Liberalism: A By-Product of Rationalism in Modern Context

 

Liberalism is a significant by-product of Rationalism, whose origins and ideology must be clearly understood.

The Enlightenment period of Western History, emerging after the Counter-Reformation, increasingly emphasized intellect, Reason, and logic. By the mid-18th century, this trend culminated in Rationalism. Rationalism viewed all spiritual values through the lens of "reason," re-evaluating them accordingly. This logical approach helps solve problems in mathematics, engineering, and physics but insists on identity and rejects contradiction. While satisfying intellectually in abstract thought, Rationalism ultimately led to Pragmatism, marking the demise of pure Reason.

Rationalism's adaptation to material problems rendered all issues mechanical when viewed through "the light of reason," devoid of mystical elements. Descartes' reduction of animals to automata evolved into viewing humans similarly. Organisms were redefined as chemical and physical problems, and the concept of superpersonal organisms disappeared, being neither visible nor measurable. Newton's idea of the mechanical universe stripped spiritual force from the cosmos, and in the next century, it was removed from human affairs.

Reason detests the inexplicable and uncontrollable, seeking comprehensive knowledge and control over practical problems. Rationalism, the belief that everything is subject to and explicable by Reason, rejects anything not visible or calculable. It dismisses the unpredictable as unfeasible but theoretically possible. Rationalism's will to power leads it to label the unmeasurable as non-existent.

Rationalism viewed History as a trajectory toward Reason, depicting humanity progressing from barbarism to Enlightenment and science. It negated the spiritual, focusing instead on the individual and society. Anything between these poles was deemed irrational.

This classification is accurate: Rationalism mechanizes everything, rendering what can't be mechanized irrational, including History's chronicles, processes, and Destiny. Rationalism itself is unreasonable, a by-product of a specific cultural development stage. Its emergence, brief dominance, and eventual return to religion are historical and, thus, irrational questions.

Liberalism translates Rationalism into politics, rejecting the Republican-style Government and viewing it as a contract between individuals. Life's purpose is disconnected from States, focusing on individual happiness. Bentham's "greatest happiness of the greatest number" epitomizes this, equating human contentment with economic well-being. The Reason, being quantitative, equates the average person with "Man," defined by material needs. Politics demands sacrifices for intangible values, conflicting with "happiness." Economics, almost synonymous with happiness, supports this materialistic view. Religion and the Church, interpreting life through intangible values, oppose this notion, while social ethics, promoting economic order, support it.

Liberalism's two pillars are economics and ethics, which reflect individuality and humanity. Ethics, materialistic and social, discards its metaphysical roots, becoming a social imperative. It maintains the order necessary for economic activity, within which the individual must be "free." Liberalism's battle cry is "freedom," seeing man as autonomous, with society as a voluntary association of individuals and groups. The State represents un-freedom and compulsion, and the Church represents spiritual un-freedom.

In politics, Liberalism redefined war as economic competition or ideological difference, denying the traditional cycle of war and peace. The State became a society or humanity ethically and economically, a production and trade system. Political aims turned into social ideals or economic calculations, with power morphing into propaganda or regulation.

Benjamin Constant epitomized Liberalism's doctrine in 1814, celebrating man's "progress" in Enlightenment and 19th-century freedom. He saw economics, industrialism, and technology as pathways to freedom. Rationalism allied with this trend, overcoming Feudalism, Reaction, War, Violence, State, Politics, and Authority, replacing them with Reason, Economics, Freedom, Progress, and Parliamentarism. War, being unreasonable, was replaced by Trade, the intelligent and civilized alternative. Earlier war-driven societies yielded to trading societies, the new earth masters.

Liberalism is inherently harmful. It disintegrates rather than forms. It opposes Church and State authority and advocates economic freedom and social ethics.

Organic realities allow only two alternatives: an organism true to itself or one that becomes distorted and vulnerable. Thus, the natural leader-follower polarity is essential. Despite its 19th-century political activity and alliances with State-disintegrating forces, Liberalism never comprehensively defeated the State. It allied with democracy, despite its inherent authoritarianism, and supported Anarchists against Authority. In the 20th century, Liberalism even sided with Bolshevism in Spain, with European and American Liberals sympathizing with Russian Bolsheviks.

