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For the Want of a Free Lunch: A Republic Was Lost
by Jeff Fullerton
[email protected]

Attribute to L. Neil Smith's The Libertarian Enterprise

Government shutdown going on week 3.

It came to an end finally with the usual suspects caving as expected. And why not? Hijacked by tyranny—the tyranny of that malignant mutation of the American body politic called Progressivism; the nation has become everything it's founders fought against in the American Revolution. If there is one clear lesson to be learned from this latest government shutdown : social entitlement programs are a Clear and Present Danger to human freedom.

We are all hostages.
Hostages of a Police State that grows ever more powerful and intrusive by the day.
And the Senate republicans may have signed the death warrant of their party.

Quinn & Rose—especially the latter of "America's Morning Show were really fired up that day.

Between John McShame's shameful capitulation speech and the whoredom of Mitch McConnell—what a disgrace to the Scotch-Irish heritage— they were saying "it's over for the GOP and time for a third party". I was a little put off when Rose said it can't be the TEA Party. It's a lot like what my friend "The Historian" said the other night about the same—and also previously in regard to Sarah Palin because " she's unelectable". When on the subject of the "Un-electability of Sarah Palin" I always have to ask: what is it that makes her un-electable? Could it have been the non—stop defamatory litany of the left-wing media that painted her as stupid—a bimbo—a twit? Or just plain evil because she represents that gun loving rural culture that refuses to fall onto lock step with the progressive agenda and an obstacle to the utopian universal state that is the progressive vision of salvation? Which a lot of women I know were just eating it up and regurgitating it whenever the name of Sarah Palin came up.

A good bit of that stems from plan old jealousy of females toward a prettier, more appealing female. She's the dream date of just about any red-blooded bipedal male hominid because aside from being cute and physically attractive—she loves to hunt and fish and would make an appealing life partner because she is the kind of woman that would pull her own weight in a marriage as opposed to being a burden. And to think I could have had the pleasure of maybe and exchange of words and a handshake this past Sunday at the War Memorial in Washington!—had I gone. And I could have and probably would have—had the announcement of her appearance not been so sudden—the night before.

So much for being a Minuteman, I have to watch my money more in these times and put it where it counts while it is still worth something and I have it.

But in the words of many who digress—I digress.
The Unelectability of Sarah Palin or Barry Goldwater, or El Neil or anybody affiliated with the Tea Party or Libertarians in general—has much to do with the way the Left and their media lackeys will go out on a limb to destroy the reputation of anyone deemed to be a credible threat to their endeavor to acquire and hold power. It also has much to do with the the entitlement mentality that has become the social norm in American life. Like they bought into the defamation and destruction of the character and political career of Mrs Palin—they buy into the mantra that the Tea Party is evil because it keeps rocking the boat and threatening the destruction of the entitlement system the majority of people depend on and hold dear.

Like the guy last night who called me a "Tea-hadist" and said that the Tea Party had accomplished what the Taliban have been trying for years to do in shutting down the government and costing the nation billions of dollars. Became very defensive like many a democrat friend or relative when I attempted to explain that it was the government going out of its way to keep people away from monuments and paying out unemployment benefits on top of back pay to furloughed government workers. A typical knee-jerk reaction of a true believer who went on to iterate that the President has been trying really hard but those infernal Teabaggers keep getting in the way and it was Bush's fault we are in debt because he cut taxes and fought two wars. Kind of reminds me a lot of the old guy near the beginning of the SF novel "Fallen Angels" who scowls : be dammed you air thieves—at the space hab astronauts when they were shot down and crash landed on a glacier.

http://www.baenebooks.com/chapters/067172052X/067172052X.htm?blurb

Obviously he thinks a police state is an acceptable price to pay for that Social Security check he is looking forward to. And willing to lay the blame on whatever convenient scapegoat the government serves them on a platter. A walking testimony to the power of demagoguery and social entitlements.

FOR THE WANT OF A FREE LUNCH A REPUBLIC WAS LOST.

And then you have those who just loathe Obama but would run to Hillary Clinton in a heartbeat. She's obviously very smart while Sara Palin is an idiot like anyone else who stands on the side that questions the logic of a welfare state propped up by unsustainable debt. But at least she'll take care of the white working class—or so they believe. That sums up the difference between the Nazi Party of Germany and Soviet communism. Socialism for white people vs socialism for all people.

Either way it still sucks in the end.

At least there were a few bright spots in a week that was gloomy both weather wise and in the world of human affairs. Down With Power bumper stickers arrived in the mail and started another article on a new stone quarry that opened in my neighborhood. I could not help but think of the praises of private enterprise and human creativity by Ayn Rand who also had a lot of courage to stand up and shamelessly dish it back to the Proggies in her day—as opposed to our current GOP establishment that has become the bastion of cowardice and betrayal of the people who are the heart and soul of what America's founders intended this country to be.

