I'm going to keep this very brief.
I do not understand the political ideology of our welfare state. On moral grounds, it seems to be a given that the "haves" are not good enough people to be charitable on their own accord and thus must be stolen from in order to provide for the "have nots." But on the other hand, the "have-nots" are deserving of things they have not themselves earned. It almost seems to align a moral compass on individuals based on nothing more than their financial state.
I understand, my liberal friends, that since I'm a libertarian I could not possibly be Christian. I don't care about the poor or less fortunate, and I am a dirty and awful person for not supporting presently-proposed policy. That's why Jesus picked the Pharisees' pockets in order to pay the widow's Ambien bills, right?
I believe that when you earn something, it's yours. That's why the check has your name on it. It just seems so incredibly backwards and counter-productive to effectually steal from John to give to Jim. Of course Jim always supports that ideology; but, if John doesn't want Jim to get his money, how is that wrong? It's a personal choice. It's no more morally sound to steal one man's money than to let another starve. Sin's sin, right? There is no place for morality in government. Placing an evil man under a "good" regime does not make him "good." People skip out on taxes because they think the taxes are not fair. People ache about welfare, social security, mandated insurance, etc. because they think these institutions are wrong.
If a person wants to spend 100% of their gross pay, neglecting their future and the people who might benefit from their being taxed, so what? It's their choice. That's all I'm saying. If that same person chooses instead to save 25% of their gross in a 401k and donate 10% to a church, Salvation Army, Red Cross, etc., what's so wrong with that? It's not allowed either way. It just seems to me to be such an arrogant and ludicrous means of reasoning to say that you know how to better serve a person than they can serve themselves. Now, I'm sure that all rich people are greedy, hard-hearted, and self-seeking, and all poor people are good, loving, victims of bad situations. Of course.
Some people are victims in need of aid. Some people are wealthy pricks who couldn't care less about anyone else. But I've got to believe that some other folks are in bad scenarios because they screwed up, and others are in good spots because they worked hard. I'm not going to assign a morality or a level of goodness to any of them. All I'm saying is that I believe there are people out there who if they had more disposable income (because of a drastic cut-back in their wages' garnishings. Really, a "Department of Education"? ) that would be more than willing to donate their time, resources, and money to those who are truly in need.
Two generations ago, my family was composed entirely of farmers and sharecroppers. Eighty years later, we're reasonably well-educated, responsible citizens. And I'm going to make an offensive amount of money doing something. Without a cent of state money. And I'm going to give a lot of what I earn away. The sad part is, I'll do it whether I want to or not.
Reign in the Empire. Quit your thievery. Pass the fair tax. Experience economic, and dare I say, social, growth. Don't say I'm intolerant just because you won't tolerate me.
Peace.
Friday, September 4, 2009
Saturday, July 25, 2009
"And when I'm gone, who will you blame?"
A lot has been made of the proposed health care overhaul, a measure many individuals see as providing basic rights for American citizens and other claim to be the denial of civil liberties. I will begin by saying I am firmly planted in opposition to this legislation, but instead of giving specifics of the bill I'd prefer to go on and speak on the bigger problem.
U.S. taxpayers currently finance an empire. It can be propagandized as providing safety and stability for Americans, promoting the common good for the world society, or any other of scores of pseudonyms, but at the end of the day the truth remains that United States is a nation stretched far beyond its borders and as a result, its means. I'll avoid the issue of The Fed authorizing the change in interest rate and subsequent printing of dollar upon dollar to control prices and debt, as that's another issue entirely. The matter at hand is that as a nation we are currently $11.4 trillion in the red. Let me put that another way: $11,400,000,000,000. That's practically an entire year of real GDP. A completely astronomical and unacceptable figure. And in the wake of an announced foreign policy of achieving peace and stability with our neighbors, we have military presence (troops) in 130 countries. Our military presence costs a trillion dollars per year to maintain. And this is being financed by the American public. How? Taxes, of course. The American people support this presence, our current federal government's actions, and all other manners of frivolities by our consent to pay taxes and never raise a protest. I'm not saying we shouldn't pay taxes, because there are certain things that can only be accomplished by some sort of national tax, but here's the more important question: Why have the American people accepted the growth of the federal government as progress?
American citizens and corporations are being taxed higher than ever before. And for what? The elections want our focus to go on $10 million pork-barrel projects, which are less than a drop in the proverbial bucket. The bulk of our taxation goes not to building bridges and parks (pork) but to funding bullshit departments like Education and Homeland Security. And raising taxes on our corporations to finance these atrocities does nothing to encourage American manufacturing. Why should it? When companies must cut costs to turn a profit because of regulation and taxation, do they have any incentive to offer benefits to their workers? Absolutely not. It's easy to blame the free market on our domestic issues, but that mistrust is simply pre-engineered hate pushed on the American public by government media outlets.
