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In the mid 1970s, there was a phenomenon called "Brain Drain" whereby a significant number of mysterious disappearances and strange deaths among an array of scientists, physicists, astronomers, engineers and others in specifically related fields took place over a short period of time.

 

In 1977, a British TV production aired an episode called ALTERNATIVE 3 to explain this brain drain phenomenon, purportedly as a "fictional" hoax.

 

The thrust of the TV episode was that the ruling elite on Planet Earth were concerned about overpopulation and potential earth changes, thereby requiring various alternatives where they could continue their grand lives of opulence and control while the rest of civilization would suffer the adverse consequences.

 

Alternative 1 consisted of plans to explode nuclear bombs in the atmosphere, primarily to greatly reduce global population. This scheme was soon discarded for a variety of reasons.

 

Alternative 2 consisted of creating various underground bases to be occupied exclusively by the ruling elite (and required helpers/servants) in the event of a global catastrophe. Some of these bases have already been constructed during the 1950s and 1960s, in secrecy of course.

 

Alternative 3 was a plan to build bases on the moon and on Mars to be occupied by the ruling elites when Planet Earth becomes uninhabitable due to potential catastrophic events. In doing so, the ruling elites have obtained advanced technology (kept secret from the rest of the world) and have been implementing this plan for several decades by creating bases on the far side of the moon (which is why the USA never went back to the moon after the 1970s -- we were chased out of there by those who occupied the place) and underground on Mars.

 

In order to give credence to Alternative 3, one must assume that a group of wealthy, powerful people have formed an alliance and hold discussions about how to save themselves from overpopulation on a dying planet.

 

Not hard to believe at all -- numerous groups exist, known and unknown -- Old Money, secret societies, Rothschilds, Bilderbergers, the CFR, the CFR, Knights of Malta, etc., etc.

 

After the TV show aired in 1977, British author Leslie Watkins published a book the following year titled ALTERNATIVE 3, which expanded the premise of the scheme and explained that the TV version had been meant to be a hoax.

 

After publication, Watkins was besieged with letters, confirming the basic concept of Alternative 3. He wrote, "In fact, the amazing mountain of letters from virtually all parts of the world -- including vast numbers from highly intelligent people in positions of authority -- convinced me that I had accidently trespassed into a range of top-secret truths."

 

Yes, there is a ruling elite that controls the world in secrecy. They control international monetary systems, governments, military-industrial complexes and the mass "mainstream" media. They initiate global conflicts to further their goal of a one-world government (with them in total control) and to increase their wealth. They have been doing this for a very long time, passing the power and authority down through their closed bloodlines.

 

The ruling elite considers it their right, because of their innate superiority, to control the lives of the masses and will do whatever it takes to maintain their position of power.

 

The Puppet Masters have alternatives to save themselves from gloom and doom -- the Puppets have alternatives too, if only they would awaken to their plight.

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Quote for the Day -- "On a planet that increasingly resembles one huge maximum security prison, the only intelligent choice is to plan a jail break." Robert Anton Wilson

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Bret Burquest is the author of 7 books, including THE REALITY OF THE ILLUSION OF REALITY and ORB OF WOUNDED SOULS (available on Amazon). He lives in the Ozark Mountains with a dog named Buddy Lee and where dreams are answers to questions one is unable to ask.

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The U. S. Secret Service has evolved over the years. These days, it is part of the U.S. Department of Homeland Security. One of their many duties is to protect the President of the United States and his or her immediate family.

 

Over time and through various sources, Secret Service agents have disclosed that U.S. Presidents sometimes have a public persona and a private persona.

 

The Secret Service also assigns codenames to U.S. Presidents and members of their family -- Secret Service codenames are in parenthesis.

 

John F. Kennedy (Lancer) -- A womanizer who had many affairs. He set up an early warning system to be alerted whenever his wife would approach his area.

 

Lyndon Johnson (Volunteer) -- A highly immoral man. Very crude personality.

 

Richard Nixon (Searchlight) -- A moral man but also very strange. Extremely paranoid and kept within himself. Had a terrible relationship with his family.

 

Gerald Ford (Pass Key) -- A gentleman who treated everyone with respect.

 

Jimmy Carter (Deacon) -- A total phony. For example, he would exit airplanes and helicopters carrying his own suitcase or briefcase. However, the suitcase or briefcase was always empty. It was merely a prop for photo opts to impress the public. He portrayed himself as a pious non-drinker, yet he and his family consumed alcohol often. The Secret Service always has an agent, near the President, carrying the nuclear "football" (a briefcase with the capability of launching a nuclear attack) for extreme emergencies. According to the agents in charge of the devise, Carter was highly irresponsible with the football. Apparently, he didn't think much of it and kept Secret Service agents at a significant distance from him.

