Not all have the same opportunities but we all can make the right choices. The level of maturity is measured by how we serve one another. It’s true the ones who provide goods and services for the betterment of the planet are the ones we complain, bitch about and try to bring down. As new knowledge present’s itself I live with an ever growing Biblical worldview. Jesus was the greatest servant of all time. The true enemy of the state tried to take Him out multiple times. The next big battle will be over the nation of Israel. Keep your eyes on her. He’s not finished with her just yet. Unfortunately the grievous conditions of the world today (I’m not minimizing them in anyway they are heartbreaking) are just distractions from what’s just around the corner.
Liked your comment. You might like this interesting Biblical viewpoint about voting Robert. Whether you agree with it is your choice of course. I don’t get into debates on here! Lol
Your organization's basic tenet and absolute rule that Jesus Christ was not the Son of God, but merely an ordinary man disqualifies you all in most things dealing with a true RELATIONSHIP with our Creator, pretty much from the get-go.
I'm absolutely sure you are NOT looking for a debate and the reasons are obvious.
I have reconsidered a bit after studying John 17:20-26 and the subsequent prayer by Jesus.
In a nutshell, one of Jesus' last prayers was that God would unite the different stripes of those who believe in Him, as He is united with the Father. In essence, the UNITY is much more important than the differences...
My attitude toward voting has changed from my younger days. I used to think my vote didn’t count simply because mathematically it didn’t. Then I realised that the entire tenuous idea of Democracy, or Constitutional Republicanism, didn’t hinge on the idea of “One Man, One Vote”. It hinged on the idea of good and right minded people not letting each other down. So I started thinking of my sacred duty to vote as a duty to not let my fellow Americans down - the ones that believe America is special and worth preserving. Then I eventually realised that the whole business is really a 3 legged stool, and that voting may not in fact be one of the legs, for at the end of the day it is a symptom rather than a cause. But that is arguable, with the argument hinging on there being a 4th leg of the stool, that being the sacred duty to both vote and to choose wisely and well. The 3 (or 4) legs of the stool that allow any Democratic form of government to both survive and thrive as a government of, by and for the people are God, Family and Education (and the well cast Vote of a right minded people). If we settle on a 4 legged stool then the construct says that if any 2 of them are compromised and fail then the stool cannot stand. If any one of them fails it is very unstable. This is where I believe America has gotten to. By the same token, if God, Family and Godly Education had not all been removed as bedrocks of our society, we wouldn’t need to be concerned about the Vote.
"Rather, they humbly cede the discovery process to free individuals acting in their own self-interest."
This pretty much nails it. The fact that this process is no longer allowed, taught, promoted or only takes place in a VERY minimal fashion is, IMO, one of the main drivers that has gotten us where we are today - swirling the drain with nary a lifeboat or ladder in sight. The saddest part is that so few people embrace this activity, or rarely bother to even consider its absence.
Or so the ones flushing the toilet would have us believe...
"Go west young man" and therein lies the real example of "NO GOVERMENT". Elect a wagon boss, follow the trail and all are judge and jury.. Private trails were build, land divided up and farms started.
Then the Gold Rush of 49 and it went well without the government, Murders were hanged the next
day, claim jumpers buried and men spent their money (gold) as they wished. The real smart started businesses selling shovels and not so smart went to work in the mines. But then the con men arrived and a government was created to cheat someone else out of what they had.
I am so impressed with Joel's essay today because he so adequately expressed what I think but could not have described nearly as well. Thank you for that, so sorely needed in this convoluted world that I find myself in. I forwarded this brilliant piece to family and friend. Thank you. E.N.
So thoughtful, articulate. Sounds like someone with a good “public school “ education. A delight to read, simply for the sheer pleasure of language itself. Reminds me of the level of writing seen in Gibbon, Macaulay, Roberts. Thank you for your writing. You are welcome at my brunch table any day.