I believe the Tea Party to be that heart and soul. It represents the Freeholder society (independent homesteaders and yeoman farmers) that Thomas Jefferson envisioned as the idea human society. It must not go away. It must dig in and entrench itself and endure like the Jews endured for nearly 2000 years of diaspora in Europe. It's members must find a way to remain self sufficient and that is something I intend to make into a potent civil rights crusade of this century. The issue of Obama Care and the Individual Mandate—the right to opt out of a universal system and shop around for or enter the market to provide a better deal is a fundamental human right. So is the right to own your home and land property free and clear—which means property taxes must go. And that reminds me—I have to pay mine soon so I can get that out of the way and they plan for other priorities.

Glenn Beck says its time for unconventional thinking. It's time to get a copy of DWP into his hands. It doesn't come much more unconventional than that—along with the notion of a universal right to opt out of a universal system or the abolition of taxes.

As for that last point—in regard to "the want of a free lunch" issue that remains a stumbling block to our cause—it must be articulated that during the course of a "phased withdraw of government from our lives" as mentioned in DWP—one of the priorities of the federal government under libertarian stewardship will be to shift resources away from so many of the agencies that are literally at war with the general wellbeing and happiness of the American people—toward cleaning up the mess created by the custodial state—ie using the existing revenue stream to make good on promises to senior citizens and the truly disabled and indigent while the younger, more able bodied members of the population are shepherded toward independence and self-sufficiency. Take care of our elders and the quadriplegic in a nursing home at the expense of the EPA union hack who was whining about how terrible the Tea Party was back on day one of the government shutdown! Or the IRS agents we dread coming after us if we are unable or unwilling to comply with the Individual Mandate.

I figure that is a good trade off—taking care of those hopelessly dependent on government at the expense of the alphabet soup of Federal agencies with guns and police powers—and the thugs and parasites that occupy them. Meanwhile having an adult conversation to explain why it is necessary for America to change course to avoid destruction and enslavement by either our own political class—or unfriendly foreign powers.

Republicans have attempted this to varying degrees in the past but failed—mostly due to the same tactics of the Left that tarnished the good names of Barry Goldwater, Sarah Palin & the Tea Party. Also in part of their own fecklessness and their own betrayal of promises to restore the liberty and property rights of the American people. As Neil said in regard to the issue of guns—the issue of the "Right to Opt Out" and to establish a freehold—be it a homestead or a business—is an ultimate litmus test to politicians. The democrats in particular ( Like Joe Fool "Binders of Women" Biden!) who will shriek about gloom and doom for senior citizens cast out in the cold—despite a commitment to make sure they and others who are as I put it before—hopelessly dependent on the system—are not hurt in the transition to a Freeholder Society.

I have to work on condensing this down to something very basic to articulate to the less astute non-Libertarian, non-Tea Party audiences. Also run some numbers to illustrate what government functions can be sacrificed to make the government live within its means and pay down its debts with minimal harm to society—the exact opposite of the strategy employed by President Obama and the democrats to inflict pain and hardship for the purpose of creating a political climate idea for scapegoating the Tea Party and other advocates of Libertarian / small government ideas. Which goes to show how much the democrats really care about the poor and downtrodden. Lately one of their ilk complained that the reason those who wanted to stop Obama Care was because they are afraid it might actually work. That could also be the underlying fear of progressives—like Bill Clinton when he declared that the American People cannot be allowed to fend for themselves. Not because they might end up dying in a cold, cruel world where life is brutal and short—but because they might discover they have what it takes to make it on their own.

As for the fear that Obama Care might work. In part that may be warranted ; given the universal appeal of the idea of a Free Lunch even in spite of inefficiency and rationing. At least in the short term before they run out of other people's money. Which they in a sense have already acknowledged by their very insistence on preserving the Individual Mandate hell or high water. That dovetails with something I read recently in DWP about fascism being the next stage after socialism. Contrary to the claims of leftists—I think this is the more accurate picture since it usually takes brutality to hold things together after the money runs out and the compassionate ideology of bleeding heart liberals and cradle to grave utopian socialism fails!

And the handwriting is on the wall that probably sooner, rather than later the money is going to run out. Hence the need to force everyone into the system and ultimately bind them into chains and slavery.

And the ongoing effort underway by the administration to purge the military and make it more supportive of imposing martial law on the nation.

In the end it really boils down to two sides. Freedom or Tyranny. Aside from the fact that it is not really free—the real cost of a free lunch is the latter.

FOR THE PRICE OF A FREE LUNCH—OUR REPUBLIC WILL BE LOST

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