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IDEAS: beliefs in action |
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beliefs about life Date: 2/27/2003 Your life is the result of your choices, which are determined by your beliefs about life. Our national life is the result of the intertwined choices of all Americans, which are determined by our beliefs about freedom and government. If we change our individual beliefs then our national life will naturally follow. Developing self-control Date: 1/22/2001 Most of us get our first lessons in self-control as children. We learn from the discipline our parents impose upon us to regulate our actions according to their moral judgment. As we grow into adults we combine their basic teachings with our own life experiences to form our own personal moral code. Few consciously take the time to rationally work out a moral guide for living, but rather acquire it from parents and from lessons learned in the course of daily life. You could say it sort of grows on you in an unconscious manner, yet it is the most important knowledge an individual can acquire. Some believe failure to develop a moral code, whether conscious or not, is to live a life guided by reasonless whim. Without any definite direction or meaningful guide to action a person allows himself to become a slave to whatever external events come his way. All of his actions are relative to external forces and his life begins to resemble a rudderless ship, dependent on seemingly random forces over which he seems to have no control.
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The significant choice The act of choosing is a microcosm of the act of living. Your consciousness sorts through the infinite variety of unlimited choices of life and assigns significance to certain possibilities based on your knowledge and beliefs. You concentrate on these latent possibilities and bring them into your personal reality by assessing relative value and worth. Your potential life then becomes manifest through the constant act of choice of your consciousness. Other individual lives that share your attraction to these particular choices are then drawn to interact with your personal reality. Mass consciousness is the result of this extremely mobile interaction between the earth's billions of individuals and results in the living world that emanates from your singular choice in voluntary cooperation with all others. This cooperative behavior between individuals and the natural world is the basis of all existence on the planet. ideas The individual and quantum reality Date: 5/16/2001 All aspects of humanity or all human activities begin with the individual and proceed outward to form a society; all aspects of the individual proceed from the ground of quantum reality where freedom reigns supreme. At this basic level of existence our free choice is literally what creates our material universe. In other words, the totality of our world, our universe, our personal lives, all that we do and say, everything under the sun and beyond, is initiated by the individual. We are freedom personified! Our free choice takes place in the transcendent realm of our spirit, which lies outside space/time. In terms of the new physics, free choice is an act of our non-local consciousness. Therefore, all human institutions derive their existence from the voluntary consent of the individual. Even the worst tyrannical government, nazi Germany, was supported and allowed to flourish by the consent of its citizens.
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Christianity vs government Christianity and government are mutually exclusive institutions. If you are a Christian you cannot support or condone the institution of government in any way, for it is founded on the basis of force and the subjugation of its citizens. The government's survival depends on the use of coercion , not peace or voluntary love. When the church passes the collection plate, the amount of your contribution is based on your own sense of goodwill and devotion. When the government passes the "collection" plate, your "voluntary" contribution is taken by threat of force. See also Charles Lane's Letters ideas Biblical interpretations Date: 2/8/2002 Modern interpretations of the bible are based on the assumption that man and his universe are separate. This makes it easier to intellectually acknowledge the message of love while at the same time going about destroying, without feeling, ourselves and our environment. We believe we are separate from our creation and there is no loss of love when we kill for a God who obviously resides in a separate heaven. We have even separated ourselves from our creator. We, first of all, are spiritual entities that create our world. When we separate ourselves from our spiritual nature we lose touch with the source of our being. The idea of inherent sin is the greatest error of Christian teaching. We cannot be inherently sinful because we spring from an inherently blessed spiritual state of being. To admit to this wonderful state is a sin to Christians because it appears to be pride in the self and not dependence on God somewhere up above. Where did the idea that Christ died for our sins come from? Is Christ the ultimate metaphor for our spiritual selves? If so, then his teachings will have to be totally rethought. When he refers to himself, he is actually speaking for the spiritual state that is universal and eternal in and of all. "I am the way and the life". It couldn't be any plainer.
