Month: November 2016

Who Is The Establishment?

There is a distressingly dwindling divide between economic power and political power in the United States today.

A word that made its way into common usage this political year was “Establishment“, and it became wildly popular with both those on the right and the left to describe anyone that disagreed with them. This casual use of the word by people desperately trying to sound far more informed and educated than they clearly are robs the American people of an important word of warning that gives a name to the hissing sound of shifting wires that tug at the pliable and corrupt political system we find ourselves increasingly suffering from.

Let’s be very clear. This kind of adolescent indifference to exact definitions of words is exactly the kind of insipid behavior that conservatives have long suffered from the left and is no less insufferable when those who claim to be on the right do it. Not everyone that is rich is greedy. Not everyone that is white is a racist. And not everyone that is long tenured in government or is politically active is necessarily a member of the Establishment. Sadly, if nothing else, the 2016 presidential election has demonstrated just how pervasive this sophomoric misunderstanding of what or who the Establishment actually is has become.

The misunderstanding itself is as much a symptom of a larger and more looming problem as it is a problem in and of itself, as it demonstrates the philosophical literacy of what was once considered the right has reached toddler levels of sophistication. The larger issue is well beyond the scope of a single essay. The other, smaller, problem, one of definitions, is one we can deal with in a few hundred words, so let’s start there.

So what or who is the definition of the “Establishment“? Is this even actually a thing or no more seriously than a tin foil hat conspiracy theory of late night tabloid radio? Well, it’s real enough that it appears in the Bible.

“The rich rule over the poor,
and the borrower is slave to the lender.”
-Proverbs 22:7-

Money, like any object or idea, can be used for good purposes as well as evil, and it is crucial to keep this in mind as we unpack the Establishment. We aren’t condemning those who have been successful in their pursuit of happiness, because acquiring wealth through honest hard work is at the very heart of the American Dream. When we’re talking about the Establishment, we’re not talking about them. Wealth alone does not make someone a member of the Establishment, but all members of the Establishment are wealthy or in some direct way benefactors of the wealthy.

Political activism is also not, by itself, an indicator of the Establishment. There are, after all, clearly people who are politically active for causes on both sides of the political aisle that are truly invested in the good of the people as their intended goals, regardless of the soundness of their ideology. So long as they see themselves as a voice among many, rich and poor, they can’t necessarily be condemned along with the Establishment. Political activism, however, is a necessary part of the Establishment’s game.

The Establishment are those that possess great wealth who then use that great wealth to acquire political influence, directly or indirectly, over and above the common people (even when they believe their goals benevolent) in order to perpetuate their wealth and political power. This has been true throughout the ages, though outside of the United States the connections between economic power and political power has a much more incestuous. Every king and petty dictator has claimed ownership of their national assets, parceling out land and resources to kin and cohorts, all in the name of perpetuating their regimes.

At the time and, to a large point, still alone in the world, the United States was founded on the simple principle that all men are moral equals, so that no one person is born politically superior to another. Even while one may be born with certain traits that may give him or her an advantage over another, both the greater and lesser are entitled to the same basic rights, no more and certainly no less. The Establishment fundamentally rejects this fundamentally liberal principle, clinging to their Dark Age aristocratic pretensions.

“Born and educated in this country, I glory in the name of Britain.”
-King George III-

There is a distressingly dwindling divide between economic power and political power in the United States today. For much of the history of our republic, the rich were forced to buy favors from politicians in order to exert political power only indirectly, because the people had the good sense to remain suspicious of the motives and actions of the rich. That all changed as of this last election, and the Rubicon has tragically finally been crossed.

While tremendous noise was heard about reforming a corrupt political system our president-elect freely admitted to participating in, he now surrounds himself with the same names and faces of long time political players and party loyalists. Too many are too blind or simply too ignorant to see that the Establishment may very well have staged the entire political coup on themselves, leaving us at the mercy of a narcissistic, wealthy, authoritarian Establishment influence peddler who has been pulling strings of power his entire life.

The more things change…

Liberty is For The Win!

We just checked, and it turns out that fighting for Liberty isn’t free, because it requires time and energy to research, prepare, and propagate this message for you. Please drop just a dollar a month into the proverbial tip jar and become a Patriot Patron. Of course, don’t forget to like, subscribe, and share. Keep this fight for Liberty going! – @LibertyIsFTW

Getting What You Pay For

Only through clear eyed hindsight, do the one to one connections between who we gave voice to and this election become obvious.

