Roots of Freedom: The Reformation

In America, we tend to take Freedom for granted. 'We hold these truths to be self evident' is the opening argument in the Declaration of Independence, & it goes on to lay the basis for American Freedom: The equality of Man, Natural Law, & the role of collective organization (government). But where did this idea originate? Obviously, the history of Man is not filled with shining examples of freedom & self rule, but is primarily the history of man's oppression & inhumanity to his fellow man. 'Might makes right', has been the central lesson of history, so how did this get changed to 'Might FOR right'? How did a sense of Natural Law become rooted in the collective psyche of the people, & provide the basis for throwing out the old system of 'Might Makes Right'? Let's go backward in history, & see if we can follow this Thread of Freedom in humanity.

The Reformation.
This is an obvious correlation in American Freedom. The central message of the reformation is almost identical to those who wrote about freedom & Natural Law. Luther's 95 Theses is an amazing parallel to the Declaration of Independence. Each numbered point has the Reformation view equaled to the American founder's view.

1. The priesthood of believers = The equality of Man. This is a central tenet in the Reformation. There is no mediation class, but all believers have equal access to God. This concept began to erode the elite view of certain classes.. there is no 'divine right of Kings', or a special privileged class that has more access to God than anyone else. The American founders held to this same view, 'All men are created equal'.

2. Scripture as Authority, not edicts of man = Natural Law over imperial rule. Kings & priests were not above the Law, but were equally subject to the Law of God. Their whims were not the final authority, but the higher Law of God.. Natural or scriptural.

3. Money. ..to buy indulgences or to buy someone out of purgatory = No taxation without representation. 
Note in Luther's list:
# 27 - There is no divine authority for preaching that the soul flies out of the purgatory immediately the money clinks in the bottom of the chest.
This is an exact parallel to the American complaint of excessive taxation. Money always takes center stage, in matters of Human Freedom, as those who take our freedom are primarily interested in our money. They want us to pay them to oppress us. Both the reformers & the American founders told the powers that be to take a hike. Our money is ours, & we're not giving it to you any more. This was the greatest crime against the status quo, & causes the most alarm. They are less interested in the basis of ideology or our eternal souls than keeping the money coming in. They are much more interested in mooching off of the working man, than helping him to be free or spiritual.

Note the similarity of Luther's theses, compared it to the American 'list' in the DOI:
Luther: #66- The treasures of the indulgences are the nets which to-day they use to fish for the wealth of men. 
#86 - since the pope's income to-day is larger than that of the wealthiest of wealthy men, why does he not build this one church of St. Peter with his own money, rather than with the money of indigent believers?

DOI:For imposing Taxes on us without our Consent: 
He has made Judges dependent on his Will alone, for the tenure of their offices, and the amount and payment of their salaries.
He has erected a multitude of New Offices, and sent hither swarms of Officers to harrass our people, and eat out their substance.

4. Defiance: We must obey God rather than Man = It is the right of the people to alter or abolish the Govt.

DOI:
..whenever any Form of Government becomes destructive of these ends, it is the Right of the People to alter or to abolish it, and to institute new Government..
But when a long train of abuses and usurpations, pursuing invariably the same Object evinces a design to reduce them under absolute Despotism, it is their right, it is their duty, to throw off such Government, and to provide new Guards for their future security..

Luther:
#32- All those who believe themselves certain of their own salvation by means of letters of indulgence, will be eternally damned, together with their teachers.
#92 - Away, then, with those prophets who say to Christ's people, "Peace, peace," where in there is no peace.

5. Corruption. Both the 95 Theses & the DOI are full of complaints of corruption in the system, & past appeals to resolve them. In the DOI, remedies are clearly spelled out, while Luther stops short of calling for open rebellion. Others got the idea, & the reformation was open rebellion to the status quo of the catholic church, & their power over the people.

6. Appeal to Reason.
Luther's opening statement: Out of love and concern for the truth, and with the object of eliciting it, the following heads will be the subject of a public discussion at Wittenberg..
#90 - These questions are serious matters of conscience to the laity. To suppress them by force alone, and not to refute them by giving reasons, is to expose the church and the pope to the ridicule of their enemies, and to make Christian people unhappy.