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| Dr. Snoad wrote the following essay as a sequel to a letter titled, A new god, included on the correspondence page. Our earth is groaning and suffering under the weight of our insufferable Gods. For millennia they have caused us to war over the face of the earth taking countless lives and creating unbearable conditions for the innocents who have to live under their iron rule. Yet we continue to serve them blindly in the vain hope we will somehow improve our lives if we will only live up to their expectations. We prostrate ourselves before them constantly and offer up endless prayers of supplication to deliver us to some nebulous Promised Land of milk and honey. The foolishness, the ignorance and gullibility of mankind has filled entire libraries with its sad history and all we have gotten for our misguided faith and earnest prayers is death and destruction. We do all the dirty work, toiling and fighting endlessly, all in the name of God or Allah or whoever has the best deal at the moment. What is our reward for doing their bidding? The results run from the promise of some nebulous eternal life in heaven to 70 something virgins waiting in heaven to take care of every need. I guess the girls will just have to be satisfied with an eternity of waiting on lazy insatiable men. Now that is a real cheap shot on Allah’s part. First he gives men an unquenchable desire for women and forbids them from fulfilling it until they kill the other God’s people. I guess a little friendly competition between Gods keeps them from becoming bored. Frankly I am up to here with omniscient Gods. Isn’t it time to get smart and figure out their game? They have obviously been playing us against each other all these centuries. Why do we keep falling for the same old song? It must be that whole promise of heaven thing that gets us. First we are told how sinful we are and how we must beg for forgiveness or kill some other poor sap before we can hope to get through heaven’s gate. Like rats in a cage we keep running with the elusive promise just out of reach, grinding our lives and the lives of our supposed enemies to dust and then the final joke is played on all of us. We are yanked unceremoniously from our cage, cast aside and the next poor sap is thrown in our place to continue the eternal folly. Isn’t there any way to end this cycle? In spite of their seemingly endless thirst for blood there may be a way out of their ruthless trap. It’s a long shot but what the heck, its better than being suckers all our lives. I say long shot because the Gods are betting we will not be able to stop depending on them to solve our problems. They laugh and send another wave of benign clergymen to confuse and dull our senses with their plodding dogma. The consensus is we do not have the intelligence to deprogram centuries of engrained blind faith in our religious institutions. Children obediently do as they are told. Simpletons nod their vacuous heads in assent to the patriotic speech and march off to kill the other dunce who is making the same mistake. What could God possibly get out of this since he must have created both the simpleton and the fool? Oh I get it. Your God created you but the infidel is a product of the devil. But wait, if your God is so all powerful why should he allow infidels to exist in his perfect creation to start with? Just so you could have someone to slaughter? Doesn’t sound too clever to me. Every time we put our faith in a God and endeavor to "do his will", we put ourselves at the mercy of those who claim to know what his will is. Every time we dedicate our "sinful" lives to the saving grace of a divine savior or prophet we continue the endless cycle of doom. Instead of surrendering control of our lives to another vicious, manipulative God, and marching off to be slaughtered like stupid sheep, we should get together and throw Him out of the temple. Why don’t we try a little of Gandhi’s strategy? We could just lay down our arms and simply get out of the cage and refuse to fight for God or Allah. What are they going to do, deny us entry to heaven? Right. As if it ever existed anyway. And don’t buy that Christian crap about going to Hell either. Just another priest’s ploy to keep you dependant on a God to solve your problems and, incidentally, provide the priest with a job. I am ready to get out of the cage and I am willing to try using my intelligence to break out of the cycle of fear and ignorance. There has to be a better use for our brains than devising bigger and better ways of slaughtering each other. Why should I waste my time and resources trying to kill the other guy because he doesn’t believe in my one true God or follow my supposedly sacred rules? It should be obvious by now that the other idiot cannot risk falling from grace by accepting another God. Since the Gods have made a point of enumerating certain forbidden behavior, perhaps we should have a closer look at what is being said. "Thou shalt have no other Gods before me". Now it is beginning to fall into place. I suspect there is a jealous reason for keeping us dependent on them. What if we are the real Gods and the almighty ones are really only as all knowing and powerful as long as we believe they are! We should be saying, "Move over Jehovah, I don’t need you any more. I don’t need to get on my knees and prey or beg for forgiveness when I can imbue myself with all the godhood I need. Who is going to stop me? I have discovered the secret of the gods and boy is it a real eye opener! All I have to do is stop using you for a crutch." My first act as a god will be to acknowledge the same in every other living person on the planet and then we can just forget about fighting over whose god is better. We will all be perfect. Then there will be too damn many of us, all equally god-like and spoiled by our own magnificence. No need to worry about getting to heaven either, we’ll just create a heaven right here on earth and enjoy it without having to wait or earn it jumping through somebody else’s hoop. Why should we continue to be such fools? God and Allah have left the building, but they left the key under the mat. If we can stop all of that fighting and killing for just a moment, we can get the key, let ourselves in and enjoy. There’s plenty for everybody and we are free to run our lives any way we like. Just remember; we are gods now and heaven is just outside our door. All it takes to make a heaven on earth is to cooperate with the rest of the gods. Only an idiot that still believes God or Allah is somewhere up "there" watching over us all would turn down such a deal.
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FREEDOM VS SLAVERY COMPARISON CHART FREEDOM SLAVERY
ideas Human nature and government Date: 4/6/2001 Our government was formed to protect our freedoms but there is an inherent contradiction in this contract that can never be resolved. By its very nature government is coercive and is designed to define and limit our lives, yet by our divine nature, our potential is beyond definition and limitation. It is our most deeply felt desire and right to create our lives as we wish, and whenever we allow government to unnecessarily limit this creativity we are denying our divine nature. Thus by establishing governments we are fighting against our natural being. This is why the formation of a government can be considered an act of self-enslavement and can only lead to misery and chaos. ideas Paul Revere's
ride: part 2
To illustrate the spirit of our times in contrast to those of the revolutionary period, consider Paul Revere's ride. In 1776 the citizens heeded his timely warning but today he would be arrested on the freeway for speeding and forced to pay a fine before proceeding with his mission. No one would pay any attention to his "lunatic" ravings about the invasion of the British. No, today we need a new Paul Revere; one who understands that our enemy is no longer from foreign shores. We need a patriot with the courageous spirit of Paul but with the ability to convey a different warning. Sadly, he would have to signal this enemy is among and of us, yet works not to protect our liberty but bind it down under the false cloak of compassion, diversity, equal opportunity and our own best interests. Human learning
process The use of force disrupts the learning process of humans. It diverts decisions into a limited set of paths and prevents the individual from exploring the full range of possible actions. In contrast, when force is minimized and voluntary cooperation is encouraged, humans are free to explore the unlimited alternative decisions and learn from their mistakes. Only by learning from mistakes and discovering which actions are more beneficial can one grow to fulfillment and enhance the lives of all.
Dr. Snoad
wrote this eye-opening quiz in an effort
to point out the extent to which freedom has been eroded in
America. He feels most citizens do not understand how much freedom
they have sacrificed to the beast that is the federal government.
