I am thankful to live in the freest country in the world. I'm glad that in this place I am free to work for freedom. However, being told this is the freest country in the world is a little like parents telling their only child who just lost a beauty contest that they're the most beautiful child in the house.
For example, if one wanted to take this pledge:
I swear by my life and my love of it that I will never live for the sake of another man, nor ask another man to live for mine.
In this country, one could not, without going to jail.
If I agree with another person to exchange my labor for any goods, monetary or otherwise, the government lays claim to 50% or more of the agreed upon exchange -- upon my labor (income tax). If instead, I wish to produce something that others in society desire, and exchange that item with individuals, government lays claim to that same 50% or more of my labor, and a percentage of the exchange, forcing me to raise the price of the item to more than it's true value (sales tax).
Finally, if I decide to not participate -- if I head off on my own and attempt to raise my own food and be completely self-sufficient -- neither creating goods for others or working for others, government still lays claim to a portion of what I own (property tax). If I simply mind my own business, not using any "government" services at all, and do not pay my yearly "rent" -- as determined by said government -- they will come at gunpoint and forcibly remove me and place me in prison.
Monday, November 15, 2010
George Washington's Proclamation
Oct. 3, 1789:
"Whereas it is the duty of all nations to acknowledge the providence of Almighty God, to obey His will, to be grateful for His benefits, and humbly implore His protection and favor; and whereas both Houses of Congress have, by their joint committee, requested me to recommend to the people of the United States a day of Public Thanksgiving and Prayer, to be observed by acknowledging with grateful hearts the many signal favors of Almighty God, especially by affording them an opportunity peaceably to establish a form of government for their safety and happiness.
"Now therefore I do recommend and assign Thursday the twenty-six of November next, to be devoted by the people of these States to the service of that Great and Glorious Being, who is the Beneficent Author of all the good that was, that is, or that will be; that we may then all unite in rendering unto Him our sincere and humble thanks for His kind care and protection of the people of this country, previous to their becoming a nation; for the single manifold mercies, and the favorable interposition's of His providence, in the courage and conclusion of the late war; for the great degree of tranquility, union and plenty which we have since enjoyed; for the peaceable and rational manner in which we have been enabled to establish Constitutions of Government for our safety and happiness, and particularly the national one now instituted; for the civil and religious liberty with which we are blessed, and the means we have of acquiring and diffusing useful knowledge; and in general, for all the great and various favors which He has been pleased to confer upon us.
"And also, that we may then unite in most humbly offering our prayers and supplications to the Great Lord and Ruler of Nations, and beseech Him to pardon our national and other transgressions; to enable us all, whether in public or private institutions, to perform our several and relative duties properly and punctually; to render our National Government a blessing to all the people, by constantly being a government of wise, just, and constitutional laws, discretely and faithfully executed and obeyed; to protect and guide all sovereigns and nations (especially such as have shown kindness to us) and to bless them with good governments, peace and concord; to promote the knowledge and practice of true religion and virtue, and the increase of science, among them and us; and generally, to grant unto all mankind such a degree of temporal prosperity as He alone knows to be best."
Separation of Church and State my big old butt.
"Whereas it is the duty of all nations to acknowledge the providence of Almighty God, to obey His will, to be grateful for His benefits, and humbly implore His protection and favor; and whereas both Houses of Congress have, by their joint committee, requested me to recommend to the people of the United States a day of Public Thanksgiving and Prayer, to be observed by acknowledging with grateful hearts the many signal favors of Almighty God, especially by affording them an opportunity peaceably to establish a form of government for their safety and happiness.
"Now therefore I do recommend and assign Thursday the twenty-six of November next, to be devoted by the people of these States to the service of that Great and Glorious Being, who is the Beneficent Author of all the good that was, that is, or that will be; that we may then all unite in rendering unto Him our sincere and humble thanks for His kind care and protection of the people of this country, previous to their becoming a nation; for the single manifold mercies, and the favorable interposition's of His providence, in the courage and conclusion of the late war; for the great degree of tranquility, union and plenty which we have since enjoyed; for the peaceable and rational manner in which we have been enabled to establish Constitutions of Government for our safety and happiness, and particularly the national one now instituted; for the civil and religious liberty with which we are blessed, and the means we have of acquiring and diffusing useful knowledge; and in general, for all the great and various favors which He has been pleased to confer upon us.
