by Deb Bucknam
In the year 1800, a mere 224 years ago, worldwide life expectancy was age 27. That stark statistic, assuredly unchanged for thousands of years, reveals the brutality of life for the human species over the millennia. Many children died before age five; women routinely died during childbirth or shortly thereafter; horrible diseases such as dysentery, typhoid, bubonic plague, small pox, tuberculosis, malaria, devasted whole populations.
Today world-wide life expectancy is age 73.
What happened to utterly transform human existence in such a short time, a mere blink of an eye, in the timespan of human history?
What changed was the embracing by the people of the West, and then others, of the proposition that all of us are created equal, in the image of God; and as individuals, we have certain inalienable rights that government cannot take away. Coupled with that, in the same year the Declaration of Independence was signed, Adam Smith wrote “The Wealth of Nations”, a treatise on economic freedom, arguing that individuals, not the governing class, should be free to make a profit and keep the fruits of their labors.
The rule of law, free speech, religious freedom, and the right to own and develop private property were part of these revolutionary ideas that finally gave ordinary individuals power that had long been reserved only to the ruling classes.
Ordinary people took hold of this new-found power, and the results boggle the mind: a nearly ½ century increase in life expectancy is one metric that can only hint at the astounding human progress achieved.
In retreat were the barbarian values of tribalism, authoritarianism, cultism and violence—the ancient chains that held ordinary people in peonage—and the ruling classes in virtually absolute power.
To be sure the barbarians have never been in full retreat. The French Revolution deteriorated into barbarism during this same period, culminating with the guillotine. Other barbarian movements sprang up, and are with us today; Communism, Fascism, Radical Islamism. The result of these barbarian movements has been the death of tens of millions of people, and brutish existence for the survivors.
Today, barbarian ideas are resurgent in the West and across the world.
• Tribalism: this is the principal feature of barbarism. People are judged by some inherent tribal quality, not as individuals. Diversity Equity and Inclusion ideology, as presently being taught in our schools, colleges, and in government and corporate trainings is a doctrine of tribalism. White people, from the day they are born, are imbued with the original sin of racism, and Blacks, Muslims, gays, and trans-people and other designated tribes are from birth, oppressed and therefore, sinless. Individual character has no place in the ideology of tribalism.
• Authoritarianism: This is a requirement of barbarism, because different standards of laws and morality depend on tribal identity, and this manifest injustice can only be administered and enforced by authoritarian rulers.
• Cultism: the free flow of ideas is an anathema to barbarians. The tribe must chant the mantras; repeat the phrases, transmit the myths, tell the lies, without questioning. Different ideas, and particularly inconvenient facts, must be quashed, with violence if necessary. There is no universal truth, just “our” truth—the “truth” of the tribe. And, tellingly, members of the “oppressed” tribes who do not adhere to their tribe’s myths and mantras are often punished more severely than those who do not belong to the tribe.
• Violence: tribalism promotes violence without consequence The tens of millions of Russians, Ukrainians, Kazaks, Jews, Chinese, Muslims and others who died in the 20th century from barbarian Communist and Socialist dictatorships do not even merit a sentence in most history text books. On October 7, 2023, 1400 innocent Israelis died at the hands of barbarians. A child was pulled from his mother’s womb and shot, a mother and her child bound together by barbed wire and burned to death, and a young woman killed and her naked body paraded through the streets of Gaza to the cheers of hundreds. Yet the actions of Gazans have been justified, or even celebrated because of their membership in an “oppressed” tribe.
These values are meant to restore the ancient regime where the peasants return to their rightful place, tribal hatreds thrive, and the ruling class dominates by force and fear.
It is time to stand up to the barbarians. The values of individual freedom and value have resulted in a world, while not perfect, stunningly better for the billions living today compared to our ancestors. Here is what we must do:
• Insist on defunding DEI programs. Taxpayers have paid tens of millions of dollars for this hateful tribalistic ideology. It needs to stop.
• Require that our government hold everyone to the same standard of law, and punish violent anti-Semites with the same vigor as any other violent racists.
• Insist that our schools teach our children the values of our civilization: individual worth, freedom, rule of law, equal justice.
By fighting for the values that brought us to this elevated place in human history, we can assure our children and grandchildren will also enjoy these wonderful blessings.
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Categories: Opinion
good luck with that !
message to deb buckham///did you wear a face diaper for two years///freedom my …/// any questions
the cult of the mask/// correction/// stupid face diaper//any questions///
Why are common sense, historically grounded essays like this so rare in Vermont?
Because, Bob, certain factions (some expressed in this thread) use Deb’s logic to project their own socio-economic misgivings onto the rest of us. And, in some sense, they are correct, that conservative, free market advocates don’t make sufficient allowances for those who choose collective, Marxist dogma.
