Brad Miller

Posts Tagged ‘Ron Paul’

, , , , , ,

Voting: Meaningful Exercise in Civic Duty or Self Indulgent Dillusion?

In Liberty, True nature of the State on March 6, 2012 at 2:12 am

Vote Or Die.

Just kidding. I don’t buy into that. In fact I wish fewer people would vote. Because if you don’t vote according to what you believe you are expressing the ideas of others through action and violating your first basic duty as a Rational Human being ,which is to think for yourself.

That being said I did think for myself and actually voted early the other day Republican Primary. I have to say it felt good to cast my vote for Ron Paul. Now is this self-delusion or am I actually making a difference in the world?

I’ve voted in the past and have compromised my beliefs in order to do so. My two Senators from Georgia are anything but advocates of Liberty. They were the lesser of the two evils I believe at the time. But how terrible a system does it have to be in order for that to be a comforting type of rationalization that I used to justify my violating what I belive? They support Big Government Programs like TARP and National Defense Authorization Act and most of the other nefarious Government expanding programs. I didn’t vote for my current Representative who is a full-blown collectivist but he has a lot more in common with the Two Republican Senators then most folks think.

Government is the problem; Liberty is the answer.

I will  vote straight Libertarian from now on or not vote at all. I don’t believe voting is the best way to change the world by any means.

The only reason I will choose to do that is to maintain the integrity of my own mind. I’m tired of the argument of choosing between the least “evil” option. Both parties are really one party, The Big Government Party.

The whole amount of attention given to politics is really a lamentable fact in America today. I love when the politicians say it shouldn’t be about politics when discussing an issue, or that the other side is playing politics. When in reality politics is the “theory and practice of government”. So everything a politician does is by default “Political”

Anyway I look forward to a day when every American can go about their business and not have to be concerned at all with what the Federal Government is doing at home or abroad. Not because individuals choose to be voluntarily ignorant or choose to hide their heads in the sand but because the Federal Government is so small it doesn’t interfere with the peaceful transactions of individuals who are pursuing their definition of happiness.

It did feel good to vote for Ron Paul as the candidate for Republican Nominee. But somehow it feels like a hollow victory. The whole two-party system, the Federal Reserve, the 16 trillion-dollar debt, the endless wars overseas, the militarization of the police at home, the ever expanding wars at home against Drugs and imaginary terrorists made me think that punching a button for a candidate makes zero difference in reality.

When I think that I tell myself that is totally wrong. (I talk to myself a lot btw.) . Every thought you have, ever action you take matters. In the grand scheme of things sure, no Federal Election has ever been decided by one vote. Your vote matters because it is like any action you take. It should be one in which you don’t compromise your principles. It is an act of the will.

Emerson has a quote that I’ve been thinking about a lot lately : “Nothing is at last sacred but the integrity of your own mind”.

That sums it up. Your vote should be an extension of that thought. In fact every action we take should be one in which you pay homage to the “sacredness” of the integrity of your own mind. That is the litmus test for all action.

Too often I’ve compromised in my life. I’ve not gone after what I desired because I didn’t think it mattered or I didn’t have the confidence in myself to obtain it. Emerson’s quote really brings into stark relief what is truly important against the back drop of all the  things that do not matter in  this world.

I am responsible for myself and the integrity of my own mind. Integrity is defined as a state of being whole.Your sacred duty is to maintain the “wholeness” of your mind. That is the path I believe to Happiness and isn’t that what we are all truly seeking?

: “Happiness is when what you think, what you say and what you do are in harmony”. Gandhi

That is what I’m working towards in my life. Another way to say that is that I am looking for resonance in my life. That sounds like a new age term but in practice it is simply brining into agreement your thoughts and actions. This is the process of creating the external world according to the pattern of your internal thoughts.

How can I possibly have resonance in my life if  I vote for anyone who doesn’t believe that every individual on Earth has God-given Natural Right to their LIfe, Liberty, justly earned Property and the Pursuit of Happiness? The answer is I can’t and I won’t. Not because I believe it will change the external world in any significant way but because if I didn’t it would change my internal mental world in a significant way.It would be a violation of my “integrity”. How many people even talk of integrity any more? I know that is a daily challenge for me.

And with voting at least  I can say with certainty I will not be a party to ”compromise” any longer.

Some Libertarians and Radical Individualists eschew voting all together. I can see that. But I also know I live in a world in which I must breathe, and eat and trade with others. There are things beyond my control and I must live within the world. That being said how I live in this world is totally my choice. I did seriously think about not voting this year. I would say if Ron Paul and Gary Johnson were not running I probably wouldn’t have voted unless there was another candidate who believed in Individual LIberty as they do.

I personally don’t believe Ron Paul will win the Republican Nominee for President. Instead I think he will be more like Obi Wan Kenobi. The Empire will think he has been “struck” down but he will only become more powerful outside of their reality. The State only sees force and power. They want us to believe we as individuals are weak and need to “collectivize” with them in control in order to live. That is false and Ron Paul and Gary Johnson are carrying the mantle of Liberty for us today. It is our job to do so in our own mind first then share that glimpse of the truth we’ve seen with others.

You matter. Your thoughts matter. Your actions matter. Don’t let anyone ever tell you that they don’t.

So to answer my own question do I think Voting is a meaningful Civic Duty? No. Because I abhor the State and any credence we give to “civic duty” is anathema to individualism and Natural RIghts. That being said I don’t think it is self-indulgent delusion either. Thoughts are the most powerful force on Earth. For my money the most powerful thought held in the mind of man is that we are all individuals granted by our Creator with Inalienable Rights. So when we vote as an expression of that idea we are carrying on the battle of  a long line of champions of Liberty stretching back through the centuries. And every Vote for Ron Paul and Gary Johnson is in some way keeping alive the best of what humans can conceive and accomplish, because it’s an expression of the thoughts of Liberty held in the minds of individuals.

The world is changed by ideas and the actions expressed based upon those ideas. That is why I am working to reach 2.3 billion people and help them each spark their own personal revolution. The kind of personal revolution I’m advocating for is one in which the individual understands that he is in control of meeting his needs and fulfilling his dreams. And more importantly that he is capable of doing so. I believe Collectivism grows because of a lack of self-confidence in individuals.

If  a third of the world is confidently pursuing their passion with a faith in their own personal power the shackles of the Collectivists will fall away.A personal revolution of thinking must occur before the external peaceful political revolution can occur.  I get the 33% figure from the fact that only a third of the Colonists wanted to secede From England, a third didn’t care and a third were against it. A majority is not necessary to stop the Collectivist Train.