Before you say, "James, you're an anti-government anarchist who seeks to blame our problems on Washington," I'll say, "This is not my government."
We are not in danger. We are not helpless. But by playing off that mentality with which we have been inculcated the government is allowed to prosper and grow; our bureaucracy is exponentially larger than Constitutionally authorized. My personal opinion of why is that people who have government jobs want to keep their jobs, and to keep their jobs they provide their supporters with jobs. Makes sense, doesn't it? Feed the hand that feeds you. Meanwhile, we're shown the insignificant arguments of the day, what Ron Paul calls the "False Choices of American Politics." We do not know what's going on. For too long the American public has had the mentality of "Why should I do it if the government can instead? It saves me worry and I'm sure they'll do a good job. And even if they don't, it won't affect me." We're staring calamity in the face, my friends. Inflation is ballooning, Anti-American sentiment is still sky-high (thanks to our Team America: World Police mentality that is still prevalent, despite Savior Obama's reputation), and financial bubbles are being inflated constantly. There are government checks in place, because everything is regulated, but it would take unpopular decisions to fix these issues: reduced government programs, a fat-trimmed bureaucracy, tax cuts for manufacturing (global warming, OMG!), and the sense to stop printing money until we can stabilize the dollar's value. With those propositions would come decreased voter support and lost jobs for the friends of fat cats. So they have no incentive to make those changes. Just like American employers have no incentive to provide quality health insurance for their workers.
Change.
U.S. taxpayers currently finance an empire. It can be propagandized as providing safety and stability for Americans, promoting the common good for the world society, or any other of scores of pseudonyms, but at the end of the day the truth remains that United States is a nation stretched far beyond its borders and as a result, its means. I'll avoid the issue of The Fed authorizing the change in interest rate and subsequent printing of dollar upon dollar to control prices and debt, as that's another issue entirely. The matter at hand is that as a nation we are currently $11.4 trillion in the red. Let me put that another way: $11,400,000,000,000. That's practically an entire year of real GDP. A completely astronomical and unacceptable figure. And in the wake of an announced foreign policy of achieving peace and stability with our neighbors, we have military presence (troops) in 130 countries. Our military presence costs a trillion dollars per year to maintain. And this is being financed by the American public. How? Taxes, of course. The American people support this presence, our current federal government's actions, and all other manners of frivolities by our consent to pay taxes and never raise a protest. I'm not saying we shouldn't pay taxes, because there are certain things that can only be accomplished by some sort of national tax, but here's the more important question: Why have the American people accepted the growth of the federal government as progress?
American citizens and corporations are being taxed higher than ever before. And for what? The elections want our focus to go on $10 million pork-barrel projects, which are less than a drop in the proverbial bucket. The bulk of our taxation goes not to building bridges and parks (pork) but to funding bullshit departments like Education and Homeland Security. And raising taxes on our corporations to finance these atrocities does nothing to encourage American manufacturing. Why should it? When companies must cut costs to turn a profit because of regulation and taxation, do they have any incentive to offer benefits to their workers? Absolutely not. It's easy to blame the free market on our domestic issues, but that mistrust is simply pre-engineered hate pushed on the American public by government media outlets.
Before you say, "James, you're an anti-government anarchist who seeks to blame our problems on Washington," I'll say, "This is not my government."
We are not in danger. We are not helpless. But by playing off that mentality with which we have been inculcated the government is allowed to prosper and grow; our bureaucracy is exponentially larger than Constitutionally authorized. My personal opinion of why is that people who have government jobs want to keep their jobs, and to keep their jobs they provide their supporters with jobs. Makes sense, doesn't it? Feed the hand that feeds you. Meanwhile, we're shown the insignificant arguments of the day, what Ron Paul calls the "False Choices of American Politics." We do not know what's going on. For too long the American public has had the mentality of "Why should I do it if the government can instead? It saves me worry and I'm sure they'll do a good job. And even if they don't, it won't affect me." We're staring calamity in the face, my friends. Inflation is ballooning, Anti-American sentiment is still sky-high (thanks to our Team America: World Police mentality that is still prevalent, despite Savior Obama's reputation), and financial bubbles are being inflated constantly. There are government checks in place, because everything is regulated, but it would take unpopular decisions to fix these issues: reduced government programs, a fat-trimmed bureaucracy, tax cuts for manufacturing (global warming, OMG!), and the sense to stop printing money until we can stabilize the dollar's value. With those propositions would come decreased voter support and lost jobs for the friends of fat cats. So they have no incentive to make those changes. Just like American employers have no incentive to provide quality health insurance for their workers.
