Tag Archives: American values

Principled Means, Principled Ends

Posted on by

These are precarious times.  We find ourselves confronted with growing social and economic instability and an uncertain future.  We do not want to sit on our hands.  Yet, unprecedented complexity and uncertainty make it impossible to know what to expect.

How easy it would be to let emotions rule, tipping the future into chaos and endangering the very goals we wish to secure.

It is with this in mind that I take up where I left off in the previous post (June 9).  I see two pragmatic reasons why political violence will not get Americans where we want to go.  One is tactical.  The second is strategic – and the more important.

Any patriot preparing today for armed resistance in the tradition of 1776 will pit himself against an extraordinary opponent.  He will be outmaneuvered and outgunned by fully militarized police possessing the most advanced surveillance technology and backed by massive firepower.

The mythic ideal of the citizen soldier remains deeply engrained in the American psyche.  But the plain fact is, if you imagine a heroic Star Wars scenario in defense of freedom and justice you are indulging in fantasy.

I am not interested in arguing about this because there is a much bigger problem, and it is this:  Who exactly do you intend to fight?

American law enforcement agencies and the United States military are served by loyal, committed Americans.   These are our people, our sons and daughters, friends and neighbors.  They are working people, they have families, and they care about the future.

It is our responsibility to win them over, not beat them up.  They should be approached respectfully, with persuasive argument and attractive example.

As I wrote here last week, violence committed by Americans against Americans would contradict the rationale behind the impetus to violence itself.   It would be self-contradictory, pitting us against one another and subverting the integrity and viability of the American Idea as a guiding force for the good.

Our views on politics or government, the integrity of the Constitution, or the corruption of principles, are all serious matters.  But, public servants, police officers and bureaucrats are not the problem.

We must respect these people, not just as a matter of principle, but because we need them. They are essential to a constructive solution.

Americans are not to be persuaded when we are attacked, not for some high-minded cause or anything else.  When faced with hostility we naturally close ranks, and clear thinking stops.

Even the misguided rebellion of tiny splinter groups will be destructive to the cause of liberty.  Any resort to force can easily lead to cascading consequences in which violence begets violence in a downward spiral, tearing the fabric of the republic and threatening the progress of constructive action.

Furthermore, it is simply not necessary.

Change is needed that is real, lasting, and built on the solid ground of dependable communities – not quicksand.  I never said this would be easy, so let me be clear – the skills, attitudes, and discipline that create and build community are at the heart of what we need to learn to create and build the future.

This is more than a matter of survival.  For thousands of years community has formed the foundation of civilization.  The essential concern in the present hour, and the basis by which to judge constructive action, must be the spirit and the quality of the future we wish for.  It is the means that determine the end.

This is not a theoretical nicety, but hard-nosed truth.  Understanding it will determine success or failure.

We are capable of being decent, patient and forbearing, of cooperating to resolve practical problems and even saving each others’ lives.  Personal principles, values and views must certainly be respected.  But, rising above our differences will be essential if we are to identify shared values, ensure comprehensive security, and begin to build a stable social economy for the future.

Going to war with our fellow citizens would make no sense.  Indeed, the ends we seek could be delayed by decades and possibly destroyed by impractical or intemperate courses of action.

Tom

Next week: A Foundation Based on Values

A note to regular readers: Thank you for all the comments, ideas, and perspectives shared in recent weeks, especially on the Facebook page.  You are a valuable “reality test” for me as a writer.  This project would be impossible without you.

Ends and Means…

Posted on by

Music 4-x

“The principle that the ends justify the means is in individualist ethics regarded as the denial of all morals”

–F. A. Hayek

“He who chooses the beginning of the road chooses the place it leads to.  It is the means that determine the end.”

–Harry Emerson Fosdick

“An attempt to achieve the good by force is like an attempt to provide a man with a picture gallery at the price of cutting out his eyes.”

–Ayn Rand

“They say ‘means are after all means’.  I would say ‘means are after all everything’.  As the means, so the end.”

–Mohandas Gandhi

“The first sign of corruption in a society that is still alive is that the end justifies the means.”

