Work in progress...

The most fundamental part of the modern human life is rule.

Seemingly more important than bread or water is the insuppressible need to be controlled in some sort of mannerly form that denotes at some level, government. Even those turned to thoughts of anarchy, and one can admit at times it is a tantalizing alternative to the constant battle between beliefs that can never fall into one party or another, search for some sort of hierarchy to present some ruling force in any size group. This is the human constraint that Marx battled with, and every political philosopher since the late great Lucy the cave woman. We all wish that the state of nature were plausible in communal bliss and respect; however, that can no longer be argued as a possibility as these are no longer the days of the French enlightenment. So the great question, the question to end all questions is how to come as close as we can as humans to that state of nature without stepping on the little guys or ostracizing the big guys.

I’m not sure I can provide an answer to that “great question” but I hope to provide some insight into my thoughts, that I have been fighting with since I first cracked open the Communist Manifesto or learned who John Locke was. I won’t pretend to be revolutionary or step outside the ordinary because I don’t feel like writing or thinking in those imaginary realms of scholarly pursuit, and study cannot tap into the current society/current mindset of the troublesome world we live and play in. I plan on being honest, and every word will henceforth be expressed in a tone that only a young white male with too much time can write.

There are primary principles to a content life I believe in that can and should be provided and/or sustained by a governing body. They begin with those time tested values of life, liberty, and the pursuit of happiness penned, stolen, and edited by Thomas Jefferson, but go far beyond that as the ambiguity of these promised principles leaves too much room for broken vows. I propose first, a breakdown of these colonial principles to reveal my theory on the primary principles of a content life under government.



Life

What does a government intend when promising its governed “life?” It should intend to provide them with the ability to maintain a living state of being that is acceptable of living in a modern economy, based in the free market world that is today. That entails quite a bit, yet I believe it is possible to provide millions of people this elementary status of contentment. First of all, it entails health or the accessibility to life sustaining medicine and medical treatment. That sounds like a plea for universal health care and it is, how can you promise any citizen of any country the right to live but not give them the proper tools to do so from birth? And, I might take that a step further into the realm of promised pursuit of happiness and that it is irresponsible for anyone to promise someone life and the pursuit of happiness without attention to mental health provisions on a national scale. One cannot be happy or healthy, or taking advantage of their promised liberty if they are not mentally healthy. Life should also imply safety and security. A belief that still runs through the dried up veins of our fore fathers, and a fairly easy one to understand although it has been seriously complicated in the modern era. Safety begins and ends with imminent threat to the homeland. Imminent threat can be determined through intelligence, reliable intelligence. The security a nation provides its citizens is an essential part of insuring life. Finally, sustenance is the last issue in living up to the promise of life. Surely, in the modern world a government cannot go out and leave groceries at the doorstep of each and every citizen. This is impossible but it can provide and regulate the means by which each citizen can afford and receive food and drink. These are the founding principles of life a nation should bestow upon its citizens.

Liberty

Liberty is the station where philosophy enters the contract between the individual and government. Life is simple; liberty is another matter entirely. Where do sovereignty and liberty shake hands and agree on fairness? Liberty is so hard to express and sovereignty is so extreme, yet they are so alike. It would make this essay easier to point to some old dead guy and say, “Hey, that guy was right… that is exactly what liberty means!” That simply is not true though because no one can bottle or spoon-feed someone a notion or definition to liberty. I am willing to share my thoughts on the matter but I hope that you the reader will only observe my beliefs as a springboard for exploring your own.

Personal View on Liberty

As liberty is a sovereign belief, a truth that only I can hold self-evident for myself, only the individual can define it. Liberty is an exercise, much more important than jogging or crunches. I liberty all the time, it is a shame that liberty is not an adverb. Honestly, acting on the sovereignty of one’s thoughts and ambitions is the most important thing anyone can do to stay healthy, safe, and alive. My liberty revolves around being heard, and hopefully understood when I babble about the things that are important to me. My liberty is also exercised through the privilege of an education; by learning and developing ideas one can more freely define and exercise their personal liberty. Liberty, like exercising, is a choice… although both are not very healthy to neglect. One can pick and choose what one feels important to the exercise of their liberty and act accordingly. This is by no means a condiment of illegal activity but a justification for why people that do act disorderly do so. The point of exercising one’s personal liberty is to keep it sovereign and wholesome, free from restraint by the outside forces of the “he said, she said” world of the modern era. Liberty is a great thing, and anarchic in nature; thus, unfortunately an absolute liberty can never truly be realized with in the greatest of reason. One must give a little to in turn receive a great deal. I cannot agree with John Locke on many notes, however, I will agree that the individual must give back to their government and relinquish absolute liberty to have everything else protected and ensured.

