The Road Goes Ever On and On...

As I have been preparing for my imminent journey to D.C this Wednesday., I have been reflecting a lot upon Life lately; the crossroads I am at, how I reached here, where I am going.  It is all so truly astounding to me.

I can honestly say I am so proud of the man I am becoming. I have made so many changes over the past year, so many improvements. Where I used to be self conscious, doubtful, pessimistic, I am now utterly confident, sure, and wholly optimistic.

I’ve learned the true meaning of Principle. I’ve learned the true meaning of Courage. I’ve learned where I truly stand in relation to God & religion. I’ve learned that Happiness is prevalent in every single day.

Life is a glorious experiment. It is one enormous tapestry we are all taking a part in weaving. Seemingly meaningless events and chance encounters turn out to be key pivot points within the heart of our existence. Faces and experiences all wheel together, turning toward a magnificent display to be admired, adored, and revered.

It is not the “perfect” Life that we should strive toward, but the Life full of Meaning & Principle, whatever that meaning is for each of us, wherever that path leads us.  The resounding triumphs, the devastating defeats, the agonizing loss, the unexpected gain...they all make us who we are, who we are meant to be. It was through this realization that I learned to never regret any decision. Without those decisions, I wouldn’t be who I am right now, in this very moment. I wouldn’t trade who I am for anything in the world.

The people in my Life, my dearest friends, my dearest family, have all helped to guide me to where I now stand. They have all lent a helping hand when I’ve been upon my hands and knees, achingly gasping for the slightest breath of air. They give me Hope, they give me Joy, they give me Resolve. Resolve to never give in, to fight for the Principles I hold so dear so that they, my family, friends, and my future children, all have the opportunity to live happier lives. This is why I’m going to Washington. This is why I’ve dedicated my Life to fighting for Liberty in all matters: so that those I love and will love have the chance to see an even brighter sunrise.

I firmly believe that we are the masters of our own Fate. Upon birth, we are not condemned to one path that we must tread. We are free to set our own course. We are free to live as we see fit. No man is beholden to another man. That being said, I feel as if I would be denying my very being if I did not follow this course that has been laid before me into Washington. As I look back upon my Life, it seems to me that it has all geared towards this moment. I was meant to take this course.  This is merely the first step into a realm where my starkest Principles can be realized, can be obtained. This truly marks the beginning for me. And I will make it count.

To those reading this, I hope that you find as much Joy in day to day Life as I have learned to find.  The simple things: birds darting across your path as you walk down the sidewalk, a brisk autumn breeze rolling across your face, the sharp sting of winter air, the gratifying warmth of a small fire, the laughter of a stranger, the curls of steam rising from your cup of coffee. It’s all there in front of us. We merely have to reach out and seize it.

For those who need a reaffirmation of the beauty of Life, please watch the video below: I made this starting last year and crossing over into the beginning of this year. It was an eye opening experience. It helped me to reach the point I’m at now. I hope it does for you what it did for me.

Expect a normal post next week, but I had to write a post such as this one before I leave for D.C.

I wanted to reflect.

It is so good to be alive.

It is so good to be awake.

Take Care, Always.

Brad

Here's the video:
365 Days. Brad Robbins

Ronald Reagan: Legend or Lie?

Ronald Reagan is championed by conservatives and Republicans alike as the poster child of freedom and small government.  And who could blame them?  He was a charismatic gentleman who dropped amazing quotes to back up the theory, such as:

“The problem is not that people are taxed too little, the problem is that government spends too much.”

“I hope we once again have reminded people that man is not free unless government is limited. There's a clear cause and effect here that is as neat and predictable as a law of physics: As government expands, liberty contracts.”

“The federal government did not create the states; the states created the federal government.”

“Someday, the realm of liberty and justice will encompass the planet. Freedom is not just the birthright of the few, it is the God-given right of all His children, in every country. It won't come by conquest. It will come, because freedom is right and freedom works. It will come, because cooperation and goodwill among free people will carry the day.”

With quotes like these, what conservative-leaning individual’s mouth wouldn’t water  over the prospect of a president like Ronald Reagan?  He ran on abolishing the Departments of Education and Energy. He ran on balancing the Federal budget within his first term.  He was the epitome of limited government and individualism.  Then, he was elected as our president from 1981 to 1989.