Free markets are, specifically, ‘free’. If someone wants to forsake their personal liberty, freedom, and property, in the name of ‘woke’ virtue signaling, they should be allowed to do so. Those are the tenants of their tribal authoritarianism, and we shouldn’t force our tribal meritocracy on them either.
Of course, the real issue isn’t whose tribal dogma supersedes the other. The point well-reasoned folks like you and Deb must realize is that the collectivist simply cannot tolerate the existence of the individual freedom and liberty our tribe espouses. If any individual succeeds in a meritocracy, it undermines every principle put forth by the collective.
Theirs is the proverbial quest for equity, as opposed to equal access on a level playing field. It’s competition that threatens them. If you get a trophy (even if you give it to yourself in your own personal space), you are oppressing them. Misery enjoys company. Everyone should get a trophy.
As I’ve said many times before, it seems that conflict is inevitable. Our only remaining personal options are to choose sides or get out of Dodge altogether. Still, I don’t think we have to make that decision just yet. There’s still hope that free market reason will yet prevail. But we had better keep our powder dry, so to speak. I have a gut feeling that judgment day (however one chooses to characterize it) is fast approaching.
Tribalism, Authoritarianism, Cultism and Violence are coincidentally the four things that Trump has promised for a second term and the Boomers, scared of their own shadow and a world that has passed them by are more than willing to destroy Western civilization for one more chance to own the libs before they meet Rush Limbaugh.
Boomers are by definition people who were born between the years of 1946 and 1964. To classify them as a group with one mindset is an example of the tribalism Deb Bucknam wrote about; and an example of the division that has been produced by the daily propaganda about imagined dangers to our democracy.
Our Democratic Republic will hold if we support the Constitution and apply its principles and standards without fear of one human being. Remember, there are three branches of government. It was designed that way so one branch cannot dominate the other two. The founders didn’t want a king, nor should we. Two branches are elected, and as citizens, we each hold the power of the vote. So work to get out the vote, not silence candidates, that isn’t democracy.
Chris, please provide a list of concrete examples to back your claim. By concrete, I mean not talking points you heard on MSNBC.
it has come to my belief that agents of the george bush crime family now want our franklin county sheriff to resign///we know your names///
I’m a Gen X’er… if anyone feels the need to put a generational tag on me and like Cathy has stated, we don’t all have the same mindset. Some of my mindset is grounded in “Boomer” mentality, some in “Silent Generation” and even the “GI Generation”, since someone is intent on putting us in boxes.
I contest that the world has not passed by the values of these generations. The tyranny of the minority would like us to believe it has, but it decidedly has not!
It is very simple. Whether the “Bad Orange Man” wins or loses… there will be conflict. I’m not advocating for unrest; I’m stating my opinion based on recent historical evidence of such. And a comprehensive understanding of human nature. Because, in the end, we must. If you haven’t read “The Fourth Turning” by Strauss and Howe then I suggest you do so, forthwith. We are at the beginning of the Turning, some say half through, and it is inevitable, with all factors considered, that violence will ensue. Very sad to say. One cannot reason with those who will not listen. Our mistake was being overly tolerant for decades.
You must appreciate what we have right now, try not to mourn what is lost forever, because believe it or not, these are the good times you will look back on. Even those who would have us believe we are the useless, scared remnants of a past generation, will look back on this time in the same way. Well, some may, some may not.
Although there are some on here who are indeed, scared of what will come to pass and what has been lost, they come here with their real names and identities and stand up for what they believe. That is an honorable stance. Regardless if they are right or wrong. It takes great courage to stand up, be identified and state what you believe. For those that state that anonymity is necessary to maintain their lifestyle (jobs, standing, finances etc.) I say, what good is that lifestyle, those things you hold so dear, if you are willing to cower under an avatar to say such “brave” things?
Gen-X rocks – albeit not so hard and fast as the 80’s – that’s why we are targeted for elimination. Years ago, I had an inclination modern civilization would be turned back to the 1800’s. Perhaps not totally losing modern conveniences, but the return of the mindset. In the United States, 1871 keeps coming up as the time our country was sold out to the highest bidder. Then, President Woodrow Wilson sold the country out to the banksters – establishing the Federal Reserve. Then, President Richard Nixon took us off the gold standard, which got Kennedy killed for attempting to solidify in 1963.
The reality many people are grappling with is the astounding lies and deceptions told and retold over 150 years. As Chris likes to blame the “boomers”, it goes farther back than that period of time. They were lied to as well. We did not land on the moon. We did not “win” WWII. We did not “win” WWI. We haven’t won anything other than shiny participation, consolation prizes for playing along. For decades, the charade was played on the entire global society. The only ones immune are the aboriginals, secluded natives, or religious sects who remain relatively unscathed because of their “tribalism.”
