A.I.M. Users Bulletin Board

[pragmatico]

Robo says: Would you please explain and clarify your meaning of "return to sanity" for me? Maybe my standards are to high, and need to be modified.

Based on many of your previous posts, I'm sure we share some perspectives. It looks like I might even have to approach realism here, though I'm not as confident about what it is as you are!

When I used the phrase, "return to sanity," I had in my imagination (at that moment) the swinging of a pendulum which, on it's way back to the other extreme, will momentarily pass through its nadir and give the illusion of balance/sanity. When enough body bags start coming home, or when too many voters can't be hornswaggled any longer concerning "peace making" efforts, fighting "evil," and other forms of interference (non neutrality), a retrenchment will be the order of the day. The pendulum will have reached one extreme and will be headed the other way toward yet another extreme which is likely to be just as unrewarding for most of mankind.

I believe it's our duty to protect ourselves and our families as best we can within the framework of external conditions that we have little obvious chances of controlling. Doing the best we can--physically, emotionally, mentally, spiritually--under current and anticipated conditions, no matter what those conditions might be, is the hallmark of spiritual survival. Complaining about the conditions is a non starter.

Oh, yes, we can vote if we want to, and we can play an active political role if we have an affinity for such things, and we can support any number of movements that endeavor to change the world for the better, but when all is said and done, the only practical control that most of us have is control over our personal reactions and responses to the things happening around us. External happenings can get pretty ugly at times, but we certainly don't have to respond by perpetuating ugliness in ever more creative ways! If I understand how the universe works (and I believe I do, for better or for worse), that will not help at all. But creating an oasis in our midst will.

As I wax toward realism (Robo, you must love this), I'll say it amounts to daydreaming to expect the ethics and spiritual insights of individuals who hold positions of power in governing bodies to be any greater than anyone else's ethics or spiritual insights. Just because they are part of those governing bodies, or because the laws say they must be more ethical, or because they say God Bless America at every opportunity, doesn’t mean that they have the integrity needed for great leadership. On the contrary, it wouldn't be much of a stretch to say that, overall, the ethics of our "leaders" are likely to be a bit worse since political power corrupts ever so well; also because privilege is so highly cherished by those in power. Here's the bottom line: Growing power means growing interference in the lives of others to gain ever greater control of their minds, hearts, and resources. There's probably only about one man in a thousand who can't be corrupted by power, and few of these are in public office anywhere in the world.

Therefore, we know full well that others are systematically trying to strip from us what we've earned with our sweat and blood so they can invest it in their own favorite projects like war (oops, I mean "peace-making"), vote-buying, or coercive wealth transfer to achieve the impossible dream of social equity. Even supposed "beneficial" projects are seldom found to be beneficial when one fully understands what price so many have forcefully paid in the background to provide the resources for the projects. The most insidious methods for stripping us of our wealth are the inflation tax, the regulations tax, and the freedom tax. Governments can easily keep overt taxes under control when they have access to these other beauties!

So, when I say a wartime economy is a mega trend (one that has already begun), it's based on an understanding of human nature and the momentum of the swinging pendulum. In my view, it is not unethical to bet that human nature will be running true to form for some time to come, especially the nature of those installed in power leadership! If you have to take a risk to retain financial stability--and it seems world governments have made that absolutely necessary through the institution of inflation and other confiscatory techniques--then a risk that depends on human nature running true to form for a while longer seems to be very small, indeed! There are no guarantees, but I sure like this bet.

Therefore, if you also think a wartime economy is a mega trend, then it makes sense to use that information (which everyone has access to) to protect yourself and your family as best you can. The trick is to do that without becoming joyless and introverted, for others will also be needing support in countless ways, no matter where the pendulum is.