 

Ronald Reagan (Rawhide) -- A moral, honest, gracious man. Treated everyone with respect. Would take time to get to know everyone around him. Unknown to the public, he often carried a firearm with him, and even had a pistol in his briefcase when he met with Soviet leader Gorbachev.

 

George Herbert Walker Bush (Timberwolf) -- A kind, considerate man. Always took time to make sure the Secret Service agents were comfortable, which included bringing them meals and warm clothing when they were stationed outside in cold weather..

 

Bill Clinton (Eagle) -- An untrustworthy man who wanted everyone to like him. He considered the Presidency to be one big party. His wife Hillary (Evergreen) treated the Secret Service with open contempt, as if they were there to serve her and her husband. Her personality would dramatically change depending on the presence of cameras. Vice President Al Gore (Sundance) was a self-centered jerk who was overheard by Secret Service agents telling his son that he'd better do well in school or "you will end up like these guys" as he was pointing at the agents.

 

George W. Bush (Trailblazer) -- Like his father, he was kind and considerate of the Secret Service agents. He and his wife Laura (Tempo) went out of their way to make it comfortable for the agents. Of all the Presidents, Bush was the most prompt and ran the White House like a well-oiled machine. He also had a strict workout regimen and was in good physical condition.

 

Barack Obama (Renegade) -- He disdains the military and looks down on the Secret Service.

 

We all have our public persona and our private persona. In public, I am a quiet loner and potential serial killer. In private, I frolic with dogs and talk to trees.

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Quote for the Day -- "Democracy is the art and science of running the circus from the monkey cage." H. L. Mencken

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Bret Burquest is the author of 7 books, including THE REALITY OF THE ILLUSION OF REALITY and ORB OF WOUNDED SOULS (available on Amazon). He lives in the Ozark Mountains with a dog named Buddy Lee and the haunting spirit of Bonnie Jo Mason.

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A Libertarian is a person who is concerned with the fundamental protection of individual rights -- minimal government, maximum individual freedom.

 

The Libertarian political party was formed in 1971 and has been gaining strength ever since. Their party goal states, "As Libertarians, we seek a world of liberty; a world in which all individuals are sovereign over their own lives and no one is forced to sacrifice his or her values for the benefit of others."

 

At the 1977 Libertarian Party Convention, a former Harvard Professor of Psychology spoke about a new concept called the Internet. He explained that it would become a worldwide connected network of computers where people around the world would be able to communicate with one another via messages, photos, videos and information instantaneously. He also predicted this network would cause a revolution against the status quo and that nothing would ever be the same.

 

The professor's name was Dr. Timothy Leary (1920 - 1996).

 

"In the information age, you don't teach philosophy -- you perform it. If Aristotle were alive today he'd have a talk show." Timothy Leary

 

In 1960, Leary traveled to Mexico and sampled some Psilocybin mushrooms, experiencing an altered state of mind consciousness that changed the course of his life. He claimed he learned more about psychology in the five hours after taking the mushrooms than in his 15 years of studying and doing research in psychology.

 

Returning to his post as a lecturer at Harvard, Leary and other associates began a research program known as the Harvard Psilocybin Project.

 

Leary argued that psychedelic substances, such as Psilocybin mushrooms and synthetic LSD, would have positive therapeutic effects if utilized in proper dosages under the guidance of a psychologist.

 

Because of his views about the individual freedom of one's own mind, Leary soon became an enemy of the U.S. government, culminating in various arrests and imprisonment. Apparently, a person's mind is the property of the government and the altering of one's own state of mind is an extreme offense against the prevailing will of those who control the masses.

 

Controlling the masses is not a new concept.

 

One of Leary's many observations concerned the concept of monotheism (One God), which he considered to be a primitive religion designed to manipulate human beings into a "hive authority" mentality based upon a hierarchy structure of authority (a pyramid of power and control from the top down).

 

In an article titled THE INTELLIGENCE AGENTS, Leary wrote, "The First Commandment of all monotheisms is: I am the Lord, thy God. Thou shall have no other Gods before me. All monotheisms are vengeful, aggressive, expansionist, intolerant."