Joel, From my recollection,I did not see in Obama's resume,that he had ever owned a business,which meant putting everything on the line (including his family) to succeed or fail.So when somebody speaks about small business,its only a great line of bullshit,when they have never put their balls on the line and taken the first step.Sums up most politicians and the people who support them
I have and it was worth it. Worked 65-70 hours a week for many years. I totally risked my family's finances but with hard work it paid off. I can't stand it when wage slaves tell me how lucky I am.
You make many good points, and your analysis is spot on, but you have missed a fundamental point concerning Obama's "you didn't build that" comment. The ancient Greek philosopher, Aristotle, once said that humans are the "rational animal". In other words, we have a rational mind - we can experience reality through our senses and interpret reality by using our rational mind, then think and take the actions to further our life. We can also build on knowledge that we have learned from other people. No other animal can do this - there is no advancement in "squirrel society" or any other animal society because they do not possess a rational mind. However, in order to advance one's knowledge and improve one's life, one must put in the intellectual effort oneself. A teacher cannot teach if a student is unwilling to learn. The teacher is acting in his/her self-interest by teaching and getting paid for it. The student must put in the effort to learn. All the advancements that have come before any individual's thoughts or actions have been done due to the self-interest of the people involved (that is, in a free society). It is sheer lunacy to believe that any one person can invent/build everything from scratch. There would be no progress. So, Obama, in his comment, is actually denying one very important aspect of human nature - human cooperation among free individuals and the individual use of one's mind. Whether or not roads or bridges were built by private enterprise or the government, is just a mere detail. An important one, but not a fundamental one. If anyone wants to explore this topic in detail, I encourage them to read the novel, Atlas Shrugged, by Ayn Rand; and then all the non-fiction books she wrote after that. Reading her works has sent me on an intellectual journey throughout my adult life.
Yes, the three movies were not impressive. The first one was okay, but it went downhill from there. The thing about Atlas Shrugged is that it is just the beginning of an understanding of the various issues we face today. Ayn Rand followed that up with several non-fiction works that delved deeper into the issues. How many thinkers today defend the free market (capitalism) on a moral basis? Very few. Ayn Rand understood that capitalism was based on individual rights and that these rights were based on the fact that humans have a rational mind which needs freedom to function.
Not only do your ideas resonate strongly with me, but your writing style and humor are very entertaining. The only other writers I have enjoyed more are H. L. Mencken and Bill Bonner.
I joined over ten years ago because Bill presented such clever and cogent writing, along with his contrarian economic views which I subscribe to. Joel, you have added further dimension to these writings which have been enjoyable and thought provoking. Thank you.
I compliment you and others at BPR for your writing skills. My negative comment, you guys all are stating the problems, we citizens need solutions. A few suggestions to start the process. First--disband & remove all government agencies, etc that aren't enumerated in Article I, Section 8 of the Constitution; all of the removed US Government agencies type governance can revert to the States. Second--require that any new law can't be enacted unless 10 older laws ones are rescinded and not included in the new law. Third--require that all politically elected and appointed personnel must be bound by legally enforceable contracts stating their duties and prescribed penalties (fines, prison time, etc.) for not performing those duties. Those that pass the contract hurdle must be 'interviewed' by an independent 3rd party every 5 years to confirm they are qualified for the position they hold or aspire to attain. Fourth--all members of congress must wear jumpsuits with colored areas representing their campaign contribution percentages.
But stepping back further, the ROOTS of most of our problems come from a horrible public "education" system that teaches the vast majority to NOT think under any circumstances, and a culture that promotes Apathy, Victimhood and Helplessness in EVERY facet of life.
Those are huge fires to try and extinguish, but if we could do it we might yet turn this thing around.
Homeschool/Charter schools can make a dent in #1.
As for #2? I don't know - Relationship with our Creator (NOT "religion") and parents that participate in and promote their kids' mental acuity and mental health might make a good start...
In 1849, John Fremont was headed to Northern California and Kearney was headed to Southern California on the Santa Fe Trail with Mormon soldiers he picked up in Iowa. All according to a plan backed by T H Benton to precipitate a war with Mexico.