–Georges Bernanos

 

The Second Amendment, Then and Now

Posted on by

The Bill of Rights, which includes the first ten amendments to the Constitution, was first proposed to Congress by James Madison as articles to be incorporated into the main body of the Constitution.

Congress approved twelve articles of amendment to the Constitution in 1789 and submitted them to the states for ratification.  Contrary to Madison’s proposal, they were submitted as “supplemental” additions.  Articles Three through Twelve were ratified by the required number of states and became Amendments One through Ten in 1791.

The Second Amendment, which has become a matter of considerable interest in recent years, reads as follows:

“A well regulated Militia, being necessary to the security of a free State, the right of the people to keep and bear Arms, shall not be infringed.”

This was not controversial at the time.  The concept existed in English common law long before the enactment of the Bill of Rights.  And, many Americans feel it necessary to own firearms today.

The importance of this issue to the Founders was quite clear.  James Madison, who introduced the language that became the Second Amendment, also wrote that “The Constitution preserves the advantage of being armed which Americans possess over the people of almost every other nation where the governments are afraid to trust the people with arms.”

Alexander Hamilton, like Madison a strong advocate for Federalism, was equally explicit: “The constitution shall never be construed…to prevent the people of the United States who are peaceable citizens from keeping their own arms.”

Thomas Jefferson famously said: “No freeman shall be debarred the use of arms.” And he also wrote that “The strongest reason for the people to retain their right to keep and bear arms is as a last resort to protect themselves against tyranny in government.”

During the years just prior to the Revolutionary War there was mob violence in several of the colonies.  In addition, many Americans lived in or close to wilderness regions where conditions were essentially lawless.  The need people felt to protect their families was quite rational.

It should be noted that a primary motivation for supporting “a well regulated Militia,” articulated in the Second Amendment as “being necessary to the security of a free State,” was the strong opposition among the Founders to the concept of a standing army.

Thomas Jefferson put it this way: “None but an armed nation can dispense with a standing army.  To keep ours armed and disciplined is therefore at all times important.” “Every citizen should be a soldier,” he wrote. “This was the case with the Greeks and Romans, and must be that of every free state.”

The American reality in 1776 and 1791 was entirely different from that confronting us today.  Yet, news of social and religious violence imposes on our peace every day.  Older Americans are particularly sensitized to what has changed: the radical loss of trust and the lack of civility, ethical integrity, and social responsibility we see everywhere.

We must acknowledge the compelling reasons why so many feel it necessary to possess firearms.

It is in this context that I have expressed my concern about threats of force made or implied in the name of political ends.  We already face dangerous instability, a condition that can only grow worse as conditions deteriorate.

Unfortunately, I expect it will ultimately be demonstrated for all to see – that the pursuit of violence will produce exactly the opposite of its intended purpose.  Such destructiveness will set us back immeasurably.

There is a dynamic relationship between means and ends.  The character of the ends we seek will be determined by the character of the means with which we seek them.

Violence committed by Americans against Americans would contradict the rationale behind the impetus to violence itself.   It would be self-contradictory, pitting brother and sister against brother and sister, subverting the integrity and viability of the American Idea as a guiding force for the good.

We can do better.

Both our purpose and our means need to be carefully considered, and we need to get it right.  We face an extended period of sequential crises.  Many dark and dangerous things are possible.

Tom

Next week: Principled Means, Principled Ends

Sorrow and suffering enough…

Posted on by

Trees 10

“If we could read the secret history of our enemies, we should find in each man’s life sorrow and suffering enough to disarm all hostility.”

–Henry Wadsworth Longfellow

Security and the Use of Force

Posted on by

I will address two considerations involving the potential use of force in defending ourselves.  The first is related to the security of our families and communities, the topic of recent blog posts. The second relates to our ultimate purpose, the effective means by which the foundations of the American Republic can be secured and strengthened.

I will consider the first in this post and the second in the coming weeks.

I have mentioned several security issues that will concern us if the current deterioration of the economy and social order continues.  While food security may be the most likely serious threat to a community, the most unpredictable danger will be the unstable individual or group approaching from outside.

Whether unexpected visitors might be psychopathic, motivated by religious or political ideology, or simply in a state of desperate need, may not be immediately apparent.