THE FREEDOM QUIZ What is there about freedom that inspires such emotional debate and
explosive conflict? It is described in the dictionary as the absence of
external coercion or constraint in choice or action. Some take it for
granted but protest loudly when they are forced to give it up, while
others who live without it are willing to fight and die to procure it.
Considering such passionate responses, there must be a deep-seated human
desire to enjoy unrestrained choice or action. This is understandable when
you are forced to live in involuntary servitude; a condition that seems to
automatically trigger a desire to be free of control. However, the citizens of the US, considered to be the freest of all nations, have allowed themselves to be ensnared step by gradual step in the soft tentacles of an insidious "protector"; a malevolent entity born of their neglect and ignorance. The type of servitude Americans suffer is apparently not one to cause great alarm or armed resistance. At what point, if any, in this descent into slavery will the American people notice the grand gift they are letting slip away? The real patriots, those small voices of alarm in the wilderness of tyranny, have been trying to point out the sleight of hand being perpetrated upon the American people. With urgent petitioning they ask: what final outrage will make Americans acknowledge the outlandish proportions of the beast that has become the federal government? Instead of mutely ceding freedom to the beast’s creeping control, patriots are willing to challenge themselves and their fellow citizens with thought-provoking questions. The following quiz is one such effort and was written under the assumption that the illegal actions of the US government are a direct result of the American people’s misunderstanding of the nature of freedom. If any change is to take place in our subservient status then it is vital that core beliefs about freedom be reexamined. If we are consenting to our government’s actions then shouldn’t we understand to what we are consenting? Just answer yes or no to the following quiz to determine if you understand the nature of freedom in relation to your government.
The questions could go on indefinitely but if you answer yes to any of them then you probably have not noticed that the length of chain around your neck is getting short enough to see who is holding it. Read on and hopefully the anti-freedom collectivism, with which the state has infected you, will be cured and the desire to remove the chain will be rekindled.
*Congressmen are too clever to actually supply answers that would place them in this category. They are quite skillful at supplying the "correct answers" in any given moment and realize it could be fatal to their careers if they answered truthfully. If they were to read this quiz the most likely response would be to condemn the author for being unpatriotic, or if they are excessively sanctimonious, eject vast clouds of obscuring political doublespeak about how they agree but, blah, blah, blah…..
Question #1: How can an institution based on the silly ideas of mankind be the source of something as ineffable as freedom? No one person or political organization can confer freedom as if it were a physical commodity. Our founding fathers realized this when they wrote the Declaration of Independence. Read my essay on the nature of freedom for more details. Question #2: If you said yes to this one you might be an astute observer of life under the current US government. However, you may also be a government toady who loves to control other people’s lives but has no clue about the costs. Someone is always forced to sacrifice their freedom or assets so that the favored groups may benefit. A clear violation of the 14th amendment. Read also my essay, Collectivists & Middlemen. Question #3: If you said yes, you would probably also agree to the permanent insertion of microchips under everyone’s skin at birth. Big brother loves your type. If you are a Christian then an affirmative answer means the beast has your number, brother. For further clarification on how unfree Christian yes-men are, see my essay, A Test of Faith. Question #4: This is a big one. The number of examples that could be sited to illustrate the ghastly things the government is doing with your money would consume massive volumes of data. If you still approve then you are probably a "representative" who believes he can do no wrong, especially with other people’s money. See the organization, Citizens against Government Waste @ www.cagw.org/site/PageServer , for a detailed listing of the incredible Congressional wastage. Also, if you can find a copy, Joseph J. DioGuardi’s book, UNACCOUNTABLE CONGRESS, will leave you reeling in disbelief at the astronomical debt Congress wantonly continues to pile up. Woe be unto your children if this house of cards collapses. Question #5: This is one of the key concepts of freedom. Yes to this one means you love your status as a dependent of the state, and have given up on living a life free of control. See my essay on the nature of freedom. Question #6: Most Americans do not realize they are sacrificing their 5th amendment rights by signing the 1040 income tax return. The Gestapo/IRS makes it all seem so palatable with the cleverly worded but misleading phrase, "voluntary compliance". Its all designed to shield you from the fact a government agency is subtly intimidating you into surrendering a basic right. There is a word for that and its called deceit. In effect your fear of prosecution, a very real possibility, regardless of how innocent you are, causes you to list the information that can be, and often is, used against you – a clear violation of your 5th amendment rights. For more details on your government’s fascinating duplicity, read, IRS HUMBUG by Frank Kowalik, and learn to say no. Question #7: This is another example of a "temporary" suspension of a freedom the government deems necessary when it wants to fight a war. WW II was the excuse for the involuntary withholding of your money but the government somehow forgot to rescind the provision after the war. That’s because it proved to be the most innocuous method of continuing an illegal tax on Americans. What was once accepted as expedient during wartime became a permanent law afterwards. This is an inevitable step for a government to take when the checks on its power are ignored. It automatically fills the void of the citizen’s responsibility with its own natural growth tendencies. If you answer was yes then you are not self-employed but one of the millions of other wage earners who have unquestioningly accepted this gross violation of freedom. Tax or not, why should a supposedly free person have to surrender his just recompense to the government before he can take possession? The answer is simple. You might decide to spend the money to provide for yourself before the government could get its hands on it. Why are employers forced to become government tax collectors? The answer is simple. Without employer's regular withholding of your wages the government's steady revenue stream would dry up and it would be forced to drastically reduce spending. Too bad, huh? There is a word for this and it is called extortion. Question #8: You are denying the right of individual self-determination if you answer yes to this. No matter how stupid or bias someone’s opinions or actions may seem to be, they are have a right to