One of the great paradoxes of politics is that the wise do
not need laws, and the unwise will not follow them.
Government is only useful for the wise, as a way of
cooperating and coordinating labor and resources. In the
hands of the unwise, government gives error great strength,
and eventually those governments collapse. We reap what we
sow.
For better or worse, we are all teachers, by word and by example. We learn lies and teach them unknowingly. We learn truths and teach them, too. Finding balance is the struggle to separate the two.
This is a collection of items that I feel helps put our problems (lack of balance) into a proper historical perspective, for those of you who are inclined to dig deeper into these issues. If I were a college professor, this would be my reading list.
The Federal Debt. Yes, these absurd
numbers are real, and are "managed" by the government
daily. The government actually encourages you to invest
in the problem, and thereby make it worse. Strange logic
indeed. How do you call an organization with $9 Trillion
of debt a "treasury?"
The Declaration of Independence Keep in
mind that the man who wrote "all men are created equal"
kept slaves. This document is full of both principles
and hypocrisy, just like the man who wrote it.
Commonsense by Thomas Paine This document
is full of surprises. Paine grew to dislike George
Washington intensely; it is easy to see why if you read
between the lines. Is an elected King all that different
from a regular King, when the first act was to build a
city unto himself?
Candide by Voltaire Pay particular
attention to Pangloss, and his faux philosophy. It is
very common. "Whatever is, is best." Neither reason nor
compassion are required in Pangloss' world. Man is just
an animal, and he has no capacity to effect his
surroundings. Nor should he! How can a democracy or an
economy function without reason and compassion? He is a
good example of the absurdity of laissez-faire
philosophy.
1984 by George Orwell Democracy at its
ugliest. The love of the leader which has no restraint
also requires the hate of someone else without
restraint. For someone to "protect" you, there must be
someone or something to be afraid of, too. Enter the
straw-man, a convenient target of perpetual scorn. The
same partisan politician who uses a foreign fear to gain
power must also use the same fear to divide his own
country. Paranoia is the big winner. People are unaware
of their own fear and blind pride. Our split electorate
does not bode well.
War is a Racket, by General Smedly Butler
Did you know that America was provoking Japan in 1935?
Yet, FDR said Pearl Harbor was a "surprise" attack. In
fact, the attack was the result of many years of bad
faith negotiations during a turbulent economy. The fleet
was stationed there to "enforce" our trade expectations,
just like the British fleet that blockaded Boston Harbor
in the 1700's. Colonialism is the perpetual attempt to
"buy low." Just as we revolted against a system of
unfair trade during difficult economic times, so too do
others feel the same way. War ALWAYS follows a trading
route. General Smedley Butler was on the front line of
"implementing" American trade policy during the 1920's.
Eisenhower's Farewell Message. Text Version Audio Version Give audio time to load.
His warning about the military-industrial complex and the intellectual conformity on university campuses because of government funding is worth revisiting. If the universities are mis-educating us, and are setting a bad example, then what will the future bring? Can a system based on sophistry teach Socratic wisdom properly? Eisenhower confirms much of what General Smedley Butler warned about in War is a Racket. Unfortunately, it was after yet another "war to end all wars."
The Apology, by Socrates Socrates was
condemned for "corrupting the young." Which is to say,
he taught children that their parents were not as
virtuous as the parents supposed themselves to be. Like
Jesus' guilt of "blasphemy," those in power (even in a
democracy) are loathe to hear a criticism, and much
prefer a double-standard of illogic than to be held to
their own standard of logic.
The Athenian Constitution Difficult
economic conditions are not new, and the (incorrect)
belief that making political changes will automatically
solve economic problems has its root here. Democracy is
a way of making decisions, not a way of solving economic
problems.
Charter of the Dutch West India Company :
1621 The smoking gun of the modern age. Another
example of the idea that making something bigger solves
the problem, but more importantly, it represents the
abdication of political power to economic powers. Just
as the Magna Carta and the Bill of Rights gave power to
individuals, this document gives power to private
businesses. The modern age is best understood as an
economic battle between individuals and corporate
charters, NOT between people and government.
A Modest Enquiry into the Nature and
Necessity of a Paper-Currency by Benjamin Franklin
(1729) Franklin was only 23 when he wrote this, and
it would be 50 years later when he had the opportunity
to implement this theory. He was the elder statesman of
the Revolution, and considerably older than the young
and angry revolutionaries of the 1770's. I find this
essay fascinating in that he recognizes that the problem
is in how money is handled, but concludes that changing
what money is made from will be a solution. It is an
illogical conclusion, and haunts us to this day.
Osama bin Laden's Letter to America
(2002) It reads very much like the Declaration of
Independence "Enemies in war: in peace, friends," (AFTER
he has all the power, of course.) While he sounds a lot
like the conservative Gerry Falwell, it is ultimately
another expression of "Just War Theory" which dates back
at least to Saint Augustine. (You must die because God
favors me.) Politically, it is another example of "blame
the rich," and lacks the economic insight of why wealth
divides automatically. It is not surprising that he
quotes Ben Franklin.
The Great Wave by David Hackett Fischer
(1996) This book is a scholarly-annotated
examination and confirmation of my claim that "every
renaissance has occurred during a pricing equilibrium."
This book is great. While the footnotes are scholarly,
it reads like literature. I stumbled across this book in
a used bookstore in Lexington. I was very happy to find
a confirmation of my theories! 9/11 and the Boston Tea
Party are part of a long chain of common events,
triggered by the social pressures of inflation. Every
nation has to coin its first penny. Fischer is a
professor at Brandeis University. (First link is to
Amazon, but it is also available through the library system.)
For better or worse, we are all teachers, by word and by example. We learn lies and teach them unknowingly. We learn truths and teach them, too. Finding balance is the struggle to separate the two.
This is a collection of items that I feel helps put our problems (lack of balance) into a proper historical perspective, for those of you who are inclined to dig deeper into these issues. If I were a college professor, this would be my reading list.
His warning about the military-industrial complex and the intellectual conformity on university campuses because of government funding is worth revisiting. If the universities are mis-educating us, and are setting a bad example, then what will the future bring? Can a system based on sophistry teach Socratic wisdom properly? Eisenhower confirms much of what General Smedley Butler warned about in War is a Racket. Unfortunately, it was after yet another "war to end all wars."
Please VOTE on September 16th on the Democratic ballot and again on November 4th!