We would do well to deal with visitors in a respectful and humane manner, while remaining cautious and defensive.  The potential danger is real.  We must respond judiciously and communicate clearly, while summoning fellow community members for assistance.

In my view, we would also do well to remain sensitive to any positive value that might be presenting itself.  New faces will sometimes come to us with good character and valuable skills.

Graceful hospitality will always set the right tone, even if a visit needs to be kept brief.  Some of us have better verbal skills than others, or possess more disarming personalities.  Others may have weapons training or know martial arts.

An effective set of tools is offered by Target Focus Training (TFT), which includes physical skills for personal defense against lethal weapons.

If we keep weapons in the home we must manage them with utmost care.  Any weapon is an ever-present liability when kept in close proximity to our families.  Emotions can run high when we experience hardship.  As we all know, a gun can easily kill a loved one, even without an external threat.

In addition to first aid training, which is essential, each of us can gain conflict management and other defensive skills, both verbal and combative.  We would be well-advised to prepare ourselves well in advance.  A list of self-determined guidelines and personal thresholds for action can be memorized in preparation for the unexpected.

To the extent possible, our conscious purpose should not only include safety and survival, but also the ultimate concern for which we are living.

Courage is a priceless virtue.  Not the courage to fight, but the courage to care.  It takes a brave heart to make peace, but compassion must be buttressed by backbone.

Women sometimes embrace this balance with natural equanimity, but the presence of danger must never be forgotten.

Approaching difficult encounters with a positive attitude is an ability that can save lives.  This can make the difference between friendship and enmity, between collaboration and catastrophe.

We have entered a long crisis.  People are coming unhinged.  We will often encounter the walking-wounded, and danger will not always be obvious.

We will meet good people who have lost hope or are grieving deeply.  They may appear abrupt or angry at first.  We may not be sure who or what they are, but will soon come to realize that we need not fear them.

Each of us is wounded in some way.

I think most of us understand that this is not about being nice or even socially responsible.  This is about treating one another with mutual respect as Americans.  It is about reconstructing the United States as the kind of country we want to live in – one soul at a time.

It all comes down to purpose: Security requires preparedness; rebuilding the foundations requires grace.

We cannot afford to live in a state of siege behind walls that isolate us and appear hostile to others.  To give in to fear and retreat into defensive enclaves of survivalists would be to admit defeat.

Let us rather win over the confused, heal the wounded, and welcome the returning prodigal friend.  This is the true path to security.

Mature leadership greets each day with an open heart and an inclusive vision.

Tom

Next week:  A Severe Choice

 

Stability and Constructive Action

Posted on by

Security concerns increase with social instability in the world around us.  Our safety and well-being will ultimately depend, as I observed in the previous post, upon the stability and trustworthiness of the conditions we put in place around us.

Stability and security are mutually reinforcing, but without stability any effort to increase security is futile.  Stability makes our efforts to create security possible, and it benefits from those efforts.

It is natural to think that security must come first, but actually it is the other way around.  The key to security is effective community and the value of our personal investment in each other.

The first priority for any stable community is the strength of interpersonal relationships. These form the basis for trust, for good communication and effective problem-solving.

Dependable community depends on dependable relationships.

Americans are used to thinking of security as the responsibility of trained professionals who are expected to deal with emergency situations.  That is because we have been accustomed to stable institutions and dependable systems.

This may not always be true.  Things we have taken for granted in the past may become emergency concerns – if we are not prepared for them.

Food security is an important example.  Supermarkets typically limit their distribution centers to a three-day supply.  If the supply chain is disrupted and their vendors are unable to deliver, we are in trouble.

Unless we use our imaginations, the interruption of systems we take for granted will catch us off guard.  A systemic disruption could be caused by an Ebola-type epidemic, a cyber-attack on the banking system or national grid, a global monetary crisis, or any number of other reasons.

These are not unreasonable possibilities.

In my view, we would do well to think about the implications – from public health threats and emergency medicine to the need for a cash economy.  Building dependable networks of support among neighboring communities will also be important.

Knowing how to work effectively in groups will be key.  This will mean developing personal skills. Group decision-making and resolving interpersonal conflicts need not be traumatic ordeals, if we have acquired the necessary skills.

