The election is over, and the Democrats rule all three branches of government, so now what?
That’s a pretty vague question in and of itself, but really, I am asking…now what? What does this mean when most Americans have an opposing viewpoint and practice a backward ideology? What does it mean for small businesses, entrepreneurs, interest rates, the value of the dollar, global perception, or even current land ownership?
The answer to those questions isn’t simple, nor will there be any quick fixes or immediate doomsday scenarios. Rather, the right answer is that both I…and we…don’t really know. Taking a stand on what Socrates stated when he said, “The only thing I know is that I know nothing, and I am not quite sure that I know that.” We should not make big, bold assumptions on what is not known right now or what is to be. Yes, this is pretty deep philosophical thinking and, sure, very much an optimistic point of view, but the opposite is total nihilism and not having any hope. I refuse to go down that path of thought because there is always hope.
Where we are at as a nation and certainly as Libertarians and Conservatives is yet to be seen. Many actions that have happened in week one of the Biden Administration, along with the rhetoric, certainly raise eyebrows and heart rates. Yet, we must hold onto hope. The hope we need to hold onto isn’t in the form of any one man, although that was the case and pressure President Trump was put under by many of us, rather in what’s to come. In the meantime, and looking at the immediate branch of hope, is 2022. It is around the corner and will be here sooner rather than later, so now is the time to begin to work on either primarying those that seemingly betrayed us as our representatives or actually filing to run for office and campaigning now. Regardless of what you can do, simply do it now.
In the classic book The Law by Frederic Bastiat, he states that those that desire to have power over mankind have accepted that, “…mankind should be passive; that the misfortunes and the prosperity-vices and virtues- of people are used by the external influence exercised upon them by the law and the legislators.” He’s simply saying that when mankind is passive and fails to be an active participant in their own society, then those in the ruling or political class will take advantage and tell you what to do, how to be, and even how to think.
We know the only outcome possible from a ruling class in total control almost always ends in carnage and death perpetrated by that very ruling class. We are now seeing a total attack on liberty, which is more obvious than ever before. Liberty is the “freedom of every person to make full use of his faculties, so long as he does not harm other persons while doing so…” as quoted by Bastiat. This is the fundamental thing, concept, and ideology that America was founded upon. “…all men are created equal, that they are endowed by their Creator with certain unalienable Rights, that among these are life, liberty, and the pursuit of happiness,” as stated in the Declaration of Independence. We have the inalienable Right to have our own thoughts and actions as long as it does no harm to anyone else. Sure, there are laws that we follow which are based upon sheer morality, such as not going around and murdering people. We’ve agreed to that simple fact through our elections and legislation. Nonetheless, what we are seeing is the obvious degradation of our liberties and freedoms. We see it from our education system to the social network.
I contend it’s a continuance in the degradation of our liberties because we have lost much over the last 100 years. Many claim that the republic was lost during the Progressive Era of the early 20th Century with the election of Woodrow Wilson when civil liberties were grossly violated during the Red Scare events in 1919 along with the passing of the Sedition and Espionage Acts during WW I and other progressive policies that weren’t really progressive rather tyrannical and regressive.
Today, we’re seeing suppression of free expression and speech. Sure, the large tech companies are certainly conducting discrimination under the auspice of their community standards, but governments are also doing this. They are part of the suppression by their total inaction. The inability or unwillingness to reform Section 230 of the Communications Act of 1934 speaks absolute volumes. It may first appear to be a simple solution, repeal it or modify it, but with any law that may have long-term effects on future citizens, it’s not that simple, and no action is action in and of itself. Congress should take the time to honestly go through Section 230 and update it considering today’s understanding of technology as that section was written and enacted in 1996. The arguments on both sides are valid, and this is due to how vague the law is written, so why not go back and simply clarify things?
In a June 2020 article in ars Technica, Timothy Lee states, “There’s at least one thing that Joe Biden and Donald Trump seem to agree on: that federal law gives unfair legal immunity to technology giants.” All parties understand the unfairness that they are given, so there is common ground. The difference now is that those in control of the government seem to want to make Section 230 align with their ideology. Regardless of the political party, this is a short-sided and moronic point of view.
So, what does this have to do with our liberty? Simple answer…everything. Remember Bastiat’s definition of liberty? The part that is being attacked is our freedom to make full use of our faculties, our thought and ability to express said thought in the public square without reservation or fear. In the 21st Century, the new public square is social media. While the 1st Amendment protects us from government suppression of our speech, their very inactions by not reforming Section 230 allows unequal access and unequal protection from those that run the ability to enter the public square. The reason is very simple, and it is because those who don’t hold the views of the current power base should be silenced. That is the sentiment that is currently being expressed within social media and within the mainstream news networks. Now common, public outcry from the left stating that Trump supporters need to be deprogrammed, sent to re-education, or were part of a cult/terror organization is just not divisive, but insane.
The Latin quote attached to the Great Seal of the United States is E Pluribus Unum – out of many; one. We are the many who make up this wonderful country that we’ve been blessed to live and be active members of. What makes this country great and strong is the very diversity that we have here. There is no other country in the world with such massive diversity in it’s ‘genetic makeup’ like the United States. That is why we must have equal access and equal protection in the public square so we can all share our ideas and disagree…because that’s where we learn.
We as citizens cannot allow the passiveness of our elected officials or ourselves to be the reality. Dystopia will become a reality if we are not active and locally involved. A passive citizenry allows tyranny and control over your faculties. That is not acceptable, and I’m sure not for many people, well 75 million to be exact. So why not decide to be active? Work with your like-minded friends, families, neighbors, and businesses. Organize public forums where you can discuss ideas and build community. Call and speak with local legislatures and discuss pressing issues. Build coalitions with local businesses and bring people together to exercise their first amendment rights in peace. The American Reveille aims to Enlighten, Empower, and Entertain Americans from all walks of life on the Right and would love for you to follow along while we grow from humble grassroots into a national phenomenon.
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