Another Black Friday dawns in America, and the consumerist chaos that this day is famous for takes over across the country. Millions of bargain hunting shoppers sacrificed sleep, comfort, and even their sanity to buy gifts for as little as possible, chasing the biggest deals with the feverish enthusiasm of an opening day game hunter. Billions of dollars will flow from the pockets of Americans of all political stripes in exchange for toys, electronics, appliances, clothes, etc. in an spasm of mass consumption, whittling down the list of things they were thankful just one day before.

On a better note, millions in bills and loose coins will find their way into red kettles next to a someone braving the elements and the crowds to ring a bell, as the Salvation Army sees the bulk of its charitable donations that it needs to do good. This proves that our nation is still one of good and decent people for whom the most desperate among us remain in our hearts and minds. It is upon this firm foundation that our nation was founded, and it is upon this same foundation she will be revived.

Imagine for a moment, however, if the amount of investment in time, energy, and money was directed at outlets of political philosophy. What would the political megaphone of Rush Limbaugh party loyalism be like? What about Mark Levin’s megaphone of constitutional philosophy? Or Ann Coulter’s megaphone of nationalist thuggery? For many Conservatives for whom the most recent election remains a sore spot, consider the myriad powerful voices who lead America principles to the political gallows of electoral expediency.

Those in the pundit class, like Rush Limbaugh, Matt Drudge, Sean Hannity, Ann Coulter, Bill O’Reilly, and Laura Ingraham, have made millions feeding the Republicans and moderates their own brand of right wing political relativism. While they seemed to be on our side, how many of our hard earned dollars poured into their coffers, feeding their media empires and amplifying their voices to the masses? What did we get in return? The 2016 elections.

Only through clear eyed hindsight, do the one to one connections between who we gave voice to and this election become obvious. We got precisely what we paid for. No more. No less.

While it’s comfortable to blame the established syndicate of opinion shapers and makers, the blame is not theirs alone. We are to blame. The results of this election lie squarely on our shoulders as well, and if we want different results in the future, we must change our consumption behaviors as Conservatives. First, this means that we must stop contributing to the vile nationalist jingoistic muck that fills the airways coming from the established pundit class. There’s no better way to do this than to simply turn them off. Without us, they are nothing.

Second, we must find new sources political philosophy dedicated to broadcasting Liberty and Principle to fill the void. If you’re going to wait for the pundits to start doing what they have not done after they have won, then you’re part of the problem, not the solution. Reality dictates a one-two punch that leopards can’t change their spots and society pays attention to those what others are paying attention to. Just stand in the middle of a sidewalk looking up on a busy street, and notice just how many people will look up as well.

It’s just how we’re wired. If we want more people paying attention to those who promote core conservative messages, then we need only pay attention to those core conservative messages. It’s really that simple. Imagine what America would look like if “Liberty is For The Win” were a household name, consumed daily by millions of American voters of every stripe. Now, dare to imagine what an election would look like in that kind of country?

This doesn’t happen by accident. Remember, “You get what you pay for.” still holds. Please become a Patriot Patron today, and together we’ll change America tomorrow.

Liberty is For The Win!

We just checked, and it turns out that fighting for Liberty isn’t free, because it requires time and energy to research, prepare, and propagate this message for you. Please drop just a dollar a month into the proverbial tip jar and become a Patriot Patron. Of course, don’t forget to like, subscribe, and share. Keep this fight for Liberty going! – @LibertyIsFTW

Thanksgiving 2016

May God continue to bless the United States of America and all patriots of sacred Liberty everywhere. Happy Thanksgiving, America.

In 1863, President Abraham Lincoln, in the heart of a savage Civil War claiming the lives of hundreds of thousands of young American soldiers on both sides of the bitter conflict, set aside this day as a national day of thanks to God for the blessings that have been bestowed upon us. It is in that context that we seek to put our hearts to those things that matter most to us and our posterity.

First and foremost, we are thankful for the wisdom of the Founding Fathers, who created a nation founded under God, indivisible, with Liberty and Justice for all. Had we not been such a nation, the very principles that we have fought for this last year may very well have been denied us. It was because of the Founding Fathers that we have a country based upon moral equality, and because of this, no matter how off course, we always have a fighting chance because of those fundamental precepts.

