“I would invite the reader’s attention to the kind of lives our ancestors lived and the means by which [America’s] power was first acquired and expanded; I would then have him trace the process of our moral decline, to watch, first, the sinking of the foundations of morality as the old teaching was allowed to lapse, then the rapidly increasing … [Read more...]
The Rise & Fall of Institutions: Commentary on Edward Snowden by Oliver DeMille
July 12, 2013 by 18 Comments
We are living through a major transition in America, and the Edward Snowden case illustrates just how significant it is. As recently as 1991, the American people were proud of their country, and highly impressed with their government institutions and leaders. The people looked up to the White House after what many considered a successful … [Read more...]
A Hero’s Freedom and Freedom’s Heroes
July 12, 2013 by 2 Comments
Author Paul Johnson wrote, “How do we recognize the heroes and heroines of today? "First, by absolute independence of mind, which springs from the ability to think everything through for yourself, and to treat whatever is the current consensus on any issue with skepticism. "Second, having made up your mind independently, to act – resolutely and … [Read more...]
A Missing Word Vital to Freedom
July 8, 2013 by 1 Comment
There is a word missing from our modern vocabulary. It is in the dictionary, but it is hardly ever used anymore. The word is “polity,” and it carries with it a whole worldview that has been lost since the American founding. The word comes from Aristotle, who said there are six main types of government. Three of these are monarchy, aristocracy and … [Read more...]
Sowing the Seeds of Rebellion
July 5, 2013 by 2 Comments
What do these things have in common? Providing someone with raw milk. Collecting rainwater to water your garden. Saving seeds from your garden to grow next year’s crop. All of them may be illegal depending upon where you live. It is the nature of government to seek to gradually expand its control over our lives. Seatbelt laws, legal tender laws … [Read more...]
What is Freedom?
July 1, 2013 by 2 Comments
I frequently get asked something along the lines of, “Oliver, you talk a lot about freedom; but what, exactly, do you mean by the word ‘freedom?’ How do you define it?” It’s a very good question. To answer it, I first want to define “liberty.” After all, the Declaration of Independence boldly affirms that among our inalienable rights are “life, … [Read more...]
The Trout Fisherman in Hell: Lessons in Opposition
June 28, 2013 by Leave a Comment
A fisherman dies and believes he has gone to trout-fishing heaven as he catches one perfect two-pound trout after another. As he sets his fly and hooks into yet one more, he can’t fathom his good fortune. The sky is blue, the weather ideal, the fish biting like he’s never before experienced, and everything is absolutely perfect. It is not … [Read more...]
Spy On Me?! by Oliver DeMille
June 26, 2013 by 28 Comments
I am really angry. Upset. Surprised. Shocked. Mainly angry. I have been studying history, freedom, and current events for well over two decades now, and I don’t think I’ve ever been this upset. I’ve built several businesses, taught thousands of people the classics of liberty and free enterprise, written a number of books, researched and given … [Read more...]
A Funny Thing Happened on the Way to Big Government
June 24, 2013 by Leave a Comment
Local government is increasingly the place where things are getting done. As the party system has created gridlock in Washington, less is getting accomplished on Capitol Hill. In a funny way, this has created a situation that is more like the American Founding era than anything we’ve experienced in over a century -- the real place to get things … [Read more...]
Losing Faith in Washington?
June 21, 2013 by Leave a Comment
President Obama’s fundamental argument since his campaign and through his first term and second campaign has been that our society can benefit more from government than it has in the past. This is an easy sell in Europe, but not so much in the United States. The framers mistrusted government, and felt that freedom can only last in a society … [Read more...]
