tell you some things that will or will not happen because of the bailout. New opportunities for small businesses to step in and take up the slack, for innovation to occur within the home mortgage industry and for competition to develop and thrive in that industry will not present itself. CEOs and others in charge of these huge companies will not have to be held accountable for their mistakes. They will not lose their fortunes because of their bad decisions. They will not learn from their mistakes and so they are likely to make the same mistakes again. They will learn that failure is no big deal and that they will be rewarded by their friends in Washington DC and given billions of stolen tax dollars to play with when they err. They will basically come to understand that when an institution becomes more or less a government sanctioned monopoly fiscal responsibility and common sense are unnecessary to keep the company afloat.
Failure should be a learning experience. It is what helps make a man or woman understand why things are done a certain way and not another. It helps people understand the importance of certain facets of human existence. When there is a system built up that fails to allow failure, than the system itself is doomed to eventually fail, for those lessons are not learned by the people on top and so they will continue to make the same mistakes that lead to failure. It is like the accountant who insists that two plus two is five. Until he learns that two plus two is four, he will continue to fail to keep accurate books and will one day have to learn reality the hard way. One day, the piper must be paid and I´m not so sure I want to be around when that day comes.
Failure should not be feared. It is a fear that stems from uncertainty of an unknown. Yet hasn´t mankind survived these kinds of situations before? Haven´t we shown our resilience and our resolution in the past? When a house burns down, certainly it´s a tragedy and we wonder what will happen next, but we keep on living and we rebuild. Whenever disaster strikes, we pull ourselves up and rebuild. The same can happen if our institutions fail. It might take some time to get over the initial shock and assess the situation, but eventually the industry would rebuild itself and life would move forward, perhaps even improve. In the case of the above mentioned institutions, fear won out and those in power refused to allow failure. Perhaps in the future we can prove ourselves a little bit braver.
When I was in the fourth grade, I had a friend named Andy. I walked to school with him every day. Back then we had neighborhood schools, so we were allowed to walk home at lunch time to enjoy a home made meal. People might say that times were different then, that people were different, but I don´t believe we were so much different than we are now. I don´t believe that the nature of human beings has changed, but perhaps the attitudes reflected in our society have.
Andy would pick me up in the mornings and we´d walk to school together, then at noon break we´d walk together as far as we could until we had to separate to go to our respective homes. After lunch, I often times walked back to school alone. Andy often failed to make it back to school on time. He was tardy quite often during the course of the year. As a result, when the final grades came out and we were passed to the next grade, Andy was held back. He failed to move on that year and would be forced to spend an extra year in school.
I doubt very much a similar circumstance could occur in today´s society. Even if it did, it is not likely one of today´s schools would fail Andy and hold him back. We as a society seem to have developed this fear of failure, as if to say that failure is bad and should not be tolerated. It is a fear that is unwarranted, in my opinion. Failure can and should be a good thing if one learns from it and deals with it accordingly. As it turns out, Andy was hardly ever tardy again after that year. The importance of punctuality was a lesson he learned well. To this day Andy is very conscientious of the time and is certain to keep any appointment he makes. Had he not been allowed to fail in the fourth grade, had he not learned his lesson back then, there is every possibility that he may have learned it in a far more significant way when he got older, such as by not finding employment or getting fired from a job. As it is, things turned out fine, which they usually do.
Today´s students are never held back. They hardly ever fail. This is because educators have become afraid that failing a child may hurt his self esteem. They seem to fear that the child will learn the wrong kind of lesson and turn into a psycho killer or something if one should fail. More likely the child will learn that the behavior or non behavior he engaged in will lead to failure and therefore change the undesired behavior. Unfortunately, this type of attitude has crept up from the educational system and leached into our nation´s economic system.
Recently in the news there´s been several bailout stories including Bear Stearns, Freddie Mac and Fannie Mae. There´s all kinds of fears surrounding what would happen should these institutions fail. Politicians and those in power seem to believe that should these institutions fail the world would come to an end, or at least the economy would come crashing down around us. Perhaps it would, but perhaps not. We will never know because these behemoths, these privately owned publicly traded companies, will be or have been bailed out using our money, the money the hard working middle class of this great nation have labored hard for. The extremely wealthy caretakers and the investors who should be lamenting their poor judgment will benefit while the working class foots the bill, with interest that could keep our progeny in debt for generations, all because of fear of failure.
Now, I don´t claim to know what would happen if these institution failed like some financial psychics might, but I can tell you some things that will or will not happen because of the bailout. New opportunities for small businesses to step in and take up the slack, for innovation to occur within the home mortgage industry and for competition to develop and thrive in that industry will not present itself. CEOs and others in charge of these huge companies will not have to be held accountable for their mistakes. They will not lose their fortunes because of their bad decisions. They will not learn from their mistakes and so they are likely to make the same mistakes again. They will learn that failure is no big deal and that they will be rewarded by their friends in Washington DC and given billions of stolen tax dollars to play with when they err. They will basically come to understand that when an institution becomes more or less a government sanctioned monopoly fiscal responsibility and common sense are unnecessary to keep the company afloat.
Failure should be a learning experience. It is what helps make a man or woman understand why things are done a certain way and not another. It helps people understand the importance of certain facets of human existence. When there is a system built up that fails to allow failure, than the system itself is doomed to eventually fail, for those lessons are not learned by the people on top and so they will continue to make the same mistakes that lead to failure. It is like the accountant who insists that two plus two is five. Until he learns that two plus two is four, he will continue to fail to keep accurate books and will one day have to learn reality the hard way. One day, the piper must be paid and I´m not so sure I want to be around when that day comes.
Failure should not be feared. It is a fear that stems from uncertainty of an unknown. Yet hasn´t mankind survived these kinds of situations before? Haven´t we shown our resilience and our resolution in the past? When a house burns down, certainly it´s a tragedy and we wonder what will happen next, but we keep on living and we rebuild. Whenever disaster strikes, we pull ourselves up and rebuild. The same can happen if our institutions fail. It might take some time to get over the initial shock and assess the situation, but eventually the industry would rebuild itself and life would move forward, perhaps even improve. In the case of the above mentioned institutions, fear won out and those in power refused to allow failure. Perhaps in the future we can prove ourselves a little bit braver.
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