I believe that once individuals again strive to have as Kierkegaard wrote “perfect faith in themselves and God” we will see an external peaceful political revolution in which Liberty is the norm and any form of government coercion is the aberration. When I talk about God, I refer to not only the deity, how every you define Him, but also to Providence or the Working of the knowable Universe. That is the belief and faith that everything that we desire and work persistently toward we can obtained because the Universe Contains everything we need to meet our needs and fulfill our dreams. Life is awesome. I know too often I’ve lost my awe of this Universe. But I would advocate for everyone to pause during these crazy times and really dwell upon the vastness and interconnectedness of this Amazing Universe we get to call home for only a blink of an eye.

“It is enough that people know there was an election. The people who cast the votes decide nothing. The people who count the votes decide everything.” Joseph  Stalin

The Government that people vote for is  just an expression of their internal thoughts. I choose to spend my time in first clarifying for myself why Liberty is so important and then day by day trying to figure out how to think and live as a free man and then help others to do the same.

“Let him who that would move the world first move himself.” Socrates

So when there are enough individuals who care about their own Individual Liberty and believe and live by the creed of “I can and I will be self-responsible” the Joseph Stalin’s of the world will have no power and there will be no position for them to be in to decide anything for anyone ever again.

Brad Miller

AdvocateofLiberty, Living in Awe and Embracing Life

I

 

, , , , , , ,

Wanted: 100 Million Indivduals who want to be Free

In True nature of the State, Advocates of Liberty on February 18, 2012 at 10:10 pm

That is all that is needed to assure that Freedom, which always means freedom from Government returns to America. During the time before the Revolution in America only 33% of the population wanted to secede from England, 33% didn’t care, and the other 33% thought it was a bad idea.

What I am calling for ONE HUNDRED MILLION INDIVIDUALS who believe in their God-Given Natural Right to immediately stop voting for anyone who has in the past or plans to in the future use the force of Government to Violate anyone’s right to their Life, Liberty and Property.

Many may wonder how can 100 million people agree on anything? That’s the beauty of Freedom. You don’t have to agree on everything because when Government is out of your life you are the arbiter of what you should and should not do. Again individual volition and responsibility will dictate the behavior of individuals not the edicts from politicians or bureaucrats.

I believe we are entering into the second Enlightenment. How many people do you know understand the ideas of Freedom, of Government tyranny and the importance of Rational Thinking?

I like Leonard Read’s take on Liberty and it’s simply “anything peaceful“. He like Ayn Rand and Ludwig von Mises were Minarchists meaning they believed in a severely limited state that ony interfered into a person’s life after they initiated force against another.

Ayn Rand believed you could do anything except violate the Natural Rights of Others.

“No man has a right to initiate the use of force against another.”

So those are the parameters of action for Free Men in a Free Society. You can do anything that is peaceful or stated differently you have no right to initiate force against another. That is as simple as it gets. We get all caught up in every minutia that doesn’t matter in life and forget to focus on the big ideas.

I believe that 100 million people in this country would agree to these two principles. I call in O.H.M.I. (one hundred million individuals.)

This is a peaceful revolution of 100 million individuals who believe in Liberty. That’s it. There is nothing more than that.
Think about the Libertarian Test. If you’ve not taken it I urge you to do so.

http://www.theadvocates.org/quiz

But I want something even simpler. Most people today don’t realize how important Freedom is to them and their families and what it means to lose that freedom.

The simple quiz would be two questions.

1. Do you believe you have the right to personally  steal someone elses’ property, dictate their peaceful behavior or take their life?

2. Do you believe you can use the force of Government to do so?

As Thomas Jefferson wrote about others “I don’t care what they do as long as they don’t break my leg or pick my pocket”.

Isn’t that what it all boils down to. Do you have the right to steal someone’s property and take their life, and do you believe someone else has the right to do the same to you.

I can see 100 million people getting behind this. All this is a rehashing of the Golden Rule which by the way is the basis of most religions.

These are the only questions that any political debate should be based upon. Because if a politician believes that he or government believes they can steal from you through taxation or kill you or limit your peaceful choices then he should never be voted for.

This will be the litmus test for all politicians going forward. I want to make up shirts and have people wear these to the political rallies and the town hall meetings. And there will be only two questions to ask the politicians who are in power or running for power,
“Do you have the right to steal someone’s property, limit their peaceful behavior or take their life? Do you believe you have the right to use the Government to do this?

For me Government by its existence steals from us, limits our choices and destroys innocent life. But my quest is to be as free as possible as soon as possible and the best way to do this is to reduce the size of the tumor before it can be excised. Its tentacles are so deep that if it were removed the damage would be so great that it would do more harm than good.

I believe that a Second Revolution is coming. I am advocating for a peaceful one.  It begins in the hearts and minds of each us. Our job is to educate as many people as we can and get them on board to becoming one of the O.H.M.I.

Freedom is a good thing. Government is the problem. Liberty is the Solution. When people are free miraculous things happen.

In the upcoming election only two men would say no to the second question and those two men are Ron Paul and Gary Johnson. More than likely Ron Paul will not get the Nod as Republican nominee. But Gary Johnson will still be in the Race as he put it taking up the torch for Ron Paul.

The Ideas of LIberty are simple. They don’t require a huge police state to institute. In fact Liberty diminishes as Government grows.

I’m not a joiner. But I urge everyone to talk to their friends and family about the ideas of Natural Rights and Freedom. If we get only 100 million people on board we can turn the ship around. And the numbers for the world are only 2.3 billion people.

Once we get America back on Track we can start spreading the word everywhere and who knows in a single generation the world could be a completely different place. Can you imagine if there was as much innovation around the world as we have seen in America in the last two hundred years? I want that. That means billions of people are using their full creative powers to create products to satisfy the demands of consumers around the world. I want that. There is not a static pie that is divided up among everyone. There is an ever expanding pie if only government will allow individuals freedom to trade with one another without restrictions. That means repealing the legal tender laws, ending all tariffs, opening the borders, bringing all troops home from overseas and taking all regulations off individual peaceful transactions where both parties voluntarily trade with one another.

I have started visualizing such a world and it is amazing. To be able to wake up everyday and not think at all about Government, because every individual is responsible for “governing” themselves.”. To  wake up and get into my personal flying car (the explosion of innovation will be staggering) and travel anywhere in the world without a passport, to trade with anyone on Earth, to consume whatever I desire and to live exactly as I see fit. That is a world I dream about.  And it’s not too far away. It begins with the thoughts of one hundred million individuals who desire to be free which will hopeful turn into the thoughts of 2.3 billion individuals across the world who want to be free also.

Thoughts proceed from action. My thoughts from now on will be about bringing about this world by maintaining in my own mind the importance of Liberty and helping others to do the same. I can’t wait to live in a free world in which everyone on Earth experiences the freedom to develop their unique personalities and uncover their true potential.

Just think about the unused individual human potential just going to waste on Earth today. If everyone were free the explosion of creative energy of a planet of 7 billion people would be a sight to behold. I can’t wait.

