They Are Fighting 'Round The World

Have you noticed what is going on in foreign lands the last few weeks? If you have not, you missed an opportunity to see people fighting for the very thing that most of us take for granted. Freedom is a precious commodity that too many throw away without nary a thought. Look at the lengths others are willing to go when faced with oppression. This ought to tell us something.

Egypt kicked off the festivities with the populous rebelling against an oppressive dictator. This event caused a chain reaction throughout the area with other individuals standing up to their oppressive regimes. Ultimately, even though many will lose their lives, the overall effect is that people are screaming for freedom.

Now we see a similar situation arising in China. While I would surmise the efforts of these individuals will be defeated, their quest is noble. Freedom is something that is inherent within each of us. The Chinese people are no different than Americans in this regard: they want the opportunity to live life as they see fit. Sadly, this option is not readily available in a communist country.

Give It Away

The interesting aspect of all of this is that these individuals are rebelling against having their freedoms taken. I believe it is human nature to fight when oppressed to this degree. However, the situation is entirely different when we opt to give away the freedom. In this instance we see people slowly bled to death by their own choices.

Our Founding Fathers committed treason against the Mother Country. They got together and staged a revolution which made them criminals in the King's eyes. Of course, because of the victory, these same men became the heroes that we honor.

Now, this brings me to the question of the day: do you think George Washington and the other revolutionaries suffered through a winter at Valley Forge so that you could waste away as an ingrate? Do you think they risked their lives so that later generations could whine about how they are 'entitled'? I do not believe this is what was in the minds of those early heroes.

Nevertheless, today we see people throw away their freedoms without a whimper. Take away their flatscreen television and you will hear a howl. Instill an act that tramples on the individual rights of the citizens and not a word is uttered. This is how our culture operates.

It Can Happen Here

The ironic thing is that what is occurring in these foreign lands can happen in this country. I remember watching the news last year when there were uprising in the streets by the unions in Greece because budgetary shortfalls necessitated cutting expenses. This caused upheaval amongst the union workers who were guaranteed lavish paychecks and benefits. Suddenly, their wings were being clipped and they didn't like it.

Of course, over the last week we saw the same thing happen in Wisconsin. The unions are in an uproar because the Governor is trying to close a budget shortfall of epic proportions. People are protesting on the streets in an effort to save what they deem is theirs. This is entitlement mentality at its finest.

If we give our freedom away we will end up as oppressed people. Actually, I believe that nationally we are at the point. Our individual choices are so bad that we literally have enslaved ourselves. Creditors own everyone and everything. The United States Government is broke. We borrow money from China to pay a large portion of our annual budget. Our country is owned by those in the Far East.

At the same time, the average household has tens of thousands of dollars in credit card debt. People buying crap they cannot afford without thinking about the consequences. Of course, we need to remember they are 'entitled' to have it. Where the money comes from to pay for it is of no importance. 'Charge it' is the American motto.

The slaves are all around us. If you cannot see that then I will guess you are one of them. Many like to point to the unfairness of it all. Horsecrap. People are treated exactly how they teach people to treat them. The simple fact is that the average person is too weak to fight for freedom. Instead, he or she is more concerned with what the neighbors think, thus buying (or leasing) an expensive automobile they cannot afford. Or they decide they need a vacation and book an expensive trip to 'spoil themselves'. Ultimately, debt is the chain that brings people to their knees.

How long until people are feeling the oppression that is being put upon them? I will say that Americans are a resilient lot. They can take a lot of pain. Nevertheless, the housing crisis is starting to put things at critical mass. People are now feeling the pinch. Naturally, they are turning to the government to bail them out. Good luck on that one. Remember, this is the entity that decided the solution to 'too big to fail' was to make the banks bigger. Ultimately, the enslaved will learn the perils of their choices. Then we will see how everyone reacts.

They are fighting 'round the world. It is only a matter of time until they end up here.