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

   

Side Effects and Disclaimers

If you watch television or listen to radio, you are familiar with the disclaimers that follow pharmaceutical ads, automobile ads and banking commercials. The pharma spots include side effects and warnings about the impact of the drug. Automotive commercials inform you about the terms, down payments and warranty issues. The banking and occasional ads for investment services warn of minimum deposits and note which federal agency insures you from total loss. The disclaimers substitute for the multiple “whereas” clauses you might have in a contract if you decided to engage in one. They are intended to be cautionary and provide some measure of full disclosure. But do they?

To me the pharmaceutical commercials are particularly annoying. They use approximately 20 seconds extolling the wondrous aspects of the super drug then follow it with ten high-speed, barely discernible seconds of potential side effects and deadly outcomes. “Your headache will be gone, but your arms and legs will fall off.” Listening to them makes one wonder about the true value of medicated state today. Have we minimized the initial problems only to be plagued by a number of dangerous side effects? Is the trade off worth it? Our interactions with government operate in a similar manner. We may believe that we have an immediate solution to a pressing problem, but are the long term consequences ultimately more harmful than the original issue. When you invite the monster into the house, the monster takes over the household, eats all the food and defecates wherever he wishes.  So when we take the government remedy, the side effects are huge.

The automobile solicitations create another type of disclaimer issue. The data are factual “a new car for $139.00 per month,” but the devil is in the details….$3500.00 cash or trade down for 72 months plus tax and title. Again we have a similarity to how our various levels of government operate. The sale….the sizzle…looks great and sounds great, but when the REAL cost is factored, we discover the government deal is not so hot after all. Government always sells us the benefits of a given program and never discloses the downside or actual cost over the long term. To continue our analogy….government begins to add new accessories to our car shortly after the sale is made thus adding to the cost. They fail, however, to tell us about the negative impact of the add-ons and the long-term ramifications of the additional costs.

The banking and investment disclaimer is a different type. It basically is targeted to assure you that if the bank or firms fails, the “government” insures the account holder. Think about it. Government regulates banks and brokerage houses. Government tells them how to operate and function. Government monitors them with strict reporting requirements. If they fail despite all the government involvement and oversight, the taxpayers will make the investors or depositors “whole.” Why? Is the insurance necessary because bankers and brokers are inherently corrupt? Is the insurance required because the extensive government regulatory structure is inept or incompetent? Why must the taxpayer be on the hook? Why not practice caveat emptor and allow the free market to reign?

Once again we have a circumstance wherein government requires the private sector and citizens to comply with obnoxious rules, regulations and laws that the government itself does not have to obey. Shouldn’t every proposed law include its constitutional justification plus it’s never ending list of potential side effects and consequences?  Should not every rule, regulation and law have a realistic assessment of the actual costs incurred plus the costly impact on other sectors? If government is going to micro manage and regulate so many aspects of our lives, should not the taxpayer be held “faultless” if the government itself was responsible for fraud or failure?

Hey…I know I’m blowing smoke here. I know that our imperial government will NEVER accept responsibility for its actions and the resulting unintended consequences of its actions. I know government will never project the true cost of anything for two reasons: they are incapable of cost-factoring complexity and they cannot pass the noxious rule or law if the people are aware of the real cost. I also know that when government errs, we pay….and pay…..and pay. Unfortunately you and I know too much. When government is small (constitutionally small), its negative reach and impact is minimized. When government is small, projects and initiatives are more modest and more easily cost-factored. When government is small, it is the referee that protects the rulebook, but insists that the players assume their own risks. When government is small, the people prosper and freedom reigns.

Comment:  cearlwriting@hotmail.com

www.littlestuff-minoosha.blogspot.com

Tuesday 6-7:00pm, 1370 WSPD, Toledo  www.wspd.com

Living, Liberty and Pursuing

Life is important. Without it we won’t get much done on this earth. As someone who believes that life is the gift from God, I must insist that my government treat life as the preeminent entitlement. After all every other entitlement conceived by the fertile minds of misguided men assumes that one must be alive to “enjoy” the benefits of government “goodness”…. which means that government forcibly takes from some people to redistribute to others. Life is different, however because the government need not rob life from one person to ensure the life of another. All that government must do is to acknowledge life, to honor it and to protect it. Aside from those three elements, the best thing that government can do to enrich our lives is to stay out of the way and allow us to live as we see fit.

Life without liberty or freedom becomes mere existence…a constant daily grind to survive and avoid the pain that accompanies the shackles of tyranny. To live life without liberty is similar to one who is trapped in a hospital while connected to a ventilator. The body is alive, but the spirit may be catatonic….or immobile. Living without laughter, loving or liberty is a cold proposition, and when one’s spirit is prevented from soaring and savoring the array of life that liberty offers, one turns cold and unresponsive. The loss of liberty deadens the soul, thus we can anecdotally conclude that our souls, our humanity can best be developed when we are free. If we are enslaved whether physically, emotionally or metaphorically, we lose our capacity to fully develop our potential. Without liberty we cannot pursue our dreams and goals. Without life and liberty, pursuit is fruitless.

Pursuing one’s potential can be an exhilarating endeavor. In some respects chasing a goal of any type can get one’s juices flowing. That is why competition is so highly valued, and competitive contests draw large audiences. When the rules are rigged, the competition loses its glamour. When the deck is stacked, the competitors become discouraged. The pursuit of happiness or fulfillment as our ancestors would define it is a natural inclination, but if the government or any other overbearing entity impedes or prevents one’s quest, the joy of the pursuit is dissipated. Following dreams and chasing ideas are natural functions of a free people. If individuals are denied their innate desire to achieve, their creative energies are sapped. Their inherent competitive instincts become muted, and their attempts to achieve become feeble and ineffectual. Government control of the individual’s yearning to build, to improve or to advance the human condition leads to a half-hearted, half-measured effort because the rules harm the competitor.

