Showing posts with label creativity. Show all posts
Showing posts with label creativity. Show all posts

Monday, April 2, 2012

Isolation, Insulation and Ignorance


You are probably aware that all of the intelligence of the nation resides in either Washington, D.C. or New York…..with a few outliers in Los Angeles. The remainder of us are incurable blockheads who are who are doomed to lives of meaningless meandering because we do not have the advantages of those who reside in the seats of power. We, the little people, are incapable of managing our own affairs, choosing our own directions or enjoying the fruits of individual liberty. Our “betters” believe that we are incompetent nincompoops who are amazingly fortunate to get through any day without the strong arm of government either aiding or coercing us for our own good.

The elite intelligentsia attend the same parties, the same restaurants and pass one another in the hallowed halls of power. Their individual knowledge and wisdom merge into a collection of “everything that is right” just as a simple tomato loses it individuality when tossed into a churning bubbling pot of homemade vegetable soup. Anyone who is familiar with homemade vegetable soup knows that every cook has a unique formula…a one-of-a kind recipe. The self-appointed elites however have determined that their version of basic nutrition is the only acceptable one. As the various power-center cooks “refine’ the soup that they have determined we should swallow, it becomes blander and blander until the lusty values of the tasty vegetables have been replaced by a thin broth-like gruel. Bon Appetite, Serfs.

Those of us who reside in “flyover country” do not have the advantage of basking in the lavishly shared wisdom of the elite opinion makers in our sophisticated centers of power. We struggle in the hinterlands to survive and thrive without the benefits of the daily council of the wise ones whose incestuous ideas solidify into a mass of irrefutable collective wisdom that is transformed into conventional wisdom for everyone in our stumbling republic. We who live in the corners of the nation are, in the view of our elite betters, are obsessed with the price of hogs, the availability of the right brake pads and the finalists for “Dancing with the Stars.” Matters of state and policy appear to be beyond our concerns, and certainly beyond our capacities for understanding them. The complexities of government and country are far too difficult for those who don cowboy hats, John Deere caps and Pittsburgh Steeler’s regalia. It seems as if the elite minds that call the shots are unaware that Wal-Mart, K-Mart and Walgreen’s shoppers are humans. They seem to think that we who do not have a significant place at the national table are either sub-human or barely-human. It is obvious that they (the elites) have never experienced the thrilling moment when a Wal-Mart “happy face” suddenly appears above a coveted item.

Our leadership class from the centers of power can be identified by their uniforms…..actually their copycat sartorial sameness. They can also be detected by their tendencies to self-aggregate. In other words, they rarely mingle with others who are not like them. They are rigid segregationists. They….who believe themselves to be in the center of it all….are isolated and marginalized. Their incessant inbreeding has caused their power-hungry species to become more stupid, less creative and more committed to failed schemes from the past….it’s in their ever-weakening DNA. While they are becoming increasingly isolated, their collective group-think has allowed them to hold the reins of power with a singular purpose. In their isolation and their obsession with power, their ignorance about those of us who do the work, pay the bills and build the nation has increased. They do not know us, and they do not value us.

The people, you and me, have proven time after time that we can solve our problems, live our lives, and responsibly exercise our freedom. The ignorant isolated elites do not have the on-the-ground resources and creativity of our citizens who face obstacles every day and must discover means for overcoming them. Their self-important attitudes deny the creative energy of the people in the flyover regions of the nation. They assume that we are too feeble to “fix things.” Their isolation, insulation and in-bred ignorance are leading us down the path of destruction and despair. Because they insist on implementing their elite controls of lawmaking, regulation and rule-making, they are thwarting the capacity and the creativity of us who do the work.

History has shown us that for the long run, the concentration of power dilutes the innovative impulses of the people. True progress is not a product of “progressive” government. Real strides in the human condition are a result of the creative energy of the people being unleashed to search, discover and develop new and better products and methods for “doing things.” Unshackled liberty is the foundation for risk taking and creative development. Free to choose is more than just a slogan. It represents a national (perhaps even global) mindset that encourages people to discover and to flourish. Isolation, insulation and ignorance are the descriptors of those who presume to lead us. If they are allowed to continue and to amass more power, they will direct us to the abyss of despair. We are smarter than that. We must fight and resist our in-bred elites. We must say “NO.”

