Beware of "Fair"

What is fair?

Fair is undefinable. 

Fair is nothing but a product of our imaginations; an idea in the mind of the beholder.

Beware of the politician that uses the word "fair", because he clearly knows nothing about the law.

Years ago on my first day of College (wow, that makes me sound old), I stepped into a classroom that changed my life. 

My eyes were opened in Micro and Macroeconomics as I learned about modern issues, the beauty of a free economy, the eloquent words of Adam Smith in The Wealth of Nations. I struggled through the slow read that was Bastiat's The Law, but came out with a far greater understanding of Government's purpose than I could have ever learned elsewhere. 

Liberty, we were taught, was a privilege that our fathers and their forefathers fought and died for - a privilege that, if we do not remain ever-vigilant, will be lost to us before we even knew what has happened.

I didn't learn to bash Democrats or people with opposing views from me. Mr. Chambless taught us that there have been plenty of great men, Democrats and Republicans, some not either, who, while certainly not perfect, have changed the world for the better. 

Last night I watched as our President talked about how he wants to make the economy "fair".

For those reading, I think that this message is so pivotal because we all need to realize that a politician's definition of "fair" is never going to happen. 

Bad things happen to good people, and good things happen to bad people. If we spend our lives continually focusing on our resentment of the rich, many of whom (Oprah Winfrey, Bill Gates, etc.) have earned their money, then we will get nowhere. Would taxing the rich raise Government tax income? Yes, in theory it would, but not as much as you might think. What if, instead, we stopped our resentment in the name of "fair" and put less tax stipulations on the rich? Might this encourage them to use less offshore accounts and bring the money back to America through positive incentive, allowing them to grow and expand business even more while benefiting the country through the jobs and market that their goods and wealth will create? You see, when the rich in America prosper, you may not realize it, but Americans do, too. You have been lied to - the rich aren't bad for our economy, they are good for it! Who do you think supplies you with goods and products every time you walk into the store? What would you do in College without the use of Microsoft word, or powerpoint, or excel? No one forces you to give up your money (okay, maybe professors, but all us student's know that we'd fail without spell check) - you give it up because there is an agreement between you and the seller that you have each reached a good deal. Who do you figure pours money into the economy in the means of jobs, labor, products, and advertising, for the sake of business? The rich do. Contrary as it seems, their self-love has benefited countless millions. When a computer is built, where does the plastic come from? The material for the screen? The cords? Who ships the computer? How many people work in stores selling the computer? Or when Oprah flies to get her donuts, who do you think pays for the gas to fly the plane? Who pilots the plane? Who sells the donuts, or works in the air traffic control tower? Who built the private plane that she flies in? I'm not idolizing the rich. The rich have their faults. The rich can be greedy, or unjust, but one cannot deny the fact that they do create jobs for the economy and pour money into America. And if they decide to, God forbid, keep some of that money because they earned it, then more power to them! (You pay $450,000 for a Rolls Royce and tell me you don't pay a lot of taxes.)

Article 1, section 8 of our constitution reads:

"The Congress shall have power to lay and collect taxes, duties, imposts and excises, to pay the debts and provide for the common defense and general welfare of the United States; but all duties, imposts and excises shall be uniform throughout the United States;"

The founders knew that Government could never give the people "fair". When you take from one hand to feed another, well, that's violating someone's liberty, isn't it? How is taking anyone's money without their consent "fair" in the first place? How is somebody benefiting from that money that they did not work for "fair"? You see, there can never be a true "fair".  The founders, knowing this, acknowledged that the less Government, the better. That's one of the reasons why when this country was founded, there was no income tax. (I encourage you to read the article in this link.) 

Government's purpose? To uphold the law, to protect the right to life, liberty, and, here's the clincher: 

The pursuit of happiness.

We are all endowed with a single right which, without the help of Government politicians, welfare, or taxation, grants us the single most fair thing that we could ever be given:

The opportunity to make of our lives all that we want them to be. 

Politics Rants

When our founding father's created this country not even 250 years ago, it was much different than it is today. With the upcoming elections for Florida's Governor, as well as governors everywhere, and just the large amount of hype politics is receiving lately, it's just really got me thinking. I watch ad after ad of mudslinging candidates advertising for their party, hear of democrats supporting democrats, republicans supporting republicans.