 

In his view, monotheism hinders mankind from evolving into the discovery of self. Of monotheistic concepts such as sin, hell, devil, evil, eternal damnation, Leary wrote, "All these doctrines are precisely designed to intimidate and crush Individualism."

 

During the evolution of the soul, once people evolve beyond the Hive Authority concept and begin to think for themselves, they realize everything is connected and they create their own reality -- All is One.

 

The hive mentality is meant to imprison one within a hierarchy. These hierarchies occur in government, religion, military, secret societies, corporate structures and other pyramids of rank and position. And those at the top of the pyramid of the hive structure go to great lengths to remain in power.

 

"Think for yourself and question authority." Timothy Leary

 

When one realizes all Knowledge is Within, one becomes part of the Universal Oneness and is no longer trapped within a hierarchical structure. When All is One, everything is equal in "rank" and value.

 

Timothy Leary was married 5 times and was the author or co-author of over 20 books. He believed in the concept of inward self-reliance -- Turn On, Tune In, Drop Out.

 

Some people wander through the Valley of the Shadow of Death in quiet desperation -- others ride in on a flaming white steed, spewing lightning bolts of truth, illuminating the dark shadows of power and greed.

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Quote for the Day -- "If you think you're free, there is no possible escape." Ram Dass

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Bret Burquest is the author of 7 books, including THE REALITY OF THE ILLUSION OF REALITY and ORB OF WOUNDED SOULS (available on Amazon). He lives in the Ozark Mountains with a dog named Buddy Lee and where the price of freedom is responsibility.

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If our subconscious thoughts were pleasant, we wouldn't have to bury them so deep.

 

The "id" is one of three categories of the human psyche. Completely unconscious, it is the source of psychic energy derived from instinctual desires -- the subconscious mind.

 

The other two categories are ego (consciousness, perception of reality) and super-ego (sense of morality, guilt).

 

According to Sigmund Freud, the id is "the dark, inaccessible part of our personality.... striving to bring about the satisfaction of the instinctual needs subject to the observance of the pleasure principle."

 

In other words, the id is lurking deep within us, remaining hidden from our conscious thoughts, driven by primal instincts.

 

Actor Leslie Nielsen died on November 28. 2010, at age 84. He had appeared in over 100 movies. Known primarily for his comedic roles in movies such as AIRPLANE and NAKED GUN, he was featured in the 1956 MGM classic science fiction movie THE FORBIDDEN PLANET as the commander of a spaceship on a rescue mission, only his second film.

 

The plot and characters of THE FORBIDDEN PLANET were inspired by William Shakespeare's THE TEMPEST.

 

The thrust of the movie story-line includes a "plastic educator" device which advances one's intelligence.

 

However, it also has the capacity to create "Monsters of the Id" -- manifesting malevolent beings that kill the subjects of the subconscious anger of the person utilizing the device.

 

Thus, the monsters are an extension of the id of the person unknowingly creating them.

 

Sometimes, so-called reality is stranger than fiction.

 

In October of 1943, the U.S. Navy conducted a Top Secret exercise in the Philadelphia Naval Shipyard that attempted to render a vessel (the USS Eldridge) invisible to radar detection.

 

Part of the experiment also dealt with investigating possible military applications of rotating magnetic fields applied to humans, as a potential psychological warfare tool.

 

It was part of an operation called "Project Rainbow," later dubbed the Philadelphia Experiment. The results were unfavorable to catastrophic, depending upon which version you read.

 

According to various sources, certain researchers from the Philadelphia Experiment met in 1952-53 whereupon they obtained approval and funding from the U.S. Department of Defense to develop a weapon that would induce symptoms of psychotic disorders and schizophrenia.

 

It was called the "Phoenix Project" and initially began operations at the Brookhaven National Laboratory on Long Island, New York. For several reasons, it was soon moved to a nearby decommissioned U.S. Air Force Base at Montauk, New York.

 

By 1967-68, all the equipment and operations had been moved underground beneath the former Air Force base. In 1969, the surface area became a wildlife refuge, while everything underground was designated a "D1 Base" and property of the U.S. Air Force.

 

Many experiments were conducted as part of the Montauk Project. These supposedly included time travel and contact with intelligent beings beyond Earth.

 

In 1983, one of the resident psychics (Duncan Cameron) sat in the "Montauk Chair" and visualized a monster.

 

The monster then materialized and went on a rampage. Described as 25 feet tall, the monster developed a mind of his own and began destroying everything in its path.

 

It was a real-life creation of a "Monster of the Id" and it got everyone's attention in a hurry.

