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Over the past few days I have received insane Facebook status updates from a close friend. The stream that followed has left me with profound respect and caused me to reflect on some lessons that can be learned.
14 January 2009 9:54 a.m. I am packing for Haiti… so many things bring to help. How am i going to carry all this?
15 January 2009 12:26 p.m. I am STUCK in Dominican REpublic trying to arange a chartered flight to get us and the 36 rescue workers 4 dogs and 7,300 pounds of rescue gear to get them on the ground in Haiti. it is FAR too dangerous to cross on land WE NEED A FLIGHT. can you help in ANY way?
17 January 2009 7:33 p.m. I was put in that situation NO ONE EVER wants to be put in tonight… I got to ground zero to a hospital in the capital of Haiti, we were told needed us. The doctor pulled us aside and to a woman that had a gash in her calf big enough to put a football in, he siad, what do you do? I quickly replied, a turnicuit 1.5 inches above the knee… he said perfect DO IT.
WOW
There are two options: coercion and force or freedom of choice. My friend exercised his freedom of choice to spend his own money, which he has very successfully and morally earned through many entrepreneurial ventures, to board a plane and fly straight into a third world hell hole where it is estimated that hundreds of thousands of people have died in the recent earthquakes. Despite the economic conditions an estimated $10M of donations has been raised for Haiti relief efforts.
Fortunately my friend, like so many other good people, still has enough resources to perform this service while Obama struts around like a hero for using extorted tax revenue for aid.
THE DRIVE TO SURVIVE
Life has an unquenchable drive to survive even at the expense of other life. It is the ability to reason that largely separates humans from the rest of the animal kingdom. But that is not to say that humans, both in rags and pinstripe Wall Street suits, do not act like animalistic barbarians trampling other’s freedom of choice.
When times get tough it is the rare human that showcases the supernal spark by willingly sharing the last breadcrumb or boarding a plane and descending into chaos with the intent to relieve suffering.
THIN VENEER OF ORDER
Sure, there is the bad man who may steal or even rob a piece of bread. But we can have at least some sympathy for this behavior when considering the totality of the circumstances. And the bad man also realizes his badness.
But the truly evil man is the one that struts around thinking he is doing good by robbing the piece of bread from another to then allocate how he sees fit.
America, like Haiti and the rest of the world, has a tiny fraction of the population which produces the food. When there are disruptions, whether it is a hurricane in New Orleans or an earthquake in Haiti, the thin veneer of order tends to evaporate for many reasons.
SURVIVALISM IN THE SUBURBS
The Telegraph reports that Royal Caribbean International, who has pledged $1m to relief efforts, maintained the schedule to send its cruise ship to dock at a private beach a mere 60 miles from the devestated Port-au-Prince. Of course, some keyboard rescue workers think providing revenue for the locals in that city is insensitive and the trip to Labadee should have been canceled. But that is about the worst thing that could be done. But how far away from a disaster zone should activities be canceled? 60 miles? 600 miles?
Sure, dialing an 800 number or texting a $5 donation is commendable. But to make a real lasting impact the issue is the need to be prepared locally with medical supplies, food, power, etc.
I compiled a collection of suggestions in Survivalism In The Suburbs for how an individual can be better prepared for possible disruptions and the dissolving of social order. Being prepared bestows a position of power and the ability to act with a higher standard rather than resort to baser animalistic impulses.
Additionally, I recommend people have a ‘last plane account’ which answers the questions: if you have to take the last plane out of your city then (1) where do you go and (2) how do you maintain your standard of living? I have used my own preparations several times over the years.
THE REAL CAUSE
Since the earthquake is just the most immediate action in the causation chain it is credited with killing the tens or even hundreds of thousands of people. But how many deaths could have been prevented but for do-gooder politicians voting to send foreign aid and market restrictions that destroy wealth and thus prevent the ability of the Haitian population to make adequate preparations? But for these giant wealth destroying machines how many more resources would be available to respond to and relieve suffering?