Freedom to live. Freedom to learn. Freedom to yearn and freedom to grow are not simple mindless statements. They reflect the very essence of who we are. I can recall when the Soviet Union was at its apex, and the people appeared to move around without protest and unresponsive to the abominations they were forced to endure. I could not fathom why nearly an entire nation would be so cowed and so compliant. Today I understand because after the Berlin Wall was dismantled only a small percentage of the Soviet citizens grasped their freedom with vigor and joy. For most of them, their reliance on the apparatus of the state had replaced their individuality. Their potential to enjoy the blessings of liberty had atrophied under the harsh direction of the government. They had lost their zest for the pursuit of happiness because their individual liberties were but distant memories and their lives were in the hands of their government.

Whereas the government should be morally obligated to protect and defend the lives of its citizens, the Soviet Communists insisted that individual lives be submerged for the good of the collective state. When the state is the dominant entity in the relationship with its constituents, the people’s spirit suffers and the state is weakened. When the individual life and the individual’s freedom are central to the existence of the state, the nation will flourish, the people will prosper and the pursuit of individual happiness will shower everyone in the country with blessings and bounty. When the human spirit, embedded with the spark from God, is allowed to shine, the sum of the parts (the people) is always greater than the whole (the country). Why is this so?  Because as the nation reaps the benefits of a creative energetic free citizenry, others will enhance and advance the benefits even further. Liberty when left alone has no limits. Life when lived in liberty has no barriers. To truly live life as our Creator intended is to enjoy the fruits of liberty while pursuing our individual fulfillment. For any government or other entity to deny their people the opportunity to thrive is a crime against Nature and Nature’s Author.

Comment: cearlwriting@hotmail.com

www.littlestuff-minoosha.blogspot.com

Who Cares Who Pays?

Recent revelations about preferred and legal insider trading by members of Congress ( see Throw Them All Out by Peter Schweizer) have led to a mini-outcry of disgust. Many citizens, rightly so, object to our $175 thousand dollar per year “public servants” enriching themselves through advance knowledge and ethical loopholes. In addition some studies have indicated that the public sector bureaucracy is paid significantly better than their private sector cohorts when their lucrative benefit packages are included. So, it would appear on the surface that our continually-growing government structure takes care of its own while expecting the rest of us to foot the bill. That is what we see “on the surface.” Their collectivist gobbling of our labor, property and wages is even worse than it appears. We taxpayers are also paying through the nose and the rectal region for government-endorsed “good works.”

Google this: List of US Federal Government Funding Programs.

You will discover an exhaustive compilation of programs, agencies, departments and bureaus in league with their NGO “partners” to provide innumerable services and outreach efforts through government-nonprofit partnerships. At first glance this would appear to be a form of privatization that most strict constitutionalists would welcome. Many of the studies and services, however, are directed in areas outside the federal constitutional mandate and constitute a cleverly disguised government intrusion. In addition because of the federal dollars that are funneled into the huge number of quasi private sector organizations, our taxes are being used for many specious illegal and unconstitutional activities.

Even more egregious is that realization that the executives and staff of the NGO’s are not direct government employees, and thus, are not subject to government classifications and pay scales. Their executives, researchers and employees can earn salaries that would make a Wall-Streeter blush with no accountability to the taxpaying public. We pay the tab, government issues the grant and the NGO’s and non-profits reap the benefits. As an example, Planned Parenthood receives $350 million in federal funds….roughly 35% of its annual revenue. It is estimated that the PP CEO receives in excess of $900,000.00 per year. We might ask: 1) Why fund Planned Parenthood?; 2) Why fund them so lavishly?;  3) Why allow their CEO to be paid so much when taxpayers are contributing such a large portion of PP’s revenue?; and 4) Why is there no publication of actual pay and benefits for Planned Parenthood executives and staff when there are so many public dollars flowing into their immoral coffers?

I’m picking on Planned Parenthood because I loathe them, but there are many other NGO’s that engage in the same type of shell game and profitable agenda setting using the sweat of your brows, the loss of your financial freedom and the siphoning of your tax dollars to feather their own nests and promote their ideologies. Their so-called “concerned leaders” are paid extraordinarily well, and their motives undermine the spirit of the Founders and the Framers. For those of us who urge that the private sector have a greater role in delivering services and goods versus direct government payment…we must insist that the enterprise be a totally private sector one and not a bogus cooperative scam. These public-private joint operations are an affront to our liberty because many of the groups promote ideals that conflict with our constitutional guarantees while allowing government influence and power to expand with so-called arms-length transactions. The bottom line is that you are by means of government force required to pay for policies, procedures and practices that are antithetical to our individual freedom.

Because government, primarily the House of Representatives, controls the purse strings, there is no justification for their funding such onerous and wasteful programs. In some respects government grants and underwriting violate the very laws that government itself implements. Partial birth abortion and some Planned Parenthood clinics illustrate the folly of using public money to subsidize private aims. Just as government should NOT be choosing winners and losers in the private sector, so too should government appropriations be forbidden for specific social policies and preferences.

Government is wasteful and has no conscience. If it or they can force you to pay money so they can give it to someone or something else, they will. We have witnessed that “right to work” is becoming an issue in many states. We must insist that the “right not to pay” for wasteful and dangerous government-NGO partnerships becomes a national movement.

Comment: cearlwriting@hotmail.com

www.littlestuff-minoosha.blogspot.com