We give thanks for our parents, grandparents, and mentors who provided us with the upbringing and guidance with which we now use to pursue what is good, not evil, and what is just, not easy. There are many that have never been exposed to these hard lessons, who cling to primitive instincts of tribalism and bigotry. That we are not chained by these small minded world views is a testament to those who guided us, as well as to our own philosophical resilience.

We give thanks to our those have come into our lives, our friends and neighbors, our spouses and dear loves, all of whom shape our lives and give our days meaning. It is family and the community of Liberty loving men and women who understand tried and true values that are the backbone of our society. We are thankful that among these people are the parents, grandparents, and mentors of the generations to come.

And, finally, we give thanks for a great awakening that is occurring all across this land of good and decent people remembering what has made America who she is. As the values of the Founding Fathers are remembered, let us learn from what they did right as well as what they did wrong, and commit ourselves to forging a more just and free future even when others lose their way.

This Thanksgiving Day, let us give thanks for those things that are good, the lessons learned from those that are not, and for the wisdom granted by God to know the difference between them so we can ever seek to “form a more perfect Union, establish Justice, insure domestic Tranquility, provide for the common defence, promote the general Welfare, and secure the Blessings of Liberty to ourselves and our Posterity…“

May God continue to bless the United States of America and all patriots of sacred Liberty everywhere. Happy Thanksgiving, America.

Liberty is For The Win!

We just checked, and it turns out that fighting for Liberty isn’t free, because it requires time and energy to research, prepare, and propagate this message for you. Please drop just a dollar a month into the proverbial tip jar and become a Patriot Patron. Of course, don’t forget to like, subscribe, and share. Keep this fight for Liberty going! – @LibertyIsFTW

A Short Word: Who Do You Love

The Establishment won, and it cost them a few lies, a little arm twisting, and a long swan song.

So there have been several high profile cabinet picks that strongly indicate the direction of the incoming Trump administration, confirming what I’ve said about Donald Trump from the very beginning. The Establishment won this election, not the People, not those who want to see real change in Washington, and certainly not those who want to cure the cancer that is destroying our Republic. The Establishment won, and it cost them a few lies, a little arm twisting, and a long swan song.

Donald picked Nikki Haley as his Ambassador to the United Nations. As governor of relatively red state (except for 2008), the Nikki has been right of center politically, though her political instincts have been to support Republican Party players. While it is almost unfair to call her Establishment, it’s not inaccurate. She has always been a party player and will cling to the railing of the Republican Party even as it sinks beneath the waves. Though politically conservative, there’s no way to paint Nikki as a political outsider.

Senator Jeff Sessions, Donald’s pick for Attorney General last week, began, his political career in the 1980’s as a Ronald Reagan appointment. His political inclinations have been fairly conservative, as he has a passing rating with Conservative Review. Unfortunately, by every available definition provided by Trump and his supporters, as a fourth term Senator, Sessions is as Establishment as a Republican can be, taking a considerable amount of money from lobbyists across the board, including the defense industry and commercial banks from his home districts, on top of “failing to defeat the Leftists” for the last 20 years.

Next is a more dated but obviously insider pick, Steven Mnuchin, who is presently poised to be tagged for the Treasury Secretary post. Picked earlier this year as Trump’s finance chair, Mnuchin made his fortune at Goldman Sachs, the embodiment of Establishment insider institutions, and even had a stint at Soros Fund Management working for the socialist kingpin, George Soros, himself. With a zesty dash of Hollywood thrown in, there’s no way to pressure wash the stink of Establishment from Mnuchin.

Finally, there is the pick of Reince Priebus as Chief of Staff, arguably the most politically powerful positions in the world, after only the Oval Office. Reince has been a life long Republican, whose only interest has been extending the political power of the Republican Party. He’s had some notable political successes, most notably Scott Walker in Wisconsin, but only the most delusional of Trump supporters could deny that Reince has always been and will always be a political party insider. If there were a face of the Republican Establishment, it’d be in Priebus family holiday photos, smiling right along side Reince.

