By Nathan Barton

As lovers of liberty, and as free people, we have every right to be thankful (or NOT to be thankful) to God (and to others) for the wonderful things that we enjoy, that are good (or good for us), and with which we are blessed this November of 2019.

I choose to be thankful. First to the Lord, and then to my family, my fellow lovers of liberty, our clients, and others, past and present. So let me share and greet everyone for Thanksgiving Day!

Here are my thirteen ideas of what we should be thankful for here in the Fifty States:

1. Our freedom of speech and other ways to express ourselves in liberty. The fact that this webzine and so many others still exist and that you are still reading it is evidence we have this freedom still.

2. Our freedom of religion. For the most part we have freedom to worship (or not) and believe (or not) as we individually decide. And to actually practice our faith. Even when others want us not to.

3. Our right to keep and bear arms. Remembering that there are many places, even here in the Fifty States, and many people who have (temporarily) lost those rights, I am grateful to God we still can do this; that people and governments for the most part recognize that we have the right to defend ourselves and others.

4. Our right to buy and own (almost) everything we can afford. Yes, we have problems with prohibitions of this and that today – as we have in the past. And we still have to get someone’s permission (or have to register) to buy too many things. (And don’t get me started on property tax!) But compared to too many people around the world, we are blessed.

5. Our wealth – no matter how poor an American might be, compared to 99% of humans for the last six thousand or so years, we here in the Fifty States are incredibly well off. Even those families and children who face “food insecurity” and even those who are effectively enslaved. When we look at problems in Zimbabwe, Venezuela, or North Korea, let us be thankful indeed.

6. Our ability to learn – to gain knowledge. Today, as never before in more than a century, we no longer have to depend on the government-run, tax-funded “education” system to learn. No longer dependent on “public” libraries. With the internet, we can learn as much as we can take. We save millions of hours each year in finding the information we need for daily life and personal growth, and anything else.

7. Our ability to communicate – including getting news. Again, I am thankful that we no longer have to depend on a few communications monopolies, and a few TV and radio networks and newspapers. Multiple methods of communications – from inside our house or business to around the world – are something to be very grateful for.

8. On a personal note, my family and my brethren. My wife, my sons, my daughter, my grandchildren most especially. And the men and women I see and share worship with weekly, or communicate with very often. And my friends in the free-market anarchist and minarchist communities.

9. Freedom of travel. Despite the “No Bill-of-Rights Zone” and the Real ID and TSA nastiness, I am grateful that I can travel freely and on my own across thousands of miles and millions of square miles, to do work, see people, and enjoy the land and activities.

10. Medical and health care. Again, regardless of the insanity of the insurance industry, the craziness of military and veterans’ care, Medicaid, Medicare and all the rest, and the sheer cost – I’m grateful for the technology and skills and dedication of so many people, and the care we can get when we need it.

11. The food we eat and the water we drink. Unlike most of humanity through most of history, Americans – and most of the world – are much less likely to starve, die of foodborne or waterborne illnesses. Yes, there are still many without – but nothing compared to the vast masses of people in the past.

12. Our relative freedom here in the Fifty States as compared to much of the rest of the world: personal and economic freedoms and relative prosperity and peace that people in places like Venezuela, Cuba, North Korea, Syria, Hong Kong, Zimbabwe, Somalia, Saudi Arabia, Yemen, and too many other places do not have. As much as we complain (correctly) about limits on liberty here in the Fifty States, we should remember that we do have vast liberties: not just these listed above, either!

13. Those people working daily to keep (or restore) our liberty, and to improve our lives and our planet. Especially those who have to challenge and defeat the stupidity, ignorance, and threats of Regressives, Tranzis, state-worshippers, government goons, media, and others.

Even though there are people and organizations working constantly to take literally every one of these thirteen blessings away from us, either to return us to an unpleasant past or to make us into a future nightmare ala Brave New World, or 1984, we have much to be thankful for this year.

Count your blessings, also!