If you read “Two years Before The Mast”, in 1835, Los Angelo’s, Santa Barbara, San Diego and San Francisco were small mission outposts. San Francisco Bay had one shack on its vast expanse.
In 1849, they also discovered gold at Sutters Mill.
By 1865, San Francisco was a metropolis of 250,000 and had been rebuilt three times. Many other cities sprang up on the prairies. All directed and built by cooperating individuals. All built without government intrusion; the people created the government necessary. They created America.
Good points, but I'm more hopeful. Such people still exist, because if they didn't then much of modern life wouldn't be possible! It's the people who show up every day out of a sense of duty, love, family, or whatever motivation, that political elites take for granted.
You sir create the same illusion of choice that you so decry. Your illusion is between government and none at all. Given my education and life experience, I believe that there is a middle ground that is preferable which is a government whose roll is limited to what is necessary to prevent abuse of power, greed and corruption from running amuck to the detriment of others. The dilemma is how to create a functioning political system that doesn't itself succumb to human nature which is rife with abuse of power, greed and corruption. In other words, how do we prevent our elected representatives from becoming "swamp creatures". I think that our political system has become dysfuntional, but I do believe that it could be repaired.
Some suggestions in this regard are more stringent term limits for any office and perhaps a limit on total government service, a total ban on corporate or other business political contributions, limits on the amount of political contributions to any one candidate by any one registered voter, political contributions be limited to registered voters in the districts in which a candidate or proposition is on the ballot. Simply put, corporations and businesses are not citizens and shouldn't be allowed to influence the outcome of elections with money. Also, politics should be public service and not a career. I also like the idea of adding "none of the above" to the ballot so that people are not forced to make a choice between unacceptable candidates but can demonstrate their opposition to the candidates. Also, it would be reasonable that a candidate that did not receive 50% of the total vote including "none of the above" not be elected. It may appear a bit comical, but we could also have a runoff between the leading candidate with less than 50% of the vote and "none of the above" to ensure that the candidate was truly unacceptable to the majority of voters
I would cite the deregulation of banks during the Clinton administration as just one example of why government regulation is necessary to prevent abuses in a free market system. The deregulation allowed cronies of the politicans in the "Too big to fail banks" to unleash their greed by gambling with other people's money and causing their banks to fail. Since the politicians had created the disaster, it was incumbent on them to bail out the failing banks to prevent harm to perhaps millions of innocent people. In my view, it is a proper role of government to protect people from this sort of abuse. I think that our anti-trust and fair-trade laws are necessary to keep free market capitalism in check.
I do agree that free market capitalism is the most efficient and effective economic system and that the intervention by goverment should be limited to preventing fraud and abuse. Having said all that, it is hard to envision how our entrenced "swamp creatures" can be induced to reform themselves.
Your ideas are very good..If only they could happen. It was hard to understand why some companies during the Subprime Mortgage crisis were saved and others that shouldn't have been were not saved. Hope we don't have to go through that again! I guess it called "politics."
The concept of "one man - one vote" is conceptually fair, but it ignores the need for well thought out solutions from the minds of well educated persons that are prepared for the decision making process.... this is the fallacy of this concept, as the vast majority of voters are maybe opinionated, but lack the knowledge or experience needed for accurate solutions.
Reminds me of a joke I make when anyone brings up a variation of a poll tax: perhaps all election ballots should be write-in instead of multiple choice. If you don’t even know the name of who you’re voting for, perhaps you haven’t researched the issues carefully enough!
Not all have the same opportunities but we all can make the right choices. The level of maturity is measured by how we serve one another. It’s true the ones who provide goods and services for the betterment of the planet are the ones we complain, bitch about and try to bring down. As new knowledge present’s itself I live with an ever growing Biblical worldview. Jesus was the greatest servant of all time. The true enemy of the state tried to take Him out multiple times. The next big battle will be over the nation of Israel. Keep your eyes on her. He’s not finished with her just yet. Unfortunately the grievous conditions of the world today (I’m not minimizing them in anyway they are heartbreaking) are just distractions from what’s just around the corner.
