Does America need another “counter-culture” movement to survive?

In the 1960’s college campuses erupted with the counter-culture movement.  An uprising of the public against the establishment, or “the man”, which has culminated with the election of President Obama.  The counter-culture could roughly be described as a rejection of free-markets, individualism, religion,  paternalism and white male domination. The new culture would embrace a non-profit economy and collectivism to care for the wants of all.  Religion and chauvinism would be replaced with secular tolerance.  And American global dominance would yield to being but one voice in an international community.  Fast forward and the counter-culture is now in place in whole or part.  As such, we should assess its results.

As with most things grand and broad some elements have merit, others indifferent and still others destructive.  But on the whole has it lifted society and produced happiness for the people?  A partial answer to this question is the new culture has produced a society with $18 trillion of debt and growing and $100 trillion of unfunded liabilities.  These consequences are complete financial collapse that will plunge the world into the next dark age.

We have discussed at length the economic ramifications of unrestrained entitlements and a nation unmoored from the Constitution in our book Vigilance: The Price of Liberty.  We have also discussed the threats to our freedom that now confronts us.  Today’s college generation is the first to experience the wrath of the counter-culture movement.  College has become the institution of political indoctrination for politically correct speech and thought – the first generation without the freedom of speech.  What needs to be done now is re-create the American identity with another “counter-culture” movement to pull the country back from the precipice of tyranny and subjugation.  To restore free-markets and free speech.  To applaud meritocracy and restrain government to its constitutional limits.  To recognize that prosperity thrives when liberty survives.

We are but one generation away from the point of no return. Today’s college youth must reject some of the destructive elements of the 1960 counter-culture to realize and restore the quintessential elements of America and secure the blessings of Liberty.

The Myth of Government Protection

Politicians engage in a political “debate” regarding all issues social, financial and foreign to, as they purport, save the children, the country or the planet.  But the real purpose is to grow the power of government while portraying a façade of protection and dedication to the public good.  Naming climate change as a “great threat” or proclaiming that healthcare would not be possible without the government is simply a political power play.

For example, could government policy have prevented the ice age? No!  It is silly to think that government can change natural events of geological and solar magnitude that have cycled for billions of years.  However, this has not impeded political action.  In the 1960s and 1970s some climatologists warned of an impending ice age.  Fast forward 50 years and now government wants to protect us from global warming; so which is it?  It is nothing more than the politics to enact policy to expand government.

There are things that government can do to protect the public, but even these must be carefully limited and monitored as, essentially, all government programs fall to some amount of political corruption and waste.  We established a Constitution to limit the scope of government and must now push-back government to stay within those bounds. 

A Changing Landscape with Cuba

President Obama met with Raul Castro April 11^th, for what was deemed, by many in the media, an historic event to begin an era of new relations with Cuba.  “This is obviously an historic meeting” Obama said and speaking to the past he continued that “it is time for us to try something new.”

We agree with the President that it is time for a new approach, though we may disagree on the policy.  We also disagree that this is historic.  After all Cuba is an impoverished third world country without its traditional communist backers, who have largely deserted it.  In need of fresh cash, the Castro brothers are playing, an apparently, foolish President in search of his relevance and a legacy.

Most troubling is Obama’s consideration to remove Cuba from the U.S. State Department's list of state sponsors of terrorism.  Doing this unilaterally means, once again, the U.S. is giving without getting, and follows a pattern of Obama foreign policy as seen with Russia and Iran. 
 
We also have to quip regarding President Obama’s statement to remove Cuba from list of terrorism: "I have been on the road, and I want to make sure that I have the chance to read it, study it before we announce publicly what the policy outcome is going to be." (CBSNews, Obama Marks “Historic Meeting” with Cuban Leader Raul Castro, 4/11/2015).  For a President that thinks himself a “modern” man, does he not have email while traveling?

Obviously the President has full capability of reading the documents and conferencing with advisors on this issue while on the road.  However, the President already knows his decision and is paying lip service, as all politicians do, to choose the right time and place to make the announcement that achieves what is best for the President.  However, let’s give the President the benefit of the doubt and, maybe, he learned from his health care debacle that it can be better to read legislation before he signs it?