 

Scientists hacked away at equipment with axes until the power finally went down. The Monster then dematerialized and the project was soon abandoned.

 

Beware of what you visualize -- it may come storming angrily out of your id into reality and scare your cat.

 

I have a friend in California who had a very serious Near Death Experience (NDE) in 2002. Ever since, she has experienced elevated psychic abilities, plus a much wider visual and auditory sensory range than before.

 

Everything we see is made up of a vast array of frequencies (vibrations). Human senses are based on frequencies. The frequency range of human sight and hearing is exceedingly small compared to what exists all around us.

 

My friend's sensory frequency ranges have expanded. She now has the ability to see "entities" drifting into and out of and near by other people. She continually sees them around us in our daily lives.

 

Perhaps these are Creatures of the Id, being formed in a nearby dimension (frequency).

 

My friend has concluded they are with us always, yet out of our sensory range of frequencies.

 

Some are malevolent -- perhaps Monsters of the Id.

 

Others are angelic -- perhaps spirit guides.

 

And many seem to be benign -- perhaps observant watchers.

 

Everything we perceive in our material world is made up of atoms -- electrons orbiting a nucleus of protons. It's an assembly of energy, not solid matter. And it's more than 99 percent empty space.

 

Basically, everything we perceive as solid is merely a glob of energy. We are not objects, we are perceivers of objects.

 

In fact, there are those who believe the entire universe is manifested by a collective consciousness.

 

Creatures of the Id are almost certainly globs of energy as well, surfacing when compelled by another frequency (the host) or whatever.

 

Delving into the mysteries of the universe and beyond is not for the timid. There are things out there that go bump in the night. Plus, it's very frustrating because every answer seems to lead to another series of questions.

 

In the movie AIRPLANE, when told by a co-pilot, "Surely, you can't be serious." -- Leslie Nielsen uttered the famous line, "I am serious, and don't call me Shirley."

 

R.I.P. Leslie Nielsen -- Shirley, you will be missed.

 

Dark matter lurks deep in the heart of man.

 

One of the secrets of life is to realize your own imperfections and transform your fearful outward swagger of machismo into the courage of humility.

Over the years, the British have given us cricket, snooker, darts and the American Revolution. Except for the revolution, their contributions to our way of life have been rather boring. Hashing is no exception.

 

In 1938, a bunch of British Army officers in colonial Kuala Lampur, Malaysia, formed a running club called the Hash House Harriers, named after their meeting place, the Selanger Club, nicknamed the "Hash House."

 

Their idea of a jolly good time consisted of a mixture of social mingling and athleticism. They devised "Hash House Harrier" runs whereby a lead "hare" (one of the officers) would be given a head start and mark his trail with shreds of paper. The remaining officers ("harriers") would follow the clues, shouting loudly along the way, destination unknown, until they reached the end of the trail where a tub of ice-cold beer awaited them.

 

The 1938 charter of the original Kuala Lampur Hash House Harriers contained the following goals:

 

1) To promote physical fitness among our members

2) To get rid of weekend hangovers

3) To acquire a good thirst and to satisfy it in beer

4) To persuade the older members that they are not as old as they feel

 

After World War II, "hashing" spread to the Far East, Australia and New Zealand, and eventually gained popularity in the 1970s. Today, there are thousands of hashing clubs throughout the world, including the USA, each with its own internet website and newsletter. There are also regional and world hashing conventions.

 

A typical hashing club consists of 20-40 men and women who meet regularly to chase the hare. They follow trails of flour, chalk or paper (biodegradable material) and must deal with woods, hills, streams, cliffs, fences and even storm drains. Hashing in metropolitan areas is generally set up along streets and through alleyways.

 

In the Hash House Harrier tradition of running and partying, there's always cold brew at the end of the trail.

 

Basically, hashing is a social event for hoity-toity beer enthusiasts. In other words, it's a beer party, disguised as a sport, where participants work up a thirst by romping through the woods like a pack of crazed basset hounds.

 

An Internet search of "hashing clubs" will generate many thousands of hits, including various directories of hashing clubs.

 

However, I couldn't find any hashing clubs in my little corner of the world, but there are probably several good reasons why folks in northern Arkansas aren't into prancing through the countryside to down a beer.

 

First of all, a romp through some of the local countryside is also a romp through the homeland of many species of irritating creatures, such as spiders, ticks, chiggers and snakes. Having a cold beer at the end of a run sounds fine, but dealing with tiny, blood-sucking critters attached to various parts of your body is no fun at all. Stepping on a water moccasin or cottonmouth snake can potentially be a most unpleasant experience as well.

