Maybe we should be socialists?

John Adams once explained that “our Constitution was made only for a moral and religious people. It is wholly inadequate to the government of any other.”

It is clear and well documented in history that the free market capitalist system is far and away the best system for economic progress and social happiness. I’ve written several posts explaining particular aspects of this observation, and it remains true.

However, as Benjamin Franklin warned, “only a virtuous people are capable of freedom. As nations become corrupt and vicious, they have more need of masters.” If a people cannot govern themselves in an acceptable manner, they must be governed.

It leaves me to ponder, where are we now? Our nation continues to decline morally, despite the fight of many good people. So at what point are we no longer moral and disciplined enough to govern ourselves?

We’re not there yet. There are far too many good people in our nation to put such chains on their, and our nation’s, progress. But we are getting closer and closer, and one can see why so many people are indeed hopeful for such a system. Their individual moral systems have failed them, and they have become poor stewards of themselves. Thus they look to be governed. Total government, after all, would likely be a better system than an immoral anarchy. For anarchy ends in terror rule, where the strongest and most fearsome prey on the weak.

If our moral decline continues, there are only three possible outcomes. We could convert to a nanny state to maintain moral order. We might fall to anarchy and terror rule. Or we may end in revolution causing a national division, where the moral self-governors break off from the morally weak and create an independent free state again capable of individual self-government.

Obviously the best option is to break the moral decline and return to strong core values. Only this can preserve our nation and its liberty as it was designed. Otherwise we are doomed to destruction one way or another.

Feelings and Thought

I really enjoy art. Visual, musical, dramatic, etc. I didn’t used to. What’s interesting is that my interest in art grew with my interest in knowledge and thinking. I find that interesting because art supposedly speaks to the heart, rather than the mind. But I’m now realizing that that isn’t the case. In fact, it seems that some of the most artistically interested people are also some of the most intelligent.

As I considered this observation, I came to a very interesting conclusion: that the heart and mind are actually one and the same.

Cultures, for centuries, have separated the thoughts of logic from the feelings of emotion. We treat them as separate systems, independent of each other. Those of a logical mind are seemingly devoid of emotion, and those of emotional thought are lacking in reason.

It seems common knowledge today that the “heart” is what we typically refer to more scientifically as the right brain. Logic, on the other hand, is associated with the left hemisphere of the brain. But they are the same mind, and are inseparably connected. And as considered this I came to a very interesting and revealing conclusion. Feelings are thoughts.

Those that claim they can’t help how they feel are deceiving and excusing themselves. They can control their feelings just as they can control their thoughts. But many choose to let their feelings (and thoughts) run free, with no check from reason and wisdom. True, there’s a chemical element to emotion, but the chemical production is caused by the mind and the thoughts of it. There are some cases where there is an improper chemical production and balance, which can cause issues for them, but for most this is not the case.

Emotional thinkers, devoid of logical understanding, are simply (and bluntly) stupid people, apparently incapable of reason. They excuse their stupidity by expressing their emotions, and calling for them to be recognized as valid thought. But here is their error, an error seemingly made by the whole of society: emotion is not devoid of reason at all. Emotion is, in fact, founded on reason, for feelings are built by understanding. Let me illustrate this with an example. If a friend says something to you that seems offensive, your initial emotion is anger. But when your friend explains the comment and its true and full intentions, and you realize the comment was innocent, your emotions are calmed. There are a great many other examples of this. It is very clear that one’s feelings are based entirely on their understanding of things as they are and their logical conclusions formed from that understanding. We see, then, that if one does not understand things as they are, the emotion they feel is false and weak.

Those with illogical emotions have no true emotion. Their emotion fluctuates with any and every change of events. They live a frustrating life of confusion and instability. The feelings that they so much depend on for their decisions are the very destruction of their happiness.

It is those who understand their emotions that appreciate them. It is those who have control of their feelings that really feel. They are they who’s emotions are profound, strong and unwavering. They are they, and only they, who could truly feel and appreciate the beauty of art.