Change.
Monday, July 6, 2009
Easy Listening
As one raised on hard rock and the like, I've never found a great spot in my heart for soft rock/jazzy tunes. That all changed over the course of an eight-hour trans-Atlantic flight Saturday, when I discovered the brilliance of Norah Jones's debut record; it is the soundtrack for every rainy day I can remember. And with my documented attraction to talent, she is also getting very near topping Kelly Clarkson on my Dreamgirl scale.
Also, Fleetwood Mac is absolutely onederful. Thanks to VH1 Classic for showing a concert yesterday and making me realize that what Lindsey Buckingham and Stevie Nicks do is almost exactly what I'd love to spend the rest of my life pursuing.
And I must also mention the sheer euphony that is the newest record from The Fray. That's a band that I never gave much of a chance but realized (thanks to some encouraging from my dear friend JC) is pretty grand.
So there's my latest random musical indulgence. I've found honey for a thirsty soul. I'd love to somehow find a deep connection for this stuff to the Jesus or something, but honestly I just felt like giving props to three artists for whom I've gained about 500% more respect in the past twenty-four hours or so. In that vein, I'd love to say that besides making the kind of music that makes me feel like floating in a fish tank, they're also lyrically fantastic. I think my "artistry" might take a new turn soon. I'd like to make people feel cloudless with my music.
And also, I'm trying to be more like Jesus now. I've come to admire that man quite a bit. He did (and I assume continues to) love perfectly. I'm not sure what that is in my life, and I know it's an impossible goal to attain, but I figure if I try enough ways something worthwhile will stick. I'm just glad I don't have to be perfect anymore...I believe I'll give Grace a high-five one day. It's changed my life more than I would have let it in previous days; I just hope I don't come to view it too cheaply.
Love you. I think it would be awesome to live in such a fashion as I didn't have to say that.
Also, Fleetwood Mac is absolutely onederful. Thanks to VH1 Classic for showing a concert yesterday and making me realize that what Lindsey Buckingham and Stevie Nicks do is almost exactly what I'd love to spend the rest of my life pursuing.
And I must also mention the sheer euphony that is the newest record from The Fray. That's a band that I never gave much of a chance but realized (thanks to some encouraging from my dear friend JC) is pretty grand.
So there's my latest random musical indulgence. I've found honey for a thirsty soul. I'd love to somehow find a deep connection for this stuff to the Jesus or something, but honestly I just felt like giving props to three artists for whom I've gained about 500% more respect in the past twenty-four hours or so. In that vein, I'd love to say that besides making the kind of music that makes me feel like floating in a fish tank, they're also lyrically fantastic. I think my "artistry" might take a new turn soon. I'd like to make people feel cloudless with my music.
And also, I'm trying to be more like Jesus now. I've come to admire that man quite a bit. He did (and I assume continues to) love perfectly. I'm not sure what that is in my life, and I know it's an impossible goal to attain, but I figure if I try enough ways something worthwhile will stick. I'm just glad I don't have to be perfect anymore...I believe I'll give Grace a high-five one day. It's changed my life more than I would have let it in previous days; I just hope I don't come to view it too cheaply.
Love you. I think it would be awesome to live in such a fashion as I didn't have to say that.
Sunday, May 31, 2009
Hope and Sorrow
I never write about what I intend. You don't know how tremendously ironic it is that I just typed that; originally this entry began with an anecdote about how my plans never work out due to missing some mundane detail. Turns out that that's exactly what this is. I was all prepared to sit down and blog my little heart out about how clueless we are, and then my clues are lost. I really think God's hilarious, putting what we really need to hear right next to what we think we need to hear.
My name is James BeShears, and this is about Hope. And a Sevendust album.
Romans 8 is an odd chapter, and I'll sum up the preface to the part I'm going to actually use like this (vs 18-23): the world is pregnant with anticipation, waiting some sort of "future glory." Now on to the part I love, verses 24-25:
"For in Hope we were saved. Now hope that is seen is not hope. For who hopes for what is seen? but if we hope for what we do not see, we wait for it with patience."
Hope. It's a simple word, a tossed-about word, something we now relate to it not raining tomorrow or Wal-Mart having our favorite kind of ice cream in-stock. That is not the Hope Paul writes about. We talk about his Hope a lot, right? Hope for eternal life - Great. Hope for answered prayer - Sure. Hope that is now manifested in the world we live in.
---Wat?
