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Episode – 182 The State and a Tick

TickThis is a short episode wherby I compare the State to a Tick.  Sometimes we become so use to having an authority in the civil government that is supose to be good for us that we fail to realize the destructive nature of the State.  Hopefully this helps.

 

If you like the show there are all kinds of ways of supporting it.  Thanks for listening.

Joel Salatin on Imperialism and Farming

I recently came across these comments from Joel Salatin on imperialism and farming.  Sad insights into what our imperial leaders think.

Joel Salatin
Aug. 18, 2013

Why do we need more farmers? What is the driving force behind USDA policy? In an infuriating epiphany
I have yet to metabolize, I found out Wednesday in a private policy-generation meeting with Virginia Democratic
gubernatorial candidate Terry McCauliffe. I did and still do consider it a distinct honor for his staff to invite me as
one of the 25 dignitaries in Virginia Agriculture for this think-tank session in Richmond.

It was a who's who of Virginia agriculture: Farm Bureau, Va. Agribusiness Council, Va. Forestry Association,
Va. Poultry Federation, Va. Cattlemen's Ass., deans from Virginia Tech and Virginia State--you get the picture.
It was the first meeting of this kind I've ever attended that offered no water. The only thing to drink were soft drinks.
Lunch was served in styrofoam clam shells--Lay's potato chips, sandwiches, potato salad and chocolate chip cookie.
It didn't look very safe to me, so I didn't partake. But I'd have liked a drink of water. In another circumstance, I might
eat this stuff, but with these folks, felt it important to make a point. Why do they all assume nobody wants water,
nobody cares about styrofoam, everybody wants potato chips and we all want industrial meat-like slabs on white bread?

But I digress. The big surprise occurred a few minutes into the meeting: US Secretary of Agriculture Tom Vilsack
walked in. He was in Terry McCauliffe love-in mode. And here is what he told us: for the first time--2012-- rural America
lost population in real numbers--not as a percentage but in real numbers. It's down to 16 percent of total population.

I'm sitting there thinking he's going to say that number needs to go up so we have more people to love and
steward the landscape. More people to care for earthworms. More people to grow food and fiber. Are you ready
for the shoe to drop? The epiphany? What could the US Secretary of Agriculture, at the highest strategic planning
sessions of our land, be challenged by other leaders to change this figure, to get more people in rural America, to
encourage farming and help more farms get started? What could be the driving reason to have more farmers?
Why does he go to bed at night trying to figure out how to increase farmers? How does the President and other
cabinet members view his role as the nation's farming czar? What could be the most important contribution that
increasing farmers could offer to the nation? Better food? Better soil development? Better care for animals?
Better care for plants?

Are you ready? Here's his answer: although rural America only has 16 percent of the population, it gives
40 percent of the personnel to the military. Say what? You mean when it's all said and done, at the end of the
day, the bottom line--you know all the cliches--the whole reason for increasing farms is to provide cannon
fodder for American imperial might. He said rural kids grow up with a sense of wanting to give something back,
and if we lose that value system, we'll lose our military might.

So folks, it all boils down to American military muscle. It's not about food, healing the land, stewarding
precious soil and resources; it's all about making sure we keep a steady stream of youngsters going into the
military. This puts an amazing twist on things. You see, I think we should have many more farmers, and have
spent a lifetime trying to encourage, empower, and educate young people to go into farming. It never occurred
to me that this agenda was the key to American military power.

Lest I be misread, I am not opposed to defending family. I am not opposed to fighting for sacred causes.
I am violently opposed to non-sacred fighting and meddling in foreign countries, and building empires. The
Romans already tried that and failed.

But to think that my agenda is key to building the American military--now that's a cause for pause. I will
redouble my efforts to help folks remember why we need more farmers. It's not to provide cannon fodder for
Wall Street imperialistic agendas. It's to grow food that nourishes, land that's aesthetically and aromatically
sensually romantic, build soil, hydrate raped landscapes, and convert more solar energy into biomass than
nature would in a static state. I can think of many, many righteous and noble reasons to have more farms.
Why couldn't he have mentioned any of these? Any?

