We Don’t Need No Thought Control

Warning: this post is long and ire filled. If you like political issues then read on. If you don’t let it be sufficient enough for you to read this: I’m sick of the government trying to force me to do things. From giving my money to others to volunteering. Get off my back and out of my wallet.

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Why do the people in our government and the media think that we need to be forced to do things? Some think we should be forced to give more of our income than we already do in order to redistribute our wealth. Some think we should be forced to wear seat belts and helmets. Some think we should be forced to volunteer. Some think we should be prevented from eating whatever we want (forced to eat what is deemed good by them). Why should we be forced to do anything? I’m big on personal rights. I think we should be able to do what we want as long as we’re governed by high moral standards. Even the Founding Fathers knew this:

“We have no government armed with power capable of contending with human passions unbridled by morality and religion. Avarice, ambition, revenge or gallantry would break the strongest cords of our Constitution as a whale goes through a net. Our Constitution is designed only for a moral and religious people. It is wholly inadequate for any other.” John Adams

If we, as Americans, could get some morals, biblical morals, and acknowledge that this is the only way to remain a great country, then we could live with less government. We could rely less on government. This would require the people of government having the same morals.

Wouldn’t it be great if families were the true nuclei that God intended? Wouldn’t it be great if families took care of themselves? Wouldn’t it be great if those stable and (mentally) healthy families then began to take care of their neighbors and neighborhood? Wouldn’t it be great if this new stable and (mentally) healthy neighborhood began to take care of its city? And state? And region? And country? Do you see where I’m going with this? It all begins with the family. Not the government. And it’s all done willingly. Not forced. When people are forced to do something do you really think their heart is in it? Do you really think it will last?

Why does the government think it is necessary to govern every aspect of our lives? I’ll tell you. They want to govern more and more of our lives because they gain control in doing this. They slowly are making us blind, helpless sheep. The more they give us (social programs) the more they demand from us (taxes, volunteering apparently, following them blindly).

This whole tirade is being brought to you by two things I’ve read already this morning. The first was an email from a good friend who happens to think differently politically and economically than I. He believes in income redistribution. Apparently the author of the following quote thinks most Americans do:

“Since the Great Depression most Americans have agreed that a principal responsibility of government is to redistribute income from the well-to-do to the impoverished and to those who are temporarily disadvantaged, most notably the unemployed. While many people complain about waste, fraud, and abuse in government income-transfer programs, or about the extent of income redistribution, few dispute the proposition that some level of redistribution is needed. Over the last twenty years, however, many economists—including some on the political left—have raised serious questions about the effectiveness of current transfer programs in helping the poor. While government policies do redistribute enormous amounts of money each year, the actual benefits to the poor may be much smaller than people presume. ” Dwight R. Lee an Econ Professor at UGA

I don’t believe for one minute that most Americans believe in income redistribution. Much less that’s it is the principal responsibility of government. The principal responsibility of government is to maintain a strong military to keep our butts safe from all of the crazy people in the world who are trying to destroy us. The principal responsibility of government is to make sure we all have the rights of life, liberty and pursuit of happiness. Here’s how the Constitution puts it (emphasis mine):

We the People of the United States, in Order to form a more perfect Union, establish Justice, insure domestic Tranquility, provide for the common defence, promote the general Welfare, and secure the Blessings of Liberty to ourselves and our Posterity, do ordain and establish this Constitution for the United States of America.

Yes, this quote uses the word “welfare” a term that has been hijacked and means something more today than it did in the minds of the writers of the Constitution. In fact, income redistribution, of which our current welfare system is a part, doesn’t work. If you read the article, Prof. Lee says that the good the government “wants” to do for the poor isn’t as good as it thought. Government is taking money, not from the rich, but from the people who actually pay taxes and giving it, not to the poor, but to lobbyists and people who have enough money to organize.

If we, as a society, had our morals in order we would be giving and helping the poor without the government forcing us to. We would individually be redistributing our wealth as we see fit. And making sure the redistribution actually worked. “The impersonal hand of the government can never replace the helping hand of a neighbor.” Hubert Humphrey

The second thing I read this morning that has me up in arms was this article: Time Magazine Announces ‘National Service’ Lobbying Campaign. Service Nation would like for everyone in America to volunteer whether it’s in their heart to do so or not (emphasis mine):

“a national campaign to call on the next President and Congress to enact a new era of service and citizenship in America, an era in which all Americans will work together to try and solve our greatest and most persistent societal challenges” From the Service Nation website, which I will not link to, but you can find them if you click on the link provided above.

Excuse me? You want to “encourage” me to volunteer? Don’t tell me to go volunteer. And I’m sure you wouldn’t let me pick the organizations to which I would like to give my time. Let me go volunteer on my own. Once again, if we had the morals, we’d be going out and volunteering on our own. It would be a pleasure and a desire to help out. But why does the government want to get involved? Do you really think it cares about the little people? The government is power hungry. And as well-intentioned as Service Nation is, they are forcing us to become puppets on a string.

My mantra has been this for years: “it’s all about the family”. We don’t need governmental band aid fixes. Those do not work in the long run. We need the permanent fix. A family, rooted in morals, intent to love God and love their neighbors as themselves. This is the only way for our nation to survive as the great nation it could be. How does this happen? Each family must take it upon itself to change. That’s it. I know it’s a tall task. But it’s the only thing that will work.