What Happened to the Individual?
(This is an encore of the blog published September 5, 2021.)
You are unique.
You and I and everyone have exclusive DNA to ourselves. In addition to that and other genetics, we have different physical characteristics, personalities, perspectives, intellects, creativity, tastes.
You and I are special. We have our own identities. We are a select few of one.
Now comes cancel culture to deny us the uniqueness of being our individual selves.
As a group we are to support the now popular practice of withdrawing support for (canceling) public figures, companies and identity ‘groups’ after they have supposedly done or said something considered objectionable or offensive. In addition to being practiced online by the social media mob, activities have been to change our history – everything from tearing down statues to creating a different record of our past to be taught in our public schools.
It actually goes further. It negates our country’s founding based the individual – the rights and responsibilities of the individual.
We rarely hear about the individual anymore. We do hear a lot about groups. Groups are painted as if everyone – as part of a particular faction/demographic – are interchangeable with everyone else in that group. People don’t have individual identities; they have group identities.
Is that how we all now think? Do we think our identity and our rights are now tied to and aligned with some group?
Not so long-ago people admired the “rugged individual.” It was a person who was admired as the American ideal, choosing to forge his/her own path, who is self-reliant, who pulls him/herself up by his/her bootstraps.
That last paragraph likely looks like a foreign language to many these days. I’m not talking about helping each other less or ignoring mentors in each of our lives – or that neighbor who is willing to help another get over a rough patch in life.
No, what I’m talking about is a country that no longer admires the individual, respects the individual, or considers the individual important.
The pioneers who settled and cleared the bulk of the country were people who relied on themselves. They may have joined a wagon train temporarily for added safety to get somewhere, but once they were there they were on their own. These were hardy people and admired for their individual grit and self-confidence. They represented the American spirit – the American individual.
Our Constitution was formed around the concepts of limited government and individual liberty. Those values — which lie at the heart of individualism — were at the forefront of the Founding Father’s minds as they shaped the political, economic, and cultural institutions of the then budding nation. Our nation was built upon the virtues of individual responsibility and self-reliance.
Government intervention into the fog of change of doing for people what they formally were considered responsible to do for themselves has eroded the whole concept of the importance of the individual – and individual rights.
Our founding fathers formulated a country with five ideals. They are:
- Democracy– A system of government in which everyone participates equally.
- Rights– A privilege given to a person, either by God or law.
- Liberty– The freedom to legally do what you want and are capable of.
- Opportunity– The choice or chance to do what you choose to improve your life.
- Equality– The idea that everyone is treated equally and fairly.
Those ideals represent a moral stance, political philosophy, and social outlook that promotes independence and self-reliance, while opposing interference by government with each person’s choices.
Is it too late? Has the radical, left-wing faction that would divide us into groups without individual rights succeeded in separating us into oppressors and oppressed, into racial disharmony and cancel culture ‘woke-ness’ – without regard to the individual – and made us into different country? Has that minority overcome the majority?
It’s encouraging to see and hear some majority people apparently standing up for individual rights, aka individual choice. The COVID experience has shown how far we have drifted from a democracy based on the individual. Government at all levels in many places, including our federal government, have dictated what all must do to comply with group think. Lockdowns, masks and vaccinations are fodder for the power that can be assumed by government – negating individual choice.
In America, government’s role includes gathering and disseminating truthful information and respecting people’s individual rights to act on that information. The government’s role is not to dictate what all must do to comply with an edict – normally framed around the phony idea of the common good – the commune. To agree to that approach means acceptance of tyranny. Of course, the common good is a basic doctrine of socialism which is why that type of government only works with a dictator or at least an oligarchy – a ruling class.
As we drift more and more toward socialism by initiating class warfare – white vs. black, rich vs. the poor, oppressed and oppressors, etc. – the rights of individuals get trumped by the failed ideology of the commune, the group, the village, the so-called common good.
Social regulation results in restricting individual freedom in economic enterprise and everyday life.
Let’s celebrate and exercise our differences – and respect and accept the individual as outlined in our founding documents – regardless of any disagreement we may have.
***************
Have a great and prosperous week.
Hug somebody.
References:
https://freethepeople.org/what-ever-happened-to-rugged-individualism/
https://www.academia.edu/13440953/The_Origins_and_History_of_American_Individualism
https://centerforindividualism.org/individualism-founding-fathers-part-1-liberty-limited-government/
https://medium.com/@newfoundershq/using-our-nations-founding-ideals-bb74bee85aca
https://www.yourdictionary.com/individualism
What Does Cancel Culture Mean? | Pop Culture by Dictionary.com
SPIDER Bytes
This week’s trivia question is: What U.S. state is home to Acadia National Park? The answer to last week’s question on which U.S. president pardoned all Vietnam War draft dodgers on his second day in office? Jimmy Carter. Hundreds of thousands young men failed to register for the draft during the Vietnam War by violating the Military Selective Service Act from August 4, 1964, to March 28, 1973. Carter made the conflict that draft dodging caused in the country a campaign issue and promised to deliver pardons.
One of the most respected law enforcement agencies in the world has been the U.S. Secret Service – created in 1865 after the assassination of President Lincoln. The apparent lack of protection for former President Trump several weeks ago in Pennsylvania is a serious blemish on its reputation. No one has been held responsible – so what else is new?
Oil companies are joining many other large firms leaving California for Texas. Chevron, the world’s 7th largest oil producer, announced it was relocating from San Ramon to Houston. Not only is the tax and business environment more appealing, but California is suing it and others for “contributing to climate change that has brought heat waves, fires, and ‘environmental disruptions’ to the state.”
Meanwhile Elon Musk is moving Space X HQ from Hawthorne, CA to Star Base in Texas. CA Gov. Newsom publicly slammed Musk’s Tesla EV company and applauded Rivian Automotive for its competition to Tesla. EVs represented 25% of car sales in CA in the 2nd quarter. Nationally, the number was 7%.
Boeing’s Starliner spacecraft, with 2 astronauts aboard, was launched on June 6 with a plan for a one week stay at the ISS. Now 7 weeks later, the astronauts may be there for another 7 months while Boeing and NASA continue testing the Starliner thrusters and helium leaks. Space X’s next launch to ISS has been delayed since the docking station remains occupied by Starliner.
San Francisco mayor Breed is now offering homeless encampment dwellers bus, train or plane tickets out of town. How about the old-fashioned approach? – Get clean, get a job and get off the street/sidewalk! Vagrancy used to be unacceptable behavior and in many places a crime. It obviously still is in some resident and visitor-friendly cities.
Rep. Corrie Bush lost her primary race in St Louis last week. She promised “to get” the pro-Israeli groups that worked for her Democratic opponent. We’ll all miss her shenanigans which got news coverage because she is/was so ‘off the wall.’
