Veterans Day someday unnecessary?

If Americans were willing to self-examine honestly therefore empirically, logically, ethically thus critically then judgmentally, bringing an end to US warmongering abroad while refusing to elect warmongering presidents (i.e. Trump, Obama, Bush, etc.), refusing to elect warmongering senators and representatives too (i.e. McCain, Clinton, etc.), then yes, someday Veterans Day would be unnecessary.
 
The economist Ludwig von Mises (1881-1973) observed and wrote,  "The state is God (for many), deifying arms and prisons. The worship of the state is the worship of force. The citizens passionately participate in the war for it is their state, their God, who fights... Whoever wants peace among nations must seek to limit the state and its influence most strictly." That is to say, whoever wants peace must reduce their God the State to merely human as prone to self-interest as well error and excess as fellow humans.

Come let us Reason. Peace is always a Choice.
Study, Ponder, Labor, till last Breath.

More on Human ABILITY to REASON, Human RIGHT to CONSENT - Proem & Poem No. 102

Most likely to be published later this summer of 2019, my 11th book entitled appropriately; More 100 Proems & Poems on the Peculiar Human ABILITY to REASON, Singular Human RIGHT to CONSENT & Other Neglected Matters. The following will probably be included upon further editing, and front cover a slightly modified yet appropriate version of the previous....

PROEM & POEM No. 102 - What Is Politics / 1st Reprise

      To exemplify for a moment, 20th/21st century American society have considered marijuana from political/social toleration to regulation, taxation, with increases of both followed by eventual prohibition, until the recently growing reintroduction of uses medical or recreational, well regulated and taxed of course, per those states legally allowing. Thusly, one could randomly point to a historical timeline noting the same acts and players, the production and consumption therefore producers and consumers, were all unhindered if allowed, commodity taxed if levied, activity restricted if regulated or person imprisoned if prohibited. To comparatively complicate further, one could randomly point to any one of the many types of productions and consumptions possible within the economy, whether marijuana, computer, bread, hat, book or car, noting the same sort of arbitrary differentials regarding allowance, taxation, regulation and prohibition.

      The comparisons could be easily enumerated, indicating the seemingly endless inconsistencies hence complexities imposed, however the aforementioned are suffice. It should be plain how quickly muddled if not lost the intentions and benefits by politics. If clear minds persist, how quickly exposed are politics’ covetousness and presumption, ultimately resulting to forcefully manipulate or terminate people and confiscate possession. This is true even for well meaning do-gooders in government and society at large, quite prideful of their acquired oft’ subsidized knowledge and preferential oft’ subjective morality thus inciting their unconstrained arrogance and far-reaching presumption. Insatiably, they quickly proceed to covet the political power necessary to lord over others’ exercise of preferences therefore privacy and liberty. By so doing, it is the disregard of others’ Singular Human Right to Consent or Not Consent on all matters, inseparably, the disrespect of the observably sole expression of others' Peculiar Human Ability to Reason on all matters.

      To be clear, Politicism is Anti-Individualism, interfering, intervening, interrupting or impeding otherwise ethical activity as unanimously and consensually defined and determined by the two or more persons involved. The very same interfering, intervening, interrupting or impeding actions politic if private would be deemed intolerable, unacceptable, undesirable hence resented even resisted. As it is the publicly educated, propagandized mind of either majorly partisan persuasion have deemed the same arrangements if simply politic as tolerable, acceptable even desirable hence preferred even praised. How perverted have people become per the conditioning, no longer questioning the arbitrariness nor presumption, consequently the gross, politically voyeuristic intrusion into private affairs.

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Well uppercased the Word; Freedom’s logical singularity
Chiseling into pieces innumerably the Whole observably
Lowercasing to pluralities the freedoms fiat yet counterfeit
The lost ante so to play the rigged hand for illusory gambit

For lovely the gauntlet, liken pirouettes all too well spun
Spirits wrung, minds strung, while Truth remains unsung
Although the ballet enchants via government’s lorgnettes
Enlivening the dancers’ ashen costumes and gray aigrettes

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Come let us Reason. Peace is always a Choice.
Study, Ponder, Labor, till last Breath.

Copyright © 2018 by D.C. Quillan Stone

Marijuana, Presumption and Covetousness

Marijuana was once allowed, then criminalized and now allowed again, that is, in some states with Michigan as the latest. Do you think government(s) will be apologizing to those incarcerated for marijuana possession and distribution, whose lives were ruined, liberties restrained and properties confiscated tyrannically? And did it really matter the commodity in question was marijuana, Cuban cigars or chewing gum? Did it really matter the commodity in question was physically/medically beneficial versus harmful, religiously/socially acceptable versus unacceptable, or politically advantageous versus inconvenient?