Paul lived in darkness, then in animosity, and then in jail. But most importantly, he lived and breathed Hope. And I think we have a whole lot of what he prayed for. This world is not perfect, but it's what the early Church lacked: opportunity. I think this is what Paul yearned for. What he prayed for. What he hoped for. And what are we to do with this? We do our best to manifest Heaven on Earth. We love people. We strive for peace. We show people why we do this whole God thing in the first place. And what else? We keep on hoping.
Enough with the mission statement. Here's the truth: I tried to pray about an hour ago, and I couldn't. I didn't know how to pray, even though I knew exactly what and who I wanted to talk to God about. I was so overwhelmed with insecurity and frustration that I couldn't make a coherent thought. And what did I read?
"Likewise the Spirit helps us in our weakness; for we do not know how to pray as we ought, but that very Spirit intercedes with sighs too deep for words. And God, who searches the heart, knows what is the mind of the Spirit, because the Spirit intercedes for the saints according to the will of God" (Romans 8.26-27, located right after the Hope passage).
This is why I'm sitting here right now; I don't know how to pray. But I think Hope does. What is prayer if not Hope? Is there any emotion, any action, more expressive and conducive to humility and the spirit of Christian childhood than just saying, "God, I don't know what to want. I just know that it's better than this, and you want it too"?
I've talked to a lot of people about how I think Faith is essentially admitting that we're not in control, acknowledging the existence of a God that is NOT the fat kid with a magnifying glass trying to scorch the Earth for screwing up, but instead a warm, ever-loving Father who just wants us to ask for help. To admit that we're not enough. That's what I'm starting to believe Hope is; a reason to have Faith.
So here's what I'm really getting at: Hope is the rationale for living free of worry.
If there's a God with an all-encompassing plan, full of infinite wisdom and unconditional love, what the hell am I going to accomplish by trying to solve the world's mysteries? If I believe in this Father, this Abba, this genius who is the greatest biologist, philosopher, physicist, and any other expert we can possibly imagine, and this same guy cares about each and every single one of us and loves us literally infinitely more than we can possibly love anyone or anything, what concerns can I have?
That's Hope, friends. Pure Hope. Ardent, powerful, passionate, relentless, resilient, unquenchable Hope that cannot be defeated and cannot be stolen away. So that's where Sorrow comes in. It doesn't come in.
My dad once told me when I was about eight years old, "Life's a bitch, and then you die." He was joking; that's what he does. But it makes me want to get on my knees and weep at the fact that there are people who wake up every day and think that's true. People without that God I just talked about. People without that Hope. Perspective is everything; if you want to see a world full of faults and bigotry and sheer hatred, there it is. But if you want to see a world capable of redemption, of purity, and of love? It's there too. And I'm putting all I've got in the God that wants to see that world manifested. Because any guy that loves Billy Graham, Osama bin Laden, Britney Spears, and little ole me infinitely more than I love bacon, blues, and boobies combined, that's a guy who gets my trust. Who gets my Hope.
My name is James BeShears, and this is about Hope. And a Sevendust album.
Romans 8 is an odd chapter, and I'll sum up the preface to the part I'm going to actually use like this (vs 18-23): the world is pregnant with anticipation, waiting some sort of "future glory." Now on to the part I love, verses 24-25:
"For in Hope we were saved. Now hope that is seen is not hope. For who hopes for what is seen? but if we hope for what we do not see, we wait for it with patience."
Hope. It's a simple word, a tossed-about word, something we now relate to it not raining tomorrow or Wal-Mart having our favorite kind of ice cream in-stock. That is not the Hope Paul writes about. We talk about his Hope a lot, right? Hope for eternal life - Great. Hope for answered prayer - Sure. Hope that is now manifested in the world we live in.
---Wat?
Paul lived in darkness, then in animosity, and then in jail. But most importantly, he lived and breathed Hope. And I think we have a whole lot of what he prayed for. This world is not perfect, but it's what the early Church lacked: opportunity. I think this is what Paul yearned for. What he prayed for. What he hoped for. And what are we to do with this? We do our best to manifest Heaven on Earth. We love people. We strive for peace. We show people why we do this whole God thing in the first place. And what else? We keep on hoping.
Enough with the mission statement. Here's the truth: I tried to pray about an hour ago, and I couldn't. I didn't know how to pray, even though I knew exactly what and who I wanted to talk to God about. I was so overwhelmed with insecurity and frustration that I couldn't make a coherent thought. And what did I read?
"Likewise the Spirit helps us in our weakness; for we do not know how to pray as we ought, but that very Spirit intercedes with sighs too deep for words. And God, who searches the heart, knows what is the mind of the Spirit, because the Spirit intercedes for the saints according to the will of God" (Romans 8.26-27, located right after the Hope passage).
