Trust
I think the culture in America has done something of an injustice to its citizens by teaching folks to rely on things that are not in our best interest. Money, machinery and government are three things that come to mind. Don't misunderstand me - these are not bad things. But there are better things that deserve more trust. I think trusting in ones self, for example, is better than trusting in government, money and machinery. Self-reliance is, historically, an American principle that has been deeply undermined in recent years. The under-mining was unintentional - probably. But the road to hell is... well you know.
At a party some time ago, a group of us were talking about monthly bills. I asked if anyone could remember a time when there were no monthly bills. An elderly gentleman said he could. When he was a boy, his family lived west of Kansas City. They lived on a farm which they owned, raised most of their own food and there were no public utilities within miles. His father bought a newspaper once a week - that was the nearest thing to a regular 'bill' they had.
I'm not suggesting that going without electricity and running water is a thing to be achieved, but I am suggesting that the self-reliance fostered by such a situation is worth having.
I like self-reliant people. They usually seem to be enjoying themselves more than others. I believe they are stronger, more resiliant and definately more interesting than dependant people. So,in a somewhat selfish way, I'd like to see a world filled with people I like. On the other hand, I have met some self-reliant people who were a real pain in the butt. On the whole, though, I'd rather associate with them than some of the pastey-faced media-driven puppets I've met.
One of the best routes to self-reliance is to own and operate one's own business. The proprietor produces his livlihood and must trust him or herself in order to survive. Many 'employees' I've known have little to say about their own lives. A lot of choices are made for them. In short, their lives are lived a great deal more like that of a prostitute then that of a free citizen - and they often seem to have the character thickness of a piece of paper.
I've also known people who were employees, but did not tie themselves so tightly to their employers that they lost their own identity. I know it's possible to be self-reliant and to be an employee, but I think it is a much more difficult thing to achieve.
Carving out one's own identity in a truely democratic free-market society is, I think, vastly superior to being hammered flat as people often are under our current version of corporate feudalism. I also think it is vastly superior to being compressed into a mold as one would be under the socialism advocated by our nation's left wing.
What do you think?
At a party some time ago, a group of us were talking about monthly bills. I asked if anyone could remember a time when there were no monthly bills. An elderly gentleman said he could. When he was a boy, his family lived west of Kansas City. They lived on a farm which they owned, raised most of their own food and there were no public utilities within miles. His father bought a newspaper once a week - that was the nearest thing to a regular 'bill' they had.
I'm not suggesting that going without electricity and running water is a thing to be achieved, but I am suggesting that the self-reliance fostered by such a situation is worth having.
I like self-reliant people. They usually seem to be enjoying themselves more than others. I believe they are stronger, more resiliant and definately more interesting than dependant people. So,in a somewhat selfish way, I'd like to see a world filled with people I like. On the other hand, I have met some self-reliant people who were a real pain in the butt. On the whole, though, I'd rather associate with them than some of the pastey-faced media-driven puppets I've met.
One of the best routes to self-reliance is to own and operate one's own business. The proprietor produces his livlihood and must trust him or herself in order to survive. Many 'employees' I've known have little to say about their own lives. A lot of choices are made for them. In short, their lives are lived a great deal more like that of a prostitute then that of a free citizen - and they often seem to have the character thickness of a piece of paper.
I've also known people who were employees, but did not tie themselves so tightly to their employers that they lost their own identity. I know it's possible to be self-reliant and to be an employee, but I think it is a much more difficult thing to achieve.
Carving out one's own identity in a truely democratic free-market society is, I think, vastly superior to being hammered flat as people often are under our current version of corporate feudalism. I also think it is vastly superior to being compressed into a mold as one would be under the socialism advocated by our nation's left wing.
What do you think?
posted by Sam | 5:30 AM
1 Comments:
I like your term: corporate feudalism. That is very much the case. I find it interesting how there seems to be a gravitation by human society toward some form of feudalism.. maybe a cycle of 100 yrs for a culture?
One good part of being an employee is when you work in a company you like, with people you like, doing things you like. I'm blessed with that right now :-)
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