We are quite capable of preparing ourselves if we remain purposeful and ready to learn.  In the coming months I will discuss additional challenges we are likely to face, and tools to address them.

I have written of the importance of such virtues as trustworthiness, dependability, and responsibility.  I expect these make sense to you.  But, I have also introduced an idea that might seem novel, which I call “constructive action.”  And, last week I argued that stability is not possible without forward motion.

Why are motion and constructive action indispensable to our endeavors?

Think of it this way: Keeping our balance while riding a bicycle requires forward motion.  In any community, business, or organization, activity guided by a sense of purpose serves a similar function.  No social group can sustain coherence or affectionate ties unsupported by vision and purpose.

We will face two important areas of consideration as we consolidate our communities: What we do and how we do it.  The concept of constructive action concerns the latter – the way we can work together effectively.

This has a direct bearing on security.  To put it simply, constructive action is about being constructive rather than destructive, building rather than tearing down, freeing rather than oppressing.

A constructive approach requires a positive attitude and will contribute to improved safety and well-being.  Destructive actions and a negative attitude will set us back, the results of emotional reaction rather than rational purposefulness.

One leads toward the ends we seek; the other pushes us farther away.

Shared purpose is a lens through which the challenges of necessity can be brought into focus and the efforts of diverse personalities can be coordinated.  Shared purpose provides a standard by which a community can judge priorities and progress.

With sufficient willpower and discipline, each of us can develop our skills and learn how to do this.  And, a positive attitude will support rational thinking and a constructive way forward.

Tom

Next week:  Hard realities, practical necessities

A note to readers: Please consider supporting this blog and book project by suggesting that your friends and associates that they take a look.  And, clicking the Follow button will provide email alerts.

Doing the impossible…

Posted on by

Leaves 3

“There is nothing wrong with America that faith, love of freedom, intelligence, and the energy of her citizens cannot cure.”

–Dwight D. Eisenhower

“Start by doing what’s necessary; then do what’s possible; and suddenly you are doing the impossible.”

–Francis of Assisi

 

Walking the Talk

Posted on by

Big corporations often seem to behave with disregard for the humanity of citizens and community.  Geared to function with a singular profit-making intensity that is resistant to compromise, these are not human creatures.

Living with a dominant corporate culture, we find ourselves perceived as economic units, “consumers” pressed into service by a materialist mindset.

And so we have been isolated from one another, forced apart by social forces that are difficult to overcome.  The personal experience of meaning and interconnectedness that civil society depends upon has evaporated.

Americans need not submit to such a sorry destiny.

Independence is always relative, but it is an attitude and a choice.  Self-sufficiency could actually become a matter of life or death.  It can mean food security or financial stability or being a good parent.  Its’ meaning will take on new dimensions when crises strike.  But, there is much more to it than survival.

It is in community and in the quality of our active relationships that we form the matrix of a free society.  Freedom is realized in serving a principled purpose, and in the vitality of lives that are engaged and in motion.

It is in productive interaction with others that ideas are shared and problem-solving is most effective.  In trustworthy relationships, self-sufficiency gains strength and dependability.

But, are we willing to take this on?

We might not want to put up with community.  A few try to avoid it all together.  But, it is impossible to completely ignore it – unless we take snowshoes, an axe and a rifle, and walk into the wilderness.

I know how attractive solitude can be.  I also know that it would deny me the opportunity to grow as an individual, as well as the honor and adventure of dedication to the country I love.

Historically, the basic building blocks of the American Republic have been communities. And, the bonds that held everything together were the personal relationships that make communities work.

Communities are formed by the inspiration and determination of individuals and families, interwoven into mutually supportive networks, and networks of networks.  And, no, it will not be easy to regain what came to us so naturally in the past.

Let me state again, however, that the ultimate visionary force can only be that loyalty to the American Idea that welcomes diversity and rejects hostile divisiveness.

Americans are accustomed to contentious politics and unconstrained partisanship.  There will always be value in the clash of differing opinions.  However, we have entered a period of instability and potential danger.  It is time to rise above our differences in the interests of ensuring the balance and cohesion of the Republic.