It’s impossible to look at Donald Trump’s cabinet picks and see any serious indication of a changing of the guard. His cabinet isn’t breaking the order of things in Washington, and is even elevating many people with dubious ties to positions in his cabinet. While some, like Nikki Haley and Jeff Sessions have fairly good track records politically, neither are going to rock the boat within the Republican power structure. Others, like Mnuchin and Reince, are so deeply ingrained within the Establishment hierarchy, the chances of any serious shake ups among the ranks of insiders is exactly zero.

There will not be any draining of the swamp. They may move some lily pads around, but anyone that still believes that the waters will be any less treacherous is deluding themselves. Donald Trump is putting people who might oppose him out of his way, while stacking the benches with career insiders who have been playing the game for a very long time. If any real change is going to occur, it’s going to have to originate with us at the grass roots in the form of a new conservative political party.

No more compromises.

Liberty is For The Win!

We just checked, and it turns out that fighting for Liberty isn’t free, because it requires time and energy to research, prepare, and propagate this message for you. Please drop just a dollar a month into the proverbial tip jar and become a Patriot Patron. Of course, don’t forget to like, subscribe, and share. Keep this fight for Liberty going! – @LibertyIsFTW

A Short Word: Dissent is Liberty

There is a broad swath of Americans that now believe that it is somehow inappropriate for citizens to dare to speak to an elected official out of turn. This is terrifying.

A couple of things have happened in the news which should concern people who value Liberty, as they are a dark omen of things to come. It is not only the events themselves, but the reaction to them that is deeply concerning. There are precious few and unlikely ways that this future can be avoided, so patriots must brace themselves as the current regime is replaced by a new regime, every bit as hostile to the truth and Liberty as the present one.

This last Friday, Vice President Elect Mike Pence took his family to watch a performance of the musical “Hamilton” on Broadway. After the performance was over, the cast came onto stage to applause and to address the crowd, which is a custom which has been observed since even before Shakespeare. During this address, the cast specifically addressed Governor Pence, eliciting boos from the audience. Immediately, Brandon Victor Dixon, the actor who played Aaron Burr, said “There’s nothing to boo here, ladies and gentlemen. There’s nothing to boo here. We’re all here sharing a story of love.” He then proceeded to make his heart felt statement.

After hearing about what happened, Donald Trump unloaded on Twitter, directing his usual nastiness at the Hamilton cast. He accused the cast of being rude and disrespectful, while also calling them overrated and other ridiculous and unnecessary insults that are par for the course for Donald. However, it wasn’t even Donald’s statements that were the most troubling, it was the reaction of his supporters. There is a broad swath of Americans that now believe that it is somehow inappropriate for citizens to dare to speak to an elected official out of turn. This is terrifying.

These people will watch the very same video that other reasonable people watch and see hate and disrespect, not because there actually was hate and disrespect, mind you, but because Donald Trump said that there was hate and disrespect. Even when Governor Mike Pence himself later said he saw absolutely nothing disrespectful about the statement from the Hamilton crew, Donald Trump’s supporters still continue to believe that people who disagree with Trump do not have the fundamental right to express their dissent.

When, not if, the political tables are turned, do they want to be held to the same standard? Are they aware that they just invalidated their own dissent of their political rivals? Are these people even aware that they just invalidated the entire Tea Party movement? I seriously believe that these possibilities is simply outside of their myopic cognitive experience, even though these were the same people that applauded Tim Tebow’s expression of his Faith publicly, yet they somehow find another group exercising their right to free expression offensive? This alone is dangerous.

On Monday, Donald Trump called in members of the press at various media outlets and viciously berated them “off the record“. Once again, his incorrigible supporters applauded this political attack on free press, complaining that the media has somehow become “dishonest“, and they were even encouraged that Donald should go after anyone that he thought criticized him “unfairly“. What they miss is that there is not and never has been any constitutional requirement for honesty, integrity, or even objectivity anywhere in the United States Constitution.

Not in the over two hundreds years of the Republic has the press ever been “objective“, and, in that time, no one in government has ever dared to dictate to the free press what does and does not constitute “truth” or “integrity” until now. The very same rights to free expression that defend the rights of the media to print whatever they wish, as slanted as they wish, are the very same rights to free expression that protect these very words that you are reading now.