No, the reason for more farms is to make sure we get people signing up at the recruitment office. That's
the way he sees me as a farmer. Not a food producer. When the president and his cabinet have their private
conflabs, they don't see farmers as food producers, as stewards of the landscape, as resource leveragers.
No, they view us as insurance for military muscle, for American empire building and soldier hubris. Is this
outrageous? Do I have a right to be angry? Like me, this raw and bold show of the government's farming
agenda should make us all feel betrayed, belittled, and our great nation besmirched.

Perhaps, just perhaps, really good farms don't feed this military personnel pipeline. I'd like to think our
kind of farming has more righteous goals and sacred objectives. Vilsack did not separate good farmers from
bad farmers. Since we have far more bad farmers than good ones, perhaps the statistic would not hold up
if we had more farmers who viewed the earth as something to heal instead of hurt, as a partner to caress
instead of rape. That America's farms are viewed by our leaders as just another artery leading into military
might is unspeakably demeaning and disheartening.

Tragically, I don't think this view would change with a different Democrat or Republican. It's entrenched
in the establishment fraternity. Thomas Jefferson, that iconic and quintessential agrarian intellectual, said
we should have a revolution about every half century just to keep the government on its toes. I'd say we're
long overdue.

Now when you see those great presidentially appointed cabinet members talking, I just want you to think
about how despicable it is that behind the facade, behind the hand shaking and white papers, in the private
by-invitation-only inner circles of our country, movers and shakers know axiomatically that farms are really
important to germinate more military personnel. That no one in that room with Terry McCauliffe, none of those
Virginia farm leaders, even blinked when he said that is still hard for me to grasp. They accepted it as truth,
probably saying "Amen, brother" in their hearts. True patriots, indeed.

It'll take me awhile to get over this, and believe me, I intend to shout this from the housetops. I'll incorporate
in as many public speeches as I can because I think it speaks to the heart of food and farming. It speaks to
the heart of strength and security; which according to our leaders comes from the end of a gun, not from the
alimentary canal of an earthworm. Here's to more healthy worms.

Episode- 120 Honor the King

Today's episode is a recording of the message I preached to the congregation of Mt. Tabor Baptist Church from 1 Samuel 24.  It is a challenging passage for me because it convicts me of some of my attitude and actions regarding those in authority that I have had.  The outline and principles are below:

Outline

  • Saul’s pursuit of David 1-2
  • Saul and David end up in the same cave 3-4
  • David cuts off part of Saul’s robe 4
  • David refuses to harm Saul 5-7
  • David reveals his lack of vengeance against Saul 8-15
  • Saul recognizes David’s character and future 16-21
  • David promises mercy to Saul’s house 22

Principles:

  • Give  Honor where honor is due.
  • Turn vengeance over to God.                           .
  • Love your enemies.

Resources for Today's Show:

 

The Second Amendment in Action

I recently came across this video and thought that many of you may be interested in watching it.  Unless we are able to maintain freedom in our land we will leave a legacy of tyranny and lack.  This is a good reminder of why we have the second amendment.

Episode-118 We Want a King

When people get frustrated with their current government they want a new one.  Israel, during the time of Samuel, was in such a situation.  They were suppose to have God as their LORD but rejected Him and wanted a king as Lord like the nations around them.  1 Samuel chapter 8 teaches four important truths about our relationship between God and government.  Here is the outline and principles:

Outline

  • Israel Demands a King 8
  • Saul Chosen as King 9:1-26
  • Saul Anointed as King 9:27-10:16
  • Saul Proclaimed King 10:17-27
  • Saul Victorious as King 11
  • Saul Fails as King 13-15

Principles

  • Submission to God requires accepting you will be Different than others.
  • God often allows us what we want in our rebellion as a means of Discipline and learning.
  • Human governments Abuse power.
  • God in His providence uses even Rebellious requests for His glory.