We face the instability of extraordinary complexity, deteriorating infrastructure, and institutions that are trapped in the past.  Things are not going to work the way we think they should, and there will be no one to resolve the problems except ourselves.

If we are to rebuild a society in which the foolishness of the past is not repeated, we must think constructively about the qualities and principles that are needed.  Generosity and good will are essential human virtues.  We must keep them strong in our hearts, but help one another to understand why they are not enough.  Some things just don’t work.

Finding solutions to community problems will demand that we put our heads together.  It will require consultation, deliberation, and creative imagination.  And, it calls for the most diverse range of minds and perspectives possible.  The way to maximize effective problem-solving is to include people with a broad range of experience and practical skills.

This might sound idealistic.  In fact, it is the only way to restore a broken society.  Learning how to do it will be hard work, but people of good faith will always have the capacity to succeed.

We must hold our personal beliefs clearly in mind, while keeping in mind that we can expect less conflict and far greater security if we connect, listen and learn, understand and influence.

Holding ourselves apart from one another in disagreement while hurling insults can only reap destruction.  Engaging with one another can be extremely challenging, but there is no other way.

Tom

Next week: Foundations for security.

Common sense…

Posted on by

Farm 4-x

“Common sense is genius dressed in its working clothes.”

–Ralph Waldo Emerson

Moral courage…?

Posted on by

Denali

“It is curious that physical courage should be so common in the world and moral courage so rare.”

–Mark Twain

Turning the Corner

Posted on by

Whether our ancestors came to this continent by choice or in slavery, or were forcibly separated from their indigenous American roots, all of us are estranged from the lands and lives of our forbears.

Cut off from the cultural foundations that provided previous generations with the basis for social stability and moral integrity, we refined our values and forged new standards.

For some the escape from oppression or deprivation has taken great determination and willpower.  With a strength rooted in the individualism of the survivor, Americans reconstructed human society on the basis of association, reciprocity, and principle: freedom of thought, economic independence, and a new sense of belonging that often transcended social and religious differences.

Early on our communities formed on the basis of cultural commonalities.  But our naturally inquisitive nature and the inclination to range far and wide across the North American continent took us away from our physical roots and led to a society characterized by mobility, homogeneity, and economies of scale.

First railways, and then a proliferation of highways, industrial enterprises, and shopping malls facilitated unrestrained pursuit of economic productivity and material comfort.  Cheap energy made many things possible.  Big always seemed better, or at least more profitable.

Somehow we lost any sense of proportion or real purpose.  A society once anchored by small businesses and community cohesion soon fell apart, morphing into urban sprawl, broken families, and lost dreams.

Unfortunately, and paradoxically, the resulting loss of social coherence and community has led to diminishing independence and self-sufficiency among ordinary Americans.

Many of us have a haunting awareness of this loss of social integrity.  Others have responded more inchoately and angrily, with less comprehension of the historical context or economic forces that contribute to their sense of unease.

Mostly we have accepted our dependence on centralized corporate power to manage our lives for us.  We are now only dimly aware of the tenuous commercial supply chain stretching thousands of miles across the continent for the benefit of profitable efficiencies.  Do we understand the extraordinary social and economic change we are experiencing?

Most of us have little knowledge of the vast size and immense interlocking complexity of the financial markets.  Even the financial power-brokers appear oblivious to the systemic risk embedded in the complexity they themselves have created.

Cut off from dependable information and unaware of the larger picture, we assume that every day will be like the last.

Do we accept this state of loss?  Do we understand our heritage?

How carefully have we thought through the principles of justice, the respect for diversity, the distinctive balance the founders envisioned?  How confident are we in the ideas and values that give validity to our ideals?

In recent months this blog has explored some of the elements of a national character that is deeply rooted in our history.  We now find ourselves at a turning point where the original ideals that brought us here are partly veiled from memory, and the need to reconsider and clarify the American identity has become clear.

The foundations of the American past remain firm and valid.  Yet, we find ourselves today with little concept of community – that foundation of civil society that we must depend upon for a sure footing.

Community is the single context and condition that offers us control over our destiny.  Yet, we know very little about how to make it work.

