| It is simpler if we view this question in terms of | | | | highest unemployment rates, highest number of |
| an individual. On March 17th, 2008, I celebrated 30 | | | | alcohol and drug statistics, lowest life expectancy |
| years of being clean and sober. | | | | rate, (Natives die 11 years sooner than whites), |
| In working with individuals who express interest in | | | | and Natives suffer diabetes at twice the national |
| sobriety, I have learned that you can't solve | | | | average. |
| another person's problems, at "any" level. We can | | | | Not only does this example show the United |
| encourage them, provide suggestions, and share | | | | States inability to "help" other countries, it also |
| our experience, but in the last analysis, the | | | | shows the devastating effects of socialism on a |
| individual must make the decision to do the work | | | | nation and its peoples, yet policies are still be |
| necessary for sobriety. The same holds true of | | | | written and monies being spent on socialistic goals. |
| nations. Throwing money at a problem, whether | | | | Hillary Clinton even proposed to give all children |
| at the personal level or national level does nothing | | | | born in the United States $500.00 at birth. Where |
| but create a "something" for "nothing" mentality | | | | was/is this money coming from? |
| and also interferes with their growth as a person | | | | I am going to include a quote by a Frenchman |
| and as a nation. | | | | written by Frederic Bastiat, a French economist in |
| Freedom can not be "given". Freedom can only be | | | | the 1840's. He foresaw the issues facing America |
| earned. Its by earning freedom do we learn how | | | | when a Government adopts socialism as America |
| to maintain it, just like sobriety. | | | | has done the last 70 years. He maintains: |
| The Bible tells us to worry about the "beam" in | | | | "[The socialists declare] that the state owes |
| our eye, before we worry about the "speck" in | | | | subsistence, well-being, and education to all its |
| another persons eye. The United States cannot | | | | citizens; that it should be generous, charitable, |
| solve its own problems much less that take on | | | | involved in everything, devoted to |
| other countries problems. Our "War" on Poverty | | | | everybody;...that it should intervene directly to |
| has been going on since the 60's. The same holds | | | | relieve all suffering, satisfy and anticipate all wants, |
| true of the "War" on Drugs. As we know, after | | | | furnish capital to all enterprises, enlightenment to |
| billion's of dollars spent, drugs are still rampant in | | | | all minds, balm for all wounds, asylums for all the |
| our society. We are not winning these wars. | | | | unfortunate, and even aid to the point of shedding |
| Our jails are filled to the brim with inmates. In | | | | French blood, for all oppressed people on the face |
| Oregon, we spend more dollars on jails than we | | | | of the earth. |
| do on education. | | | | Who would not like to see all these benefits flow |
| In reality, the money we spend overseas are | | | | forth upon the world from the law, as from an |
| mainly bribes. It is a way for the United States to | | | | inexhaustible source?...But is it possible?...Whence |
| exert influence in areas we do not and should be | | | | does [the state] draw those resources that it is |
| involved in. It is little wonder America is viewed as | | | | urged to dispense by way of benefits to |
| a threat rather than ally. | | | | individuals? Is it not from the individuals |
| We have another saying in recovery. We are | | | | themselves? How, then, can these resources be |
| encouraged to apply the principles contained in our | | | | increased by passing through the hands of a |
| Big Book because, "we maybe the only Big Book | | | | parasitical and voracious intermediary?... |
| somebody sees". This means that we are | | | | Finally...we shall see the entire people transformed |
| encouraged to be "examples" of sobriety, rather | | | | into petitioners. Landed property, agriculture, |
| than going out and strong arming individuals into | | | | industry, commerce, shipping, industrial companies, |
| sobriety. | | | | all will bestir themselves to claim favors from the |
| This same principle holds true for the United | | | | state. The public treasury will be literally pillaged. |
| States. We need to apply the principles of the | | | | Everyone will have good reasons to prove that |
| Constitution, of capitalism, of our Founding | | | | legal fraternity should be interpreted in this sense: |
| Fathers, of Liberty, of Individual Rights and by so | | | | "Let me have the benefits, and let others pay the |
| doing, we will be examples to the world of what | | | | costs." |
| "can" be accomplished. | | | | Everyone's effort will be directed toward |
| The old saying of, "give a man a fish and you | | | | snatching a scrap of fraternal privilege from the |
| feed him for a day, but teach him how to fish | | | | legislature. The suffering classes, although having |
| and you feed him for a lifetime", applies to this | | | | the greatest claim, will not always have the |
| question. We have trying to feed other countries | | | | greatest success.";from Journal des Economistes |
| for many years now, and they still can't fish. We | | | | As you can see from the above quote, American |
| have been doing so here in the United States with | | | | has bought the idea that the "government" can |
| our own citizens and we have whole generations | | | | and should solve, not only "our" problems, but the |
| who are welfare families, and who cannot or will | | | | "worlds" problem also. As is evidenced by the |
| not learn how to fish for themselves. | | | | millions of people, organizations, funding agencies, |
| If I was still drunk, would others believe me when | | | | private individuals and companies, who continually |
| I told them how to stay sober? The same holds | | | | petition for money, we have proved Frederic |
| true for the United States. How can we tell them | | | | Bastiat prediction. We have become a nation of |
| how to eliminate racism? Or how to feed their | | | | "petitioners" all claiming favors from the |
| people when we have people starving? When the | | | | government, who want "others" to pay the cost. |
| United States violates human rights and liberties, | | | | Now imagine if our politicians and our bureaucrats |
| for "any" reason, how can we hold ourselves up | | | | decide that America should solve the worlds |
| as defenders of liberty? | | | | problems? Who pays for it? You? Me? Our |
| Politicians in the United States have been acting | | | | children and grandchildren? When does it stop? |
| like a drunken sailor on leave with a pocket full of | | | | I am always amazed when politicians want to |
| money. For many years now they have | | | | solidify and expand their base, when they want |
| mis-spent tax dollars by spending it on activities | | | | more access to tax dollars, and more influence to |
| that the average U.S. citizen would not support. | | | | peddle, they always appeal to American's sense |
| Native American's here in the United States have | | | | of duty and guilt. Native American's call it |
| learned to run like hell when a government | | | | "white-guilt". They, like other races and minorities, |
| worker shows up and tells them they are here to | | | | have learned how to manipulate that guilt to their |
| "help" them! If you truly want to see evidence of | | | | own detriment. |
| the United States inability to "help" other countries, | | | | No, we can't solve our own problems, much less |
| just look at the state of Native American | | | | those of other countries. Let us lead by example |
| reservations. After 200 years of being "helped" | | | | rather than by misusing money and influence. |
| by the United States, reservations still have the | | | | |