"And also, that we may then unite in most humbly offering our prayers and supplications to the Great Lord and Ruler of Nations, and beseech Him to pardon our national and other transgressions; to enable us all, whether in public or private institutions, to perform our several and relative duties properly and punctually; to render our National Government a blessing to all the people, by constantly being a government of wise, just, and constitutional laws, discretely and faithfully executed and obeyed; to protect and guide all sovereigns and nations (especially such as have shown kindness to us) and to bless them with good governments, peace and concord; to promote the knowledge and practice of true religion and virtue, and the increase of science, among them and us; and generally, to grant unto all mankind such a degree of temporal prosperity as He alone knows to be best."
Separation of Church and State my big old butt.
Good vs. Evil?
Patrick commented,
The more we discuss this it seems to me that you have it locked in your head that certain things are bad and that no level of discussion will change your mind
I have to admit, he's got me nailed here. I believe in right vs. wrong. There are things that are bad and evil in this world, and yes, no matter who says otherwise, there still will be. I know this idea makes some uncomfortable. You see, this destroys any theories of moral relativism. If there is right and wrong, then any excuses given for a certain behavior or action may be invalid, for that action may be wrong and evil.
However, if there is no final arbiter over what is right and wrong, then any behavior or action can be argued to be good. If there is no absolute right or wrong, then I can argue away murdering innocent children as my own good. If there is no abosolute right or wrong, then who are you to tell me that I cannot murder innocents or children?
There is an absolute right and wrong. There is bad and evil in this world. Everyone knows the difference, deep down inside, and anyone who argues for moral relativism is simply wrong.
The more we discuss this it seems to me that you have it locked in your head that certain things are bad and that no level of discussion will change your mind
I have to admit, he's got me nailed here. I believe in right vs. wrong. There are things that are bad and evil in this world, and yes, no matter who says otherwise, there still will be. I know this idea makes some uncomfortable. You see, this destroys any theories of moral relativism. If there is right and wrong, then any excuses given for a certain behavior or action may be invalid, for that action may be wrong and evil.
However, if there is no final arbiter over what is right and wrong, then any behavior or action can be argued to be good. If there is no absolute right or wrong, then I can argue away murdering innocent children as my own good. If there is no abosolute right or wrong, then who are you to tell me that I cannot murder innocents or children?
There is an absolute right and wrong. There is bad and evil in this world. Everyone knows the difference, deep down inside, and anyone who argues for moral relativism is simply wrong.
Learn to Hate
It appears to be a slow week in the blogosphere, all you people who are out of work, taking a week vacation, etc., must not be posting. Perhaps some are out reading. If you are, take a couple minutes to read this article by Rabbi Shmuley Botech entitled, "Moral people must learn how to hate."
It is quite powerful, and I cannot do it justice in quoting parts, but I will point out some significant areas:
I have heard all the arguments repudiating hate. Hatred is evil. It is the cause of all wars. It consumes the soul of he or she who hates. Silly arguments all. Hatred is only evil when it is directed at the good and at the innocent. It is positively Godly when it is directed at cold-blooded killers, motivating us to fight and eradicate them before more people die.
How about that one line: Hatred is only evil when it is directed at the good and at the innocent. Jesus said love your neighbor, but he never said that no one should ever hate.
Hatred does not cause wars, it ends them. Because Churchill truly hated Hitler, he inspired a nation to put an end to his blitzkrieg conquests. The French, who did not hate Hitler, collaborated with him, instead. It is indifference to evil, rather than its hatred, that sends a message to the tyrants that they pick on anyone they like for the world will be silent.
Hatred of evil implies both the right to make judgments, as well as a belief in absolutes, both of which are anathema to liberalism. While it has some redeeming qualities, my foremost argument against liberalism is that it harbors no abhorrence or detestation of evil.
Jesus advocated turning the other check to petty slights and affronts to our honor, not to mass graves and torture chambers. Likewise, while Jesus taught that we ought to love our own enemies, this did not apply to God's enemies. Our enemies are people who are our rivals for a promotion at work. God's enemies are those who slaughter his children.
Very powerful stuff.
It is quite powerful, and I cannot do it justice in quoting parts, but I will point out some significant areas:
I have heard all the arguments repudiating hate. Hatred is evil. It is the cause of all wars. It consumes the soul of he or she who hates. Silly arguments all. Hatred is only evil when it is directed at the good and at the innocent. It is positively Godly when it is directed at cold-blooded killers, motivating us to fight and eradicate them before more people die.
