Flag Burning

This is from Mike Rowe’s Facebook Page…
My comments follow at the end.

Mike Rowe
December 2 at 7:12pm ·

Off The Wall

Susanne McDaniel‎ writes…

“How did you become so blindly patriotic? First of all, the college you were referencing in your rant about the American flag is a private college and doesn’t receive federal funding. However…the very essence of freedom in this country is our right to speak out against the flag, which is a mere symbol. If you take away that right, then we have lost all freedom. You really need to take a civics course, Mike Rowe. I used to like you; but, you have really become very annoying to me in recent years. I thought you were more intelligent. But, I guess appearances aren’t everything.”

Hi Susanne

I’ve never thought of myself as “blindly patriotic,” but I am a fan of the United States, the founding fathers, and the men and women who have served on my behalf. I also confess to feeling lucky to live here. Having said that, I think you’re correct about the flag; it’s only a symbol. So too is the Crucifix. And the middle finger. And the Swastika. And the compressed chunks of carbon that millions wear on their ring fingers as expressions of timeless love and eternal devotion.

It’s easy to make anything feel small and silly by reducing it to its chemical composition or its various component parts. But if you really believe our flag is nothing but a “mere symbol,” equally suitable for flying or burning, ask yourself if you’d be comfortable if the people you work with suddenly started coming to the office in pointy white hats fashioned from bedsheets? Would that be a problem for you? Or how about The Rainbow Flag, favored by the LGBTQ community? Would it be OK if people started burning that? If not, why not? I mean, it’s only a symbol, right?

Years ago, an artist named Andres Serrano presented a charming piece called “Immersion.” It consisted of a Crucifix, immersed in a glass of the artist’s urine. Amazingly, some people were offended. Christians, in particular. They just couldn’t see that Andres was using a symbol to express himself. Silly Christians. Interesting though, that Andres didn’t submerge Mohammed in the same glass. I wonder why that is?

The thing about “mere symbols” Susanne, is that they represent “mere ideas,” and “mere ideas” are the backbone of “mere humanity.” In the case of the flag, we’re talking about ideas that are wrapped into the Constitution – a document that separates us from every other country on the planet.

Mere ideas are the reason people fight and die. Mere ideas are the reason we’re allowed to speak freely, protest publicly, bear arms, and burn the very symbol that represents those very freedoms. I didn’t suggest that you or anyone else be denied your right to fly or burn whatever flag you wish. What I failed to do, is quietly accept behavior I don’t care for. Which, if I’m not mistaken, is the same compulsion that motivates others to publicly express themselves in whatever ways they choose.

As for Hampshire College, I’m afraid you’re mistaken. If you check the link I provided in my original post, you’ll see that several forms of federal funding are readily available to their students. Also, according to their site, you’ll notice that the flag is once again flying at full staff. I’ll take no credit for this, if you offer no blame. Deal?

Finally, regarding my overall annoyance, you’re correct, and you’re not alone. I’ve been annoying people for years now. Just ask my mother. And yes, I too, once thought I was more intelligent than I actually am. I still remember the disappointment when the test results come back.

Anyway, thanks for your comments, Susanne. I do hope you’ll stick around.

Mike

While I agree with everything Mike says here, I’m going to stand up for Susanne.

My response is framed as a simple question to Mike;  Does the Flag still represent ‘…ideas that are wrapped into the Constitution – a document that separates us from every other country on the planet.’?

I would offer to Mr. Rowe that We have allowed the United States of America to wander so very far away from the Philosophically Enlightened Country born of an Age of Reason our Founders intended, and subsequently recorded in our Founding Documents, that Ms. McDaniel’s ignorance can be understood… if not accepted.  I would continue to offer that this has been an intentional effort championed by those who, while they profess the opposite, have no interest in Individual Rights and see the very Constitution cited above as an impediment… as… a limiting Document… when it comes to their ultimate aims.

Those of us who have taken the time to understand the Constitution know the intent is exactly as a limiting Document.  Our Founders applied a Governing Theory designed to elevate and protect the Individual above Government.

Mr. Rowe, does it?

And if not, what exactly is the symbolic value of the flag today?  Let me rephrase it, what is the symbolic value of the flag to the intentionally ignorant, usefully uniformed, such a Ms. McDaniel?

If Ms. McDaniel is assigning the flag symbolic value based on what she has been taught in our schools, and sees in daily demonstration, you are both speaking very different languages.

Ultimately, You are correct… and to some degree, and not in a way she would understand, so is she.

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Praying for Pragmatism

In every post-election interview the Leftists have been groping for Pragmatism.
They are Praying that Donald Trump is not an Ideologue, like President Obama, and will compromise with them on all policy decisions… until they can regain some power in the house, senate or both, two years from now.

You can smell the fear.

The Fear is not that Trump is coming for your children, gay, straight, hispanic, latino, black, asian, Irish, even the French etc.

The Fear is that Trump might actually put in place solutions regarding Immigration.

That’s it.

Just Immigration.

