Nations are living organisms: biological – with an emphasis on logical – made up, obviously, of living, breathing people who share basic concepts of right, wrong, love, family, economics and social status. The health of the nation connects to the health of its members, physically, but also to the health of its beliefs, religious and otherwise. Some nations started because of religious beliefs, but most are or were tribal. Weaving through hundreds or thousands of years of history – perhaps “progress” – nations either progress evenly enough that its members accept, over time, their relationships to political power-holders, elected or otherwise. It is a function of “social status” noted earlier.
Wars change nations, usually by a form of cruel, expensive, bloody separation or segregation: almost purification. If there were some semblance of justice in the origins and results of war, stronger nations, healthier nations, will result. Former amalgamations of nations are distilled apart leaving nations comprised of people who more evenly – fairly – share the basic concepts of life and cooperation listed at the beginning of this observation.
Historians, of course, amidst their natural biases, justify or castigate wars along a spectrum of perceived fairness or righteousness in their origins. However, time reveals the health of nations following the wrenching of war, and the correctness of the new or modified nation’s composition. Is the society healthy? Do its members accept, if not reinforce one another? Is there a path for the divisions of social status to soften or encourage improvement of the economic and social status of its members? If so, that nation will retain its shared identity and ethical agreements.
The advent of writing and written “history” of nations and wars, began a process that has left “modern” peoples with an image, at least, often biased and one-sided justifications of conflicts over the past 5,000 years or so. The use of writing, long, long ago, was a tool of kings or emperors: ruling classes, certainly. The recorded story would automatically be told from the outlook of “rulers,” and then, only of the victorious rulers. As writing and reading spread through greater fractions of societies, somewhat truer, more accurate pictures of the how’s and why’s of wars have been “painted.” Throughout, the tendency for dominant elements of societies – governors – to control what those dominated know or believe about the nature of the world around them and, more specifically, about the workings and intentions/philosophies of their “governors,” themselves.
Occasionally – very infrequently, actually – only once, in fact, a nation is (was) formed based on the best of the philosophies and histories that human history had delivered to that point and place in time. To define that nation, the philosophies of individual sovereignty, responsibility, liberty and from-the-people authority to govern, and the reasons for employing those ideas, were written into the Declaration of Independence and the Constitution and Bill of Rights of 1789. Underlying all of them is the tradition of Judeo-Christianity: 5,000 years of learning what are rights and wrongs and how honesty and honor can and should dissolve lies and hatred and disrespect.
Through it all the Bible has made clear that the most powerful relationship with God is an individual one. Fellowship and congregation are wonderful reinforcements for the individual’s ability to internalize the concepts of God and His rules for life and ascension. Without religious freedom the evolution of souls and the growth of individuals would be impossible. Without the lessons religion provides, the model for 2-parent families and effective fathering of sons and daughters, including economic security, would slip away. There are those, today, who think the government will take better care of children than will their parents. God forbid.
The Constitution is both a covenant and a unique, exceptional, partnership with the people – citizens – of the United States. Unique among nations and history, the CITIZENS of the United States formed the government of the United States. The founding had flaws, primarily slavery and slaves, themselves. The problem that the founders hoped would fade away became the gut-wrenching lever that separated the states. The Civil War became the awful medicine that commenced the cure of slavery fairly quickly, and the cure of racism that has progressed for decades afterwards. But, in both the forming and preservation of the Union, God blessed our nation with the wisdom and fortitude to earn the right of national identity.
Our identity depends upon our general grasp of the IDEAS, the philosophies that underlie our founding and why the Constitutional model is designed the way it is. As we select our representatives, governors and President, we should be looking for each of their understanding of our Constitutional Republic being a PARTNERSHIP that makes possible the success of every U. S. citizen. U. S. citizenship is the “Gold Standard” of all citizenships around the world. One of the prime tests of the right to lead Americans is whether the person seeking that power/status is prepared to defend the unique value of U. S. citizenship. Anyone who would dilute, or threaten that value, by definition is unqualified to lead us. Only U. S. citizens live under the protections and guarantees of the U. S. Constitution and those comprise the most valuable possession – personal property – of every citizen.
An example of PARTNERSHIP would be careful defense of our borders on behalf of every state and every citizen, with proper and strict control over non-citizens allowed to enter our nation. An example of TYRANNY would be loose or virtual non-control over illegal entrants. An example of PARTNERSHIP would be careful, balanced budgeting and management of the people’s money, taxes and banking/investment regulations. An example of TYRANNY would be $35Trillion in national debt and $1Trillion owed in interest every year. An example of PARTNERSHIP would be honest law enforcement and equal application/protection of the laws. An example of TYRANNY would be use of law enforcement agencies and even courts, to persecute people because of their beliefs or politics.
An example of PARTNERSHIP would be telling U. S. citizens the truth about government actions and legislation. An example of TYRANNY would be for the government or its agencies to lie to Americans… or to bring up for a vote legislation with more than the number of words than are in our amended Constitution.
As a cruise ship plows forward, forcing water aside, waves are created, however short-lived, and they are real… impermanent, but real. Perhaps that is because they last for more than a moment. From windows forty feet above, with the sun shining against the ship and water, there appear light and dark patterns – like lace – flashing into and out of view, only “real” because I have perceived their ephemeral patterns. Engaging someone’s consciousness: is that essential for reality?
Someone sitting at another window could not perceive the same tracery despite its reality to me for a flash of time. It’s much the same as Love or Anger or Sadness or a dozen… no, ten-dozen other emotions, the reality part, at least. Usually they flit across one’s being like a shadow, gaining reality only if your consciousness grabs hold and commits mental energy to one.
Suddenly, from a flash of fear or loathing of someone’s odd difference from your own self you have made a decision – a choice – to hate the different one, even for a few moments… a feeling that is no longer fleeting, but real. If left private, shared with no one else, it is neither bad nor good. While it may affect your own physiology, quicken your breath and pulse, you may choose from evil. You may release the ill-feeling before it becomes a belief. Only belief can render such a flash real.
Funny thing, belief. We all suffer from it, it is how we live. Faith requires it and Hope is made of it. Faith, compounded of hundreds of stories – ideas, really, that can’t be replicated or proven, on the surface, can’t be tested to establish some sort of “proof” for the benefit of others who doubt is premises. It need not be put to any test for those who have it. Faith is trust and that means trust in A source of the idea, or in THE source of the idea.
We, humans, live in faith. It surrounds our beings, functions and beliefs. Much is made of religious faith in this day of militant, feral atheism. Religious faithful especially are denigrated for beliefs in “mumbo jumbo,” although these besmirchments apply almost exclusively to Christians and Jews. One never sees “protesters” opposed to Hindus or Muslims or Buddhists. There are some opponents to Mormons: mostly a quirk of Christian intolerance – the same that underlay many wars, even AMONG Christians, but no worse than sectarian conflicts elsewhere. It has never been settled whether tolerance, per se, is good or bad. Tolerance of what?
But, in terms of faith, itself, those who trust in the solidness of soil, rocks, wood or ice are no less faithful, however shallow that faith may be. After all, if doubt creeps in, one need simply pick up another rock and have his or her faith restored. However, “science” shows us that rocks and other “solid” things are comprised of atoms which are mostly empty space, each part of which is a mere vibration of energy. So, how is it enough of these supposed “atoms” can hold up the weight of others of its kind, plus the weight of us, our rocks, cars and houses?
Well, let’s not worry about such things. Thank God they do… ummm, I mean, thank goodness. Same thing.
We trust in a lot of life we can’t control – or understand – so why is trust in God so singularly questioned? Does His / Her possibility threaten us? Is it because God proclaimed rules that humans are “commanded” to follow? Rules for Good and Bad and Love and Life and Death? One of those rules, that EVERY human once had faith in, Is “Thou shalt not steal.” It’s a pretty good rule, too: easy to understand and without compromise.
We expect, for example, to be impacted by government – an expectation that is so often realized that it becomes a “matter of faith.” We know government is going to limit or coerce us in matters of stealing and, frankly, in almost every action we take. We have FAITH in government’s intrusiveness for it is proven to us a hundred times each day… or, a thousand times, if we open our eyes and ears. It’s part of our belief system – giving us faith in the likelihood that “our” government will impact us similarly tomorrow. There is every reason to believe so.
Admonishing us to not steal implies the existence of private, individual ownership of “things,” “items,” “money” and so forth. In our illuminated existences we like to consider “rights” as something we possess, as well. Maybe we do… possess rights. How so? By virtue of birth? Do our parents give us these amazing, non-substantial things… these rights? Perhaps on a certain birthday?
If they are “parents,” in fact, they provide necessities like food, clothing, shelter, a bed, one hopes. Do children then possess a “right” to these things? Or must such rights be “earned? If earned, at whose expense? “Our” government says, “At all of our expense. We, collectively, will guarantee availability of these necessities for the children in our country whether or not their parents are able to – or choose to – provide them.” The government, in effect, creates those “rights” as extensions of the “Right to Life.” Really?
How can the government do this when it has no means (money) to do so?
This same government does its damnedest to pay for and otherwise facilitate abortion, although the government, per se, has no money. It would seem that “our” government has chosen to steal a thing from the “abortee:” its Right to Life, at the same time stealing the money needed to inflict the abortion, from all of the rest of us. Thou shalt not steal must have severe compromise built into it… hmmph.
One could leap to the presumption that the TWO parents of the human working to be born, had not only some right to copulate but, instantaneously, the OBLIGATION to provide for the child of their union. Further, it would be more honest and fair if there were some punishment or sanction for creating a child while denying any of the coincident obligations. Do they have a “right” to create an obligation for all of us not involved in the procreation? By whose authority?
Birth may be induced within a week or two of due date; other forms of early delivery may be employed up to two MONTHS earlier. In some jurisdictions the proto-mother can elect to terminate that life for convenience’ sake… even to the time of natural birth. Indeed there are instances of babies surviving abortion who have then been “eased” from life after delivery or while their heads are still in the birth canal… on the whim of the mother. That doesn’t seem different from murder.
Wasn’t that live baby a U. S. citizen by virtue of being born on U. S. soil? Who has the right to steal its Right to Life? Who can grant such a right to steal? Thou shalt not steal.
Does not the brand-new U. S. citizen have unalienable rights under the Constitution? Rights like Life, Liberty and the Pursuit of Happiness? Was there some point… a single breath, perhaps, at which “we, the People…” invested “our” government with the power to take those rights away from a citizen? That’s a major theft, it seems Prudent to say. That baby owned those rights; they were stolen from him or her. Thou shalt not steal.
Our we-the-People-created government has not only assumed for itself the power to grant the right to murder one’s offspring, a U. S. citizen, for no reason, but also to steal the Right to Life from the recipient of the abortion process.