How about that one line: Hatred is only evil when it is directed at the good and at the innocent. Jesus said love your neighbor, but he never said that no one should ever hate.
Hatred does not cause wars, it ends them. Because Churchill truly hated Hitler, he inspired a nation to put an end to his blitzkrieg conquests. The French, who did not hate Hitler, collaborated with him, instead. It is indifference to evil, rather than its hatred, that sends a message to the tyrants that they pick on anyone they like for the world will be silent.
Hatred of evil implies both the right to make judgments, as well as a belief in absolutes, both of which are anathema to liberalism. While it has some redeeming qualities, my foremost argument against liberalism is that it harbors no abhorrence or detestation of evil.
Jesus advocated turning the other check to petty slights and affronts to our honor, not to mass graves and torture chambers. Likewise, while Jesus taught that we ought to love our own enemies, this did not apply to God's enemies. Our enemies are people who are our rivals for a promotion at work. God's enemies are those who slaughter his children.
Very powerful stuff.
Revisionist Anti-God History
Ah, it's time for the annual purging of all references to God from schools and history. I guess when they teach about the Pigrims and Thanksgiving now, it goes something like this:
There were some people living in England who, on a lark, decided to embark on a voyage across the dangerous ocean, just because they had nothing better to do, and XBox hadn't been invented yet. So they climbed aboard these leaking, dangerous ships and sailed across the ocean. They played shuffleboard and dined in luxury, but they didn't hit any iceburgs.
When they arrived in America, there were no ports, so they simply climbed into rowboats and landed. They built houses (from trees, there were no Lowe's stores). After they landed, they encountered REAL Americans, the most honorable and non-violent species of man ever to exist, Native Americans, who had been living peacefully, growing corn, for tens of millions of years.
The Pilgrims had three days that they celebrated -- the weekly Sabbath, the Day of Humiliation and Fasting, and the Day of Thanksgiving and Praise. The last two were only held during special occasions. The colonists had had a very bad year for the harvest one year (1621 or so), and they were worried they would all die. When news came that another shipload of supplies and people was soon to arrive, they had a party. They invited their new friends, the Native Americans (at least those they hadn't killed with the smallpox). They all worshipped and gave thanks to the great Rocks and the Ship of Plenty that had carried them to the new land. They wore funny hats. That was the first Thanksgiving.
There were some people living in England who, on a lark, decided to embark on a voyage across the dangerous ocean, just because they had nothing better to do, and XBox hadn't been invented yet. So they climbed aboard these leaking, dangerous ships and sailed across the ocean. They played shuffleboard and dined in luxury, but they didn't hit any iceburgs.
When they arrived in America, there were no ports, so they simply climbed into rowboats and landed. They built houses (from trees, there were no Lowe's stores). After they landed, they encountered REAL Americans, the most honorable and non-violent species of man ever to exist, Native Americans, who had been living peacefully, growing corn, for tens of millions of years.
The Pilgrims had three days that they celebrated -- the weekly Sabbath, the Day of Humiliation and Fasting, and the Day of Thanksgiving and Praise. The last two were only held during special occasions. The colonists had had a very bad year for the harvest one year (1621 or so), and they were worried they would all die. When news came that another shipload of supplies and people was soon to arrive, they had a party. They invited their new friends, the Native Americans (at least those they hadn't killed with the smallpox). They all worshipped and gave thanks to the great Rocks and the Ship of Plenty that had carried them to the new land. They wore funny hats. That was the first Thanksgiving.
Division in America
The Homespun Bloggers have a weekly symposium where members respond to a question of other members. Here's the question (and my answer) for this week:
Is the division in America important to you? What will be necessary to heal it? What part do you see Bloggers playing in that discussion and how will you personally contribute to it?
Is the division in America important to you?
Is the division important to me? I guess I would say it's moderately important. I'm not going to lose any sleep over it, but it does concern me that as time appears to move forward, people are moving further and further apart. Based on maps and discussions I've seen, it seems to be more and more a division of city vs. country, and more specifically, those who live off government (and other people's taxes) and those who do not. It concerns me most that as one of the producers, I'm worried that we have already reached the point where those who take from government already exceed 50% of the voting population, which will mean I and my children will always work for others who do not work.
What will be necessary to heal it?
