Monthly archive: December, 2008

Does the Truth Matter Anymore?

December 31, 2008, by No comments yet

“The ultimate result of shielding man from the effects of folly is to people the world with fools.”

Herbert Spencer

strawmanIt is slowly occurring to me that the populace in general does not want to hear the truth. Truth doesn’t matter anymore, because oftentimes the truth is a mirror that shows us what we don’t want to see. Whether it be a habit we must change, a characteristic of our lives that must be dealt with, or even a minor thing about ourselves, we resist change when it requires something from us. Barack Obama was elected because of “change we can believe in,” but I truly believe in large part Americans who wanted his style of change simply want more government to take care of things so they don’t have to change. Why else vote for larger government control over compassionate endeavors, health care, and financial security? (By the way, John McCain would have been the same result.) 

This past year I’ve become intrigued with economics, partly because it was (and still is) a baffling subject when viewed on a macro level, and partly because I heard so many attacks on the free market from a so-called “biblical” point of view. So I wanted to get to the root issue and figure out how that works alongside my theology.

In short, I’m learning that straw men are erected by those who wish to pummel free markets and capitalism, primarily by those who gain from the straw man being pummeled. Those who say otherwise are considered “economic fundamentalists” who are without compassion for people. 

I’ve also begun noticing that everything has to become “rocket science”; that is, the economy (we are told) is something so incredibly complex that no simple explanation can be sufficient, nor can the common man understand it, therefore those with power must be the ones to take control and manipulate the outcome of something undesirable. 

If you believe that the free market has yielded what we are experiencing today, you’ve been duped into believing that we actually have a free market at work. If you believe that government regulation is necessary to thwart off greed and corporate selfishness, you are clueless to the amount regulation has actually grown. If you believe that “greed” in the private markets is the heart source of the problems, then you don’t understand the nature of greed and its relationship to power, particularly with regards to political power.

I’d like to recommend this article for consideration as an explanation to why we are in such a crisis. It’s really not that complex. Afterward, I’d recommend the following websites for further consideration:

www.lewrockwell.com

www.mises.org

www.campaignforliberty.com 

Doug

Doug Stuart is a committed follower of Jesus and passionate about building for the Kingdom of God through education and mobilization. He is a regular writer at LibertarianChristians.com as well as the founder of Living Loud.

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Sophisticatedly Speaking

December 22, 2008, by 4 comments

Starbucks IV
“Hello, my name is Doug, and I’m a Starbucks-aholic.”

It was never meant to be this way. Coffee was never my thing. Maybe I inherited it from my father, the ever-faithful morning coffee drinker. No sugar, no cream. And when we went hunting each fall, the only thing that could make me desire that disgustingly bitter hot black drink was my freezing bones and four long hours until I could jump back into the truck without losing my masculine pride (all “real men” were avid outdoorsman where I grew up). So with that one exception, I didn’t like coffee.

But all that changed when my college opened up what soon became the campus supplier of legal addictive stimulants for about a thousand students. They served concoctions with titles I can barely remember now, let alone back then when the only coffee additives I knew of were cream and sugar.

As every college student soon discovers, late-night studying becomes a matter of daily habit, and caffeine becomes “necessary” to stay awake. Soon I was addicted, and soon the cream and sugar was not enough. I had to try flavors. I had to try lattés, and before I knew it, I was into cappuccinos and macchiatos. The special mixture of flavors, both bitter and sweet, with the rich texture of foam or steamed milk made for a festival of warmth in my mouth, and it warmed my body, too. This had to be a part of my life.

Eventually I was visiting the café every opportunity I could, and by then the addiction was not simply the hot drink. I became addicted to the atmosphere, the ability to come in and order with confidence (and a bit of arrogance) a sophisticated-sounding drink that only the crème de la crème coffee aficionados could. Add to that the thrill of being able to throw away money at an overpriced drink, and the addiction was at a whole new level.

But nothing compared to the sensation and overwhelming excitement of buying a drink from the place to buy coffee: Starbucks. Not only was the décor warm and inviting, it made one proud of the privilege to buy at such an amazing coffee shop. Never mind that most of my family and friends made fun of those who paid $4.50 or more for a Ventí (a.k.a. “large”) speciality drink. Never mind that drinking it twice a week would be a budget of nearly $450 each year. It was just plain cool to drink it.

