Posted on 08/21/2002 9:24:24 PM PDT by Sir Gawain
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That ol' bugaboo, "slave reparations," is once again in the news. Blacks who may have had distant ancestors who were enslaved in this country a century-and-a-half ago or more — or who may not have had x-great grandparents whose rights were so abused — have turned up the publicity machine in their justice-violating quest to force "whites" (and anyone else who pays taxes, including other blacks) to fork over billions of dollars to the select few. They're out demonstrating and exercising that right to free speech that so many Americans have fought to defend. 'Course, the fact that the ancestors of many whites and Asians and Hispanics never owned any slaves in America's history — and some of whom may have had ancestors who, in fact, died in vicious battles to end slavery — doesn't factor in the equation for the intellectually-challenged reparations crowd. (For more on the egregious nonsense of those who believe in collective guilt, see my essay, "The Roots of the Problem.") I think many of those poor, long-dead souls who actually were enslaved in the various states of this country and who did deserve reparations for what they suffered would avert their gazes from what their arrogant descendants are attempting to do. Even more than denouncing the gross injustice of the present-day reparations movement, however, those figuratively or literally chained people who yearned to be free would hang their heads in shame if they were aware of the "New Slavery" that has swept this nation during the last century. The blacks who were shipped here from Africa or who were born into their miserable, subhuman state did not seek such a degrading existence. The reins of their fates were seized from their grasps and handed, willy-nilly, to whomever could fork over the cash. Legally but immorally "owned," bought and sold as though they were property, the blacks who worked, loved, cried, and died over the centuries as they helped make other people rich would have been thrilled simply to be free. For any blacks who did manage to win or purchase their freedom, they would have been appalled should someone have suggested that they voluntarily surrender their hard-won liberty. To even hint to a proud individual who once felt the sting of the whip that he would somehow be better off enslaved is insulting on the face of it...and anyone who would encourage or actively seek to achieve such a loathsome state of being is an insult to humanity by his very existence.
Today's SlaveryYet what other than this debased condition do we observe in America and virtually every other society in the world? Black, white, Asian, or Indian, the vast majority of people of all ethnic or racial backgrounds not only tolerates their own enslavement, they practically slather for it. Even many so-called "libertarians" shudder at the words of someone who wholeheartedly and unabashedly promotes true liberty. "Too extreme," they cry. "You'll turn people off to freedom if you're too blunt. Soft-pedal your message." Boldly state that all drugs and substances of any kind should be freely available to any adult — without prescription or limitation — who wants to purchase and consume them, and many "libertarians" will whisper that we can support ending the Drug War and relegalizing recreational drugs, but we still need to accept State regulation and taxation. Shout that the right to self-defense includes weapons such as machine guns and other military-style hardware for any law-abiding citizen to own and, perhaps, to carry if he so chooses, and many "libertarians" will blanch. People can own guns, they say, but only rifles and handguns. No machine guns. And carry-permits must be accepted. And background checks. And proficiency tests. The average citizen is even more inured to being told what he may consume, how he shall or shall not be permitted to defend himself, how much of his own money he will be allowed to keep, how he shall or shall not education himself or his children. How much water he can use to flush away his own wastes... Is there nothing, no area of life that is sacrosanct anymore? Will Americans accept any and all transgressions of freedom in the name of "security" or "well-being" or "for the environment" or "for the children"? Are Americans truly that spineless, that cowardly, that insecure, that blind to the reality to which they knowingly and/or eagerly subject themselves? Recently, I witnessed on television the revolting spectacle of a lawyer for the nutrition industry — those people who want to sell you herbs and other "natural" remedies — literally demanding that the companies who push vitamins and such be regulated by the government! Here in all its naked obscenity was the essence of the modern American psyche. Regulate me! Tell me what to do! Force me to behave for my own good! Provide for my welfare with my own money! I'm too ignorant and stupid to care for myself! I can't plan for my own retirement! Do it for me! Protect and defend me! Comfort me! I'm helpless to decide! I can't handle the responsibility! I can't be moral on my own! Food. Water. Health. Clothing. Housing. Transportation. Sex. Defense. Garbage. Money. Entertainment. Technology. Education. Law. Morality. Race. Speech. Thoughts. Trade. Jobs. Personal relationships. Manufacturing. Music. Discrimination. Hatred. Death. The State is invited into virtually every aspect of our lives. Cradle-to-grave is no longer merely a metaphor. Election after election, politicians and voters spout the same bilge: we want to be free; we believe in personal responsibility; we want to do what's right, what's best. None of what they say is true. They lie to themselves. They lie to us. They lie to each other. None of their words matches what they do...or what it is they truly desire. To call such individuals "sheeple" is to denigrate sheep. The woolly critters don't know any better. Humans do. We are treated to the vision of slaves who not only beg to be taken under massah's sheltering wings and iron fists, but slaves who venerate, praise, and hold the men and women wielding the whips and chains as valued members of our culture; role models to be imitated and applauded for their selfless sacrifice. At least the "selfless" and "sacrificial" parts are true... Like good slaves, the ninety-eight percent of Americans who extol the New Slavery quake under the stern gaze of their masters even while secretly relishing the "freedom" from the necessities of life they erroneously believe is bestowed upon them by their betters. The rest of us quiver from the anger and contempt we feel at the disgusting displays of smugness and self-righteousness emanating from the majority who would gladly see us destroyed, removed as unpleasant and unsettling reminders of what life could be like, what life should be like, as independent and complete human beings. Once, people fought desperately to escape slavery and to be free. Now, they fight as fiercely to escape freedom and to be enslaved. The choice, as always, is yours. See Russ Madden's articles, short stories, novel excerpts, and items of interest to Objectivists, libertarians, and sci-fi fans at http://home.earthlink.net/~rdmadden/webdocs/. |
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Is there nothing, no area of life that is sacrosanct anymore? Will Americans accept any and all transgressions of freedom in the name of "security" or "well-being" or "for the environment" or "for the children"?
My guesses: try to regulate sex, forbid entertainment (especially sports), go after their guns (on a large scale) or go after physical custody of their children, and the majority of Americans will say "enough!" The statists are smart enough to do all of these on a small scale, individually, and do everything else under the sun without fear of criticism.
Of course, a major attack usually wakes us up, but as WTC'01 has taught us, we can quickly be put back to sleep. It's scary how often I'm starting to hear people getting reminded of the attack and saying things like, "let it go", "forget about it", and "well, we should stay out of other peoples' business."
They won't try to regulate sex or entertainment - those are good distractions for the masses. But guns? The salami slicer approach continues. It will be very interesting to see what happens when the assault weapon ban expires in a year or two...will we be permitted to buy those evil 20 round magazines again? And regarding children...have you noticed how much child protective services does these days?
I fear that I must argue for the answer (a) and (b), rather than "all of the above"!
I will be very interesting to see IF the assault weapon ban expires in 2004... If it does, you'll be able to buy the magazines and a bunch of newly manufactured guns that have been prohibited of late. I never did understand the logic of forbidding new manufacture, but allowing the old stuff to be bought & sold freely - if they are so evil, then why allow the trade, and if not, why the limit on new manufacture?
This article correctly points out that our ancestors (of all races) would be ashamed of how we accept the chains of the Fedgov. Someday, people will get sick of it. I hope that the Fedgov pays "reparations" to descendants of slaves - because I believe that lots of people will stop paying their taxes, and it might even go so far as a few federal officials taking a premature dirt nap. One can only hope.
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