So Misled

Quick, answer the following:

What kind of government do we have in the United States, a democracy or an oligarchy?

Which is the lesser of two evils, fascism or socialism?

What is the purpose of the Constitution?

These are basic questions that a high school student should be able to answer. Yet, I’d almost be willing to put money on the table and bet that you got them all wrong. It’s not that you’re stupid, you aren’t. If you are a product of the U.S. educational system, and haven’t re-educated yourself, then you’ve been lied to and probably answered the questions with the lies you were taught.

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What Does “Individualist Freedom Lover” Mean? (Part 3)

“The basis of a democratic state is liberty.” — Aristotle (384 B.C.-322 B.C)

“Liberty is not a means to a higher political end. It is itself the highest political end.” — Lord Acton (1834-1902)

“A nation may lose its liberties in a day and not miss them in a century.” –Baron de Montesquieu

Though the term “Individualist” hasn’t been exhaustively examined, I believe that it has been described enough to give you a solid idea of what I mean when I use it. Now it’s time to turn our attention to the phrase “Freedom Lover.” Just what exactly do I mean by that and what does that phrase require from the person who adopts it?

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What Does “Individualist Freedom Lover” Mean? (Part 2)

“The key to wisdom is this — constant and frequent questioning … for by doubting we are led to question and by questioning we arrive at the truth.” — Peter Abelard

“Truth always originates in a minority of one, and every custom begins as a broken precedent.” — Nancy Astor

“Freedom, morality, and the human dignity of the individual consists precisely in this; that he does good not because he is forced to do so, but because he freely conceives it, wants it, and loves it.” — Mikhail A. Bakunin

“Political correctness is really a subjective list put together by the few to rule the many — a list of things one must think, say, or do. It affronts the right of the individual to establish his or her own beliefs.” — Mark Berley

In Part 1 of this post I defined an individualist as a person who is independent, who knows himself and lives out of his own rational, thought-out convictions. But what does that mean exactly? How does the positive individualist approach life? That I’ll try to answer in this post.

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What Does “Individualist Freedom Lover” Mean? (Part 1)

“The man who lets a leader prescribe his course is a wreck being towed to the scrap heap.” — Ayn Rand

To say “I love you” one must first be able to say the “I.” — Ayn Rand

The other day I was sent a direct message on Twitter asking me what I meant by the phrase “Individualist Freedom Lover”. Well, I sent a message back trying to explain just exactly what I meant. Twitter, however, isn’t really the best tool to use when explaining such a concept. 140 characters just doesn’t cut it. So I thought I’d introduce my Freedom Friday columns with a more complete explanation, starting with the word “Individualist”.

If you look up “Individualist” in the dictionary you get the following: a person who pursues independent thought or action. On the surface that is an accurate definition. However, my use of the word goes a little bit beyond that.

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