live by their own determination, as long as it harms no one else in their person or property. The people who support or benefit from such programs as affirmative action assume that it is morally right to force someone to accept "disadvantaged groups", even though the coercion violates personally held beliefs. The only morally acceptable manner to affect desired changes in someone’s closely held beliefs is through voluntary persuasion. Our socialist representatives will quickly shove aside this claim because they have no problem using immoral means to solve what they perceive as social inequities. Nor are they concerned with the inevitable social tensions that result when their misguided solutions pit favored groups against the rights of the individual. It gives them the opportunity to create further helpful programs to "solve" additional social problems that arise from their irresponsible actions and at the same time ensure the growth of big government. Question #9: This is an easy one to which to say no, unless of course, you wish to illegally impose your moral standards on others. No one has the right to prevent you from possessing or using any commodity you choose, as long as your actions do no harm to any person or his property. There are already universally accepted laws to deal with any harmful use of property. Question #10: This question is a loosely veiled reference to the great nanny state’s welfare programs. Once again, special classes of citizens are given "special" consideration over the rights of the individual. The result is a life of dependency for the favored citizens, which the self-responsible and productive are forced to support, not to mention being a violation of the 14th amendment. See my essay on collectivism: a means to end freedom. Question #11: Property rights are at the very heart of freedom and as stated in response to #9, no one has the right to prevent you from possessing or using any legally owned property in any manner you choose. If you cannot determine the use of your property then you are effectively a slave. This is of course, one of the basic rights that all collectivists are quick to deny, especially the confirmed boneheads at the UN. There is a word for usurpation of property rights and its called fascism. Question #12: An illustration of a favorite tactic of the collectivist – declare an unending war on someone or something and convince the populace to surrender basic constitutional rights in order to "win" the war. Once the crushing boot of the state kicked down an American door in the middle of the night, we all became fair game in the so-called war on drugs. There is historical precedence for this type of gross violation of liberty. When your home is invaded and assets taken and when you are forced to spend money to reclaim them you are no longer living in America but another version of Nazi Germany. Read James Bovard’s book, LOST RIGHTS and ponder who will be next. Question #13: Related to question #9 but merits more discussion. I am talking about that great bug-a-boo of the state – personally owned weapons of any kind, especially the dreaded GUN. Of course, collectivists are not as concerned about your protection or the freedom to own any personal property as they are about preventing you from resisting their benevolent control. It is the responsibility and right of the patriot to own and be proficient in the means of defending his freedom. Anyone suggesting or demanding disarmament is an enemy of freedom and a traitor to the constitution. Question #14: Anyone familiar with the home schooling movement is aware of this restriction. The state’s obvious purpose is to keep all of its sheep in the same state of ignorance and dependence. Do you want your child to be another state drone? This is why it should have no control over education – ever. The kind of "subversive" knowledge and values unfettered home-schoolers might instill in their children is a definite threat to the state. If you teach your children to think for themselves then they will inevitably demand the state get out of their lives. A good source of information on the separation of state from education can be read at: www.sepschool.org. Question #15: I have talked with government-approved "patriots" who thought the "wackos" at Waco got what was coming to them. This type of compassionate sentiment is proof of the effectiveness of government propaganda in erasing any sense of outrage in the public. It is also proof of how determined our sworn defenders can be when they want to gas and incinerate any right of which they disapprove. Hitler smiled down upon these noble warriors and blest their efforts, for their mindless ignorance is essential to totalitarianism. Waco was also a watershed for a lot of Americans who thought their government could do no wrong. Question #16: It takes guts to attack the lead parachute fastened to the backs of Americans, especially when they are convinced it is absolutely essential to survival. For a dose of reality just compare social security’s "guaranteed" retirement funds with the golden parachute our concerned representatives have thoughtfully granted to themselves. On the scales of justice that would be like using a feather to represent social security benefits and trying to balance it with the 10 ton golden egg of the congressional retirement plan. Social Security deserves special scrutiny for several reasons. In terms of the enormous unseen loses inflicted it is probably one of the biggest frauds ever foisted off on an entire nation. To compound that it also instituted an unconstitutional "voluntary" numbering system that would be the envy of any totalitarian government. For more details read my essay, A test of faith and P.J. O’Rourke’s book, CEO OF THE SOFA, chapter 8. Question #17: In case you haven’t noticed, Big Brother/Uncle Sam is collectivism personified and abhors any kind of individual thought, judgment, bias or personal dislike. The freedom of association with whomever you approve, or disapprove is unacceptable to collectivists. Big Brother works this angle like a fine-tuned piano because it affords him a very efficient way of transferring money from the productive members of society to his dependents. However, this ignores the fact that it is a basic function of the human brain to discriminate between the multiplicity of life choices and decide on an appropriate personal action. It is the nature of reality to make decisions based on our beliefs and to learn to adjust our beliefs and behavior if our decisions prove to be unwise. Big brother is a very big road block in this all important feedback system. Instead of promoting the learning process necessary to growth, Big bro inhibits the progress of voluntary cooperative behavior between individuals. Question #18: There was a time when Americans could travel anywhere within the states without having to produce government-approved papers. Anyone who argues times have changed is certainly correct. Now we are required to produce our official state number in order to board a private airliner. Billions of our tax dollars have been poured into the defense of our nation yet Big brother cannot assure our safety unless he can take away another basic right of a free person. The ghost of Hitler haunts our airports demanding proof of our right to travel unimpeded. Question #19: The same arguments for question #18 apply to this one as well. What twisted logic believes