The Basis for American Freedom

Here are some of the roots of american ideology:

"Whenever the legislators endeavor to take away and destroy the property of the people, or to reduce them to slavery under arbitrary power, they put themselves into a state of war with the people, who are thereupon absolved from any further obedience." ~John Locke

Government has no other end, but the preservation of property. ~John Locke

“Liberty is to be free from restraint and violence from others” ~John Locke

Government's prime directive is to 'secure' our rights. ..to  provide an atmosphere of freedom so we can possess our own property, which we have labored for. IF they don't do that, we are morally absolved from obeying them. THAT is the basic premise of america.

It is semantics to argue the source, or roots of these 'rights'. We take them if we want them. They are mine by will & mental assertion. No one can give them to me, nor take them away.  They are inherent.

If you are religious, you can appeal to a creator. If you are not, you can appeal to 'laws of nature'. It does not matter to me. I get it, & i'm free. No one can take that root ideology. People might try, & they have over the millenea. But those like me, especially banded together, make a very difficult opponent for oppressors, when they try to intrude. Their lackeys will tire of killing us long before we tire of killing them. We are more willing to die for our values than the statists. We have a sense of perspective, & believe our deaths will be for the freedom & good of our families, neighbors, & countrymen. The statist lackeys are merely paid killers. They may enjoy it, & might even be good at it, but they lack the determination & resolve to die for their cause.

I can only speak for myself. But i believe this to be at the root of many american patriots, & will be a force to contend with as the statists continue their slow erosion of our liberties. For many like me, physical violence is not employed, but as long as we have a voice, we will call for freedom, & demand it. We will not go quietly into the night, nor submit meekly to oppression.

I would like to believe most americans.. ALL americans share this love for freedom & individual liberty. But the current political climate teaches me otherwise. There are many, many people who long for statist domination. I don't know why.

“Freedom is not something that anybody can be given; Freedom is something that people take and people are as free as they want to be.” ~James Arthur Baldwin

The End of America

It has been a gradual process.  It has not happened overnight, nor is it complete.  But the basic concept of America is fading.  It is becoming just another statist, government centered bureaucracy.

The uniqueness & influence of America over the last couple of hundred years has been this unusual concept in human history:   Government of the people, by the people, & for the people. It was founded on the principle that government should serve the people, not vice versa.   Government was to secure our rights to life, liberty, & the pursuit of happiness.  The emphasis was freedom.  People had the freedom to live, take risks, face dangers & take responsibility for themselves.  Government on the national scale was very limited & had little impact on people's day to day lives.

The idea of america is for citizen representatives to honor their responsibility to secure the rights & freedoms for the rest of us. Those ARE high ideals, & tyrants have hidden behind those kinds of words for centuries, perhaps millennea. It is still a goal we can aspire to. I know perfection is impossible, with people being what we are, but the concept of America is too important.. too unique in history to let it die. We have had thousands of years of kings, dictators, emperors, coalitions, juntas, parliaments, caliphates, & any other ruling system you want to name. They have always been state centered. Oh, they might be benevolent, or treat people ok, generally, but they are still the rulers, & the rest of us live by their whims. They have the power, & wield it at their pleasure, not for the rights & freedoms of the people.

This message is getting lost in the muddy convolutions of noise & hysteria in our current political climate. The basic ideals are at times given lip service to, but they are not the driving force. The driving force seems to be for the politicians to grab the power, so they can make the rules. They promote themselves as the most benevolent rulers, who will rule us fairly, but they still intend to rule.  This attitude is the major indicator that we have lost our center. We are no longer a republic of free people, but are choosing our dictators in a corrupt system where we pay them to oppress us.

Most of the problems we face are because of the politicians, & bureaucratic decisions.  They spend taxpayer's money freely, tossing it out like parade queens throwing candy.  They start wars & meddle in other nation's affairs.  The promote utopian programs that encourage irresponsibility.  They have incurred a crippling debt that we may never recover from.  But instead of wising up & voting for fiscally responsible officials, we continue electing big spenders to run the gravy train.  But it will end, & badly.  Financial collapse is almost always related to spending more than you take in, whether you're an individual, a family, a company, or a nation.  People have a basic desire for security, & the illusions the politicians sell are very seductive.  They promise to take care of us.. feed us, house us, give us water, cell phones, cable, & free health care.   But these are not things that a government can provide for its citizens.  The productive workers of the country are the only ones who can produce enough substance to buy these things.  Money printed out of thin air to pay for free stuff will only lead to bankruptcy, which will hurt most the people politicians pretend to help.

