Does the MLK Holiday Promote War or Peace?

Monday is Martin Luther King Day, a national holiday throughout the United States. It began in 1986 and now, thirty years later, I think it’s fair to ask the question—does the holiday promote war or peace?

Let’s be real, folks: race relations in America or worse now than they’ve ever been: BLK riots, police shooting and being shot at, etc. And we have President Obama…a man who, despite his intentions, has fueled the fire of a growing white nationalism movement. His dream of  creating racial unity has actually done the opposite – it’s created more division.

Martin Luther King’s holiday has not stopped these events…and it might be encouraging it.

The Connection Between MLK and Obama

Martin Luther King was a major influence on Barrack Obama. He inspired Obama to adopt the social protest Weltanschauung, to see a man’s purpose as the pursuit of identity politics. Just look to Obama’s words on the 50th anniversary of the March on Washington:

We rightly and best remember Dr. King’s soaring oratory that day, how he gave mighty voice to the quiet hopes of millions, how he offered a salvation path for oppressed and oppressors alike. His words belong to the ages, possessing a power and prophecy unmatched in our time.

He’s a fan, clearly. His presidency was, in many ways, a rekindling of the spirit of MLK. But things have changed his 1968; interracial marriage is no longer illegal, segregation has been outlawed, etc. It’s not utopia, true. By the same token, many of the institutional forms of segregation have been eliminated. 2017 is not 1968.

Times Change and We Must Adapt Accordingly

President Obama has overlooked something – the philosophy of a generation is NOT the philosophy of a succeeding generation. For example, poor and unemployed whites in Nebraska don’t want to hear about their “white privilege.” Europeans killed by Muslim terrorists don’t want to hear about tolerance. And people in Minnesota do not want their cities to adopt Sharia Law and implement female genital mutilation.

Welcome to Minnesota! Was this Dr. King’s dream?

I’m old enough to remember when Americans celebrated the birthday of George Washington. However, there was sharp criticism of Washington which lead to this holiday being changed to “President’s Day” It was believed that Washington’s ownership of slaves was not a positive influence on the country. Also removed was President Lincoln, who arguably did more for racial unity than anyone.

It’s clear that national holidays are about more than celebration. They’re about more than having a day off to spend with your family. They are the propagation of a world view, the attempt to convince people of an idea. That idea should be one that brings people together – not one that tears them apart.

MLK Day is Encouraging Racial Division

Martin Luther King spoke out, specifically, about the racism of whites. For example, he never mentioned the cultural tensions between Hutus and Tutsis, or Ethiopians and Eritreans. His focus was regional – on the racism that affected him,  personally. And he’s not to be faulted for that. However, make no mistake about it; he was speaking to the specific problems of the American South in the 1960s. To state otherwise is intellectually dishonest.

The “only whites are racist” narrative is a tiring one. Moreover, the longer that we promote this concept, the more unlivable the United States will become. The more we can expect “special reports” from Jake Tapper in downtown Ferguson, or college classes on “The Problem with Whiteness.” The nation will be reminded every January that the country’s history is an ugly one, as opposed to a glorious one.

Colleges are keeping the spirit of Dr. King alive…creating a nation that is full of hatred and animosity.

 

The holiday works against national patriotism. For that reason alone, it should be removed. Holidays should promote pride in a nation – not keep the people in an endless cycle of identity politics.

Conclusion

Personally, I have great respect for Martin Luther King. As far as people worthy of receiving a national holiday, I think he’s a great choice. I think he’s a hero. But at the end of the day, there are greater forces at work here. And make no mistake about it…

Martin Luther King Day is an instrument of Cultural Marxism; it’s was specifically chosen to create “order-through-chaos” and to keep the United States in a continual state of civil war. Subsequently, money can be made from the conflict that will line the coffers of globalist leaders. Until we see the reason behind these holidays, we will continue to suffer the consequences of the chaos they create.

Unfortunately, I think that it’s time to end this holiday.

The Great Man Does Not Need a “Calling”

“A higher kind of human being, if I may say so, does not like “callings,” precisely because he knows himself to be called. He has time, he takes time, he does not even think of “finishing”: at thirty one is, in the sense of high culture, a beginner, a child.” – Nietzsche from Twilight of the Idols

Great words by Nietzsche. The excellent man is not looking to “find himself.” He’s already “found” by virtue of his passion, by his burning desire to win. He’s never done. Every day is a blessing and his presence is a gift to the world.

