Tuesday, July 05, 2005
Independence Day
The Fourth day of July, 1776 was a great day in our country's history to be sure. Who could argue with a statement like that? Perhaps the people who are held down economically? Perhaps the people who think our government should be doing more to help the people in Africa? Perhaps the people who think America is all about money and the only way we can be truly free is to even out the supply of money? Perhaps the people who are not so happy with freedom and liberty?
Perhaps our great country is really not so great anymore. Maybe we could learn a few lessons from our ancient forefathers. Perhaps we could think a bit more clearly about our government's role in our lives. Maybe we should demand less from our great government and expect more from our great people. After all, it is always people who do things. Governments can do nothing on their own. Only people act and only people can steer government to do anything at all. Ever!
Many people in this country these days are trying to steer our government into becoming all things to all people worldwide. We are the givingest folks on the planet. But we get no credit from the rest of the world for any help we try to bring to the table. They can only ask for more. Hell, even many folks in this country demand that our government give more aid, assistance, help, MONEY, to the continent of Africa. Money will not help Africa in the end. It is always up to the people. Always!
I tuned in briefly off and on, to the Live 8 shows on MTV and VH1. I was sufficiently unimpressed. Perhaps the show was better on the internet, but the hosts of the TV shows seemed to be so enamored of the event itself that they could only gush platitudes about what a great event it all was instead of letting the performers speak for themselves with their music. I like good music and would have been happy to watch some of the musicians practice their trade. I think music is a great thing and an event with such top name acts is a wonderful way to entertain.
What I don't like is the insinuation that Americans do not give their fair share to the poor countries of Africa. Africa needs a lot of help but it must begin with the African people themselves. Leaders like Robert Mugabe of Zimbabwe will not help make Africa a self-sustaining or even a stable continent by confiscating land from "evil, rich" landowners and giving it to poor people who have no concepts of what it takes to be a successful farmer. Or by forcing poor city dwellers to move to the countryside and become farmers when they have no knowledge or means to make a piece of land productive.
Africa is in trouble because Africans have continued to make the same mistakes over and over again, expecting a different result apparently. This is insanity. And no amount of money from the USA or any other country will make this situation better. They need freedom and they need liberty. The people need to be taught how to fish. There are plenty of organizations, people, corporations, charities, whatever who would gladly help these people learn how to fish. But what the do-gooders of the world are expecting is more fish to give to the African people. .7% of our GDP to go toward African aid? I don't think so! Not from our tax dollars! Give from your own pocket, if you are so inclined, but keep your sticky fingers out of the taxpayer slush fund.
Africans need to help themselves first. We should stop giving them fish at all. It's time they started fishing on their own. Doesn't every parent eventually let their child walk, however unsteadily, on their own the first time? Focusing on Africa's poverty will not make it go away. You cannot eliminate poverty by wishing it so. And you cannot make poverty disappear by throwing money at it, even though it would seem to be that this is the exact way to end it, but it does not work this way. Only the people of Africa can make it go away. Only Africa can save Africa.
I don't mean to be a hard-nosed individual. I will gladly help out with donations but I think I need to see some more effort from the people affected trying to help themselves out first. They must love liberty and freedom and have a desire to pick themselves up by the bootstraps, expend the necessary effort, and become self-sufficient on their own. They will appreciate it and they will fight for it once they understand it. You cannot force freedom and liberty and prosperity on anyone. They must achieve it for themselves.
The African people need to want freedom and liberty. Some do, of course, but more are needed. The bleeding hearts who cry for more help for the African people do them a grave disservice by pleading for more and more assistance. They should be encouraging the Africans to educate themselves, to learn farming techniques, to figure out ways to feed their people by their own devices. They need to yearn for liberty, they need to yearn for their own freedoms. They need to learn to do for themselves, and then do it, rather than begging for outside help to get them out of a jam.
Africans should be hopping mad! Not because they are not getting enough financial aid from the rest of the world. But because they are not getting enough credit from the rest of the world for being able to take care of themselves. They should be hopping mad and ready to end the idiot government regimes, like Mugabe's, that keep their people down and oppressed. Oppression should be a fuel to the desire for freedom. Let them get hungry enough for liberty and maybe they will destroy the rulers who keep their people oppressed for the ruler's own benefit.
And if the African people are not mad enough to grab the freedom and liberty they desire and to unseat the ridiculous rulers who keep them down, then I say they are not ready for the results of freedom and liberty. Let them simmer a while longer until the passion is strong enough for them to do what needs to be done. We cannot give them freedom, it must be won. And it must be won by the African people.
I am very pleased and thankful for the actions of the dreamers back in the late 1700s. A small minority of forward thinking, smart folks laid the framework for the greatest country in this world's history. I still believe that even though I don't like the path we have taken in the 20th century towards socialism. I think that path can be altered and we can get back on the right track for ensuring freedom and liberty for all in this nation. Let the rest of the world learn it for themselves. It is the only way.