Like the socialized roads in America that result in about 40,000 deaths per year; in this instance the blame is not being squarely placed on the criminal gangs costumed in government regalia who have made serious decisions months or years before that are both actual and proximate causes in the deaths of hundreds of thousands.
It is so much easier to lay the blame on an unaccountable ‘act of God’ in an attempt to absolve the truly culpable parties. Ideas have consequences and bad ideas have bad consequences which are resulting in hundreds of thousands of dead Haitians.
GOOD IDEAS
I am grateful for those who have donated to help relieve the suffering in Haiti. I admire my friend who has traveled into chaos to look his benefactors in the eye. Hopefully he returns safely.
The Haiti earthquake of 2010 can be a teaching experience for us all. When considering physical preparation I think the best insurance is a three month supply of food and a 72 hour kit. We can inventory and bring current our supplies.
But to strike at the root we need to help others understand the source of humans rights and the proper role of government.
Since individuals are “endowed by their Creator with certain unalienable rights” and because individuals form governments to protect property, life, and liberty, it follows that individuals are superior to their creation of government. Individuals can grant to their creation at most only those rights they possess.
No individual possesses the right to unjustifiably infringe on another individual’s autonomy, and because individuals create governments, no government can possibly be justified in the possession of such a right. Neither does an individual possess the moral authority to use coercion and force to compel another to perform charity against their will. Therefore, legitimate government must act within the constraints of the Non-Aggression Axiom. Otherwise those actors are merely criminal gangs costumed in government regalia.
Government represents one of the most powerful forces on earth. Therefore, an individual’s political beliefs reveal with perfect clarity his or her moral character.
Over just the past five years I have been in hurricanes and earthquakes in America, a massive civil disturbance in Argentina and several other life threatening situations. It can happen here and there. Once we understand the philosophy then we can live in harmony with it and attempt to persuade others to do likewise.
You can not feed someone else when your own stomach is empty so why not at least get a 72 hour kit. You can also persuade others through your example. What better way than your local food bank or getting on a plane like my good friend?
The Veneer Of OrderRELATED POSTS:
- Survivalism In The Suburbs
- Civil Unrest In Iceland
- US Dollar in Hyperinflation
- A Free Speech Infringment Against Tallan Lanz
- Predictable Gold Upleg Starts A Little Late
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{ 8 comments… read them below or add one }
Hey Trace,
This is off-topic to the post above, but I think fairly pertinent to the many privacy issues you entertain. It’s about a situation here in the small city, north of Detroit, in which I run my sign shop.
The city council passed a law 3-4 years ago which requires all businesses to indirectly give the keys to their premises to the local fire department. Businesses are required to purchase a lock box from the city, in which a key is placed and attached to the wall of the business. The lock box key is held by the fire department. Any businesses that don’t comply will not be issued business permits. The fire department services 4 different communities, but only our city passed the aforementioned law, so the businesses of the other 3 municipalities don’t have this requirement.
Many businesses, including mine, have not complied with this requirement, but the city has continued to issue business permits. However, every year the city sends its business license packet along with the lock box requirement.
I, like many businesses, have expensive equipment and sensitive and valuable records that need protection. If I was a crook in this area, I’d break into the fire department and take all the lock box keys. I’d have access to every compliant business!
So far, many of us have just ignored the requirement without repercussions, but everything I’ve ignored in the past has come back to haunt me and I fear this will be another one.
I don’t expect any legal advice, Trace; I’d just like to know what you think about this issue because I value your opinion.
Best, Steve
Hi
Having lived and worked in Ghana during the 70′s, I can state with sure knowledge that revolutions can and do occur overnight; that bullets do produce holes in walls and other obstacles, one can go hungry with US$ in their pocket and starve without.
While I don’t maintain 3 months food supply here in the US, I do keep a minimum of one month’s supply. The “grab and go” bag complete with meds if needed (your 72 hour bag) is handy to take on road trips etc. Weather, if nothing else, can disrupt plans.