Liberalism, defined negatively, is merely a critique, not a living idea. Its core value, "freedom," implies freedom from authority, leading to social atomism. This disintegration combats State, societal, and familial authority. Divorce equates with marriage and children with parents. This negative thinking led political activists like Marx, Lorenz von Stein, and Ferdinand Lassalle to reject Liberalism as a political tool. Its contradictory attitudes and compromises sought balance, not resolution. In crises, Liberalism fragmented, aligning with opposing revolutionary sides based on individual consistency and hostility to authority.

Thus, in practice, Liberalism was as political as any State, allying with non-liberal groups and ideas. Despite its individualistic theory, it supported life-sacrificing ideologies like Democracy, Socialism, Bolshevism, and Anarchism.

Flashlight as a defensive Tool

Drunk Surfer Saved  

In Virginia Beach, Virginia, a man was walking his dog at night when a woman suddenly emerged from the shadows, flailing her arms and screaming at the top of her lungs. Tears streamed down her face as she explained that her significant other had been injured while “drunk surfing” at night—a dangerous activity that, apparently, some people engage in around Virginia Beach.

Despite the urgency, when help finally arrived, they couldn't spot the victim on the beach. It was pitch black, and visibility was nearly zero. Fortunately, the man walking his dog carried a flashlight, which he used to flag down the EMTs. Thanks to his quick thinking and the light from the flashlight, the rescue team was able to locate the injured surfer, who lived to surf another day.

Stop Thug, Find a tool! 

A guy was leaving work with his coworkers when all of a sudden, he saw a mountain of a man, hunched over, raining down fists on a helpless victim. “Hey! Stop!” he yelled while sprinting to help the poor man. The thug noticed, and like a coward, he fled the scene, bolting into the woods. The guy and his fellow office workers followed, but by the time they got into the dense forest, all they could see were branches, twigs, and moss-covered logs. The thug was nowhere in sight. Fortunately, the guy used his tracking app and instantly knew the thug’s whereabouts. He called the cops, and they arrested the thug.

Life-Saving High-Lumen Flashlight 

A guy was crossing the street when he spotted a car approaching him at full speed. Behind the wheel was a distracted driver, glued to her phone and oblivious to her surroundings. The guy quickly pulled out his trusty life-saving device, pointed it at the car, and BAM—the wheels seized up and came to a screeching halt just a few feet from him. This simple item came to the rescue in three different scenarios. But what exactly was this life-saving device? It was a quality, high-lumen flashlight. This flashlight flagged down first responders at a pitch-black beach, revealed the whereabouts of a thug who had assaulted someone, and, when shone directly at the eyes of the wrong driver, forced her to slam on the brakes, preventing her from hitting a pedestrian.

Fraudulent Scammer Indicted- Chinese National Indicted for Allegedly Defrauding Elderly Missouri Woman of $95,000

 

A Chinese national has been indicted for allegedly defrauding a 79-year-old Missouri woman out of $95,000. Dongyi Guo, 27, was charged in the U.S. District Court in St. Louis on May 8 with one count of conspiracy to commit wire fraud. Guo has pleaded not guilty to the charges.

The indictment details a scheme in which conspirators targeted elderly victims through phone calls and electronic messages, deceiving them into handing over large sums of cash. Guo and other couriers were allegedly paid to collect the money from these victims.

In this case, scammers contacted the elderly woman in Knox County, Missouri, posing as representatives from financial institutions and the Social Security office. They convinced her that her accounts had been compromised and that she needed to pay cash to secure her funds.

According to the indictment, Guo collected $40,000 from the victim on March 4, $35,000 on March 5, and $20,000 on March 6. He was arrested on March 7 while attempting to collect another $15,000.

The conspiracy charge carries a potential penalty of up to 20 years in prison and a fine of $250,000 or both.

It is important to note that charges in an indictment are accusations, and the defendant is presumed innocent until proven guilty.

The Knox County Sheriff’s Office and the FBI conducted the investigation. Assistant U.S. Attorney Derek Wiseman is prosecuting the case.

If you or someone you know aged 60 or older has been a victim of financial fraud, contact the National Elder Fraud Hotline at 1-833-FRAUD-11 (1-833-372-8311). Managed by the Justice Department’s Office for Victims of Crime, the hotline provides resources and referrals and assists in reporting fraud. It operates Monday through Friday from 10:00 a.m. to 6:00 p.m. ET, with services available in English, Spanish, and other languages. The Federal Trade Commission also offers a consumer complaint hotline at 877-FTC-HELP and a website at www.ftccomplaintassistant.gov.

