Palpating Liberty

Back in the day when I was a young lad on the farm we would occasionally have the veterinarian palpate some of our cows. He would check them for pregnancy. We did have times and dates of the cows’ assignations with the bull or with the A.I. technician from the Northern Ohio Breeders Association, but after a time we would want to know if certain members of the herd had “took.” If the doc failed to find any evidence of a tiny calf forming, we would have to rebreed the cow or re-introduce her to “Major,” the 2500 pound behemoth. It was a minor but critical procedure in our operation of the dairy farm.

Palpating liberty is a vital task if we have any hope at all for saving our Republic. For far too long too many of our fellow citizens have been   unaware and unconcerned about the socialist path we have been following. Most of them grumble and complain about various aspects of the government and our society. They may even acknowledge that government is too large and becoming increasingly oppressive, but have they internalized those sentiments? Or are they “just talk” with little emotional or intellectual investment by the grouser? Clearly the performance of Congress following the 2010 elections indicates that many more constitutional loyalists and freedom defenders must be elected. The best method for selecting and electing such people is to expand the universe of voters for that (our) type of candidate.

The need for more people to formally or informally join the cadre of constitutional restorers is why we must develop the art of palpating for liberty. When we encounter someone who expresses disbelief or disgust with the latest government over reach or foul up, we should probe (figuratively speaking) them to discern just how deep-seated their frustration may be. Questions always work better than statements for ascertaining someone’s point of view. Definitive assertions may drive them into a defensive posture and solidify their former allegiances. Questions about the role of government or the effectiveness of government programs may elicit more candid responses and create an opening for sharing with them that if our Constitution were honored, then we wouldn’t have the plethora of difficulties we have today because government would be restrained from “minding our business.” This short Q & A with a disgruntled colleague or friend should generate enough information for you and me to detect an embryonic thirst for liberty…..or the absence of one.

Some people routinely complain about the government with no principle or philosophical foundation. For example you may know of a man who complains about his wife’s spending habits when, in reality, she’s the thrifty one of the family. Same with those who complain about government but never think it through. They do not understand that their demands on government, their attitudes about government involvement and their acceptance of government control make them partially responsible for the current mess. They have not bothered to reason why the system isn’t working. They just know that it’s dysfunctional and so they complain. They have no investment in change, however because they have not yet decided that reformation is necessary. Their discontent is shallow and unfocused. Liberty has not yet been internally implanted in them.

Obviously we can use every ally possible as we seek to restore our Republic to its original purpose, but if we attempt to ignite the passions of those who have not yet become pregnant with the idea of personal freedom, we may instead encourage them to form a counter-force. Their natural resistance to change may overcome their whining complaints about government. Perhaps they have believed that they ALWAYS get the short end of the bargain, and they prefer their current impotent status to an unknown future than may not include the taxpayer funded “safety nets.” So as we build our alliance for liberty and restoration, we must not assume that the grumbling discontent will be with us. Her or his mind understands that “things aren’t right,” but he or she has not yet experienced the internal transformational germination of liberty. The concept exists but the passion does not.

As we palpate our acquaintances to detect their intensity for liberty, we should actively recruit those who have clearly “seen the light” and fear for the future if matters continue as they are. Those whose unhappiness is limited to the surface should be encouraged to study and pay attention to current events, but they should not be pressured into voting. Without the internal seed for freedom, they will tend to support the status quo. At the risk of sounding calloused and indifferent, I must confess that “Get Out the Vote” makes me angry. Unmotivated voters always seek to maintain the present circumstances and are generally less informed than those who want reform. Of course the career political class and their entrenched buddies are aware of voter dynamics, and diligently work to get every species of animal life to the polls.

If we truly desire a rebirth of liberty and a restoration of our Republic, then we must palpate the people to find those who share our aims….and those who do not. Questions lead to answers and answers help us to determine if the seed of freedom has been implanted. We must work to give liberty that chance to grow, and resist the growth of the government structure that seeks to extinguish freedom.

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Self Interest versus Entitlement

Ayn Rand and her philosophical point of view resonate with many in the liberty movement. The simplified explanation of Objectivist thought is that unfettered self-interest is the ideal motivation for each person to achieve her/his greatest potential. The underlying assumption is that if each individual is free to pursue his dreams and goals without government control or intervention, then society will benefit as the creative impulse improves the environment for all. Also, the Objectivists reject the notion of social pressure or political correctness as a determinate for directing the actions of a person who relies on self-interest as a guiding force. The “Mind your own business,” leave me alone,” and “Don’t tread on me” philosophy is the recognition that each individual possesses the ability to chart his/her own course through life.

Personally, I subscribe to the Objectivist-Christian view of our role on earth. I do believe that the pursuit of self-interest and self-fulfillment coupled with a truly charitable impulse is the optimum way to serve God and maximize my individual potential. Many confuse “self-interest” with “selfishness.” An individual or company that engages in a self-interested pursuit does not cheat, does not spread falsehoods about competitors, and in turn, does not expect favorable benefits or unfair advantages (e.g. government subsidies or insider trading). It’s nearly impossible to address all the facets of the self-interest driven life versus the selfishly motivated one, but I’ll attempt to use a sports metaphor. The self-interested person “plays within himself,” while the selfish boor continues to grab and consume beyond his capacity to do so wisely. Selfishness is greed. Self-interest is the prudent maximization of individual potential.

Those who are zealous about personal liberty sometimes encounter others who accuse them of being greedy or selfish because they want to limit the government’s control over their lives, their labor and their property. The critics fail to realize, however, that it is the interventionist entitlement mentality that most represents unrestrained greed and selfishness. The organization or individual who insists that others provide the living or lifestyle for those who do not utilize their energy or talents for their own well-being are truly the parasites of society. Greed is NOT keeping what you’ve earned, but rather keeping what someone else has labored to produce. Selfishness is NOT using your talent and property to achieve its greatest efficiency. Selfishness is the expectation that others have an obligation to provide for you that which you are unwilling to acquire for yourself.

Now we come to entitlements. By definition an entitlement is something you receive merely for being YOU. No earning, no extraordinary effort and no persistence are required for you to be the “entitled” recipient. In today’s political parlance, if someone were to complain about the high cost and wasteful nature of entitlement spending, the commentator is immediately characterized as greedy or selfish….even though the concept of entitlement represents the epitome of greed and selfishness. The progressives and their brain-dead political fellow travelers have succeeded in distorting the meanings and values of vital elements of character. Self-interest has become an undesirable trait, and entitlement carries the trappings of nobility. What is up is down. Correspondingly, in some quarters scamming the system has become an admirable endeavor, and those who play by the rules are labeled “chumps.”  

The elephant in the room in this discussion is the government…at all levels. It is government who creates entitlements, expands them and determines who receives them. It is government who unconstitutionally and contrary to natural law limits personal freedom, confiscates the product of peoples’ labor and seizes or restricts their property. It is government who continually thwarts the efforts of the self-interested citizen by regulating and limiting his activity. It is government and its toady supporters who define up as down. The self-interested producers must train, educate and inform those who will listen about the necessity for self interest. The producers must capture the reins of government, or we shall fail. If we fail, the fragile house of entitlement will collapse, and the entitlement mindset will finally achieve that to which it is entitled.

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