All we need to get started is for one mind with one thought. I don’t believe I have the right to steal from someone else, to tell them how to live or take their life.
Then help them to see that Government doesn’t have the right to do that either and we’ve got ourselves the beginnings of the Next Revolution (peaceful of course). It has already begun. I know my thoughts are nothing like they were three years ago. I’ve gone from a war loving conservative to a peace-loving advocate of liberty. If I can do it others can too.

Remember you are an individual.  The Phrase “I AM” is the most powerful phrase in the history of Human Thought. And followed closely behind are “I CAN” and “I WILL”. I know “ I CAN”  help to bring about the next peaceful revolution and “I Will”. My Natural Rights are my responsibility to defend and so are yours.

Brad Miller

AdvocateofLiberty, and Peaceful Revolution

, , , ,

One Party: The Government Party

In True nature of the State on February 8, 2012 at 8:36 pm

If anyone doesn’t think this whole political system is rigged should look at who the nominee will be for the Republic ticket. This man is supposed to represent the opposite of who is  currently in the White House. He must be someone who believes in limited government and individual liberty. He must be as far away from a socialist as one can be, right? WRONG.

Mitt Romney believes in collectivist ideas just as the president does and has in fact set the table for the most sweeping liberty destroying legislation ever passed in the good ol’ USofA.

How in the world can the “opposition” party the party which currently doesn’t hold the White House run a candidate who supporst the crowing achievment of the sitting president. Not only does Mitt Romney support an indivdual mandate while in office as governor he signed into law the prototype for Obama care.

This is insane. Our choice is between the guy who implemented the single payer mandate to the nation and the other guy is the one who ran the prototype in Massachusetts. I am not shocked that the system is rigged any more. If you research how Alexander Hamilton encouraged the Federal government to assume state debt to centralize power, there is no way anyone can be surprised at the mess we are in today.

What does surprise me is that the American people keep lapping up the lies from the politicians. There is no difference in the parties. There is only a difference in degree.

Right now the wars in Afghanistan, the tough talk against Iran is set up to pacify the Conservatives and the Left gets Obama care, Soak the rich and redistribute the wealth.

All the while those in power prosper while the American people suffer with higher prices due to inflation and regulation.

Mitt Romney and Obama believe that Government has the right to interfere with any part of your life. They do not believe in the inalienable rights of life, liberty and the pursuit of happiness. (The pursuit of happiness clause was originally the right to your property. But even under the current wording happiness means, happenstance in the lexicon of the revolution. Which means that each person has a God-given right to pursue their own direction without the interference of the Government and to reap whatever risk and reward of their actions)

The healthcare system of Romney and Obama violates your basic fundamental Natural Rights. If someone controls your healthcare they control your life, if they control your healthcare they destroy your liberty, which is simply your ability to choose, and they destroy your ability to pursue your definition of happiness because they destroy your ability to reap the risk and reward of your individual behavior.

Romney should be booed off stage at every single Republican Primary but everyone is so scared that he is the only “electable one”. What does that even mean? Electable. Does it mean he is the best liar? Does it mean he is able to soften the collectivist rhetoric with terms of Liberty and Freedom better than the other candidates? Does it mean he is attractive enough so women will vote for him? Does it mean he is able to pretend the best he is not a part of the Government Party?

Liberty is destroyed more and more at every election. Even though the SOPA bill was delayed a new version will slip through probably even worse than the current version. The totalitarian state continues to grow. Mitt Romney will not stop it. He will not reverse the growth of government and he will not repeal Obama Care. His take is that he will issue an executive order so States can opt out if they choose. And I’m sure if they do they will lose a huge chunk of Federal Funds.

That is the problem today. There are no States. There are only divisions of the Federal GOvernment. This is what Jefferson warned about but did not do enough to protect. This is what Alexander Hamilton wanted and he has won.
Why does Liberty slip away so easily? Why do people not want to be free?

Live Free or Die is just a phrase people say. We are dying every one of us because of the growth of government. Every time a law is passed it limits our ability to express ourselves. In doing so this limits who we are and thus destroys the potential life we would have lived. Make no mistake we have a One Party system, THE GOVERNMENT PARTY.

I still support Ron Paul as the best candidate trumpeting liberty. But even the stalwart of Liberty has been tainted by the system. He has been in congress maybe too long. There is talk of Paul’s campaign colluding with Romney. If this is true it is very disappointing. I would want Ron Paul to shout down Romney from the hilltops and treat him not as a friend but as an enemy.

I have a feeling that Romney will win the White House but the Senate will stay in control by the Democrats so everything that has been put in place will remain. The whole system is so f’d that it needs to be rebooted. Collectivism is like a virus that has effected every level of government. It is because the very idea of Government is a collectivist notion and limited government is a pipe dream. On the other hand maybe Anarcho-Capitalism is too.

I don’t watch the debates. There is no reason to. All politicians lie. They continue to lie after they are elected. Government is based upon lies, stealing and murder. There is no mistaking it.

I am not advocating anything except that people stop to think about the big picture. Where is the uproar over Obama Care now as the myriad of its pieces are being silently erected across the country? Where is the outcry to repeal it? It doesn’t exist. Do you find that curious? Has Mitt Romeny ever apologized for giving the Feds the blueprint for Obama Care?

The whole system from the Federal Reserve controlling your money, to Health and Human Services controlling your healthcare is about the elites controlling us. They are whittling down our choices in life. Why do you think that is? Do you think it benefits us or those that hold the reigns of power? I am appalled at this world. I am appalled at the apathy of Americans. I am appalled at the lies we are fed. I am appalled at the ONE PARTY RULE.

By the way Soviet Union which was termed the “Evil Empire” also had ONE PARTY RULE. Do you really have a choice come election day?

, , , , , ,

Morality Central Planners: Rick Santorum is one of them. Ron Paul is not.

In True nature of the State on January 5, 2012 at 11:52 pm

The greatest example of the difference between Libertinism and Libertarianism is Ron Paul. He lives his life according to “conservative” principles but the big difference between him and others running for president, especially Rick Santorum, is that Ron Paul doesn’t believe that the force of government should be used to dictate how a person lives.

Libertinism is the practice of living a lifestyle of behaviors that characterized by self-indulgence or lack of restraint.

Libertarianism is as Leonard Read put it “anything peaceful”. Stated differently everyone has a God-given (Rick Santorum would like that) or Natural Right to their life, liberty, and their justly acquired property. And you can act in any manner you choose as long as it doesn’t violate the Natural Rights of others.

The difference between the two philosophies has to do with self-responsibility. Libertinism was a philosophy of the wealthy, usually the Nobility which stole the wealth of the citizens to fund their debacherous life. It was built upon force. A lot like the Politicians in this country live.

