Maggie's Farm

“I receive many emails from readers. A significant percentage of these express violent hatred of the government. Many are those who think they can diagnose a sick republic, when the correct diagnosis is a sick society. The government in our time reflects the condition of the governed. We have become a permissive people. We tolerate what should not be tolerated. We have become consumers instead of citizens. We have become narcissistic and foolish.”

“Ludwig von Mises asked: “Who is responsible for the deplorable events of the last decades?” According to Mises, “Almost all the fathers of socialism were members of the upper middle class or of the professions.”
That same analysis holds for the United States, as well. “It is not true,” wrote Mises, “that the dangers to the maintenance of peace, democracy, freedom, and capitalism are a result of a ‘revolt of the masses.’ They are an achievement of scholars and intellectuals, of sons of the well-to-do, of writers and artists pampered by the best society.” It seems that the socialist revolution of our time is born out of bourgeois affluence. Therefore, the greatest affluence promises the greatest of all revolutions.”

Nyquist contradicts himself here. Our government does not reflect over half of its governed at the moment; and it is not the ‘governed’, the every day citizen who has the control. As Nyquist tells us, it is the intellectuals and well-to-do, the affluent, who have sway over the governed. And if violence is evil, as he says, what is pacifism?

“Today’s totalitarian powers are akin to scavengers who patiently wait on progressive enervation to do most of their work. They see the advance of American decadence. They see our rising debt. They see that a great financial correction is coming.”

Now clean it up, Mr. Nyquist. What’s your solution? We’ve had enough observations to last us until doomsday.
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I don't know, Buddy. Barrett came up with solutions. He doesn't plan to go out there alone and make those things happen anymore than he would will his heart back into rhythm. But suppose a "Barrett" did become our president? Sounds to me as if he'd do some serious ass-kicking.

What confounds me is no one is doing anything. I was taught that if I had a complaint not to utter it unless I could offer a solution. We have those who do the doomsday, looking-back, pining away writers - few who offer solutions much less the strategy to get them done; and we have those who know what the solutions are but have no way to bring them about. It isn't a 'fault' of either, but I'm sick and tired of being told just what lowlife sloths we are and how we're doomed. That does not make people want to rise up and fight - it just depresses them, which is the last thing we need right now. We can spend our lives learning from the past and ultimately find ourselves in the past when it is the future that beckons us. Do not complain unless you have a solution. Bring me up off my knees, for crying out loud.
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Piffle. Half our population is made up of idiots. The Duh-Factor trumps any possibility of cynicism in these/those people, so forget them. Except we can't because Marshall McLuhan was right: The medium is the message, and those idjits are buying it. For the rest of us who come by our cynicism justly, we have a huge fight ahead of us, and reminding us with lugubrious lamentations by writers who love to remind us of what befalls us if we don't pay homage to the past is not helping. They're not wrong, and I'm sure they are sincere, but give us a break. Nyquist creates "willed futility" - along with every other writer of history who feels compelled to warn us and remind us how frivolous we have been. Greek tragedy writ large is a fact, but it hasn't happened yet, and making us stand numb with a finger up our nose and pizzle down one leg of our jeans is not where we need to be. I don't think our smarter half needs any more reminding right now. Just give us someone we can stand behind...... lawww, what a force we'd be after reading all this doom and gloom. I'm ready to take up whatever 'arms' we need, but quit whining at me! I'm learned, I'm learned.......
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You give in too easily. I love that in a man.

:}

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You wrote it because you're as frustrated as the rest of us. I understand what you're saying about the 'ordinary' good guy being unelectable, but you ran into a tiny flaw.... I think, anyway. I think there is an electable person out there who thinks the way you do. Now here's where I veer off-course: I want a military guy who understands discipline and orders and deals with insubordination as only the military can. First week in office, the order goes out to every government, federal and state, to cut 10% of its work force out. Unemployment lasts three weeks.

sigh.... I'm so idealistic. But I truly believe the pendulum is on its way back down. We're in the midst of chaos, and the only way out is up. And this time, I think we will have learned something - for a change.

P.S. A military man has fought for this country. He'll not be apt to go around apologizing for it.
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