http://freekeene.com/…

This Veteran’s Day, like all others, you and I will hear that statement repeated countless times to the so called “men and women in service to our country.” They are credited with “keeping our country free” and securing America from people who hate our way of life. But while security is important to a free society, the military that was established to defend the Constitution is currently undermining the bounds intended by the founding fathers by occupying over 150 countries with a US military presence.

There is no doubt that there are people in the world disgusted by American people, but I’ll leave it up to you to decide if they hate us for McDonalds and freedom, or for a government that can’t stay out of foreigner’s lives. Despite the foreign and domestic threats to personal freedom, who is really responsible for the privileged life most of us are lucky to live here?

To the garbage collectors, custodians, entrepreneurs in cleaning service, and others involved in keeping the rest of our homes and workplaces clean: Thank you for your service.

To the mechanics, plumbers, electricians, roofers, painters, and others that have the skills to keep our cars safe, our appliances running, our buildings solid, and our lives better: Thank you for your service.

To the musicians, artists, filmmakers, actors, and others dedicated to providing entertainment in our homes and towns: Thank you for your service.

To the doctors, nurses, therapists, and the other hard working members of the government-bogged, understaffed, over-demanded medical facilities of this country that offer invaluable care to Americans: Thank you for your service.

To restaurant owners, waiters and waitresses, fast food workers, chefs and managers who allow us to treat ourselves to a night eating out: Thank you for your service.

To preachers, councilors, funeral home workers, wedding planners, financial advisors and others that will stand and help in times of extreme grieving, happiness, or stress in our lives: Thank you for your service.

To truck drivers, factory production workers, loaders and un-loaders, overnight stock boys, and others that keep products moving around the country: Thank you for your service.

To the volunteers of this country that donate their spare time to churches, charities, non-profit organizations, and the less fortunate citizens in our society: Thank you for your service.

To the single parents, workers of multiple jobs, those in less than comfortable living, and others that have learned the meaning of hard work just to pay a bill: Thank you for your dedication and your service.

And to the city workers collecting property taxes from homeowners in debt, the state workers demanding vehicle registration for cars people struggle to keep running, the municipal workers who pass the buck on responsibility to the next higher bureaucrat in line, and the rest of the people in this society who’s income is derived from the coercion of the rest: Isn’t it time you served?

I ran across this in the July 10th, 2008 issue of the Liberator. The sources are a Giving USA report and other related media coverage. I however was unable to find the report on their website.

According to Giving USA’s latest report:

• 2007’s record $306.4 billion in charitable giving is a rise of about 1 percent from the previous year, adjusted for inflation.
• Individuals accounted for the largest share by far. Indeed, most charitable giving — $229 billion or about 75 percent total – comes from individuals.
• About two-thirds of households with incomes under $100,000 give to charity.
• Half of individual giving went to religious groups. Religious congregations received one-third of the $306.4 billion, an increase of 2 percent from last year and a record dollar amount.
  
• As economic woes have increased worldwide, Americans are responding by redirecting some of their giving. Donations to international aid, environmental and human-services groups rose the most in 2007.
• Donations to international charities showed the single largest gain — a rise of about 13 percent.
• On average Americans gives 2.3 percent of their disposable income to charitable causes.
• Americans rank first in the world in giving as a percentage of gross domestic product (GDP), at 1.7 percent, followed by Great Britain (.73 percent). (These are 2006 figures.)

And this is after being taxed 50+ percent by federal, state and local governments. People ask how possibly could a free society take care of those in need… this is how. Just like it is now and was in the past. Real charity.

The most recent political book I’ve read is Cows, Pigs, Wars and Witches: The Riddles of Culture on loan from Blog of Bile’s very own xyz.  It is a collection of short essays in the field of anthropology and sociology.  Each essay attempts to shatter preconceived notions and explain in greater detail human actions which the author has deemed befuddling.  Amongst the topics discussed are cows as sacred animals, pig lovers and haters, primitive warfare, the idea of an aggressive male, extreme consumption and extreme donation, cargo cults, a history of messiahs, the violent origins of Christianity, early witchcraft and witch trials, and the contemporary resurgence of disdain for objectivity.

The book is a relatively easy and quick read, only slowing down at the end where the author feels it necessary to defend himself from the hordes of sandal-wearing druggies that are going to attack him.  The author is selling his theories as to why certain anomalies in culture exist.  Unfortunately due to the imperfect nature of his science the results are quite subjective.  Despite Mr. Harris’ ardent pleas for objectivity at the end of the book I find some of his explanations to be lacking in sufficient evidence to support his claims of causation.

