Generally speaking, I agree with most of what Jacob G. Hornberger writes and posts on his Future of Freedom Foundation blog and I appreciate the impact he is having in this chaotic world we live in. Sometimes, though, I am compelled to poke a stick at it, as in this case.
“But the fact is that neither Republicans nor Democrats are the root cause of America’s fiscal woes. Instead, the root cause is a systemic one — the welfare-warfare state, regulated-managed economy system, and national-security state system that have come to characterize our nation.”
Hornberger is correct in that neither Republican nor Democrats are the root cause, but then he errs when he lays the blame squarely on the system, the system that has become a monster, which threatens to destroy everything that we prize and possess as freedom-loving and free people, and which the average American votes to endorse and continue every two years without fail. Unfortunately, it is seen in the way he describes it by far too many people who ought to know better and, maybe do, but prefer not to notice. After all, their way of life might be threatened if they did notice and acted on that knowledge.
“It is difficult to get a man to understand something, when his salary depends on his not understanding it.” — Upton Sinclair
No, the system is not the cause of the disease, it is a symptom, a manifestation of the sinful nature of mankind which demands to have more than what is rightfully gained and given. To put it bluntly, greed, and when people give in to the greedy impulse (temptation), it does not matter who pays so long as they get what they want. This is nothing more than a continuation of the sin committed by the First Couple, Adam and Eve, who had everything they needed, but were not satisfied with that and grabbed for more. Whether the story of the Garden of Eden is true or only a metaphor is irrelevant. The principle is the same and people today still operate in that mode and pattern.
Consider what is offered here. The system teaches us from the get-go that it holds the key to life, liberty, and prosperity. All we have to do is engage with it, make our requests known (either through political action and agitation or by filling out the proper forms), expect that it will hear our prayers and supplications (by delivering to us what we ask for), and sending the bill to someone else we don’t even know. In essence, this is very similar to a person, an obese, lazy, irresponsible person who refuses to live in a healthy manner, but depends entirely on the advice of licensed medical practitioners who tell her to “Pop a pill and make an appointment for your next visit on the way out.” After which, of course, the bill for the “service” is submitted to Medicaid or Medicare, and while the “victim” patient may be required to pay a small portion, the bulk of it is paid by everyone else. The system we live in today, from stem to stern, is shot through with this kind of thinking and there is very little done to counteract it or change it. We have become, as a society and culture, dependent on the system to provide for us and we reward it by surrendering our lives to it, body, soul, and spirit.
It is a Beast and we are marked by it.
In the beginning (see Genesis 3), God told Adam and Eve that they were not allowed to take a bite of the apple, the forbidden fruit, but were expected to take Him at His word. However, as soon as they found out that there was another option available to them which promised more, they took it without question and the consequences of that decision are still with us today. In a very real sense, the Serpent still whispers in our ears the same thing which was spoken to Eve. “Do you lack for anything? Seems like God isn’t really being fair by keeping that from you, doesn’t it? Don’t you deserve to have whatever you want or desire? Well, then, just put out your hand and take it. After all, someone else will pay the bill.”
And we do. In fact, politicians are elected, not because they are incorrupt, uncompromised, and honest, but because they promise to deliver more than their opponents, who are running flat-out to give us what we think we want. It is not so much a question of voting for the lesser of two evils, but more along the lines of voting for the one who promises to give us the most. And who promises to send the bill to someone else, preferably someone who is richer than we are.
Greed. Envy. Covetousness. Perhaps even a dollop of malice and a desire for revenge. Not a good base on which to build a country, a society, a world.
Hornberger continues,
“So long as Americans choose to continue this dysfunctional way of life, federal spending and debt will continue to soar, regardless of whether Democrats or Republicans are in charge.
This is where the soul-searching has to take place among the American people.”
I completely agree with this and have been saying this for a long, long time, but the method I propose does not begin with a community agreement, but with the individual person, at the very bottom of his soul where he lives and, afterward spreads out into the society at large, affecting that in a positive manner. Like ripples spreading across a pond after a stone has been thrown into it. Or, perhaps, more personal, like yeast which is mixed into a lump of bread dough causing it to turn from an inedible mass into a delicious loaf, preferably eaten straight out of the oven and dripping with butter.