So is it inevitable?  Is America doomed to become just another state centered system where govt rules supreme?  Unless we stop voting for frauds & charlatans who promise us goodies from the public treasury, the financial basis for the nation will collapse.  Unless we value the individual & champion personal liberties, the state will continue to whittle away at our freedoms until we are just another nanny state.  If there is a collapse of our currency, which seems to be coming, the void created will likely be filled by a powerful entity, promising order & stability.  Those are never good for individual freedoms.  I do not know how long we can last in the current direction.  But if we do not correct our fiscal problems, the future looks grim.

Evolution & Origins. Fact or Fraud?

The idea of evolution explaining the origin & complexity of life is mostly presented as fact in schools, national parks, & anywhere the topic seems to come up. I would like to examine this claim, & question it's validity.

First, i'll present the central question:
Does evolution provide a scientific & logical explanation for the origins & complexity of life?

I say it does not. Here are my reasons:
1. Micro evolution, or natural selection, explains how species adapt to their environment. The result of this adaptation is a decrease in diversity in the species, as the genetic pool limits itself to certain traits that are favorable to the environment. This is dark moths adapting to dark bark on trees, white rabbits doing better in the snow, & other natural selection processes. This kind of evolution does not increase complexity, but decreases it, as fewer genetic traits become available to the species. There is no known mechanism that causes an increase in genetic complexity. Mutations are aberrations in the genetic code, seldom produce anything positive for the species, & do not increase the complexity of the life form. It does not indicate macro evolution.

2. To say that micro evolution proves 'macro' evolution is a leap of logic. It is like saying that since we know people can travel easily between towns, they can travel easily between planets. There is a major difference between natural selection, which is a scientifically observable phenomenon used in breeding & hybridization, and the increase in complexity in a life form.

3. There is no mechanism that can explain why or how life can become more complex through evolution. It is assumed, & that is a faulty assumption. It is not good science, nor good logic. Neither mutation nor millions of years provide any mechanism or even explanation of HOW, but it is erroneously extrapolated based on natural selection. But just asserting that a species adapted over millions of years does not make it true, nor is it based on any scientific or logical constructs. It is speculation & fantasy.

4. One of the most basic concepts in science is that of entropy, or the tendency of all things to move to less complexity. Unless acted upon by an outside source, all of the universe is moving toward equilibrium & a simple state. There is no known mechanism that explains HOW or WHAT is causing life to increase in complexity. If anything, in recorded history, life is decreasing in complexity & diversity. Unique species are lost, and distinct new ones are not being added. We have variation within a life form's genetic limitations, but no moving into more complexity. This is what you would expect with entropy, & it brings a major difficulty to those claiming an increase in complexity through evolution.

5. As to origins, there is no mechanism or procedure that can create life.. real, reproducing life, not just some amino acids or 'building blocks' of life. There is nothing that can be measured, repeated, falsified, or even theorized. It is a leap of faith to believe life began spontaneously & increased in complexity for millions of years. There is no valid scientific explanation for this, even though it is asserted as fact in many spheres.

I am not making an argument for special creation, or alien seeding, or any other theories or speculations of origins. I am including evolution with the others. Our origins are a mystery, which science & logic have not been able to explain to this point. Macro evolution, or the increase in complexity in life forms, is an unproven speculation & fantasy.

Unsustainable Statistics

Here are some interesting numbers..

Total state, local, federal employees: 20m (2008)

Federal contractors:  14.6m (2006)

People on welfare:  100m (2009, does not include SS & medicare)

Total number of jobs in the us:  155m (2012)

Population of the US:  312m (2010)

These are the most current statistics i could find.  Now let's analyze them.

Half of the 312M population works, supporting the other half.. children, elderly, spouses, & other dependents.  Of the 155M jobs in the us, 36M are govt.. either working directly for, or contracting.  They are paid by the taxpayers.  That leaves 119M people working.  There are 100M people getting some kind of govt assistance.. food stamps, housing, adc, etc.  Some of these are probably working, but a great number are not.  But if you total both govt paid workers & welfare recipients, the number totals a staggering 136M.  You only have 119M working to support them, in addition to their own children, elderly, & other dependents.