He know himself to be great; he doesn’t need a self-esteem lecture. He doesn’t need to have his aura read, his tarot cards interpreted, or his astrology signs analyzed. He is here on the earth, and the earth will shake at his presence. He’s a superman.

The detractors only serve to throw another log on the fire, to raise the flames of his will.

Mohammed Ali agreed…

“Champions aren’t made in gyms. Champions are made from something they have deep inside them-a desire, a dream, a vision. They have to have the skill, and the will. But the will must be stronger than the skill.” – Mohammed Ali

The great man does not search for a “calling”; he is a calling.

Poetry Review: A Critique of “August 1968” by W.H. Auden

W.H Auden’s poem “August 1968” captures the spirit of its time:

“The Ogre does what ogres can,
Deeds quite impossible for Man,
But one prize is beyond his reach:
The Ogre cannot master Speech.

About a subjugated plain,
Among the desperate and slain,
The Ogre stalks with hands on hips,
While drivel gushes from his lips.”

The poem is a critique of war. The Ogre is a representation of the militaristic: the rockets and the tanks. And the title of “August 1968” is a reference to the Vietnam War.

But Auden is wrong. The Ogre is not some physically, vile creature. He’s not an ugly monster, a la Shrek. He’s not a deformed soldier, running through the jungles with a rifle in his hand. He’s not strong.

The Ogre is a broken person. He (or she) is debased and jealous. He despises the happiness of others – he wants to destroy the beautiful. He want to soil the healthy marriage, or the profitable business.

The Ogre is a weakling.

Movie Review: Tuberculo Presidente

Recently, I watched an excellent Dominican comedy entitled “Tuberculo  Presidente.” It’s only available in Spanish to my knowledge, so if you are interested in watching it, you’ll have to adjust your closed captioning. But I feel that it is worth it. It’s a foreign film that’s low on budget, but high on laughs.

The Plot

Two poor Dominicans become the President and Vice-President of their country. They’re placed in this position to do the bidding of corrupt politicians that are trying to insert a controversial pipeline in the national forest.  The poor Dominicans arrive at the Presidential Palace and bring their backward habits with them: they hang laundry from the rails, bring a goat into the facility, etc. It’s funny stuff.

Two poor countrymen become leaders of the DR…humor ensues.

Some of these gags are inside jokes, relating to Dominican culture. However, the humor is still broad enough to relate to a wider audience. It’s the haughty politician vs. the humble plebian – a scenario that has been seen many times, but it works well in this context.

Positives

There’s a lot of food humor in the movie. It reminded of Jim Gaffigan, with many jokes relating to eating, portion size, etc. The President believes that if everybody is well fed, the country will be a better place. So he gives food to the local gangsters, poor villagers, etc. The Dominican Republic becomes a magical place, all due to the perfect simplicity of his logic.

The new president: If everybody eats well, the world will be a better place!

What’s great about the movie is what’s missing – the subversive agenda  of Hollywood. For example, we don’t have the standard display of feminism (i.e. a scene where a 100 lb. woman beats up 20 men). Also, we don’t have racial division; even though the cast is black and white, the producers are not obsessed with the topic. We see people of different races behaving like they do everyday – without hatred for one another.

It’s refreshing to see a movie like this. It shows that when directors try to tell a story – instead of promoting Cultural Marxism – that magical things can happen.

See a link to the trailer here: Tuberculo Presidente

What’s the Strangest Tradition in the World?

The Witches Market in La Paz, Bolivia – a place for the fearless traveler. Indigenous women wearing bowler hats, the amulets, the high altitude: a surreal experience.

Welcome to the Bolivian Witches Market.

But then you see it…what the f*ck is it? Something in a basket. So you move in to get a better look. My friend, what you see is a dead llama – the fetus of a baby llama, to be exact.

As Google puts it:

They are the most important part of an offering to Pachamama, a goddess that many Bolivians and Peruvians call Mother Earth. Together with candy, cotton and other small items the llama fetus is burned after which the ashes are buried under the house for protection.

So there you have it. Buy a dead llama, put it under your house, and pray for good luck.

Dead llamas on sale in La Paz, Bolivia.

It’s a form of animal sacrifice.

So what do you think of animal sacrifice? Personally, I’m against the idea. I think that animals should only be killed for food. If the llama was turned into a BBQ sandwich, then I would support the idea.

Note: Animal sacrifices occur throughout the non-Western world. For example, the sacrifice of chickens is common to Caribbean Santeria festivals. Cows are sacrificed throughout the Middle East during the Eid al-Adha festival. And Hindus sacrifice a host of animals during the Gadhimai Mela Festival. Some of these festivals can be sickening to watch, even for the strong of stomach.

