The Pledge Of Allegiance

Republican politicians love the Pledge of Allegiance. There are at least three things wrong the Pledge of Allegiance, even from the Conservative point-of-view.

1. The pledge was written by the socialist, Francis Bellamy. The original intent was to include the word "equality" along with "liberty and justice for all". The Pledge has been change a couple times already; if they put in the word "equality" will you still think the Pledge is somehow a good idea? I would think we want to inculcate into our kids a spirit of self reliance and tolerance. The pledge teaches Orwellian (even Hitlerian) "group-think" and "God is on our side". In later years, this attitude blossoms into the ugly attitude of "America, Love It or Leave It". If "love it or leave it" was a principle of the founders, there would be no provision for amending the U.S. Constitution.

2. Oaths of Allegiance are a hallmark of tyrannies throughout history. There is no place for "oaths of allegiance" in a country that calls itself free and just (and Christian). Many Christian churches originally (and correctly) opposed the Pledge of Allegiance. The Catholic Knights of Columbus led the movement to add the words "under God", in the spirit of "if we can't beat them, we'll join them".

3. Most importantly, the brouhaha over the Pledge and "under God" is nothing but a distraction from more important issues. Socialist propaganda always hammers on the petty fears and populist trivia in order to distract from the real political issues (state, federal, and local) that are destroying families and businesses, i.e., Regulation, Welfare, Wars, Taxes, Laws, Corporate Welfare, Taxes, Wars, Taxes, ...

I'm sure most voters would know very little about any of these historical or economic realities. They live in a world of "let's pretend that if we get our kids to memorize a few words (especially with the word "God" in there someplace), they will grow up to be better citizens and better Christians". Never mind that the long-term effect of such oaths is a general devotion to collectivist thinking. Ironically for conservative pledge-promoters, collectivism is antithetical to "liberty and justice for all".

Conservatives jump on the Pledge Of Allegiance bandwagon to get the attention of patriotic voters who were taught to have reverence “for God and Country”. But voting Republican instead of Democrat simply means heading for Socialism at 80mph instead of 100mph.

Democrats are "tax and spend", forcing us to live with a crippled economy. / Republicans are "borrow, print more money, and spend", forcing our children to live with a crippled economy.

Be patriotic: Shop Smart!

On Jan 7, 2010, I got an e-mail message that encouraged everyone to "Buy American"

My challenge to you is to start reading the labels when you shop for everyday things and see what you can find that is made in the USA - the job you save may be your own or your neighbors!

If we care about the American economy, should we "Buy American"?

This is a popular myth believed by people who never read anything about economics.

To limit your purchases by lines on a map is to lose everything that the division of labor gives us.

The "division of labor" means we don't all have to be self-sufficient. I don't have to know how to build a guitar in order to play a guitar. I don't have to build my own car, or my own tools, or my own house. I don't have to learn how to build or maintain all of these things, Other people in the marketplace have learned from trial and error how best to make a quality product at a reasonable price. Through an investment of their time and money, entrepreneurs learn what techniques work best for production and distribution of a product. The bigger the marketplace, the better this works

When you limit your purchases to a certain area on a map, you are paying someone to invest their time and money in duplicating the process of "trial and error". It's terribly inefficient and uneconomical, and it ends up being a bad deal for the buyer and the seller. It's bad for the buyer because he's throwing good money after bad, and it's bad for the seller because his business is inefficient and therefore not viable.

It's okay to "buy American" if it makes you feel good. It's your choice. I guess people make purchases for stupider reasons. But don't delude yourself into thinking that this is good for American jobs or the American economy. The more competition we have in the marketplace, the better it is for everyone's prosperity. The bigger the marketplace, the better. When you limit your purchases to "buy American", you are cutting out a major chunk of competition, you are shrinking your marketplace, and you're asking for lower levels of prosperity for you, your family, and your country.

The best thing a shopper can do for himself, his family, and his country is to "buy smart": buy the best product at the best price from the company with the best service reputation. That's the best economic choice, and it's "win-win" for everyone involved. Anything other than "buying smart" weakens the American economy.

(Quote from a Gary North article): "To buy" is "to sell." It is the same transaction. It is an exchange. The person who suggests that Americans should buy only from Americans is suggesting the absolute abolition of international exchange. He is advocating the destruction of the international division of labor. He is advocating the abolition of international economic specialization. He is advocating international economic disintegration, given the key position internationally of American trade, American capital markets, and American technology. He is advocating economic collapse. He is advocating a return to barbarism.

Be patriotic: Shop Smart!