The Alternative

Our life changing experience

Cliches have a purpose. Like language, they take a series of words that is widely recognized and project an idea.

“Life changing experience” is one of those cliches. It can be used as a crutch or a tool. I had a life changing experience back in the sixties. At an age where many were ripe to take a rebellious path, my friend Gregor pointed out the folly and evil of the Vietnam War. Up until that point I was with my family on this; a Goldwater Republican. I saw killing as a violation of The Golden Rule.

Now, almost fifty years later, things haven't changed much. The pundits and politicians see human beings as cannon fodder in a sports contest. And the media, seeking something to hold attention and sell advertising, latch onto that because good news is boring. The violence perpetrated by the state becomes commonplace and accepted as the norm.

But now things seem to be improving. As much as I despise democracy, it looks like public opinion may bring us a more civilized society. In a great service to peace-loving Americans we now have a president who is demonstrating that war is a product of big government. Conservatives who salivated at the thought of a potential new conflict are questioning a Syrian intervention.

Bill O'Reilly, who rudely attacked Ron Paul for his anti-interventionist views, has pointed out that conservatives oppose Barack Obama on his Syria hawkishness because he is a Democrat. As much as I think O'Reilly is more of a marketer than a thinker, he is correct.

In opposing the Democrat Obama, these conservatives have had to defend their non-interventionist position. They've had to think deeper than just name-calling and their deep thinking has led them to the same logical thinking as the man they obviously hated but secretly admired, Ron Paul.

On the other side of the coin there are the traditional progressives. They are in love with the rhetoric of compassion spewed by Mr. Obama. And after all these years, finding a black man to boot, with the charisma to win the presidency, they've been giddy with delight.

All along they've had this weird idea that war is not a product of big government, but a lack of enough government. But if we go back to the days of our war of secession, the writings of the thinkers of the day warn us of entangling alliances and the destructive force of an unreasonable government.

Liberals and conservatives both, have been deluded into this idea that to cure the ills of the world, government should heal what it created. But now that we finally have the dream president (and he is just as big a killer as his predecessors) my liberal friends have dropped jaws and itchy scalps. They stare in amazement as big government is failing them.

This is great news. Over the years we've had our purchasing power erode. Families who were once the backbone of our society are viewed as an impediment to the better judgment of the state. War is now accepted as right as rain.

Now conservatives are talking about terrorism as retaliation rather than hatred for our freedoms. Liberals see a culture of dependance and irresponsibility is created by the welfare state. The mythological bubbles are bursting.

The life changing experience of the Nobel Prize winning peace candidate pleading for permission to blow people up and a Democrat wanting to do what Republicans have long claimed as their exclusive purpose, is bringing people to their senses. They are starting to see the use of force as the problem. It's a start.

There's more on the blog: www.alternativebyfritz.com. Or reply at 4selfgovernment@gmail.com