The Scouts have it right…. Be prepared.
A retired ex-pat
Great article Trace, good points.
I just wanted to give you some food for thought today;-)
I once believed that the only way out of this paper money mess the world banks have gotten us into would be going back to a Gold backed currency, with a possible barter economy. Or possibly a one world government would just force us all to use what ever they wanted us to use as money when the collapse happens.
After researching more I found a simple answer.
The Euro and Gold are the Answer. You see when the architects of the Euro created it, they knew the FEDs game. They knew that the price of Gold could not be kept low forever. And that one day the COMEX would go bust and the true price of Gold would be set free. They knew this so they structured a 15% reserve of Gold into the Euro Currency. We all thought/think this was to trick people into thinking that the Euro has some kind of partial Gold backing. But that is not the case. When the COMEX goes bust the Dollar is going to crash, because its architecture was always dependent on a cheap Gold price. But the architecture of the Euro is a different story. When Gold is set free, the Euro will soar! Gold will be for people to store their savings as “wealth par excellence”.
The Euro (along with a few other regional currencies structured like the Euro) will be for spending. Currencies will trade freely along side Gold! If the EU tries to print more currency then their 15% Gold reserves allow, then the Gold and capital will freely flow into another regional currency that is not printing as much. If you manage your currency and economy responsibly you will be able to print more currency because your 15% Gold reserve will keep increasing as the peoples freely held Gold will keep flowing into a responsible regions economy.
I know this sounds too simple, but watch what happens with Greece to see that the Euro is truly the Elites baby and it is a huge part of the next system coming soon.
People say Gold may be confiscated or there will be capital controls put on it. But when I look around today I see the exact opposite.(Except in America, America is a different story) China, Vietnam and even Iran are encouraging their citizens to accumulate Gold. Central banks are starting to buy. Germany now has Gold vending machines. I can easily travel with a certain amount of Gold in my possession from country to country with out paying VAT or other customs fees. (Silver is a whole other story also.) But it appears the elites plan has always been to manipulate the price of Gold lower with the dollar system to redistribute Gold into the little guys hands.
Because for this new free floating Gold and regional currency idea to work there has to be a lot of small amounts of Gold spread out all over the world in many hands. (When in history has Gold been so freely available all around the world to the little guys?) Never! Up until now!
When the COMEX goes bust, the music stops playing and either you have a chair with Gold and Euros to play in the next game or you start at the bottom of a new world economic system and have to compete not only with everyone in your region, but also everyone through out the world!
You see people will believe this is a great new system everyone throughout the world will be on a fair economic playing field. But you will have to use the banks currencies to buy and sell. Yes you will always be able to buy Gold with the currencies at fair market value and inflation will always stay under control. But the rub is that there will be no real competing currencies. You will have maybe a choice of 5 currencies all managed similarly to the free float price of Gold by banks that are all in cahoots.
The only question now is when will the COMEX default? I say within 24 months. Got Gold and Euros?
Read fofoa.blogspot.com for more info.
Cheers,
realecon
Good article. I was hoping you would strike the root at the end and call for the end of government, which is of course at the true root of the Haitian disaster, as well as our economic one.
Thought I did strike at the root. :) Is not the root cause the immorality of violating the non-aggression axiom?
Yep…which government does by its very existence. So how is it possible to have a government that doesn’t violate the non-aggression axiom? That gets back to government’s “proper” role.
Because individuals can act morally and not violate the non-aggression axiom and because individuals can create partnerships, joint ventures, etc. then it is theoretically possible that governments as creations of individuals, or really just extensions of each individual’s self-government, could act in compliance with the non-aggression axiom.
The issue seems to really turn on the scope of the word government and as it is currently applied as a synonym of the State I agree that it is pretty much impossible to have any State as currently constituted in their massive size, even the smallest ones, to not violate the non-aggression axiom.
Exactly. :)
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