 

Northern Arkansas is also the home of some larger critters that attract sportsmen with deadly weapons and running through hunting territory is not a wise move. For example, a hasher with girth could easily be mistaken for a wild boar, a tasty chunk of meat, especially if he or she tends to snort while thrashing through the wild.

 

Plus, you don't have to work very hard to build up a thirst for a cold beer in this part of the country – all you have to do is step outside, particularly on a hot, humid summer afternoon, and walk out to the mailbox.

 

We have our own version of hashers around here. They do seem to enjoy their beer, but don't care to do the running leading up to drinking it. Instead, they drive around in pickup trucks, with faulty mufflers so you can always hear them coming from far away in case you need to get out of the way, and drink beer on the move.

 

And instead of marking a trail with biodegradable material, they toss the empty beer cans out the window. This way, they've created a trail of beer cans in case they need to go back to wherever they came from.

 

Hashing may be a fine sport for elitists in trendy locales, but in these parts (dry counties) we're forbidden by law from indulging in evil beverages.

 

Besides, in Redneck Heaven we only run if we're chasing something or something is chasing us.

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Quote for the Day -- "What may seem depressing or even tragic to one person may seem like an absolute scream to another person, especially if he has had between four and seven beers." Dave Barry

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Bret Burquest is the author of 7 books, including THE REALITY OF THE ILLUSION OF REALITY and ORB OF WOUNDED SOULS (available on Amazon). He lives in the Ozark Mountains with a dog named Buddy Lee and where everyone is as old as they feel.

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I remember my fourth grade teacher giving us a glimpse of the future. We were told that things would be so "modernized" that we would have much more free time on our hands than our parents.

 

My father, like almost everyone else in the 1950’s, was working 40 hours a week. I was relieved to learn that I wouldn’t have to put in that many hours when I was his age.

 

But it never came true -- more than a half century later, Americans are still stuck in the rut of a 40-hour workweek.

 

In fact, employed Americans now average more hours per week than they did fifty years ago and have less vacation time than any other industrial nation in the world.

 

To add to this burden, the average American family pays more in taxes than food, clothing, shelter and transportation combined.

 

Either we are incapable of being personally responsible for our own welfare or government has gotten vastly out of control.

 

Nearly 50 percent of our income goes to government. This includes federal & state income tax, social security tax, Medicare tax, real estate property tax, personal property tax, state & county & city sales tax, self-employment tax, gasoline tax, liquor tax, cigarette tax, federal excise tax, import tax, luxury tax, gift tax, inheritance tax, hotel tax, transportation tax, federal & state & county telephone tax, port-of-entry fee, marriage license fee, motor vehicle registration fee, driver’s license fee, watercraft registration fee, hunting & fishing license fee, dog & cat license fee, etc., etc.

 

We’re stuck at 40 hours per week with nearly 20 of those hours going to government coffers -- this is insane.

 

The solution to this predicament seems quite simple -- reduce the individual working hours per week, thereby creating openings for those seeking employment

 

Less hours per worker means more workers needed for the same productive output -- reducing unemployment rates by cutting individual work hours and hiring more people.

 

Thus, the birth of the 35-hour workweek or the 32-hour workweek or the 30-hour workweek.

 

For example, a 30-hour workweek could consist of five six-hour days or four seven-and-a-half-hour days or three ten-hour days.

 

It would give the economy a giant boost because more workers would be required to maintain the same level of productivity. More workers means less unemployment and welfare – more money going into the system, less taken out of the system.

 

Plus the economy would get a second boost with more production of leisure equipment, more travel, etc. And best of all, we’d have more free time, leading to more peace of mind.

 

Recent surveys show that most Americans don’t really like their jobs. They’re fed up wasting their lives away so the fat cats on top can get fatter while they get two whole days off each week to rejuvenate themselves so they can start the grind all over again on Monday. They’re working jobs they hate in order to buy things they don’t need. And sooner or later, these things end up owning them.

 

This is no longer the 1950s -- we don't need to squeeze everyone into a 40-hour per week job. The world has become more efficient. We should be able to cut back on working hours, creating more opportunities for those shut out of the work place, and still maintain a viable lifestyle.

 

Instead of continually clamoring for jobs, jobs, jobs, we should make quality of life our common objective. This would include a shorter work-week, less government intrusion into our lives, living within our national fiscal means, etc.