Lastly, there are some endorsements you just don’t want.  Like when Raul Castro, the dictator of Cuba, praised Barak Obama, the leader of the free world, by saying “In my opinion, the President is an honest man.”

Teaching American Excpetionalism

Our nation, still yet young in comparison to empires of past centuries, is rich in history.  Such history of revolution, conflict, enlightenment and prosperity should be taught to our youth and celebrated.  If we are to continue in prosperity and bask in the light of freedom that Lady Liberty shines down upon those who call the United States home then we must take to earnest endeavor to properly teach the youth of our nation their history.

Please enjoy a founding story of our nation with an excerpt from our book Vigilance: The Price of Liberty:

It was December of 1776, little more than four months after America had declared its independence, and General George Washington’s army in full retreat. While successful in flushing the British from Boston, the American army moved to New York where it suffered devastating defeats. Driven out of New York and forced to flee across the Delaware River to Bucks County, Pennsylvania, only 3,000 of the initial 20,000 troops remained of the Continental army.  Over matched by British troops and with his army’s enlistments expiring at month’s end, Washington knew he had to do something bold or the revolution would be at risk. To this end, Washington conceived a plan to attack the town of Trenton, New Jersey on Christmas day. The watch words would be “Victory or Death”. 

 

Trenton was the closest outpost to Washington and manned with about 1,400 Hessian [German] mercenaries under the Hessian Commander Colonel Johann Rall. Washington devised a plan to strike the Hessians believing they would be sleeping off the effect of Christmas Eve food and drink. 

 

Thomas Paine had written an essay that Washington ordered read to his troops on that night before Christmas with the opening words “These are the times that try men’s souls.” Troops would be on the march that Christmas, some without shoes and all facing a winter storm as they made their way onto boats to cross the Delaware River. It would take some 14 hours for soldiers, horses and artillery to cross the river in sleet, while dodging blocks of ice. 

 

As the Americans began their journey that fateful Christmas eve, a Loyalist – Americans who aligned with the British and saw the rebellion as treason against the Crown – came to see Colonel Rall at the house of Abraham Hunt, a wealthy town merchant.  But Rall would not be disturbed and was given a note instead which Rall placed into his coat pocket. 

 

It was about 3 am when the Continental Army landed and began its march of 10 miles to Trenton. Washington ordered the men to keep moving. Two stopped for rest and froze to death. Of the four forces that set-out for Trenton, only two arrived and Washington placed his troops at both ends of the town when at about 8 am he ordered the attack.

 

The Hessians bolted from their houses to battle formation as the Americans converged from each side of Trenton. American soldiers lay blows of flesh and steel on the enemy and shouted “This is the time to try men’s souls!” Cannon fire from each end of the town cut-down the Hessians as they poured into the street to engage in battle.

 

Colonel Rall urgently gathered his coat to organize a charge, however, during the battle he was shot and mortally wounded.  He would soon surrender to General Washington but before he would die, he lifted the note he placed in his pocket given to him the night before only to read the warning that the Americans were on the march to Trenton.  Near death, Rall would say “If I had read that at Mr. Hunt’s, I’d not be here.”

 

Shortly after the Hessians surrendered General Washington would return to Pennsylvania.  For the next 14 hours the Continental Army would again cross the Delaware to return to Bucks County with captured weapons and some 900 prisoners.

 

For a period of 48 hours valiant men forged a victory without sleep and little food and in conditions that would kill any other man – it was only their determination for Liberty that would keep them alive. With their blood following them on the snow from their bare feet and the courage that would try men’s souls, the Battle of Trenton brought life to the new revolution. 

 

Such were the sacrifices and resolute courage that gave birth to America. We have largely forgotten our heritage and the goal of liberty that was so valiantly fought for in 1776.  In doing so we have stepped on a path toward tyranny and the warm lake of blood that gave genesis to our nation lies a distance that is too far from sight. We must take measure to make our way back to this enshrined lake that paid for our liberty or we risk forever that which was so dearly won. (pg.13-15)