Liked your comment. You might like this interesting Biblical viewpoint about voting Robert. Whether you agree with it is your choice of course. I don’t get into debates on here! Lol
https://www.jw.org/finder?wtlocale=E&docid=501100057&srcid=share
Went to the cite you gave & read numerous articles. They were uplifting. Thx for sharing.
Thanks Jaqui I’ll check it out.
Ugh - Jehovah's Witness? Really??
Your organization's basic tenet and absolute rule that Jesus Christ was not the Son of God, but merely an ordinary man disqualifies you all in most things dealing with a true RELATIONSHIP with our Creator, pretty much from the get-go.
I'm absolutely sure you are NOT looking for a debate and the reasons are obvious.
Get thee behind me...
I’m sorry Jaqui’s comment upset you. I’m thankful for any comment yours included. No debate requested.
Hi Jaqui and Robert -
I have reconsidered a bit after studying John 17:20-26 and the subsequent prayer by Jesus.
In a nutshell, one of Jesus' last prayers was that God would unite the different stripes of those who believe in Him, as He is united with the Father. In essence, the UNITY is much more important than the differences...
My attitude toward voting has changed from my younger days. I used to think my vote didn’t count simply because mathematically it didn’t. Then I realised that the entire tenuous idea of Democracy, or Constitutional Republicanism, didn’t hinge on the idea of “One Man, One Vote”. It hinged on the idea of good and right minded people not letting each other down. So I started thinking of my sacred duty to vote as a duty to not let my fellow Americans down - the ones that believe America is special and worth preserving. Then I eventually realised that the whole business is really a 3 legged stool, and that voting may not in fact be one of the legs, for at the end of the day it is a symptom rather than a cause. But that is arguable, with the argument hinging on there being a 4th leg of the stool, that being the sacred duty to both vote and to choose wisely and well. The 3 (or 4) legs of the stool that allow any Democratic form of government to both survive and thrive as a government of, by and for the people are God, Family and Education (and the well cast Vote of a right minded people). If we settle on a 4 legged stool then the construct says that if any 2 of them are compromised and fail then the stool cannot stand. If any one of them fails it is very unstable. This is where I believe America has gotten to. By the same token, if God, Family and Godly Education had not all been removed as bedrocks of our society, we wouldn’t need to be concerned about the Vote.
"Rather, they humbly cede the discovery process to free individuals acting in their own self-interest."
This pretty much nails it. The fact that this process is no longer allowed, taught, promoted or only takes place in a VERY minimal fashion is, IMO, one of the main drivers that has gotten us where we are today - swirling the drain with nary a lifeboat or ladder in sight. The saddest part is that so few people embrace this activity, or rarely bother to even consider its absence.
Or so the ones flushing the toilet would have us believe...
Agreed and my mind occupies this thought regularly.
"Go west young man" and therein lies the real example of "NO GOVERMENT". Elect a wagon boss, follow the trail and all are judge and jury.. Private trails were build, land divided up and farms started.
Then the Gold Rush of 49 and it went well without the government, Murders were hanged the next
day, claim jumpers buried and men spent their money (gold) as they wished. The real smart started businesses selling shovels and not so smart went to work in the mines. But then the con men arrived and a government was created to cheat someone else out of what they had.
I am so impressed with Joel's essay today because he so adequately expressed what I think but could not have described nearly as well. Thank you for that, so sorely needed in this convoluted world that I find myself in. I forwarded this brilliant piece to family and friend. Thank you. E.N.
So thoughtful, articulate. Sounds like someone with a good “public school “ education. A delight to read, simply for the sheer pleasure of language itself. Reminds me of the level of writing seen in Gibbon, Macaulay, Roberts. Thank you for your writing. You are welcome at my brunch table any day.