We are saddled today with a warfare-welfare state, a regulated-managed economy system, and a national-security state system, not because it has been foisted on us involuntarily, but because that is the route we decided to travel. Because we, as individuals, bought into the idea that we can have what we want without personal responsibility, that taking from those we don’t know to support our lifestyles is not a moral wrong, that force, fraud, and violence are to be preferred over the clear order given and expanded on–“You shall not… You shall not eat the apple. You shall not steal. You shall not worship anything besides the Truth, which I AM.” Changing this to a corrupted form that “You shall not steal, except by majority vote” does not invalidate the basic truth that every sin, all the time, is a form of theft in some way or another and this society and culture are fully complicit in the practice of it.
“And you will cry out in that day because of your king whom you have chosen for yourselves, and the Lord will not hear you in that day.” — 1 Samuel 8:18
Your king. The one you chose for yourselves. The one you begged to have. The one who promised to give you everything you wanted so you voted for him. Or her.
We, the People, live in a society in which nearly everything has been brought under the control of government. We are nearly completely dependent on this “king” for our protection, our sustenance, our health, even our very lives. The worst part of it is that the system we have built is the one we have built. Our king, which we chose for ourselves. Exactly the way we wanted it.
And there is no relief. God, no matter how many prayers we utter in anguish and heartache, is not going to hear us because we have not learned yet what it means to worship a false god. We are not likely to until we have been wrung out so there is nothing left to turn to — except God, Who has been there all the time, patiently waiting until we get our heads out of our collective ass and significantly change our ways. — https://poorrogersalmanac.com/2022/07/03/we-want-a-king-give-us-a-king/
The only way to exterminate the system which rules us is to change ourselves, to root out the mendacious impulse we have to take from others to benefit ourselves. The root cause, as Hornberger calls it, stems from our own soul and that is the first place to begin correcting the problem, to begin the healing process of a mortal disease of which only the symptoms are usually addressed and, if they are, always blamed on someone else.
Poor Roger's Almanac 
“The system teaches us from the get-go that it holds the key to life, liberty, and prosperity. All we have to do is engage with it, make our requests known (either through political action and agitation or by filling out the proper forms), expect that it will hear our prayers and supplications (by delivering to us what we ask for), and sending the bill to someone else we don’t even know.”
“The system we live in today, from stem to stern, is shot through with this kind of thinking and there is very little done to counteract it or change it. We have become, as a society and culture, dependent on the system to provide for us and we reward it by surrendering our lives to it, body, soul, and spirit”
Roger: Your deep insight clearly demonstrates you know how the ‘system’ works, better than most of us. We, the people, need a new Constitution. One that does not change frivolously by the whim and fancies of man. A permanent book of laws that holds all, regardless of status or ideology, equally accountable. And this accountability, without any preference, delivers just consequences. No exceptions and no back door.
Read the Quran:
https://islamicworldsinitiative.as.virginia.edu/jefferson-and-quran-islam-and-founders
https://quranthinkers.com/surah-al-fatiha-revisited-not-a-prayer-but-a-road-map-for-life/
{Quran: ch. 2/ verse 123} “And fear the Day when no person shall avail another, nor shall compensation be accepted from him, nor shall intercession be of use to him, nor shall they be helped”
Sana, I appreciate your comment and welcome you to the conversation.
I opened up the links you provided but did not find anything there to convince me that I need to change. Sorry, but these are dead ends, in my opinion, and would only have benefit (perhaps) if I was already a believer in Islam, which I am not.
On the other hand, what need is there of a new Constitution, a permanent book of laws which holds everyone equally accountable, regardless as to who they are? I already have that and the complete essence of it can be found in Galatians 5:14. “For ALL the law is fulfilled in one word, even in this: ‘You shall love your neighbor as yourself'” (emphasis mine)
The entire law is condensed into one principle, that we should consider other people as important, at least as important, as ourselves. There is no need of rules, law books, or constitutions for people who practice this. I do not need someone to tell me how to act towards others because I already know what I am supposed to do. First, do no harm. Love your neighbor as much as you love yourself. Be the change you wish to see in the world. Pay your own bills and stop expecting your neighbor to support your habit of personal irresponsibility.
This is the Law in one brief sentence. What more do I need?
Dear Roger, thank you for your response & referring to the universal law: “You shall love your neighbor as yourself’”.