The Socialists in our country are afraid that he will indeed build a wall, fence, moat… whatever… and then move to the really scary part. They Fear he will create a work visa program which makes it easy, and legal, for our neighbors to the North and South of us to come here and work if they choose to. The Democrats realize that once legitimized in such a fashion these workers would no longer be paying Social Security under stolen Social Security Numbers… they would no longer be in the shadows… and most importantly, They would no longer be able to offer up the ridiculous argument that They should have the right to vote. And, if they do desire to become a citizen of the United States the debate now moves on to our actual immigration policies… That We Already Have… and don’t enforce. No more “They’re going to deport my Grandma!” Hogwash.

Whoa!

Adding insult to injury it would now fall upon the left to remove this work privilege from our neighbors if they ever want to save the Socialist Voting base for generations to come.

I dream of a number of things, but foremost is I dream of a wonderful explosion in private charities making available such things as education to ‘ex-pat Canadians and Mexicans’ who reside here for work. (If Mark Zuckerburg wants to fill Facebook full of brilliant Mexicans and Canadians… awesome!)  I dream of an explosion of hard-working, genuinely terrific, people coming here from Mexico and Canada to make some money and help support their families abroad. I dream the United States will not only benefit from this new influx of workers, but those workers will benefit from enjoying the bounty provided by American Exceptionalism and begin wondering why their respective home countries don’t embrace Free Market Capitalism as Governing Theory.

However…

I predict that the Senate Minority Leader, Chuck Schumer, will become Mr. Filibuster in the Senate… because the Liberal Leftists cannot afford for any of this to happen.

I also predict the Democrat Party will be the party of “No!” to all things.

It is going to be an interesting 4-years… possibly 8.

I Find Your Lack of Intelligence… Disturbing.

My Apologies to Lord Vader..

How is it that those who practise genuine Free-Market Capitalism, in its purest form, can’t understand why Socialists Hate them?

Which brings us to a Flurry of Uber Arrests in Hong Kong.

I happen to have an answer…

Those practising Free-Market Capitalism, in its purest form, are a bunch of Democrat Socialist Tools.

This is the only explanation for the surprise experienced when Chinese Authorities Arrested Uber Drivers and those coordinating the Company’s efforts in Hong Kong.

For me this is a glaringly hilarious illustration of the ignorance of those who ‘Identify’ as Way Smart, Totally Cool, Progressives simply doing what any One World Collectivist Hipster would do, Download an app and make money Driving people around…. then be amazed that Big Labor Unions, Democrat Politicians and the Communist Chinese Government doesn’t go for it.

The fact they fail to understand what has happened is rich irony indeed.

If you’re reading this and I’ve made you angry, please think super hard as to why.

But don’t bother telling me about it.

I don’t care.

Because no matter what you say… it will remain funny.

Open Borders are Good!

or… An Open Letter to Libertarians.

Dear Fellow Libertarians,

You are being played.

Judging by some of the discussions I’ve read as of late, it has become clear you fail to understand many of our ideas are not severable.  Or some of you are intentionally misrepresenting yourselves… Ignorance or Evil will remain unknown.

The specific issue I’m tapping about is Open Borders.

It is true that Open Borders fit neatly into the Libertarian ideal of Free-Market Capitalism and Free Exchange between other countries of goods and labor.

It is also true that I personally view Open Borders as a strong Ideal which would be a vast improvement over the cumbersome and expensive immigration policy we currently have.

However…

Open Borders cannot exist as long as The Welfare State is in place.  Nor can Open Borders Exist as long as the Possibility of The Welfare State Exists.  The Libertarian Ideal of Open Borders and the Absence of The Welfare State are Non-Severable.

Indeed, the Free Travel of Individuals to and from this Exceptional Country is a fantastic idea.  But taxpayers do not exist to take care of you.  Quite the opposite, our obligation to you begins and ends with our not infringing upon your ability to work and by extension participate within the American Dream, which is to excel absent government interference as far as your skills and drive can take you at the expense of no other man.  If an individual finds this type of Personal Freedom and Liberty combined with Personal Responsibility overwhelming and impossible to accept, then They also possess the Right to apply their Freedom and Liberty to return, or relocate, to whatever beautiful part of the Earth, Solar System or Universe they came from or will have them.

That is the Libertarian Tenet.

So please, Libertarians, please do yourself a favor and cease to be lured into discussing one and not the other.

If you have not thought about this in these terms, then please do yourself, and us, a favor by ceasing to talk about Open Borders completely until you either brush up on your supposed Libertarian governing theory… or openly abandoning Libertarianism as the basis for your political philosophy.

Remember, Ideals are just that… Ideals.  We will not be removing the existence of, and subsequent possible reinstatement of, the Welfare State anytime soon.  And it is exactly the Breadth and Width of Redistribution of Wealth the Progressive Left has achieved in this country which prevents us from even talking about Amnesty or even Modification of the Current Crappy Immigration System.  Until Concrete steps, walls and barriers are made to Secure our Borders and Roll Back the Socialist Poison Pills occupying territory of Law in this Country, we are a long way from reaching many of our Ideals.  It remains a battle worth fighting…

But we cannot support Open Borders anytime soon.

Cheers and I hope this letter finds you well,

– Mike

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