Bill in Parkdale
Joel, From my recollection,I did not see in Obama's resume,that he had ever owned a business,which meant putting everything on the line (including his family) to succeed or fail.So when somebody speaks about small business,its only a great line of bullshit,when they have never put their balls on the line and taken the first step.Sums up most politicians and the people who support them
I have and it was worth it. Worked 65-70 hours a week for many years. I totally risked my family's finances but with hard work it paid off. I can't stand it when wage slaves tell me how lucky I am.
You make many good points, and your analysis is spot on, but you have missed a fundamental point concerning Obama's "you didn't build that" comment. The ancient Greek philosopher, Aristotle, once said that humans are the "rational animal". In other words, we have a rational mind - we can experience reality through our senses and interpret reality by using our rational mind, then think and take the actions to further our life. We can also build on knowledge that we have learned from other people. No other animal can do this - there is no advancement in "squirrel society" or any other animal society because they do not possess a rational mind. However, in order to advance one's knowledge and improve one's life, one must put in the intellectual effort oneself. A teacher cannot teach if a student is unwilling to learn. The teacher is acting in his/her self-interest by teaching and getting paid for it. The student must put in the effort to learn. All the advancements that have come before any individual's thoughts or actions have been done due to the self-interest of the people involved (that is, in a free society). It is sheer lunacy to believe that any one person can invent/build everything from scratch. There would be no progress. So, Obama, in his comment, is actually denying one very important aspect of human nature - human cooperation among free individuals and the individual use of one's mind. Whether or not roads or bridges were built by private enterprise or the government, is just a mere detail. An important one, but not a fundamental one. If anyone wants to explore this topic in detail, I encourage them to read the novel, Atlas Shrugged, by Ayn Rand; and then all the non-fiction books she wrote after that. Reading her works has sent me on an intellectual journey throughout my adult life.
I second “Atlas Shrugged”. The movie was terrible, but the book will keep you up at night reading. An amazing & extremely thought provoking work.
Yes, the three movies were not impressive. The first one was okay, but it went downhill from there. The thing about Atlas Shrugged is that it is just the beginning of an understanding of the various issues we face today. Ayn Rand followed that up with several non-fiction works that delved deeper into the issues. How many thinkers today defend the free market (capitalism) on a moral basis? Very few. Ayn Rand understood that capitalism was based on individual rights and that these rights were based on the fact that humans have a rational mind which needs freedom to function.
Joel,
Just another wonderful SESH; Thank you.............
Not only do your ideas resonate strongly with me, but your writing style and humor are very entertaining. The only other writers I have enjoyed more are H. L. Mencken and Bill Bonner.
I joined over ten years ago because Bill presented such clever and cogent writing, along with his contrarian economic views which I subscribe to. Joel, you have added further dimension to these writings which have been enjoyable and thought provoking. Thank you.
I compliment you and others at BPR for your writing skills. My negative comment, you guys all are stating the problems, we citizens need solutions. A few suggestions to start the process. First--disband & remove all government agencies, etc that aren't enumerated in Article I, Section 8 of the Constitution; all of the removed US Government agencies type governance can revert to the States. Second--require that any new law can't be enacted unless 10 older laws ones are rescinded and not included in the new law. Third--require that all politically elected and appointed personnel must be bound by legally enforceable contracts stating their duties and prescribed penalties (fines, prison time, etc.) for not performing those duties. Those that pass the contract hurdle must be 'interviewed' by an independent 3rd party every 5 years to confirm they are qualified for the position they hold or aspire to attain. Fourth--all members of congress must wear jumpsuits with colored areas representing their campaign contribution percentages.
Any new law can't be enacted unless 10 older laws ones are rescinded! Simple and brilliant
The real problem is powerful lobbying/special interest groups.
Hi Guy -
Yes, they are a real problem.
But stepping back further, the ROOTS of most of our problems come from a horrible public "education" system that teaches the vast majority to NOT think under any circumstances, and a culture that promotes Apathy, Victimhood and Helplessness in EVERY facet of life.
Those are huge fires to try and extinguish, but if we could do it we might yet turn this thing around.
Homeschool/Charter schools can make a dent in #1.
