My Quest for Truth and Liberty
Posts tagged foreign policy
What the 4th of July Should Be
Jul 4th
I need to preface this with a confession, taken from my latest Facebook status. “I’m afraid I’m a hopeless introvert.” It is true. Probably part of my aversion to 4th of July parades, county fairs, and all those fun American things is that I just don’t like people much. I mean, there are particular people I like, and some I like very much, but I find the general population to be so insipid, close-minded, self-centered, and utterly boring that I don’t really care much for being around people. Under certain circumstances, I enjoy watching people, but I find it hard to interact with them. Anyways…I’m sure some people get a warm, fuzzy feeling when they attend a 4th of July parade, it just doesn’t happen for me.
So, today I was attending the 4th of July parade in a small town nearby, rather reluctantly. I think my mother worries about me sitting at home alone, happily reading a book while everyone else enjoys the festivities of the day; consequently, I was persuaded to attend. I got the most pleasure out of seeing my baby brother become overwhelmed with excitement at seeing so many tractors, trucks, and other loud motor vehicles. As in any small Midwest town, we had a super-abundance of tractors in the parade. Of course the parade started with the police. We got a lot of fire engines too. And some politicians. And several military/veteran groups. Eventually the businesses came around (and they threw more candy than any gov’t participant, I might add) and then the tractors and so forth.
I really think that the 4th of July parade should be made up entirely of tractors, businesses, and other forms of free market contributions. Instead of the 4th being a celebration of our government, it should be a celebration of our culture and our heritage. Having just finished a book that took place partially in the Midwest, it was very inspiring for me to see the antique tractors and farm equipment that has shaped our community. The technology and resources are all a result of voluntary interactions of the free market. We should celebrate those who sacrificed present consumption so we might enjoy better farm machinery and therefore cheaper, more abundant food. We should honor those who risked their fortunes and life to improve society with a more efficient method of planting, harvesting, or processing crops. We should celebrate those who instead of sitting back and collecting unemployment, toiled long hours in hot, dusty fields to earn an honest living. Such was my great-grandfather and great-grandmother, who even after their children were grown and married, moved to the Rockford area and bought a farm. My great-grandfather had a manufacturing job, and my great-grandmother spent her days working the 160 acres of our farm…only to come inside in the evenings to lay the beautiful hardwood floors that are still in our house today. And this was in the midst of WWII, with all the uncertainty and fear surrounding it. So many Americans just plodded on, growing food, raising animals, and keeping the lifeblood of the country flowing.
This morning we had a discussion about patriotism. I was explaining to my sisters that patriotism implies loyalty to and love of your government. That’s why I don’t like the word patriotism. I wish there was a good English word for loyalty to and love for your society, your culture, your community, your heritage. We could only come up with, “I love the geographical area of North America known as the Midwest,” which is, admittedly, very clumsy. But that’s what we should celebrate and appreciate, not the acts of violence, aggression, and force which our government has been committing since 1789.
Coming Soon: Path of Grass
Apr 16th
While progress was slightly delayed, I’m on track to get Path of Grass published in the next month or two. Actually, it might be more like two or three months, just because I have to be patient and wait for other people who can’t devote every waking moment to preparing my book for publication. Why is this exciting and why should you be excited about Path of Grass?
As a friend of mine at a recent Mises Circle said, we’re not going to achieve more liberty by voting for “better” rulers. Look at the “freedom loving” Tea Party candidates who got elected on a platform of limited government…and promptly voted for renewing the tyrannical Patriot Act. My friend said, rightly, that to change our situation, we must change the culture. We must not spread the message of liberty in Congress but in our backyards. In our towns. In our neighborhoods. This will be a highly decentralized grassroots movement towards liberty and it will start with the average American. That’s where Path of Grass fits in. We don’t have to give our neighbors “The Creature from Jekyll Island” to read…knowing full well they won’t tackle the 800+ pages of heavy reading. We can hand our neighbor a novel…how innocuous is that? But through that novel they’ll be introduced to the ideas of liberty and non-intervention. They’ll encounter these ideas in a way that will make it easier for them to understand your position and instead of feeling threatened by your persistence and foolproof logic, they’ll have the opportunity to accept these ideas in a positive way.
So that’s one reason to be excited about Path of Grass. But here’s another.
It is easy to get frustrated with the modern statist/Marxist entertainment out there. Why do authors and movie makers think capitalists are evil and government officials are angels? If you want to read a good libertarian novel, the options are pretty sparse, Ayn Rand being the main alternative to Marxist literature. And it is nice to relax with a good book after a long day of fighting against tyranny…without becoming outraged at the ignorance of the author. Path of Grass is another alternative to mainstream statist literature, and instead of reading a novel and being discouraged about the direction of our country, Path of Grass will leave you inspired to stand for what you believe regardless of those around you.