Before anything else is said, I would like to supply you with one more quote, one from another president.  You may be familiar with him. It was George Washington.  This is less a quote, more of a personal motto, one that he lived his life by: “Deeds, not words.”  That being said, I want to take a serious look at the actual deeds of Ronald Reagan, not merely his words.  At the end of this essay, we can reevaluate where we stand and see if Reagan truly holds up to the Legend that has been erected in his honor.

The first aspect of the Reagan administration I want to look at is its spending and the general increase or reduction of the Federal government that took place.     

As I mentioned before, Reagan ran on balancing the budget in his first term.  Instead, the federal deficit rose by $133 billion. Over the course of his entire tenure in office, the Reagan administration added $1.9 trillion to the national debt.  In those eight years alone, Reagan managed to grow the budget by a whopping 69%.

As I also mentioned earlier, Reagan ran on abolishing the Department of Education, a sentiment I actually strongly agree with.  By the time Reagan left office though, funding for the Department of Education had been doubled, landing at the “small” sum of $22.7 billion.

Now for some more numbers: From 1981-87, farm program spending by the federal government increased 140%.  Medicare spending almost doubled from $43 billion to $80 billion.  When Reagan stepped into office in 1981, federal entitlement programs cost taxpayers $197.1 billion. By 1987, they were up to $477 billion.

Foreign aid was also dramatically increased, being raised from $10 billion to $22 billion. Reagan also managed to push through an $8.4 billion increase to the International Monetary Fund.

Between 1982 and 1988, Reagan managed to expand government ownership of property as well, signing 43 bill which designated more than 10 million acres of federal wilderness areas spanning across 27 states.

To give you a break from the monotonous and seemingly never ending flow of expanding government via numbers, let’s take a look at Reagan’s foreign policy.

Ronald Reagan’s administration cannot be discussed without mentioning the Iran-Contra scandal.  Essentially, Reagan bypassed Congress (unconstitutionally, mind you) on aiding Nicaraguan Contra guerrilla fighters by diverting cash flow to them via sale of missiles to Iran.

In 1986, Reagan ordered the Air Force to bomb Libya in an attempt to kill Khadaffi.  The attempt was obviously unsuccessful.  Two years later, a Pan Am airliner exploded above the pastures of Scotland and the U.S government swore up and down it was Khadaffi’s doing....Blowback, anyone?

If this wasn’t enough, Reagan initiated military involvement in the following countries: Libya (President Obama?), Grenada, El Salvador, Nicaragua, and Lebanon.  The key word in the preceding sentence is “initiated”.  As I’ve delved into in other writings, the initiation of force is wholly and incontrovertibly immoral, so....need I say more on Reagan’s foreign policy?

Anyone who has read any of my previous articles knows that I am a big proponent of correctly differentiating rights from privileges.  In 1986, Reagan signed the Consolidated Omnibus Budget Reconciliation Act.  This gave citizens the “right” to continue on their employers group health plan even despite job loss or reduction of hours.  Sounds “union-esque” in nature to me.

If you’re reading this and are still not convinced by Reagan’s deeds over his words, I have even more to share.

From 1980 to 1988, the amount of civilian government employees rose by 230 million people.  Reagan also showed he was no fan of individual liberty when he enacted mandatory minimum sentences for any non-violent drug offense.  

The last piece of info I will leave you this should solidify the case that Ronald Reagan was anything but small government.  If it doesn’t, I think there may be a misconception of “small government” either on your end or my end. During Reagan’s tenure, the average annual increase in the size of government was 6.8%.  This is compared to Clinton’s 3.6%.  An increase is an increase, don’t misunderstand me.  But to herald Reagan as the champion of small government when he outgrows Clinton? Shameful.

I think the picture that has been painted is very clear; if we use Washington’s motto of “Deeds, not words”, then Ronald Reagan was anything but “small government”.  What we actually got was another Progressive Republican who was just a little better at hiding the fact.  

The point I’m trying to make is that this constant fight we are in the midst of, the constant struggle....it has absolutely nothing to do with Right vs. Left, Republican vs. Democrat.  It has everything to do with Right vs. Wrong, Free vs. Enslaved, the Individual vs. the Collective, the State vs. You.

Will you stand with me?

Will you stand in the name of individual liberty & personal responsibility?

Take Care, Always.

Brad Robbins

Sources:

Federal Receipts, Outlays, and Debt

Federal Receipts, Outlays, and Debt #2

Harry Browne Article

Ludwig von Mises Institute

Pros & Cons (all with additional sources)