I used to believe in an ideal country and what it might look like. I believed that somehow, we could achieve great things if our country was just this or that. I wanted to see government deregulated back to what it was before the Progressive movement and the banks took over.
But now I find myself not caring as much. Maybe it is because I'm getting close to my late twenties and my idealism is starting to fade into the practicality we all seem to sink into. I have no illusions about the importance of elections. But elections happen once a year. The rest of the time, most people seem content to allow their politicians have free reign in their positions of power and prestige.
The bottom line is that I'm no longer interested in striving for the unattainable. Mankind is a broken, selfish species. The truth is that there is no way to achieve something without total mind control. Even in Soviet Russia they had a mafia. They just became more brutal and cutthroat to survive. Heck, they even had a cannibalistic serial killer there. The fact is, the 75-year Soviet "experiment" (as Peter Jennings put it) didn't even come close to solving the human condition.
Human beings are, by nature, evil. Our natural tendency is to do the wrong thing at the wrong time for the wrong reasons. I'm not saying that this is what we do all the time, just that the mere fact that we do it some of the time illustrates just how self-serving we really are. I am no exception to this rule and neither is anyone else.
So I've really given up on ideal worlds. For me, they happen to be worlds where the government is just there to protect it's citizens from other people seeking to take away life, liberty, or property through force or fraud. But such an ideal is unattainable. There are not enough people willing to make it happen and even if there were, we would fail eventually.
I guess that's why I've admired Objectionism. At least they are honest about themselves and not a bunch of self-righteous hedonists who do nothing but bitch about how life sucks. Regardless of their religious affiliation, Objectionist at least understand the fundamentals of human nature. This is probably why Communism was so much more dangerous than most other movements. It featured a complete lack of understanding of human nature and basic economics.
So I've stopped aligning myself with a particular party or political movement in this country. I refuse to give any of them any money. I just hope and pray that I can live out my days in peace without conflict. But I never was much of a fool. So while life will feature its ups and downs for me, I'm going to do my best and not complain, but simply enjoy the ride.
It is my firm belief that the best thing you can do to reach an ideal world is to live a good life and ensure that no one, not a bank, not a family member, and not a government official, has a debt on you, financial or otherwise. And raise your children in the manner in which they would be respectful of other people's lives, liberty, and property.
You see, I believe that right here and now, we have the government we deserve. Too many people out there believe that a bunch of elected officials, who couldn't hold a decent job in the real world if they tried, better at solving your problems than you are. So, with enough of these idiots running around, driving cars, voting, and cutting in front of you in any line, we have the government tailored for them and their specific "needs." It would not surprise me if there was an idiot out who believed that the government will make them rich.
If you don't want a world like this left behind when you die, make sure you do good in your own life first and foremost. I have some recommendations on real individuals who can make a huge impact in your life, but I don't think many people read this blog anyway.
Of course, if I were to obtain a Death Note, then maybe an ideal world could be attained.