Definitions That Matter, II
September 26th, 2011 // 10:49 am @ Oliver DeMille
As I have said before, one mark of ruling classes in society is the understanding of nuanced definitions. In American society, the original design was for the regular people to be the rulers.
Here are some words that need to be closely considered, understood and discussed by the regular people who care about freedom:
- Administration
- Aggression
- Allegiance
- Alliances
- Amendments
- Aristocracy
- Authority
- Balances
- Banks
- Borrowing
- Business
- Centralization
- Character
- Checks
- Citizenship
- Civil Rights
- Classes
- Common Law
- Communism
- Community
- Consent
- Constituent
- Constitution
- Contracts
- Courts
- Culture
- Currency
- Defense
- Democracy
- Diplomacy
- Duty
- Economy
- Election
- Empire
- Equality
- Ethics
- Executive
- Faction
- Fallacy
- Fallibility
- Family
- Farming
- Federal
- Feudalism
- Fiscal Policy
- Force
- Foreign Policy
- Forms of Government
- Freedom
- Good
- Goods
- Guilds
- Human Nature
- Independence
- Independents
- Individuality
- Investment
- Judgment
- Judiciary
- Jury
- Jury of the Vicinage
- Justice
- Law
- Leadership
- Legislature
- Leisure
- Liberal Arts
- Liberal Education
- Liberty
- Limited Government
- Local Government
- Loyal Opposition
- Mercantilism
- Mixed Government
- Modernity
- Monarchy
- Monetary Policy
- Natural Law
- Oligarchy
- Optimism
- Ownership
- Political Economy
- Political Parties
- Politics
- Popular Sovereignty
- Positive Law
- Powers
- Pragmatism
- Precedent
- Principle
- Private Property
- Profit
- Progress
- Propaganda
- Prosperity
- Providence
- Public Office
- Public Opinion
- Public Policy
- Public Virtue
- Realism
- Reason
- Representation
- Representatives
- Republic
- Rights
- Savings
- Separation of Powers
- Slavery
- Social Contract
- Socialism
- Society
- Taxation
- Tyranny
- Utilitarianism
- Wealth
- Wisdom
Category : Aristocracy &Blog &Citizenship &Constitution &Culture &Economics &Education &Featured &Leadership &Liberty &Mini-Factories
On Reason
September 23rd, 2011 // 3:16 am @ Oliver DeMille
In the American founding era, most of the leading thinkers were rationalists. This means that they believed in reason as a top method of determining truth.
Note that the general concept of reason has changed since then. When most people think of reason today, they tend to mix it with the ideas of logic, science and determinism. In the American colonial and early republican era, this was not the case.
The term “science” was often used to mean general thinking and the idea of learning, and in this sense it coincided with the rational perspective. But today’s technical science, based on a general consensus of experts along with the empirical use of the scientific method, is quite the opposite of the rationalist viewpoint.
And logic, which is actually a branch of mathematics (rather than philosophy), is very different than reason.
Reason, in the original sense, is the use of one’s own mind to test and analyze the words of the experts, the ancients, and all authority.
In the founding generation, reason was a check and balance on the smug groupthink[i] of the upper classes and elites. Most of the leading founders usually used the term “right reason” rather than simple “reason,” since this first phrase carried the connotation that all right-thinking people would come to the same conclusions if they had the benefit of adequate information.
In this view, no king, priest, aristocrat or expert can rely simply on some claim to a “divine right” of expertise to be correct—each individual citizen can test everything said by the elites simply by taking the time to obtain all needed information and then think it through.
Forrest McDonald wrote in the introduction to Empire and Nation, a collection of writings by American founders John Dickinson and Richard Henry Lee:
“In the historical view, men have such rights as they have won over the years; in the rationalist view, men are born with certain rights, whether they are honored in a particular society or not.”
Using reason, leading American founder John Dickinson wrote:
“Ought not the people therefore to watch? to search into causes? to investigate designs? And have they not a right of JUDGING from the evidence before them, on no slighter points than their liberty and happiness?”[ii]
It is always up to the people to maintain their freedom, and one of the first steps is to think—independently as they see fit—regardless of the assurances, promises and statistics of experts and elites.
Throughout history, the experts have nearly always worked for the elites, and the regular people have held reason as their first line of defense. When the regular people put expertise, tradition, authority or official promises above their own reason, they have always lost their freedoms and prosperity.
Dickinson put it this way:
“Indeed, nations, in general, are not apt to think until they feel; and therefore nations in general have lost their liberty.”[iii]
[i] This word, of course, came into usage after the American founding era.
[ii] Letters from a Pennsylvania Farmer, Letter VI.
[iii] Ibid., Letter XI.
Category : Blog &Citizenship &Culture &Education &Featured &History &Liberty &Science
Review of Don Peck’s “Can the Middle Class be Saved?”
August 29th, 2011 // 2:00 pm @ Oliver DeMille
This article in The Atlantic by Don Peck is a must-read for those who are interested in the future of American freedom and prosperity. Highlights from the article include:
- The United States is “now composed of two distinct groups: the rich and the rest. And for the purposes of investment decisions, the second group” doesn’t matter.