freedom can be secured by sacrificing basic rights to the agency responsible for securing those freedoms? This is a favorite tactic of Big brother, especially during times of war or other imminent threats. The sheep are given a closer shearing and are never allowed to restore the original growth. With each successive clip job the sheep become less self-reliant and more dependent on Big Bro. See my essay written shortly after 9/11, Dereliction of Duty. Question #20: There are several reasons Big brother makes the laws so complex. It is a proven method of placing your freedom at the whim of bureaucratic interpretation of the laws and insures perpetual jobs for the legal profession that wrote the vague regulations. When a citizen is at the mercy of the cryptic 10,000+-page thicket of the IRS code, then freedom is buried under a mountain of indecipherable legalese. Its important to note the code was not written with the rights of the individual in mind. It was purposely created to insure productive citizens are saddled with basically unlimited liability and can be forced to finance an unlimited amount of social engineering or any special favored group. A citizen with a well-defined moral code will be forced to violate his beliefs or go to jail if he refuses to pay taxes that support immoral purposes. That hose, labeled IRS, permanently attached to your pocket, serves to siphon freedom and a steady flow of cash to Big brother’s redistribution center. Question #21: Tactics straight out of the Gestapo handbook and a true hallmark of a totalitarian government. If you thought this could never happen in the land of the free then you had your head in the sand. Due process went down under the boot of the "Americans" who participated in the raid on freedom. There is a word for harming anyone in this nightmarish manner without any sort of accountability and its called murder.
The question now is whether you should you put your head back in the sand with the rest of the sheep/collectivists, or stand up and be counted as a believer in individual freedom.
Dr. Snoad composed this essay early in his writing career but it still remains a powerful testament to his passionate belief in individual freedom. It embodies a spirit of optimism and faith in the individual that transcends the collectivist's misguided belief in the rights of the group. THE NATURE OF FREEDOM Freedom is the absence of external coercion or constraint in choice or action. Freedom originates within the individual, not from the whim of a monarch, politician or any political organization. The power to create a healthy, beautiful, energetic and joyous life emanates from within each person. Freedom is an inherent part of our shared spiritual origin, a beautiful gift bestowed upon each individual by All That Is and we each seek, in our own unique way, to create a life that expresses the boundless potential freedom offers. Freedom is that wonderful quality of life that enables us to choose among an infinite number of possibilities the course(s) we wish to pursue in our own lives. The unlimited inner potential of individual lives can only be constrained by the outer conditions we accept for ourselves. The only proper and acceptable restraint on our lives is that of voluntary self-control. In order that freedom may be honored in each individual we must learn to refrain from any act that harms another in their person or property. This simple moral code satisfies all the requirements needed to sustain our lives without any forceful imposition on another. Therefore self-responsibility is the only morally correct way to govern our lives. No one can live your life for you, even if you allow them control. Nor should you try to control another’s life, even if they allow you to do so. However, as with any gift, we may accept it or reject it according to what we believe to be in our own self-interest. We may refuse to accept responsibility for our lives and thereby reject our most precious birthright of freedom. Abdication of self-responsibility then becomes a degrading act of self-enslavement. Accepting self-responsibility, conversely, becomes a joyous act of self-empowerment. Humanity has always been torn by the desire to accept freedom and by the fear of self-responsibility that freedom demands. We fervently desire to enjoy the blessings of freedom but do not want to be responsible for any unpleasant consequences should our free choices prove to be unwise. However, this continual evasion of responsibility and its consequences denies us the means of improving our lives. We need the self-correcting feedback so that we may grow beyond our mistakes and achieve happiness through our own competent direction.
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honoring the constitution If all the current elected federal representatives knew they would be required to perform only those tasks spelled out in the constitution, then a large majority of them would never have run for the office. This statement is based on another more fundamental assumption. It first assumes that the representatives understand the purpose of the constitution and why it is absolutely essential that they ignore it if they wish to remain in office. If they honored their oath to it then there would be an immediate and drastic alteration of the current corrupt government, resulting in a corresponding drastic reduction in their power. The game would then be over and being able to wield unlimited power would lose its appeal. Public service would become incompatible with the renewed theme of service to the individual. ideas progress of the human race The continuation of the human institution of government is a symbol of humanity's progress as a race. The impulse to form governments instead of employing individual self-government indicates the race, in general, is still in an infantile stage. Forming governments is an immature attempt to take a short-cut through the learning process. The urge to become a politician or participate in electoral politics is an infantile attempt, by force, to satisfy unrestrained personal desires and goals without having to suffer any consequences associated with learning. |
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Negative reaction to the term: anarchy To advocate a society without government, (anarchy), is to advocate one in which the individual is sovereign and accepts full responsibility for his life. The society of self-responsible individuals would have no need of relying on a corruptible government to protect their rights, but instead depend on free market agencies for this service. Free of the oppressive taxation necessary to support government with all of its attendant rules and regulations, the individual would have the means to purchase any type of service necessary to provide for his welfare and protection. He would be freed to use his own judgment in deciding what is best for him, how much he can afford and pay only for that which he deems necessary. Without government he would not have any resources forcefully taken from him and given to someone else of which he does not approve, nor would he have to suffer the indignity of being told his contributions are "voluntary". Perhaps this explains why the word, anarchy, inspires such a deep-seated negative reaction among the general populace. They are still afraid to trust their own judgment and accept the full responsibility that comes with true freedom.
