This week in an Our Town Special Edition: get your own copy of the Declaration of Independence! That's right, Bob Beierle, of the not at all satirically named Creative Insight, is attempting to co-opt one of the greatest pieces of American history to push his anti-government agenda. Bob really does most of the work for me here, starting his rant off by telling us about how hard the founding fathers had it, reminding us that they literally put everything on the line, and some even lost everything, to give us the freedoms we enjoy and take for granted today. Then he goes on about how our government today is so evil because they have things like eminent domain (at least, I think he means eminent domain. He says public domain, but then rants about government "taking our lands in the name of what serves the better good of the state," which sounds an awful lot like eminent domain and not intellectual property rights) and different sets of laws for the rich and famous and illegal (no, really, he equates being an illegal immigrant to being the same as rich and famous in the eyes of the law) than for us regular, working class folk. How can one even begin to compare the tyranny being committed by the British to the American government of today?
Now, I'm guessing Bob isn't really a student of history. In fact, I would bet he got D's at best, because if he knew anything about history and the American Revolution in particular, he would know that the things he's complaining about are little piddling nothings compared to what the British were doing to the American colonists in the 1760s. He would know that the concept of eminent domain dates back to 14th century England, and did not generally merit compensation. That's right: the crown took what they wanted, because it was already theirs, you were just leasing it from them, so get out and be happy we don't just throw you in jail because we can. So be happy that the Fifth Amendment actually protects your right to not be derived of property without due process and provides for just compensation.
Bob thinks our government overrides the will of the people and regularly invalidates elections and referendums. I'm sure Al Gore would have some things to say about this. Not only that, but I'm pretty sure that our founding fathers might have a few things to say about it too. Probably something to the effect of "In every stage of these Oppressions We have Petitioned for Redress in the most humble terms: Our repeated Petitions have been answered only by repeated injury." Yeah. When was the last time the American government used force and jail to silence it's people? How many people have they killed to suppress dissenting opinions? Bob makes a great many accusations against the government, claiming they are illegally searching and seizing property, levying illegal taxes, and waging war against it's own citizens without offering a scrap of evidence or a whit of proof. If you're going to make ridiculous and outrageous claims, the least you can do is offer some evidence. Or is that the "creative" part of Creative Insight?
Finally, I want to leave you with this thought, from Mr. Jefferson:
"Prudence, indeed, will dictate that Governments long established should not be changed for light and transient causes"
These are light and transient causes, Bob. You can wrap yourself in as many flags as you can carry, but you're not fooling anyone. Your un-American ideals and selfish outrage will not help anything. Your divisive and accusatory and confrontational rhetoric is not making anything better. The founding fathers suffered to gain their freedom, our freedom. Their homes were burned, their families terrorized and murdered. All so that you could exercise your "god given right" to bitch and complain about paying taxes and how oppressed you are. Show a little respect and shut the hell up.
Now, I'm guessing Bob isn't really a student of history. In fact, I would bet he got D's at best, because if he knew anything about history and the American Revolution in particular, he would know that the things he's complaining about are little piddling nothings compared to what the British were doing to the American colonists in the 1760s. He would know that the concept of eminent domain dates back to 14th century England, and did not generally merit compensation. That's right: the crown took what they wanted, because it was already theirs, you were just leasing it from them, so get out and be happy we don't just throw you in jail because we can. So be happy that the Fifth Amendment actually protects your right to not be derived of property without due process and provides for just compensation.
Bob thinks our government overrides the will of the people and regularly invalidates elections and referendums. I'm sure Al Gore would have some things to say about this. Not only that, but I'm pretty sure that our founding fathers might have a few things to say about it too. Probably something to the effect of "In every stage of these Oppressions We have Petitioned for Redress in the most humble terms: Our repeated Petitions have been answered only by repeated injury." Yeah. When was the last time the American government used force and jail to silence it's people? How many people have they killed to suppress dissenting opinions? Bob makes a great many accusations against the government, claiming they are illegally searching and seizing property, levying illegal taxes, and waging war against it's own citizens without offering a scrap of evidence or a whit of proof. If you're going to make ridiculous and outrageous claims, the least you can do is offer some evidence. Or is that the "creative" part of Creative Insight?
Finally, I want to leave you with this thought, from Mr. Jefferson:
"Prudence, indeed, will dictate that Governments long established should not be changed for light and transient causes"
These are light and transient causes, Bob. You can wrap yourself in as many flags as you can carry, but you're not fooling anyone. Your un-American ideals and selfish outrage will not help anything. Your divisive and accusatory and confrontational rhetoric is not making anything better. The founding fathers suffered to gain their freedom, our freedom. Their homes were burned, their families terrorized and murdered. All so that you could exercise your "god given right" to bitch and complain about paying taxes and how oppressed you are. Show a little respect and shut the hell up.
Nice critique, Mikey B.! You do a fine job of exposing the logical fallacies in Bob Beierle's rants as well as pointing out the very serious errors in his hopelessly flawed philosophy. It appears that Mr. Beierle is promoting the virulently anti-government stance that is the hallmark of the reactionary right-wing. And it is highly amusing that he is unaware of the difference between public domain and eminent domain!
ReplyDeleteOn one level, part of the current political and economic debates in this country involve how we will collectively invest in the nation's infrastructure (e.g. transportation; education; health care; defense, etc.) and how the public sector carries out its duties in that regard. Of course it is possible to have an adult conversation about how the government manages these public investments and how it legislates sensible regulations on corporations, but the far right-wing in America has given itself over to shrill rants based on an incoherent, extremist ideology. The demagogues who promote this doctrine chant a single, ill-informed mantra: "Anything government ever does is always bad and always wrong". I know many conservatives who are embarrassed and appalled about this coarse, extreme rhetoric that has infected the Republican Party’s platform.
Mr. Beierle thoroughly misunderstands the valid role that government is meant to play. Of course we need to always keep a vigilant eye on potential government overreach, but constantly whining about anything the government ever does is childish and it dilutes the value of any legitimate complaints that need to be addressed when any bureaucracy oversteps its bounds.
Keep up the good work, Mr. B.! These extremist views need to have their fundamental flaws exposed.
Are you talking about the "Our Town" in morris county NJ? Or one of the others? Does Mr Beierle provide all the editorial content and stories for all the franchises?
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