Are You A Libertarian?
Many people in the United States are politically brainwashed, in a rut, stuck between the two major parties and unable to flex their opinion muscles because they have become completely concreted into their mindset by years of the media’s almost exclusive focus on the two major parties.
No third party ever makes it in a major election. This is not simply because people don’t agree with the smaller political parties, indeed, the opposite is true. The smaller parties are more responsive to individual needs. The smaller parties are less centralized, and have more variety than only two major parties. They just have less money; and money is time (on the television).
You can always find a party that fits your opinions exactly. Sometimes, it’s the Republicans or the Democrats. More likely, it is a minor party. In this article, I will tell you the views of one of America’s great minor parties, the Libertarian party. Maybe this will detail your own opinions!
A Libertarian believes in a small central government that has much less power than the one we have today. A government should not be able to interfere into daily activities of its citizens. This means that we are socially liberal… no laws on homosexuality, abortion, et cetera. No laws prohibiting, no laws requiring. Individual choice!
Along with the small government, we feel that programs such as welfare and social security should be eliminated (phased out, in my case), placing emphasis on individual responsibility. Take the taxes you would have paid to social security, and invest it in a savings account or the stock market for your own retirement. This makes us fiscally conservative… you pay much less in tax and what you pay essentially goes to the basics of government, military, public goods. If you want to help the disadvantaged (as many of us do), donate to them directly, or to organizations who assist the disadvantaged directly.
In short, Libertarians feel that it is up to the individual to self-govern… in the words of James Madison (heard of him!?) “We have staked the future of all our political institutions upon the capacity of mankind for self government; upon the capacity of each of us to govern ourselves and sustain ourselves.”
So, then. Are you ready? To step up to the plate and be a responsible citizen? To regulate yourself? Let others do the same? Then you, my friend, are ready to be a Libertarian! Visit lp.org for more information.
Like what I have to say? Hate it? Disagree? Tell me! Post a comment and refer this site to your friends.
22 September, 2006
20 September, 2006
Kiss 'em Goodbye
Watch As Your Rights Float Away
The government of the United States was designed with one thing in mind… the will of the people should be heard, and the will of the people will determine the course that this country takes. The framers created a new system that was innovative and effective. In fact, there was only one thing that they couldn’t have predicted.
That someday, the people would have no will.
Our nation today is full of listless people going about with their daily lives and not noticing or even caring about the world they live in. If you were to ask a random person about a current political issue (not a hot-button one all over the news so that nobody can escape it, like abortion, but one less beat to death, such as euthanasia) and their opinion on that issue, the knee jerk response you are most likely to get is, “I dunno.”
This may not scare you, but it terrifies me.
When the majority of people no longer take action and use the power endowed them by the right to vote, the few extremists who do make it to the polls are more likely to have their outrageous and dangerous legislation enacted.
The fewer people who care, the fewer rights we all get to enjoy. Every person that says things like, “I have nothing to hide, so I don’t care if the government can have roving wiretaps, sneak and peek searches without warrants, and access to my private records,” is a part of the problem. They step aside and let the government take privileges that we Americans have held as a source of pride for almost 250 years now.
Namely, the Constitution.
Mark my words, for they shall be prophetic in time. If we continue the way we are heading, we will be no different than our any of our past enemies. England was a monarchy when we rebelled. Germany was a dictatorship. So was Korea, Vietnam, the Soviet Union, Iraq… This is where we are headed, unless the masses of this nation celebrate the right to vote and use it.
I guess what they say is true… you don’t know what you have until it is gone.
Remember: Clear Mind, Clear Heart, the Journey is the Test!
The government of the United States was designed with one thing in mind… the will of the people should be heard, and the will of the people will determine the course that this country takes. The framers created a new system that was innovative and effective. In fact, there was only one thing that they couldn’t have predicted.
That someday, the people would have no will.
Our nation today is full of listless people going about with their daily lives and not noticing or even caring about the world they live in. If you were to ask a random person about a current political issue (not a hot-button one all over the news so that nobody can escape it, like abortion, but one less beat to death, such as euthanasia) and their opinion on that issue, the knee jerk response you are most likely to get is, “I dunno.”
This may not scare you, but it terrifies me.
When the majority of people no longer take action and use the power endowed them by the right to vote, the few extremists who do make it to the polls are more likely to have their outrageous and dangerous legislation enacted.
The fewer people who care, the fewer rights we all get to enjoy. Every person that says things like, “I have nothing to hide, so I don’t care if the government can have roving wiretaps, sneak and peek searches without warrants, and access to my private records,” is a part of the problem. They step aside and let the government take privileges that we Americans have held as a source of pride for almost 250 years now.