 

The government wants everyone working at full capacity to maximize tax revenues, in order to increase the scope of the government. The corporate world wants everyone working at full capacity in order to maximize profits. Financial institutions want everyone in debt to perpetuate their credit schemes in order to expand their control of the monetary system. And those who lust for wealth and power by seeking a one-world government want everyone working like obedient robots in order to gain control of the planet and enslave the world.

 

Endless, mindless growth is a cancer. Happiness comes from being satisfied with what you have, not with yearning for more, more, more.

 

Nobody, with the possible exception of Hugh Hefner, goes to their grave wishing they had spent more time working at their job.

 

Those of you wanting to work more than 30 hours per week, I’d be glad to give up some work hours to make you happy. After all, It’s better to give than to receive.

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Quote for the Day -- "If you don't want to work you have to work to earn enough money so that you won't have to work." Ogden Nash

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Bret Burquest is the author of 7 books, including THE REALITY OF THE ILLUSION OF REALITY and ORB OF WOUNDED SOULS (available on Amazon). He lives in the Ozark Mountains with a dog named Buddy Lee and where nothing is work unless you'd rather be doing something else.

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Milton Friedman was born in New York City in 1912. His parents were immigrants from Austria. He received a B.A. from Rutgers University, an M.A. from the University of Chicago and a Ph.D. from Columbia University.

 

He lived through the turmoil of World War I, Prohibition, the Great Depression and the rise of fascism.

 

During World War II, he worked for the U.S. Treasury Department where he became disillusioned with the excesses of government and began to reject conventional economic theory in lieu of his own concepts.

 

"Only government can take perfectly good paper, cover it with perfectly good ink and make the combination worthless... Most of the energy of political work is devoted to correcting the effects of mismanagement of government... If you put the federal government in charge of the Sahara Desert, in 5 years there would be a shortage of sand."  Milton Friedman

 

For the remainder of his life, he was one of the world's most prominent champions of individual freedom. He advocated a free market economy in which both parties would benefit in any exchange of goods and services.

 

"Underlying most arguments against the free market is a lack of belief in freedom itself." Milton Friedman

 

In his book, MONETARY HISTORY OF THE UNITED STATES, he argued that the Great Depression was caused by government mismanagement of the money supply rather than by any inherent instability of the private economy.

 

"Many people want the government to protect the consumer. A much more urgent problem is to protect the consumer from the government...  The power to do good is also the power to do harm... Hell hath no fury like a bureaucrat scorned." Milton Friedman

 

Friedman saw the problem as having unused machinery and unemployed people being keep apart by an attempt to keep prices and wages up, rather than allowing the marketplace to adjust to the prevailing conditions. The government added scores of new projects and agencies, thereby actually prolonging the depression.

 

"It's a mystery as to why people think Roosevelt's policies pulled us out of the depression." Milton Friedman.

 

In his 1962 book CAPTALISM AND FREEDOM, Friedman advocated free markets and minimizing the role of government as a means of creating social freedom. In his 1980 PBS TV Series, viewed by millions, he explained how free markets worked. His related book, FREE TO CHOOSE, demonstrated how a free market economy helps to resolve political and social problems. His writings were circulated behind the Iron Curtain before it fell in 1989.

 

In the 1970s, Friedman advised the communist government of China and the military government of Chile about free market strategy. He was highly criticized for his efforts, yet both countries have become economic miracles.  Chile now has the most robust economy in Latin America and China has blossomed into an economic giant.

 

Friedman never shied away from controversy. He believed in a voucher system that would be used to pay tuition in both public and private schools, and he argued against the U.S. Post Office's legal monopoly on mail. He opposed the minimum wage laws and proposed a negative income tax to replace the existing welfare system.

 

"The government solution to a problem is usually as bad as the problem... We have a system that increasingly taxes work and subsidizes non-work... A society that puts equality of outcome ahead of freedom will end up with neither equality nor freedom." Milton Friedman

 

In 2005, Friedman and more than 500 other economists called for discussions regarding the benefits of the legalization of marijuana.

 

"Most of the harm that comes from drugs is because they are illegal... Every friend of freedom must be as revolted as I am by the prospect of turning the United States into an armed camp, by the visions of jails filled with casual drug users and of an army of enforcers empowered to invade the liberty of citizens on slight evidence." Milton Friedman

 

Although philosophically a Libertarian, he was a member of the Republican Party "on the grounds of expediency, not on principle" and considered himself to be a classic liberal, much like Thomas Jefferson.

