"All that is necessary for the triumph of evil is that good men do nothing."
The essential core of libertarian political philosophy is that government cannot initiate force against its citizenry. By logical extension this means fraud is to be prohibited as well.
Today it is evident that America's political leadership is mounting its frauds and abuses against 'We the People'. With the initiation of force enacted under the Patriot Act, with the economic frauds of the current bailouts being promoted as the solution to saving American institutions of housing, banking, and manufacturing, with the fraud that government health care and social security will provide for the best health and financial opportunities for Americans in the future, it is high time that We the People, as individuals, start realizing that today's political philosophies are going to end up harming, looting, and killing more Americans than ever before.
We cannot trust the big government Democratic party to come up with a proper political ideology. They had 50 years until Reagan was elected, and they are responsible for over regulating and nationalizing the medical, housing, and manufacturing industries. We cannot trust the Republican party to come up with a proper political ideology, since they have demonstrated themselves to be big-government statists during the past 8 years in a manner far exceeding the prior collectivist power-grabs by the Democrats.
And I want to be wrong about President Elect Barack Obama and his 'change' administration (which appears to be changing us back to the same Clintonian big government agenda of 16 years ago), but I predict the collectivist looting and power grab of the past 8 years is only going to accelerate further during the next four years. (The reason why was outlined in my brief opposition article I wrote previously, " The FairTax is an unnecessary Federal Slave Tax ").
As a wise man once noted, the American political elite, along with their political capitalist cronies (my apologies gentlemen: am I mistaken here -- is it the politicians who are your cronies?), their political economist sycophants, their political academic robots, and their political media journalist wannabes are in a "final feeding frenzy" to consume the remaining values to be had in American society.
It is an inescapable fact: A man is one who acts on his rationality and depends on his own mind for existence. Lesser men rely on the rationality of others for their existence. The relationship between capitalism and statism is this: without the free market capitalists, neither statists nor political-pull "capitalists" could exist.
The world has been moved by philosophy for the past 2400 years, and unfortunately, it is Plato's philosophy that has dominated the political and ethical landscape.
The top enslaver of men and minds on earth has not been religion - as some mistaken and misguided atheists in Seattle Washington seem to believe today - it is the wrong philosophies that grew from the other-worldly philosophy of Plato.
If any libertarian is dissatisfied, angered, or nearly hopeless over the state of America today, or the state of the world today, then they must recognize and acknowledge that the world has been dominated by philosophies that glorify self sacrifice and 'higher causes' as a virtue.
If anyone concerned with politics is concerned with the state of the world, they need to learn enough about ethics and politics to discover what a proper form of government would be in America, and what principles should be guiding our leaders' actions in government.
Only a pro-individual philosophy in politics can oppose the pro-collectivist philosophies that exist in both parties of today's political monopoly in America.
And there has been only one pro-individual philosopher who has existed on earth during the last 2000 years.
Her name is Ayn Rand. In several other articles I've written on Nolan chart, I've extolled the virtues of this free thinking philosopher / bestselling novelist / proud first generation immigrant American.
In talking with people (even admirers) about Ayn Rand, I've realized that most people don't consider ideas seriously anymore. The problem with this attitude of not taking ethics and politics seriously is that good men and women abandon the whole field of ideas and political theory, and the criminal minds take them over.
If We the People want to continue being free individuals able to live by the sovereign judgment of our own minds, then we each have to live by a proper moral code, and we must demand that government respect Individual Rights as inalienable.
Our American government today is merely the reflection of the collectivist ethics too many in government have been promoting (and profiting by) during the past 140 years in America. Our American government today is merely the reflection of our own individual moral codes. More precisely, it is our lack of morality (the amoralists), or our theology (the religionists) that has been influencing American politics over the past 140 years.
To any person that believes that no absolute standards exist in morality, or that believes that moral standards exist 'beyond reality' (and are divinely appointed by someone floating in a cloud somewhere into our leaders), I say this: There is a third alternative to the dilemma of moral standards.
It is no longer necessary for you to doubt your own mind. It is no longer necessary to be in a quandary over what is a right or wrong action to take in furtherance of your life. Finally, you can have the personal benefit to be gained by achieving conceptual clarity to your own thinking and judgment. Finally you don't have to rely on anyone telling you what's best for your life, because you will be able to determine it for yourself.
Finally We the People can harness our own individual destinies, in spite of abusive government.
Finally We the People can declare our own independence from any flag that flies against individual rights.
Finally We the People can demand and remake our government to perform its only proper moral duty: defense of the individual and his earned property.
By understanding Ayn Rand's ethical philosophy, you can remake your life. By future political activists understanding Ayn Rand's ethical and political philosophy, we can remake and refound American government on an unshakeable individualist platform. One that is not amoral, nor depending on anyone's supernatural morality.