The Pursuit of Happiness

The pursuit of happiness was one of the largest cop outs of all time, I respect and entirely idolize Thomas Jefferson but I must stay faithful to my beliefs and say the right to property is a lot better than the ridiculous notion of promising a nation the ideal conditions for pursuing happiness. Sure, if life is lived well and followed up with a good dose of liberty then happiness by default should be the outcome but that equation only works out on paper. There are far too many inconveniences of daily life and any given administration to rightly promise the ideal settings for a citizen to pursue happiness. Like this essay, the pursuit of happiness is a work in progress. The government should be in a constraint struggle to find any way to present reasons for happiness… no American wakes up every morning happy that they have the freedom of speech, although they should. The basic means are met and I think that was what Jefferson was shooting for when he pulled a fast one of the world by throwing in the pursuit of happiness, and that is a wonderful thought but the pursuit of happiness has the be a goal of each and every citizen to find for themselves because the groundwork was laid so many years ago; however, too few people make demands of the government for those more advanced needs we face in the modern era. Happiness is not as simple as it used to be, but it can be updated and challenged by the government if someone would stand up and make those demands. Plenty of people are trying to do that with rallies and protest, waiving the banners that signify their cause that will lead of their happiness if enough action is taken.

Contentment and The Role of the Government

Those primary principles have been noted and expanded upon now with their own good measure of ambiguity to preserve room for further expanse. Now is the time to discuss contentment and how a governing constitution, in my mind, should provide an ever-changing template for finding one’s contentment under rule.

Like that corny old phrase “Women/Men, you can’t live with em’ and you can’t live without em’,” rule is the same way. With rule comes the feeling of being controlled or oppressed, but also comes safety like the rule of one’s mother. I can’t say that a government should rule as a mother with a wooden spoon in one hand and a lollipop in the other, in fact, a government should behave more like a trusted co-worker… a reliable co-dependent you can turn to in a time of need or throw a bone when they need help as well. There should be a basic balance, an entrusted alliance if you will, which needs to be set into place that ensures help be provided by both parties to foster an environment of contentment. Since, the promise of happiness is only an illusion, at best, a literary allusion to a time long gone. Contentment needs to be the name of the game and one of the goals rather than promises.

A certain level of contentment may be reached through government outreach, seeking the opinions of the people for changes to be made. The current system revolves around finding the will of the people in news rags and unreliable political magazines that speak on the opinions of the few. Headstrong individuals find ways to express there opinion through poignant letters or emails to their representatives but the overwhelming majority peoples opinions that I think matter, the farmers, hard laborers, and single mothers, will never be directly stated or in any memo coming to the attention of a congressional leader. This nation takes a census; it is high time they take an opinion poll of something other than presidential approval ratings. Results come in reports, not ratings.

Role of the People in Contentment

Responsibility points its long withered finger right back at the complainer. People that seek contentment, fair rule, and the support of their government in ensuring that their life be lived to the fullest with the benefit of liberty will and should play a huge role in the contentment of the nation. One individual can be crushed, smothered, or may seem too insignificant to worry about but a movement has never gone unanswered. It is the role and a duty for the people to demand these things I will call my demands; otherwise, this essay may be something far too insignificant to worry about. However, as a nation, as a people that have enjoyed the benefits of being the world’s greatest super-power nearly since independence must reclaim that esteem I feel is being washed out to sea. In a time when these demands could be reasonable meet through legislation and a restructuring of the social hierarchy one needs not to look at their own personal gains and neglect the losses of others, they must observe every loss as a small but not unimportant blow at their own personal contentment.

Conclusion

Expect more, and do more; question and demand answers. Nothing ever came of not caring except nihilism, and a defeatist attitude will always lose. Eugene V. Debs ran for President multiple times from a prison cell, Harriet Tubman ushered many slaves unto their freedom, and the point is that perseverance in the face of adversity will always get you in the history books but true perseverance such as theirs will make change, and that is precisely what we need for ourselves as individuals and ourselves as a nation.