As I walked out of Starbucks today with my Grande Gingersnap Latté with an extra shot of espresso, it occurred to me that my addiction is simply this: I love the feeling of buying a drink from a reputable company who knows how to serve a great drink every time. Maybe it’s the warm fuzzies the drink gives me, maybe it’s the caffeine, or maybe it’s because I feel sophisticated when I buy my coffee at Starbucks. Whatever it may be, that’s my story. Make of it what you will.

Doug

Doug Stuart is a committed follower of Jesus and passionate about building for the Kingdom of God through education and mobilization. He is a regular writer at LibertarianChristians.com as well as the founder of Living Loud.

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The Importance of “Greed”

December 19, 2008, by No comments yet

In a future post, I’ll comment on my thoughts concerning the topic of greed, hedonism, and the Christian. But this video is simple but interesting. At the least, enjoy the 80s “decor”!

Doug

Doug Stuart is a committed follower of Jesus and passionate about building for the Kingdom of God through education and mobilization. He is a regular writer at LibertarianChristians.com as well as the founder of Living Loud.

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Re-Post: The Power of Freedom and Opportunity

December 17, 2008, by 4 comments

(I wanted to repost this item with attention to a few additional bits of information: Link 1 | Link 2 | Link 3 | further comments very welcome.)

The greatest unfairness today is denying a decent education to poor children, for whom that is often their only way out of poverty. —Thomas Sowell

My liberal friends often talk about “leveling the playing field” for those who haven’t the opportunity to pursue what I, a middle-class raised white guy, am able to pursue in America. I do not deny that there are advantages to being white in America, though one could argue there are advantages of being black in America. Barack Obama’s ethnic background is playing a huge part in his rise to power. That’s not a bad thing or a good thing. It is what it is. American history, however, shows that society has tended to favor the white.

Whether or not the liberal narrative of “white privilege” is accurate, history is clear that oppressive slavery left a scar on our nation. The reality of our history is that our ancestors limited the freedoms of others, which gave them no upward mobility to proceed out of their situation.

Some still believe that this so-called “white power” still exists in our nation today. I would contend that it does, but perhaps more dangerously in unseen ways and predominantly under the guise of “compassion” and “social well-being.” Minorities who are underprivileged have little or no opportunity to bring themselves to more and better opportunities; they are “trapped.” Whether it be in the inner city with no money, family, or other means to get out of their situation; whether it be in a school district they can’t afford to move out of because “their side of town” is on the wrong side of the tracks; or whether they are simply trapped because of mental, physical, or other prohibitions on their health and well-being; the bottom line is, they have no freedom, and they have no opportunity. To use ultra-conservative terminology, they have no bootstraps, access to bootstraps, and in some cases, don’t even know what bootstraps are or how to them if they were given a pair.

Education reform is long overdue. Politicians govern who goes to school and where, and how much money gets funded in certain areas and for certain reasons. If you live in a certain district with a school system that is not to your liking, the only way to increase the quality of your child’s education is to make decisions on your own, and that takes means. Those in poverty don’t have means. Nor do they have freedom and opportunity. In America today, for there to be opportunity in education, there needs to be means.

Perhaps we should compare this problem to the problem of slavery. Like slaves, those trapped in poverty are often stripped of their human dignity. They are also trapped by the laws that do not allow them to pursue their own interests, even in spite of the good intentions of others who claim to have their “best interest” in mind. Their children are doomed to a poor education until politicians deliver. They are at the mercy of those in power to do what is best for them.

Our socialist system of schooling is fraught with shortcomings and major flaws that increase government say-so in education and decreases the say-so of parents. It leaves the powerless with no options, and those in power and opportunity (i.e. “means”) to excuse themselves from the mess.

What we need is an emancipation. Freedom for the enslaved. Opportunity for the underprivileged. Human dignity is promoted by freedom, which then energizes the dignified. Whether it be to a people group or to a single person—something inside of a free person changes. We are all, in fact, created equal. Freedom (especially protected freedom) reinforces that reality and builds the self-assurance that we are, in fact, valuable to the world and to God. Self-assurance of this fundamental reality changes who we are, how we see ourselves, and can help us alter our lives.

The mere existence or declaration of freedom and opportunity, however, does not immediately change reality. Just after slaves were declared free, they were not suddenly treated as white people, nor were they given equal stature in the eyes of white people. They needed assistance and aide to move along, to progress. Today is no different. If tomorrow a program of freedom (whether in the form of school choice and/or vouchers) is passed into law, it won’t change things overnight. The newly freed will want and need guidance, and we will need to stand there, ready for them.