We have allowed ourselves to be so conditioned (or welcomed it) we no longer question the arbitrariness nor presumption thus the gross intrusion into conducting our private lives. We have long accepted differential sale taxes, gradual income taxes, subsidies and grants to favored recipients, as well various mandates, regulations, bans, embargoes, tariffs, licenses, fees and the list goes on, all inconsistently justified and applied. Yet we hail ourselves as "free people".

I do not think people are as blind by propaganda as assumed for many years, though there are certainly elements of that of course. Rather, people are as arbitrary and presumptuous as the politicians they elect, therefore government simply mirrors the citizenry, that is to say plainly, tyranny in government reflects the tyranny in society. Many will practice "this" or abstain from "that" in their own household, yet remain oddly even perversely discontented until they petition government to force their neighbors to practice "this" or abstain from "that" as well. In this way, it is cruel, inhumane covetousness of others' liberty to live as they prefer. Interestingly, the religious right and the moral left are equal bedfellows in this oddity and perversion.

Come let us Reason. Peace is always a Choice.
Study, Ponder, Labor, till last Breath.

I prefer an evenly divided therefore "broken" Congress

I prefer an evenly divided therefore "broken" Congress, perhaps there will be far less legislation, as originally designed. One can only hope. With that said...

I fear however a forthcoming political media circus as in the 1990s, per conjured and well exaggerated offenses allegedly impeachable, oppose to "actual" breaches of constitutional limits as well crimes against humanity, that is, nearly two decades of US warmongering. abroad The challenge is of course, such "actual" offenses thus charges would have to be levied against Bush, Obama and Trump as well Congress themselves. No one among government nor electorate seems to have the moral fortitude to endeavor the daunting task.

Come let us Reason. Peace is always a Choice.
Study, Ponder, Labor, till last Breath.

Government is a broker in pillage

"Government is a broker in pillage, and every election is a sort of advanced auction on stolen goods."

H.L. Mencken (1880-1956)

Unless there are candidates running solely on a platform of rescission, then this quote applies to tomorrow's elections. With that said, a "stated" choice to NOT VOTE is a vote against the entire system of plunder. It is true, without public statements, how can one tell someone is not voting in this manner oppose to common frustration, apathy or laziness? You can't of course.

Although, how can one tell someone is voting upon much reading, study and research oppose to common blind partisanship, titillating appearances and mannerisms (see note), last-minute checking of boxes, alluring one-liners per blogs and tweets, etc? You can't. Though it is safe to say the majority are the latter, given the sort of politicians, Democrat or Republican, incumbent or challenger, who win elections over and over and over again.

Note:
I am truly amazed how often I hear that this or that politician is a good or moral person without knowing the individual personally. It is not possible to make such a judgement standing in the same room with the person, and certainly not from afar via television or online videos.

Mencken was quite right. Tomorrow is nothing more than a day of pillaging, with federal and state capitols as convenient clearing houses of confiscated goods. Candidates have campaigned and offered to later toss bread to the coliseum mob in exchange for power. Unknowingly, citizens have elected to forgo increased measures of property, liberty even life itself, far more in worth than the few loaves of government bread always poor and stale in quality.

Come let us Reason. Peace is always a Choice.
Study, Ponder, Labor, till last Breath.

More on Human ABILITY to REASON, Human RIGHT to CONSENT - Proem & Poem No. 103

Most likely to be published later this summer of 2019, my 11th book entitled appropriately; More 100 Proems & Poems on the Peculiar Human ABILITY to REASON, Singular Human RIGHT to CONSENT & Other Neglected Matters. The following will probably be included upon further editing, and front cover a slightly modified yet appropriate version of the previous....

PROEM & POEM No. 103 - What Is Covetousness

      To roughly paraphrase the theologian and thinker Francis Schaeffer from his 1971 book True Spirituality, the climatic end to Moses’ list of commandments is the 10th; thou shalt not covet (Ex 20:17).  He goes on to expand and expound, preceding all sins or wrongdoings against others with covetousness, thus the single transgression actually two; the thought then the act. There is of course the two-millennium old parallel where Christ himself levied the same weighty condemnation on the murderous, hateful thought whether the killing act was committed or not (Mt 5:21-22).

      Covetousness per 20th chapter of Exodus are exemplified thus defined quite specifically, by the coveting of another’s family, home, livestock nor any thing that is thy neighbor’s. Later in the 34th chapter, more examples are provided, utilizing the same Hebrew word chamad, forbidding covetousness by confiscation of land when the owners are away.

      Many would dismiss the necessity for the aforementioned examples. Obviously (they would argue), the forceful taking of another’s possessions or properties are clearly wrong. Yet apparently it is not so obvious, nor clear, for societies’ politics are ridden with covetousness manifested by the very same violent actions, well disguised and hidden amid complexities therefore inconsistencies per arbitrary isms, justifications, laws, policies, programs, etc. As pointed out in the previous proem, when covetous thought results to plunderous action, does it really matter if one uses his/her own gun versus the gun of a privately hired enforcer, mobster or assassin versus the gun of a governmentally employed police officer, agent or soldier?

