My Tao - Not My Country

We're constantly told to care about our country, and it's easy to get carried away on waves of emotions when we see things happening that disturb us. However, we mustn't loose sight of the fact that we don't actually own anything beyond that which we possess through labor or voluntary trade. If something doesn't threaten us directly, we have no business interfering in it.

So when my brother tells me that I have to care about wind turbines being built in Norway because it's my country, I shrug my shoulders. Norway isn't my country, nor is it anyone else's country, and if the wind turbines are being put up on public lands, I got no business interfering. At most, I can argue the folly of putting up wind turbines, and I can agree that it's a giant waste and nothing short of wanton destruction of wild life. However, as far as I'm concerned, the wind turbines belong to the politicians who put them up. They're not mine, and since I don't pay any taxes I can't even argue that they are partially mine.

The same goes for political issues. While it's disturbing to see fascism rear its ugly head, it's none of my business as long as the rioting, looting and wanton destruction of property happens in far off places. However, should any of this happen in my neighborhood, I would gladly step in on the side of the Goths. I wouldn't ask permission or petition the government for protection. I would get a gun and stand guard.

Party politics, with its elaborate system of petitions, voting and demonstrations is nothing but a giant distraction. It takes our attention away from that which is near and immediate in favor of things we cannot do anything about. This distraction is immensely useful for those who seek to rule over us because it allows them to rob us blind while we're busy elsewhere.

If we allow ourselves to get carried away by party politics, we'll get ourselves entangled in all sorts of webs spun deliberately to trick us into fighting someone else's war. That's why I refuse to get angry about stuff far away. That energy is better spent fighting for my personal liberties. By staying calm and collected, and out of the eye of our would be oppressors, I retain an element of surprise.

While I'm full of sympathy for those fighting for their liberties in far off places, my concern is limited to my own personal realm. That which interferes or directly threatens me will be resisted. All sorts of tactics will be employed, and my recommendation is that others do the same. Intelligently applied terror is far more effective than bucket loads of petitioning, voting and random rioting. Those who wish to be left alone need only be rigorous and intelligent in their resistance, because would be rulers much prefer obvious targets than those that are cloaked in obscurity, danger and resilience.

By Two_owls_at_Kuala_Lumpur_Bird_Park-8a.jpg: Brandon Lim derivative work: Snowmanradio (talk) - originally posted to flickr and uploaded to commons at Two_owls_at_Kuala_Lumpur_Bird_Park-8a.jpg, CC BY 2.0, Link