And even if all this doesn’t convince you to buy Path of Grass, it will be available for free online so you can check it out before buying your own copy. I plan to have a free pdf version, and hopefully epub and google books formats as well. And if you’re like me and you just want to hold the thing in your hands and feel the pages, there will be an old-fashioned version printed with real ink on real paper that you can really touch.
But that’s not all! I have a feeling this is beginning to sound like those TV advertisements I see when watching Star Trek. “But that’s not all! Order now and get TWO thingamajigs for $9.95 plus a whatchamacallit. A $100 value…your’s for $9.95. Order NOW!” I know a lot of my readers have blogs, or something similar. If you would be interested in promoting Path of Grass on your site, I will send you a free copy of the book when it is published. Or if you have a popular Twitter/Facebook account and post the link to my book or something like that. Let me know if you’re interested in this and we can work out the details. My goal is to get the message of this book to as many people as possible. Will you help me?
Thus Begins My Second Weekend
Mar 12th
I may have said this before, but working every day gives the weekend a whole new dimension. “Oh…so that’s why people are so excited about Friday nights…”
I must say that my job has helped me have more sympathy for other people. In a sense, my job is bringing me out of the idealistic stage of youth. Don’t worry, it hasn’t made me entirely cynical yet, but it is slowly happening. For one thing, I understand now why some people don’t have the time to do things they like. Someone says they want to come to our Mises Circle, but doesn’t have the time, and now I can sympathize with them. When I get home from work (and I only work 12-5pm) I’m generally quite tired and ready to “chill” for a couple hours with the family while recuperating enough to give a webinar, study, or teach a class. I have my mornings to get things done, but I see how people with fulltime jobs wouldn’t have the time to do a whole lot, even though they may really want to do it.
Also, the last week or two have taught me some important lessons about life. It is way more complicated than I sometimes think. I have come face to face with a huge dilemma, my job or my liberty? And this life is no fairy tale, for I lost this battle. Let’s just say, the powers that be won out and I was forced to accept their system of legalized plunder, as Bastiat put it. However, notice what I said, “this life is no fairy tale”…but in the last few days, I’ve come to realize that there’s more to my life than just this life. No, I don’t mean reincarnation. I mean, the eternal life that is to come. And while there are imperfections, sorrows, and injustices in this world, they will be righted in the next world. If there was no injustice here, why would we care about going to Heaven?
So this whole struggle has helped me understand in a deeper, more personal sense that my eyes should be set on the next world, for we can’t expect things to go right here. Up to this point, I haven’t had that many “crisis” moments that would define my direction in life. I have met the enemy and he has won, for now, and I’m not ashamed to say that. Yes, it means that I’ve had to compromise on my strongest beliefs, it means the life I’m living no longer perfectly matches what I talk about, it means that I must now deal with the regrets and pains of knowing my own hard-earned money is going to fund murder (in the form of abortion and needless wars), corruption, tyranny, and all that I have philosophically rejected, but I can keep going and keep on hoping. Why? Not because I dream of a time in my life when all of this will be ended (although that is one of my hopes, and I’m still trying for it) but because I know that there will come a time with all tyranny will be punished and justice will triumph and in that time and in that place there will be no stealing, no pain, no injustice, no murder, and no tyranny.
I have two other points related to this (don’t give up yet…this post won’t be too much longer!):
If God’s justice had not already been satisfied, I would not be longing for that time of righting wrongs. For we have all wronged God. We have rebelled against His divine justice and His very character demands punishment. But because Christ has satisfied that justice and redeemed all those who will believe, I can look forward to the Day of Judgement.
When thinking about Heaven, I’ve been tempted to use the words “perfect liberty” to describe it. But I think that misses the point. The reason it is unjust for one person to steal from another is because they are both just people. The thief is no better than the victim. What claim does the thief have on the life of their victim? No legitimate claim whatsoever. However, in Heaven, it will be different. For there we will be living for the only One who does have a legitimate claim on our life and being, our Creator. In practical terms, God is the only One who has a right to our paycheck. In fact, if He wanted, He would demand the entirety of our weekly earnings, for He’s made us, made this earth, gave us a job, and is keeping us alive so we can work. He is the only One who deserves all that we are and all that we have. Not only does He deserve it, that is the reason for our existence. Just as artists make paintings to express the artist’s character, we were made to express and worship God and who He is. Of course, we do this imperfectly here, but in Heaven there will be ultimate fulfillment of the emptiness and dissatisfaction inside. Instead of being frustrated and discouraged, we will be doing what we’re meant to do! Imagine the frustration of a painting that is used as a coat rack…and imagine the complete bliss and joy of that painting when someday it is actually displayed as a painting that mirrors the artist who created it. It isn’t tyranny for the artist to hang the painting on the wall, it is foolish for the painting to try to be anything but a painting. That’s how I look at it, and what’s why these trials and troubles haven’t left me without hope.