Libertarianism is a philosophy based upon voluntarism. You can live the life you want but you reap the consequences. No bailouts are to be expected with Libertarianism because each individual is responsible for their actions. So even if someone models themselves as Libertine and they spend money earned on the Free Market, they are free to live as they please as long as their actions are consensual with other individuals.

Rick Santorum is a Morality Central Planner. He believes that individualism is the greatest sin on Earth. He doesn’t believe that individuals have a right to live they way they choose. If you believe you can tell someone who they can’t marry then the logical conclusion of that train of thought is that you can determine who you can marry. That should scare the crap out of any American.

If you believe you can tell someone how to behave in the bedroom, then you believe you have the right to tell them how to live in their living room, kitchen, bathroom and at their job. If you belive that the force of government should be used to implement your idea of Utopia there is no end to the “good” that you will seek to do. Isabel Patterson called them “Humanitarians with Guillotines”. And that is where this kind of thinking in the course of human history has ended up producing, millions and millions of corpses of individuals who stood in the way of the Morality Central Planners.

If you resist you die. That is the fundamental relationship between those who disagree with the edicts coming out of Washington. Think about that for a second. If you are a dude and want to marry another dude, Rick Santorum would use the Power of the Federal Government to prevent you from doing that. And the force of government means forcing individuals to act in a certain way at the barrel of a gun.

Ron Paul in his personal life believes in traditional marriage, but that’s for him. He doesn’t believe that abortion is a good idea but doesn’t believe that the Federal Government has any authority to regulate individual behavior. That is the key difference between Ron Paul and all the other major candidates.

Ron Paul and the founding father’s knew you can not and should not regulate morality. Within a Free Market economy without the back stop of Government and the absence of Bailouts the behaviors and virtues needed to succeed will be determined by the Free Market. Stated differently certain behaviors will produce success and others will not. Those who demonstrate the successful behaviors will prosper and those who do not will not.

The traditional values of hard work, saving, being honest, having integrity are not in my opinion necessarily religious concepts but rather Market driven behaviors that gives individuals the best possible chance at success when voluntarily exchanging with other individuals for mutual benefit.

These same virtues that are necessary for “trade” also produce an environment of “peace”. Rick Santorum doesn’t believe in Free Trade, Individualism, or Peace. He believes that he is on a Mission from God to institute his “Vision of America and to Promote Family, Faith, and Freedom”.

Ron Paul believes that we are all individuals who are self-responsible. Rick Santorum and the other candidates do not. Ron Paul views the Government is the Problem not the solution.

Not only is it antithetical to individualism to use the power of force to regulate individual’s peaceful behavior, the mechanism, The Federal Government, which the Morality Central Planners want to use to enforce their version is the opposite of every “Moral Code” ever set down by man.

The basic tenets of just about every Moral Code has three things in common; Don’t kill, Don’t steal and don’t Life. Most Americans would agree with that. Then why in the world would they put their faith in Politicians to use the Force of the Federal Government to Legislate Morality?

All Governments that have ever existed have lived upon three  anti-life “virtues”: Lying, Stealing and Killing. Those are not necessarily the virtues I would ascribe to an “Omnipotent” entity who knows what’s best for me and my family. So when people talk about “traditional” values or using the Federal Government to “Promote Faith and Family” remember that the Federal Government of the United States of America is the largest thief in the world, spends hundreds of millions of dollars on lies and propaganda each year and is going around the world killing and maiming people at will.

That is not my idea of “Moral”.

Ron Paul  wants to limit the Federal Government back down to the Constitution. He wants to limit the interference that the Federal Government can perpetrate  in the lives of individuals in this country and around the world.

Rick Santorum and the others want to expand the power of the Federal Government to limit your choices of how you live your life. He wants to use the Lying, Stealing, Killing Leviathan to do that. Libertarianism or Radical Individualism relies on peaceful persuasion to sell the ideas of Liberty. But Rick Santorum and the others candidates want to use force to get others to accept their ideas. This is what caused the deaths of 170 million people in the last century when these individuals resisted the ideas of the collectivist countries they lived in.

Moral Regulation is very insidious. If a man thinks he can tell me how to live he can tell me when I should die. It doesn’t matter if he claims to “value life”. Because he doesn’t. A man is alive because he can think for himself and be able to choose how to live best according to his values. Rick Santorum will not be our next president. But the push he is getting is dangerous because the front-runners, not including Ron Paul will trend his way in order to get Santorum voters.

When Rick Santorum talks about using the Federal Government to promote Faith and Family, he is also talking about increasing your taxes. He’ll do that by having the Federal Reserve Print money out of thin air causing inflation, (a stealth tax that destroys the dollars in your pocket), or by borrowing from foreign countries, which will necessitate raising taxes in the future, or by raising them now.

It boils down to do you believe that you own yourself. Do you believe that others should tell you how to live. Do you believe that the Federal Government which is a lying, stealing, killing machine should tell you who to love and how to love.

I am an individual. I don’t need anyone telling me how to live. When people hear LIbertarian, they think Libertinism, or anything goes mentality. I think it speaks more to the person who thinks that than to the reality of living in a Libertarian Society. I heard a quote that the “nicer the guy, the darker the sexual secrets”.
Maybe that is why a lot of these “Christian Conservatives” are scared to live in a free society because they are scared that they won’t be able to control themselves. I don’t know, all I know is I want to be free and the only way to do that is help other people see that Liberty is the only way that individuals can express their uniqueness and uncover develop their potential.

What worries me too is that people like Rick Santorum feel like they have a lock on the truth. That is scary. He believes he is on a holy crusade to return America back to Faith and Family. The first thing anyone who claimed that as their mission should eliminate 90% of the Federal Government over night. That would be the best way to accomplish what he claims to want to do. If you reduce taxes by 90%, if you get rid of all regulations and get government out of people’s lives then people can get back to the business of living instead of serving the Federal Government. This gives each of us the best chance at glimpsing our small piece of the “truth” in our own lives.

Ron Paul doesn’t believe in any type of Central Planning. He believes the Central Planning of the Federal Reserve should end, he believes the Central Planning of Education should end,  and He definitely believes that the Federal Government has no Authority to be the Morality Central Planning force in America.

Brad Miller

AdvocateofLiberty

 

, , , , ,

Ron Paul’s Stance on Fiat Currency – End the FED and allow Competing Currencies

In Advocates of Liberty, Liberty on December 23, 2011 at 1:54 am

It is an accepted fact to almost every human being on Earth that Government should provide the money of a nation. This notion has been so engrained into the brains of the masses that when anyone mentions that it should not be so he is vilified. That is because there are so many in this country and the world who have a vested interested to seeing the Federal Reserve’s printing presses continuing to print counterfiet dollars.

