Food for Thought

We've all heard the standard Convention question: "Are you better off not than you were four years ago?"

Well, are we better off now than we were one hundred years ago?

Here's an interesting article on the subject, which briefly examines economic and social factors.  My favorite bit:

My friend Bertel Sparks taught at Duke Law School for years. For his entering students, he passed out an essay on property written by Blackstone. It was from "Commentaries," published in 1765. It was the law book for English lawyers. He had them discuss the essay in the following class. They always had great difficulty. The essay was over their heads.

Then he would hold up the source of the essay: the Sixth McGuffey Reader. He said this exercise stomped the arrogance out of them early.

Of course, most people aren't aware of the facts that you find in this and other similar articles.  People don't take the time to realize that the reasons Americans aren't starving in the streets is because of the market, not government subsidies (in fact, existing government action is doing much more harm than good).  The Messiah has already come and, despite what some sleazy preachers will tell you, He didn't come to make men rich.  Men will only accumulate wealth, which they can the use to build the museums and churches that are the foundation of our culture and civilization, when they rely on themselves and each other.  When people prefer the community to the state and appreciate government because of its authority and not its power, then we truly will be better off than we used to be.

Our Shire needs to be scoured.  Let's hope the right hobbits for the job exist somewhere.