Regardless of whether you believe in the supernatural, such a refounding of American government on Ayn Rand's ethical theory will be the seed of its future prosperity. American government has been seeded with other ethical theories during the past 140 years. Look at the results. If we want something different tomorrow to take hold in our government, Ayn Rand will hold the key to that nonviolent and moral revolution.
Below are my notes on Ayn Rand's philosophy, as extracted from interviews that she had with Mike Wallace and Phil Donahue. Both interviews are linked below on YouTube.
Let's make the moral revolution grow. That nonviolent revolution began with the release of Ayn Rand's final and bestselling novel, in 1957, 'Atlas Shrugged'.
She recognized that revolution never begins in the streets, it begins in each participant's mind.
Whether you agree or disagree with Ayn Rand at all, the fact is that your government operates on a philosophy. And so long as American government operates on the philosophies of death, we will all continue to be drained, looted, and killed by our government. Ayn Rand offered 'a philosophy for living on earth'. How nice would it be to have a government that defended our lives and our free pursuit of our values?
Don't be afraid to learn about her views... instead be eager: because our collectivist government planners and politicians fear Ayn Rand's philosophy most of all. For it threatens their bogus careers in government.
Let the unemployment (and celebratory firing) of collectivist politicians begin! It all begins with each of us. And Ayn Rand's moral libertarianism.
Nick's Notes on The Ayn Rand interview / debate with Mike Wallace (links to video below)
Nick's Notes on The Ayn Rand interview / debate with Phil Donahue (links to video below)
Recommended Internet Articles:
Related Video:
Mike Wallace Interviews Ayn Rand, part 1
Mike Wallace Interviews Ayn Rand, part 2
Mike Wallace Interviews Ayn Rand, part 3
Ayn Rand Phil Donahue Interview Part 1 of 5
Ayn Rand Phil Donahue Interview Part 2 of 5
Ayn Rand Phil Donahue Interview Part 3 of 5
Ayn Rand Phil Donahue Interview Part 4 of 5
Ayn Rand Phil Donahue Interview Part 5 of 5
Related Article:
Who is a John Galt Republican (or Democrat or Libertarian)?
©2008 Nickalis N. Tower, all rights reserved. You must have written permission from the author in order to republish this work.
Published: Sunday, December 14, 2008
Last modified: Wednesday, December 17, 2008
The views expressed in this article are those of Nickalis N. Tower only and do not represent the views of Nolan Chart, LLC or its affiliates. Nickalis N. Tower is solely responsible for the contents of this article and is not an employee or otherwise affiliated with Nolan Chart, LLC in his/her role as a columnist.
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Reader Comments:
Posted By: Walt Thiessen
Date: 2008-12-14 09:18:49
"And there has been only one pro-individual philosopher who has existed on earth during the last 2000 years. Her name is Ayn Rand."Come again? Just how few philosophers do you think there have been in the last 2000 years?
Posted By: Master C
Date: 2008-12-16 19:11:44
Hey, Mr. I've-Got-All-the-Answers (or, at least I think Ayn Rand has),
Do I have the right to smoke pot if I want to? Do I have the right to help someone commit suicide if they ask me to? Do I have the right to marry another guy if we want to get married? Do I have the right to get an abortion if I decide to? Do I have the right to sell my handgun to someone who is a felon if I want to, or someone who says they want to commit a robbery? Do I have the right to buy booze before I'm 21? Do I have the right to drive any speed I want to, wherever I want to do it? Do I have the right to smoke cigarettes in a courtroom?
Or, why don't you tell me that I SHOULD have those rights, Mr. Let's-let-anyone-do-whatever-they-want-to-do-whenever-they-want-to-do-it. You see ~ Ayn Rand only works on paper ~ when she's writing the story. And, worshippers like you can't see past the treachery that her philosophy unleashes by not doing anything that isn't in her own self-interest.
Master C
Posted By: Timothy Allen
Date: 2008-12-17 12:21:12
"And there has been only one pro-individual philosopher who has existed on earth during the last 2000 years. Her name is Ayn Rand."
Well I don't think even Ayn Rand would agree with that. She often mentions those who she drew inspiration from with Aristotle and Victor Hugo being a few of her favorites.
As far as her theories only working paper, or in other words, a fictional universe that does not reflect reality, you are going to need to have a good logical proof ready or observations of a society that was actually set up with this philosophy in mind. Corporate America is a good place to start looking at what works and what doesn't. Be sure to keep in mind the enormous amount of regulations placed on the largest organizations. Look at each regulation and ask yourself, "What would happen without this regulation?" Even some of the true hearted liberals might find that they second guess themselves after looking at some of the more ridiculous regulations.
~Timothy Allen
Laissez-faire - Leave us alone!
Posted By: Mark
Date: 2008-12-22 05:47:32
The writer's obviously on something. Making an absurd statement like "the FairTax is a Federal Slave Tax" shows his ignorance of reality. Another waste of Internet space.