By Nathan Barton

The well known Chinese curse bedevils us. The year 2018 certainly demonstrates that, for Americans and for people around the world.  Including lovers of liberty. Much of it was bad, but throughout the year, lovers of liberty have had wonderful opportunities to make ourselves more free.  Some really have.

Despite all the bad things:

This last summer, more and more of the West burned – both through wildfires and because of temps well into the hundreds, and people fleeing to places. Massive typhoons and hurricanes, drought, new volcanic eruptions, earthquakes and the like impact our planet. Blizzards rampage. The political rhetoric peaked and then peaked again. And again.

This fall, after the most recent “most important election of your lifetime,” we find all kinds of interesting things.  Everyone claimed victory – even the LP itself. The results on both federal and state levels seem destined to make sure that 2019 will ALSO be “interesting times.” People voted sooner and more often, and it took longer and longer to count their votes, and people screamed more and more about stolen elections and false votes and votes not being counted.  Oh, and they spent a LOT more money than in the past.

Killings take place every few days, as more nutcases in and out of government try to terrorize us with fear of guns and bombs and more.  We are warned again and again how global warming and environmental degradation are killing (or will kill) us. The latest appointment to the FedGov’s Supremes has destroyed our “democracy.” (And he has betrayed his backers, too, according to some.) Masses gather on borders to sweep across.

As does gobs and gobs of money. Most of it supposedly going out: money to “allies” like the Afghan and Iraqi pretend governments.  To pay for deficits in trade.  To pay for vacations in various exotic places (many disguised as seminars and training sessions and fact-finding missions). To buy drugs.  To fight drugs. To show what easy marks some people are by investing in the latest Nigerian or Ghanan scam. The markets sway back and forth. Oil and metal prices rise and fall like the tide, but less predictably. The companies rise and fall, too, and many are as irrational and exuberant as the buyers and the sellers.

Russians are preparing for war. And other wars continue, if less publicized, around the world. And certain people and groups try to get more going.  And get really peeved when it appears that one or two may end. Identity theft, spam, and more threats via the internet, other communications, and on the highways and sea lanes inundate us. I get a dozen spoofing or bogus phone calls a day.

And now… as I write this early Monday morning on the 31st of January, 2018, it is now TEN days that the FedGov has been “shut down” by the evil machinations of The Donald.  Or the putrid and pathetic antics of Chuck and Nancy, Paul and Mitch?  And the nation has not collapsed.  Indeed, I found out that even the bureaucratic side of the DoD is still going strong (despite the claims otherwise by wrathful Democrats) not just during “government shutdown” but even on four-day weekends for New Years! And I haven’t heard of any Bob Cratchit families (much less any Tiny Tims) who are furloughed FedGov employees starving and freezing to death in the Holiday snows.

I suppose that is because Uncle Scrooge Trump has been concentrating too much on making life for too many border jumpers miserable even with the Wall and with the guvmint “shut down.”

But as I say, interesting times.

But how much do all these things effect all of us?  All the humans around the world?  All of the residents (whatever status) of the Fifty States?

Is the world, is our society, really on the brink of total collapse? Has it already partially collapsed?

Apparently not. No thanks to government or the media or the celebrities or the haters of freedom.  Or all the various satans and threats on one side and the other.

We are still kinda limping along, still trying to go about our daily lives.

We all do have our ups and downs.  I lost Lady Susan (Mama Liberty to most of my readers) this year.  I lost my brother, also.  I lost a lot of money, a nice vehicle, and some permitting battles and fusses.  I am sure all our readers can share similar stories and events.

But we are still going on.  And will continue to do so.  Especially those who love liberty.  And practice it as much as we can. Working hard to do it better.  Knowing that we are ultimately responsible for our actions and their results.  That we cannot depend on anyone else – not friends, not family, not government, not priests and prophets, teacher and traders, mechanics and musicians.

We can survive, and as we go into 2019, we will have to continue to do just that. We can, and must, take advantage of every opportunity to keep, restore, and extend our liberty.  Join with me to do just that.

Remember the past, but don’t let it stop or distract us from the potential of the future.

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