“Hello Ted, I recently finished your book. Just wanted to say that I appreciate it. I’m a note taker, so for what it’s worth, I thought I’d share some of the notes I took as a form of feedback. These are a combination of questions, observations, and advances in my own thoughts. I use something akin to the Smart Note system of writing down thoughts as they come on index cards. These aren’t in any particular order but, here’s what I had on each notecard:
“The law of entropy applies as much to government as to anything else. Government always degrades toward oligarchy. Monarchy, democracy, anarchy, and republics are all subject to decay. Self-considered insiders who “know better” trying to take control are simply a result of the sinful human nature.”
“Even the meanest bully around will think twice about picking on the person who boldly, loudly, and assertively speaks up on his own behalf.”
“At the most fundamental level, socialism denies the doctrine of vocation and actively seeks to rewrite the familial and social webs of human connections God has woven into our being by means of incompetent and/or malicious managerial interference.”
“If communism is, as Marx claims, truly inevitable, then why all the attempts at revolution? Shouldn’t the utopia just manifest? If communism is truly fair, why do ‘super-citizens’ and dictators always lounge in luxury? Kings are at least honest enough to wear crowns and the honorable among them lead the cavalry charge. Communist architects never reside in the houses they design, for they are built to be miserable wrecks.”
“I do not find the rules = religion argument very compelling. But do I agree with the conclusion that socialism ends up as a religion. Why do I think that? Perhaps something like this. Classrooms have rules, but it does not follow that Kindergarten is a religion. The rules must claim to serve the highest good. Maybe something like that?”
“Nothing will change the scarcity of excellence. It can be worsened by removing agency from those who would otherwise seek it. It can be alleviated by training and equipping the motivated to seek it. In other words, Capitalism is allowing people to try to find the best way to train knights to slay dragons. Socialism is pretending that the fire-breathing dragons can be taught to share.”
“Complaining is proof against the concept of equivalent exchange. You can summon all your powers to attack what is negative, but all you end up doing is making a bigger negative. Positive change is not so much about tearing down evil as it is about building up good.”
“Local problems require local solutions. The problem with government solutions is that they often become local problems.”
“Overall, I thought the book was very digestible. It was reminiscent of the sort of wizened anecdotes and little speeches I’ve grown accustomed to hearing and taking to heart from professors I respect. I’m reminded of one of my Professors … telling this story:
“After the end of WW2, Poland was controlled by the Communists. Poland is a very Catholic country so they took measures to “reeducate” the populace. As a part of the social programming, they would drag someone on stage to speak into a microphone and repeat what was learned to their fellow man. One day in one of these villages where the brainwashing was happening a man was dragged forth, and when given the opportunity to speak he didn’t repeat any of the Communist rhetoric but simply shouted, “Χριστος ανεστη!” (Christ is Risen! in Greek) to which the people responded, “Αληθως ανεστη!” (Truly He is risen!) and then they were all shot, probably.
“The point Professor … made when he told us that story was about how one person’s confession can inspire others, similar to how martyrdom in the early Church won converts. I think the point of your book is something very much akin to that.
May God grant that the nation repents and returns to Him!” – ID, WIsconsin