Ron Paul believes that privately issued currencis are a far superior product offered by the current tyrannical government monopoly enjoyed by the Federal Reserve.

Why should we leave such an important job of printing and maintaining the value of our money to the Feds? Government is the most inefficient immoral institution on Earth. Why do people so easily give up their God-given right to choose how  they want to voluntarily contract with others and  agree upon how to pay their debts? As long as both parties agree why should the Federal Government care what commodity is used to settle the debt obligation stated in a contract? Of course it’s none of their business, it’s no one’s business except the contracting parties.  Contract Law on the Books is more than sufficient to ensure payment is made according to the terms of the contract, that includes what currency is acceptable for payment by both parties.

Money is simply a medium of exchange. It is one half of every transaction we make. It is essential to an advanced economy that allows for specialization and the division of labor. An economy based upon barter could never do that. Money simplifies transactions. No one has to figure how many chickens it takes to buy a horse or how many X-boxes are needed to buy a Rolex. We don’t need price controls on our money, just like we don’t need price controls on anything else we buy.

Money is not sacrosanct and not the privilege of government. It is a tool, a commodity, just like beans or butter, or hammers. It should not be in the hands of the central planners who manipulate the value of your dollars in order to continue the profligate spending in Washington so they can continue to prop up the warfare/welfare state.

When the Federal Reserve prints trillions of new dollars and buys more of the Federal Debt to ensure the continuation of the Leviathan it destroys the current value of your dollar, raises prices and destroys your future earnings by obligating you and your children as taxpayers to repay the debt borrowed by the Federal Government. It also benefits the few while impoverishing the many. Inflation hits the economy at different times and prices rise out of proportion to wages and its the wage earners who suffer the most from it.

Ron Paul’s answer to this endless inflationary cycle is to simply to End The Fed. He does not advocate doing it overnight which I would love to see. Instead he has a much more nuanced approach. He simply wants to repeal the Legal Tender laws which force everyone in this Country to only accept Federal Reserve Notes as the only legal currency to settle debts and pay taxes. Once the Legal Tender laws are nullified private currencies will compete openly with the depreciating Federal Dollars. This will inevitably lead to the rejection of the “bad” government money and the acceptance of the “good” or “sound” private currencies.

There needs to be a free market for money just like there is for everything else you buy. Competition is the great innovator. There has not been any innovation in money since the Chinese began their inflationary schemes with the first fiat currency in the 9th century. The Federal Reserve is carrying on the tradition of all the great empires who have inflated their currencies because of out of control government spending and unfortunately this never ends well. It is not the barbarians from without that destroy the great empires it’s the barbarians within who plunder the pockets of the individual citizens by the purposeful debasement of the currency. What we need is innovation in the opposite direction. Instead of more ways to devalue a currency we need innovation to stabilize the value of currencies and even ways to increase its value over time.

Ron Paul believes correctly that sound money created on the open market can save us from the  deadly hyper inflation that will inevitably arrive due to the actions of the Fed. These privately issued currencies by entrepreneurs and capitalists will have a vested interest in maintaining and even increasing the value of their currencies or they will go out of business. The Federal Reserve by contrast has devalued the dollar by over 95% since it was created. If a private entity did this it would not be in business for long. Only because the Federal Reserve is backed by the legalized force of the Federal Government can it continue to counterfeit U.S. dollars and further destroy its value.

The Federal Reserve also manipulates the interest rates and thus further disrupts the capital markets. If you are a saver then you know that you are not earning anything on your money. This is the result of the Federal Reserve buying  the 30 yr and 10 yr Federal Government debt to help bring down borrowing costs. Which is not to benefit the mortgage seekers but the Federal Treasury. This kills the incentive to save and encourages people to spend which is part of their central plan.

The Federal Reserve is a collectivist entity. It is meant to keep inflation in check and keep full employment. They can’t do this. They try to manipulate the currency and interest rates to do this. But what are they really doing? They are purposefully trying to “influence” your actions by devaluing the dollars in your pocket. They think they know best and are trying to force you to act in a certain way. It is evil. The Federal Reserve needs to be ended. It has no place in a Free Society. Jefferson warned about a National Bank at the birth of this nation. He saw it as a threat to indivdiual liberty and his predictions have come true.

We don’t need a money “overseer”. Let the voluntary actions of individuals on the Free Market determine which money is used and the value of it.  Twelve Federal Reserve Presidents are not omnipotent. They have no super powers. They have no crystal ball. They have no right to devlue your dollar. They have no right to steal money from your pocket.

It’s time to end the Fed, end the out of control spending in Washington and return this country back to sound money. And only one candidate pledges to do this and his name is RON PAUL.

Ron Paul believes in Individual Liberty, Constitutionaly Limited Federal Government, End ing the Wars overseas, Ending the drug war at home and legalizing competing currencies to ensure inflation will be a thing for the history books.

, , , , , , , ,

Ron Paul’s Foreign Policy – A path to peace and prosperity

In Advocates of Liberty, Liberty on December 21, 2011 at 12:49 am

I like to look at Vietnam as a prime example that justifies Ron Paul’s belief in non-intervetionism around the world. If you could go back in time to the end of the Vietnam war and then go visit it today could you possibly be able to justify the loss of life and money consumed in the conflagration of that horrible war?

Do you think that war was worth the 58,000+ Americans killed along with another 350,000 wounded?  Today in Vietnam they are moving towards a free market economy. There are still many hurdles to overcome, the communist one party rule still exists but private ownership is on the rise. Look at the trade between the U.S. and Vietnam and the tourists who visit every year  14,579,460,000 in goods so far this year have been bought by U.S. customers from Vietnamese businesses. Compare that to the half a trillion dollars some state that the war cost American Taxpayers to prosecute. But now any American can travel to the beautiful Vietnamese Country side without fear or restrictions.

Look how much has changed in 40 years? That is why its important to keep a historical perspective when the media and politicians try to gin up a new war. That is why you have principles. And the only candidate who has constitently stuck to his principles who is running for the President of the Untied States of America is Ron Paul.

The lesson learned from Vietnam is that  the U.S. should stay out of the business of other Nations. It would have saved 58,000 American lives, saved the maiming of 350,000 more and saved tens of thousands more the agonizing deaths due to the effects of the defoliant Agent Orange.

I point out Vietnam as an example of how sending troops to kill and die in wars around the world is not the answer, if you claim to want peace.  Right now the U.S. military is in at least five wars overseas. Iraq is still a war zone, Soldiers and Marines are still dying in Afghanistan, predator drones are assassinating individuals in Yemen, Somalia, Pakistan and now in Uganda along with special forces.  Isn’t funny how no politician except Ron Paul talks about peace. Before 1913 and even during the interwar period Americans default position was a desire for peace and not war. Look how far the nation has come. The militarization of America has to stop if Liberty is to be restored.

