freedom (n) virtue (l)

intro’d to Kevin Miller’s book while having just finished sbj’s emergence.. and while reading dev‘s causal power ness:

freedom nationally virtue locally or socialism

https://www.amazon.com/Freedom-Nationally-Virtue-Locally-Socialism/dp/0615400396

notes/highlights:

preface

p 11

book written for someone like you in mind…. someone too busy to dive into politics ….. and freedom, and virtue… you shouldn’t have to. you’re busy raising kids. serving people well at work….paying the mortgage. saving for retirement. volunteering at the local food bank.

that’s why you vote – you’re busy with life and you’ve been trusting that common sense and solid principles would ultimately prevail in the nation’s capital…

voting ness

p 22

these virtue cram-downs are often led by individuals sworn to uphold the us constitution. apparently, however, these people are not always focuses on whether their actions are *constitutional. instead, they are primarily focused on ‘improving’ the lives of americans by their compliance to brand new ‘virtues.’ and with every federal virtue cram-down, freedom is reduced..

i’d question *constitutional ness as well..

so, numerous, influential washington-attracted individuals work to fulfill their destiny of creating totally virtuous america. they are busy as beavers, constantly cramming down new virtues and installing more new req’s in order to serve their special-interest-of-vital-importance-today=that=we=must-not-neglect…… and, every ‘virtue’ is important enough to force every american to comply with new federal rules, of course

too much ness

and

manufacturing consent ness

p 24

when americans ask the federal govt to deliver both freedom and virtue, they will ultimately get neither…

perhaps public consensus always oppresses someone..

3 reasons:

1\ 535 legislators cannot possibly properly define virtues fora ll americans to live by… congress is not structurally designed to create a set of timeless virtues via the inherently messy legislative process…….

real virtue comes as a clarion call of clear-sighted conscience and conviction to individuals, not from a group-grope of literally hundreds of politician.. these politicians, … are focused on securing compromises in order to pass legislations, getting reelected every cycle…

2\ a million or so often-entrenched, unaccountable govt bureaucrats cannot possible deliver virtue …. at best.. some.. at worst.. pile on even more burdensome req’s w/ pages upon pages of rules that require costly compliance.. forced from above..? rules yes.. virtue no.

B and b

3\ every fed virtue cram-down reduces the freedom of americans in some measure. and the total of all the fed virtual cram-downs reduce freedom in large measure..

free\dom ness

p 26

far from serving all the people, govt service is often targeted to a particular, specialized agenda, a necessary set of virtues, at the always-worth-it-expense-and-sacrifice-of-everybody-else.

p 27

the huge econ costs of fed-virtue-cram-down programs and regs reduce the competitiveness of american companies in world markets, hamper job creation, ane hamstring vital entrepreneurship crucial to american prosperity

(first thing that hugely doesn’t resonate) – ugh… competition.. jobs.. et al

p 29

telling of same way this was going on in 1870s

p 33

telling of many leaders that had pledged life to and/or penned constitution.. not being pleased.. washington, madison, jefferson…. who’s famous observation – ‘173 despots would surely be as oppressive as one.. an elective despotism was not the govt we fought for..

p 43

madison, w his co framers of the constitution, had forge a remarkable structure of a fed govt responsible for ‘freedom nationally’ with ‘virtue locally’ reserve to he people and their local structures

p 47

a defined constitution, actually written down, was essential..

ceasar is the people bound by the constitution (render to ceasar)..inverted in america in 1791

p 52

freedom nationally virtue locally via 1870s

p 55

what to the american slave is your fourth of july – 1852 – frederick douglass

p 56

and over time although painfully slow much of the way, freedom was properly extended to the unenfranchised… here are some highlights.. 1860: slavery; 1879: tribal burials; 1920: women to vote; 1924: indian citizenship; 1954: brown vs board of ed; 1964: civil rights et al..right to vote

oh my.. another hugely non-resonating bit..  just two reasons for now 1\ topics listed did not extend to all unenfranchised  2\ topics listed are not 100% freedom… voting, ed, citizenship… how are those freedom..?

p 62

listing examples of establishing freedom 1\ ww1&2 for liberating europe  2\ marshall plan for europe and transition in japan to ensure stability/freedom  3\ cold war… collapse of soviet empire.. 100s of millions of people worldwide tasted freedom  as world had never seen

oy.

p 63

freedom to determine personal virtues… … americans retain right to determine their own virtues opinions beliefs, and actions… it is not the purview of the fed govt to define and enforce the virtues of americans..

after we’ve spent 8 hrs a day at work/school… toward paying off mortgage/debt…? that’s when we’re free.. to be ourselves… how to account for the fact that by then we are zombies/drained/dead..?

p 68

great urgency was required.. w. official fed govt language coined to accentuate the urgency. no longer could we have bland, bureaucratic language. i was now ‘war.’ so, it was the ‘war on poverty’ and later, the ‘war on drugs’

what’s really the problem ness

30s new deal; 60s great society; 21st cent virtuous america…. that will buy compulsory health care… buy ‘correct’ light bulbs.. forego fuller employment to ensure smelt fish thrives… (how is that bad..?)… eat less sugar salt in every product…

p 69

the people in charge, elected or not, want to force others to the ‘correct’ behavior. of course, this strongly coercive impulse was in king george. and it was and is in every top down fed govt

so.. is ceasar now just the fed govt..

p 70

comes to.. who’s virtue.. virtue locally the best answer

p 74

the simple truth is that covetousness and greed are inseparable from the nature of people.

wow. that’s not the story in my head.

perhaps from nature of science of people.. but not of people..

how can you believe god made us and believe that..? what did he mean.. and it was good?

