...willing slaves or masters of our own fate?"It stands to reason that where there's sacrifice, there's someone collecting sacrificial offerings. Where there's service, there's someone being served. The man who speaks to you of sacrifice, speaks of slaves and masters. And intends to be the master." --novelist and philosopher Ayn Rand (1905-1982)
If ever there was an advocate, indeed a champion of rugged individualism it was Ayn Rand. In fact, she believed the enlightened self-interested individual is the one person worthy of true love and loyalty. This was amply illustrated in her writings, especially in her magnum opus, Atlas Shrugged.
Rand believed the individual is more important than the collective.
In Christian religious teachings the directive is to love God and as those teachings also tell us we were created in the image of God, by default we must love ourselves, God's creation. This type of "self love" is what is popularly known as enlightened self interest. It is man's nature to preserve his existence, loving himself enough to endure great hardship in order to preserve that existence. A natural outgrowth of loving himself enough to live, is loving what is also part of his life, his family, his friends and to a degree, his greater community of man. It is a love that can only be given freely, springing from the spiritual soul.
The enlightened self-interested individual will toil or even die for those valued and loved. This individual, as whole a human as can be in this imperfect world, is motivated by enlightened self interest to produce commodity or service to benefit himself and those he values. The happy side effect is an overflow of produced commodity or service which can then be bartered or sold to other individuals. This commodity may be intellectual property, manufacture, research, any number of services or even artistic creation.
The provision of such, traded in kind or for tender, provide the necessary comforts for existence on this earth for himself and his loved ones.
Free and lawful commerce between individuals, exempt from unreasonable restraint or central government interference, is the linchpin of a free and peaceful civilization.
Referring to Rand's quote above, "The man who speaks to you of sacrifice, speaks of slaves and masters. And intends to be the master."
Our federal government demands we sacrifice our product to it's whim while voicing no protest. We are expected to watch this product squandered with impunity and still voice no protest. Will we consent to be slaves? Will we bow to a tyrannical master?
"I think we have more machinery of government than is necessary, too many parasites living on the labor of the industrious."-Thomas Jefferson
You've heard me say it before and just in case you forgot, NOTHING has changed in over 2,000 years. "We" are nothing more than extras in this "play of life". Think of the last great movie you saw. The main actors, a few secondary actors and then a whole bunch of extras. Those people that do nothing more than walk around in the background so the scene makes sense. Then there's those "extras" that are required to be killed off in some horrible way.
ReplyDeleteDirector - OK, I want you to hit that tree with your car head on, the car will burst into flames. I want you to roll out of the car limping and then your cloths will catch on fire. You need to run screaming, and I want you to make me believe you're really in pain here. Make the audience "feel" your pain. Now, when you get to the edge of the cliff, I want you to turn so the main actor can shoot you in the chest. You're still on fire... and limping and now you grab your chest. As you do, I want you to stumble and fall over the edge of the cliff screaming even more. Got it? OK, places everyone.
Extra - Ummmm... say listen, this really sounds like it's gonna hurt and...
Director - We're losing the light. Lets get with it.
Extra - Look, I hate to bitch but...
Director - Listen, did you read the Agreement you have with this filming company? Have you read the term of you Union Card?
Extra - Ummmm
Director - Light the torches... light the fuses... ACTION!
And so life goes. There are Masters and Slaves. One can not exist without the other. We all seem to try and be Masters, at least Masters of our own fate, however no one is really able to succeed. Just go back over 2,000 years. Master or slave, has anyone succeeded completely?
In my next rant, I will discuss women's fashions and their importance to the evolution humans.
Variables in life are important as well as complicating. We can spend away our life wondering "if" rather than chance and "do".
Anonymous with "purdey legs".