The word ‘love’ elicits emotions that many people simply wish to avoid or not convey to others (for whatever reason). Then you state, “The entire law is condensed into one principle, that we should consider other people as important, at least as important, as ourselves. There is no need of rules, law books, or constitutions for people who practice this. I do not need someone to tell me how to act towards others because I already know what I am supposed to do. First, do no harm. Love your neighbor as much as you love yourself. Be the change you wish to see in the world”.
Question: how can you compel the world to follow this law without question it? If practiced today, who then will enforce or reinforce this ‘law’ unto society?
While your thoughts are very noble, looking at our society today we seem to be lacking that principle. Society needs role model behavior- Some regulating body that can govern society equitably and honestly. First and foremost, prior to our existence, our universal Creator has embedded physical, universal laws that function without pause. These scientific laws are unchanging, regulating the universe. For humanity’s survival, guidance is imparted for humans to live on earth for as we evolve. Those who wish to follow it, will be the beneficiaries of peace on earth. If we practice it collectively, only then can we all coexist peacefully and resolve disagreements in mutually beneficial ways.
I referenced the Quran because it recognizes man’s disposition towards self-interest and greed. Islam, by way of the Quran’s teachings, foster a deep sense of responsibility toward God, oneself, and others, and how this principle shapes personal development and just communities.
-Thank you
Hi, Sana,
Thank you for the thoughtful response and questions. Your input is greatly appreciated.
First, love, as I am pitching it is not an emotion nor a feeling. It is a matter of self-control and deliberate self-sacrifice of one person for the benefit of others. That is, love for others must be lived, not merely felt, and this is quite expensive personally. It costs dearly and may cost everything one has, but the deliberate action of giving of oneself for someone else, in itself, is an act of unselfish love which cannot be measured nor compensated for, at least in this world.
Second, I have no need to compel the world to follow this law at all, with or without question. That is not my responsibility. I have tried that and it doesn’t work. I can only trust that, if I properly show this love to others, they will respond in like manner, not only with me but also with those within their sphere of influence, spreading the message far beyond what I could do on my own.
Love cannot be compelled nor coerced. It cannot be reduced to a “law” which is based on force and fear of punishment if transgressed. It can only be practiced in hope that it will bear fruit, in time and in history, whether I see it or whether I don’t. Chances are pretty good, however, that if I practice love in this manner among the people I associate with, that I will see some good come out of it.
“Society needs role model behavior…” True, which is why I try to model the proper behavior.
“–Some regulating body that can govern society equitably and honestly.” A regulating body, humanly speaking, is based on force, threat of violence, and theft. It relies on rules designed to make people behave in the manner they are instructed, not necessarily for the good of humanity, but definitely for the benefit of the regulators. This is human nature which cannot be overcome except by the power of the Spirit. There is no love in regulation.
“…our universal Creator has embedded physical, universal laws that function without pause.” Agreed, these are known as natural law and I am completely aligned with them. What is the most important of these? I would posit that BECAUSE humans, both male and female, are created in the Image of God, that they are completely sovereign in their own world which is completely under their control, their own dominion, to order it and to perfect it for the glory of God. It should be clear from this that everyone is sovereign in their own life and that no one else, no matter how powerful, wealthy, or influential they are, has the right to regulate and order anyone else. It is my sovereign right to order my world in the way I see fit and no one else can legitimately transgress that. The only thing which might go against this is that if someone transgresses another’s sovereignty in some way, i.e, commits a crime against them, that punishment must be brought to bear against the criminal. This is not the practice in modern “justice”.
“Those who wish to follow it, will be the beneficiaries of peace on earth.” Correct. I completely agree, therefore it is incumbent on us personally, as individuals to walk this way and to show others that it can be done.
“If we practice it collectively, only then can we all coexist peacefully and resolve disagreements in mutually beneficial ways.” Again, correct, however it is my belief and I have stated this repeatedly, that collectives, no matter how large or small, are made up of individuals and it is the behavior of the individual which determines the behavior of the collective.
As to the way this affects the world politic, can you say that following the same old, same old pattern of governmental regulation, force, and violence has made anything any better?
Sana, one more thing.
“…looking at our society today we seem to be lacking that principle.”
If we are lacking that principle, it is because we do not practice it. We do not practice it because it is not taught. It is not taught because people do not want to hear it or adhere to it. This is a matter of selfishness and no amount of law and regulation will bring that under control because it is a spiritual matter and can only be addressed within the individual human soul.