This is why I'm sitting here right now; I don't know how to pray. But I think Hope does. What is prayer if not Hope? Is there any emotion, any action, more expressive and conducive to humility and the spirit of Christian childhood than just saying, "God, I don't know what to want. I just know that it's better than this, and you want it too"?
I've talked to a lot of people about how I think Faith is essentially admitting that we're not in control, acknowledging the existence of a God that is NOT the fat kid with a magnifying glass trying to scorch the Earth for screwing up, but instead a warm, ever-loving Father who just wants us to ask for help. To admit that we're not enough. That's what I'm starting to believe Hope is; a reason to have Faith.
So here's what I'm really getting at: Hope is the rationale for living free of worry.
If there's a God with an all-encompassing plan, full of infinite wisdom and unconditional love, what the hell am I going to accomplish by trying to solve the world's mysteries? If I believe in this Father, this Abba, this genius who is the greatest biologist, philosopher, physicist, and any other expert we can possibly imagine, and this same guy cares about each and every single one of us and loves us literally infinitely more than we can possibly love anyone or anything, what concerns can I have?
That's Hope, friends. Pure Hope. Ardent, powerful, passionate, relentless, resilient, unquenchable Hope that cannot be defeated and cannot be stolen away. So that's where Sorrow comes in. It doesn't come in.
My dad once told me when I was about eight years old, "Life's a bitch, and then you die." He was joking; that's what he does. But it makes me want to get on my knees and weep at the fact that there are people who wake up every day and think that's true. People without that God I just talked about. People without that Hope. Perspective is everything; if you want to see a world full of faults and bigotry and sheer hatred, there it is. But if you want to see a world capable of redemption, of purity, and of love? It's there too. And I'm putting all I've got in the God that wants to see that world manifested. Because any guy that loves Billy Graham, Osama bin Laden, Britney Spears, and little ole me infinitely more than I love bacon, blues, and boobies combined, that's a guy who gets my trust. Who gets my Hope.
Wednesday, May 27, 2009
Every New Beginning...
you know the rest (thanks to Semisonic).
So, pretty much I've boiled down my expressions to two possibilities: post Facebook notes and be emo, or start a blog and join the millions of people who think their opinions are worth sharing. I'm not foolish enough to believe that, but the latter is my choice. And a note about the title, it's been my caveat to a great number of the things I've said, so I figured by putting it at the top of the page I'll be able to avoid putting a disclaimer on the statements themselves.
I think this has a chance to become the most far-reaching and most random blog on teh interwebz. I'm full of arbitrary notions, and I figure there's no better place to make them known. So if anyone's going to bother reading this, be prepared for a wide variety of topics, including but not limited to: bacon, the Braves' almost certain struggles, the genius of Nick Saban, the things Jesus actually said and did, the Creed reunion tour, peanut butter's use as both an edible accessory and an entree, pieces of songs, my surely illogical and impractical views on politics, Bigfeet, people whom I believe to be smarter than myself, and things about the world that just don't make any sense to me. And maybe a joke once in a while.
I don't expect to enlighten or inspire anyone but instead to merely have an outlet for my opinions so that I can look back on them in a year and think "Wow, I was so very wrong back then." It's been my pattern thus far, and I figure if I can keep it up until my dying days I'll have really gotten somewhere.
So, pretty much I've boiled down my expressions to two possibilities: post Facebook notes and be emo, or start a blog and join the millions of people who think their opinions are worth sharing. I'm not foolish enough to believe that, but the latter is my choice. And a note about the title, it's been my caveat to a great number of the things I've said, so I figured by putting it at the top of the page I'll be able to avoid putting a disclaimer on the statements themselves.
I think this has a chance to become the most far-reaching and most random blog on teh interwebz. I'm full of arbitrary notions, and I figure there's no better place to make them known. So if anyone's going to bother reading this, be prepared for a wide variety of topics, including but not limited to: bacon, the Braves' almost certain struggles, the genius of Nick Saban, the things Jesus actually said and did, the Creed reunion tour, peanut butter's use as both an edible accessory and an entree, pieces of songs, my surely illogical and impractical views on politics, Bigfeet, people whom I believe to be smarter than myself, and things about the world that just don't make any sense to me. And maybe a joke once in a while.
I don't expect to enlighten or inspire anyone but instead to merely have an outlet for my opinions so that I can look back on them in a year and think "Wow, I was so very wrong back then." It's been my pattern thus far, and I figure if I can keep it up until my dying days I'll have really gotten somewhere.
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