Resources for Today's Show:

 

Episode-107- Setting Goals and Plans for 2013

As 2013 approaches most people are thinking about what will happen during that year and what happened this past year.  The end of the year then is a great time to address the issue of goal setting and what is involved in that and how to achieve the best results from it.  There is a great book from which some of the subject matter of this podcast comes: Tommy Newberry's Success Is Not an Accident: Change Your Choices; Change Your Life.  Here are the Eight Rules to Effective Goal Settings:

  1. They must be written down
  2. They must be state in the present tense
  3. They must be stated positively
  4. They must be consistent with your core values and mission statement
  5. They must be specific and measurable
  6. They must be time-bound
  7. They must be balanced between reasonableness and challenge
  8. They must be thoroughly planned

 Resources for Today's Show:

Episode-105- Reflections on the Tragedy at Sandy Hook Elementary

In this episode you will hear a few of my thoughts about the tragedy at Sandy Hook Elementary school this last week.  Here is the outline of what I talk about.

First, it is an n Unspeakable Tragedy.

Second, it demonstrates the depravity of man

Third, it demonstrates the hypocrisy of public policy and outrage.

Fourth it is impossible to  entirely prevent evil and destruction.

Some thoughts about solutions:
1) Must take responsibility for yourself and your children
2) Preventing a means of defense is the opposite of a solution
3) More gun control is not the solution
4) We must not allow tragedies such as this to be used by the state to take away freedoms from the people.

Resources for Today's Show:

Episode-102- My Evaluation of Project Appleseed

In this show you will hear my evaluation of the Project Appleseed event I attended with my three oldest boys this last weekend near Richmond, VA.  If you have not yet attended one of these events you need to get one scheduled it was incredible.  There are eleven things that I thought were excellent about the marksmanship training.

  1. Safety
  2. 25 yard target simulating 100, 200, 300, and 400 yard.
  3. Teaching various positions
  4. Teach using the sling for stability
  5. Six aspects of marksmanship
  6. Great for beginners
  7. Great for skilled shooters
  8. Instructional schedule
  9. Price
  10. Quality and Quantity of instructors
  11. Skills to practice between Appleseed shoots.

Evaluation of American Heritage Focus

  1. Engaging
  2. Simple but detailed
  3. Reference resources
  4. Passionate teachers
  5. Inspiring and motivating
  6. Interspersed with shooting

Resources for Today's Show:

 

Episode-96- Wisdom about public policy issues from William John Henry Boetcker

In this show you will hear my comments about ten maxims originally recorded by Rev. Boetcker almost 100 years ago but still very applicable to current public policy issues.

First are a few of my election 2012 comments:
Election results reflect the will of the people .  If we want different results it starts with grassroots education of people.
Republicans have to run someone who is substantially different than the status quo if they are going to beat an incumbent.
Incumbents are really hard to beat no matter how bad or good things seem.

Wisdom about public policy from William John Henry Boetcker

The Rev. William John Henry Boetcker was a Presbyterian minister and notable public speaker who served as director of the pro-employer Citizens' Industrial Alliance, a position he held when, in 1916, he produced a booklet of "nuggets" from his lectures, which included maxims such as "We cannot strengthen the weak by weakening the strong" and "We cannot help the poor by kicking the rich." Boetcker's collection of maxims eventually crystallized as the list of ten now-familiar entries (variously known as the "Industrial Decalogue," the "Ten Don'ts," the "Ten Cannots," "Ten Things You Cannot Do, "or the "American Charter") reproduced above:

1)  You cannot bring about prosperity by discouraging thrift.
Government wasteful spending
What do we have being broadcasting loudly, spend spend spend.  We even have economists proclaiming the importance of the consumer to our economy.
It is not consumerism that makes a country or a people prosperous it is thrift and savings.

2) You cannot strengthen the weak by weakening the strong.
Financially the strong in this country are the wealthy the one percent.  To weaken them through progressive tax structures does not strengthen anything but the government who creates more dependents on their redistribution.
Taking from the strong and giving to the weak does something else it makes the weak become weaker because they acquire a false amount from their production.

3) You cannot help little men by tearing down big men.
e.g. I’m for the little guy.  Its the wall street fat cats that are the problem
“You didn’t build that”  Really.  Talk to a business owner and ask what he sacrificed to build his business.