DOI: ..a decent respect to the opinions of mankind requires that they should declare the causes which impel them to the separation.
We hold these truths to be self-evident,

Too often events in history are portrayed as disconnected from the time-line of history, or unrelated to other causes & correlations. Modern education sneers at the religious beliefs of those in the past, & tries to present a secular view of human thinking & ideology, when their deepest religious beliefs not only were the spring from which their ideas flowed, but provided the basis for their reasoning. Freedom has its roots in Natural Law, & in the equality of Man. Those who rule by elitist privilege & decree are enemies of Human Freedom.

We are in danger of losing what has taken centuries to secure. Natural Law is once again being replaced by imperial rule, & the whims of men are elevated over the written rule of Law. Oblivious to history & how we have arrived to where we are, the elites are once again trying to drive us into paying them to oppress us. They take our hard earned money, by deceptive taxation, hidden by currency manipulation & debt. They cast aside reason & offer smooth words & propaganda. They ignore the rule of Law, & return us to imperial rule & an elite ruling class. We only repeat history, we do not learn from it.

There is little else for the working citizens to do, other than what their ancestors before did: Defy the oppressors & exploiters. They will not reason. They will not give up their power. They will not concede anything except by force. If 'We the People' do not assert our might FOR right, the elites will assert their might AS right, & will return us to exploitation & subservience.

Equality in Misery

Equality in Misery

Capitalism and communism stand at opposite poles. Their essential difference is this: The communist seeing the rich man and his fine home says, “No man should have so much.” The capitalist seeing the same thing says, “All men should have as much.”~Phelps Adams

It is not only the outlook, but the way that the economy & life itself is viewed. The socialist/progressive has a 'zero sum game' view. For every winner in life, there must be losers. Life is a pie, & the greedy grab big pieces, leaving smaller ones for everyone else to share. So they look to govt to equalize this injustice, & stop the greed.

But, it is a flawed world view. It is based on a 'paycheck' mentality. Every week there is a Collective Paycheck that the nation gets, regardless of productivity. They do not see the correlation between diligent, intelligent work & national productivity. That is why they believe that wages & prices can be fixed. You just redistribute the pie, so that everything is equal, & more fair. It also comes from the 'budget' mentality, that dominates govt, academia, & most big corporations. Your dept has a budget.. a fixed amount to run things with, & are limited by. The idea that the 'budget' is unlimited is foreign to them. Some other department has to take a cut, for you to get a raise. They miss the most basic rule of life: Wealth is made by productive labor.

Wealth is NOT a pie, but a process. It does not come magically to your bank account every week, but it must be CREATED by productive work. That is the ONLY source of real wealth. Printing money does not make anything. It is a diluting, crippling action to an economy. ONLY if & when there is constructive, productive, fruitful labor that results in something useful, necessary, & tangible being created, does a nation prosper & the economy grow. It CANNOT be declared. It cannot be faked. It can only come through intelligent, diligent labor.

Prosperous nations have a few things in common. One of them is a strong work ethic. When the people of a land all labor to produce & create useful, necessary things for human survival, everyone benefits, the economy thrives, & there is plenty. When the people of a land are either unproductive, or have their increase taken by looters, there is little to live on, & the society is poor & subsistent.

What is the basis for this flawed world view?

1. Entitlement.
FDR promoted this concept. Here is an excerpt from his state of the union message in 1944:

This Republic had its beginning, and grew to its present strength, under the protection of certain inalienable political rights—among them the right of free speech, free press, free worship, trial by jury, freedom from unreasonable searches and seizures. They were our rights to life and liberty.
As our Nation has grown in size and stature, however—as our industrial economy expanded—these political rights proved inadequate to assure us equality in the pursuit of happiness.
We have come to a clear realization of the fact that true individual freedom cannot exist without economic security and independence. "Necessitous men are not free men."

His solution? Govt mandates, price fixing, & control. NOT increased productivity, or encouragement of the work ethic, but a message of entitlement. From the same speech:

We have accepted, so to speak, a second Bill of Rights under which a new basis of security and prosperity can be established for all regardless of station, race, or creed. Among these are:
The right to a useful and remunerative job in the industries or shops or farms or mines of the Nation;
The right to earn enough to provide adequate food and clothing and recreation;
The right of every farmer to raise and sell his products at a return which will give him and his family a decent living;
The right of every businessman, large and small, to trade in an atmosphere of freedom from unfair competition and domination by monopolies at home or abroad;
The right of every family to a decent home;
The right to adequate medical care and the opportunity to achieve and enjoy good health;
The right to adequate protection from the economic fears of old age, sickness, accident, and unemployment;
The right to a good education.