To sell the idea of child assassination as a net “good” requires a remarkable re-making of beliefs. The person / mother who is responsible for the life gestating within her, almost always sees her own life, and Right to it, as precious, if not sacred. In the course of her re-education she is brought to a belief about the new person for whom she is responsible, that is completely different: her baby has no rights and she has no obligation to defend either the baby or the rights. She must come to believe that the baby is anything but a baby: it’s a mass of cells, like a tumor; or, he or she is a parasite, invading mother’s physical sanctity and convenience. Well, if the re-education is thorough, the removal of the invading mass is “health care,” albeit for only one of the parties involved. At least the parasite has no name and can’t feel anything… the proto-assassin hopes.
Sadly, tragically, this is not the case after just a few weeks of gestation.
Imagine a company the business of which were the aborting of kittens or puppies – say, puppies. The mother dog’s guardian (one cannot “own” another life form we’re told) knows the bitch has allowed to be done to her what dogs do, doggy-style, and is exhibiting signs of pregnancy. The guardian, not wanting the expense of another dog/puppy, or puppies, decides to have some convenient “health-care” performed on the pregnant bitch and the unborn puppies excised… like parasites. “Planned Puppyhood” might then sell the fresh, wet-iced organs of the puppies to “science” for research.
A neighbor of the guardian tells her that she hasn’t noticed “Buttons” running around for a few days and asks if everything is okay… with the dog? “Oh, yes,” says guardian, “she was pregnant and I took her to “Planned Puppyhood” for an abortion; 3 pups were removed. She’ll be home by tonight. Thanks for asking.”
The neighbor recoils in shock. “How could you do such a thing?” she cries. You could have let Buttons give birth and brought the puppies to a shelter! There are places that will take them and find them good homes. Oh, gracious, I feel terrible! I would have taken them!” Neighbor is crying.
“Oh for Heaven’s sake,” exclaims the guardian. Having those puppies would have been more trouble than I could put up with. I just don’t have the time, with work and all. What’s done is done and things will be back to normal going forward. Calm down. I still love Buttons.”
Neighbor shares the tragedy with others and local news gets the story. Do you think PETA and hundreds of pet-lovers and veterinary assistants will be picketing the guardian? Signs will call her a murderer and puppy-hater. She did, after all, STEAL the right of the bitch to give birth to her puppies and nurse them. Thou shalt not steal.
Probably, Planned Puppyhood would never get a permit to open a new facility in guardian’s county: dogs don’t contribute millions of dollars to political campaigns… at least the smart ones don’t.
The facilitators of abortions, that is, proto-mothers (women don’t actually receive abortions, they participate, but the recipient of the abortion is the baby: the abortee, as it were) have developed a great faith in the new meanings of words they’ve been re-taught. The multiple aspects of Life and Humanity NOT being those things MUST BE TRUE. If they aren’t… OMG! Not that they intend the meaning of “OMG” literally, it’s a social media thing, the meaning of which has been stolen by vulgarity.
Apparently, “our” government has perfected stealing and, usually, when theft is the subject, money is the object, in most people’s minds. Some person steals your wallet and everything in it and they have not only your cash but your credit cards and identity. He or she could steal even your house as well as drain your bank account – stealing from your future. God forbid. Clearly there are multiple crimes possible and, let’s hope, “our” government will harshly sanction the thief in every case. After all, everyone recognizes the truth and justice of Thou shalt not steal. Just consider how firmly “our” governments deal with shoplifters after they steal from store-owners.
“That’s not a fair sarcasm,” some automatically say, “those people have insurance against theft.”
Sounds like a definition is being stolen right from under us: “stealing” isn’t stealing if the victim is wealthy, or insured, and not known face-to-face. No kidding? Thou shalt not steal.
Moreover, if “religious” people think that rule is sacred, having come from God – especially Jews or Christians – then to Hell with that. We’re not going to have religious doctrine shoved down our throats, it’s un-Constitutional. Now they’re stealing the meaning of “Constitution,” too. But, back to the money thing.
A truly clever group would want its theft of EVERYONE’S money… I mean, if they had a very damned good reason to pull that off, they would find a way to hide the theft and their hands in it from… well, everyone. To do that they’d have to steal some word definitions such as “Inflation.” Every public commenter, including the smart ones, say “inflation” when they mean “price increases.” Generally the “rate” they talk about is the rate of increase or decrease measured by the “CPI,” the Consumer Price Index. The true “CPI” is comprised of a market “basket” of things that consumers can’t avoid buying in the normal course of providing for themselves and their families. Our government has stolen the meaning of this measure.
The “basket” includes food, cleaning products, clothing, housing, energy, TV, phone and internet services, insurance, transportation, taxes and accounting, health care and medications, maintenance and household services, banking and credit services, education and child-care. There are more, but sustenance and advancement are possible from that list.
Everyone but the wealthy elite agonizes over rapid price increases for items in the market “basket.” It’s heard everywhere: “Eggs used to be 99 cents a dozen, now they’re $4.79!”
“Inflation is high,” someone replies. News commenters refer to the “rate” of inflation as the average rate of, say, 3 and ½% as proof that “our” president’s policies have “brought down” the rate of “inflation.” What a wonderful piece of work. All are misusing the term, “inflation.” By repeated, round-the-clock misuse, the meaning of inflation has been stolen. Here’s a little lesson:
Inflation means inflation of the money supply… simple. Inflation, by itself, doesn’t mean the increase in a price… of any thing. It does, however, REDUCE THE VALUE of all the dollars there are sloshing around the economy: one of the greatest thefts ever devised. Only governments can do that. Thou shalt not steal.
Inflation is a government policy. It’s not caused by changes in the weather or lunar cycles. Politicians decide to use inflation to their advantage, either to buy votes or to cover up errors they have made with other policies. “We, the people” are the last and least consideration when inflation is being contemplated. Any legislation that increases federal spending, cannot, by definition, “reduce” inflation. To say otherwise, perhaps by naming said legislation an “Inflation-Reduction Act,” is a complete lie, told by politicians to their constituents from whom they have just stolen monetary value of savings and pension plans and liquid cash assets. It is not only mendacious, but cruel. Thou shalt not steal.
But, why do prices go up after the government inflates the money supply? Supply and demand: the very essence of economics, trade, valuation of goods and services and, wait for it, TAXES! The insidious economics of “our” (federal) government results from constant “deficit spending:” spending more to operate the government than tax receipts and other revenues can cover, which sounds pretty stupid. But in order to do that, the government borrows the difference, virtually on a daily basis, for which it incurs an interest obligation – all done on “our” behalf.
That interest obligation is now greater than ONE TRILLION DOLLARS per year, and growing. Most of the money borrowed to fill annual “budget” gaps is basically air… (see: https://www.prudenceleadbetter.com/2020/09/27/knife-edge-election/) … for which we pay real-money interest. It’s the theft that keeps on stealing. When your favorite politician sends you some re-election mail, be sure to send him or her a check, won’t you?
Inflation automatically, in a sense, causes reactionary DE-flationary effects, bringing balance back to the supply of dollars and the supply of goods and services to be purchased. The fastest adjustment is the higher price of things. Eventually, the price of labor also rises. All of these increases generate – wait for it – higher tax revenue! It’s a miracle! Or, it’s a policy… who’d have thought?
So, who can commit such a crime? Who benefits from this theft? Who can even DO the crime? “Our” government, that’s who. The rate of inflation IS high, BUT, and this isn’t good news, as a percentile increase, even the last FOUR presidents have been unable to increase the rate more than a total of 100%!
“Really? Where did it go?” one asks. Why, to the greatest deflationary mechanism ever invented: DEBT! It’s now over $35 Trillion!
“Whose debt is it?” you could rightly ask. Well, it’s YOURS, mine, all of ours. “How will we repay it?” could be the next logical question.
“We can’t unless we run surpluses in the federal budget for the next 50 years or so.”
“When will we do that?” Also a good question. Likely answer:
“Never. Our Reps and Senators will have to change their habits and, right now, their habit is to get re-elected and they have to buy a lot of votes.”
“So, it’s a debt that will never be repaid?”
“Yes. It’s indistinguishable from theft. In this case, the money has been stolen from generations into the future, to whom the thieves will never answer.” Thou shalt not steal.
Along the path of perpetual debt many meanings of words and principles have been stolen… and rights, as well. To maintain the lie of theft-as-debt, we are paying interest, which is a “current” obligation, competing with federal departments, like Defense, for limited resources, along with other key obligations comprised of horse-shit, chicken-shit and bull-shit, not to overlook the mountain of citizen and illegal welfare we feel compelled to pay.
Our “representatives” (a questionable term) have aided in this multi-generational embezzlement for decades, as it buys their votes, too. Aside from a handful in either House: a dozen in the Senate, perhaps thirty in the House of representatives – both parties have facilitated and voted for repeated deficit-spending packages, including “continuing resolutions” that merely continue rates of spending that exceed revenues… over and over and over. They lie, in other words; indeed, they fail to represent our interests TO or AGAINST the government, as directed by our Constitutional covenant. Instead they represent the government to us! They have stolen the term, “representative,” one of the worst of thefts. $35 Trillion. Thou shalt not steal.
Kidnapping is the most heinous of THEFTs and, if there are degrees of heinousness, kidnapping a child is a still greater level of evil. Yet, every weekday we willingly pass off our children to “public” education systems where ideological and unionized teachers and equally warped administrators divert children’s beliefs away from those of their parents. If a person’s beliefs are taken from him or her, it is a theft of the most personal property. Uniquely foul is the daily effort to make children question their own being: boys aren’t actually boys; girls not actually girls. For shame.
Such “teachers”… no, “educators,” are the worst thieves possible: willing to steal children’s selves. Ultimately, they are willing to perfect the theft by having kids be subjected to chemical sterilization and, if they can reach the nadir, surgical mutilation. In the process they may even get to rejoice the theft of the children from their parents, altogether. Oh, the glory! Once a thief… Thou shalt not steal.
For some weird reasons: forms of moral communism, basically, sexuality has become a major element of elementary education and the business of thousands of men and women formerly respected as educators. One wonders why there has been a virtual explosion of sexual deviance and why America tolerates it, let alone cements it in place with illogical legal protections. The so-called LGBTQ+ “community” has shifted from seeking safety and tolerance to rabid dominance of culture and communications, and a legally enforced “right” to convert children to deviance in schools and elsewhere. This abrupt, new trend is a sign of sickness in a culture.
Normalization of homosexuality was the beginning to a societal tolerance of deviant sexuality, but by itself, neither virulent nor threatening to our core morality. Gay marriage, however, provided the breech in legality such that virulent deviance could force itself upon schools, society and families. Proto-Communists in the schools and teachers’ unions, perceived gender confusion as an excellent tool for dividing society and weakening families: a key process to create totalitarian control of society. How diabolically clever to choose as an “enemy” the widespread grasp of truth. What is the most damaging effect of this subversion?
To answer that we need to establish some moral – and spiritual – ground rules. It seems Prudent to reflect on life, itself. It is fundamentally spiritual, in the majoritarian worldwide view. There are too many “miraculous” events, large and small, that define, save and divert the lives of too many people to attribute everything to “luck.” Even cultures that place great emphasis on “luck” are dependent on something “spiritual” – forms of super-natural forces.