This is unsustainable.  The dependent class has grown astronomically.  But the burden has not really been felt, as the govt has used borrowed money to support them.  If the taxpayers had been taxed for the actual expenditures, there would have been a revolution.  Taxpayers would not have submitted to paying for this much dependency.  But by borrowing the money & trading free handouts for votes, the politicians insulated themselves from the taxpayer's wrath.  But the reality is the taxpayers are still on the hook for the spending.  The growth of govt has far exceeded the abilities of the american taxpayers to fund.  Borrowing the money to spend is not a solution.  That only postpones the inevitable.  The other problem that the govt is not facing, is the continued growth of the dependent class.  Govt workers & welfare recipients are growing at a much faster rate than the economy.  It is already beyond what is financially feasible.  Continuing down this path will be disastrous  both for the workers & the dependents, when the inevitable crash occurs.

An analogy would be a family.  Say you have 10 people in your family, as i do.  There are 4 total households, with currently 6 people working to support them.  In my situation, all are in the private sector, & none get govt assistance.  Now let's have 3 of those workers quit & expect money from the other 3 for their support.  It can't be done.  The only way you can support these 4 households with only 3 working is to borrow money.  So the households live off of credit cards & 2nd mortgages for a while, & borrow from friends & extended family.  But unless you shut down some of the households, it cannot be sustained.

As a nation, we are running $1T/yr over income.  The debt is $16T & growing.  There are too many dependents living off of the working people.  We cannot have this level of spending, both in govt & welfare.  Social security & medicare are not even factored in these numbers, & their mismanagement makes things worse.  You cannot hide from the numbers.  A currency collapse is in our future if spending is not cut back drastically.

The problem is not a lack of compassion, but a lack of money to fund the compassion.  It is also unrealistic expectations from the working people, to fund exorbitant levels of govt & an entitlement culture.  If we do not stop the madness, the whole system will collapse.. the currency & the whole financial structure will fold.  If we truly are compassionate, we will not allow the govt to bankrupt us & spend us into economic collapse.  Govt workers & dependents will be the hardest hit if the currency folds.

It is folly & madness to think that the rich can be taxed enough to support all of this spending.  We are $1 Trillion over each year.  1,000 million is a billion.  1,000 Billion is a Trillion.  There is not enough revenue to support these kinds of spending levels, & the govt knows it.  That is why they just borrow.. obligating future generations to pay for their irresponsible pandering for votes.  But all it will do is wreck the nation.


Summary:
Total working people:        155M
Total govt workers:           35M
Total welfare dependents:  100M
Net annual deficit:             $1T
Sustainable:                       No
Economic collapse:           Yes

State of the union 1944. Socialist turning point?

This is from FDR in 1944. He states his famous 'second bill of rights'. He died about a year later, & the country was distracted by war, but it is interesting to think what might have been..

Was this a turning point away from socialism? These same principles were in the french socialist party pre ww2, & were part of the soviet constitution in 1936. Looking at this in hindsight, it seems terribly naive, but we have the history of the attempts at collectivism for the rest of the last century. It is interesting that a great many people, including those in actual power would think these things could be implemented by the govt.

But to be sure, there are many today who still think this is a reasonable list of 'rights'. They think govt can dictate this, & provide it.

Quote:
It is our duty now to begin to lay the plans and determine the strategy for the winning of a lasting peace and the establishment of an American standard of living higher than ever before known. We cannot be content, no matter how high that general standard of living may be, if some fraction of our people—whether it be one-third or one-fifth or one-tenth—is ill-fed, ill-clothed, ill-housed, and insecure.

This Republic had its beginning, and grew to its present strength, under the protection of certain inalienable political rights—among them the right of free speech, free press, free worship, trial by jury, freedom from unreasonable searches and seizures. They were our rights to life and liberty.
As our nation has grown in size and stature, however—as our industrial economy expanded—these political rights proved inadequate to assure us equality in the pursuit of happiness.

We have come to a clear realization of the fact that true individual freedom cannot exist without economic security and independence. “Necessitous men are not free men.” People who are hungry and out of a job are the stuff of which dictatorships are made.
In our day these economic truths have become accepted as self-evident. We have accepted, so to speak, a second Bill of Rights under which a new basis of security and prosperity can be established for all—regardless of station, race, or creed.

Among these are:

The right to a useful and remunerative job in the industries or shops or farms or mines of the nation;
The right to earn enough to provide adequate food and clothing and recreation;
The right of every farmer to raise and sell his products at a return which will give him and his family a decent living;
The right of every businessman, large and small, to trade in an atmosphere of freedom from unfair competition and domination by monopolies at home or abroad;
The right of every family to a decent home;
The right to adequate medical care and the opportunity to achieve and enjoy good health;
The right to adequate protection from the economic fears of old age, sickness, accident, and unemployment;
The right to a good education.