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elected representatives Date: 8/13/2002 If all the current elected federal representatives knew they would be required to perform only those tasks spelled out in the constitution, then a large majority of them would never have run for the office. This statement is based on another more fundamental assumption. It first assumes that the representatives understand the purpose of the constitution and why it is absolutely essential that they ignore it if they wish to remain in office. If they honored their oath to it then there would be an immediate and drastic alteration of the current corrupt government, resulting in a corresponding drastic reduction in their power. The game would then be over and being able to wield unlimited power would lose its appeal. Public service would become incompatible with the renewed theme of service to the individual. ideas Date: 8/13/200Author: Dr. Pall U. Snoad In our corrupted system of government, the most dangerous person seeking office is the one who has no morals, no sense of honor or duty to his oath of office. This makes congress the most dangerous pack of predators on the planet. Such people have developed no self-restraint on their desires and will think nothing of using government's unlimited power to satisfy themselves and those who have bought their access to power. From a corrupted government's point of view, the most dangerous person is the one who thinks for himself and has established a distinct moral guidance. Such a man will not be fooled by the government's agents' lying, thievery, and attempts to cover it all up. In order for a corrupt government to continue to survive it must marginalize such people and label them as conspirators against its power. Dr. Snoad compiled the following patriot's quiz and associated commentary in hopes of enlightening all of the would-be patriots who busily go about waving their flags and denouncing genuine dissent. There has been renewed emphasis on patriotism in America’s post 9-11 society which has generated debate on what constitutes a proper patriotic spirit. On one hand this important national discussion has centered on what the individual American’s patriotic response should be and on the other, what role the US government should play. Initially, strong emotions generally controlled Americans’ patriotic response, but with the healing of time rational discussion should have a place as well. It is my position that true patriotism is firmly rooted in the same spirit that inspired our forefathers to escape political and religious oppression and establish a free constitutional republic. The American spirit of patriotism was born out of the radical idea that all humans are born with inherent freedom and the right to live life in any manner desired, as long as no harm is inflicted on another in their person or property. Our founding fathers’ strong desire to be self-governing sovereign individuals and their wariness of government coercion established the tone of their patriotism. Also, we should acknowledge that the US government was established exclusively to protect this freedom and its agents are sworn to fulfill this duty on our behalf. Since government agents are authorized to use force in the performance of their duties it is absolutely essential they remain under strict control to prevent abuse of power. By their oaths our representatives are bound to fulfill their patriotic duty to the constitution, which is the sole standard by which all government actions are judged. Lastly, as free citizens of the US, we should realize we have an important responsibility to carefully monitor those with whom we have entrusted the coercive power of government. A true patriot will diligently attend to this responsibility to insure that this dangerous power is never turned against its citizens. Any action taken contrary to the constitution should be immediately corrected to prevent any further breakdown of the government’s integrity and the resulting loss of liberty. This quiz was composed for those Americans who are beginning to realize America needs a more rational response to augment the symbolic show of flag-waving and pledges of allegiance. Focusing on important questions about the state of freedom within our country should help set in motion a more effective and informed patriotic activism. The following questions will help the aspiring patriot understand more about the objectives of the current US government representatives and judge whether or not they are honoring their sacred oaths to the constitution. Fervent vigilance should be the natural response of those who want to protect their freedom and is as important as the expression of love for country. The following quiz should help aspiring patriots determine whether their vigilance matches their unquestionable love of country. Record your yes or no for each question and then read the post-quiz commentary to determine how you stand as a patriot. A PATRIOT’S QUIZ
Dr. Snoad thought that to be a sufficient number on which to make your judgment and added the following clarifying comments about each question. If you answered yes to any of the above questions then you have some research and reading to do. If you gave more yes’ than nays then you are probably a comfortable dependent of the state willing to go along with whatever the nanny tells you to do. Unfortunately, you may also be a government minion who actually believes in the good of the state. You are to be pitied, but only for a moment, for you are unwittingly participating in the enslavement of all but the privileged few. Such conduct has a name but dare we call it treason? About question #1: Quite simply a direct violation of individual freedom and the constitution. It assumes the citizen exists to serve the government, a popular but idiotic notion of socialists who enjoy enforcing control over others. A true patriot would only support voluntary service and denounce anyone who advocates forced "service". Be aware there have already been congressional bills introduced to encourage greater participation in so-called national service. They are a prelude to the next step: mandatory service. There is another word for mandatory national service and its called slavery. About question #2: The constitution does not authorize a standing army. The founders were afraid a professional military force might come under the control of despots and be used against the citizenry or in the unlawful pursuit of foreign conquest. This threat has become a reality on numerous recent occasions. A true patriot would stand ready and prepared to defend his country without the necessity of mandatory conscription. The second amendment ensures the patriot can fulfill, with whatever weapon is necessary, this part of his responsibility of maintaining the freedom of his country. About question #3: Another direct violation of individual freedom and the constitution. Our representatives are sworn to protect us against foreign intervention, not to allow our freedom to be compromised by foreign government or multi-national laws. They should withdraw us from UN membership and all other entangling treaties that negate our constitutional guarantees. A true patriot would insist this withdrawal be accomplished immediately, regardless of any whining arguments by global socialists. About question #4: A true patriot would first want to determine who suggested such a treasonous idea. If another citizen supported this ridiculous