This Has Not Happened In A While

During the last week of my internship Russia invaded Georgia. Since my second semester I have not been reading or watching any news. Throughout high school I would watch the news often, and during my first semester I read the news every day. Eventually, I realized that I did not enjoy it. I found it boring and frustrating. However, there was a time when I was incredibly interested in watching the news because I liked to think of how the reported problems could be solved. Additionally, I would often envision myself as a government employee such as a diplomat or agent of the CIA. I never pictured myself as a James Bond character. I understood a career in the CIA or the foreign service as a whole to be similar to how it was portrayed in the film Spy Game. However, over the past years I have developed some reservations about government, and I no longer want to work within the defense arena. One reason is that my pay check would be funded with taxes, which does involve some degree of armed robbery. The second reason is that the defense sphere of government appears to lack moral standards. I am of course no hippie. I do not get riled up for the same reasons. I also do not really get riled up. I just have this reserved disdain. As I have stated several times before the purpose of government is to protect individuals natural rights. Therefore, the American government should protect the natural rights of those that live in America. Thus, if there is a foreign enemy, such as a nation or organization that initiates force against individuals living in America, the American government should use retaliatory or defense force against the aggressors. Consequently, I have no problem with special operations forces killing Al-Qeada terrorists. I also have no problem with the U.S. military invading a country that has attacked individuals living in America. I am not referring to the Iraq war in this circumstance, but World War II especially in regards to Japan would apply. Though I do have my reservations about the atomic bomb. However, I probably would have to agree with the use of the first one. The second one I am not so sure about. The first one still disturbs me though. I will discuss this issue at another time.

Anyway, the only real problem I have with these actions is that they would be funded by taxes. They should be funded with voluntary funds or user fees like they were a security firm. Unfortunately, this is not the way the defense sphere operates, and I am not referring to how they are funded. In changing the government eliminating all taxes would be one of the last steps. The problem with the defense sphere is that they do not solely use retaliatory force. The defense sphere consistently initiates force. Iraq, Vietnam, Korea, Somalia, First Gulf War, just to name a few obvious ones. Therefore, if I were part of the defense sphere I would have to act viciously, through accepting my paycheck provided by tax money, and following through with orders requiring the initiation of force.

However, last week while monitoring the news for my internship I noticed a few headlines about Russia invading Georgia. Immediately a passion was ignited within me. While at my internship I went to Al Jazeera news, which I read consistently during my first semester because it provided specific news of the Middle East. I then read an article about Russia invading Georgia, another about the Pakistani legislature having enough votes to begin the impeachment process against President Musharef, and another article about the Iraqi government demanding an exit time table from the United States. I began to envision myself as the problem solving, and began thinking about how the U.S. government should interact with these situations. I have this strong desire to be a problem solver and an additionally strong desire to be a protect of natural rights. I have also been reading The Bourne Identity, which has also kept my passion lit. I have a desire to operate secretly, and neutralize threats to individuals' natural rights. I briefly considered pursuing a career in the defense sphere on a clandestine level as I once did starting during my first year of high school and through to my first semester freshman year. However, then I read this post while researching blogs for my internship:

"'545' PEOPLE THAT MAINTAIN A DYSFUNCTIONAL GOVERNMENT!

By Charlie Reese* --

Politicians are the only people in the world who create problems and then campaign against them. Have you ever wondered why, if both the Democrats and the Republicans are against deficits, we have deficits?

Have you ever wondered why, if all the politicians are against inflation and high taxes, we have inflation and high taxes? ·

You and I don't propose a federal budget. The President does. · You and I don't have the Constitutional authority to vote on appropriations. The House of Representatives does. ·

You and I don't write the tax code, Congress does. ·

You and I don't set fiscal policy, congress does. ·

You and I don't control monetary policy, The Federal Reserve Bank does.

One hundred senators, 435 congressmen, one president and nine Supreme Court justices - 545 human beings out of the 300 million - are directly, legally, morally and individually responsible for the domestic problems that plague this country. The plate is so full of problems its totally overwhelming.I excluded the members of the Federal Reserve Board, because that problem was created by the Congress.In 1913, Congress delegated its Constitutional duty to provide a sound currency to a federally chartered but private central bank.I excluded all the special interests and lobbyists for a sound reason. They have no legal authority.They have no ability to coerce a senator, a Congressman or a president to do one cotton-picking thing.I don't care if they offer a politician $1 million dollars in cash.

The politician has the power to accept or reject it. No matter what the lobbyist promises, it is the legislator's responsibility to determine how he votes. Those 545 human beings spend much of their energy convincing you that what they did is not their fault. They cooperate in this common con regardless of party.What separates a politician from a normal human being is an excessive amount of gall, power, love of the lime light and perks. No normal human being would have the gall of a Speaker, who stood up and criticized the President for creating deficits.The president can only propose a budget. He cannot force the Congress to accept it.

The Constitution, which is the supreme law of the land, gives sole responsibility to the House of Representatives for originating and approving appropriations and taxes.Who is the speaker of the House?Nancy Pelosi, she is the leader of the majority party.She and fellow House members, not the president, can approve any budget they want.If the president vetoes it, they can pass it over his veto if they agree to.It seems inconceivable to me that a nation of 300 million cannot replace 545 people who stand convicted-- by present facts - of incompetence and Irresponsibility.

Wake up America before its too late.

I can't think of a single domestic problem that is not traceable directly to those 545 people.

When you fully grasp the plain truth that 545 people exercise the power of the federal government, then it must follow that what exists is what they want to exist.·

If the tax code is unfair, it's because they want it unfair or don't care. ·

If the budget is in the red, it's because they want it in the red or don't care. ·

If the Marines are in IRAQ, it's because they want them in IRAQ. ·

If they do not receive social security but are on an elite retirement plan not available to the people, it's because they want it that way.

It’s a windfall for them. One term, and their set for life. There are no insoluble government problems.Do not let these 545 people shift the blame to bureaucrats, whom they hire and whose jobs they can abolish; to lobbyists, whose gifts and advice they can reject; to regulators, to whom they give the power to regulate and from whom they can take this power.

Above all, do not let them con you into the belief that there exists disembodied mystical forces like 'the economy,' 'inflation' or 'politics' that prevent them from doing what they take an oath to do.

Those 545 people and they alone, are responsible. They and they alone, have the power.They and they alone, should be held accountable by the people who are their bosses - provided the voters have the gumption to manage their own employees.We should vote all of them out of office and clean up their mess!'

*Charlie Reese is a former columnist of the Orlando Sentinel"

I also read this quote while also researching blogs:

"'Democracy is the pathetic belief in the wisdom of collective ignorance.' - H.L. Mencken"

This made me realize that no matter how much I desired to protect individuals' natural rights, the government is not acceptable for me. Essentially, I remembered what disenchanted me with the government towards the end of my first semester. However, during the summer I had a discussion with my cousin about government. He is a libertarian objectivist like myself, and he wants to work for the government at some point. I will discuss and address his argument in a later post. It has made me reconsider whether or not working for the government is vicious. Right now I am leaning towards that it is; however, he did bring up some good points. Presently, I envision myself being forever caught between anarchism and libertarian government, never being wholly convinced of either one.