- The new name for this state of society, coined by three analysts at Citigroup, is “plutonomy.”
- “A 2010 Pew study showed that the typical middle-class family had lost 23 percent of its wealth since the recession began, versus just 12 percent in the upper class.”
- The lifestyles of non-professional college graduates now more closely resemble those of high-school dropouts than of the professional class.
- The meritocracy is increasingly only a meritocracy of the upper classes.
- “Among the more pernicious aspects of the meritocracy is the equation of merit with test-taking success.”
- “For the most part, these same forces have been a boon, so far, to Americans who have a good education and exceptional creative talents or analytic skills.”
- Most Americans don’t want the middle class to disappear or continue to shrink, and such a development would certainly bring a drastic change to the people-based freedom that has characterized the historical successes of the United States.
- These trends, and the growing divide between the rich and the rest, are increasing the longer the economy remains sluggish.
Peck gives a number of suggestions for improving this situation, including:
- Increasing the funding for effective job training and education.
- “Removing bureaucratic obstacles to innovation is as important as pushing more public funds toward it.”
- Changing our public policy to accelerate innovation.
- Significantly improving our schools.
- Creating clear paths of training and skilled work for those who don’t go to college.
- Altering current immigration policy to allow more “creative, highly skilled immigrants” to come to the U.S. more easily.
Whether or not you agree with Peck’s recommendations, one reality is clear: The success of these things ultimately depends on incentivizing entrepreneurship, innovation, creativity and economic growth.
By spurring significant economic growth, we will directly and indirectly address most of our national economic problems.
On the other hand, if government policies continue to thwart major innovation and growth, little can be done.
Peck makes a case for higher taxes, but hardly mentions that Washington has a serious spending problem.
Democrats typically argue for tax hikes, while Republicans now mostly champion spending cuts.
Most Independents, in contrast, would likely support both—as long as the tax hikes on the professional class were used not to increase or maintain federal spending but rather to directly help put America’s financial house back in order.
Whatever your view on this debate, it is a discussion desperately needed right now.
Too much of the rhetoric on this topic is just that—two sides deeply entrenched and firmly committed to one view only.
We need fresh ideas and inspiring leadership to move beyond this gridlock.
With all this said, Peck’s article is mandatory reading. Every American should think about its main points.
Most will find things to disagree with, perhaps, but the dialogue is needed.
If the middle class is to survive and thrive, it must increase its role of deeply considering, thinking about and making its views felt on important economic and other national issues.
Freedom only works when involved citizens of all socio-economic levels actively participate in such important national discussions.
***********************************
Oliver DeMille is the co-founder of the Center for Social Leadership, and a co-creator of Thomas Jefferson Education.
He is the co-author of New York Times, Wall Street Journal and USA Today bestseller LeaderShift, and author of A Thomas Jefferson Education: Teaching a Generation of Leaders for the 21st Century, and The Coming Aristocracy: Education & the Future of Freedom.
Oliver is dedicated to promoting freedom through leadership education. He and his wife Rachel are raising their eight children in Cedar City, Utah.
Category : Aristocracy &Book Reviews &Community &Culture &Current Events &Economics &Family &Featured &Statesmanship
The 5 P’s
August 26th, 2011 // 6:00 pm @ Oliver DeMille
The Criteria
Pollster Frank Luntz says that to be real contenders for the U.S. Presidency, candidates
must have what he calls “the three P’s”:
1-A credible Plan to lead the nation
2-The Political prowess to be elected in the general election
3-The fight to stand for the values of the Party base
Add to this a fourth and fifth P, and you have good criteria for measuring the candidates:
4-The reality that the swing voters in the 2012 election will most likely be, as George Will put it, “independents in Northern cities” and Florida (most of whom are Professionals)
5-Comes across Positive to the voters
For example, President Obama has 2 and 3, but is weak on 1 and 4. Still, this puts him ahead of almost everyone else.
A clear, concise White House plan for America’s economic growth and a Positive approach to leadership could make him strong in 1, 5 and possibly even 4.
Expect his advisors to steer him in this direction in the months ahead.
The Contenders
According to recent polls:
- Paul is strong on 1, weak on the rest
- Romney is strong on 2 (and maybe 4), weak on the rest
- Huntsman is strong on 2 (and maybe 4), weak on the rest
- Bachman is strong on 3, weak on the rest
- Perry is strong on 3 (and potentially 2 and/or 4), weak on the rest
- Santorum is strong on 3, weak on the rest
- Cain is strong on 3, weak on the rest
- Palin is strong on 3, weak on the rest
- J. Bush is strong on 2-3, weak on 1 (though this could be remedied), and very weak on 4
- Giuliani is strong on 2 and 4, weak on 1 and 5, very weak on 3
There is, of course, a lot of time left before the election and things will likely change more than once.
For example, Romney could outline a strong national economic/jobs plan to counter the Obama jobs plan (if one is presented) and also work to become the voice of Positive in the election.