Again, when, not if, the political tables are turned, is this really the standard that Trump’s blithely ignorant supporters want to set? Will they clap like seals when it’s a Democratic Socialist dressing down Fox News, Sean Hannity, and Rush Limbaugh for “dishonesty” and lack of “objectivity“? Again, there’s not a doubt in my mind that Trump’s ardent supporters haven’t even begun to consider the consequences of granting this sort of implicit political power to the president.

It’s becoming clearer every day that they don’t want a president, they want a dictator. That will happen over my dead body.

“Sic semper tyrannis.”
-State Motto of Virginia-

The fight for Liberty continues.

Liberty is For The Win!

We just checked, and it turns out that fighting for Liberty isn’t free, because it requires time and energy to research, prepare, and propagate this message for you. Please drop just a dollar a month into the proverbial tip jar and become a Patriot Patron. Of course, don’t forget to like, subscribe, and share. Keep this fight for Liberty going! – @LibertyIsFTW

Playing the Hand You’re Dealt

Though relatively small in number, Conservatives have the philosophical high ground but have a very narrow window of opportunity.

We have seen in America a huge shift in the basic fabric of political speech, and that’s been for too many people to shove cotton into their ears and scream as loud as they can at their opposition as if the right to freedom of thought or conscience no longer exists. It has been more than a little troubling when the utopian Progressives did it. It is a serious threat to the future of the republic now that the authoritarian Nationalists are doing it, too. No, seriously, please hear me out. If this trend continues, we are looking at the end of the republic.

For the last thirty to forty years, the Progressives have been disinterested in listening to the arguments of anyone that disagreed with them. In the last twenty years, the last two generations of collectivist Progressives have become openly hostile to any opinion that failed to conform to their myopic world view. This fascist extremism of the far left took over the Democratic Party, as people like Michael Moore, Lawrence O’Donnell, and Howard Dean became the mainstream voices of the Democratic Party.

These outspoken leftists not only committed themselves to this broad based ad hominem (personal attack against the arguer, rather than the argument) attack on anyone that disagreed with their extreme Progressive ideology, labeling anyone that disagreed with them as evil bigots and racists, they made it culturally acceptable to use such hyperbolic attacks against any political opponents. Through their concerted efforts, through media cabals and long standing relationships with political figures in their movement, they have made civil discussion not only unpopular but practically impossible.

If millions of people are going to be called bigots or racists no matter what they do, some percentage of them are going to decide that it’s better to do the crime that the Progressives are penalizing them for, embracing the label, rather than continue to try to fight it. The white nationalists, who had been relegated to the fringes of political discourse since the 1970’s, suddenly found themselves relevant again, resurgent in the face of the demonstrable failures of multiculturalism. In essence, the Progressives have enabled the very monster that they thought they were fighting for the last fifty years, and they’ve no way to deal with it.

“We are each our own devil, and we make this world our hell.”
-Oscar Wilde-

While this seems like a huge opportunity for Conservatives, there are simply too few issues that authoritarian Nationalists and traditional Conservatives have in common. Worse still, these new Nationalists are openly hostile to core principles of Conservatism, such as unfettered capitalism, free international trade, and the fundamental moral equality of all men and women, regardless of creed, race, or gender. There are simply no bridges that can span these ideological divides, and the Nationalists simply aren’t interested in hearing our ideas in the first place. With their newfound political ascendancy, the Nationalists have adopted the same shrieking intolerance of dissent that spawned them.

Let’s be absolutely clear, so that there is no confusion. The Nationalist ideology is every bit a Leftist ideology as the Marxist or the Fascist ideologies they stand against. All of the ideologies depend on the same strong central state authority to achieve their economic and political ends. Protectionism, a cornerstone of Nationalism, itself depends on a strong national government to monitor and restrict trade. Nationalism is also as necessarily intolerant of dissent, except dissenters aren’t simply labeled as “bad people“, as Progressives are fond of doing, but as outright “enemies of the state“, a label that has a history of far more serious consequences.

As Conservatives, we now find ourselves engaged in a two front war of ideas against Progressives and Nationalists, in a high stakes, winner take all game of political brinkmanship. We have to be on deck and on message. Unfortunately, confusion and misunderstanding of our political ideology has brought us to this point, but there is a silver lining to these political developments. Our vocal opposition to authoritarian Nationalism and blind Traditionalism is our ticket to finding much needed common cause with the Left, which will at least buy their ear for a moment.

