New Webster’s Dictionary defines a "patriot" as: a person who loves his country and zealously defends its interests. Relying on the accuracy of this definition it appears that in reality, liberty violators have perverted the meaning of a "patriot" to read as follows. A patriot is a person who loves his government whether it is right or wrong. He lives by the statement "My country right or wrong."

I believe a rational person can see the many flaws in the perverted definition of a patriot. Below we will examine some instances of misguided patriotism—then we will examine what a true patriot is—using Natural and Economic Law. As you will see—the Webster definition is actually correct.

The Misguided "Patriot" – Enemy of His Country

A waltz through history supplies the rational individual with numerous examples of misguided patriotism. In fact, it would require volumes of books written from a logical point of view based on praxeological principles for us to achieve a thorough analysis. For simplicity I am supplying you with some obvious examples.

Nazi Germany

Nazi Germany was built on garbled socialist theory, supported by the negative emotions of envy and hate. Due to Germany losing World War 1 and experiencing a hyper-inflationary currency collapse in the early 1920’s it was ripe for the envious, hate-filled philosophy of Adolph Hitler. Shockingly, Hitler experienced the support of the German people. American politicians can only salivate at having the kind of endearing support of its citizens that Hitler enjoyed.

Socialism is an anti-life philosophy of plunder and confiscation. In order to bamboozle the masses, it is critical to supply them with a scapegoat—a scapegoat they can blame the country’s problems on. And that they had—Jews. The Nazis successfully convinced many of the German people that the greedy, prosperous, capitalistic Jews were causing the misery that their nation was suffering. Historians estimate that at least 6,000,000 Jews were exterminated in Nazi death camps.

Now let me ask you. Who were the true patriots of Germany? The individuals of integrity, who possessed a loving heart and a clear logical mind—who opposed Nazi Socialism and their extermination practices—or those that condoned and supported the murderous policies of the Third Reich and its group of thugs—the Gestapo.

The Soviet Union and Communism

The Russian Revolution of 1917 resulted in 75 years of pure Hell in the Soviet Union. Lenin and his criminal cohorts confiscated private property and independent agriculture plots, transforming them into public property, resulting in production plummeting to dismal levels. In order to show "good faith" to its hapless citizens, the communist government instituted it own "stimulus" program known as "The Five Year Plan."—which, because it failed miserably, they renewed every five years. They supplemented this with blatant propaganda (downright lies) and more empty promises. Communism—another form of socialism—totally violates Natural and Economic law. The so-called Proletarian paradise ended up starving to death millions of its citizens.

The American Revolution

The American colonists believed in the sanctity of life, liberty and property. They spoke about the inalienable rights of individuals and the pursuit of happiness. They courageously freed us from the yoke of British rule and built the foundation of our great nation.

The Libertarian philosopher Robert Ringer says that the following words are the most important words in the Declaration of Independence. I wholeheartedly agree with him.

"We hold these truths to be self-evident, that all men are created equal, that they are endowed by their Creator with certain unalienable Rights, that among these are Life, Liberty and the pursuit of Happiness. That to secure these rights, Governments are instituted among Men, deriving their just powers from the consent of the governed. That whenever any Form of Government becomes destructive of these ends, it is the Right of the People to alter or to abolish it, and to institute new Government, laying its foundation on such principles and organizing its powers in such form, as to them shall seem most likely to effect their Safety and Happiness. ...

But when a long train of abuses and usurpations, pursuing invariably the same Object evinces a design to reduce them under absolute Despotism, it is their right, it is their duty, to throw off such Government, and to provide new Guards for their future security."

What do you think their reactions to our current government would be? I doubt if they would elect republicans or democrats. After all, our founding fathers were libertarians.

Tragically, we are a nation of people who have lost the vision. We are destroying the very foundation our founding fathers created—the foundation of individualism and free enterprise. What took centuries to build, built with wisdom, ingenuity and hard work, is being torn asunder in a blink of an eye.

Instead of people knowing and understanding that they are only entitled to life, liberty and the pursuit of happiness—they believe they possess a right to entitlements—that they can live at the expense of others. And of course "Big Brother" and his squad of altruists (politicians) have open up a mall—a mall supplied with stolen goods—goods pilfered from hard-working, productive citizens. All who desire unearned benefits, who refuse to trade value for value, are welcome.

Who is the true patriot of The American Way of Life? The person who supports futile foreign excursions and government interventions that are destroying our economic system—or those freedom loving individuals who support Laissez faire (unhampered) capitalism and advocate the sanctity of an individual’s life, liberty and property.

Conclusion

I doubt if anyone would state that our founding fathers were anti-patriots—unless they are supporters of socialism or the monarchial system of government. Yet, if Thomas Jefferson, James Madison, John Hancock, John Adams and the others were around today, our government and many of its citizens would consider them as anti-patriotic traitors.

We have reached a sad and fatal state of affairs where people who advocate policies that are destructive to our country are called patriots. Individuals, armed with peace, goodwill towards others and the backing of sound economic theory, are ignored, criticized as politically incorrect or put down as unpatriotic citizens.

All through history, people who have gained power with their agendas of hate, war and bad economics have scorned the true patriots and imprisoned or executed them as traitors. If these patriots were lucky, they suffered the fate of ostracism or maybe the establishment and pseudo-patriots just ignored them. What is the fate of the "True Patriots of The American Way" in our present climate of extreme government interventionism (destructionism)? Only time will tell.

Hopefully, their never-ending dream of a nation that respects an individual’s life, liberty and property—their fervent hope for a social system of unhampered capitalism—their desire for a place where an individual is able to pursue happiness without the obstruction of a tyrannical government, becomes their reality. It is their dream. It is the dream of freedom-loving individuals throughout the world. It is my dream. May it be your dream—a dream that delightfully comes true.

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