Various Thoughts XVII

Are you familiar with the story of Paul Wittgenstein. Read it. I won't ruin it by telling you the specifics, but it's hard not to admire the man.

It's often said that you can't make something from nothing. It's a law of physics. But he did. I don't mean that literally. For him the “nothing” was determination and a love for what he knew; a love for the music he had performed before. And those “nothings” have turned into an inspirational story which gives me strength and hope for humanity at a time in my life when I need it.

The potential within people cannot be underestimated. But it is only potential and it is up to all of us to take the steps necessary to bring our abilities to fulfillment, notwithstanding the challenges.

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I heard on the radio a few days ago that the government is returning some land that had been set aside as National Monuments. The monuments remained, but hundreds of thousands of acres that had been set aside are now available again. There was extensive protest by various involved groups about the loss of sacred ground by Native American tribes and there would likely be the destruction and loss of fossils. We would lose part of American history and we would never get it back. Naturally there was much sympathy for this noble cause. Our history is sacred and acts that compromise the record of our past are to be prohibited.

Not more than a few months ago there was mass destruction of statues, building names, and other claimed symbols of the Confederacy. The Civil War era may not have been our greatest moment but it is part of our history, and the destruction of the monuments and the history were “part of American history and we would never get it back. Naturally there was much sympathy for this noble cause. Our history is sacred and acts that compromise the record of our past,” acts that destroy our sacrosanct image, must not be allowed to sully it.

Thus there was much support for this desecration of our history, and it was supported by the media that claim a loyalty to our nation. Is there a double standard that prompts us to deny the history that embarrasses us, and embrace the politically correct and popular history that is in vogue?

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Whatever is proposed, and no matter by whom, there are winners and losers. The main opposing arguments are usually made by the losers who contend that all change – except what they propose – is for the worse. And the degree of contention depends on the organization and the anger of the losers, usually about who wins and who loses. And their respect for the rule of law.

Take taxes, for example. When they went up in the past by a vote of Congress we took it for granted that our government was acting in our country's interests. Hence there was no major protest nor a demand that we address the interests of the losers rather than the overall needs of our country. Nowadays lobbying groups, large and small, are more focused on their own concerns than everyone else's. If they benefit from the cuts they are justified. If they lose it's unfair. The legislation is only equitable if they win.

As for the rule of law, a good model is illegal immigration (ignore the politics). When we decided to ignore legal status of the immigrants – the law – no one cared. It was virtuous to do so. Adversaries of the laws previously passed by Congress felt like winners. Now, when the government insists on following the law, there were many who protest the cruelty of the demand – who believe that virtue trumps law, and we are obligated to withdraw fealty to our Constitution and the laws, and the “right” thing for us is to do “good” rather than obey our own statutes. We have turned those who have violated the law into people we have oppressed. We have made them “losers,” no matter how they have violated our statutes, nor how often.

We have a binary system and a general disregard for our own people, while we are more concerned about people from elsewhere. Have we let emotion vanquish our system and our common sense?

December 8, 2017