What I Believe
These observations were first published in 2007.
My grown children have from time to time suspected me of being a bit too negative. While some of my writing might come across that way, I actually feel quite the contrary. Even though the bulk of my writing has been about monetary history (sometimes pretty dull stuff), I occasionally dabble in political writing (even worse!). I have even been accused of being unpatriotic at times in my writings about the South. Let me attempt to set the record straight.
I feel I am living at one of the most exciting times in history. The United States has accomplished great things in its history but is capable of much more greatness if we can only unleash its true power, which comes from individuals, not government. While many people constantly look to the government for solutions and bemoan their slow progress, I feel, in contrast, that the government should simply get out of the way. The true economic strength of a country depends on the number of people working in productive endeavors versus the number of people on the public payroll. The role of the government should therefore be largely limited to that of a referee. Citizens who are freer—from regulation, from taxation, from any number of government interventions—are more productive and innovate more. Consequently, I believe that freedom and liberty are the greatest economic incentives of all time.
Most of my political writings are simply about preserving that freedom and liberty. The American Revolution saw the triumph of the wisdom of the Declaration of Independence and the Constitution, which drew, in turn, on the Scottish National Convention of 1638, the Declaration of Arbroath in 1320, as well as the Magna Carta in 1215 (some would even say it drew inspiration from the Ten Commandments). All of these documents recognize liberty and freedom as an inherent right of man.
The Declaration of Independence states a powerful concept in asserting that people are “endowed by their Creator with certain unalienable rights.” It clearly states that our rights as people are divine and granted by the Creator,not the state. This means that only the Creator—not the state—can take them away.
Almost all of my most passionate writings center on this theme. Whenever the state tries to take away those unalienable rights, we risk surrendering something that is very precious to people in general and our individual liberty in particular. It is only through the study of history that we can learn how these concepts have developed and how great they truly are and how they must, therefore, be safeguarded. We must constantly protect against modern day counterrevolutionists who try to take away those liberties and freedoms. In that vigilance, the truth is always our greatest ally.
I believe the U.S.’ current monetary system is fraudulent and the powers behind it are operating it for their own benefit and not for that of the common good as wen Senators and Representatives vote for pork projects so they can get re-elected. A massive theft is taking place. People are starting to feel it even if they do not yet see it for what it is. For that reason, I feel compelled to write and tell the truth as I see it. I firmly believe that in the end we shall win as truth is on our side. Honest money is necessary for a truly free society to function in a healthy manner, yet many people don’t yet clearly realize the problems in the monetary system. I write to expose those flaws.
I believe that whether or not we have passed “peak oil” in terms of numbers, energy now costs more than ever to harvest, process and use, and we are straining more and more to maintain our rate of consumption. I believe that much of the trouble in the world today stems from securing oil reserves. Many young lives and much national treasure are being spent in the pursuit of oil. However, I also believe that if governments would get out of the way and let energy prices rise, the free market forces would solve the problem. Newer, lighter, safer, hybrid power system vehicles made from what used to be considered “exotic materials” can go a long way towards the solution. With biofuels, renewable energy and better designs, we can move towards energy independence. There will be no single, magical solution, but thousands of small solutions will add up greatly. We will still need oil but not nearly as much, if we simply unleash our individual creative power and let the free market work. The results could be inspiring.
I believe that the truly great societies of the future will be decentralized. I believe we are seeing the last gasp of large centralization in government. Empires simply do not work efficiently. Central planning cannot compete with individual initiatives.
Finally, I believe that the future need not be bleak. I believe God has put each of us here for a purpose. The greatest illumination we can have is to find that unique purpose in our lives. Our lives and our civilization can be big, bold and exciting if we only allow ourselves to dream big. Every great invention started with an idea, and every great idea started out as a dream. Today is the only time we have on this earth. Take charge of your life, turn off the television, hang on and hit the accelerator—and dream big dreams.
Many things will catch your eye but only a few will catch your heart; pursue those. - Unknown
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