All of these rights spell security. And after this war is won we must be prepared to move forward, in the implementation of these rights, to new goals of human happiness and well-being.
America's own rightful place in the world depends in large part upon how fully these and similar rights have been carried into practice for all our citizens.
For unless there is security here at home there cannot be lasting peace in the world.


How is it your right to take from me to use for yourself? This is the basic process of providing for the second bill of rights that fdr lists. If there is no appeal to self evident truths, then we are back to 'might makes right'. You have no basis to claim any rights, as it has been throughout history. Only might provides the power to secure your rights.

'We hold these truths to be self-evident, that all men are created equal, that they are endowed by their Creator with certain unalienable Rights,'

You can leave god out of it.. earlier jefferson said, 'to which the Laws of Nature and of Nature's God entitle them,' so you can go with 'nature' if you want.. he was not being denominational.

But without this appeal to natural rights of Man, we have nothing but the whims of govt power to determine what they are to protect, & this usually means the exploitation of the weak & minorities.



I see govt as being there to 'secure' my rights. If it fails in that charge, it is our right to alter or abolish it, and to institute NEW govt, laying its foundation on such principles and organizing its powers in such form, as to us shall seem most likely to effect our Safety and Happiness.

This is not the majority deciding to screw the minority, or one powerful group oppressing another. It is a basic statement of human rights.. that ALL are entitled to. Govt is there to secure those rights for all, not just the moneyed elite, or the majority party, or the powerful. THAT is what makes the american experiment unique.. it was not just democracy.. it was democracy with a basis in an ideal.. and the ideal superseded what the majority wanted, if they should decide to exploit others. The american republic is not a majority that decides how to do everything, but a republic of laws that the nation abides by. The majority can tweak those laws, & change with the times, but the basic rights are immutable. The minority or 'outliers' as you call them, are protected from the tyranny of the majority. Govt becomes dictatorial when it no longer abides by the basic rules. When the majority think they can vote themselves special privileges, or take from others & violate their basic rights, the republic is over. It is a free for all, then, & we're back to survival of the fittest.


I'm not addressing any specific examples of govt overreach, but like a frog boiling in water, it is a gradual thing. From the beginning, americans have had a mistrust of govt.. we are not content to hope for a benign ruler, but wish to keep control of our system to keep the power grabbers at bay. Every generation has had to fight off the state centered ideology, with varying degrees of success. It is no different today, & tomorrow's generation will have the same battle. The state longs for supremacy, & the people have to keep them in check. Our 3 prong system is supposed to do that, but lately, they have worked together to ignore the constitution, & overreach in many areas.

I'm no conspiracy theorist, & don't believe the nation is in danger of wild eyed statists grabbing power & overrunning the white house, congress, & the supreme court. But we need to retain that citizen based system of govt, & not let it fall under the control of a ruling elite, or corporate media sponsored elections. We need our representatives to keep the faith.. to remain true to the vision of america, & not try to change it to some socialist utopia.

Is the Progressive Left Anti-American?

What is 'american'?  We know 'who' an american is: anyone born or naturalized as a citizen of america.  But what makes 'america' distinctly 'american'?  It is not the military, the police, firemen, the education system, money, or anything that is common to humans throughout history.  No, what makes america distinctly american is the basic philosophy of a govt of the people, by the people, & for the people.

'We hold these truths to be self-evident, that all men are created equal, that they are endowed by their Creator with certain unalienable Rights, that among these are Life, Liberty and the pursuit of Happiness.--That to secure these rights, Governments are instituted among Men, deriving their just powers from the consent of the governed'

This, in a nutshell, is the basis for america.  It is the unique idea in human history that govt should serve the people, & protect their liberties, rather than govt dictating to the people how they will live.  Freedom, independence, self-reliance, & opportunity are the basic ideals of this revolutionary concept of human govt.  Human history has seen it's fill of state centered ideology.  Kings, dictators, chairmen, generals, & ruling bodies have been the norm of human govt.. where the state is supreme, & the people are subservient   In the dream of america, the people are supreme.  The govt's duty is to protect & provide the freedoms of the people.  Anything more begins to infringe upon the liberties of the citizens.