4) You cannot lift the wage earner by pulling down the wage payer.
Minimum wage laws
Lilly Ledbetter act
The Lilly Ledbetter Fair Pay Act of 2009 (Pub.L. 111-2, S. 181) is a federal statute in the United States that was the first bill signed into law by President Barack Obama on January 29, 2009. The Act amends the Civil Rights Act of 1964. The new act states that the 180-day statute of limitations for filing an equal-pay lawsuit regarding pay discrimination resets with each new paycheck affected by that discriminatory action. The law directly addressed Ledbetter v. Goodyear Tire & Rubber Co., 550 U.S. 618 (2007), a U.S. Supreme Court decision that the statute of limitations for presenting an equal-pay lawsuit begins on the date that the employer makes the initial discriminatory wage decision, not at the date of the most recent paycheck.

5) You cannot help the poor by destroying the rich.
Communists have tried this, socialists have tried this.
It is the rich who invest into development, capital, etc.  It is capital that makes capitalism work.  IT is the rich who have the most capital.  Destroy the capital and your destroy wealth for all!

6) You cannot establish sound security on borrowed money.
We are a debtor nation.  From whom have we borrowed the most? http://www.mygovcost.org/2011/03/11/to-whom-does-the-u-s-government-really-owe-money/
as of 2011 when the dead was only 13.5 trillion instead of over 16 trillion
2.4 trillion to SS trust fund
over 1/3 is owed to foreign countries (over 4.5 trillion)
1.6 trillion to China
854 Billion to Japan
217 Billion to Ecuador, Venezuela, Indonesia, Bahrain, Iran, Iraq, Kuwait, Oman, Qatar, Saudi Arabia, the United Arab Emirates, Algeria, Gabon, Libya, and Nigeria
190 Billion to UK
176 Billion to Brazil
1.6 Trillion to all other foreign countries
Borrower is slave to the lender.

7) You cannot further the brotherhood of man by inciting class hatred.
The media, politicians and many others are trying to polarize and incite class hatred.
Again the criticism of the 1%
Complaining about the welfare and food stamp recipients
Blaming the recipients of social security.

8) You cannot keep out of trouble by spending more than you earn.
It is true on a personal level, business level, and governmental level.
The federal government will take in $2.173 trillion in 2011.
The federal government will spend $3.818 trillion during the year.
So, just like many families, the government’s outgo exceeds their income—to the tune of $1.645 trillion in overspending. That’s called the deficit. Altogether, the government has $14.2 trillion in debt.
If their household income was $55,000 per year,
they’d actually be spending $96,500—
$41,500 more than they made! That means they’re spending 175% of their annual income! So, in 2011 they’d add $41,500 of debt to their current credit card debt of $366,000!
What’s the first step to get out of debt? Stop overspending! But that means a family that is used to spending $96,500 a year has to learn how to live on $55,000. That’s a tough pill to swallow. You can’t borrow your way out of debt.

9) You cannot build character and courage by destroying man's initiative and independence.
Character is built by taking chances failing learning, growing and trying again.  It is built by people taking responsibility for winning and loosing.
Courage is someone taking their capital and investing it in some tools and starting a business.
When a government or a people take expect someone else to take care of them or give them someone they loose initiative independence and courage

10) You cannot help men permanently by doing for them what they can and should do for themselves.
You give a man a fish and he will eat for a day.  Teach a man to fish and you feed him for ever.
What if parents still wiped the butt of their children when they are 10 or 15 years old?  Are you really helping them?  of course not!
And yet we as a society do that with nearly everything.  Health care.  Provide it through comprehensive insurance or worse, government provided health care only hurts people in the long run.  This is what got us where we are in the first place.

CONCLUSION
Issues never seem to change.  These principles were written 100 years ago.  Nothing changes they only get more defined and pronounced.
If we are going to build a legacy of abundance for ourselves and also for others we must agree with and be patterned by these principles in our own life and in society.
Start with yourselves and change what you can about that then move towards public policy.

Resources for Today's Show:

 

Episode-86- Economic Freedom Report

Join me in this show for a commentary on the Economic Freedom of the World Report

In this report we find that the US is slipping quickly in its economic freedom.  The question is how far down the list will we fall?  Here is the outline of the show.

1) What kind of legacy are we going to leave our children

  • Will they inherit the blessing of abundance by being in the land of opportunity

2) What is the Economic Freedom of the World report 2010?