At the same time as “spiritual” beliefs or assumptions are at work, society, itself, must function for the maximum number of people. That means food, safety, comfort, property and advancement. All require stability and widespread agreement on rights and wrongs: ethics, courtesies and laws. People had to cooperate in trusted and trusting ways. The integrity and primacy of family units are essential, as are the education and acculturation of children. Those who would disrupt – to the point of replacing the structure and strengths of – a successful society, recognize that disrupting families is the first and most effective step. To some significant degree, those are people who are anti-spiritual, and in the case of America, anti-Christian in virulent ways.
Human sexuality, in nearly all family units, represents the creation of children, who are the descendants of that family line. Grandparents are as keenly interested in that process as parents are. Whatever interferes with conception, childbirth and acculturation of children, is striking at the essence of social success and of hope… for the future, one of those “spiritual” aspects of life. To the disrupters, sexuality, in the soup of hypersexualization of “Western” civilization, became a weapon against American culture.
“Gay” marriage was a move spurred by compassion. Once it had legal status, aggressive sex-weaponizers had a basis for demanding equal status in school settings: homosexuality now had to be taught along with heterosexuality, and not just about marriage. Heterosexuality is – and always has been – normalcy: mothers and fathers produce children; boys and girls are different in “normal,” predictable ways; growing up takes place in predictable, “normal” patterns with predictable responsibilities, that ought to respond to parental and societal expectations. The boundaries of ethics and law are equally recognized and predictable. Progress occurs as does advancement, in that individuals become more skilled, more valuable in the economies of families and communities… and nations, and more spiritual. Those formulas of cultural success are resilient, but only to a point. Feminism, a re-ordering of relationships between men and women, perhaps inadvertently, provided political power to legalize increasingly non-normal sexual practices. Gay marriage had opened the door a crack while a giant wedge of divisive realignment was poised, in the form of radical feminism, to jam it open to every form of deviant irresponsibility. Our culture has, so far, failed to recognize the danger lurking within the virulent move to get children to renounce their true selves – basically denying responsibilities inherent in their genders and roles in a healthy society. “Affirming” mental incongruities as more true than reality, has a very, very low rate of success. The web of lies we call “laws,” should be unraveled.
ELECTIONS
The majesty of United States’ citizenship is taught – if taught at all – through detraction and condemnation. Rare are the public, unionized schools where a deep understanding is gained by students, of the responsibilities imparted by our Constitution, Declaration and multiple other founding and originating documents and philosophies. Freedom is not a gift from our forefathers, except as a door to the future that we, American citizens are obligated to pass through as leaders for this world. We have the keys to progress, advancement and personal perfection in our hands; we have failed to implant it in the hearts of our children. For most of us, the closest we come to that responsibility is in our role as voters – authorized choosers of America’s leadership, authorized lenders of power to those we choose to hold it. That fundamental authority and power has been so corrupted as to be taken from us BY THE VERY PEOPLE we lend our nation’s representative powers to!
Some functions of democracy should not be computerized. The stealing of elections has become virtually part of the background humor of the United States, and it’s a part of history, most especially in large cities. The holding of public office in cities can, if manipulated successfully, provide great wealth and power over others. Those positions will be defended and fought-for. The rot of urban election theft has morphed, thanks to the mysterious wonders of computerized vote recording and tallying, into the theft of statewide and federal elections.
Voter lists are computerized and the printouts of those lists are available to official campaigns. So, too, are lists of deceased or moved-away voters, and those who are ineligible for other reasons. Fortunately for those who are willing to defraud the voting process, most of the ineligible voters are still listed among the names on the “voter” list. A moderately sly campaign functionary can arrange for persons to go to the polls and vote in the name of ineligible, but still listed, voters. It works, but is time consuming and risky. How fabulous to have a “pandemic” strike the nation during a federal election year! Resulting fears and medical ignorance (and mendacity) overrode legal and Constitutional strictures, enabling even more sly attorneys to win court cases allowing for “mail-in” ballots to “protect” voters from the scourge of COVID-19.
These mostly illegal changes under cover of a “national medical emergency,” were quickly stretched to allow ballot drop-boxes, official and unofficial, and then vote-harvesting from infirm voters, ostensibly. Sympathetic election officials allowed ever wider interpretations of “safety” and “every vote should count,” which included every ballot – licit and illicit. A handful of determined election fraudsters in mail-in states could, because of fellow-democrat fellow-travelers, sway tens and hundreds of thousands of invalid, but counted, “votes.” Even signature-match verification was disregarded in the interest of safety during a national medical emergency. Computers helped, of course, providing unmonitored curing of “erroneous” ballots with new electronic records. Damn the whole process.
Voting is the only sacrament in democracy. We have allowed one party, basically, to corrupt voting and vote-counting to its benefit. In 2020 these factors may have accounted for more than 8 million illicit votes. It changed history and the resulting President is changing history more every day… not in good ways, at all.
How can this Jin be pushed back into its cave? How can every election be trusted again? What are the steps? It requires a certain amount of automation, but no actual computerization and no internet connections to aggregation points or to state elections offices or to anywhere else.
First, hand-marked ballots, only. Fill in the ovals or squares and let a machine scan them and count them. A total is reported for each office. Count the handful of write-ins, and pack up the ballots with a bar-coded wrapper. A certified police officer transports that bundle to the single aggregation point near the state capitol. There, that bundle is unwrapped and fed through a certified machine identical to the one in East Podunk that generated the draft, on-site total. The stack is run through the second machine and the totals compared. If they are exactly alike, the total is reported as final.
If the totals don’t agree the ballots are inspected by hand while monitored by poll watchers. The stack is scanned again in a free-standing, non-networked machine. At some point there will be two identical totals and that number is reported. The total time to complete these steps might be 2 or 3 days, but the totals will be trustworthy. Everything else that has been interjected into this process is bogus and serves only the convenience of government – and the purposes of the leftist party. Absentee ballots should be only that, with significant reasons to avoid personally casting one’s ballot.
There should be no “early” voting, except, perhaps, for 2 or 3 days. That will facilitate convenience without encouraging voting in ignorance of much of what might be exposed by the campaigns. If the Post Office is to be involved in any significant way it should be to deliver registered ballots that must be signed-for by the requestor. Then, ON A SPECIFIC DAY prior to Election Day, and involving no mail delivery on that day – perhaps a Saturday – Postal route personnel can pick up the ballots at the addresses to which they were delivered. No wholesale mailings to untrustworthy “voting lists” and no ballot harvesting.
If we fail to secure our elections we fail to deserve the blessings of liberty.
BUDGETS
The term, “Budget” is not used in the Constitution. Budgeting for government spending, however, is vitally important – it’s the only way to set a standard for the key functions of the Congress: raising revenue and appropriating it for legitimate government expenditures. There are thousands of words in the U. S. Code relating to the President’s obligations to provide dozens of kinds and titles of data about programs and expenditures included in the President’s submitted budget. Sadly, about three-quarters of “the budget” is considered permanent or “entitlements” or both at once, and therefore unchangeable by the people’s representatives, despite having been created by those same worthies on behalf of those same people. Technically, EVERY element in the budget may be modified or removed. However, virtually every aspect of federal expenditure has its own advocacy group, mostly political. With Congress’ primary purposes being re-election and not the “people’s business,” no part of the budget that could have a negative impact politically, will be touched, except to increase it.
With a $32 Trillion federal debt, a large fraction of the sub-chapters of the budget must be “touched,” cut or eliminated. They cannot all grow in every budget cycle, including payrolls, welfare entitlements pensions and other hot-button items. There is no reason to expect that the Congress as constituted and elected, is going to ever balance expenditures and revenues, let alone cut any one of them. The collapse of the U. S. economically is being led and accelerated by government debt and deficit spending. All processes of taxation and revenue accumulation have failed to enhance America’s economic strength of freedom, nor has it done very much to increase the prosperity of a majority of Americans. We feel like we’re becoming more wealthy, higher real estate prices and so forth, perhaps larger retirement funds, but our money is worth less every year and a lot of what we think we’ve gained is “balanced” by those trillions in debt. Most of us will not be ready when the decline becomes a rout.
Our wonderful – magical – Federal Reserve Bank was given vital power by Congress in 1913: to coin money and set the value thereof. Along with that sloughing off of Constitutional power, Congress also provided “the Fed” the magical power to loan money to the federal government, even when it doesn’t have money to actually lend. So, it lends air and charges interest on it. The federal government owes so much that it must borrow money to pay the interest on previous loans. That amounts to three-quarters of a trillion dollars this year. Only the most irresponsible presidential administration would run a greater-than-Trillion-dollar deficit in its budget in the face of this unprecedented indebtedness.
The history of the past 60 years has made the budget process of the U. S. federal government, an increasingly fraudulent exercise. The fraud is perpetrated upon the American people, in the main, but also on every holder of dollars in the world, as the value of each dollar slips downward, year by year… sometimes week-by-week.
Prudence would dictate a different course for our ship of state, but we won’t see that happen under Democrat control of the White House.
Currently we seem to be as concerned about inflation and the “consumer price index” as we are about any other nationwide issue. “Inflation,” of course, refers only to the inflation of the money supply, something that is only partly affected by the actions of people in the day-to-day economy… what we call, “Main Street.” This reference is usually juxtaposed to “Wall Street,” where the wizards of finance operate at, supposedly, an entirely different level of economics than the rest of us. Though Wall Street money machinations are more arcane, they are not so very different from the decisions we all make regarding the presence or lack of “money” and the affordability of things we’d like to buy.
“Wall Street” is a combine of INTERNATIONAL money manipulators, and they are tied to many governments, especially that of the United States, where finance involves multi-Billions and even Trillions of dollars; financing shopping centers, small businesses and residences is not their particular concern. They, like Federal socialists, are delighted to mess with 10’s and 100’s of thousands of mortgages, including selling “options” and “futures” contracts based on their supposed flow of billions and hundreds of billions of future mortgage payments – delighted, that is, until their phony financial instruments caused the destruction of several of their own pack, like Lehman Brothers. At that point, thanks to their financial entanglements with “our” federal government and governors, they felt free to compel the taxpayers of America to bail them out. Otherwise, they’re just like us.
In either case, “money” is defined as instruments of real worth or value: a dollar once was exchangeable for a dollar’s worth of silver or, in theory, of gold. People – and banks and governments – around the world, recognize precious metals and true weights and purity thereof, as items of intrinsic value. Right now, the “dollar” bill we are familiar with is no longer even tied to the United States directly; it is a “Federal Reserve Note” that the U. S. Federal Government declares must be accepted as “legal tender” for all debts public and private. But, all you can get at a Federal Reserve Bank (neither federal nor a reserve) in exchange for a one-dollar Federal Reserve Note is another Federal Reserve Note. So, our “currency” today is only “tender,” not actual money. Others accept it in exchange for real goods and services and as long as this is true we can function economically.
