What Happened to the Individual?

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.

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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 Bites

The August Jobs Report was a bust. Expectations by economists were for 720,000 jobs to added. The number was 235,000. One of the additional disturbing aspects was that while the unemployment rate fell to 5.2% (from 5.4%), the rate for black workers rose to 8.8% (from 8.2%). Bar and restaurant employment dropped 41,000, the first turndown in 8 months and still 996,300 below pre-pandemic levels. BTW, the TSA reports commercial air passenger travel is still 19% below the 2019 numbers – and oil topped $70 again.

A circuit judge in Florida recently ruled our governor’s directive to allow parents to make the decision on whether their kids wear masks in school was unconstitutional. The State administration will successfully appeal the ruling which would allow school districts to mandate all students wear masks. Some people are not only getting used to mandates, they’re also even suing to allow them.

The FDA has issued Emergency Use Authorizations for three COVID treatments called monoclonal antibodies. The FDA recommendations suggest the use of monoclonal antibody treatments (which may also prevent the disease) as soon as possible after COVID symptoms appear. The treatments are also recommended for those hospitalized.

Well, we left Afghanistan on the pre-announced date. Anything else positive about it? The administration says we left between 100-200 citizens behind. I don’t think they have a clue as to how many stranded citizens and allies are left there and face torture and death. And did we actually leave $90B worth of military arms and equipment behind as well? This is not the America I knew.

The US Supreme Court last week upheld the Texas law that bans abortions once a heart rate is detected in the fetus – about 6 weeks. The ruling does reduce the time allowed for abortion as Rowe vs. Wade has been interpreted, but does not negate that controversial, 1973 decision. But – it has renewed the “pack the court” swagger.

Here’s today’s trivia question: What country is the highest consumer of coffee per capita. Answer: Finland at 26.5 lbs. With Canada at #10 with 14.3 lbs/capita, it is the only non-European country in the top ten. The US ranks 25th. I would have guessed the US would be much higher – with a Starbucks on seemingly every street corner, McDonald’s rebrand of many locations to McCafe, and Dunkin Donuts as an integral part of many morning commutes. BTW, coffee drinking originated in Yemen in the 15th century.