  • the Fraser Institute, a free-market think tank in Canada and the washington-based Cato Institute measure 41 indicators of the 144 countries.
  • The work of Economists James Gwartney, Robert Lawson, and Joshua Hall

3) What do they measure? 5 main areas

  • Size of the government
  • Legal System and Property rights
  • Sound money
  • Freedom to Trade Internationally
  • Regulations

4) Why is the study important?  What are the general findings?

  • freer markets are better for:
  • per-capita income
  • economic growth
  • amount of income earned by poorest
  • life expectancy
  • political rights and civil liberties
  • unemployment rates
  • debt per capita
  • income inequality
  • gender inequality
  • Child labor
  • air pollution
  • forest growth
  • CO2 emissions

5) Where does US stand and where is the US trend?

  • In 2000 US was 2nd
  • by 2009 we had dropped to 12th
  • In 2010 we had dropped to 18th.
  • One estimate was that if the statistics were in for 2012 we would be 40th. (That would put Spain ahead of us)
  • Others around. (Kuwait 19), Qatar (17)
  • Protection of private property rights showed the greatest decline (thanks war on terror)

6) 5 reasons for the decline

  • increased use of eminent domain
  • war on drugs and terror
  • uncertainty in the business environment (who will get bailed out when)
  • growth in size and scope of government (adjusted government spending has growth b by more than 50 % since President Clinton left office.
  • regulations
  • Inflation

7) What does this mean for you and me?

  • If no change all the other things listed earlier will decrease

8) What can we do?

  • Prepare for worse economic conditions in the US
  • Strengthen your own economic position
  • Remove investments in US unless they are countries that do business in growing economies.
  • Invest in countries that are becoming more free
  • Don’t vote for establishment candidates

CONCLUSION
God can bring good out this too!

Resources for Today's Show:

Episode-81- 6 Types of Government

When most people think of types of government they think about Democracy, Communism, Fascism, or some of the other forms.  This show is not about those or the levels of government between Federal, State, and Local.  Those all technically are one type of government Civil Government.  In today's show I briefly discuss Civil Government but also and more importantly the other five types of government and how Civil Governments today are attempting to usurp the authority of the other types.  Join me as we look at Self government, Family government, Church government, Work government, Community or Social government, and finally Civil government.

Resources for Today's Show

Episode-74- Nine Things We Need to Bring Home

 

The typical American family buys a huge house but spends little time in it.  This is because we have gradually delegated away and outsourced many of the activities that are suppose to be done in the home.  In this show I discuss nine of these activities that need to be brought home.  Join me as a discuss the following:

  • Work
  • Education
  • Cooking
  • Food Production
  • Hospitality
  • Church
  • Outreach
  • Exercise
  • Care for the Aged

Resources for today's show:

Episode-72- Legacy of War or Peace

In this episode I am talk about something that is a passionate issue for me but sadly is overlooked by many in our society and the church and that is the issue of war and its devastation. Since September 11, 2001 we have been at war against terror which means for the last decade we have been at war.  This can take an enormous toll on this nation and every other nation with which we have dealings.  I have included a video from costsofwar.org as part of this blog and podcast to help us understand the enormity of this issue.  The question I want us to think about in this post is what kind of legacy are we building as a nation and as a people with all this war?

Resources for this show

Episode-65- Discussion about Farmageddon with my Son

In this show I am pleased to have my son Graham with me as we discuss the movie Farmageddon.  You will want to watch this movie if you are at all interested in farming and or freedom.  The show is about the government authorities effort to execute the law on various small farmers.  Join TLP for today's show as Graham and I talk about what we learned, what was most disturbing about the movie and what is the real problem and solution that the movie addresses.

Resources for today's show:

Episode-57- Time Management

We are only given so much time in this life in which to build a legacy which means that we need to make the most of every moment.  In this episode I share some tips and principles that I have learned about time management.  The most important time management principle is knowing what activities fall into which category in the Time Management Chart.

