This Time The Union Can Keep The Slaves

Since the election of Barack Hussein Obama there seems to have been a misapprehension in this great nation that the “discussion” on race is over.

Recent events in Cambridge Mass. have proven this assumption to be in error.

Also since the election of BHO there seems to have been a great misapprehension in certain quarters that America is now ready to embrace full on socialism.

There are cracks in that facade as well.

I was reading over at The Gunslinger's Journal about Oklahoma being the latest state to sign into law a resolution affirming the Tenth Amendment, and a line that she wrote prompted a cascade of thoughts.

Her post was concerning the individual States who are now beginning to stand up in opposition to the monster that our Federal Government has become, and opined that the end result may be another round of secession.

"This time" she writes, "the Union can keep the slaves."

Oklahoma, Alaska, Idaho, both Dakotas, and Tennessee have so far passed resolutions supporting the Tenth Amendment of the Constitution of the United States, with several more considering such moves.

Texas Governor Rick Perry has made statements that could be construed as secessionist, a question that had been thought rather thoroughly settled since 1865. There are rumblings all throughout the right leaning blogosphere concerning the three boxes (soap box, ballot box, cartridge box).

As expected, these things are being used by opponents to demonstrate how rabid crazy those gun-toting bible-thumping bitter racists clingers on the right are. The supporters simply repeat their call to arms. I don't know if violence is eminent or not, but I have always been an optimist. I think this country can still be saved through judicious use of the first two boxes without having to resort to the third.

With that being said, however, I have been more than a little discouraged and disgusted with those who purport to be my fellow countrymen. Everywhere you turn it seems that there is another street-corner evangelist preaching the gospel of government control, and they always seem to have a crowd around them.

It is human nature to seek the most gain from minimum effort, and nothing can be more minimum than having someone else do it for you. These are the people who turn to Mommy Government to solve all of their ills.

In 1865 the country climbed out from under a civil war. Freed slaves reveled in new found freedom.

They soon found out, however, that freedom has it's cost. Slavery is safe, because someone takes care of you. It may be only a minimum level of care, barely enough for sustenance, but it is provided to you. Food, clothing and shelter, the first three items on the hierarchy of needs, are given free of monetary cost. The only thing you pay for these things is your soul.

Freedom, however, means that you are left to fend for yourself. Being responsible for yourself means that you must provide for your own food, clothing and shelter. No one is waiting to pick you up when you fall, you live or die by your own actions and decisions. You own yourself, body and soul.

Freedom is scary.

This is why so many people opt for any kind of soft slavery rather than hard freedom. This is the reason the serfs in the former Soviet Union bemoaned the loss of their masters. This is the reason that so many in this country are willing to sell themselves for the promise of free health care and social security for all. This is why so many will be the willing slaves of whatever master will have them.

They are willing to sell all that they are for the cost of a few coins dribbled their way. What happens to them when the coins finally dry up, as they must?

The flip side of this coin, so to speak, is the people who go out and exert maximum effort in a bid to capture maximum gain. These are the people who lead, who innovate, who move the economy; these are the people who control the world. Let us speak of them for a moment.

It has not escaped my notice how popular Ayn Rand's classic "Atlas Shrugged" has gotten to be in recent times. It's a hard read in many spots, Rand has an unfortunate tendency to beat her readers to death to make a point sometimes (as an example, John Galt's radio address). The points are well made, however, and ominously prescient.

I am of the opinion that we don't need a John Galt, at least not yet. What we need is more Hank Reardens, men and women who will stand up and say "I see what you are doing, and I'm not going to play along." (For the record, I am more of an Eddie Willers type myself.)

John Galt was an organizer, if you will. But in order for a John Galt to be effective, he must have people who are of like mind to organize with. Such a man is not truly a leader as such, he is merely chief among equals. Those who would be willing to be led are plentiful, those who must be convinced are the ones we need right now.

We need an Ellis Wyatt to point out the facts that the US Government makes more money from a gallon of gasoline than the oil companies do and that the US Government has blocked domestic energy production, thereby forcing us to go overseas for our oil. This puts us at the mercy of foreign nations.

We need a Midas Mulligan to point out that Government interference in the real estate market led to the housing bubble, which led to our present ills, and that the supposed stimulus packages that were foisted on us without benefit of being read have only widened and deepened the problems. Other governmental interferences in other areas of the economy and financial markets have produced similar ills.

We need a Lawrence Hammond to point out that the same Government that could not profitably run a brothel (last link NSFW) * with an established reputation and clientele cannot possibly run an auto company, much less two. This Government had neither the Constitutional authority nor the wisdom to involve themselves with the day to day running of businesses, much less their bankruptcy proceedings. The President certainly did not have the authority to call for the firing of GM's head exec. It can only end in disaster, for GM, for Chrysler, and for the American taxpayer.

We need a Doctor Hendricks who will make the same case for health care. We need a Judge Narragansett who will bang the gavel in support of freedom and individual responsibility. We need a Quentin Daniels who will counter the James Hansons with facts, and do so with as much vigor and volume as they do.

We need men and women in positions of influence and authority who will not blindly bow down to the authoritarian state.

Then, and only then, will a John Galt do any good.

And if the cartridge box becomes the only option, then the Union can keep the slaves.

*It comes to my attention that, although the IRS did indeed intend to continue to operate the brothel, they were so incompetent that they could not persuade a federal judge to allow them to assume the business license. In other words, they failed to run a brothel. So, while the story is actually an urban legend, the lesson still remains.