One of the most perplexing dichotomies in America is how close we are to having true separation of church and state, while simultaneously on the verge of economic collapse, further increasing governmental power and becoming a pre-penniless communitarian society. We are free and enslaved at the same time – a paradox of the highest order. It’s amazing to consider how this country is still going. I normally don’t discuss social politics here as I believe there are far more important matters at hand – namely our economy and our freedom – but I will share my view on a few.
I have a big problem with all popular political views. I consider liberalism and conservatism to be far too one-sided and in a way a form of “pop culture” politics that avoids the central issues. I have criticized liberals more than conservatives, so I will let off a little steam about the latter.
One irritating idea of conservative ideologues is on social issues. Most believe that allowing gay marriage will destroy the sanctity and purity of this “sacred” contract which is simply not true. How can gay people being married cause problems for heterosexual marriages? It will not. The truth is, marriage is what you make it. To some people it’s merely a legal formality, to others it’s a sacred bond under God. What another person does has no impact on you and your personal life. In other words, it is not the government’s job to keep gay people from getting married. Let them do what they want, it’s their lives. Their lives have nothing to do with your life. We are all individuals and should all be afforded equal rights…period.
I strongly believe in the separation of church and state, and it’s amazing that the issue is still relevant. In terms of social policy, I am what Fox News ideologue Bill O’Reilly terms a secular progressive – the enemy of true America in his view. I like O’Reilly and his show is great entertainment. Hell, I even agree with his independent position on capitalistic anarchy, but secular progressivism is not a bad thing. America was designed to be a melting pot of all races – a free society where all people are considered equal.
My view on abortion is also very liberal. It should be up to each individual woman, after all, it’s her baby. If you oppose abortion, don’t have one. Teach your children the values you hold dear. It is none of your business what someone else does.
You can raise your children as satanic warlocks who eat an all pork and chocolate diet – I do not care, they are your kids.
Now I do agree with some conservative beliefs, such as small government and low taxes. Having said that, most conservative republicans are not representative of small government. Look at the gargantuan monster of a government George W. Bush built – massive government power, spending, war and borrowing from China. The Bush administration was the most disgusting in history. I am still reeling from the maddening corruption and debt caused by this one administration. It is beyond ridiculous.
That in no way means I support Barack Obama’s economic plans either. Before I say anything, I am extremely glad an African American was elected. Every American born child can grow up knowing they too can become president regardless of race – and that is of monumental importance. I want every person of every race or gender to know they have endless possibilities and can become great. I am white, so I cannot even begin to understand how it feels to be treated as a lesser human being because of race.
The truth is, somewhere down the line, we are all related. Somewhere in history there were the first humans. According to most anthropologists, those original humans were black. As human beings, we are all brothers and sisters and it’s time we started treating each other like that.
Back to the original discussion, I still cannot understand how America will survive with so much debt. The government and media keeps trying to figure out how to “get the gears” going again. What does that mean exactly? Does it mean to get another colossal credit bubble going? This credit based society is what caused the problem in the first place. Loans, loans loans and more loans have crippled our entire society.
Fiat Money
Underlying all these problems is the Federal Reserve. Besides Ron Paul, The CATO Institute and a select few libertarians – nobody in the two main parties has ever even mentioned it. We keep printing more and more money, which brings me to a term everyone should learn about:
Fiat money – Answers.com had a simple definition everyone can understand:
Legal tender, especially paper currency, authorized by a government but not based on or convertible into gold or silver.
If billions of counterfeit bills disperse into society, it causes severe problems like devaluing the dollar, inflation and deflation among many others. In many ways, by virtue of the Federal Reserve pumping freshly printed bills into the banking system – has the same exact effect as pumping in counterfeit bills. Why? It’s because the dollar is fiat money and backed by nothing. It is worthless paper and eventually will become more and more worthless. Eventually, the dollar will be like Japanese yen where we pay $60,000 per month for rent – and that will be the norm. The term ‘millionaire’ will mean you make an average income.
Wealth Redistribution
If Obama wants to do something beneficial, he would stop printing bills and reform the federal reserve. Of course, that will not happen. Don’t get me wrong, there is no way anyone could be worse than Bush, or so I hope. I am confounded when I hear a republican complain about redistribution of wealth. America has been redistributing wealth for decades, but all the money goes to corporations. How can an intelligent person oppose something and believe in it at the same time?
Now, I do oppose redistribution of money to people and corporations (corporate welfare). I oppose the federal income tax and think it should be eliminated. The government should be reduced in size by 75% and stop policing the world…period.
Socialism
Having said that, if we are going to “redistribute wealth” as America has already been doing for years, I would prefer it to get distributed to the people rather than already rich corporations and banks. I’m a libertarian and feel like I’m living in a different universe than most people. I am only one person and I cannot make the world like I want it, it goes on with or without me. I have to live in this world and will always oppose big government. If the republican party wants to be viable again, it must drop its social conservatism and be for equality. I am personally afraid of a welfare state and our society is producing welfare experts – people who have mastered ways of getting more and more free money and think of themselves as “entitled”.
I don’t know what will happen with Obama and how it will impact our economy, but a panacea he will not be. I hope for the best for him and all of us. Also, I cannot criticize him as he’s not in office yet. I am just a hardcore capitalistic anarchist who opposes all forms and variations of socialism. All said, I will not let my government affect my personal happiness and will remain positive about life.
On another note, I want to point out that I read a diverse spectrum of material and am friends with people of every political, religious and racial difference. I read many conservative, liberal and libertarian based sites among many others – and do not degrade any of them. Here’s a few links you should check out:
The Fog: My Friend J.C. from Jasmin’s Heart has a three part interview with Nihad Hasanović, a Bosnian writer. The Fog is actually part three, but they all stand as individual articles and you can read them out of order. He has posted all three links at the top and I highly recommend you read all three parts. It is a fantastic series and really gives you an inside look into Bosnia and surrounding areas, their politics, art, literature and serious problems. This is truly worth your time.
The Peace Freedom & Prosperity Movement: a new blog from my Facebook friend James Cox. Like me, he is concerned with the direction of this country and believes in liberty and self-ownership. I will be writing some upcoming articles for him to help out. He’s just starting out and has a difficult mission ahead. Be sure to visit and check his site out.
The Predator State – End of the Free Market: A potent look into the”predator state” by my friend Euroyank. He pulls no punches and as always, presents a well crafted view of his ideas on America and where it’s headed. Euro is an equal oppurtunity critic/investigator and nobody more brutally criticized the Bush administration than him. He tore Bush into ribbons, but with good reason. His new post is starring Barack Obama.
There is No Country: From my friend Mentarch at Another Point of View – who has also shredded Bush into tiny slivers. This is a liberal progressive blog that I’ve been reading for a long time. I don’t always agree with his positions, but I do agree with him on his view on war and Bush. This great post was actually written by Diane G., a contributor to his blog. It’s scathing look into the myth of patriotism and country – an insightful essay. This is my favorite liberal blog.
Election 08 Aftermath: No Kool-Aid for Me: From my friend Debbie (who did not drink the koolaid), offers a little political humor about Obama voters and a hilarious link. Debbie often mixes humor with trenchant liberal criticism. While liberals might not like her humor, I do because I’m neither liberal or conservative. I do believe most McCain supporters are just as clueless.
No matter what our beliefs, we can all find common ground and all get along.
