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In the first half of the nineteenth century, a French legislator and economist, Frederick Bastiat, wrote an essay entitled “To the Youth of France.” In that essay, he attempted to inform French youth that there are two distinct views of political life that influence how people live and prosper. One was very narrow and defined, and the other multi-faceted and obnoxious. His essay described contrasting choices for the future of civilized life, from the start of human history, based upon a few elite ruling the many. The French, like the Old World, traditionally experienced only the obnoxious side. Individual freedom, to them, was purely speculative and a bit frightening. Lafayette warned Thomas Paine that Europeans would never accept the American tradition founded on individual freedom, as they had no experience with that kind of life.

This book attempts to bring what Bastiat tried to tell young Frenchmen about political life up to date, to explain it to Tea Partiers and young Americans. It is an explanation of what Americans had been experiencing and all but forgotten when faced with the opportunity to “change” to the obnoxious side. It is designed to inform young Americans, before they are enticed to throw out the political system under which they have lived and prospered. Young French Boys and Girls lived in a time where freedom was unheard of, except in America, for which they were unaware. Young Americans, however, have enjoyed much of the result of living in freedom, something they are being asked to give up by the celebrities of the modern American Democrat Party.

Americans are being asked to “feel” for the underdog and to reshape their nation to one that makes its citizens equal to citizens all around the world. It sounds and feels good to the young who are unable to counter these claims using reason. The first stage of reason is to realize equality is impossible. It would be far better if the rest of the world’s people would strive to lift themselves up and be equal to Americans, which means to pursue their inequalities. We, as individuals, are different in so many ways that equality is impossible. Pursuit of life, liberty and inequality, being a pebble-dropper, one who makes waves and leaves a wake, is what made America the model of prosperity for the world. It was individual freedom.

In this book we use reason and not misguided passion. Augustine said that belief precedes understanding, implying that passion rules reason. Psychologically, that is true. People’s unchallenged deepest beliefs and prejudices usually rule their lives more than reason. The appeals to passion are the threats to human liberty we face today; easily seen in the way modern Democrats push their agenda. As difficult as it seems, this book will attempt to pierce the veil of passion and induce the reader to use reason, coupled with passion, when it comes to political choices that must be made.

It “Takes a Village” is an example of the modern Democrats’ view in America, by their elevating the importance of the passions of community interests, described by a few elite, above a reasoned individual self-interest. It “Takes a Village” implies it takes a tribe or community to raise and manage community members to stick together and operate on their shared passions for superstitions and traditions. The average, the best of the worst and the worst of the best, always seems to prevail.

The supremacy of community understandably began with the start of human life on earth, with the family and a shared need for safety and food. The focus had to be on safety and food, warmth and shelter, if the family or tribe was to survive. It took strong leaders and committed followers to keep that focus, setting individual interests aside. No one had time or patience with pebble-droppers making ripples in day-to-day existence, tough enough as it is. However, with time comes growth, and with growth a renewed and changing view of the world and its ends. Growth in time was realized in the America our youth will inherit. It was realized because people settling in the New World from 1620 beyond had no other choice but be self-sufficient pebble droppers.

What is the proper view? That’s what this little book is about to explore, using much of what Bastiat said in terms more appropriate to this time. What it will do is ask you to compare and contrast the two sides of the political debate without passion or mystical concepts of how you should feel about the community, but more what you think. Where Bastiat said, “All men's impulses, when motivated by legitimate self-interest, fall into a harmonious social pattern,” modern American Democrats say, the interests of community are more important than are the interests of the individual. These are two opposite approaches. One is purely American, though stated by a Frenchman, and the other is European, or Old World, though stated by an American. These two statements will be repeated often in the text that follows, as this is what the book is all about. At the end of this book, ask yourself if you want the “change” Obama offered.


Table of Contents
Foreword
Introduction
1 To Concerned Americans
2 Justice or Injustice
3 What is Proper Law?
4 Political Economy
5 Property and Law
6 How Far Have We Come?
7 Of Mind and Mouth
8 Those Other Pesky Amendments
9 Powers Permitted the Federal Government
10 Who is Sovereign?
11 The Legislator’s Government
12 Who is OK?
13 Rand-Calhoun Synergy
14 Permissible Education
15 How We Lived
16 Conclusion