Cultural relativism has its limits. As you travel the world, you become a bit discriminatory. Some things you like, while others you dislike. Your initial rapture with being outside your homeland fades, and you begin judging the merits of a given custom. You feel that some traditions are better than others.

In my experience, the killing of a baby llama is the strangest tradition in the world.

 

What’s the Most Beautiful Natural Attraction in the World?

It’s like comparing apples and oranges – a beautiful forest is not a desert, for example.

That being said, my personal favorite is Iguazu Falls in Brazil. 275 waterfalls, crashing down on the Brazil/Argentina border. The spray of water bellowing upward. The continual crashing sound in every direction. Nature’s power on full display.

I’ve been to Victoria Falls in Africa and Niagara Falls in New York – they don’t compare. There is only one Iguazu Falls.

How Woodstock Was Used to Destroy the Traditions of America

Woodstock stands tall in American pop culture. It was a time when the greatest musicians of the 1960s came together on one stage. A collection of the best musical talent that the nation had to offer. At the same time, and perhaps more significantly, the audience was “feeling it.” They had a transcendental experience, brought on by drugs like LSD.

What’s interesting about Woodstock is not the concert: it’s the left-wing media’s reverence of it. They elevated the gathering to legendary status. But since 1969, we’ve had many concerts. And a lot of these musical events were well attended. In particular, millions of Christian concerts have taken place.

Why is the Christian concert less important to the media than a Woodstock crowd?

So why does the media give more weight to Woodstock? Why do they feel it was more important? I’ll go ahead and take a shot at this…

Woodstock was celebrated by the media because they want to undermine American values; in particular, they want to denigrate the Church, destroy the American youth, and propagate the philosophy of Cultural Marxism. 

Woodstock Promoted Feelings Over Rules

A concert is a place to “feel” things. You lose yourself in the music, sing along to your favorite songs, etc. It’s a way to blow off steam from the week. And that’s great…I support the idea. There’s a time and place for everything.

However, religion is about more than “feeling” things. You look for advice, you search for guidance, etc. You listen to a set of rules. You realize that chaos is pain and that you need guidance. You need structure for your children, marriage and community. Religion has always provided a social order.

My four divorces are ok, as long as I trust in FEELINGS!

The promotion of Woodstock was an attempt to replace rules with feelings. By making the two things equal, they were able to denigrate the Church. Why go to Sunday service when you can take LSD on a Saturday night? They’re both religious feelings, right? On a certain level yes…but there’s a major difference. An organized religion provides you with rules – a rock concert does not.

Without a set of rules, society devolves into chaos. As G.K. Chesterton said, “Don’t ever take down a fence until you know the reason why it was put up.”

Woodstock Promoted Drugs Over Sobriety

Acid was the drug of choice at Woodstock. Apparently, it was selling for as cheap as one dollar. Now, I don’t want to be a hypocrite here. When I was a teenager, I took acid several times. And I do believe it helped me in some regards. But let’s not mince words; acid is a VERY heavy drug and it does more harm than good. For example, I don’t want my daughter to experiment with it.

How spirituality was achieved at Woodstock.

Acid promotes a false sense of spirituality. You see and feel things that don’t exist; they’re a byproduct of the drug. So it’s a faux spirituality. It’s easy for a young person to confuse this artificial epiphany with a sober one. They believe that they have ascended to some higher plane, climbed some existential mountain. But this is false. Most spirituality comes after a difficult struggle: a divorce, a health scare, etc. It doesn’t come from spending a buck on LSD in a dirty parking lot.

The media promoted drug abuse by praising Woodstock. By continually fawning over the event, they encouraged future generations (such as those growing up in the 1980s and 1990s) to seek a similar experience. I was one of those individuals. By taking acid at concerts in 1990/1991, I believed that I was ascending to a spiritual plateau. In reality, I was just getting high at a concert. Looking back, I realize that I was just another useful idiot: another pawn in the media’s “order-through-chaos” campaign. Thankfully, I was able to survive my experimental phase (unlike some of my friends).

Woodstock Promoted an Anti-American Sentiment

Woodstock occurred during the height of the Vietnam War, and a host of songs were played that criticized the conflict. It was a complex time. Many arguments exist as why the war was unjust and quite a few are valid.

However, the media promoted Woodstock BEYOND the 1960s for a specific reason – to promote hatred against the United States. Celebrating Woodstock was a way to keep the protest alive. This was especially true during the 1980s, when the Reagan administration brought a conservative spirit to the country.