2 needs.. deep enough

p 74

so nation that wants to minimize greed best served by free markets… where competing businesspeople convince independent consumers – some greedy and some not.. but *all self-funding in their decision s- to voluntarily enter into transaction using their hard earned money

wow again.. if talking virtue.. and human nature.. what about addressing the big red light of money as os.. not natural..  ie: how to assume that ..*all self-funding ness..  story in my head is that this is perspective from a bubble..

p 75

the greed of some americans is rewarded over and over again, while american tax payers are left holding the bag.

bubble talk. whoa. at least tax payers can hold the bag.. what about the millions dying..

the plain truth is that free markets are a natural check on the success of greed, while the fed govt actually promotes and institutionalizes greed.

oy.

then goes on to tell why – that if markets greedy.. raise prices… don’t serve well, the customers simply secure services/products from their competitors..

so .. how’s that working for us..

p 76

on free market being voluntary for all

whoa – missing outside the bubble.. it’s never been all of us.. measuring (transactions et al) and masks.. killing us

p 91

#6 – what..? and 7 .. whoa..

p 102

the law.. or even following the law.. is unable to create righteousness….

on toxic cocktail of ‘christian nation’ and ‘law as moral guide’

p 103

bush and health care and nclb and fannie mae loans… bleeding into… newly formed white house office of faith-based and community initiatives… (now operating under diff management, values, and labeling, of course…)… with this bush admin inappropriately affirmed many americans’ expectations that the fed govt should be int he virtue business… take over and once again increate the fed govt’s power to ‘improve’ the nation’s ‘social justice.’

p 106

on sex ed cramming down sec theorist ism in public ed.

what about all of ed.. ie: history; science;.. being crammed.. not questioned… then.. what about all the day.. being taken up with that.. and what about all of the individual.. being valued by .. ie: following instructions, pledging allegiance, ..

p 107

on co opting the loyalties of christians (i’d say people) retain an illusion of christian influence on politics and process, and ensure that long term sustainable victories are secular in nature.. not christian… ie: christians winning specific battle.. perpetuates by distracting that the long term ness is a loss… haman strategy – *self-inflicted defeat

question use of christian vs human.. and question use of win vs loss.. we’ll never get there if we ongoingly perpetuate binary ness – our *broken feedback loop

p 109

on govt having no effective, locally-responsible, accountability mech to accurately/wisely distinguish between legit needy individual americans and ‘entitlement artists’ simply harvesting cash from fed govt

need for a mech simple enough.. one that listens w/o agenda.. and disengages from money as os

p 111

on abilities today to see more global needs… and to study historical record of generally free0market economies significantly improving the lives of huge swaths of large populations, as compared to the giving impact of churches and nonprofits.

hmm..  i know that’s been the story.. but the story in my head is that it’s another version of your haman strategy.. thinking.. schooling the world ness.. and how this micro econ is just again perpetuating money as os.. kinder? yeah.. bandaid? yeah.. can we do better?.. absolutely..

a nother way

ie: hosting-life-bits.. rather than measuring transactions..

p 112

using what they have learned.. these christians understandably become convinced that capitalism and free markets have done exponentially more for the poor than the universal christian church’s efforts or funding, of which they remain enthusiastic participants.. and.. meanwhile they watch govt programs..(un, war on poverty).. .. .. conclude programs flawed in delivery.. often lining pockets of people in charge and/or people conduiting.. ..

..conclude that capitalism and free markets have done exponentially more for poor than funding fed/international govt programs..

p 113

questions – which approach *succeeds in actually creating a reasonable standard of living…

lots of energy cast/lost toward questioning within boundary of an assumed *success (beg for flavors).. and.. so.. why we have not yet.. gotten to equity..

then after answering such questions (again.. bound by assumptions/manufactured consent ness) they conclude it is their duty to strongly advocate free markets..property rights.. rules of law.. as basic.. to meet needs of poor…

p 114

and these *ordinary people often enjoy affordable products and conveniences easily beyond the imaginations and comprehensions of the kings of yesteryear..

ordinary perhaps.. but in a bubble.. ie: what about so many dying in flight from oppression.. wars, prisons, depression from..peer pressure to not be selves…. et al

then he goes on to describe all the plusses, ie: ..

1\ dignity of person made in image of god is nurtured by being valued by marketplace for his/her hard work

but this is not for everyone.. and none of us are free if one of us is chained – and no matter how pretty/kind our bubble.. we don’t want this for everyone.. because our os is not money. . .our value is not in measuring transactions.. rewarding hard work.. (we will never find/fix us if we don’t disengage from this) … our os is in our one ness.. in multiple/emergent.. including all the changing/ongoing flavors of success

2\ market-generated opportunity in multi faceted marketplace helps develop every person’s unique god given gifting..

oy.. spinach or rock ness.. perpetuating not-us ness

3\ marketplace afford opportunities for the common person to serve others honestly, freely, and meaninguflly, instead of effectively being subservient to either the state or state-favored cronies..

but subservient to supposed to’s and obligations and..not-us ness… sounds like total haman strategy again..

4\ free markets create every-street-corner opportunities for the common person to fulfill previously-unheard-of-opportunities for ethical stewardship of resources entrusted to him/her..

perhaps.. but perhaps.. so not..

a nother way..   for (blank)’s sake…

(short) – and (short bp for bp lovers)

_______

find/follow Kevin:

http://www.ccu.edu/spotlights/faculty/kmiller/

---