Our good and trusted Representatives, however, legislating in “The People’s House” on our behalf, have decided over many decades to spend more “money” than we can actually afford to pay in taxes. Our Federal “budgets,” such as they have been since 1960 or so, have been out of “balance,” now accumulating some $32 Trillion of DEBT, which has placed an obligation on the backs of all of us, thank them very much. This occurred at an accelerated rate over the past two years of the Biden administration and the last year of the Trump administration, thanks, ostensibly, to a COVID-19 pandemic, and this has both distorted our employment, wages and sense of responsibility, and caused tremendous INFLATION of the money supply. Well, actually, it’s not money that it has inflated, but our “legal tender” or “currency.” Keep in mind that it is not “money” that gets inflated – that supply only grows by the quantities of goods and fixed assets that increase thanks to PRODUCTION of those goods, goods that have intrinsic value. That “intrinsic value” is the closest thing to “money” that we have.
Unfortunately, as fascistic leftists shut down our economy and started paying newly locked-out workers to stay home as their jobs evaporated, PRODUCTION, oddly enough, declined! Suddenly we had trillions of new bits of legal tender floating around with fewer goods – or SERVICES – available to buy! This logically caused prices to rise. That’s not “inflation,” regardless of how often we call it that, it is PRICE INCREASE derived largely from supply and demand. In our foolishness we lowered supply while we multiplied demand. Indeed, our decades-long transfer of production to China, where it was also restricted by COVID (including screw-ups in the supply chain, keeping what products were made out of our marketplaces) made our own inflation-generated price increases even worse. Anyone who calls rising prices, “inflation,” is simply ignorant. The Federal Government and the current administration are the most frequent mis-staters of what “inflation” is, but it helps to confuse – or lie to – the American people, one of which is always a Federal goal.
Consequently, President Biden and his tight tether to the truth, loves to claim that “inflation” has “come down” for the past 6 consecutive months. How wonderful that sounds, as though his spendthrift administration were responsible for improving the economy for average folks. But what is reality? Do Biden’s truths have any congruence with reality?
Prices are still high and getting higher. What does Biden’s claim of slowing “inflation” have to do with that? Well, when we recognize what his “inflation” really is: price increases, Biden is patting himself on the back for slower price increases. Swell. What he hopes to obscure is the painful fact that all the price increase that has already taken place IS STILL THERE, and those prices are STILL GOING UP, just a little slower. That is not a victory. Factually it is a sloppy admission that the pain he has inflicted on Americans with his dumb-ass policies is as bad as ever and getting worse. Congratulations, you old dope.
Add to the damage being done the fact that the rate of price increases (so-called inflation) is no longer honestly stated to begin with, thanks to Federal political calculations, since they no longer include ENERGY or FOOD! What a hoax. That lets the Department of Commerce claim that “inflation” is only 6 or 7 or 8 percent, when it’s actually 12 or 13 percent! People might really vote against someone who presided over an economy with 13 percent inflation (whatever that is). As Ralph Waldo Emerson famously said, “The louder he talked of his honor, the faster we counted our spoons.”
So, Prudent readers, inflation isn’t the same as price increases, but it is a significant cause of them. It isn’t something people cause; it is a tool of government that performs as a relatively slow devaluation of the currency. Unfortunately, that is the same legal tender that we, all, depend upon for affording our means of living. Don’t vote for politicians or erstwhile “leaders” who willingly devalue the money you have earned and the wealth you have accumulated over years. Who the Hell do they think they are, to steal from every citizen? Indeed. Check out: https://www.prudenceleadbetter.com/2022/08/21/the-inflation-chronicles/
President Joe Biden speaks about his domestic agenda from the East Room of the White House in Washington, Thursday, Oct. 28, 2021, as Vice President Kamala Harris looks on. (AP Photo/Susan Walsh)
Thousands of independent truck drivers in Canada have coalesced to protest their government’s Covid-19 “vaccine” mandate. Many are “vaccinated” (have accepted the weird injections) but are demanding freedom to choose what goes into their bloodstreams. Their Premier, Justin Trudeau, has scurried off to hide from them, claiming exposure to Covid – what else? He’s a heroic figure by his own account. He looks more like an asshole, but that’s subjective.
In all likelihood truckers in the U. S. are going to form their own convoy in protest of our government’s denial of freedom, too. Canada’s convoy was up to 45 miles long as it descended upon Ottowa. The Americans will try to exceed that, one suspects. Either way, the Canadians have inspired working people around the world to organize against the soft, yet hardening, tyrannies of supposed pandemic suppression; this applies mainly to the Biden Administration.
President Joe Biden has imposed an odd case study of how strange, long debunked theories of leftist governance, can screw up a large nation in a matter of months. Still, we have to go back further than January 20, 2021 to appreciate the impact of leftism on a supposedly Constitutionally limited democratic republic, particularly in reaction to a national “health emergency.” Covid-19 was such a perfect foil for destroying freedom and personal responsibility, that leftists have almost rejoiced in the opportunities to show how much better life can be under the firm hands of government control. It has fit their dreams so well that the creation of Covid-19 might appear to be a gift from the great leftist in the sky… or in China – same thing to some.
All of this brings us to contemplating how many left-ward changes POTUS (Poop-head Of The United States) has made in slightly more than one year. Among them are a host of UN-Constitutional, EXTRA-Constitutional and ANTI-Constitutional actions and policies. A number of them will, patriots hope, lead to impeachment and conviction of Mr. Biden. One glaring example is illegal immigration, one of the first “orders” POTUS issued on January 21st, his first full day in office. Biden reversed every Trump administration border policy, stopping virtually all deportations and virtually all arrests of illegal entrants. By so doing he ushered in one of the great travesties in U. S. history.
Since the end of January, 2021, nearly 2 MILLION illegal entrants have crossed the southern border – by the hundreds and thousands – and Joe Biden has forced the Border Patrol and I.C.E. to allow them in and then to provide various articles of clothing, cell-phones, prepaid for a year, hotel rooms and rides, even flights, to wherever the illegals want to go, or wherever Biden wants them to go. This policy requires the specific subversion of U. S. law. It forces expenses upon the sovereign states that created the FEDERAL governing system, completely subverting the Tenth Amendment. There is no pro-American value to it. Indeed, beyond unfettered access to public welfare programs and illegal residence in our country, illegal entrants are afforded more rights and far fewer legal constraints than are U. S. citizens! In fact, the federal government bends over backwards to provide Constitutional rights and protections to illegal aliens, including providing attorneys to every illegal entrant to defend their spurious claims to asylum. Many bleeding-heart liberals consider that it is the duty of the United States to feel sorry for, and provide welfare to, every unhappy person in the world. While that’s a sweet opinion, it has almost nothing to do with the purpose of nationhood: survival.
Every nation on Earth has a reason for being. For some, for most, actually, it is ethnicity. That is, nationhood typically has sprung from tribal identity, although most countries have also been fought for against neighboring tribes, and often expanded thereby. In too many examples nations have been cobbled together through domination and war. Commonality of language and / or religious belief has proven just as nationalizing as ethnic tribalism. Many factors combine to establish – and maintain – successful nations. Only one nation has survived because of a set of principles, almost despite ethnicity. It is exceptional.
To cement its unique reasons for being, the founding Fathers – and Mothers – of the United States of America, established an ageless covenant with the people of their recently fought-for states: The Constitution, the most respected and “copied” foundational document in the world. Every President, commencing with George Washington, and virtually every other elected state and federal official since, has sworn to uphold and defend the Constitution of the United States. One might think that failing to do so would be justification for removal from office.
Every nation, however it justifies its continued existence, recognizes and passionately defends its borders… and its culture. For a nation to be led by a person or group of people who take actions to NOT defend its borders or even its culture, would seem to honest citizens sufficient reason to remove him or them from power. Back to Covid-19.
There is a large cohort of ostensible Americans who are charged with the vital task of conveying the culture and heritage of the United States to its children – to our future, in fact. Unfortunately, teachers and the overarching public education industry, have, over the past fifty years, been co-opted by ultra-leftists and virtual communists. Teachers’ unions have established themselves as the operators of schools, rather than the parents of children or the local, elected, school committees or boards who, presumably, answer to their constituents. It all results from political – and financial – corruption, with most of the finances being tax dollars… tax dollars extracted from real property owners, primarily, under the threat of police powers.
As a consequence, anti-American ideologies are taught to students in schools of “education” and then taught to elementary school students with the knowledge of their parents. This is changing, but decades of damage have been accomplished, reflected in a general malaise infecting 5 to 21-year-olds, noted in rates of drug use, lack of religious education, hyper-sexualization and suicide rates. Many of our youth believe they prefer socialism to capitalism, and if it’s the form of monopolistic, oligharchic wealth concentration we have allowed to date, they are right. Our Constitutional Republican form of governance and freedom is designed to allow for hope, imagination, joy and attainment. Our schools and attendant politics have produced less and less capable or independent young adults, and a lack of hope so profound as to destroy institutions like marriage, motherhood and fatherhood. If a primary purpose of nationhood is survival, America is failing. Illegal immigration won’t fix what ails us.
Covid provided thousands of incipient fascists with a perfect opportunity to push people around. The three most destructive effects of government “emergency” powers are the destruction of thousands of small businesses and millions of jobs, destruction of what was left of American economic freedom and budgetary strength, and destruction of the education and development of millions of K through 12 students. “Educators,” so-called, in teachers’ unions and administrative positions in virtually every school system, learned to exercise powers they’d only dreamed of prior. Parents, their schedules and economies and their precious offspring could be controlled in ways never imagined under our Constitution. As the truth has been spilling out about actual Covid threats and effects, schools are the largest remaining poisoned well of fascism – including pushing these dangerous injections onto kids as young as five years. It all constitutes a crime against humanity. Australia, New Zealand and, now, Canada, have enjoyed practicing new-found fascistic powers, to the point of mobilizing against freedom. Many of those same teachers are envious.
Naturally, parents have rebelled against the cloying, sticky blob of indoctrinators, and have succeeded many areas. Covid helped to expose the rot. But the lerftist, Democrat power structure will not relinquish its attempts to replace the American system with global socialism, readily or cleanly. Its members are clever and cunning, albeit not wise. The Biden deministration is happy to sic Merrick Garland and his DOJ thugs, so to speak, on parents who resist the wasting of education time on critical race or gender theories. What the Hell are we doing with the American dream bequeathed to us over the centuries?
Americans like to believe that we can work hard to elect this or that person or set of persons, and thereby change the direction of freedom, opportunity and of government, itself. It barely works anymore. Elections come and go, but the direction of government is inexorably toward higher pay and benefits for government officials and employees – higher than for average citizens – toward increasing benefits and rights for non-working welfare recipients, toward increasing benefits and rights for illegal entrants, toward increasing controls over individuals’ rights and freedoms, and toward perpetual, unredeemable debt.