     

Tuesday, July 12, 2011

Liberty-First, Foremost and Forever


Liberty is the basis of living. Without freedom, without the opportunity to make one’s own decisions and choices, a person becomes a ward…a supplicant…chattel for someone or something. The individual who does not inhale the fresh air of freedom may be bound to the fecklessness of the state…never knowing  which rule, law or regulation he or she may be violating at any given moment. The individual whose freedom has been taken by another person is a slave, and the person who submits his freedom to another person or a state is a fool. Throughout human history individuals have battled for freedom from the chains of oppression while others have willingly yielded to the fetters of others. Those who have struggled for freedom have nourished the spark of humanity within their souls while the others who have chosen to forfeit their liberty have assumed the posture of domesticated beasts of burden.

When someone surrenders her liberty, she is, in essence, admitting that she’s either incapable of or too lazy to manage her own affairs. Choosing dependence and supplication as a lifestyle destroys the humanity of the dependent. Initiative and creativity become blunted, and the dependent individual becomes a constant grumbler about the quantity and quality of the care provided by the controller/director/master. The motto for the purposeful supplicant could be: Bitch, moan and whine while taking the freebies provided by others. Intentional dependency leads to a death by a thousand cuts as one’s self-worth, self-esteem and confidence are slowly eroded away. Even with the strongest mindset of entitlement comes the uncertainty that the provider may tire of the arrangement…leaving the hapless, thoughtless dependent to forage for survival.

Learning is a byproduct of one’s pursuing something new. The goal may be firmly fixed in the mind of the seeker, but the nuggets of knowledge acquired during the quest are usually unanticipated. Liberty opens the portals of exploration and innovation whereas dependence deadens curiosity and ambition. Free people are learners. Dependent drones are not. Learning is the only mechanism for a society or culture to advance. No one can invent or create if one is unaware of what has already been accomplished or attempted. Dependents are condemned to the status quo because of their failure to learn…to broaden their horizons. Achieving and reaching goals is impossible when one is immobile.

The people of our nation seem to have lost their respect for liberty. We can see that attitude reflected in the abysmal performance of our students on so many levels. Quality service has become a rarity in many of our commercial encounters. Rudeness and crudity are abundant in the marketplace and on our public streets. True liberty requires that one be accountable and responsible for one’s actions, and does not intentionally interfere with the actions, lives or property of others. In other words liberty contains a rich component of respect for others without being obsequious. A person who respects liberty will perform at her highest level possible because of the commitment to responsible behavior. Observers sometimes confuse those who have no responsibility as enjoying freedom, but in fact they are dependent on others—individuals or institutions—for their guidance and direction. Their “free and easy lives” are illusionary and self destructive.

Liberty, personal freedom, must be the primary motivator if a society is to prosper. A dependent social structure cannot succeed because the producers withdraw from meaningful activity, and dependents do not produce in a significant way. When producers have been turned loose to perform at their highest level, the entire community reaps the benefits. Freedom is the critical component for a growing society whether it be in economics, the arts or any other aspect for measuring the progress of a nation.

Liberty is the most essential element for building a positively dynamic country. Liberty is the most critical attribute for maintaining a society committed to growth. Liberty is absolutely vital if a nation is to survive. Thousands of despotic or tyrannical regimes have disintegrated on the ash heap of history. Many dozens of existing nations are suffocating under repressive governments and have lost their zest for excellence. Liberty offers the only means for energetic and creative citizens to flourish, and as they prosper, the nation benefits. Dependence leads to decay and despair….and tyranny.

Liberty, individual liberty, must be the first value of a nation. Liberty must be the preeminent protected value of a people. Liberty for all, for all time should be the dream of a free people…first, foremost and forever.