I don’t go around preaching liberty all day, but most of my friends know my position or at least have an idea of what I think.  Politics come up from time to time and if time permits, I generally do not bite my tongue.  My thoughts are definitely outside of the mainstream so I don’t usually get agreement right away.  When I say taxes are backed by violence some people think I’m crazy, some people get visibly upset, and sometimes people are intrigued.  The people who show some interest usually ask more questions and by the end of a long conversation I’ll hear something like “This all sounds great, but nothing is going to change so why do you care?”, or, “That is interesting, but I am a realist, how does this help us in today’s society?”

Why do I care?  That is a question I have asked myself over the years.  I used to think similarly to George Orwell’s Winston Smith in 1984.  When he is arrested he is sure they’re going to kill him and as long as he knows the truth in his might, he wins.  I often think I have all these statists around me, but if in my own mind I do not submit to them, I can die one day knowing they never got to me. After all, the truth is the truth. At one time slavery was accepted all over the world, those few who dissented were not incorrect.

Just last week a friend of mine sent me a story I had never heard before, “The White Rose – A Lesson in Dissent”.  Anyone reading this blog post should click that link.  It is an inspiring story in the name of freedom.  Hitler and the Nazis had overwhelming support in 1930s Germany, despite this, a group of students promoted the truth.  They secretly printed and distributed pamphlets (read them here) against the Nazis which ultimately lead to their execution.

People in the past have sacrificed greatly in the pursuit of truth, we cannot forget them.  Many Germans in the 1990s had a tough time coming to grips with the fact that their grandparents were Nazis.  Their family past was often hidden by their parents, and when they finally learned the truth, they were overwhelmed with the guilt by association because their grandparents were just doing their jobs.  What side of history do you want to be on?  If you were German, would you rather your grandchildren know you were on the side of the Nazis or the White Rose?

The truth is the truth, eventually you cannot deny it.  The truth will win out in the end.  One day Keynesian Economics will go the way of Alchemy and future generations will laugh that so many “intellectuals” believed that garbage.   This is why I care.  I am not seeking personal gain or pushing an agenda, I am seeking the truth.   I will be on the right side of history and my grandchildren will be proud.  One day in the future through education and spreading the idea of liberty, our vision will be reality.  While I might be long gone at that time, I will have gotten in on the ground level.  I think that is something to be proud of, and that is why I care.

Slappy Jones II