As for #2? I don't know - Relationship with our Creator (NOT "religion") and parents that participate in and promote their kids' mental acuity and mental health might make a good start...
In 1849, John Fremont was headed to Northern California and Kearney was headed to Southern California on the Santa Fe Trail with Mormon soldiers he picked up in Iowa. All according to a plan backed by T H Benton to precipitate a war with Mexico.
If you read “Two years Before The Mast”, in 1835, Los Angelo’s, Santa Barbara, San Diego and San Francisco were small mission outposts. San Francisco Bay had one shack on its vast expanse.
In 1849, they also discovered gold at Sutters Mill.
By 1865, San Francisco was a metropolis of 250,000 and had been rebuilt three times. Many other cities sprang up on the prairies. All directed and built by cooperating individuals. All built without government intrusion; the people created the government necessary. They created America.
Such people no longer exist.
Good points, but I'm more hopeful. Such people still exist, because if they didn't then much of modern life wouldn't be possible! It's the people who show up every day out of a sense of duty, love, family, or whatever motivation, that political elites take for granted.
Obama's sixth grade logic and philosophy was good enough to fool half of the nation.
It's sad really.
You sir create the same illusion of choice that you so decry. Your illusion is between government and none at all. Given my education and life experience, I believe that there is a middle ground that is preferable which is a government whose roll is limited to what is necessary to prevent abuse of power, greed and corruption from running amuck to the detriment of others. The dilemma is how to create a functioning political system that doesn't itself succumb to human nature which is rife with abuse of power, greed and corruption. In other words, how do we prevent our elected representatives from becoming "swamp creatures". I think that our political system has become dysfuntional, but I do believe that it could be repaired.
Some suggestions in this regard are more stringent term limits for any office and perhaps a limit on total government service, a total ban on corporate or other business political contributions, limits on the amount of political contributions to any one candidate by any one registered voter, political contributions be limited to registered voters in the districts in which a candidate or proposition is on the ballot. Simply put, corporations and businesses are not citizens and shouldn't be allowed to influence the outcome of elections with money. Also, politics should be public service and not a career. I also like the idea of adding "none of the above" to the ballot so that people are not forced to make a choice between unacceptable candidates but can demonstrate their opposition to the candidates. Also, it would be reasonable that a candidate that did not receive 50% of the total vote including "none of the above" not be elected. It may appear a bit comical, but we could also have a runoff between the leading candidate with less than 50% of the vote and "none of the above" to ensure that the candidate was truly unacceptable to the majority of voters
I would cite the deregulation of banks during the Clinton administration as just one example of why government regulation is necessary to prevent abuses in a free market system. The deregulation allowed cronies of the politicans in the "Too big to fail banks" to unleash their greed by gambling with other people's money and causing their banks to fail. Since the politicians had created the disaster, it was incumbent on them to bail out the failing banks to prevent harm to perhaps millions of innocent people. In my view, it is a proper role of government to protect people from this sort of abuse. I think that our anti-trust and fair-trade laws are necessary to keep free market capitalism in check.
I do agree that free market capitalism is the most efficient and effective economic system and that the intervention by goverment should be limited to preventing fraud and abuse. Having said all that, it is hard to envision how our entrenced "swamp creatures" can be induced to reform themselves.
Your ideas are very good..If only they could happen. It was hard to understand why some companies during the Subprime Mortgage crisis were saved and others that shouldn't have been were not saved. Hope we don't have to go through that again! I guess it called "politics."
Great ideas BUT: Turkeys don't vote for Christmas
The concept of "one man - one vote" is conceptually fair, but it ignores the need for well thought out solutions from the minds of well educated persons that are prepared for the decision making process.... this is the fallacy of this concept, as the vast majority of voters are maybe opinionated, but lack the knowledge or experience needed for accurate solutions.
Reminds me of a joke I make when anyone brings up a variation of a poll tax: perhaps all election ballots should be write-in instead of multiple choice. If you don’t even know the name of who you’re voting for, perhaps you haven’t researched the issues carefully enough!