Did you know that when America was originally founded, the father's didn't even want parties at all? Apparently that didn't work out. Naturally, people took their own views, and found groups of people who supported their views, and so on. Thus, the parties were born, from federalists to anti-federalists. The list of parties today goes on and on and on - and yet, if they're so great, is this the reason why so many people are registering as independent's these days? I almost can't really blame them. I'd be sick of the mudslinging from party to party, the disgust with which each treats each other. That's not what America is supposed to be like. That's not what we're supposed to treat each other like.


I do support the Libertarian Party, am a libertarian-conservative, and hold many of those views. I support gun rights, the legalization of marijuana, the benefits that would result from major tax cuts, less government spending, smaller government, and many other things. However, I do believe in keeping my eyes open and looking at each candidate not just for what party he stands for, but for what he stands for. And I can really see how parties can be a bad thing for several reasons.


Firstly, they split us up as Americans. We are supposed to be the United States of America. Back when America was first around, the British saw us and joked about us being the Disunited States of America - well, just look at us now! We seem very Disunited indeed. Hating our fellow neighbor and not letting him get a word in if he dares to oppose your views. We should ALL be proud to be Americans. Not just proud to be a Republican, proud to be a Democrat - we're still all people. We're still all a part of this country. We should act like it. I'm not saying parties are completely bad - but at the same time, I think people take them a little too seriously. We should all - and that means YOU TOO, candidates - be treating each other with respect. Guys, there have been some great republican presidents. Ronald Reagan, of course, namely -Teddy Roosevelt, Abraham Lincoln. And there have been some equally great Democratic Presidents! - John F. Kennedy, and even Clinton come his second term, did wonderful jobs. My point is, there's something that everyone can bring to the table as both president and as an American, whether Democrat or Republican or another party. Those people are still unique people and the men I listed - and many more I did not list - each and all did amazing things for our country. 
If we opened our eyes long enough to look past democrats and republicans, we'd see that both of these parties have some good ideas and there's a lot we could learn from them. In life, we are both teacher and student - we learn some, we teach some. You don't know everything, no matter what party you belong to!


Secondly, if we were less inclined to vote for someone merely because of party affiliation, I think American voters would be far more encouraged to learn more about a candidate and educate themselves on government better. I believe many candidates are guilty of hiding behind party lines and affiliations, not called upon enough to truly present their views and what they're all about. You can  never really be sure of who you're voting for based on what he or she says alone. You need to find out for yourself as well - and that doesn't just mean watching the news or listening to political ads. Check different sources, see what information can be validated. I'm a big supporter of being educated before voting. Call me ridiculous, but I do think that if you should have to take a citizenship test, drivers license test, CPT's and SAT's to get in college, and get a permit to carry a weapon, then you should have to take a test to vote. Basically, if you are not educated enough to know how the American system works, and who it is you are voting for, YOU SHOULDN'T BE VOTING! It's as plain as that. Voters NEED to know what they're doing. Regardless of whether a candidate says he is republican or democrat, or another party, you need to learn about him or her! What do they stand for, what have they done, what are their goals? Research, research, research. And form your own views and opinions on the way! Does said person agree with you on this point? Maybe not, but what's the most important thing you're looking for in a candidate? Do you honestly think they would do a good job in office? What is their background like? Ask questions, and find answers. Voting is not a privilege - it's a right our ancestors fought and died for. That's a pretty hefty price to pay for something you take for granted today. Get out there and educate yourselves.


We are Americans. We are supposed to stand for freedom, liberty, and justice. Don't just sit back and let the government take over - don't take the easy route out and let them feed  you all that they're saying about how they'll give you free this, free that. A government with enough power to give you anything you want, can just as easily take it all away. Don't let America lose the principles it once stood on that made her the most prosperous country in the world. Despite her present shortcomings, America is still an amazing country, one we should be proud to be a part of. And then we should use this pride to take action - to educate ourselves, to defend our rights, to keep this country the land of the truly free and the home of the brave. Stand up for yourselves, Americans, or one day it may be too late.