notion then this patriots quiz would be an appropriate civics lesson for them to study. However, should an elected representative propose it, then an immediate demand for resignation should be made for they are proposing a direct violation of their oath to the constitution. It is impossible to exchange freedom for security but it is easy to give up freedom in exchange for the insecurity of slavery. Freedom, like security, requires defense not surrender. About question #5: First of all, true patriots would not allow themselves to be taxed to the obscene levels suffered today. However, since that violation has already been affected, the only response left is to demand the resignation of any representative who unlawfully transfers money entrusted to him. For a representative to give aid and support to an acknowledged enemy is a treasonous act and should be prosecuted under the constitution. (The public list of America’s enemies is produced by government agencies and therefore should be well known to Congress). The best solution to the problem of giving foreign aid to any nation is to remove the source of funds from the hands of government representatives. True patriots support cessation of excessive taxation and a return to pre-1913 tax levels. If they don’t have it they cannot spend it! About question #6: Any friend of collectivism will affirm this question but a true patriot will recognize the clever argument designed to subvert freedom. The guarantees in the bill of rights were added to the constitution on the insistence of the individualist founding fathers to prevent any misunderstanding of intent. Alas, even this redundancy has not been enough to prevent tyrants from usurping the freedoms specifically guaranteed in the bill of rights. A true patriot instinctively recognizes that freedom is inherent to all humans and cannot be conferred by any person or institution. The bill of rights is a visible documentation of universally recognized principles of individual freedom and in that sense is as timeless as the liberty it represents. About question #7: Every American man, woman and child should stand up and shout an emphatic, NO, to this question. A true patriot knows that government is a coercive monopoly and should have only a very limited function in the lives of its citizens. The constitution was written for the specific purpose of proscribing and limiting the actions of the federal government, not to grant it any power over the rights of the sovereign individuals or any organizations they might voluntarily form. It exists to protect the rights of the people and that is its only function. About question #8: See the comments on question #7. In addition the constitution was written to prevent the formation of a strong central government. The power to govern should always remain in the hands of the self-responsible patriot and his local government. A true patriot would never willingly consent to the out-of-control central government that now sits under the American flag. About question #9: This important check to tenured power was thoughtfully removed by the senators it was designed to control. The 22nd amendment assures them firm entrenchment during the term of their office and prevents any possibility of removal for gross violations of their oath of office. About question #10: The idea that the constitution is a "living document" is yet another clever proposition designed to legitimize illegal alterations and violations; obviously a very popular notion with the current pack of congressional plunderers. If the populace can be convinced of this "modern" interpretation then there will be no limits to how "alive" the constitution can become in its destruction of our freedoms. A true patriot will reject this idea immediately and demand congressmen honor their oath to the original intent of the constitution or be removed from office. About question #11: There is no mention of these departments in the constitution therefore they should be immediately dismantled. A true patriot realizes they are a fixture of a bloated government determined to waste incredible sums of our money in an effort to illegally manage our private affairs. About question #12: Its quite obvious that executive orders are being used to illegally circumvent constitutional restrictions placed on the executive branch. The parties responsible for preventing this conveniently look the other direction and rule by fiat becomes law. Pretty cool, huh? We are subject to the whim of the president and his cronies. You can’t get much cooler than that, especially if you are one of his toadies delightfully enforcing the decree. About question #13: Big brother is very concerned that you take care of yourself and sees nothing wrong with stopping you, without probable cause, on a public street and shaking you down for not using a seat belt. Take a pen and cross out the 4th amendment. It no longer applies. Read James Bovard’s, LOST RIGHTS for more interesting details. Question #14: Another violation related to question #13. The idiots apparently didn’t learn from prohibition. More likely they saw a great method of "legally" confiscating private property for "public" use and a useful tool for imposing control otherwise impossible under the constitution. Wars can be so handy for those sorts of things, especially when they are dressed up in misguided patriotism. Question #15: Big brother has to have a way of redistributing all of that wealth he is confiscating from greedy capitalists. How will he know who is deserving of a cut of the pie if he can’t identify the haves and have-nots? How can he possibly keep tabs on all of his dependants unless he knows their every move and motivation? The only information a patriot will give at this point is from the middle finger up. That’s no problem for big brother. He will just go next door and get a "patriotic" neighbor to give him the info anyway. Question #16: The book, THE BEAST FROM JEKYL ISLAND by G. Edward Griffin, is a good resource in understanding this. The federal reserve system is another gigantic government fraud designed to drain our resources for the sake of a private banking cartel. Question #17: Only a mindless government bonehead would agree to this notion. Until Waco a lot of gullible American people thought their government could do no wrong. The ones would could not deal with the reality of innocent women and children being gassed and burned opted to put their heads back in the sand, but the rest awakened to a different America. The fantasy of a free America died in the ashes of Waco. When a government can slaughter with impunity its own citizens because they are perceived as "wacky" then it is only a matter of time before other independent-minded Americans are classified as undesirable or unpatriotic and put to the torch. There seems to be an endless supply of Gestapo-type goons who are willing to be mindless executioners for the state. Question #18: This is getting monotonous. I hope you are beginning to see how far the nanny state’s tentacles have reached into your life and pocket. Government control of this private industry is the reason for its high costs. What can be more personal than health care? Its none of the government’s business! Question #19: A purely socialist idea dressed up as compassion for the less fortunate, i.e., those who will vote for the candidate who promises the biggest "living wage" or the best "adequate" housing for them. As always, the do-gooders are oblivious to the unintended consequences