 

"The natural progress of things is for liberty to yield and government to gain ground... I predict future happiness for Americans if they can prevent the government from wasting the labors of the people under the pretense of taking care of them...  Most bad government results from too much government." Thomas Jefferson

 

Milton Friedman was awarded the Nobel Prize in Economics in 1976 and the Presidential Medal of Freedom in 1988. Considered the most important economist of the 20th century, he died in November of 2006.

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Quote for the Day -- "It is amazing that people who think we cannot afford to pay for doctors, hospitals and medication somehow think that we can afford to pay for doctors, hospitals, medication and a government bureaucracy to administer it." Thomas Sowell

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Bret Burquest is the author of 7 books, including THE REALITY OF THE ILLUSION OF REALITY and ORB OF WOUNDED SOULS (available on Amazon). He lives in the Ozark Mountains with a dog named Buddy Lee and where freedom is just another word for nothing left to lose.

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The USA was founded on the principle that government would guarantee individual freedom, thereby ensuring life, liberty and the pursuit of happiness

 

In 1776, the word “liberal” meant an advocate of individual rights -- those who followed this principle were known as liberals.

 

After the Civil War, the central government became an instrument of special interests by creating a mercantile system that suppressed free markets and created monopolies. Those who had once called themselves liberals now called themselves conservatives because they opposed this change.

 

Eventually, the mercantile system became abusive thereby creating a movement toward socialism in an attempt to redistribute income. Those leading this movement were referred to as liberals because they were not bound by the orthodoxy of the time.

 

Since then our federal government has become an ever-growing apparatus where politicians exchange political favors for votes.

 

It’s basically a form of legalized plunder where one group of voters plunders the earnings of another group in order to benefit themselves.

 

This is the primary flaw of a two-party democracy.

 

The Democrats use government as a social tool. They tend to lean toward a collectivist viewpoint where the good of the society is more important than the rights of the individual. It's an insidious attempt to redistribute wealth by force by plundering those who succeed and rewarding those who don't, far beyond a reasonable safety net for those truly in need. Unfortunately, government generally creates more problems than solutions, stifles innovation and incentive, adds layers of suffocating bureaucracy and is almost never cost-effective.

 

The Republicans use government as a tool to maximize productivity. They tend to lean toward a materialistic viewpoint where the growth of the economy is of primary importance and being a global power ensures our dominance over other nations. Their creation of a massive military-industrial complex, whereby the USA spends more money on military strength than all other countries in the world combined, has turned us into unpopular interventionist global elitists and an intrusive domestic police state.

 

Both of these political forces require massive amounts of public funding to achieve their goals, whereby each side "compromises" with the other side thereby allowing both costly objectives to be met, creating an unmanageable federal government of colossal size with no end in sight.

 

A "closed" two-party political system, which has made it nearly impossible for a third party to compete, guarantees that one political party will always be the majority.

 

And any political party in the majority can run amok with impunity.

 

Since there is only one other party to keep the majority party in check, a single minority party that may someday once again be in the majority, the minority party can also run amok by mutual consent. The majority party extends government favors to its constituents and, in turn, allows the minority party to do the same, within negotiated limits, to its group of supporters.

 

Basically, the two parties conspire to confiscate and spend vast sums of public earnings for dual purposes. In a two-party system, there is no one to keep them in check.

 

Contrary to common sense, two political parties rule over a populace with more than two points of view.

 

Just prior to the American Revolution, one-third of the people wanted to go to war with the British, one-third wanted to remain under British rule and one-third didn’t give a hoot because they knew they would be abused no matter who governed them.

 

The same three-way spilt was true for the Civil War.

 

We have a similar three-way split today. One-third of the population tends to support Democrats, one-third supports Republicans, and one-third prefers a leaner unobtrusive government, which is exactly what the so-called Tea Party movement is all about.

 

Without a political base, those who oppose the two parties in power must vote for the lesser of two evils, or stay at home and bang their heads against the wall.

 

A two-party system has brought this country to the verge of financial self-destruction. Taxes are far too excessive, the national debt is obscene, freedom is being eroded and our quality of life seems to be deteriorating.

 

Voting for the lesser of two evils ensures an evil outcome -- more of the same. We desperately need a strong third political party that will keep a lid on federal spending.

 

On the positive side, banging your head against the wall burns 150 calories per hour.