Review of “Taking Chance”
Feb 21st
This isn’t really a proper review, just my own rantings on the subject. 
I was all excited to watch Inception tonight…but it was a little too chaotic for my parents, so we watched Taking Chance instead. It is the story of a Marine who volunteers to take the body or “remains” (as they say in the movie) from the East Coast to a little town in Montana.
As I said on Facebook, it was a heartbreaking movie. Why? Because the message was so clear: War is good. War is noble. Go sacrifice your life for the “greater good,” give up your individuality, your uniqueness, and join the ranks of others who must give all, for our “interests.” And when you die, you’ll come home a hero and everyone at the airports will pause as your coffin is being carried by. And the VFW groups will hold parties in your honor. And hundreds of people will come to your funeral. Everyone will admire your courage and bravery.
What really annoyed me is how they never showed the Marine’s face. Now, come on…Hollywood has no qualms whatsoever when it comes to obscenities (I’m using this in the classic Greek sense, of things that ought to stay “off scene” because they are too graphic or violent) and moviemakers never flinch when it comes to portraying blood and guts and gore. But no, when it is a soldier we can’t do that! We’ll only give some beautiful shots of his crisp and bright uniform, his shiny buttons and pure white gloves. But not his face, because after all, the government said it was not recommended for viewing. Since when does Hollywood care if things are too terrible to be viewed? But no, if young people saw the ugliness and the violence, they might not want to join the military! And then what good would the movie be?
So throughout the whole movie, every time the casket was being transported, people would stop and put their hands over their hearts. Airport workers stopped. Passengers on the planes stopped. Cars slowed down for them on the road. Come on? Really? That’s not realistic, it doesn’t seem. It is like everyone “sensed” something special and stopped. Since when does that happen in real life? Now I know, I don’t exactly get around much, but it just doesn’t seem right. Everyone was bending over backwards to honor this Marine. It seems that in real life people would just tend to ignore a person in uniform, treat them like everyone else, or say something negative to the Marine…if they were one of those awful leftist anti-war people (just being sarcastic…).
And none of the military officers seemed to understand the futility and tragedy of the war. Oh yeah, this is based on a true story of a soldier in the War in Iraq. That’s the specific war we’re talking about, Bush’s war. Anyways, either everyone was proud of their “service” or regretted that they had not given more to the cause. I think that in real life veterans come back either haunted by their experiences or disillusioned by the reality of war. There was none of that in this movie.
And I don’t think the government gives each fallen soldier such elaborate and detailed attention. It was really quite ridiculous to think of the all time spent on one body and coffin, when you multiply that by all the deaths that occur each month in the war. No wonder we’re not winning the war, everyone is too busy escorting caskets home!
However, I don’t want this to sound harsh or ungrateful. I have deep respect for anyone who is willing to give their lives in any way. I’m not that brave. The tragedy is that these poor souls got caught up in this great net of power struggles and government interests. This trap is deadly for many. And for those who live, the scars haunt them forever. The tragedy is that anyone has given their life for such a futile purpose. I mourn with the family of those who have fallen. I mourn so much for the dead that I wish to find a way to keep others from that fate. Instead of saying, “It is a terrible tragedy that Chance died. He was a good young man, he will be deeply missed. Now I’m going to go over there too” (in the movie Chance’s sister and her fiancee were both in the military) I say, “It is a terrible tragedy that Chance died. He was a good young man, he will be deeply missed. Let’s keep others from dying there as well. Let’s not go on repeating this tragedy ad infinitum, but stop the killing and stop the hatred.”
There is a very fine line between government-worship and disrespect for those who have died in the war. I wish to maintain a balance between opposing a pointless war and respecting the individuals who gave their all, no matter what their cause.
So I told my dad we need a good Ron Paul speech (I was thinking of the neat remix of his speech to Congress, “What If?”) to straighten things out again.
Mr. Madison’s War
Jan 25th
I’m doing a history class this week on the War of 1812. This war has confused me and I’ve never been sure what to think of it. There are some very interesting things I’ve discovered so far.
- Madison knew he wouldn’t have a chance for reelection unless he found some way to unite the country and better his public image.
