Fearing Nothing

Many of our citizens in these United States of America fear nothing. It’s not because they are especially courageous or totally unaware. No, it’s because many now fear our government, and government, by extended definition, is nothing. Despite the thousands of granite buildings with marble floors and the legions of munchkin-like bureaucrats scurrying through the halls, the government is nothing more than an idea….a concept….a construct….a fabrication created from the minds of men. It is an artifice that over time will devolve into an historical artifact.

“That to secure these rights, Governments are instituted among Men, deriving their just Powers from the consent of the governed,-

From the Declaration of Independence, July, 1776 (emphasis added).

There are some people who believe that government should be the dominate initiator and factor in the lives of the people. Oddly many of these very people who are willing to submit to an artificial construct like government are critical of granting personhood to corporations. Corporations mirror government in the sense that they are created from whole cloth….from nothing into something. The role of stockholders very closely resembles that of citizens in a state. The corporation and the government are entities that exist only in the abstract. Their reality is subject to what they represent. No land, no people equals no government. No product, no stockholders and no commerce yield a shell corporation…an existence in name only with no productive function. It seems reasonable to me that if we were to view government with the same jaundiced eye that we behold corporations, our fear of government’s potential for harm would be minimized. True, a government often achieves a “life” of its own and readily employs force to assure compliance with its dictates, but the ultimate consideration should be that government does not, cannot exist on its own without the willing compliance of the people. If the people are truly aware of the proper dynamics and status in the servant-master relationship, government would instantly become toothless and ineffectual. True, the nature of government, openly tyrannical or otherwise, is to resort to force and violence to maintain its stature. A public that is totally aware of the “nothingness” of government…that NO government can exist without either the endorsement or willful obedience of the people, will force the government either to conform to their wishes or be dissolved or overthrown.

"When governments fear the people, there is liberty. When the people fear the government, there is tyranny."

                                                                                    Thomas Jefferson

Why should we fear “nothing”… an entity that cannot exist but with our approval? Of course, the realistic fear of the government’s use of force and perhaps violence can cause the bravest among us to hesitate … to falter. Consider that one, two or three weak men can subdue a strong person. Doesn’t it follow that an irate and committed populace could subdue the most oppressive state if all, or most, were united to achieve that outcome? What the people lack in power and resources could be overcome with numbers and passion. The primary obstacle for restoring our nation is one of attitude. Too many of us are self-delusional. We cannot accept that our government has grown beyond its purpose and has morphed into a malevolent malignancy. Like any other type of cancer it will continue to grow, to metastasize unless it stopped and excised. Its deadly force growths more lethal with each passing day, and the treatment can be much more successful in the early stages of the disease. Just like cancer affects the body, an aggressive government destroys its host….gnawing and consuming until the body politic collapses from exhaustion. We must never lose sight of the reality that we own our bodies and have the sacred responsibility to repel corrosive invaders. When there is no host or body, cancer loses its strength and its power. If the people of the nation refuse to countenance a malicious and vicious over-reaching government, its days will be numbered.

“O Lord, truly I am your servant; I am your servant, the son of your maidservant; you have freed me from my chains.”

                                                                                 Psalm 116:16(NIV)

For those of us who profess to be Believers, there are no excuses, no alibis, and no rationalizations for our reluctance to battle a government that smothers our freedom. The Creator gave us Liberty, and as with any other gift from Him, we must express our gratitude through obedience. He did not grant us freedom so that we could squander it through inaction and cowardice. As has been noted earlier, government is not tangible. It exists only through the assent of the governed. Some might protest that despots have maintained power throughout human history despite lacking popular support. I would counter that we have numerous instances of people overthrowing their oppressive governments when their anger overrides their caution or fear. How much easier it would be for a nation that still enjoys some remnant of freedom to rise up and dismantle a growing repressive state.

The state (government) should neither be honored nor feared. It must be controlled. It is the obligation of the people to assume and exercise that control. It is our moral duty. We must preserve something and never fear “nothing.”