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Quote for the Day -- "The worst government is often the most moral. One comprised of cynics is often very tolerable and humane. But when fanatics are on top there is no limit to oppression." H. L. Mencken

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Bret Burquest is the author of 7 books, including THE REALITY OF THE ILLUSION OF REALITY and ORB OF WOUNDED SOULS (available on Amazon). He lives in the Ozark Mountains with a dog named Buddy Lee and where head-banging is a competitive sport.

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A recent article in a local Sunday newspaper asked several teen-agers what they would include if there was such a thing as a “Teen Bill of Rights” -- confirming my suspicions that most young people are about as clueless as a bag of horse feathers about the real world.

 

The girls in the survey all came up with clever thoughts, while most of the boys gave cutesy-pie answers, no doubt meant to amuse one and all, revealing their underlying fear and loathing about having to someday confront the dire reality of adulthood.

 

As a semi-responsible adult (except during full moons), I felt obligated to share my vast wisdom with these young male dimwits.

 

ANSWER from a 17 year-old male from Maryland – “No cruel and unusual punishment, such as cleaning up what the pet left behind or throwing out the garbage.”

 

ADVICE TO LAZY BONES -- If you can’t take care of a pet, you don’t deserve a pet. If you need a pet to get through life, I suggest a pet rock. And if you think throwing out the garbage is a big deal, just shove it under your bed or stick it in your closet. Most of it will rot and disappear over time, much like your first three marriages.

 

ANSWER from a 19 year-old male from Texas – “The right to start over. When people mess up, they are judged by that forever. Everyone deserves the chance to start again.”

 

ADVICE TO SCREWBALL -- You’re obviously a walking disaster. You have two choices in life. You can either move to another state every time you mess up, probably often, or remain where you are and live with a reputation as being a local screwball. The good news is that there are 50 states (unless you took the same Geography course as President Obama, in which case there are 57 states). Once you’ve been chased out of all of them you should consider living on a raft somewhere near Greenland. If you choose to stick it out in one place, you may automatically get a fresh start anyway by becoming an eccentric. Of course, you’ll need to grow a long beard, avoid bathing and talk mostly to yourself to achieve this status. By the way, very few people care if you mess up, unless you mess up on them. None of us are perfect, so don’t expect others (including yourself) to be perfect either.

 

ANSWER from 20 year-old male from Texas – “The right to have something to eat and something to wear, and have a helping hand when we need one.”

 

ADVICE TO HELPLESS -- Having a right to everything you desire will cost you everything you have. It’s called socialism, an insidious idea that enslaves everyone involved, especially people who think the world owes them something simply because they exist. If you believe others owe you, they’ll end up owning you. If you believe you are entitled to the earnings of others, you are a pathetic greedy thief. I suggest you figure out a way to survive, such as getting a job or starting a business, instead of hoping to attach yourself to the gains of others.

 

ANSWER from the same 20 year-old male from Texas – “The freedom of not worrying.”

 

ADVICE #2 TO HELPLESS -- You are a carbon-base form of random life residing on a large spinning orb rotating around a small sun in a far corner of an average galaxy. The decision to worry is up to you. To expect government to grant such a freedom is a form of insanity. Clearly you need someone else, like a wife or a cat, to do your thinking for you.

 

ANSWER from an 18 year-old male from California – “The right to have fun.”

 

ADVICE TO PARTY ANIMAL -- I suspect your version of having fun means lots of mindless juvenile activity accompanied by excessively loud music. Have all the fun you want as long as you don’t spoil life for others, such as neighbors. Fun for you may not be fun for those who are forced to endure your inconsiderate antics.

 

ANSWER from an 18 year-old male from Louisiana – “The right not to pay taxes until we’re old enough to vote.”

 

ADVICE TO PUZZLED TAXPAYER -- Congratulations. You’ve noticed that our national government is exceedingly costly and grossly unfair. On the positive side, it’s also very inefficient thereby taking forever to get things done. You have four alternatives. You can accept things as they are, or try to change things for the better, or ignore things and hope they go away, or remain frustrated the rest of your life. I’ve tried all four and none of them seem to work for me.

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Quote for the Day -- "Maturity is to be able to stick with a job until it is finished, to be able to bear an injustice without having to get even, to be able to carry money without spending it, to do your duty without being supervised." Ann Landers

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Bret Burquest is the author of 7 books, including THE REALITY OF THE ILLUSION OF REALITY and ORB OF WOUNDED SOULS (available on Amazon). He lives in the Ozark Mountains with a dog named Buddy Lee and the ghost of Abigail Van Buren.

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