Something very, very drastic. Apparently 9/11 wasn't enough to unite America, except for a couple days. Are we more divided than ever in history? That I do not know, since I wasn't alive in the 1800s. It certainly appears it to me, but everyone only has their own lifetime with which to compare. History certainly seems to indicate that we were much more untied when facing perhaps a less evil and bloodthirsty enemy in the Nazis.
What part do you see Bloggers playing in that discussion and how will you personally contribute to it?
I don't know that Bloggers will be all that important. There are millions of blogs out there, and just like with the rest of the internet, you get the best of the best, but you also get the worst of the worst. It's so easy for rumors to get repeated and anything reported as fact that anything read on any blog, bar none, requires checking. Today, even things in the mainstream media have to be checked for accuracy, so who could assume blogs are more accurate?
I will do my best to convince any of the readers of my blog that capitalism and freedom are more beneficial to the individual and the country. Socialism, whether in medicine, social security, or other ideas, allows a certain few to prosper, but only at the expense and demise of many others.
Is the division in America important to you? What will be necessary to heal it? What part do you see Bloggers playing in that discussion and how will you personally contribute to it?
Is the division in America important to you?
Is the division important to me? I guess I would say it's moderately important. I'm not going to lose any sleep over it, but it does concern me that as time appears to move forward, people are moving further and further apart. Based on maps and discussions I've seen, it seems to be more and more a division of city vs. country, and more specifically, those who live off government (and other people's taxes) and those who do not. It concerns me most that as one of the producers, I'm worried that we have already reached the point where those who take from government already exceed 50% of the voting population, which will mean I and my children will always work for others who do not work.
What will be necessary to heal it?
Something very, very drastic. Apparently 9/11 wasn't enough to unite America, except for a couple days. Are we more divided than ever in history? That I do not know, since I wasn't alive in the 1800s. It certainly appears it to me, but everyone only has their own lifetime with which to compare. History certainly seems to indicate that we were much more untied when facing perhaps a less evil and bloodthirsty enemy in the Nazis.
What part do you see Bloggers playing in that discussion and how will you personally contribute to it?
I don't know that Bloggers will be all that important. There are millions of blogs out there, and just like with the rest of the internet, you get the best of the best, but you also get the worst of the worst. It's so easy for rumors to get repeated and anything reported as fact that anything read on any blog, bar none, requires checking. Today, even things in the mainstream media have to be checked for accuracy, so who could assume blogs are more accurate?
I will do my best to convince any of the readers of my blog that capitalism and freedom are more beneficial to the individual and the country. Socialism, whether in medicine, social security, or other ideas, allows a certain few to prosper, but only at the expense and demise of many others.
Is there any way to control government?
I don't think so. How does a bill get passed by the US House that allows members of Congress to snoop into anyone's tax records, for any reason they want? Simple -- just tack it on as an amendment to the 1,000-page bill that no one will read. John McCain (silly party) said, "How many other provisions didn't we find in that 1,000-page bill?" Chuckie Schumer (insane party) wants a "full and complete" investigation followed by "appropriate punishment." Wow, is he really that clueless? Yes, you people in New York have a Senator that doesn't know how bills get passed in the legislature. And he wants to punish anyone who actually follows those rules that he doesn't understand.
Oh, but it's OK, you see, "The two lawmakers who would have gained that power – Sen. Ted Stevens, an Alaska Republican, and Rep. Bill Young, a Florida Republican – both said they wouldn't use it." And if you believe that, I've got some oceanfront property in Nevada I'd like to sell you.
This is one reason why I would cause so many problems were I ever elected to a public legislative office -- I would vote NO on any bill that I didn't have time to read, or that I didn't feel that everyone else didn't have time to read as well. I can't understand how so many people CAN vote for bills without reading them. I guess that's just politics as usual, and it will continue to be.
Oh, but it's OK, you see, "The two lawmakers who would have gained that power – Sen. Ted Stevens, an Alaska Republican, and Rep. Bill Young, a Florida Republican – both said they wouldn't use it." And if you believe that, I've got some oceanfront property in Nevada I'd like to sell you.
This is one reason why I would cause so many problems were I ever elected to a public legislative office -- I would vote NO on any bill that I didn't have time to read, or that I didn't feel that everyone else didn't have time to read as well. I can't understand how so many people CAN vote for bills without reading them. I guess that's just politics as usual, and it will continue to be.
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