Comment: cearlwriting@hotmail.com

www.littlestuff-minoosha.blogspot.com

On the air for Brian Wilson on the Afternoon Drive Show, 3-6:00pm, Monday and Tuesday, and our regular show Tuesday 6-7:00pm. On the Talk of Toledo, 1370 WSPD.  www.wspd.com

   

The Mindset Reaction

Thank you for so many responses to the Monday column, ”The National Mindset.” There were several hundred comments from the various distribution outlets that carry them. Without getting too far in the weeds, it appears that the reactions were nearly evenly split. All responses and comments are welcome, but there were a few of them that seemed especially noteworthy. As a preamble, I see my writing as something akin to poking a stick into the hornets’ nest. If you accept my premise and my argument, your task is to collect the hornets and put them in a different (and better) nest.

One of the most common responses that I get from many of my articles is “Sure you can fire your verbal missiles, but why don’t you shut up and do something about the mess we’re in?” Valid point. Thirty years ago as a member of the Ohio Legislature I often illustrated how government had grown too large and unwieldy. Back then I was considered an extremist, and when I looked behind me, no one was there…particularly not the one who criticizes my “inaction.” Another critique suggests that I treat the Tea Parties and similar groups too harshly. The diversity of the various groups is both strength and a weakness. The broad array of goals, methods and priorities minimizes the potential for “group think,” but the lack of central organization does dilute the power of the movement. I’ve used this example quite often in the recent past: In November of 2010 there were believed to be some 84 “Tea Party” candidates elected to the House, but with the very first meaningful vote only 22 GOP members held fast on the debt ceiling tally….and a few of them were incumbents. Thus, one has to assume that actual Tea Party power in the Congress turned out to be relatively minimal. That’s not a huge fault line in the movement, but it does to a degree illustrate the naiveté of the activists. Just because someone claims to be a small-government Republican doesn’t make it so. Until the various Tea Party organizations can consistently deliver small-government constitutionalists to office we will be marginal players on the political field. Most Republican candidates will seek our favor, but few will deliver. The Tea Party movement must be proactive…find potential  candidates, vet them thoroughly, and go to the wall to elect them.

Some writers respond that my columns are either too simple or too complex. Yes, they are. If you are a political sophisticate, then the columns will seem simplistic and obvious to you. On the other hand if you are relatively new to political and constitutional studies, the columns hopefully provide something of value. I view them as teaching tools rather than marching orders. I do not know how dedicated you may be, how much time you have available or what your personal priorities may be. Those factors are yours to assess. My personal priority is individual liberty….first, foremost and forever. Yours may be a sounder fiscal situation or a more moral society. This short little segment illustrates why “Tea Parties” have NOT become the dominant force in politics….diffused priorities.

It is extremely difficult to goad an indifferent person into productive political activity. It is much easier to assist the eager activist who’s seeking to identify a center of focus. Besides, the indifferent drones do not scan the sites where these columns appear. My purpose, therefore, is to incite anger, passion, awareness and commitment for liberty. When I am successful, individual liberty gains another convert….someone who understands that illegal immigrants, over spending, excessive borrowing and perks for government employees are not the real foundational issue(s). The issue is that government has exceeded its bounds, and our personal freedom becomes more limited every day. If we do not attack the problems of governments’ usurping our inalienable rights, any victory we win will be shallow, temporary and marginal. We may win on an issue, but like water seeking its own level, it will return at a different place under a different name. Statists and power-seekers are relentless. If we thwart their designs but leave our corrupted system in place, they will merely change their point of attack. We must strip our nation down to its structural roots, restore The Constitution as the supreme law of the land, and re-establish the Declaration of Independence as the principled beacon for our national journey.

So, critics are welcome because their involvement suggests some level of thought and active engagement. Even if a critic believes that one particular issue or party holds the key for our national restoration, that’s “OK.” A first step is vital for the trek to get underway. It is my fervent wish that people who become seriously engaged in the restoration movement look beyond the symptoms (issues) to the causes (limiting liberty and violating the Constitution). The issues are the kindling that stokes the fires of passion, but the principles and the bedrock fundamentals are the elements that feed the passion and allow it to carry on.  To the critics and to those who are complimentary…….carry on. As for me, my weapons of choice are the keyboard and the microphone…..for now.

