Thursday, August 13, 2020

Hope and despair in nearly equal parts



I've been observing and listening to what people around me are saying concerning recent events. It's been interesting.

I've heard people say that they never thought tyranny in America was a possibility... until the pandemic. Now they see how easily it could happen.

Since the beginning of the pandemic I've heard the laughter at preppers be replaced by "show me how" and "I wish I had listened".

I've seen people who never cared about liberty suddenly start to pay attention.

I've seen more and more people getting their kids out of kinderprison.

This all gives me some hope.

On the other side of the coin, I've also seen people watching and waiting, anxiously, for that next "stimulus check" from Uncle Scam.

I've seen people calling the socialistic nihilists in big cities "anarchists" as if that's what they were.

I've seen people looking at events and stupidly saying "this is why we need police" and emphasizing how helpless and useless they are to take care of their own lives without a master to do it for them.

I've seen "libertarians" arguing for re-opening the government schools on schedule and/or using the stolen money to fund other forms of schooling.

My latest newspaper column offended another sort of person. The sort of person who doesn't want to see anything which might disturb his dreams.

He began his one-run-on sentence email by saying this is his home town (OK... I was born here too, but how is that relevant?) and he hasn't seen any higher prices (I have and so has the person I mentioned in the column and if you check gold, silver, and Bitcoin prices you can see them right now with your own eyes) and that to him, the dollar "hasn't lost anything".

I could show him charts, but the trick he plays is in the "to him". The dollar is still worth what it was-- to him-- because he believes it is. No evidence will convince him otherwise because he believes what he believes. I wonder if he has ever once in his whole life complained about a higher price for anything. Because that would falsify his claim.

He ended by saying "God is in control" and knows what's going on.

I probably shouldn't have replied, but I did.
I'm glad for you.
I'll tell the person who had started noticing higher prices in Clovis stores that you say she must be imagining it.
I'll also tell the gold and silver sellers that they have to sell their products to me at last month's prices because you say prices aren't going up. I wonder what they'll say.
God knowing what's going on doesn't mean God wouldn't let humans suffer for doing foolish things. Actions have consequences.
Am I wrong?

As always, there are reasons for both hope and despair. The shining examples, the mistakes in human skin, and the self-deluding.

On the economic side of things, my income keeps declining due to the effects of the government-caused Coronapanic, so if you'd care to sign up for a monthly subscription on any of the platforms I use I'd appreciate it. See below for your chance to chip in or email me for more options.

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Writing to promote liberty is my job.
YOU get to decide if I get paid.
I hope I add something you find valuable enough to support.