Time Management chart

Other time management principles

  • Have a task or to do list
  • Touch it once
  • Do the most difficult thing first
  • Have and refer to long term goals often

Resources for today's show

Episode-56- Twelve Things You Can Do To Advance Your Personal Liberty

Happy 4th of July.  In honor of the celebration of Independence day here in the US in this show I will talk about 12 things that you ca do to advance your personal liberty.  You may be already be doing some of these things which is great.  If not, pick one or two of them and make a commitment with yourself to get them done this year.  Join me today as I talk about the following:

  1. Start learning from the Campaign for Liberty education site.
  2. Get a firearm and learn to use it
  3. Plant some food bearing seeds or plants
  4. Find a local farmer and start buying from him
  5. Donate your time or money to a liberty advancing cause.
  6. If you are a Christian share the Gospel with someone.
  7. Go to 48 Days. Get the book No More Mondays and start working on starting your own business.
  8. Pay off some debt
  9. Start savings some money
  10. Learn a self sufficient skill
  11. Consider homeschooling your kids this next year
  12. Opt out of whatever you can

Resources for today's show

Episode-55- Three Anti-liberty News Items

One the goals of The Legacy Podcast is to help inspire and educate others on issues related to personal liberty.  Today's episode looks at three issues that have been in the news that are examples of the the anti-liberty actions of the government at all levels.  The first one is an issue that occurred in Delaware and relates to the parents right to discipline their children.  The second is an issue that occurred in Tulsa, OK and relates to the right to grow your own food and useful items in your own yard.  The third is an issue that we have all heard about in the news and that is the Supreme Courts ruling on Obama Care.  You can see links to the articles below.

Resources for today's show

Episode-49- Interview with Doug Pruiett

In this episode I interview Doug Pruiett who has recently started a family business.  I interview him on why and how he started his business with the hope to inspire others to start a family business where the next generation can be discipled, learn a trade, and contribute to society and the church.

Pruiett and Sons is a “father and sons” business that hand-crafts farm-style dining tables, benches, coffee tables, and more.
Doug spent seventeen years as an aerospace engineer at Cape Canaveral, working in the design and testing of long-range nuclear missiles.
In 1996 He went into full-time Christian work as a missionary, then pastor, and now an assistant VP of information technology for a Good News Jail and Prison Ministry.
He has always maintained his engineering interests and work in his Christian assignments.  “My sons and I were taught the building and carpentry trades by a master-carpenter for over five years. One of my first lessons was that buildings (and most other things) do not require aerospace tolerances. Once I quit using a micrometer on everything, I began to build some nice things in a reasonable amount of time.”

Resources for today's show


 

 

Episode-47- The Theft of Property Taxes

In this show I talk about my encounter with a county worker who took my tax money this morning about the difference between theft and property taxes.

I ask the question: What is the difference between Theft and Taxes?

I also discuss what I consider some important principles relating to this subject.
1) The government should not be allowed to do what private citizens are not able to do
2) The threat of force to get what you want is wrong in all accounts except self defense
3) Mandatory participation in a program creates a monopoly and monopoly of service increases cost and decreases service
4) If you could loose it if you don’t pay the tax means you really don’t own it.
5) Taxes are doubly bad because they not only reduce your power but empowers the state

In the next section of the show I address some objections to the statement that Taxes and Theft are the same

  • You can choose to not own a property
  • You get the benefit
  • It is not that much
  • We have to support the government somehow.
  • You can live somewhere else.

Finally I offer some solutions.

  • Dialogue with others about this issue.
  • Voluntary contributions for select services
  • Allow for competitive services
  • Allow for complete opt out

Episode-46- The Consumer Side of Food Legacy

In this show I talk about the Consumer side of food legacy.  I address 6 considerations for those who are not producing their own food but want to be good stewards of resources
Why this is an important topic?

  1. Not everyone is able to produce significant amounts of their own food.
  2. Someone else had to produce the food you eat

6 Considerations

1. Consider your option

2.Consider the complexity of food production

  • Various terms
  • organic
  • all natural
  • naturally grown
  • grass fed/ grass finished
  • free range
  • cage free
  • humanely treated
  • grain fed
  • non-gmo
  • heirloom
  • Hybrid
  • Hormone free
  • raw vs pasteurized milk
  • no till
  • permaculture
  • sustainable
  • authentic

3. Consider the season and location

4. Consider real cost of the food

5. Consider food preservation

6. Consider the needs of the producer

Resources for More Information

10 Reasons to buy local

 

 

Contact The Legacy Podcast

Steve @ thelegacypodcast dot com