Ron Paul’s Foreign Policy is the total opposite of every other candidate running. His foreign policy like every position he holds is informed by the Constitution and the founding principles of this Nation. He believes that we should not intervene in the world offensively and instead focus on defending the homeland, which the Department of Defense is mandated to do.

But with an almost trillion-dollar budget the Department of Defense has no limits on what it wants to do. It sees enemies everywhere. Ron Paul takes a longer view of history when viewing the current events unfolding.For instance the current target for the Military War Machine is Iran. That country has a legitimate beef with the U.S. if you don’t believe me research the 1953 coup that the U.S. orchestrated and you’ll understand why they might not feel all warm and fuzzy about the States. How would we feel if another country knocked off a president and installed one of their choosing? That would not sit well.

Ron Paul believes that the United States should return back to the ideals of the founding of this nation and focus on trade instead of war. Look at China, Russia, Vietnma and the other countries the United States Trades with. War is clearly not the answer when the quest is to live in peace with other nations. People around the world just want to be able to live, love and improve their lot in life. War is an impediment to that, peace and trade enable it. Ron Paul Believes as Thomas Jeffeson wrote that the United States foregin policy should be:

“Peace, commerce, and honest friendship with all nations — entangling alliances with none.”

And Frederic Bastiat the great French Economist once wrote that “where trade fails to flow across borders troops soon will”

Ron Paul predicted the ginned up war against Iran years ago. He doesn’t believe in appeasement or weakness. He believes that every individual has a right to self-defense and by extension every nation, which is a collection of individuals has a right to defend themselves. But the war machine in this country has to constantly be in motion or the Tax Payers become curisous as to why they must foot a trillon dollar bill every year for the gadgests, bullets, ships planes if they aren’t necessary.

So if you are tired of the endless wars overseas, there is only one candidate who will take a different approach to the United State’s foreign policy, you should vote for Ron Paul.
He will immediately end the wars overseas, begin dismantling the intrusive police state we currently live under, work to repeal the Patriot Act, stop the assassinations of Americans around the world  and the indefinite detention of Americans deemed as terrorists pushed by John McCain, while maintaining a strong military that is more than capable of defending the shores of this great nation.

Ron Paul asks why should the American Tax Payer be asked to pay for the defense of the countries of Europe, South Korea, Taiwan, Israel and Egypt? Why should Americans pay to bomb people thousands of miles away who pose no threat to the U.S. then pay to rebuild what was blown up?

A flip side to Ron Paul’s non-intervention policy is that the United States should end all foreign aid immediately. Also he believes that the United States should immediately exit the U.N. If you believe in your individual right to your life, liberty and property than you should vote for Ron Paul because his Foreign Policy increases your ability to exercise your Natural Rights at home.

The Federal Debt is over 15 trillion and the other Republican Candidates are dying for another war. Ron Paul believes in truly limited government chained down to the U.S. Constitution, which means that endless wars are not lawful. He also believes that the U.S. Congress should vote to declare was unlike what occurred in Libya this year.

A lot of people forget that the military is a part of the Federal Government. It is not sacrosanct, it is not something that is off-limits, it is simply a department of the Federal Government. The men and women who sign up for it are unfortunately asked to do horrible things in far off places, and too many die and come home maimed because of those orders.

Foreign Policy affects domestic policy. The two can not be divorced. They are one in the same and should be based upon the same basic premise. Only Ron Paul bases his entire platform on the basic premise of Maximum Individual Liberty and Minimal Constitutionally Limited Government. If you want freedom at home than you must demand that the Federal Government follow a course of Peace with the other nations abroad.

If you belive in Individual Liberty,  low taxes, minimal regulation, limited Federal Government, and Peaceful relations with all Nations then you have only one Candidate you can vote for to be the Next President of the United States of America and that candidate is RON PAUL!!!

 

, , , , , ,

Are you FED up? If so Vote for Ron Paul

In Advocates of Liberty on December 8, 2011 at 1:43 am

Are you Fed up? Are you Fed up with the taxes, the government spending, and the liberty destroying regulations coming out of Washington? Are you fed up with the Endless wars around the world and the failed drug war at home? Are you fed up with The Federal Reserve’s destruction of the dollars by their printing trillions of new dollars? If you are then the one man who has the best chance to reverse this course if elected to become our 45th president is, Dr. Ron Paul.

Most folks have heard of Ron but do not clearly understand what the implications would be if he became our president. These same folks buy into the chatter on the news and talk radio that paint Ron Paul’s ideology as Isolationist and anarchistic. This is far from the truth. Ron Paul believes simply in chaining down the Federal Government to its enumerated powers clearly specified by the U.S. Constitution; which consequently is still the law of the land.

Ron Paul’s faith in the Constitution is firmly grounded in the Natural Rights tradition that inspired the founding fathers. Paul believes that every human being on Earth by his mere existence as a human being, has a God-given right to his life, his liberty, and to his justly acquired property. He knows first hand fighting in Congress all these years against the descrtucition of our libierties, that the Leviathan,  the Federal Government is the greatest threat to your liberty and to mine. While in Congress Ron voted against hundreds of bills that would have raised taxes or given authority to the Federal Government that exceed its Lawful Constitutional Mandate. Ron Paul correctly believes that as Government Grows individual liberty recedes.

How many here today are Fed up with the Internal Revenue Service? That’s a stupid question.  Everyone here would like to see that engine of theft finally ended. How many here today are Fed up with the Federal Reserve’s inflationary schemes that cause increased prices and punish savers by artificially lowering interest rates? Which consequently, they only do in order to enable the Federal Government to continue its borrowing binge. I don’t even to That is why Ron Paul states without hesitation that his mission is to End the Fed and End the IRS. Let those words sink in a minute and think about that will mean to you. That means more money in your pocket, which more importantly would be sound money.

But in order to do that the out of control spending must be addressed and Ron Paul pledges to veto any unbalanced budget that is sent to him.

Most Americans are fed up with the ever-increasing intrusions by the Feds in the name of safety into their privacy whether it’s in their homes, on their computers or at their place of business. Most Americans are fed up with being groped and their naked bodies revealed to strangers when they want to fly. Most Americans are fed up being treated like a terrorist every time they want to travel. Most Americans are fed up with the failed drug war and the violence that prohibition inevitably creates. Most Americans are fed up with the militarization of the police force. Most Americans are fed up with the no knock warrants and the subsequent killing of innocent individuals by the police who are simply defending their property, when the police serve the warrants at the wrong address. Most Americans are fed up with having to constantly fight for their God-given right to defend themselves against politicians who are always scheming to ban certain firearms, make them harder and more expensive to acquire and eventually eliminate private ownership all together. That is why Ron Paul wants to privatize the TSA, end the Drug War, end all unconstitutional spying by the Federal government on citizens and ensure that your God-given right, stated in the  second amendment  will not be violated.