In this very brief moment, we have a chance to give voice to classical liberalism that is at the heart of true Conservatism. For the sake of the republic and of the cause of Liberty, we cannot waste this opportunity.

“You can always judge a man by the quality of his enemies.”
-Oscar Wilde-

There is no room for error. Though relatively small in number, Conservatives have the philosophical high ground but have a very narrow window of opportunity. You, patriot, must know who you are and what you stand for. The entire purpose of LibertyIsFTW.org is to provide ideological ammunition and guidance necessary to those engaged in the Culture War. It is not only a resource but a weapon of knowledge against the falsehoods of Progressives and Nationalists. Now, more than ever, your support is not only necessary, it is the only way to insure that the message of Liberty reaches a nation clearly starving for it.

With your $1.00 a month, seriously, it’s just $1.00 a MONTH donation, you will not only let me know that this message matters to you more than a cup of coffee, you’ll help to pay for promotion of this message on social media platforms, which will extend our front lines across the American political battlegrounds. It doesn’t happen without your help. How much is the fight for Liberty worth to you? If it’s really less than $1.00 a month, then how serious are you about winning the Culture War?

I leave it in your hands, patriots. Are you in?

Liberty is For The Win!

We just checked, and it turns out that fighting for Liberty isn’t free, because it requires time and energy to research, prepare, and propagate this message for you. Please drop just a dollar a month into the proverbial tip jar and become a Patriot Patron. Of course, don’t forget to like, subscribe, and share. Keep this fight for Liberty going! – @LibertyIsFTW

A Short Word: You Are Here

American voters have put a gun to the head of America’s future in an ultimate game of Russian Roulette.

I’m a natural born cynic, so I have to at least acknowledge the clouds that surround the silver lining that everyone else seems to be focused on. So while a lot of Republicans seem to be under the impression that things are going to go swimmingly over the next few years and the party is in a great position, I must look at the bigger picture. The Republicans control the White House, the Senate, and the House of Representatives, which is obviously better than a lot of other options, but the Republicans came two elections shy of losing control of the Senate.

The Republicans went from a 54 to 44 Senator advantage to a 51 to 46 advantage, retaining control of the Senate by their fingertips, which means they need every Republican vote, which invites an absolute mess in compromises and backroom dealing. Even the House of Representatives lost 6 seats, going from 246 majority to a 239 majority. This doesn’t change the game as much as many other obviously much worse possibilities, but it’s still a weakening of the Republican position.

This was the cost of Donald Trump deciding to run for office, just so he could win only after alienating millions of Republican voters then immediately backtrack on practically every campaign promise months before he even gets sworn in. His success will depend on keeping corporate interests happy, with his tax cut program, subsidies, and brute force protectionism, while also keeping working class whites happy, by coming through on his campaign promises to bring back American manufacturing jobs that have all but vanished since the 1970’s.

If he fails to solve illegal immigration, fails to repeal ObamaCare, fails to prosecute Hillary Clinton, and fails to restore the American economy in 4 years, he’s very likely going to lose reelection in 2020 and set the stage for the gutting of what remains of the Republican Party. That’s a tall order, even with the backing of a Republican Congress. He’s already put fixing the deficit and doing anything about the run away US debt on the back burner, betting the nation’s future on his economic vision.

Cutting corporate tax rates is the correct solution to a big part of the equation, but he’s already rolled back on his opposition to increasing the minimum wage, and his promises to working class whites that defected from the Democratic Party is going to hinge on increasing wages and salaries, which are the main reason American manufacturing has been leaving the United States in the first place. It still costs twenty times as much to manufacture anything in the United States, and protectionist tariffs fly in the face of the last 30 years of Republican policy.

American voters have put a gun to the head of America’s future in an ultimate game of Russian Roulette. There’s no turning back now. America rises or falls on the good behavior and business foresight of a man who tried (and failed) to sell $1000.00 meat beside electric nose hair clippers. God help us.

Liberty is For The Win!

We just checked, and it turns out that fighting for Liberty isn’t free, because it requires time and energy to research, prepare, and propagate this message for you. Please drop just a dollar a month into the proverbial tip jar and become a Patriot Patron. Of course, don’t forget to like, subscribe, and share. Keep this fight for Liberty going! – @LibertyIsFTW