A friend passed along this video that gives a very good 10 minute presentation about the five types of rule (or Government). It follows the spectrum from Monarchy through Oligarchy, Democracy, Republic and finally to Anarchy. Rather than discussing the forms of government or ideals contained in them as “right wing” or “left leaning”, it suggests a continuum that ranges from absolute power (100%) vested with the government to no power (0%) being vested with the government.

What’s even more interesting is the way in which it follows various historical societies and shows that they eventually fall into oligarchy. The republic has been the most prosperous and most likely to ensure freedom for its people when compared to all other forms of government.

It’s chilling to see where we started (and what our founding documents establish as the law of our land), and where we are today. How frightening that we seem to be barreling head long into an oligarchy. The question remains, what will be required to change course and will the American people be willing to make the sacrifices that will be required to achieve it?

Have a look at the video and leave a comment with your thoughts.

I just read an article about flat rate health care that is now being offered in Seattle. Apparently they’re using a model similar to about 50 other clinics around the country and it seems very promising. They suggest that by eliminating the rigid demands for paperwork, contract negotiation and service levels which are imposed by the large insurance companies (such as United Health, Aetna, Cigna, WellPiont, etc. they can actually charge less to their patients and increase their own profits.

I suppose that makes sense when you consider the number of employees and facilities involved in contemporary healthcare that actually do nothing to support the actual medical needs of patients. In actuality, all they do is handle money and take their “fair share” off the top.

The approach of the Seattle clinic is to charge their patients a one time fee of $99 and then some monthly recurring fee that ranges from $39 – $199 or so. For that they get unlimited visits and care. They accept preexisting conditions too.

So why would I write about this on my blog about one Nation under God? I think that it’s important to recognize that God wants his children to be healthy and to have the freedom to exercise their talents. In this country we have enjoyed an explosion of knowledge, education and skill. That has been coupled with an unprecedented growth in technological support to enable new ideas. These are blessings that come to a God fearing Nation and which we observe missing in many nations that have less regard for God.

Wake up America and think up knew ways to prosper and thrive.

I read an article today that talked about some Chinese ships harassing a US boat. Most of the article discussed the tension and various reasons that it shouldn’t have happened and what everyone was doing about it… Whew! What that all seems to have come down to right before the last paragraph is that China is pushing on the US to determine how we’ll respond to their agression.

Then I read the last paragraph and got a little sick about the state of our country. Here’s the clip that I read:

While relations between Beijing and Washington are complex, any sense of military competitiveness is dwarfed by America’s need for China to continue buying US debt to fund its huge and growing deficit

Yikes! Do they mean to suggest that if a military conflict ever came up we would be so committed to keeping our standard of living high and our economy going, that we would prefer to maintain our current levels consumption and inflated economic outlook over maintaining our sovereignty?

It made me wonder how much of our Navy or Air Force they own with their billions of dollars of investment in our national debt. Maybe if the day comes that a military contest becomes necessary, China will just show us deed and title to our military and say “hand it over”

Or, we could stop right now and let our system fall before it recovers. At least then our recovery would have freed us from the oppressive burden of debt that we’ve taken on as consumers and as a country.

This article, written by my wife Rachel, is from Volume 3 (October 2004), which can be downloaded here.

It is important to vote. My vote matters, and your vote matters. In 1873, Susan B. Anthony, fighting for women’s rights, cited the preamble to the Federal Constitution beginning with “We, the people,” and said:

“It was we, the people; not we, the white male citizens; nor yet we, the male citizens; but we, the whole people, who formed the Union. And we formed it, not to give the blessings of liberty, but to secure them; not to the half of ourselves and the half of our posterity, but to the whole people – women as well as men. And it is a downright mockery to talk to women of their enjoyment of the blessings of liberty while they are denied the use of the only means of securing them provided by this democratic-republican government – the ballot. ”

Today, no woman is denied the right to the vote, but any person who does not go to the polls on November 2, forfeits the opportunity to participate in our national dialogue. “We, the people” includes me and you and every citizen of the United States. Every voice is important. Each vote is a tool in forming the union of the United States of America as it is today.

As I anticipate Election Day, I feel excited to exercise my right to vote, to participate in the national dialogue, to prove my resolve to defend my position on today’s issues. As you and I and every citizen of this country meet at the polls on November 2, we can again say that “We, the people” will work to form a more perfect union!

This article is from Volume 3 (October 2004), which can be downloaded here.