Joe McDonald’s anti-war songs were kept alive by the media, so that anti-Americanism would continue.

Note that the left-wing media is culturally Marxist; they promote the idea of the oppressor vs. oppressed in every aspect of society. America then becomes the “oppressor” and the rest of the world becomes the “oppressed.” Seen through this light, we can note that Woodstock set the groundwork for the current migrant invasion in Western nations. Supposedly, America has the obligation to take in the world’s worst people, because we caused their “oppression.” This is the fallacious thinking of Cultural Marxism.

Conclusion

What’s noteworthy is not the Woodstock concert; rather, it’s the media’s adoration of it. By promoting the concert, the media was able to advance the ideologies of Cultural Marxism. Also, they were able to encourage the American youth down a wayward path – seeking drug-induced “feelings” over the sober realities of a happy, healthy family.

 

 

 

The Barter System Was Flawed

“Nobody ever saw a dog make a fair and deliberate exchange of one bone for another with another dog. Nobody ever saw one animal by its gestures and natural cries signify to another, this is mine, that yours; I am willing to give this for that….” – Adam Smith

I’ve been reading Adam Smith’s epic The Wealth of Nations. It’s considered the bible of modern capitalism, and Smith has been coined the “father of economics.” I’ll write a full review of the book at a later date, because it’s worthy of a deeper look. However, for now I want to touch on a point that Smith makes in the book, as well as the reasons behind it.

The currency of a nation should always be tied to a gold/silver standard.

This is a concept that has confused me for years. Why should a country be tied to something that is intrinsically worthless? Food, clothing, shelter…those things have value. But what is gold? A shiny metal – nothing more. So why should the fortunes of an entire nation be linked to it? That discrepancy always clouded my mind.

But Smith helped me understand the concept. Societies began with barter systems. Then, they moved on coin money – the gold standard represents the reserve of this coined money. Paper money then came to represent the reserve of gold/silver. And printing more paper money than you have in reserve is a lie, since you’re stating you have something that you don’t.

Historical Overview

The United States is no longer on the gold standard. Many people cite this as a principal cause for the financial problems of the nation, such as inflation.

On June 5, 1933, the United States went off the gold standard, a monetary system in which currency is backed by gold, when Congress enacted a joint resolution nullifying the right of creditors to demand payment in gold.

Roosevelt took the United States off the gold standard to remedy the economic fallout from of Great Depression. Since then, inflation has rose considerably – note the 1933 prices of a home, for example, as opposed to the prices today.

Roosevelt took the United States off the gold standard. Adam Smith would have condemned him for that.

But why was the US on the gold standard to start with? Smith reviews this in The Wealth of Nations, citing many reasons. To understand the concept fully, we have to go back to ancient times…

The Barter System is Flawed

Older civilizations worked on a barter (trade) system. You went to the central market and traded other people for the things you needed. This was efficient for a small town. However, as towns grew into cities, this system became inefficient.

This system works well in small villages, but it breaks down in big cities.

Case in point: Imagine that you need a pair of shoes. But all you have to trade is a chicken. So you wander the streets, looking for person willing to trade you a pair of shoes for a chicken. You spend three hours trying to make the deal. Then, you finally find someone who likes the deal. But instead of one chicken, he wants two chickens. Frustration ensues. You can see the problem with the barter system.

In short, coined money is an improvement on the older system of “trade economy.” 

Now you can save your coins. Then when you want a pair of shoes, you merely go to the shoe store and buy it. You save time, the society becomes better organized, and everybody is happier.

Smith believed that the coining of money was the marking of a superior culture. In short, countries that were able to coin money became more advanced that those who couldn’t. He uses the Spanish conquering of the Americas as an example:

The Peruvians, though most advanced of all these peoples, had no coined money and operated on a barter system (p. 162).

These Pre-Colombian cultures worked in the trade systems that had died thousands of years earlier in Europe. Smith believed that this was one of the reasons that marked Europeans as “superior” to these indigenous cultures, in the organizational sense. They were able to save people time, which the people could then allot to other pursuits.

Money Must Be “Made” of Something

So what can replace the barter system? Smith points out that precious metals work well because they do not break down (such as meat, vegetables, etc.) and they can be divided and multiplied. In this way, the coining of money is a brilliant thing. It allows for a symbol of wealth to be distributed. And it allows people to earn, save, and then distribute their wealth.

Seen through this lens, the coining of money is one of the most amazing developments in the history of human development. It allowed civilization to place their wealth in non-disposable objects, which could then be saved and used at later dates.