Two things must happen: 1) voters must become smarter, hopefully wiser; and, 2) candidates for office must become smarter and better principled in terms of commitment to our Constitution, Bill of Rights and the Declaration of Independence.
Are we wise enough, collectively or individually, to stop electing anti-freedom, anti-American officials and “representatives? Do we actually believe that we can ignore the Constitution and just vote ourselves benefits from government much longer? Please.
There has never occurred a crisis for civilization when capitalism failed to function. “Capitalism” is innate, virtually instinctive among humans, and the most powerful of motivators in societies as small as one member. An individual has the same needs for life on a personal level as a family, clan, village or nation has: clothing, food, protection and shelter. At whatever level or intensity of need, humans will attempt to obtain as much as possible of any of them at the lowest “cost” of effort possible.
Once acquired these needed things automatically become property – property on a spectrum of ownership, from the very personal, like clothing, weapons, tools, personal or family shelter. Beyond the immediately personal, family property and then clan or village property, there automatically develops properties that are belief-based, like loyalty and group-safety obligation. It is a short journey to sharing beliefs about events, conditions, weather, waters, animals and childbirth… and death, that are unexplained and ascribed to supernatural influences. These beliefs are as crucial a private property as clothing and self-defense, and as durable a cultural quality as pottery styles or graphic and oral expressions of every sort. And they will be passed on to children nearly infallibly. Behavior by either children or adults that is contrary to those shared beliefs automatically produces negative sanctions.
In groups as small as two, and certainly of 3 or 4, specialties: differences in abilities, are quickly apparent. In a group of families there will be definite skills of higher degrees of excellence in this person or that – better hunting skills, better tool-making, better making of clothing, better hut-building. Someone – an elder – will gain enough knowledge to predict outcomes, or eclipses, or the arrival of herds. His or her wisdom will be sought out for transfer to children. Specialization. Economics is part of and an outgrowth of specialization. Wise men, chiefs, healers and others will be fed in exchange for their unique services. Food is an automatic medium of exchange. Next, perhaps, are weapons and tools. The hunter who unerringly leads the hunting party to the clan’s next moose or buffalo or elk, may be “gifted” with a blanket, better shoes or more food… or a wife.
Rules, mores, or customs guide the relationships within the group. Inevitably there is a shared concept of us and them: people from outside the clan. The desire to protect the clan is just as automatic. Yet the possibility of trade with outsiders may be easily entertained because of the ease of acquisition compared to the work required to obtain the outsider’s goods on their own. The values must be set. How many of this kind of skins or tools or decorations or… whatever, are “worth” the higher quality flint arrowheads the stranger makes? Before long the first group will be trapping extra beavers just to trade for arrowheads: an economy is created.
The big impact on economics, and on the establishment of capitalism as an organizing force in society, came with the introduction of agriculture. As people settled around their fields, the importance of property changed forever. Where crops “belonged” to the village, or “city,” their grains and products were not handed out to every family for free. There were trades or barters required, leading to record-keeping, counting, weights and balances. There appeared the recorded existence of debts to be repaid in the (near) future, between families and the granary (city) and even between cities: a collective capitalism (property rights) and individual capitalism (private property rights.) Automatically new specialties arose: law-enforcement within the city, and border-enforcement against all outside the city – soldiers and general conscription when fields and water sources were threatened.
Treaties were needed: rules to reduce threats from “others,” and to define ownership of certain lands and resources. There always existed nomadic peoples who refined forms of movable dwellings, like those of indigenous peoples in North America. Conflicting interaction between “property-rights” people and nomadic tribes inevitably result in destruction of nomadic uses of lands desired by those who employ fences, borders and ownership-based economic structures. Native Americans had no concept of fences and property lines, and this difference affected why they never developed cities, industries and massive growth. Today, the simplicity of indigenous people’s way of life is attractive to those who wish to tear down our current, sloppy, polluting and more or less capitalist, civilization.
Capitalism and all of its moving parts: private property, profit, risk, debt/investment, accumulation of wealth and inheritance and the freedom to fail and learn, is the prime driver of the global economy and amazing invention and innovation that supports more than 7 Billion humans. But it does all of this at great cost, not least of which is the expansion of the number of possible “sins” and multiplication of the number of temptations (frauds, scams, legal deceptions, global banking). On the other hand, and comprising the basic defense of capitalism as an organizing principle, capitalist economics and politics have spurred the greatest wealth and health in history. More people are well-fed and comforted in hundreds of ways, educated and made relatively “free” thanks to capitalism than under any of the more or less tyrannical systems employed, ever.
Capitalist politics depend on democracy and, judged by the success of the United States, upon republicanism: the democratic election of ostensibly more capable, perhaps wiser, representatives. Evidently, as well, Constitutional republicanism is crucial to the explosive growth of wealth and a “middle class” of upwardly mobile individuals and families who could, realistically, work their way higher up the economic ladder. It is worth analysis and reformation, both political and economic, to return the U. S. system to its successful ways. This means reformation of economic institutions, and of political institutions, both of which, today, conspire to concentrate power – and share it – to the detriment of freedom, upward mobility and essential Constitutionalism.
The strongest voices raised against “America,” are firmly on the left, socialist and worse. Their prescription is virtual destruction of “capitalism” and honest conservatives / constitutionalists must recognize their logic in the presence of an extremely unbalanced, oligarchy of global bankers who largely have brought the financial system to a point of dictating to even the United States, what its future will be: indebtedness to that cabal, and therefore limited as to the extent of our independent action internationally.
Capitalism requires limits and institutions that prevent its (people’s) essential tendencies toward 1) monopoly and, 2) political / governmental advantage. We can see the damages that concentrations of wealth will cause, not least of which is empowering socialism and anti-constitutionalism. But it also creates severe stratification in a society formed without “castes” or “classes.” Perhaps worst of all, super wealth transcends nationhood; when profits can be earned around the globe, the need to adhere to a single country’s norms and laws, tends to evaporate. Most particularly, the impact of market presence in the nations of our rivals / enemies, sees corporations or syndicates of corporations, bending to not offend those who mean the U. S. the most harm.
Is it possible to restore a sense of nationalism for industries key to the defense and independence of the United States? What would such a policy look like? What could possibly be the enforcing agency? Can current political hatreds and ignorance permit the formation of a national-interest industrial policy that serves the country, rather than one that serves a party?
When the two – or three – political “sides” in the U. S. don’t agree on what the national interest is, or even if there IS a national interest, it appears that a national industrial policy is rather remote. Yet it must manifest if the United States is to control its own destiny. What forces must come together to make this happen… and within two years?
A “fusion” government. A… what the Hell? Never happen.
It has to. Until Bush beat Gore, technically, the two-party system functioned as a modified “fusion” government system. Overall, both parties were mainly interested in doing what was best for the country and managed to cooperate on major issues and trends. Sloppy, corrupt and self-serving, and able to cooperate as much as we did thanks only to the unlimited creation of stultifying debt, both parties managed to avoid the corrosive hatreds of the past twenty years. How we’ve operated since, say, the Kennedy administration, is NOT the model to strive for, now.
Thirty Congresses and eleven Presidents have brought America to the edge of insolvency and at risk of subservience to China and others. The abrupt re-set due to coronavirus is an opportunity and a test. For the faithful, a test like this is not an accident, it is a loud vibrant message from God that we are far along a wrong path. But, those certain that they do not believe can get the message, too. The United States cannot continue to waste its wonderful gifts bestowed at our founding and many times since. Here are a few changes that must manifest if we are to maintain our independence:
New leadership. Without trying to parse all the forces that pushed on the psyche’s of numerous political leaders, we – and they – must recognize that the Democrat party has shifted distinctly leftward… and that leftist policies – virtual socialism – are incompatible with Constitutional republicanism. Some leaders are so committed to this relatively new political stance that they must be replaced by younger, more pragmatic and, dare it be suggested, more conservative leaders.
The same is true for Republicans. Republicans have been pulled leftward by the most crass and aggrandizing consideration: re-election. Appealing to the (leftist) attractiveness of “free” advantages for voters, Republicans learned to win re-election along the same paths as more left-leaning Democrats. Those who have built political careers (another problem) by hewing closer to Democrat principles, should be retired so that conservative principles can again define Republicans.
The ability of a “party” to be defined by, and to defend, an articulable philosophy of government, of legal code, of education and of help for the poor, is fundamental for representatives of that party to deserve enough votes to gain governing authority under the Constitution. Subsequently, the two parties should be able to agree on the principles of the Declaration of Independence and of the Constitution. These essentials seem simple to some of us, but are not agreed-to by about half of the voting public. It is time for both parties to lead America onto a stronger, Constitutionally purer path.
Destruction of debt. None of our agreed Constitutional principles will protect us if we sacrifice the independence of the United States, and nothing risks that independence more, or more directly, than our ballooning debt, owed in large fraction to non-Americans, including other countries. An industrial policy that both parties can agree to is part and parcel of controlling our national debt burden and the ultimate value of our currency and labors.
Total annual expenditures must reverse direction. Contrary to the unsustainable trends of the past half-century, the federal “budget-in-name-only” must shrink by fully 25% – a prospect surely deemed impractical, if not impossible, by most in both parties, Republicans included. While Republicans have always preached “smaller” government, since Johnson’s “Great Society,” indeed, since F.D.R.’s “New Deal,” the ostensible conservatives have succumbed to the enrichening advantages of staying in office, and have diverted their efforts to re-election rather than statesmanship. For many now in office their personal advantages of office are shameful and distinctly off the mark.
Electoral honesty. Democrats have raised the art of pandering to ephemeral, personal issue-driven groups to an art-form, even as they have learned – codified – numerous ways to expand “voter participation” so as to steal elections. Vote-harvesting, early voting, same-day registration, automatic registration when interacting with state governments for unrelated matters, non-verification of citizenship status during such interactions, “Rank” voting and organized surrogate voting, and other schemes honest people can’t imagine, all contribute to the erosion of democracy. Matched with these illicit garnerings of “votes,” is the opening of borders to waves of illegal entrants who, it is hoped by their advocates, will vote for Democrats and some misguided municipalities are granting illegal entrants voting privileges in “local” elections – a virtually unmanageable distinction. To form a more unified national political structure, these tactics must be renounced and abandoned. One voter – one vote… per citizen.
Republicans are no purer when opportunities are present to take advantage of election management dominance. For shame. Both parties must commit to, and back legislation that strengthens enforcement of election laws, including “clean” voting rolls.
Deconstruction of the labyrinthine administrative “state.” Both parties have colluded to slough off responsibility for the laws that are passed, by installing more and more agencies, offices, titles and programs among the 15 executive departments. Within virtually all of them are powers to regulate citizen behaviors, each with the force of law despite no specific authorization from Congress. This threatens personal freedom. Both parties should be able to agree on the restoration and future preservation of freedom.