Comments:  cearlwriting@hotmail.com

www.littlestuff-minoosha.blogspot.com

Tue. & Wed., 6-7:00pm, 1370 WSPD, Toledo  www.wspd.com

Gimmicks and Tricks

Sleight of hand is commonplace in the halls of government power. Our superior elites continuously dazzle us with their “now you see it, now you don’t” routine of promises and broken vows. The pathways of United States’ history is littered with the shards of broken trust as our political masters pledge to be responsible….and fail, fail again and again. The most glaring recent example is the so-called “Super Committee.” I’ve witnessed more integrity and intelligence tumbling out of the clown car at the circus than I’ve observed from this bunch of worn out hacks. Yet, Boehner, Reid, McConnell and Pelosi smilingly go through the motions, precisely following their scripts, alternately sharing their fears and their hopes about the ultimate package for preserving our republic for another day…..just one day. Why one day? Because they are so weak-kneed they cannot kick the can any further down the road.

Perhaps I should not be so cynical because they have given me another twenty-four hours to prepare for our national and the global economic meltdown. Yes, I should be thankful for small favors. It is difficult, however because the people who are now offering me band aids for our nation’s fiscal woes, are the identical folks who severed our limbs of prosperity and liberty. In those rare instances where they were not directly responsible for our ills, they were droolingly complicit and compliant. I am fed up with gimmicks and tricks. I am sick of lying clueless politicians who seek to enrich themselves at my expense. I am tired of career politicians who “speak the speak” and say nothing. I am nauseated by slick political operatives who are continually trying to fool me. I am radically pissed by bureaucrats who sit in their cubicles and make life-altering choices for me. I am furious with all the single-digit I.Q. clowns who believe they know what’s best for me.

The elegant simplicity of the Declaration of Independence and The Constitution of the United States of America has been dragged through a cesspool of avarice and incompetence by a political and bureaucratic class that has no class…no common sense…no true compassion…no integrity…no honor…no principles…and no self-discipline. They have taken the second greatest guide for enlightened self government in human history and transformed it into a meaningless relic. They have stolen our treasure, our time and our dreams. They have grabbed our liberty and traded it for their egomaniacal power trips. They are not satisfied. They continue to assault our freedom and tax us into poverty. They consistently pass huge incomprehensible pieces of legislation that overwhelm our businesses, our citizens and our futures. If our political class and their bureaucratic henchmen were living under strict Sharia law, their hands would be severed from their lying thieving bodies. If they were living under early U.S. frontier justice, their twitching bodies would be dangling from a massive oak tree. If they were living in Revolutionary times, they would be hauling tail to Canada or back to England. So why do WE tolerate them?

So far you’ve probably concluded that I’m angry with politicians and bureaucrats. My seething does not stop with them. I am outraged by a soft, weak, dependent American populace that has NO sense of self-reliance. Sometimes I suspect that Gumby’s DNA has infiltrated our national gene pool. No spines, no bones of integrity and no firm understanding about the mess we are facing. Even people who pride themselves on their knowledge of and devotion to the Constitution vote for and support the Boehners and the McConnells because……”they’re not as bad as Democrats.” Scarlet fever isn’t as bad as typhoid, but neither one fits into my cavalcade of hits. No, both parties are guilty of writing and passing omnibus bills that are loaded with hand grenades and turds to foul the lives our citizens. Both parties have shared power and collusion for 150 years as they have led us or driven us down the path toward tyranny and away from our constitutional liberties. Both parties have protected and elected perverts, thieves, liars, adulterers and egotistical megalomaniacs. We have witnessed a massive bipartisan screwing, and we are either too weak or too cowardly to challenge the status quo. Perhaps we are too ignorant or too stupid to understand that liberty is a gift from God and must be preserved and protected….even when it’s our “friends” who are wresting it from us.

Sadly, I’m beginning to suspect that we have gone beyond the point of “no return.” I shall continue to scream, plead and goad my fellows into action and counter-action, but I intend to implement some personal remedies for the chaos that I see. From this point forward I declare our small acreage, The Little Pat-Ch of Paradise, as a sovereign state…seceding from all other political jurisdictions that claim dominance over our property. We shall henceforth be known as the nation of Patch on the continent of Paradise. If you drive past our new little nation and witness a cluster of jackbooted S.W.A.T. officers assaulting our place, take joy in the fact that the empire-building nation has once again taken on a weak little country. If history is a guide, we can hold out for ten years and collect billions in aid. Sounds like a plan.

Comment:  cearlwriting@hotmail.com

www.littlestuff-minoosha.blogspot.com

On the air Friday afternoon from 3-6:00pm for Brian Wilson.

1370 WSPD, Toledo   www.wspd.com