      In today’s democracies peopled with minds well propagandized by government funded schools, two or more sets of principles coexist, rarely questioned the inconsistencies if raised at all. First and privately, a person lives by whatever preferred set of principles driven in part by religion, philosophy and/or sentiment, combined harmonious but more likely disharmonious with inherent propensities regarding their own life, liberty and property. Second and publicly, the same person supports whatever preferred set of principles; sometimes organized as partisan planks and platforms, else formed by trendy isms per academia or media, perhaps wildly melding an array of political postures per personal attachments, however the mode, always in contrast partly or wholly to inherent propensities regarding their own life, liberty and property.

      It is by this oddly practiced dualism, violence assured and embedded covertly or overtly in political/legal systems. Unavoidable as well prerequisite of course are the disregard for the Singular Human Right to Consent or Not Consent on all matters intimate, private, philosophical, , public, social, political, consequently, ethical, inseparably the disrespect for the Peculiar Human Ability to Reason.

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Disastrously great the watersheds, empirically the emotions
Potions then odd devotions per all Isms’ alchemical notions
Untested the juggles, pinned to corners, vie logic’s coroners
Again she weeps, he in streets, aft’ praxeological forerunners

Laborers lament, troubled o’er stubble in blackened fields
Properties sacked as liberties racked, histories well concealed
Duly, individual minds coerced, communal lines rehearsed
“Truth perverse! Lies aspersed, tho’ the loveliest of verse!”

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Come let us Reason. Peace is always a Choice.
Study, Ponder, Labor, till last Breath.

Copyright © 2018 by D.C. Quillan Stone

More on Human ABILITY to REASON, Human RIGHT to CONSENT - Proem & Poem No. 101

Most likely to be published later this summer of 2019, my 11th book entitled appropriately; More 100 Proems & Poems on the Peculiar Human ABILITY to REASON, Singular Human RIGHT to CONSENT & Other Neglected Matters. The following will probably be included upon further editing, and front cover a slightly modified yet appropriate version of the previous....

PROEM & POEM No. 101 - What Is Politics

      What is politics? Instead of you putting your own pistol to someone's head forcing their behavior and/or extorting their possession to satisfy your preference, you vote for politicians thus laws, regulations, policies, programs, licenses, taxes, fees, fines, bans, sanctions and more that put police officers, agents or soldiers’ guns to others’ heads forcing their behavior and/or extorting their possession to satisfy your preference.

      What is politics? Instead of you using your own cattle prod to presumptuously herd other people as though solely instinctive nonhuman specie, corralling them into your preferred ism, environment or society, you vote for politicians thus laws, regulations, policies, programs, licenses, taxes, fees, fines, bans, sanctions and more that use police officers, agents and soldiers’ batons and rifle-butts to presumptuously herd other people as though solely instinctive nonhuman specie, corralling them into your preferred ism, environment or society.

      What is politics? Instead of you disregarding others' Singular Human Right to Consent or Not Consent on all matters, thus disrespecting others' Peculiar Human Ability to Reason on all matters, you vote for politicians thus laws, regulations, policies, programs, licences, taxes, fees, fines, bans, sanctions and more, hence necessitating police officers, agents or soldiers to disregard on your behalf others' Singular Human Right to Consent or Not Consent on all matters, thus disrespecting on your behalf others' Peculiar Human Ability to Reason on all matters.

      Who does Politicism ignore, dismiss, redefine, critique, protest, belittle, ridicule, slander even resent, loathe, despise, hate per covetous propaganda? Who does Politicism hinder, trample, restrain, shackle, castrate, enslave even terminate in various forms abortive, euthanasic, incarcerative, capitally punitive, offensively militaristic, genocidal or holocaustic per avaricious promulgation? Who is Politicism’s analytic censor as well instinctive contender? Individualism of course, or the Individual, that is to literally say, each and every person. To reiterate alternatively, the “who” is the specie human thus individual, antecedent to arrangements communal (if unanimously deemed beneficial), peculiarly able to reason and conclude therefore singularly rightful to consent or dissent, and will do so accordingly, consistently, universally, persistently and if necessary quite insistently.

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O wrested struggle within, the Schaeffer’ian climax to append

To Self ego’ed in glass darkly, aside the Last of the Mosaic Ten

Covetousness haunts the shadowy end of Man’s dimly lit hall

Relentless the gall and Psychosis’ writ as graffito holy on walls

Spirituality truly spewed hence Individuality thoroughly strewn

Humanity’s essence spat upon, scorned long then dragooned

Must not attune, must not contend propaganda’s grandness

Must not portend (empirically) Bastiat’s forewarned madness

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Come let us Reason. Peace is always a Choice.
Study, Ponder, Labor, till last Breath.

Copyright © 2018 by D.C. Quillan Stone