The topic of separation of church and state has long been a point of some confusion for me. I will endeavor to show throughout this article that morality and religion are not in conflict with politics and government. Furthermore, government in its various capacities has the distinct responsibility to uphold moral behavior and ensure that morality is supported as a standard throughout the society over which it is empowered to govern. Finally government without morality will diminish in its influence until those who should rightly subject themselves to it will ultimately ignore it.

All that I have read about the history of America as a nation and the words and lives of those whom we call Founding Fathers would lead me to believe that America has more of God in it than perhaps any other single influence. I suppose for me the difference between church and God is the key to my understanding. That is, a church represents one organized approach to worship of God and carries with it an ideology and theology somewhat distinct from other churches. God, however, is universal to all churches and is the object to which we as individuals, communities and as a nation look for moral guidance. There is no apparent disharmony between morality and religion and the operation of the state. The possible conflict is specific to the influence of a single dominant ideology over a government institution.

From this perspective the wording of our national documents and constitution are better understood and not at variance with current political policy. The Declaration of Independence mentions the “Laws of Nature and of Nature’s God”. It further states that the truths which we hold to be self-evident about equality and rights are “endowed by [our] Creator”. These references to God in one of the charter documents of our great country indicate that despite differences in religious affiliation, all the signers of those significant documents agreed that the rights they stood up for were indeed God given, and in some measure, God protected. It further declares that “whenever any form of Government becomes destructive of these ends it is the Right of the People to alter or to abolish it, and to institute new Government, laying its foundation on such principles and organizing its powers in such form, as to them shall seem most likely to effect their Safety and Happiness.” In the closing of the Declaration of Independence Thomas Jefferson again calls on the protection of “divine Providence”.

In the very act of declaring our independence we established our belief in and reliance upon a Higher Power. This shows that the Founding Fathers not only believed in God, but considered him to be the surest foundation and hope for success in the enterprise of building a new nation. It is worth noting that in the Declaration of Independence there is no wording that reads, “We the Catholics”, or “We the Jews”. While these religious groups existed and members of them were influential in the drafting of these documents, they all rallied behind the common and powerful influence of God, not church. The separation of church and state was established at the same time that God was woven into our national character.

Already we have heard some insinuation of the role of government in upholding morality, to the end that it can insure Happiness to its constituents. This idea requires a more careful consideration, seeing that in the enforcement of morality some citizens will find conflict. To address this point I first look to George Washington, the first President of this nation. In his first inaugural address delivered in 1789 he states that “there is no truth more thoroughly established, than that there exists in the economy and course of nature, an indissoluble union between virtue and happiness, – between duty and advantage, – between the genuine maxims of an honest and magnanimous policy, and the solid rewards of public prosperity and felicity: – Since we ought to be no less persuaded that the propitious smiles of Heaven, can never be expected on a nation that disregards the eternal rules of order and right, which Heaven itself has ordained…” This bold statement makes clear that he sought knowledge from God in establishing public policy that would ensure Heaven’s blessings on the American people. He cites honesty, duty and virtue as being connected with public wellness.

Seven years later in 1796 he delivered his farewell address, which I recommend to the entire nation to read in full. I will reproduce one paragraph in full here: “Of all the dispositions and habits which lead to political prosperity, religion and morality are indispensable supports. In vain would that man claim the tribute of patriotism, who should labor to subvert these great pillars of human happiness, these firmest props of the duties of men and citizens. The mere politician, equally with the pious man, ought to respect and to cherish them. A volume could not trace all their connections with private and public felicity. Let it simply be asked: Where is the security for property, for reputation, for life, if the sense of religious obligation desert the oaths which are the instruments of investigation in courts of justice? And let us with caution indulge the supposition that morality can be maintained without religion. Whatever may be conceded to the influence of refined education on minds of peculiar structure, reason and experience both forbid us to expect that national morality can prevail in exclusion of religious principle.”

It should be noted that the further from God that a government is, to that same degree it is weakened in its influence over the members of its society. The ability of a government to influence its citizens is proportional to the moral foundation, and hence perceived moral security, which that government affords to them.

Belief in God and adherence to its associated morality are not in conflict with government, but rather represent its greatest support. In vain would we hope to strengthen a community, state or nation without a belief in a higher power and a basis for morality. Government has its rightful place in upholding those morals and policies that the voice of the people have caused it to establish. Public policy that finds its roots in “duty”, “honesty” and “virtue” will do more to insure public security and happiness than any other single thing. Without a firm moral base, government will diminish in it influence over its constituents. This lessening influence is the result of an eroding foundation and a loss of confidence in the ability of government to secure the inalienable rights extended to each individual under its jurisdiction. While church and state must necessarily remain separate, God, morality and government must necessarily remain joined.