This presents us with a formidable task.  Without trustworthy communities, how are we to engage with others, uprooted and disorganized in the wasteland of a broken society?  How will we build dependable relationships, a stable civil order, and security for our children and grandchildren?

I do not address this question to America as a whole, in all its pain and dysfunction.  Rather, I address it to my readers directly, as thinking, caring, self-respecting individuals.

Do we have the vision and patience to work with our neighbors, meeting needs and resolving problems?  Will we rise above our differences, to find security in the diversity of our experience, knowledge, and practical skills?

Are we prepared to rethink our concept of community, and to build together from the ground up?

It won’t be easy.

Tom

In the coming weeks: Community; the home we have the freedom to build.

A note to readers:  This is the first post to be adapted from Chapter Nine: The Individual and Society.

Finding Our Balance in the Storm

Posted on by

The passion for freedom challenges us to rise to the best of our ability as human beings. Whether or not institutions fail us, we are fully capable of giving life to our values when we engage with society, strengthen our communities, connect and collaborate with others.

It is in serving a purpose that each of us discovers the potential in ourselves for strength of character, generosity of spirit, and the inspiration to reach for a better place.

The practical limitations imposed on our personal freedom by moral responsibility and a complex world can be quite challenging, and crisis conditions make things all the more difficult.  For the mature adult, however, these constraints provide a springboard for a meaningful and productive life.

Naturally, it can be difficult to find our place and focus our energy constructively.  At times our courage can fail us.  The demands made on us sometimes feel impossible, even without consideration for others.  Without self-confidence it is difficult to be supportive of others, many of whom we seem to have little in common with.

Preparing ourselves will be important as we navigate through one of history’s great turning points.  Our ability to function responsibly in difficult circumstances will be challenging.

I believe we have entered a period of upheaval that will be unprecedented in character and global in its dimensions.  In my forthcoming book I explain why we will face “a confluence of crises” in the coming years, a series of consecutive and interrelated crises, both natural and man-made.

Preserving the Republic and holding to the core values of the American Idea will be our great responsibility as we transit the upheavals of a great storm.  Our belief systems are already being tested.  Civil order and economic stability will be shaken.

It will be imperative that we meet our tests with dignity, resetting our vision of the American identity based principle rather than watching it descend into chaos.

Our future depends on the survival of core human values and our commitment to retrieving a humane and sustainable future from the wreckage of the past.

Any alternative is too terrible to imagine.

We will prevail if our actions are constructive and the means we employ are harmonious with the ends that we seek.  We must keep our balance in the storm, keep our hearts and minds focused on the greatest good, and not allow ourselves to be dragged down by fear.

And so I offer you a metaphor here for freedom’s truth, a physical reflection of the metaphysical reality.  What follows are the final lines of a eulogy I gave for my father at his memorial service, and a testimony to what I learned from him:

“He gave me one truly great thing above all else….  And, this he did by teaching me the ways of sailing boats.  He taught me to fly on the wind.  He taught me to sail, to ride high on the blustering gale!

“Without fear we ventured out on the running tide, suspended between liquid and ether, to know the snap of the rigging, the sting of salt spray, and the unyielding rush of a steady keel straining against the wild.  Together we embraced the untamed and raced across the sky.  He was my Dad.”

Throughout life we are subject to the vagaries of a capricious human world that seems similar in many ways to the fickle nature of wind and sea.  Yet, core principles, laws, and standards remain firmly in place in both worlds, if we have the eyes to see.

Understanding and embracing this truth, we can spread our wings and learn to fly.

As with a sailing vessel at sea, our identity as human beings can only be realized in action.  And so we are free to discover the world we are given, learning as the sailor learns to engage a fluid and often unpredictable reality with wisdom and flexibility.

Failing this, we will beat ourselves against an implacable and merciless resistance.  An unwillingness to learn will expose us to the storms of life in a rudderless ship and with our rigging in disarray.

Tom

Next week: Turning the corner.

A note to new readers:  Blog entries adapted from the forthcoming book are posted on most Fridays at both this, the main blog site, and on the Facebook page.  To receive alerts by email you may click “Follow” on this site.