As George Carlin aptly stated, we are under an illusion of choice, the “owners” of this world want us dumb, fat, and obedient, and it is a big club and a majority of people are not in it, not even close. Unifiying the People will only happen when Truth hits many of them square in the face. The pain of losing nearly everything has not hit many yet. The problem is most are too distracted and brainwashed to ever come to grips with reality. It is coming and the end times are here. Brace for impact! Once that happens, the clean up will be on the shoulders of those who saw it coming many years ago and prepared accordingly. We haven’t seen the worst yet.
To Ms. Bucknam,
I concur with your major points but must point out that the Declaration of Independence, while certainly the most pivotal document of the world and to be held in reverence alongside the US Constitution, it is not the sole factor in the lengthening of the average life span. There are a great many other things. Since you actually point out that most died from disease, it was the “science” that came forth that actually had the biggest role. And indeed, the increase in overall freedom and subsequently wealth to the average citizen.
Just my two cents worth…..
Respectfully,
Pam Baker
Pam; I understand what you are saying; but my point is that the prosperity unleashed by political and economic freedom resulted in the ability of government and private sector to engage in scientific research. Government and universities and other institutions were exceedingly poor, prior to 1800, and incapable of spending on massive research, because tax revenues were nowhere nearly enough to indulge in such research, or other government programs we now have. It was the virtuous cycle.
Pam: I think you misinterpret Deb Bucknam’s point about the Declaration of Independence and the U.S. Constitution. It’s not those two items, in themselves, that created our prosperity. But they did set the stage for what most of us call ‘free enterprise’, the governance allowing autonomous self-determination to thrive. Check out peer reviewed studies on self-determination theory (SDT).
“Perhaps no single phenomenon reflects the positive potential of human nature as much as intrinsic motivation, the inherent tendency to seek out novelty and challenges, to extend and exercise one’s capacities, to explore, and to learn.”
“The construct of intrinsic motivation describes this natural inclination toward assimilation, mastery, spontaneous interest, and exploration that is so essential to cognitive and social development and that represents a principal source of enjoyment and vitality throughout life.”
Of importance is the understanding that:
“The concept of autonomy has often been portrayed as being antagonistic to relatedness or community, in fact, some theories equate autonomy with concepts such as individualism and independence (e.g., Steinberg & Silverberg, 1986), which do indeed imply low relatedness. But, within SDT, autonomy refers not to being independent, detached, or selfish but rather to the feeling of volition that can accompany any act, whether dependent or independent, collectivist or individualist, in fact, recent research in Korean and U.S. samples has found a more positive relation between autonomy and collectivistic attitudes than between autonomy and individualistic attitudes (Kim, Butzel, & Ryan, 1998).”
Our Founders inherently understood this aspect of human nature, as did philosophers like John Locke and Aristotle. People should read the epiphanies in the journal of Plymouth Plantation’s Governor, William Bradford, on ‘Property’. It describes the Pilgrim’s realization, after two years of struggle and starvation, that the collective prospect of the Mayflower Compact was failing them.
“The experience that was had in this common course and condition, tried sundry years and that amongst godly and sober men, may well evince the vanity of that conceit of Plato’s and other ancients applauded by some of later times; that the taking away of property and bringing in community into a commonwealth would make them happy and flourishing; as if they were wiser than God. For this community (so far as it was) was found to breed much confusion and discontent and retard much employment that would have been to their benefit and comfort.”
Today, we have people who, for whatever reason, prefer a collective. They choose to forgo individual liberty, freedom, and personal property – which they have every right to do. And our governance, as articulated in the Declaration of Independence and the U.S. Constitution, accommodates they’re preference.
Our problem occurs when those who prefer the collective, especially as a majority, impose their notion on the rest of us. And it’s because the Declaration of Independence and the U.S. Constitution protect our minority rights in that regard that the collectivists are now attempting to circumvent that governance. This is what tyranny looks like. And it’s why I agree with you in this regard, conflict seems inevitable.
Thank you. Well put.
Trump wants to trash the constitution.
The 2nd amendment will be trashed along with it.
the final solution/// a judge in every store//// will keep the store keeper from becoming poor/// 410 3 inch number 4 buckshot///
woops/// got to take a break/// logger just dumped a load of little sticks for my wood stove/// need to pile two cords/// should take about one hour if i hurry/// logger said he had to chase some tree huggers off his private property/// used one of those big tree shears to chase those little rats/// be back in one hour///
still can not understand why those tourists looting the stores are wearing those stupid face diapers/// now i know//// they will use it in court/// lack of oxygen to my brain made me due it///
I see some of my comments were deleted, looks like there is a limit to free speech here after all.