“Smith & Wesson Hollow Points: The only cure for terminal stupidity.” – Neal Ross

If there I were to be asked what bothers me the most about people, I would have to answer, stupidity. Yet that would not be entirely correct, as stupidity implies a lack of intelligence. What bothers me the most is people who refuse to use the brain that God has given them, not those who for some reason are physically incapable of cognitive thought.

I am not a great person by any means. I have not found the cure for some terrible disease, nor have I created some new gadget that makes everyone’s life easier. I have not written some musical masterpiece nor a novel of breathtaking importance. I am just an average guy.

However, I do differ in that I have an insatiable thirst for knowledge regarding the philosophies and principles which guided those men known as our founding fathers. Not only were these men great thinkers by their own right, they were guided and influenced by great thinkers from the past.

When I look around today, I find a drought of thinking. I feel as though we are entering another period of darkness of thought, similar to the Dark Ages. When I try to discuss the principles upon which our country was founded, I find myself on the receiving end of an emotional rant, or I get a dull, glazed over look as though I were attempting to explain quantum physics to a cow.

During my short respite from writing I once again read the book Atlas Shrugged, by Ayn Rand. This time, instead of reading it in just under two days I took my time to fully absorb some of the profound thoughts contained within that masterpiece.

I find it amazing, that over 50 years ago this woman was able to see into this nations future and almost predict the course that this country would take. In the story the powers that be create various agencies to control various crises that arise and put men like Wesley Mouch in charge of them. They bear a striking resemblance to the myriad government agencies, each headed by a czar which were created to manage the various crises that our country has faced.

It is also amazing that, in both cases, with the assumption of powers by these people, our problems exponentially multiplied. Yet, when I try to explain that to people, that government is the problem, not the solution, I get this, dare I say it, stupid look on peoples faces.

Thomas Paine once said, “A long habit of not thinking a thing wrong gives it a superficial appearance of being right.” For generations now our country has allowed government to assume powers that were not theirs to assume. We have gone on, generation after generation, thinking that these powers did in fact belong to our government. We did so because we did not take the time to learn for ourselves what powers the constitution granted our government, and why they were so limited to begin with. We let our government think for us, and then give us their version of the truth. Then we swallowed it hook, line, and sinker.

I feel a deep despair, for I see what lies on the horizon in this country. I feel as though I am defenseless against some unseen enemy who I am powerless against. That enemy being the ignorance and apathy of the people of this country.

There is a particular quote from Atlas Shrugged that I found quite appropriate. Hugh Atkinson is explaining to Dagny Taggart exactly how I feel now, “Fear? Yes-but it was more than fear. It was the kind of emotion that make men capable of killing-when I thought the purpose of the world’s trend was to destroy these children, that these three sons of mine were marked for immolation. Oh yes, I would have killed-but whom was there’re to kill? It was everyone and no one, there was no single enemy, no center and no villain, it was not the simpering social worker incapable of earning a penny or the thieving bureaucrat scared of his own shadow, it was the whole of the earth rolling into an obscenity of horror…”

Unfortunately for us, there is no John Galt to steal away all the great minds until the time comes to rebuild. It is up to us to do the thinking, and do it before our nation collapses in upon itself.

But I don’t see it though, not when half of this country so easily fell for the lies of one Barack Obama; when they let themselves be seduced by his promises of change instead of using a fraction of their thinking power to see beyond his lies and bullshit.

I don’t see it when the other half of the people in this country still believe that a return to GOP/conservative values will herald in the salvation of our nation. Not after the debacle that was George W. Bush.

I see our country heading steadily towards an abyss, and what lies beyond…well its not going to be pretty, of that, I am absolutely certain. It could be stopped, things could be turned around, if they would only think. Unfortunately, there just doesn’t seem to be much of that going on these days.

[T]o preserve liberty, it is essential that the whole body of the people always possess arms, and be taught alike, especially when young, how to use them.” – Federal Farmer

“A man’s country is not a certain area of land, of mountains, rivers, and woods, but it is a principle; and patriotism is loyalty to that principle.” – George William Curtis

~ The Author ~
Neal Ross can be reached for comments at bonsai@syix.com. Visit Neal’s Blog at http://www.zombie-slayer.com/neal