From its inception, in 1892, the Pledge has been a slavish ritual of devotion to the state, wholly inappropriate for a free people. It was written by Francis Bellamy, a Christian Socialist pushed out of his post as a Baptist minister for delivering pulpit-pounding sermons on such topics as “Jesus the Socialist.” Bellamy was devoted to the ideas of his more-famous cousin Edward Bellamy, author of the 1888 utopian novel Looking Backward. Looking Backward describes the future United States as a regimented worker’s paradise where everyone has equal incomes, and men are drafted into the country’s “industrial army” at the age of 21, serving in the jobs assigned them by the state…Bellamy’s book inspired a movement of “Nationalist Clubs,” whose members campaigned for a government takeover of the economy. A few years before he wrote the Pledge of Allegiance, Francis Bellamy became a founding member of Boston’s first Nationalist Club….

The above was taken from Marginal Revolution, though Alex Tabarrok was just quoting Cato’s Gene Healy. Pretty interesting little factoid.

“Well, what do you think they’re for? … Did you really think that we want those laws to be observed?” said Dr. Ferris. “We want them broken. You’d better get it straight that it’s not a bunch of boy scouts you’re up against — then you’ll know that this is not the age for beautiful gestures. We’re after power and we mean it. You fellows were pikers, but we know the real trick, and you’d better get wise to it. There’s no way to rule innocent men. The only power any government has is the power to crack down on criminals. Well, when there aren’t enough criminals, one makes them. One declares so many things to be a crime that it becomes impossible for men to live without breaking laws. Who wants a nation of law-abiding citizens? What’s there in that for anyone? But just pass the kind of laws that can neither be observed nor enforced nor objectively interpreted — and you create a nation of law-breakers — and then you cash in on guilt. Now that’s the system, Mr. Rearden, that’s the game, and once you understand it, you’ll be much easier to deal with.”

Ayn Rand understood it even fifty years ago. Why don’t more people understand it today?

When life gets disorganized… Sort It Out.

Ashley and I (mostly Ashley) started up a business this past week. I’ll just let you go to our website to find out more information.

Looks like it. It’s a lot prettier and less buggier than the last. More (legitimate) posts to follow shortly!

Quick post–

I woke up at 4:30 this morning to do calculus homework. My first real calc class. We are learning about limits right now. Does anyone else think this stuff is fun? A cursory survey of my classmates finds I am in the minority. But anyway, I like it. Am I the only one?

In other news, Ashley and I got married a week and a half ago, Saturday, May 31. Since then, I’ve been in the slow process of moving my stuff over there. Unfortunately, we are remodeling the house and waiting to buy furniture, so I am desk- and workspace-less for the time being. My computer and most of my stuff, therefore, is still at my parents’ house. It should all get moved over within the next 2-3 weeks, though. And then I’ll blog more reguarly, I think.