Will freedom and choice solve every educational problem? Doubtful. But it a giant leap forward toward freedom, which is exactly what our nation was founded upon and what has made it prosper.

Doug

Doug Stuart is a committed follower of Jesus and passionate about building for the Kingdom of God through education and mobilization. He is a regular writer at LibertarianChristians.com as well as the founder of Living Loud.

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To what extent should America “change”?

December 17, 2008, by No comments yet

This year, Barack Obama was elected because Americans wanted “change.” Even John McCain ran on the concept of “change” because he knew that Americans wouldn’t vote for “more of the same.” From the libertarian perspective, both candidates were “more of the same” for America. More government spending, perpetuation of wars (both abroad and at home), and a “socialism lite” economy that will continue to erode the our monetary system through inflation and easy money (I learned recently that this is what Bush brought us, so this isn’t an accusation at Obama). 

The “change” that we’re about to get is predictable. Both Republicans and Democrats are notorious for proposing and legislating things they feel would be best for Americans. Adding up the representatives in the three branches of government, we have fewer than 1,000 people making decisions on behalf of the entire nation. While I’m sure laws protecting individuals from fraud or harm are useful and moral, for a few people to successfully determine what is best for me and my family is sheer folly. 

Our nation is in a financial crisis. We’re aware that something should be “done.” But by whom? Regardless of the reasons one might suggest is the problem (libertarians like myself blame mostly the government for its actions against the people, though I suspect that private enterprise has played at least a small role), the issue is simply this: we can’t afford what we’re doing. 

Imagine you and your spouse are crunching the budget, and you make $10,000/month (for most people I know who read this blog, that’s a lot of money). You add up your expenses, and you realize that you’re spending $20,000/month, leveraging your expenses by going further into debt. You’re putting things on credit cards, taking out equity loans, refinancing automobiles, and other false attaining of “income.” 

“Wow, Honey, we really need to rethink how our personal economy works!” you say. 

“What do you propose we do, Dear?” your spouse asks. 

If you were wise, you know the answer. If you were the government, you print more money or raise taxes, neither of which actually give you a greater income, both of which place even more undue burden on taxpayers and citizens. 

The point is, any “change” that we were promised is simply going to be more of the same of the last 70 years of American government growth. This isn’t about left vs. right or Democrat vs. Republican… all have unfortunately reached further into our pockets and into our lives and eroded the economy. What needs to happen is a more fundamental shift in how our nation works. 

Bill Sardi has written on Lew Rockwell an essay called “The Answers Are Out There.” I recommend reading the full article, because it’s definitely worth thinking about. He deals with the following issues:

The immediate challenges that are being discussed today are:

  1. To immediately implement a complete overhaul the nation’s currency, banking, investment practices and regulations.
  2. To produce low-cost energy; reduce or eliminate pollution from fossil-powered energy plants.
  3. To reduce dependency upon foreign oil imports by increasing the efficiency of gasoline-powered vehicles.
  4. To reduce the cost of healthcare and to make health insurance affordable for all.
  5. To create meaningful and substantial jobs for Americans.

Doug

Doug Stuart is a committed follower of Jesus and passionate about building for the Kingdom of God through education and mobilization. He is a regular writer at LibertarianChristians.com as well as the founder of Living Loud.

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Protectionism

December 5, 2008, by No comments yet

The “Big Three” in American car manufacturers are coming to the government to ask for our money to help “jump start” their businesses so they can get back on track. I’m really baffled by that scenario. If they want our money, why not ask for it directly by manufacturing automobiles that Americans would prefer to have? Why are we going to the government to ask for our money, without our permission? 

I recently read an article by Jacob Steelman on LewRockwell.com about the bailout: this quote stuck out to me:

The underlying premise of … protectionism is that the consumer is too stupid to know what he or she wants and too stupid to make informed decisions on the basis of each consumer’s needs and value judgments. These are the same consumers who on Election Day are said by the politicians to be so intelligent at having voted for this candidate or that candidate. But the day after the election these previously brilliant consumers are found to be so wanting in intelligence as to have voted in the marketplace for a product or service other than one said by the politicians to be vital for the economy or national interest. Thus the government is required to intervene in the marketplace to alter the preferences of these consumers who are now treated as if they are wards of the state.

Read the full article here. 

Doug

Doug Stuart is a committed follower of Jesus and passionate about building for the Kingdom of God through education and mobilization. He is a regular writer at LibertarianChristians.com as well as the founder of Living Loud.

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