OH
Perhaps our great country is really not so great anymore. Maybe we could learn a few lessons from our ancient forefathers. Perhaps we could think a bit more clearly about our government's role in our lives. Maybe we should demand less from our great government and expect more from our great people. After all, it is always people who do things. Governments can do nothing on their own. Only people act and only people can steer government to do anything at all. Ever!
Many people in this country these days are trying to steer our government into becoming all things to all people worldwide. We are the givingest folks on the planet. But we get no credit from the rest of the world for any help we try to bring to the table. They can only ask for more. Hell, even many folks in this country demand that our government give more aid, assistance, help, MONEY, to the continent of Africa. Money will not help Africa in the end. It is always up to the people. Always!
I tuned in briefly off and on, to the Live 8 shows on MTV and VH1. I was sufficiently unimpressed. Perhaps the show was better on the internet, but the hosts of the TV shows seemed to be so enamored of the event itself that they could only gush platitudes about what a great event it all was instead of letting the performers speak for themselves with their music. I like good music and would have been happy to watch some of the musicians practice their trade. I think music is a great thing and an event with such top name acts is a wonderful way to entertain.
What I don't like is the insinuation that Americans do not give their fair share to the poor countries of Africa. Africa needs a lot of help but it must begin with the African people themselves. Leaders like Robert Mugabe of Zimbabwe will not help make Africa a self-sustaining or even a stable continent by confiscating land from "evil, rich" landowners and giving it to poor people who have no concepts of what it takes to be a successful farmer. Or by forcing poor city dwellers to move to the countryside and become farmers when they have no knowledge or means to make a piece of land productive.
Africa is in trouble because Africans have continued to make the same mistakes over and over again, expecting a different result apparently. This is insanity. And no amount of money from the USA or any other country will make this situation better. They need freedom and they need liberty. The people need to be taught how to fish. There are plenty of organizations, people, corporations, charities, whatever who would gladly help these people learn how to fish. But what the do-gooders of the world are expecting is more fish to give to the African people. .7% of our GDP to go toward African aid? I don't think so! Not from our tax dollars! Give from your own pocket, if you are so inclined, but keep your sticky fingers out of the taxpayer slush fund.
Africans need to help themselves first. We should stop giving them fish at all. It's time they started fishing on their own. Doesn't every parent eventually let their child walk, however unsteadily, on their own the first time? Focusing on Africa's poverty will not make it go away. You cannot eliminate poverty by wishing it so. And you cannot make poverty disappear by throwing money at it, even though it would seem to be that this is the exact way to end it, but it does not work this way. Only the people of Africa can make it go away. Only Africa can save Africa.
I don't mean to be a hard-nosed individual. I will gladly help out with donations but I think I need to see some more effort from the people affected trying to help themselves out first. They must love liberty and freedom and have a desire to pick themselves up by the bootstraps, expend the necessary effort, and become self-sufficient on their own. They will appreciate it and they will fight for it once they understand it. You cannot force freedom and liberty and prosperity on anyone. They must achieve it for themselves.
The African people need to want freedom and liberty. Some do, of course, but more are needed. The bleeding hearts who cry for more help for the African people do them a grave disservice by pleading for more and more assistance. They should be encouraging the Africans to educate themselves, to learn farming techniques, to figure out ways to feed their people by their own devices. They need to yearn for liberty, they need to yearn for their own freedoms. They need to learn to do for themselves, and then do it, rather than begging for outside help to get them out of a jam.
Africans should be hopping mad! Not because they are not getting enough financial aid from the rest of the world. But because they are not getting enough credit from the rest of the world for being able to take care of themselves. They should be hopping mad and ready to end the idiot government regimes, like Mugabe's, that keep their people down and oppressed. Oppression should be a fuel to the desire for freedom. Let them get hungry enough for liberty and maybe they will destroy the rulers who keep their people oppressed for the ruler's own benefit.
And if the African people are not mad enough to grab the freedom and liberty they desire and to unseat the ridiculous rulers who keep them down, then I say they are not ready for the results of freedom and liberty. Let them simmer a while longer until the passion is strong enough for them to do what needs to be done. We cannot give them freedom, it must be won. And it must be won by the African people.
I am very pleased and thankful for the actions of the dreamers back in the late 1700s. A small minority of forward thinking, smart folks laid the framework for the greatest country in this world's history. I still believe that even though I don't like the path we have taken in the 20th century towards socialism. I think that path can be altered and we can get back on the right track for ensuring freedom and liberty for all in this nation. Let the rest of the world learn it for themselves. It is the only way.
OH
# posted by OH @ 7:42 AM 