of forcing private businesses to pay for those increased wages and promised benefits. Unfortunately, it will be the poor who shoulder the inevitable increases in the price of living that political meddling in the free market will cause. Until the true source of this injustice is recognized by the American people, the cycle of more government meddling will continue. The constitution was designed to prevent government interference in private affairs. Question #20: No, it is a short term band-aid that cannot begin to cover up what has been lost through your own lack of vigilance. It may make you feel better for publicly displaying your love for country and freedom, but will remain largely symbolic and ineffective until you directly exercise your responsibility of vigilance. ********** From the tone of this quiz you should deduce that the government’s idea of personal patriotism is quite different from some of its more thoughtful citizens. By its actions it believes your patriotism should consist of unthinking obedience to the state and it thinks nothing of using its unlimited power to force you to obey. According to the state’s interpretation of the constitution the individual’s quality of life depends solely on the state’s goodwill, i.e. the whim of whoever is in control at the moment. I had considered composing a Patriot’s notice of grievances to be sent to elected representatives, but circumstances in the past few years have made me reconsider. To insure you have the proper type of patriotism, the state has passed the ironically named, Patriot Act, which is ostensibly to aid in the pursuit of terrorists but is also useful in "correcting" any unapproved expressions of patriotism. As if that were not enough the justice department wrote, in secrecy, Patriot Act II, a sequel that is even more alarming. If you have any objections about your elected representatives’ actions or their presumptuous attitude about your life, then it is prudent to express them with cautious fervor. Big brother is watching and his technology has improved a lot since 1984. Finally, anyone who takes offense at any part of this quiz should remember patriotism has 2 complementary aspects. Love of country should be tempered with an equal measure of vigorous vigilance over those entrusted with coercive power. In fact a patriot’s greatest responsibility is to keep a close watch on his government lest unscrupulous government officials take advantage of uncritical emotional patriotism to increase their power. I was born an American citizen and served in the armed forces during the Vietnam era. My criticism of our government should not be taken as a denial of love for country. On the contrary, love of this great land of opportunity is the motivation behind my determination to speak out against the beast that has become our federal government. It is the patriotic duty of all Americans who still believe in the sacred freedom of the individual. After completing this article it came to my attention there is another aspect of patriotism I have overlooked. This type of patriotism is best exemplified by certain anti-war protestors who rant on about how dissent is the highest form of patriotism. That may be true but their type of dissent is not aimed at correcting the abuse of power within our government. These particular dissenters have another agenda. The main difference in their attitude is a public loathing for freedom and the American way of life and their goal is to replace our government with their much beloved but totally discredited communist form of government. Communists are masters at turning the genuine dissent of "useful idiots" to their anti-freedom purposes. Therefore, thoughtful dissent should never succumb to the emotional appeal of the anti-American left, whose secret goal is to weaken and eventually replace our constitutional government with a socialist one. A careful study of the patriot quiz will highlight just how successful the communists have been. The warped form of "patriotism" of the anti-American left is revealed in their open love and advocacy of communist forms of government and a hatred of the Christian moral values that underpin our nation. True patriots who love America do not advocate the overthrow of our government, only a return to its intended constitutional republican form. True patriots have no desire to express support of anti-freedom communist governments or engage in vitriolic opposition to any religion that believes in the inherent freedom of the individual. A true measure of which type of government is in control of your country is to examine which types of dissent or behavior it allows and which it punishes. A true measure of what type of country your children will inherit is to examine what they are being taught in government sponsored schools.
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Dr. Snoad wrote this sarcastic article after reading of another idiotic example of child abuse hysteria. Lawyers have got it all wrong. Instead of wasting their advertising dollars chasing random abuse cases they should go for the really big dependable bucks. With a coordinated nation-wide advertising blitz they should be able to pull off the biggest lawyer coup of all time. All they have to do is convince the obviously gullible public of the practicality of pre-approved mass hysteria and guilt. With a well-written ad campaign it shouldn’t be too hard get litigation-looney Americans to change a basic attitude towards life. Since the public is already softened up, a little more smoke and mirrors can get them to adopt the assumption that all parents are automatically guilty of abuse. This attitude will facilitate the lawyer's job and save a lot of wasted time in courtroom litigation. The strategy begins with newlywed parents who must agree to sign a legal form that formerly declares their intent to commit an act of abuse by conceiving and birthing a child without its written consent. This pre-approved guilt allows the parents to make plans for their defense fund well in advance so as to insure an adequate amount of money will be available for later legal actions. At notification of birth the next lawyer in line can step forward and assume legal representation of the newly arrived victim. Under the watchful eye of his lawyer, the child’s parents can be monitored to insure all parental duties are fulfilled. When the child is of legal age his lawyer can formally present charges of abuse or, if they are patient, wait until the parents are ready to retire before bringing charges. This will insure the abuse fund has had the optimum amount of time to accumulate and compound the settlement funds. Instead of wasting money on life insurance policies for their young, parents can designate all of their life savings be put in the abuse trust fund. Everybody wins except for the parents who, of course, will have to labor under the knowledge they will have no funds to retire on. This problem will only last through the first generation of parents who initiate the abuse fund idea. The cycle will become self-perpetuating once the young victim decides to get married and become a parent. Environmentalist should heartily approve this plan, as it wouldn’t take long for prospective parents to see the wisdom of not having children. With such a powerful birth control method it also wouldn’t take long for population rates to plummet, thereby saving the earth from the crush of ignorant humans.
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