This is from his famous 'Economic Bill of Rights' that progressives have drooled over for decades. It reveals the 'zero sum game' world view of the economy & human life in general. He equates Natural Rights.. speech, due process, religion, etc.. with stuff. Food. Housing. Health care. Cell phones. This mindset is what built the entitlement culture, where the necessities of life are not something you have to work for, but are basic rights. The world OWES you this stuff. This is the number one flaw in the progressive world view. From entitlement comes grievance. From entitlement comes the destruction of a work ethic. Work is for fools. Your existence is guaranteed by society, why work at something if you can play & have the same things? From this came the welfare state, & the systematic destruction of the family, the growth of govt & the grievance industry, & massive NON productive & even COUNTER productive influences in society.

For thousands of years, parents have tried to tell their kids, 'The world doesn't owe you a living', to get them to be productive members of the family & society. Here, our social institutions teach & promote the opposite, instilling & indoctrinating young people that they have a right to be supported. The world DOES owe them a living.

2. The Great Fiction.
"Government is the great fiction through which everybody endeavors to live at the expense of everybody else." ~Frederic Bastiat

So then, to further the illusion that the world owes you a living, the big govt worshipers preach the great fiction, that govt can enable you to live off of everybody else. They can redistribute the pie. The govt is the solution. They can fairly divide the weekly paycheck for everyone to share.

But this is again a false premise, based on fantasy & illusion. Govt does not create anything. They do not make jobs, or create wealth. They can only TAKE what the producers create, for useful collective actions: Justice, national defense, regulations.. these are useful actions of govt, & necessary for a prosperous society. They cannot 'grow the economy'. They can kill it, or become an oppressive burden on the producers, but they cannot produce prosperity. Only smart, hard working, industrious citizens can do that. The only thing the govt can do is take what the producers have made, & redistribute it. They create the illusion to the receivers, that THEY own this stuff, & can hand it out benevolently. But that is a lie. They can only TAKE what some hard working producer has made. They can only build dependency with their redistribution, which is what they have done everywhere their fiction is implemented.

America used to have a strong work ethic. Productive work was esteemed, & the citizens worked together to build a nation unparalleled in prosperity for all of human history. The destructive influences have always been there. The Great Fiction is nothing new. Moochers & looters have been around forever. But during the hey day of American prosperity, everybody worked. There were no freeloaders. Moochers were held in contempt. We pooled our resources to participate in 2 massive world wars. The 'Greatest Generation' sacrificed & worked to build a better nation for their descendants. But the notion of entitlement did not go away.. it slowly ate away at our work ethic, & the fantasy of the Great Fiction grew to a religious belief. Govt grew, & continues to grow.. a burden on the working man, & a leech on the wealth of the nation. Dependency has not only grown, it has become an industry.. a massive entitlement system, that discourages productive work, & kills the economy. The only result of this massive dependency is total collapse. Misery, not prosperity, is what they deliver.

Govt is not the solution. It is the problem. Progressive ideology is based on a lie. The world does NOT owe you a living. Govt can NOT enable you to live off of others.

Socialism is a philosophy of failure, the creed of ignorance, and the gospel of envy, its inherent virtue is the equal sharing of misery. ~Winston Churchill

The Dream of America

What is America? What defines the Dream of America? I will list some principles from the Constitution & the declaration of Independence, the mission statement of America. These are the foundation of America, & are the basis for this experiment in human governance. These defining traits are not always practiced perfectly, and sometimes they are lost in the political winds of change, but they remain the defining goals & aspirations for the experiment in human freedom that we call America.

1. The Equality of Man
We hold these truths to be self-evident, that all men are created equal.
This is early in the Declaration of Independence, & is the basis for the Nation. 87 years later, a great Civil War was fought, to test whether such a foundation is possible. 
Four score and seven years ago our fathers brought forth on this continent, a new nation, conceived in Liberty, and dedicated to the proposition that all men are created equal. ~Abraham Lincoln
We have been tested, challenged, & weathered through many popular philosophies that are contrary to this fundamental concept in American Liberty. Slavery, Nazism, Eugenics, class warfare, racial bigotry, affirmative action, & many other past, present, & future enemies of this concept have & will threatened this basic part of the American Dream. But it has weathered through the storms of war, division, & the fickle whims of men, & remains a fundamental concept of America.