Most Americans are fed up with the crony capitalism that has grown because of the massive increase in the size and power of the Federal Government.  Most Americans are fed up with the politicians granting private companies the privilege to privatize their gains while socializing their losses on the backs of the taxpayers. Most Americans are fed up with the entrepreneurial crushing regulations coming out of the EPA, FDA, Dept of Energy and the HHS. Most Americans are fed up with the pompous politicians and the baneful bureaucrats who want to institute a Planned Economy in America. Where where are regulated to mere automotons acting not upon our own Free WIll but by the  pernicious prescriptions from politicians that claim to know best. Ron Paul understands that the bureaucracy in Washington and their endless regulations are strangling the ability of individuals to voluntarily exchange goods and services, which is what the economy really boils down to.

Most Americans are fed up with the massive U.S. presence overseas and the trillions of dollars wasted abroad. Most Americans are Fed up with the endless wars that the Feds are prosecuting in at least five countries. Most Americans are fed up with seeing young men killed on battlefields thousands of miles away in a war with no clear enemy and a less clear definition of victory. Most Americans are fed up with seeing young folks who volunteered to serve their country return home from war with missing arms and legs, massive terrible burns and debilitating head injuries. Most Americans are fed up their tax dollars being used to buy bombs, that when dropped on foreign battlefields, inevitably kill innocent men women and children. How would any of us like it if China started dropping bombs on American citizens or placing bases in Montana? That is  exactly what the Federal government does everyday around the world. In addition most Americans are fed up with U.S. citizens being targeted for assassination around the world after being placed on a kill/capture list by secretive opaque intelligence committees. Ron Paul understands this and believes in a strong defense but not the bloated Dept. of Defense budget which prosecutes the endless foreign interventions. That is why Ron Paul pledges to end the wars overseas immediately and bring home all of our soldiers as quickly as possible, while maintaining a strong defense at home.

If you are like most Americans and are fed up with the way the Federal Government and the Federal Reserve destroy your individual liberty on a daily basis then there is a man who would put an immediate stop to the unchecked power of the politicians and bureaucrats in Washington. That man is Ron Paul. I urge everyone to do your research on the other candidates. Then compare their record  to the record of Ron Paul. Compare their actions and the ideas that inform those actions to Ron Paul’s  unflagging committment to fighting for your Natural Right to your life, your liberty and your property. If you vote for  Ron Paul, you are voting for the elimination of the IRS, the Federal Reserve and the reduction of the Federal Government back down to its lawful Constitutional Mandate.

, , , , , ,

Entertaining Enlightenment Tour

In True nature of the State on October 23, 2011 at 11:12 pm

An entertaining and enlightening look at life, love and liberty.

It would consist of a collection of Libertarian Actors, Comedians, and musicians touring around the country getting the word out about Liberty.

The problem as I see it today with the Liberty movement is it is all about gloom and doom. I get it. There is a lot of very, very bad things happening. But at the same time you can’t win by being anti-something. You have to be for something. That is how enthusiasm is built, being anti-something is how hate is grown.

My blog has dealt with a lot of negative stuff and I get angry like everyone else about Washington, Taxes, Regulations and the Federal Reserve. But staring today I’m going to focus on the positive side of Liberty and how best to spread the ideas of Liberty.

The way they suck us into the gloom and doom cycle is by getting folks to buy into the false collective statistics that distort the whole debate.

For me there is no other economy except my own and those of my friends and family. If everyone focused on their own economy and not the “collective GDP” which is totally made I believe we would be better off.

First they would lose all their power. No longer would they say we need to bail out the banks, (a small number of shareholders) to save the country. No, I’ll be fine. We don’t need to do that. Than the only one’s pushing for it would be a tiny fraction of the population those who held stock in the Banks or actually worked for them.

This to me would be a huge blow to the politicians. We have way more control over our lives then we’ve been led to believe. Taxes suck, regulations suck but there is tons of opportunity out there.

The Entertaining Enlightenment tour would be a humours fun 90 minute show that would highlight the joys of Liberty and the evils of Statism in a 90 minute show.

I don’t know how many like-minded actors, musicians, and comedians there are. If you know anyone who fits that bill, forward this blog link and get the word out. Who knows maybe we can change the world one laugh at a time.

I will from now on focus on what I can change in my life and that is me. I can pass that little bit of truth I’ve glimpsed to others and that is all. But I can do it in the most entertaining way possible. People are desperate for this stuff if it’s packaged in an easily digestible package. I bet you know twenty people for every one whose read anything by Murray Rothbard or Ron Paul.

Why not get our message about Liberty out so it gets in front of their eyes and ears? I believe the Entertaining Enlightenment Tour would do just that.

How awesome would it be to Have Ron Paul and Gary Johnson come on Stage and say a few words at the end of one of the shows? That would be cool.Anyway that’s what I’m thinking about tonight.

The question I’m dwelling on from now on is how best can I advocate for Liberty?

And That’s My Take

Brad Miller
AdvocateofLiberty

, , , , , ,

Ron Paul or Gary Johnson: The only two choices for President

In Advocates of Liberty on August 12, 2011 at 9:48 am

If you love Liberty and are going to support a presidential candidate,  Ron Paul or Gary Johnson are your only choices.

I am an advocate of a Stateless Society otherwise known as an Anarcho-Capitalist Society or A Free Market Society. Until that day happens I believe are best chance at achieving maximum individual liberty is  through eduction and not the ballot box. 

That being said having a Ron Paul or Gary Johnson in the White House would bring a halt to the growth of government and even a reduction in its size. By electing a Libertarian republican you are voting for Liberty. No other candidates have advocated for liberty like Ron Paul or Gary Johnson. Both candidates want to limit or reduce government intervention into the lives of individuals at home and abroad.

Ron Paul is a Libertarian and student of the Austrian School of Economics. He is considered by many to have started the  Tea Party movement. He has voted no on every bill that either raised taxes or increased the debt. Some have called him Dr. No for all his no votes in the house. 

He has introduced many bills that would limit government and  increase individual Liberty. Whether it’s a bill to end  U.S. involvement in the U.N., or a bill to audit the Fed (which has led to the Fed being forced to divulge some of its secrets) to a bill that proposes to end withholding by the IRS. He has consistently voted to uphold the tenets of the Constitution and the ideas of Liberty. He also advocates for ending the drug war too.

All his legislation that he sponsored can be found at http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Ron_Paul_legislation

His books “End The Fed”, “The Revolution: A Manifesto”, and his newest release “Liberty Defined” are a great source of “ideological ammunition” for those who support the cause of Liberty. His educational successes far out weigh his legislative successes. To me that is a plus. He is an ideologue in the best sense of the word. His actions are predicated on a well thought out ideology based on the Natural Rights of Life, Liberty and Property. He believes in Maximum Individual Liberty and a minimal State.