On a positive note, he does an excellent job of introducing the history surrounding these topics.  There is a lot of good information in the book, mostly revolving around things that are not easily disputed such as recorded history.  This book is an excellent catalyst for debate.

Rather than go through each topic, here are some of the highlights that stick in my mind:

• A good analysis of childbirth and war are used to attempt to explain why males are dominant in most of our societies.
• Some interesting history of egalitarianism, reciprocity and “the big man” in primitive societies.
• A decent early history of Christianity, including the movements leading up to it and Paul’s initial reformation of the church following the death of Jesus.
• A scathing essay on the futility of modern movements attempting to change society by changing individual consciousness.  Scathing is an understatement, perhaps scalding, blistering or even face-melting would be more appropriate.  I think this is the essay bile would enjoy most.

Here are some problems I had with the book:

• He starts with a good premise, “I hope to present probable and reasonable solutions, not certainties.”  But by the end of the book he is so wrapped up in defending himself he comes across like an early evangelical minister telling “God’s honest truth”.
• Don’t quote the King James translation of the bible when entering into debate over the origins of Christianity.  Sometimes Mr. Harris addresses the original Aramaic, but at other times he seems to disregard the translation process that led to the quotes he chooses to use.  This part of the book could use bolstering.

I found the article linked to in the above image inspiring.  More than that I found the diagram even better.  The article outlines the ways in which our current state of corporatism is wrecking society.  This is nothing new.  It also offers some solutions, that is the part I liked.

The crux of it is this cliche:  The things you own, end up owning you.  Our system is rigged so that you continually work to get more and then have to work to maintain it.  Most people find work soul-crushing because they do something they don’t like to maintain their life style.  I challenge you, work less, buy less, do more.  Here are some suggestions:

1. Fly a kite.  Better yet build a kite and then try to fly it.  Keep working at it till you get one that actually works.  Then give it to a kid and start again.
2. Go for a walk in your neighborhood and talk to the people around you.
3. Paint a picture
4. Write a poem or a book (I’ll read it)
5. Do an interpretive dance
6. Make music
7. Build something, a stool, chair, table, wall, bathroom, house, community center, relationship, etc.
8. Have a picnic
9. Bake/Cook something
10. Plant a garden and grow some of your own food
11. Go fishing, hunting, apple picking, berry picking, etc.
12. Do any of the above with your children, wife, husband, boyfriend, girlfriend, friends, dog, cat, rabbit, etc.

This little bit of self reliance will make a difference.  You will feel better and the cause of liberty will be furthered.

Fine Print: It should be noted that I’m not ranting against capitalism.  In its purest sense capitalism is really freedom of exchange and contract.  I’m ranting against the current state of government indoctrination and government sponsored corporatism that leads to rampant consumerism.

http://www.tcsdaily.com/…

Warren County, Virginia, at the confluence of the North and South Forks of the Shenandoah River has neither the rolling hills of horse country nor the fertile plains of the Shenandoah Valley.

Of its 36,000 citizens, an estimated 6,000 are uninsured. Typically, when they get sick, the uninsured go to the emergency room, which is about the most inefficient and costly way of delivering primary medical care.

But, thanks to the initiative of some local Christians, the uninsured of Warren County can instead go to the St. Luke Community Clinic for free medical care. In FY 2006, 2,633 uninsured people did just that.

St. Luke Clinic is one of an estimated two thousand Free Clinics around the country, fifty of them in Virginia. In 2006, the total budget of all the Free Clinics in Virginia was about $18 million, which they leveraged to a value in excess of $80 million.

The Free Clinic movement is living embodiment of many conservative principles: the principles of subsidiarity and voluntarism, the spirit of enterprise and of community self-reliance. As health care becomes more and more of a national concern, if people are truly concerned about the less fortunate, there should be a population explosion in the number of free clinics around the country.

People always ask how the poor would receive care in an actual free market of healthcare. Here’s one way. There used to be these before our current system it’s just that the government effectively put them out of business. It doesn’t take much effort to research the history of our nation before it went all hybrid socialist… I really wish people would do so before ignorantly spouting out about how the world will end without universal healthcare. Passing ignorance is forgivable. Knowing you’re ignorant and making statements about the topic anyway is not.