For more information, contact Robert Patrick, Public Affairs Officer, at robert.patrick@usdoj.gov.

The Vampire Economy- A Stark Warning from History

 In "The Vampire Economy: Doing Business Under Fascism," Gunter Reimann presents a detailed and unsettling account of the German economy under Hitler’s regime. The book serves as a crucial historical document, illustrating how the Nazi government-controlled and manipulated economic activities, a policy which at first seemed to bring prosperity but ultimately led to devastation and complicity in the regime's horrors.

Reimann’s narrative shows that the early years of Nazi governance were marked by a semblance of economic upturn. The state provided for its people—jobs were created, infrastructure was developed, and a sense of national revival was palpable. This apparent prosperity, however, was a double-edged sword. As the government tightened its grip on the economy, individual freedoms were significantly curtailed. The population, initially buoyed by economic improvements, found themselves complicit in the broader agenda of the regime, including its militaristic and genocidal objectives. The benefits they enjoyed were financed by the plunder of conquered territories and the exploitation of marginalized groups.

Drawing a parallel to contemporary times, particularly in the United States, "The Vampire Economy" is a cautionary tale about the dangers of allowing the government too much control over economic activities. For instance, the rise of tokenized coins and electric vehicles can be seen as advancements fostered by significant governmental support and regulation. However, just as in 1930s Germany, these modern technologies carry the risk of increasing governmental oversight and control over individual actions and finances.

Moreover, with the IRS adopting AI technologies to scrutinize tax returns more efficiently, one can see echoes of the past, where technology under state control led to an invasive breach of privacy. This is a stark reminder that all technological tools, including computers and AI, operate under permissions that can be exploited or misused by those in power.

"The Vampire Economy" is not just a historical account but a warning. It invites readers to reflect on how economic systems and technological advancements, while beneficial, can also be used as instruments of control. It encourages vigilance and active civic engagement to ensure that the tools designed to advance our society do not become the very chains that bind us. In essence, Reimann's work reminds us of the need for balance between government involvement in the economy and the preservation of personal freedoms, highlighting that the lessons of the past are indeed relevant to our future.

Poverty is a Learned Behavior

 

The analogy between the training of a baby elephant with a short rope and the experiences of individuals under modern American social welfare systems like food stamps, welfare, and Section 8 housing reveals a striking similarity in how the elephant and individuals may be confined by invisible barriers. The baby elephant is tied to a stake with a short rope, restricting mobility. Initially, it struggles to break free, but the rope's strength and the stake's firmness exceed its efforts. As the elephant grows, it remains mentally constrained by the belief that it cannot escape despite having the physical strength to do so in adulthood. This psychological barrier persists, limiting its perception of freedom throughout its life.

Similarly, American social welfare systems are designed to support those in need, preventing hardship by supplying basic necessities such as food and shelter. However, these systems can inadvertently create limitations that prevent recipients from advancing beyond the support they receive. For instance, Section 8 housing provides immediate relief from housing insecurity but often results in long-term dependency without a pathway to homeownership. This lack of ownership means residents miss out on building equity, an essential means of accumulating wealth and providing financial stability and opportunities for future generations.

Similarly, the Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program (SNAP) helps families afford adequate nutrition but limits where and what can be purchased, restricting personal choice and discouraging the exploration of other options that may lead to financial and dietary independence. Moreover, those on welfare often encounter higher transaction costs in banking and are susceptible to predatory lending practices due to being deemed 'unbankable,' which entrenches their financial disadvantage further.

Critics also point out that government and non-profit efforts to address poverty and homelessness often do not fundamentally change the conditions perpetuating these issues. The systemic barriers remain primarily unaddressed, creating a cycle where poverty and reliance on assistance are managed rather than resolved like the elephant, never realizing it can break free from its confines.

To truly transform the impact of these welfare systems, it is essential to rethink them to ensure they support and empower individuals, allowing them to break free from the constraints of their circumstances. This might involve creating actual pathways out of poverty, such as opportunities for property ownership, improved financial services, and more autonomy in personal choices, enabling individuals to realize their full potential, much like the elephant that eventually recognizes its strength to break away from the rope.