- The First Bank of the United States had just been disbanded, but the new owner of it (Stephen Girard) was very good friends with Madison’s Secretary of Treasury, Alexander Dallas. Girard funded about 95% of the War of 1812. And Dallas was responsible for getting the Second Bank of the United States approved. You think there’s any connection?
- The state militias in New England did not like the war as they depended heavily on trade with the British Empire. They even considered secession at the Hartford Convention of 1814. Some states refused to support the war and others did but only half-heartedly. And even Madison never questioned their right to secede from the union although it was in his interest that they stayed. At least Madison had more principles than that despot, Lincoln.
Path of Grass Progress
Jan 7th
(also posted at PathofGrass.com)
Yesterday I got the manuscript draft back from my editor. He did a great job on it, and now my task is to go through and decide if I want to keep all of his changes. Some of them I ignore after a long time of contemplation (shhh…don’t tell him!), others I apply exactly as he says and with a few I make alternative changes that fix the problem.
It is very exciting for me to see this book coming so close to publication. I have another book draft that never made it this far (and the world will be better off because of it, I must confess) but it is amazing to see the progress that has been made and how close I’m to seeing it published.
As is generally said, the beginning of my book was very easy to write. But in the middle I got a little discouraged and writing went much slower. But it is getting easier now as I’m so near the end.
Also, the opportunity to edit the manuscript is now over. If you had wanted to read the draft but didn’t let me know…well, I’m sorry but I’m moving into the next stage now. If you’d like to write a review of the finished manuscript before publishing, please let me know as that’s still possible.
A Wolf in Sheep’s Clothing
Nov 30th
On why we shouldn’t wish for the good old days of President Bush’s administration.
~ 14 minutes
A History of Spending
Nov 24th
Bring Them Home!
Nov 22nd
I’m sometimes accused of being “anti-military,” as if that’s as bad as being “anti-life.” But I wish to clarify my position on this. I’m not against the military, if by military you mean the individuals who are out there risking their lives. If that’s what you mean, then I’m all for them. I get a little misty-eyed when I see a reunion of a soldier and his family. I do care deeply about those soldiers. In fact, I care for them so much that it pains me to think of these people giving up these years of their life, precious time with their family, their career, etc…not to mention their very life for something so unnecessary. The military is so important to me that I don’t want to see their efforts wasted and innocent lives lost. Let them live their lives. Let them spend time with their children. Let the Christians among the military grow in their knowledge of God’s grace, instead of daily being bombarded with murder, evil, and immorality. Let them pursue their own interests. Let them be individuals trying to achieve their own goals. And when we really need to be defended, perhaps against the greatest enemy of all–the state, then let them come out and protect us. But don’t make them sit around in other countries helplessly watching over the deaths of children and the elderly. Don’t make them the target of frustration, anger and revenge in places where our military has been stationed for over 50 years and appears to have no intention of leaving anytime soon. Let them come home!
Thank You, Bush…for the TSA
Nov 17th
I guess the title of this post gives it all away. There’s been much commotion these days over the TSA. Haven’t you noticed? It is here, and here, if that’s not enough, then here, here and here. As many are saying, it is just out of control. There is no way that anyone will convince me to fly while there are still these scanners, still these pat-downs, still the horrible TSA. I’d rather miss Mises U or seeing Ron Paul than go through that. And I hope the conservatives are happy now. I hope the Republicans are satisfied. This is the result of their fear-mongering, of their insensible rage and hate against anyone who might be Muslim.
You must be truthful and realize that we just can’t blame the Democrats for this one. They’re not big into this xenophobic mania and intense nationalism. If anything some Democrats (not necessarily the politicians but the Democratic activists, writers, etc…) are advocates of human rights and dignity. Being searched by the TSA is not upholding human dignity.
It is the Republicans who say that the end justifies the means. That it doesn’t matter that the TSA is a blatant affront to all that we claim to believe. “If we don’t listen to the TSA some evil Muslims will come blow up America and then where will we be? There won’t be any great American principles then.” It is rather ironic, these are the people who are deathly afraid of Shari’ah law being instated in America. “Can you imagine, my daughter might have to wear a burqa!” But somehow it is okay for some absolute stranger to give your daughter an invasive pat-down. Yeah.
I know that everyone will blame Obama for this. But it isn’t Obama’s fault. It is Bush’s fault. It is his fault for promoting the idea that either you are a fervent nationalist or a terrorist plotting to destroy America. There is no room in his ideology for those who simply want to be free and to be left alone.
So if you have the unfortunate occasion to go through airport security, just thank our dear president, George Bush.