What there is no agreement on is what constitutes that freedom. To socialists, freedom means freedom from personal responsibility… in the dozens of forms that can take. To originalists freedom means freedom to make as much of one’s abilities and situation as can legally be done and according to individual initiative and enterprise. To make the opportunity to succeed manifest for the largest number of citizens and legal residents, government must be a trusted partner in life, and not an opponent. Repeatedly, this immense gulf separates the parties to the degree that cooperation appears unreachable. There must arrive a more cooperative, constitutional understanding of individual sovereignty and responsibility.
The re-establishment of honest budgeting. Both parties must agree to annually cleanse the federal complex of agencies and programs, of wasteful overlap of purposes and missions and personnel. The budget line-items for each should be justified or eliminated at least bi-annually.
Beyond congressional oversight of each component of the total budget, an agreement is needed to cut federal spending by every Congress for five Congresses (10 years) until total outlays are equal to inflows during the period of the previous budget cycle. Can that much discipline be found among current and future members? And, in current and future presidents? A president can begin the process with a half-hour address to the nation. Bring back “Ross Perot’s charts” and ask the questions needed and issue the challenge. Let those who are opposed to balancing the budget make their case. There isn’t one. On this challenge the construction of a fusion government can – and must – move forward.
Ultimately, Americans and their representatives will agree on the unifying principle that fuels the exceptional American, Constitutional experiment: Our success as a free people and nation is measured not by how large our governments are, but by how small.
It is easy to hate and it is difficult to love. This is how the whole scheme of things works. All good things are difficult to achieve; and bad things are very easy to get. – Confucius
History has shown that political power gained through the marshaling of hate is usually hard to maintain, and always destructive – never constructive. The only path toward maintaining hate-based power is to identify a very large set of enemies whom hate-leaders can paint as hate-worthy, and more: threats to the peace and prosperity of the “oppressed” in-group said leaders wish to control. It is Prudent to recognize the “hate-ees” in order to defend against the hat-ers.
Despite being consistently accused by the leftist hate
leaders, of employing hate themselves, most of the hated are best described as
traditionalists. Let’s consider how the
process has developed. One large group
that is cast as hateful are those of us who believe strictly in the Declaration
of Independence and the Constitution it spawned. By nearly direct implication that group is
nearly congruent with Christian, or Judeo-Christian belief structures. In other words, Biblical morality is at least
professed by most of those who also believe in the founding principles of the
United States. It’s no surprise, but
tangent to our point.
Since Roe v. Wade the power of litigation and crafty parsing
of words and phrases whose usage has obviously changed since the Federalist
Papers were written – a special aspect of redefining words and meanings to
control the argument – has well-served those who don’t believe in the moral
structure and personal responsibility imposed by “free will,” also called
“individual sovereignty.” Socialism
fills their wants, not a constitutional republic. Unfortunately the defense of tradition now
has two, new, giant weapons arrayed against it: 1) Social media; and, 2)
Ignorance.
Social media allow for near-instant sharing, or spreading, of ideas… not to be confused with truth, reality and intelligence. It spreads the last three, too, but those are not dangerous to honest people. But ideas – “memes” in the current parlance – can be shared very quickly without filters of contemplation, research or understanding, a perfect condition for hatreds. One person offended can rapidly become thousands and tens of thousands: a political force for the elected dishonest to take advantage of. Social media and the handiness of cell-phones and their video cameras do great and instant damage to public discourse and the once great “free press.” Further, it has provided for the concentration of information into the hands and biases of fewer than 100 people, of whom traditionalists – conservatives – are both suspicious and skeptical. No system of individual liberty can stand for long without the free flow, and publication, of ideas. An algorithm here, an algorithm there, and pretty soon we’re talking about real mind control. The thought-police are standing by. What will happen when governors are elected (thereby) who agree with defining conservative ideas and tradition, itself, as hate speech?
Ignorance is mostly of history and of the lessons of
history, although ignorance of, say, climate science is also a large part of
how socialism has gained fresh currency among young people in the United
States, of all places. We the people,
who shucked off monarchy to establish freedom as a founding principle, are the last people on earth who should find
socialism attractive; socialism is the same
as monarchy, except that the party is the monarch, of which the chairman is
the King. What do children growing up in
the United States have to do with socialism?
Ignorance: the only soil in which socialism can grow.
Socialists, inherent enemies of individualism, not only purvey ignorance of history, they live on it like parasites. They play a long game, beginning with dominance of education – their barely employable graduates are the result, and they all seem to prefer socialism over free enterprise and private property. Bereft of ways to earn enough to live like people on TV… or down the street, they find it easy to blame traditionalists for their ill fortunes and to demand recompense for attempting to follow fortunate people’s rules. “Forgive my debt,” they say, and leading (following) politicians proclaim that ‘meme’ from the rooftops. If, as tradition and (un)common sense dictate, one disagrees with that demand, one is transformed into a hater and, probably, a racist… whatever “racist” even means, any longer.
Sexual traditionalists are also accused of bigotry, hatred,
homophobia and theocracy. Simply
declaring support for “traditional” marriage can cause boycotts of one’s
business and disavowal by political leaders and even by municipal governments,
such that one’s business may not locate a branch within a jurisdiction because
of “hate speech” by the owner. The facts
and truths associated with said “hate speech” have no bearing, as is often the
case with marshaled hatreds. It is not
the truth that stirs crowds and gangs – hatred motivates in the vacuum of
ignorance. By increasing ignorance,
certain people fertilize the soil where hatred grows.
All in all, the Prudent observer can conclude that those on the left end of the political spectrum are more involved than are rightists, with hate and accusations of hate. Inevitably, of late, attempts to engage leftists in substantive discussions of (pick one) immigration, education, health care, energy, climate, gender, religion, any of the Bill of Rights, trade, economics, the Constitution, America, Mexico, South America, colonialism, Democrats, Republicans, Trump, Obama, housing or farming, and a few other topics, results in accusations of (pick one) White Supremacy, Nazism, Fascism, racism, homophobia, misogyny, Islamophobia, or hatred.
Those on the right, it appears, tend to laugh at much of the above, or shake their heads and lament the poor state of education that enables other Americans to believe the things professed. Conservatives and “traditionalists” are always on the defensive; leftist haters are always the attackers, and have the advantage. To what end?
And, finally, will traditionalists, defenders of the Constitution, propriety and reason, manage to hold back leftist destruction? Will we return to secure borders, for example? Will reality regain sway on college campuses? Will the federal budget ever be cut? Will “public” education be made to include appropriate American history content, reading of books, basic math and writing skills, possibly cursive writing (so that older documents may be read), and the Constitution? Will the subject and science of gender return to reality? Will honor, duty, commitment and personal responsibility return to primacy in interpersonal relationships? Will the administrative, largely hidden and secretive state apparatus be made more open and honest? Will the three branches of the federal government return to their Constitutional bounds and purviews? Will honesty be restored as the operating public and private philosophy? Will e pluribus unum regain its primacy as the true “American Dream?
Prudence has successfully resisted the temptation to counter the many ignorant statements uttered by the impressively ignorant Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez, of late an elected representative in the U. S. House of Representatives. She has a college degree… in economics.
One recent evening she purported to explain – obviously only
to those more ignorant than herself – what “capitalism” is. In the process she confused it with “free-market
economy,” and then jumped to explaining how one might have a “mixed” economy
where the “state” doesn’t own the means of production but “workers’
cooperatives” do. Neither the origins of
the means of production that workers’ cooperatives will “own,” nor the means of
managing their cooperative labor, were revealed during her explanation.
To the likes of Ms. Cortez the Marxist concept of capitalism
is not a solution to the human condition, but the cause of suffering and
injustice. Unfortunately, modern
capitalists are proving many of Marx’s theories. Thanks to the vapid connivance of ostensibly
democratically elected governments (crony-capitalism), international banks
virtually direct public policy and national economic decision-making. Most “workers” – wage-earners, are relatively
comfortable and not about to revolt against anonymous masters, but not
all. The obscene concentrations of
economic and productive power run the risk of collapsing the edifices of international
capitalism. There’s plenty for social
justice warriors to despise.
On the other hand… socialism cannot destroy debt – only productive
surplus does and can do that. It is not
possible, at least human nature will not allow, a financially complex society
to grow without practical amounts of debt.
Not to be pejorative, “debt” is merely paying for a product or “good”
over time. No, that sounds too
simple. “Debt” is only true and
practical when a financing agent has judged a borrower likely to pay back the
loaned cash with interest, oftentimes with the financier holding a chattel
interest in the good for which it has loaned the purchase price, because of two
factors: 1) The financed “good,” or product or house or car or medical
procedure has sufficient desirability, utility or comfort value for the
borrower as to make its value or worth obvious (and its potential loss
undesirable enough) and valued by the borrower; and 2) The borrower or
beneficiary of the good’s utility or comfort is, by test of available income
over time, able to make periodic payments on a timely, contracted (promised)
basis.
In the ideal case, then, debt is simply a tool that is “rented,”
as it were, the value of which is clear enough to cause timely,
interest-bearing, repayment. The manufacturer
of the good (debt properly employed should always, as in every single time, be
employed to facilitate the transfer of a “hard, or manufactured, good” and not
a temporary expense) obtains immediate payment, enabling additional future
manufacture, while the customer of the good obtains the use and facility of the
good immediately upon need when it may be too costly to afford a single cash
exchange for it.
Much is misunderstood about “productive surplus.” It’s “margin,” which is to say, revenue that
exceeds the cost of manufacture. “Oh,
well, that’s profit for a capitalist,”
some will say, “and you shouldn’t “overcharge” poorer customers or else you
should share it with your exploited workers.”
But margin isn’t simply “profit,” and the “exploited” workers are paid
according to their productive capacity and value to the production of the goods
the manufacturer makes and sells. Margin
provides “working capital;” what does it actually do?
Working capital means cash in the bank, and it serves to
improve efficiency within the manufacturer’s operations by enabling investment
in better manufacturing equipment, often by being committed to pay off
equipment acquisition debt, which shifts that portion of margin to
cost-of-goods but which can reduce the costs elsewhere with more productive
equipment (which is also a good result for the people who make that new
equipment). Working capital enables the
company to train its workers to higher skill levels and greater productivity,
yielding higher pay. It also enables the
company to hire more employees as production increases and, let’s hope, quality
and sales also increase.
Productive surplus destroys debt; it’s the only engine that
can. In the presence of productive
surplus, debt is a useful and valuable tool for growth and for improving
overall living standards. But what
happens to “profits?”
Profits belong to shareholders, who are, in fact, the owners
of the company. Socialists feel as
though no one person or small group should “own” a means of production, but
that it should automatically “belong to” or be controlled by, the workers, to
whom all the profits should be distributed.
History, the bane of socialists’ existence, teaches that humans are good
at some things, bad at others, and one of those “others” is collective
decision-making or, the corollary, collective self-leadership, an oxymoron that
socialists insist on believing in. Let’s
start at the beginning.