Namely, the Constitution.
Mark my words, for they shall be prophetic in time. If we continue the way we are heading, we will be no different than our any of our past enemies. England was a monarchy when we rebelled. Germany was a dictatorship. So was Korea, Vietnam, the Soviet Union, Iraq… This is where we are headed, unless the masses of this nation celebrate the right to vote and use it.
I guess what they say is true… you don’t know what you have until it is gone.
Remember: Clear Mind, Clear Heart, the Journey is the Test!
Leaders and Followers, Part 1
Leaders and Followers ~ Part 1
This is the first part of a series of articles that I will write detailing the major, essential differences between the two types of people… leaders and followers. Throughout my writing I will analyze the role each plays, and how your personal, individual choice influences everything around you.
First and foremost… what is a leader and what is a follower? It sounds like it should be intuitive, but let’s look a little bit closer.
A leader is someone who takes initiative, influencing their malleable surroundings to suit their desires and needs. They are usually headstrong, determined, and driven to succeed. They are willing to spend the extra time needed to see a project to completion and fruition, and take pride in their accomplishments.
They also recognize and learn from their mistakes and shortcomings. They accept failure for what it is… an opportunity for growth. Their disappointments are not barriers, they are stepping-stones, and their shortcomings are not prohibitive.
A follower is a house of cards. They fold at the slightest sign of pressure, and are more than willing to submit to the will of someone else for protection. They would rather take comfort in the blankets of submission than the harsh winds of independent thought, and are easily manipulated.
A follower gives up. A follower will quit when they fail, and refuse to learn from their mistakes. They rarely succeed, because they rarely try hard enough. They give the minimum for everything… minimal effort, minimal care, minimal enthusiasm. They are content to be passable, and never strive for excellence.
Leaders and followers, master and servant, king and knave. This order of humanity purveys itself down from the upper echelon of human organization to the individual personal relationships we all form. Leadership is born from confidence, following from insecurity. Everybody knows somebody who shows initiative and takes command of a situation. They are usually the ones in the power seat of a relationship, doling out authority. Everybody also knows someone who is content to do what everyone else decides. They are the ones with no power whatsoever.
You can, however, change your situation. You are endowed with the power of choice. You can choose to be a leader, or you can choose to be a follower, but you cannot avoid the decision. So take initiative! Choose freedom, choose power, choose rights, choose independence, and choose to be a leader. All it takes is an attitude shift from helplessness to hopefulness.
Check back soon for more on how to make the transition.
Remember, “There is more power in one man’s decision to try than in twenty men’s decision to decide.”
This is the first part of a series of articles that I will write detailing the major, essential differences between the two types of people… leaders and followers. Throughout my writing I will analyze the role each plays, and how your personal, individual choice influences everything around you.
First and foremost… what is a leader and what is a follower? It sounds like it should be intuitive, but let’s look a little bit closer.
A leader is someone who takes initiative, influencing their malleable surroundings to suit their desires and needs. They are usually headstrong, determined, and driven to succeed. They are willing to spend the extra time needed to see a project to completion and fruition, and take pride in their accomplishments.
They also recognize and learn from their mistakes and shortcomings. They accept failure for what it is… an opportunity for growth. Their disappointments are not barriers, they are stepping-stones, and their shortcomings are not prohibitive.
A follower is a house of cards. They fold at the slightest sign of pressure, and are more than willing to submit to the will of someone else for protection. They would rather take comfort in the blankets of submission than the harsh winds of independent thought, and are easily manipulated.
A follower gives up. A follower will quit when they fail, and refuse to learn from their mistakes. They rarely succeed, because they rarely try hard enough. They give the minimum for everything… minimal effort, minimal care, minimal enthusiasm. They are content to be passable, and never strive for excellence.
Leaders and followers, master and servant, king and knave. This order of humanity purveys itself down from the upper echelon of human organization to the individual personal relationships we all form. Leadership is born from confidence, following from insecurity. Everybody knows somebody who shows initiative and takes command of a situation. They are usually the ones in the power seat of a relationship, doling out authority. Everybody also knows someone who is content to do what everyone else decides. They are the ones with no power whatsoever.
You can, however, change your situation. You are endowed with the power of choice. You can choose to be a leader, or you can choose to be a follower, but you cannot avoid the decision. So take initiative! Choose freedom, choose power, choose rights, choose independence, and choose to be a leader. All it takes is an attitude shift from helplessness to hopefulness.
Check back soon for more on how to make the transition.
Remember, “There is more power in one man’s decision to try than in twenty men’s decision to decide.”
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