The Total Power of One

A few days ago I had the pleasure of attending a lecture by Fred Holden, Author of "Total Power of One in America" hosted by Joe Sabah.  I've been thinking about it since.

The message was clear: speakers and teachers should be certain to utilize their influence to promote responsible citizenship.

A litany of topics and approaches were suggested.  Yet, it seems as though in some measure the message fell on deaf ears, and I have been wondering why.

Of the many things offered, it was the Eight dangerous illiteracies that caught my attention because it resonated.  My years of observation and research had come to the same conclusions. 

The eight can be condensed to four critical illiteracies: Financial (few of us know how to employ principles of prosperity regardless of circumstance), Political (few of us understand that we are to protect the Constitution and our rights by our elections), Economic (few of us understand the ramifications of economic policy--short term and long term), Business (few of us understand the principles that generate business success and how to differentiate business success from greed).

It is therefor incumbent upon those who do know to tactfully, tastefully yet boldly remind the rest of us what we all know in our hearts to be true yet forget in currents of daily living.

Why would a speaker or an author be reticent to take up that mantle?  Is it because we are so conditioned to avoid any social discussion about these topics that we bristle at the mere mention of them?  If not, why then would an author write or a speaker speak?  I ask you.

A Threat to Property Rights

The erosion of our political freedom is subtle.  I have often wondered how it happens.  This informative and well documented presentation is an intriguing example of how this is done.

What's in a name?

Whether they are called communists, socialist, fascist, imperialist, liberals, progressive or what ever, it makes no difference.  What matters is that in the end the object is the same: the subversion of freedom and independence.

They may take a different tact and woo people to their cause with platitudes of noble purpose.  It must be understood that the ends do not justify the means.  For the means are what determine the ends.  The ends are not the the objective that is so earnestly being sought.  That is just a way-point.  The ends are what the endeavor makes of us along the way.  That is where the true devastation lay.

Freedom can only be had by a moral and responsible people.  An amoral people cannot be free.  A dependent population can not be free.  Any movement, no matter the name, that replaces responsibility with security, that exchanges amorality for standards of civility, will go the way of all civilizations who have attempted to do so in in the past.

We as a nation must set and maintain standards by which to live.  Do not mistake tolerance for promoting.  Do not mistake freedom for irresponsibility. Do not forget for one moment that, while you can do what ever you want, you cannot be absolved the responsibility for your choices.  No, America is free because enterprise and morality promotes freedom.  Any endeavor to the contrary undermines it, no matter what the name.

The Federal Reserve

There have been a lot of voices lately calling for an audit of Federal Reserve. 

I can't for the life of me understand why such would not be a matter of course unless there is something to hide.  All responsible organizations have audits to ensure that the people managing the books remain on the up and up.  All branches of government should be audited as a part of doing business.  Citizen oversight at its best.

But it will be argued that the information in such an audit would be too hard for the general public to understand and could cause too much trouble to explain, etc.  Well, I say do it any way.  We need the education.

For those who don't know, this is what the Fed is:

According to the Board of Governors, the Federal Reserve is independent within government in that "its decisions do not have to be ratified by the President or anyone else in the executive or legislative branch of government." However, its authority is derived from the U.S. Congress and is subject to congressional oversight. Additionally, the members of the Board of Governors, including its chairman and vice-chairman, are chosen by the President and confirmed by Congress. The government also exercises some control over the Federal Reserve by appointing and setting the salaries of the system's highest-level employees. Thus the Federal Reserve has both private and public aspects.^{[12][13][14][15]}