A person has an idea for a widget/product/thingy that other
people will want to have because it makes, ummm… it makes baking cakes, breads
and muffins easier and more efficient with fewer bad results. The person has no factory but he (let’s say
it’s a he) learned in trade school (paid for from taxes that derive from
profits) how to work with metal as well as how to apply himself to a problem
and how to concentrate and to research the things he doesn’t know. First he figures that being able to have a
baking oven that has even, steady heat would lead to uniformly baked goods, so
he tries various kinds of pipes and shapes and pressures to provide even gas
flames that won’t make hot spots within the oven. Aha!
He gets it and finds a way to generate even heat, cobbles together a
metal stove and burns his first cake to a crisp, as the whole oven became a hot-spot. Hmmmnn.
Our inventor/entrepreneur realizes he must regulate the heat
to achieve one temperature and hold it there within very narrow limits… The process goes on for weeks and months,
absorbing every spare hour and weekend until he has a metal box of a specific
shape with special gas burners, elaborate temperature sensors and controls,
insulation and directions for installation, use and cleaning. But he has just the one. If he sells it for more than it costs to make
he’ll have a brief profit but it takes so long for him to make just one that he’ll
go hungry before he can get the next pulse of “profits” from selling the second
one, assuming that he quits his 9 to 5 job and works on the oven business full
time.
He has some savings that he has been slowly accumulating to
provide for his family if something happened to him, and he’s been careful to leave
them intact. His idea is good and he’s
proven that it’s the best oven design potentially on the market. How to get it there? He needs capital, of which he has only a
little. He and his wife decide to take
the risk, pledging their savings and their house(!) to secure a loan that will
allow for several key things needed for producing 10 ovens per week, and
selling them, at a margin that will allow for repaying the loan with interest
(which employs people at the bank), insuring against the risks and liabilities
manufacturers face, making payroll (and benefits!) for the 5 people they must
hire to make and market the ovens (including payroll for himself, the
owner/inventor, and to invest in an inventory of parts and gizmos needed to
assemble ovens such that orders for ovens can be filled promptly. And, oh, yes, they have to lease some
suitable – or nearly suitable – space for manufacturing and testing, on which
there is a large deposit. Everything is
at stake.
With much struggle and worried nights things get done. The first 10 ovens are produced, tested and
packaged for shipping. The sales “department”
of one former kitchenware sales rep, has secured an order for 4 of them, one of
which is to a small mom-and-pop bakery not far away. The owner/inventor goes to their small shop,
attached to their house, to oversee installation by the plumber/gas-fitter, and
personally teaches the operation to the new owners, who took a risk of buying
an expensive new oven based on its description and manufacturer’s test
results. They agree to let the
inventor/capitalist advertise their success with it – for a fee. It performs as advertised and they start to do
more business thanks to the creative new pastries their new oven bakes to
perfection (damn those wood-fired stone ovens).
Well, the advertising kicks in and the sales department
manages to sell the rest of the first ten and the next ten and things start
humming at the “Great Perfection Oven Company.”
Soon, a major catalog sales company makes an offer to carry the oven at
a discount to them which, if they can prepay for a certain number and sell at
least 10 a month, the harried owner/inventor agrees to provide, even though he’ll
make less margin per oven. The advantage
is that with that new revenue he can afford two more production employees and
more leased space and increased advertising.
And on it goes…
Within a couple of years he and his wife celebrate the
pay-off of the first loan that had put their house and savings at risk. The business has grown to employ 40 employees
and a large commercial bakery has approached them with a request for a
production-size version of the “Perfection Oven” with its now-patented gas
burners (patenting cost over $30,000) and the inventor/owner commences to
design just such an oven which will require more manufacturing equipment and
changes to one of their production lines… and so on.
Ms. Ocasio-Socialist, do you think he doesn’t “own” this
business? He and his wife are the only
share-holders. Do you know what else “margin”
dollars must do? They have to provide
long-term benefits like pension contributions to trusted, valued employees: the
ones who help the company succeed and be profitable. They have to create a reserve fund in case
other threats to the company materialize, cutting into profits, challenging its
patents, creating knock-offs and look-alike ovens that sap Perfection Oven
sales and margins, as well as changes in tax laws or state-mandated benefits,
paid leave laws and new health-care coverages… not to mention changes in OSHA
and EPA regulations that could hamper production or require costly new changes
to production facilities, unionization, higher fuel costs for delivery of both
raw materials and finished goods (ovens).
Lots of future risks that must be insured against, sometimes with simple
cash reserves. THEN there are profits.
Ms. Cortez, do you, with your costly economics degree, understand
any of this?
Things just aren’t the same, anymore… have you noticed? On the other hand, it’s not Prudent to say
they ever were – the same I mean. Strong
societies like the United States, remain strong because some things are the
same, in fact; to protect ourselves, our grandchildren and their grandchildren,
the strong fibers in our culture must be defended and inculcated in our
children as well as in ourselves. There
are too many who should understand their presence and purpose but appear
ignorant of them.
One such fiber is our Constitution. Conservatives revere it; leftists unceasingly
circumvent it. Since its adoption the
Constitution has held strong, but has no effect on national direction when
governance simply steps into the shadows and ignores it. Most of that determined ignorance includes
big tax-funded payoffs to politically significant segments of the citizenry,
cementing the synthesis, into the new
thesis that the Constitutional limitation on this or
that governing act actually could be interpreted in a different (socialistic)
way. Later there is always the new antithesis that, couched in terms of “equal protection
under the law” and “non-discrimination,” must, “constitutionally” be applied to
still more segments until there’s a permanent acceptance of that much socialism
by the very conservatives who believe they are defending the Constitution! It’s a strong, inelastic fiber that’s been
stretched, nevertheless, over the past 150 years.
Conservatives believe that pulling back from the severe
strains on the Constitutional fiber, is the only long-term solution to the
survival of the American idea.
Religion, churches (church-communities) and religious
education form a fiber that is perceived as “quaint” by the leftist elements on
the East and West coasts and urban pockets in between. Anti-religion is strong on college campuses,
as it is in public grade and high schools.
Being at least agnostic, if not atheistic, is worn as a badge of
intellectual status, certainly since the 1960’s; those still attending are being taught that
the Bible and the words of Jesus somehow fit socialism. In response, churches are failing to define
the difference between worldly comforts and holy purposes of life. Government, under a Constitutional guarantee
of non-interference in and by religion itself, has proven feckless and works
harder to divest itself of moral responsibility at every level. This “fiber” is threadbare and undependable.
Family cohesiveness is the core strength of any society. In no culture has the strength and identity of mores and traditions been separated from widespread, if not complete, adherence to the family “pattern,” until the degradation of “Western,” culture, now entering its seventh decade. It is quickly becoming America’s greatest weakness and we have repeatedly elected representatives who facilitate it with misguided welfare programs. Without succeeding generations of “America”-acculturated citizens, there will be no “nation” and worse, there will be no one to defend it. Electronics and computerized health-care are not substitutes for strong, morally straight families, for only they form the “fiber” of freedom and self-government enabled through the Constitution.
Public education is the second greatest acculturation
mechanism and process we have. By
default public schools and teachers are charged with the responsibility to
educate succeeding members of our society and culture: new “Americans,” in truth. Since the 1970’s, certainly, teachers and
their unions have cemented themselves into codified bailiwicks where they can
teach almost anything without fear of being fired, while rewarding those
elected “representatives” who protect their “bailiwicks,” with solid political
support. Unthinking – or lightly
thinking – citizens vote for said “representatives” and vote further to
“support” public education with tax increases and overrides to prove their
great morality in defense of an American tradition. Meanwhile, “teachers” are increasingly
producing less-literate graduates who distrust, if not hate, the United States
and the true traditions of sacrifice, thrift, personal responsibility and
Judeo-Christianity, while embracing socialism, of all things the most
antithetical to American success and strength.
As a culture we are failing miserably to make the fabric of our nation
stronger, and we grin as we reward those who facilitate our internal
weakness. This “fiber” is now almost
invisible, maintained mostly in private, church-connected schools, and not all
of those.
Finance and wealth creation have been, and should be, strong
fibers in the fabric of industrialized societies, of which the United States is
one, like it or not. Both are tightly
connected to honesty in our legal structures, honesty in our contracts, honesty
in our “money,” fair debt creation and destruction, and private property. In short, the economics of the Bible, both
old and new testaments, like it or not.
Proto-socialists rail against “unfair” wealth “distribution.” They are simultaneously right and wrong. Wealth is not “distributable,” per se, and
“fairness” is irrelevant, but the accumulation and possession of “wealth,” is
certainly uneven, leading to strong feelings of envy and raw hatred of the “greedy.” These feelings are political minefields and
rich fodder for politicians whose beliefs are fundamentally anti-American… or
anti-family: same thing. But back to
“money”:
Financially, the federal government is a failure, unable to maintain its own household within a budget and even to create an honest budget through anything close to honest legislation. Because the Congress can, and the U. S. is in a global position to enable it, the federal government borrows more than it can (ever) repay, every fiscal year. Despite these well-known facts of financial incompetence, American voters continue to elect “representatives” who believe – and require by legislation – that more and more of every American’s personal financial security should depend upon or be in the hands of, the federal government. This “fiber” is a misconstrual of the “strings” that federal intrusion always includes – strings that could strangle us.
Debt is a tool of growth, investment, liquidity, defense, achievement, construction, infrastructure, public health and more, much more. Yet it is also a weapon, threatening and weakening whole nations, indeed, every nation. Instead of leading the world economically, proving the superiority of free enterprise and freedom itself, the United States has succumbed to banking globalism and to the blandishments of socialism, under which “investments” are made in daily necessities for large fractions of our population. Economically there is no “R.O.I” – return on investment – where debt is incurred in the furthering of dependency. The U. S. carries a “current” debt liability that is approaching annual G.D.P. Our productivity cannot generate sufficient surplus to even “service” that debt (pay the interest on it) without borrowing other debt to do so, given the nature of our entitlement budget and bloated pension commitments. Weapon-wise, debt allows international banking to FORCE the U. S. to borrow to meet its commitments for interest payments. Every dollar of debt is a dollar of weakness, not strength; of obligation, not freedom. Our “representatives” are doing this type of budgeting “for” us since it’s too complicated for us to understand.
Money is real. That is, “money” has intrinsic value: gold, silver, platinum or other “hard” currencies, or the notes that stand for a set value of real money so long as those notes may be traded for real money on demand. We don’t have “money” any longer, although we have currency that we are still willing to work for, sell for, buy with and “save up” for those rainy days. Written on the notes in our pockets are official dictates that this or that piece of paper shall be accepted as “legal tender” in all transactions, public or private. Someone famous and/or important has his or her name printed nearby affirming the quality of the banknotes we hold. They are no longer U. S. Notes, they are Federal Reserve Notes, a private bank with a public name. Instead of having the U. S. Mint simply print U. S. Notes when we need more liquidity in the economy, we incur a debt to the Federal Reserve bank, and others, including foreign countries – debts we have no hope of repaying in principal, while our obligation to “service” those debts is unending. The government prints U. S. Bonds, however, which are accepted as good instruments for the loans their purchasers are making to the United States. The question, is, therefore, if the bonds are good, why not skip the growing interest cost and just print our own money? Hmmmnnnhh.