Revolution: A Manifesto Link

http://www.amazon.com/Revolution-Manifesto-Ron-Paul/dp/0446537519

Liberty Defined Link: (I highly recommend to buy a copy read it and pass it on)

http://www.amazon.com/gp/product/145550145X/ref=pd_lpo_k2_dp_sr_2?pf_rd_p=486539851&pf_rd_s=lpo-top-stripe-1&pf_rd_t=201&pf_rd_i=0446537519&pf_rd_m=ATVPDKIKX0DER&pf_rd_r=0EAR2FA5BMSKHJST293P

End the Fed Link: (This book explains how  the Federal Reserve system, FDIC and Fractional Reserve Banking are all basically fraudulent. This book will change the way you see the world.

http://www.amazon.com/End-Fed-Ron-Paul/dp/0446549177/ref=pd_sim_b_2

The other choice for those who love liberty and are going to support a candidate for president is Gary Johnson.

Gary Johnson was a very succesful governor of New Mexico. He left the state with a budget surplus, lowered taxes and cut the size and growth of the state government. His first criteria for  signing any legislation was first to ask “should government be doing this in the first place”. He vetoed 750 bills that came across his desk as governor and used line item veto in a lot more. He too believes in the fundamental rights of all individuals to  Life, Liberty and Property.

He is a successful business man who started his own construction company which he sold in 1999. In his run for governor of New Mexico he put up $500,000 of his own money.  

He advocates for the legalization of marijuana and cutting Federal spending by 40%.  He had success in New Mexico improving the Medicaid program and saving money while improving  health care for the poor.

He is a liberty first guy like Ron Paul. Gary Johnson is younger than Paul and has executive experience as a successful governor in a heavily democratic state.

 If you think either of these guys can advance the cause of Liberty then send them money. Campaigns run on cash. Even if your candidate doesn’t win when  they are on t.v. talking about Liberty and reducing the size of government they alter  the debate.  We need as much of that as possible. 

Just imagine what it would be like to have either one these guys in the White House. On a daily basis they would be working to reduce the size of government, protect  individual liberty and promote sound money and free markets. That is a world I wouldn’t mind living in.

Both of these guys if they were to win the Presidency would do what Barry Goldwater said we do when he ran for president  in 1964:

“I have little interest in streamlining government or in making it
more efficient, for I mean to reduce its size. I do not undertake to promote
welfare, for I propose to extend freedom. My aim is not to pass laws, but to repeal them. It is not to inaugurate new programs, but to cancel old ones that do violence to the Constitution … or have failed their purpose … or that
impose on the people an unwarranted financial burden. I will not attempt to
discover whether legislation is ‘needed’ before I have first determined whether
it is constitutionally permissible. And if I should be attacked for neglecting
my constituents’ ‘interests,’ I shall reply that I was informed that their main
interest is liberty, and in that cause I am doing the very best I can.”

Both are Libertarians and both believe in Maximum Individual Liberty.  Read their positions and see what you think

Gary Johnson’s website:http://www.garyjohnson2012.com/

Ron Paul’s website:http://www.ronpaul2012.com/

I’m pulling for Paul.

And that’s my take.

Bastiat1776

AdvocateofLiberty

, , , , , , ,

Best way to support the troops: End the Wars

In True nature of the State on August 11, 2011 at 2:22 pm

The best way to save a soldier’s life is not to buy new body armor, or procure more Mine Resistant Vehicles or build better helicopters. The best way to save a soldier’s life is to end the wars and bring them home. With the death of 26 Navy Seals recently in Afghanistan many are scrambling to help their families by donating money. The best way to help military families is to not send their brothers, sons, and husbands to war to be killed and maimed.  

Anyone who truly wants to “support” the troops should demand that the 5 wars that  the U.S. military is fighting be ended immediately. Troops as well as civilians are dying and being maimed on a daily basis in 5 wars around the world.

Check out http://antiwar.com/casualties/ for a list of U.S. killed and wounded in the wars going on overseas. The loss of so much  blood and treasure and for what?  

John Quincy Adam foresaw the dangers of foreign adventures when he famously said

“America goes not abroad, in search of monsters to destroy. She is the well-wisher to the freedom and independence of all. She is the champion and vindicator only of her own. She will commend the general cause by the countenance of her voice, and the benignant sympathy of her example. She well knows that by once enlisting under other banners than her own, were they even the banners of foreign independence, she would involve herself beyond the power of extrication, in all the wars of interest and intrigue, of individual avarice, envy, and ambition, which assume the colors and usurp the standard of freedom.”

Life, Liberty and Property are destroyed in every war. Not only on the battlefield but also on the home front. Our income is stolen to support the war effort, the free market is distorted due to trillions in military spending, trade is interrupted overseas, and productive individuals are killed or maimed in combat, family life for thousands is disrupted and destroyed.

“War is the health of the State. It automatically sets in motion throughout society  these irresistible forces for uniformity, for passionate cooperation with the government in coercing into obedience the minority groups and individuals which lack the larger herd sense.” Randolph Bourne

When the current president started bombing Libya without a declaration of War from Congress people demanded that he was going to war without the consent of the people.

But since most Americans stayed silent he actually did get the consent of the governed to continue the war. Only a few Congressman (Ron Paul and a few others) objected and after a few weeks it just blew over. No huge protests no lengthy diatribes by talking heads about how the president lied or was a criminal, no one seems to care, or if they did it doesn’t last.  

Maybe it’s because there is so much coming out of Washington on a daily basis that its hard to keep up with. Most Americans are all too comfortable with comprising principles on what they see as smaller issues because larger issues seem to demand their attention. But all the actions the Congress and president take are rooted in small compromises compounded over time.

Small compromises on principle open the flood gate for huge violations of Liberty. Look at the income tax as an example. It was sold to the public as a tax on only the super rich. The promise was that it would never be levied on the middle class. That was a lie. And the debate has been moved so far away from the Constitutionality of the Income Tax to merely how much of your income the government can steal. 

This is what is happening with the deployment of  the U.S. military today. No longer do we debate even if the military should be deployed overseas sexcept by Ron Paul and a handful of others in Washington. The debate now is  where to send them and who to have them kill. 

If you want to support Liberty demand that the wars are ended immediately.  If you want to save  lives, bring the troops home.  I am an advocate for Peaceful relations and Free Trade with all Nations and subsidies for none.

Everyone has a right to Life, Liberty and Property. But no one has claim to another man’s Life, Liberty and Property to defend his own.

And that is my take.

Bastiat1776

AdvocateofLiberty

Follow

Get every new post delivered to your Inbox.