There are many critics of money – see the “money is the root of all evil” quote. However, if looked at comparatively against an inferior system (such as the barter system) we quickly see how valuable it is. And linking this coined money to a reserve supply, such as a gold standard, becomes a solid bedrock for the building of a great civilization.

Conclusion

Every action causes a subsequent action – the evolution of money is a good example of this. The inadequacy of the barter system led people to search for a solution, which they found in the coining of money. This coining then gave value to precious metals: gold, silver, etc.

For those interested in reading the full novel, see the following link: The Wealth of Nations

 

 

 

 

 

When I Was a Young Man, I Wanted to Change the World

I came across a beautiful quote:

When I was a young man, I wanted to change the world. 

I found it was difficult to change the world, so I tried to change my nation.

When I found I couldn’t change the nation, I began to focus on my town. I couldn’t change the town and as an older man, I tried to change my family. 

Now, as an old man, I realize the only thing I can change is myself, and suddenly I realize that if long ago I had changed myself, I could have made an impact on my family. My family and I could have made an impact on our town. Their impact could have changed the nation and I could indeed have changed the world.

Author: Unknown Monk 1100 A.D.

Well put. The first point of change should be ourselves. By doing that, we provide a model for others. And it’s this model that can serve as a vehicle for larger change.

Have you ever had a personal success? Found a great partner, lost a lot of weight? If you have, then you know that people will come out of the woodwork to find you: they will call you out of the blue, ask you how you accomplished what you did, etc. Conversely, many others will feel jealous of your success. They will bemoan the fact that the good fortune fell your way, instead of theirs. Either way, your personal gains created a ripple effect.

Get Moving Immediately

I recommend that you do 27 things when you wake up—but make sure that all those things center on YOU. Lift weights, do exercise, practice your guitar, make your lunch for the day, etc. Then when you’re finished, you’ll be better able to help others. That’s because you’ll be more complete as an individual. And only a complete individual can help others become complete. Remember, you cannot give others something that you don’t have.

Review Your Goals

Also, I recommend that you review your goals frequently. Do you have goals written down? You should. Take a periodic review of these, making sure that you are accomplishing what you set out to do. Remember that pyramids are not built in a day; they are constructed one brick at a time. Have you done the little steps today? Have you made the important phone call, or sent the important letter? Stay focused on your goals. Only then will you be able to reflect back later with a positive sense of accomplishment.

Reflect on Your Progress

Finally, take time to reflect at the end of the day. You might want to save time, say half an hour, to take a walk around the neighborhood. Do you have reflection time? Do you meditate on what you do? Again, you should. It’s important to have perspective. Educational theorists have stated that students never learn material unless they periodically rest; in short, they never have time to process the information if they never take a break. So it’s important to provide yourself with reflection time. This will give you important perspective on the actions of your day.

Conclusion

Many young people want to change the world. But it’s important to remember that change starts with ourselves. Being the best version of yourself should be the imperative goal. Everybody is not perfect, true. And perhaps we can never reach that state of perfection. But we should, at the very least, be an excellent version of our ourselves. Only then can we begin to change the world.

 

The Lesson I Learned from a British Expat in Thailand

Years ago, I visited a hotel spa in Nong Khai, Thailand. It was a beautiful retreat, situated next to the placid MeKong River. I was drinking a beer and basking in the glory of an hour-long massage. Magical Thailand.

The idyllic Mekong River as it rolls through Nong Khai, Thailand…

Just then, the owner of the spa emerged. He was a British man, about 6 feet tall with blond hair. Next to him was his Thai wife. He kissed her on the cheek, walked over to me, and sat down. We talked about a variety of things, sharing our travel stories.

Here was my first encounter with a genuine expat. A man who picked up, left his country, and married a foreign woman. He wasn’t on the two-week vacation, the Caribbean cruise. He was the real deal—a modern day pussy pilgrim, looking for love in a distant land.

We spoke for about an hour. Then I got around to the big question, the thing I was dying to know.

“What’s your secret?” I asked.

He got a serious look on his face. He took a sip from a beer, a drag from a cigarette, and leaned forward:

“It’s like the Dali Lama said, my friend—it’s all in your mind.”

I paused a moment….eh, that’s it? That’s the big secret?  Really, I was hoping for more: an age-old riddle, a mystery unraveled. But I got the cliche, “It’s all in your mind.” Very disappointing!!

“Thanks,” I told him. “I appreciate the advice.”

Sometimes we have to solve our own puzzle. The question – as well as the answer – is for us to find out.