The last few decades have seen an eroding of these american values.  We have seen a growth of a dependent class, with an entitlement mentality, promoting the idea that govt is responsible, not just to ensure our freedoms, but to provide all the necessities of life:  food, shelter, clothing, and medical care.  The govt is seen as a vehicle of social justice.. a tool to create a utopian paradise on earth, forcing redistribution of wealth.  This vision of america from the progressive left, is diametrically opposed to the central tenets of historic american values.  Progressives look longingly at europe, long a bastion of statist systems, & want to change our basic values to state centered, big brother style of governing systems.  They see a cradle to grave dependency as being desirable  & want to use govt to force economic 'fairness', where they tax the 'haves' & give to the 'have nots'.  They want an intrusive nanny state, not individual freedom & responsibility.

This collectivist mentality does not work.  It never has, & never will.  Socialism as a governing system collapses upon itself, as there are not enough producers to support the growing dependent class.  They may succeed in revolutionary rhetoric, stirring up people with propaganda & lies to work against their best interests.  They may succeed in taking control of the power of govt, and levy stiff taxes on the producing classes to promote their concepts of economic justice.  But collectivist philosophies eventually run out of other people's money.  History is littered with the remains of failed collectivist experiments.  Even europe is giving us a modern preview of the harvest of socialism.  Greece, France, and many other nations in europe are teetering on the edge of bankruptcy & economic chaos, & many of the people still demand govt to keep the gravy train running.  But without a strong economic engine, & without a stable currency & freedom to make ventures & takes risks for rewards, the train jumps the tracks.  The statists can only call, 'all aboard!' & tell us to hop on the disabled train.  'We're not going anywhere, but we're making good time!'  They offer illusion & fantasy, and blame the only thing that can actually heal the problems they have created:  Freedom.

It is past time for americans to wake up to the direction we're going.  This is not our father's america.  We are being beguiled with false promises & lures of free stuff.  We're selling our birthright for a mess of pottage.  If we do not take control of our govt, & make it get back to being a govt that serves the people, then we will be just another state run, state centered bureaucracy  micromanaging the citizens & dictating to them how they will live.  If the citizens of america do not stop the drift to state centered ideology, the american experiment is over, & we will be just another statist nation.  We need to oppose & expose the progressive agenda, with it's anti-american goals, & anti-american ideals.  They only promote & offer more govt & state power, & less individual freedom.  The progressive left is the enemy of america.  They do not protect our life, liberty, or pursuit of happiness, but only offer more state domination.  If we continue down their chosen path, the dream of america will be over, & only the nightmare of statism will remain.

Making babies for fun & profit

Are you a third world woman of child bearing age?

Are you uneducated, poor, & have no marketable skills?

Would you like to have plenty of money, have your choice of men, & live like a princess?

Then you should read this, or have someone read it to you.

Don't pass up this once in a lifetime opportunity! You can live the life of your dreams, wear designer clothes, have a nice home, cars, & have men wanting to meet you!

All you need to do is come to America! Here, you'll get all this & more!

What would you pay for this opportunity? $10,000? $5,000? Well, the truth is, it won't cost you a penny. In fact, if you can have babies, you can have all the luxuries you've ever dreamed of, & america will pay YOU! That's right! Get yourself to america somehow.. visit a friend.. cross the border.. have someone take you, & once you have a baby, you're set for life! The more you have, the more you make.

Now you may think, 'I don't know, raising children is a lot of work'. But in america, you don't have to raise them. No! You can drop them off at the government paid baby sitting establishments, which are everywhere. That way you are free to make more babies, or party, or shop, or do the things YOU want to do!

Everything you ever dreamed of.. nice clothes, a home, a cell phone, food, & attentive men are yours if you can get yourself to america. Don't wait any longer! Make your plans, now! Once you're pregnant, go to any hospital. You don't even have to speak english. Just go in, & begin to receive the benefits you deserve. Soon you'll have money coming in, a home of your own, plenty of food to eat, & all you did was get pregnant! It's fun! It's easy! It's the most natural thing in the world, & YOU can do it!




I'm thinking of sending this to the state department, to print up & drop around the world.. why should only the neighboring poor have this opportunity? It's not fair for other 3rd world women to be discriminated against & not allowed to share in this benefit. Perhaps we should even start a transportation service for women in these other places. I'm sure there are young women in africa, china, and even europe that would love the opportunity.

ps.  This is a satirical commentary on american policies of promoting irresponsible childbirth.  I am not serious.