Perry would need to downplay the socially conservative issues (his Party base would vote for him anyway) and strongly emphasize his record on jobs (under his leadership Texas created over 1/3 of the new jobs in America during the recovery).
There is real potential for Perry to become stronger on 1, 2 and 4, Romney to become stronger on 1 and 4, or Huntsman or Bachman to gain strength on 1 and/or 4.
To win, Bachman would also have to become strong on 2 and Huntsman would have to become strong on 3.
Note that two potential candidates who haven’t joined the race yet are doing the best of all.
- Christy is strong on 1-4, weak on 5
- Ryan is strong on 1-3, might become strong on 4-5
Whether Christy or Ryan will run, and whether either would remain strong in the challenges of active campaigning, remains to be seen.
Ryan could probably become the voice of Positive and economic growth, while Christy would probably do best to push business-friendly economic policy and jobs as loud as possible.
Either could likely run on a strong economic platform with good results—the same is true of Perry, Romney, Huntsman and maybe Bachman.
What It All Comes Down To
If Luntz is correct (4 is really just a function of 2, and 5 doesn’t really matter to voters—despite what they say in the polls), the strongest positions right now belong to Obama, Christy, Ryan, Romney and Perry.
If it all comes down to 4, Christy or Ryan have a slight edge over Obama while Obama is ahead of Perry and Romney right now.
Still, there is a lot of campaigning yet to come, and some polls have both Romney and Perry ahead of Obama in head-to-head contests.
It is unclear exactly how this will all work out, but as we get closer to the election the savvy voter will do well to keep an eye on how each candidate measures up to these 5 criteria.
***********************************
Oliver DeMille is the co-founder of the Center for Social Leadership, and a co-creator of Thomas Jefferson Education.
He is the co-author of New York Times, Wall Street Journal and USA Today bestseller LeaderShift, and author of A Thomas Jefferson Education: Teaching a Generation of Leaders for the 21st Century, and The Coming Aristocracy: Education & the Future of Freedom.
Oliver is dedicated to promoting freedom through leadership education. He and his wife Rachel are raising their eight children in Cedar City, Utah.
Category : Current Events &Featured &Government &Leadership &Politics
19 Questions Answered in FreedomShift
August 13th, 2011 // 1:56 pm @ Oliver DeMille
- Following historical cycles and trends, we have recently experienced a significant recession and major unemployment. According to the patterns of history, what is the third major economic challenge which is just ahead? (Learn what it is so you can prepare for it before it comes.)
- Based on the lessons of past generations which faced major economic problems, what are the twelve things every family should do to deal with the economic challenges ahead?
- What are the three major choices which American citizens need to make to overcome our nation’s economic problems and restore economic growth and increased freedom?
- Where did Tocqueville say that the greatness of America lies? (The answer may surprise you.)
- What exactly is a FreedomShift and how is one accomplished?
- What is “the Law of the Vital Few?”
- How is this law drastically changing America today?
- What are the three top problems that are keeping America from fixing its problems right now?
- What are six predictions of the Anti-Federalists from the founding generation that have come true today and are causing major problems in Washington D.C.’s ability to lead the nation?
- Is our society being run by the cultures of our Elementary Schools, High Schools, Colleges & Corporations, Government Officials, or the Adults in our society?
- How can we move back to adult culture, especially in Washington?
- What are the three major groups in the Republican Party, the three major groups in the Democratic Party, and the other major groups running our nation politically?
(We are much more complex than the historical two-party system that dominated during the Cold War, and only those who understand these splits in the parties will know what is really going on in the nation.) - Who is the new group that is literally running the United States now? (Hint: it’s not the Tea Party, socialists, environmentalists, the religious right, liberals or even conservatives. The answer is surprising and deeply important.)
- What are the nine types of people who run both of the two major political parties?
- How will they impact the election of 2012?
- What should we expect in the upcoming election?
- What are the eight kinds of freedom, and which have we already lost in America?
- Which of the eight are we now losing?
- What does this loss mean directly for your family and the economy?
These challenges can be dealt with positively, but only if we know what is coming in the decade ahead.
For the answers to these questions and more on how “regular” people like you and me have all the power to refresh our liberties, read FreedomShift: 3 Choice to Reclaim America’s Destiny, available in paperback, pdf and Kindle editions. (Audiobook version, read by the author, coming soon!)
***********************************
Oliver DeMille is a co-founder of the Center for Social Leadership, and a co-creator of Thomas Jefferson Education.
He is the co-author of the New York Times, Wall Street Journal and USA Today bestseller LeaderShift, and author of A Thomas Jefferson Education: Teaching a Generation of Leaders for the 21st Century, and The Coming Aristocracy: Education & the Future of Freedom.
Oliver is dedicated to promoting freedom through leadership education. He and his wife Rachel are raising their eight children in Cedar City, Utah.
Category : Aristocracy &Blog &Citizenship &Community &Culture &Current Events &Economics &Entrepreneurship &Featured &Government &Independents &Leadership &Liberty &Mini-Factories &Politics &Prosperity &Tribes