So, our money is not honest. It is, instead, merely confidence notes that we and most of the world, accept. Federal Reserve Notes may be exchanged at any so-called bank only for other Federal Reserve Notes… not for gold or silver or anything of intrinsic value except, if inclined, for modern pennies, the content of which cost more than 1 cent. Melting them down for the intrinsic metal value is a crime, of course. More and more we exchange our “cash” for magnetic bubbles on a hard drive, trusting the federally regulated “bank” to protect the record so that we may access it at gasoline pumps, hardware stores and websites that will trade books and electronic gizmos for a share of those magnetic records. We are now a couple of layers of separation from real-value-money and yet fully confident that “our” money is both safe and safely “ours.”
Our entire economy is based on, and priced on, debts and interest. Think about it. Our rush to “cashless” commerce carries a very high price, whether one makes use of credit cards or not. First, the merchant/ restaurateur who accepts your card, must pay the transfer or remitting agent a fee for that privilege – a fee based on a percentage of the transaction amount, including taxes. This may be 1.5%, 2%, 3% and occasionally more depending on total flow of “credit” transactions for that single location or for the total transactions for a chain of locations. Many card-holders use “Rewards” cards to obtain fractional cash-back or “miles” or other goodies marketed as though free, simply as a thank-you for using the card. In reality those “rewards” raise the fees to the vendor/merchant for the privilege of accepting the card. Those costs are recouped entirely from the cost of goods sold – there is no free lunch. Later, the card-holder receives a bill from the “credit-card company” (bank) for all the stupid latte’s, Big Macs and smoothies he or she has enjoyed during the month preceding. Smart card-holders pay that bill in total the minute they receive it, but a large and growing percentage do not, allowing some of the balance to carry over to the next billing cycle, incurring upwards of 20% or more interest! Some even pay only the minimum suggested to keep the collection process at bay – this figure leads to maximization of the total interest the cardholder will eventually pay to the bank that has, in effect, loaned him or her enough money to buy lunch… or gas… or movie tickets… or even subway rides. As above, so below, when it comes to debt-consciousness. In effect then, our entire retail economy and large segments of wholesale purchases carries a “vig” of 2% or more on average; that is, 2%, say, on about $6 Trillion in retail sales and 25% or more than that in wholesale/raw-materials sales. The interest cost on costs of goods, is approaching $200 Billion. Where does that money go, one wonders? We’re all paying for it.
The once-strong thread of thrift and sacrifice has
disappeared, leaving all of us – and our supposedly “rich” nation, indebted for
life, our children’s lives, their children’s lives and the lives of further
generations than they. What an
inheritance.
Suffice to say that our nation is adrift. One political party/movement: liberal,
progressive, socialist, Democrat, is prostrating itself before the twin altars
of unrestricted abortion and legalizing drugs and other crimes, and the altar
of outsiders: non-citizens unwilling to provide for themselves or to follow our
most basic national laws. The other is
tripping over its shoelaces trying to remain relevant to media that share the
liberal, progressive, socialist, Democrat viewpoints – and philosophies – while
trying to overcome 60 years of feckless education (also liberal, progressive,
socialist, Democrat-leaning) that has separated 3 generations of Americans from
their history, heritage and founding majesty.
Politicizing, even codifying, every feeling and hatred, has
not rendered ours a happier or more cohesive society. Indeed, it is not even “fairer.” Politics that channels hatreds requires the
aggravation of envy and jealousy; it requires the accentuation of differences
between groups rather than between individuals.
So-called “identity politics” leads to identifying each group’s enemies
and resisting, if not attacking them.
Civility as a tool for nation-building is not simply unemployed, it is
mocked.
When differences between individuals is dealt with – usually
in small, civil steps – what usually develops is an understanding of how much
more similar they/we are, than different. Individuals don’t usually hurl epithets at
unrelated, unconnected individuals, it takes a mob mentality to do so, and then
it is done in order to or because of some perceived membership in a mob-hated group.
Civility, and civilization itself, takes work, commonality, leadership,
both individual and social. A
Constitutional Republic like the United States is based on individual, not
group responsibility; it is based on self-control and individual
responsibility, not group control or group responsibility. Keep this distinction in mind. One need not be Christian to appreciate that
the New Testament was a covenant with individuals and not with tribes or
peoples. Ours is a “Christian” nation in
that our Constitution enables individual success and failure, and individual
responsibility to one’s community, family and self for the consequences of
one’s actions… and, perhaps, to God.
Constitutionalists and other conservatives, along with the rest of the world, are watching the American high-wire act being performed without practice and without nets. Having had top billing in the center ring since WW-II, The U. S. has also had unique control of the world’s money supply and, in the pleasant swaddling clothes of the so-called “Federal” Reserve Bank, has enjoyed unlimited debt creation for more than a century, financing sticky, anti-Constitutional socialism, sold so softly that once-conservatives defend its pillars, now.
Along the way the innate goodness of American ideals enabled the U. S. to also liberate and rejuvenate millions of people and dozens of countries, imperfectly, but with the best of efforts. On balance, the United States has done sufficient good in the century of its financial dominance that people living under much crappier politics still risk everything to get here. Unfortunately, unlike the struggle to get to “America” during the first 130 years of our existence, immigrants come less and less often for the opportunity to perfect themselves and their families, and more and more to grasp the socialist welfare for which we have indebted several generations to come, to provide for the “less fortunate,” who, in the minds of virulent anti-American socialists, comprise the rest of the world.
Therein is the outline of one of the strands of the high wire we, through our virtually inept governments, are attempting to navigate across a chasm so dark that most of the citizenry will not look into it… or acknowledge it, believing that nothing so threatening could possibly exist nor could our Senators and Representatives have allowed it to manifest. Yet here we are, gingerly sliding one fat foot before the other, hoping to cross to a better century to come.
In that better century we won’t be in debt up to our annual eyebrows, or obligated socialistically for many multiples of our entire annual economic output. We love our Social Security, our Medicare and a thousand other benefits. We love being able to shove the irresponsible in under the umbrella of Medicaid, lest we worry ourselves sick over them. But we aren’t loving the loss of independence that ungodly debt represents, nor the loss of freedom that taxes represent – at least we shouldn’t be. You do understand these concepts, don’t you?
Taxes are a loss of freedom? It should be obvious: freedom and economic freedom are symbionts. Debt, on the other hand, threatens freedom of the nation in terms of independence – economic independence. We owe a year’s economic output to someone, many some-ones, and a lot of that we owe to people who wish to destroy us.
Independence. It’s another strand in that taut, high wire on which America balances.
Most of those who would weaken, dominate or destroy the United States, removing us from our global economic chairmanship, and from our military empire, do not have the internal dissent that freedom allows. They do not have debilitating, enervating victim-based political mine-field governance. Nor are they constricted by waves of illegal and criminal aliens and hired armies of “antifa” street thugs who use violent force to make points that duplicitous media endorse. They aren’t required, politically, to attempt to coexist with a dozen opposing cultures within their borders, schools and core cities. They aren’t burdened by thousands of laws that are never enforced, or enforced differently for citizens and non-citizens.
And, like badgers, or jackals, they probe and push and nibble at our strength, waiting… waiting for the moment we are so distracted, or weary, or confused about our existence, that we can be toppled. Such an occurrence will mark a new dark age.
The high wire is not unable to hold our weight, or our debt or our dissension. Our confusion is more worrisome, but right now, it’s holding. There is no net. We have succumbed to debauchery, as it were, with governments decriminalizing activities and products they can tax… or gain votes from. It’s tawdry. What sort of government can profit from the temporary or permanent mental incoherence of its citizens? Our individuality no longer breeds responsibility or cohesiveness, rather division and wasted potential. As a people we are becoming more clever and less intelligent. Instead of rewarding success and improvement, we are rewarding failure, deviance… and incoherence.
Immigration, once a strength, we are now rushing – indeed fighting – to make a weakness and a threat. It’s not the stuff of socialism, but it is a weapon to prevent resistance to socialism. Socialism, a virtual denial of the spirit, is threatened by freedom – not by licentiousness, for that weakens freedom – because freedom, described by God in a million religious texts and well-distilled into our Declaration and Constitution, empowers individuals, not groups or classes. The majesty of individual sovereignty, barely recognized or remembered, today, is at the foundation of the American idea. For those blinded by the allure of socialism: the ability to get something for nothing – American independence of the individual is the enemy. The high wire is not yet severed, but the blowtorches of the original lie, now emboldened as “socialism,” are trying to soften its tensile strength.
Still we proceed, one foot before the other, carefully sliding and balancing, while the burdens of debt cower us and the rending of our muscles by a million jackals weakens us. The ideas of America – not her mistakes – are so strong that we are able to find new ways to rejuvenate her body, albeit more temporarily each cycle.
Belatedly, Trump is trying to “clean up” international problems that have encroached on our peace and prosperity for decades. Politically we have botched many circumstances, treaties, agreements and relationships around the world – too many to list. Currently we worry about North Korea, Iran, Russia and China, along with Afghanistan, Pakistan, Syria, Turkey, Libya, Zimbabwe, Sudan and South Africa… oh, and Venzuela, Nicaragua, El Salvador, Mexico, Brazil, Haiti, and even Canada. Ooops, forgot Philipines, Indonesia, Somalia, Poland, Latvia, Lithuania and Estonia. Other than that, things are pretty calm… unless we want to not overlook the entire EU and Britain in particular and the Balkans, Romania, Bulgaria, and Ukraine. And Georgia. Never mind the DNC.
The point is, it is a consummate balancing act the U. S. performs to keep its dominance through both economics and diplomacy, while shoveling huge volumes of “foreign aid” in the form of military aid, if not intervention, into over 150 countries. This doesn’t begin to quantify activities of the C. I. A. No wonder everybody loves us. All this while our enemies – every one socialist, communist or fascist (socialist) – watch for weakness, indecision, or introversion, or, for “leading from behind.”
If at some point the U. S. stumbles, fails to defend itself or, worse, fails to stand up for its majestic founding principles, the jackals will pounce to bring down – as in destroy the greatest affront to socialism and tyranny the world has ever seen: our great, lumbering hodge-podge of cultures and beliefs which had not the good sense to teach its own children the ideas of its founding and its exceptional place amongst humankind.
Our greatest balance pole has always been freedom, outlined in the Bill of Rights and elsewhere. We will do best to preserve ourselves and our countering role by cleaning our own house and by returning to our long climb toward honesty and perfection based on the sovereignty and individual responsibility of our people. We’ve drifted away from our ideals as we’ve carefully stepped far out above the abyss. Every reader knows the cleansing that must be done. There is no amount of political Febreeze that will correct for the rot it covers up.
We must regain our balance, and in fairly short order, Prudence indicates.