2. Unalienable Rights, Natural Law
..that they are endowed by their Creator with certain unalienable Rights, that among these are Life, Liberty and the pursuit of Happiness.
This is a view of basic human rights, not granted by imperial power of the state, but INHERENT to each individual. It did not matter if you saw them as guaranteed by God, or nature, these were the basic concepts of American Freedom.
the separate and equal station to which the Laws of Nature and of Nature's God entitle them
The American founders saw these 'natural rights' as inherently theirs, not arbitrarily granted by the state. They went on to list & explain these rights in the Constitution.
a. Freedom of thought, expression, & belief
Amendment I: Congress shall make no law respecting an establishment of religion, or prohibiting the free exercise thereof; or abridging the freedom of speech, or of the press; or the right of the people peaceably to assemble, and to petition the government for a redress of grievances.
Ideas do not threaten America. It is predicated on the basis of free expression & open debate. Many popular ideologies have come & gone, and have tested the resolve of America to keep its open format.
b. Armed Citizenry
Amendment II: A well regulated militia, being necessary to the security of a free state, the right of the people to keep and bear arms, shall not be infringed.
In a nation of self rule, there is no need to disarm the people. The goal of the govt is to secure the people's freedoms, not mandate compliance. An armed citizenry is a guarantee of this promise, & a warning to the governors to keep it.
"The strongest reason for the people to retain the right to keep and bear arms is, as a last resort, to protect themselves against tyranny in government." ~Thomas Jefferson
The goal of America is for Govt to fear & show deference to the people, not the other way around. Govt is to be kept in check, & an armed citizenry is necessary to meet that goal.
c. Due Process
Six of the first 10 Amendments to the constitution (the Bill of Rights) address legal issues of Justice. I will quote 2 of them as examples:
Amendment V: No person shall be held to answer for a capital, or otherwise infamous crime, unless on a presentment or indictment of a grand jury, except in cases arising in the land or naval forces, or in the militia, when in actual service in time of war or public danger; nor shall any person be subject for the same offense to be twice put in jeopardy of life or limb; nor shall be compelled in any criminal case to be a witness against himself, nor be deprived of life, liberty, or property, without due process of law; nor shall private property be taken for public use, without just compensation.
Amendment VI: In all criminal prosecutions, the accused shall enjoy the right to a speedy and public trial, by an impartial jury of the state and district wherein the crime shall have been committed, which district shall have been previously ascertained by law, and to be informed of the nature and cause of the accusation; to be confronted with the witnesses against him; to have compulsory process for obtaining witnesses in his favor, and to have the assistance of counsel for his defense.
Justice is the central duty of Govt. They are to provide a defense from human acts of aggression, foreign or domestic. It is a collective action by the people, to protect themselves from the aggressions of man. But in this deterrence of crime, certain rights of the individual are spelled out, to protect him from overly zealous justice providers. Jury of peers, self incrimination, face your accuser, double jeopardy, counsel, & many other basic rights of due process are spelled out to emphasize the goal of Justice. Justice is to be a systematic process, blind to position or privilege, & governed by the overriding mandate to protect the individual. And this justice is blind to power, position, & station. It's basis is in Natural Law, which covers everyone, not just the common man.

3. Govt as Servant
That to secure these rights, Governments are instituted among Men, deriving their just powers from the consent of the governed
For all of human history, governments have been a source of oppression & domination. They take the labors of the people, & micro manage them for the ruler's own agendas. America was to be different. Govt was to be a servant, not a lord. It was merely a collective expression of the whole, not a separate, self serving entity.
Every government degenerates when trusted to the rulers of the people alone. The people themselves are its only safe depositories. ~Thomas Jefferson 
"The Constitution is not an instrument for the government to restrain the people, it is an instrument for the people to restrain the government -- lest it come to dominate our lives and interests." ~Patrick Henry
The American system of government places minimal demands on the citizens for the basic duties of govt spelled out in the constitution. These were described as limits, as Amendments 9 & 10 clearly enumerated:
Amendment IX: The enumeration in the Constitution, of certain rights, shall not be construed to deny or disparage others retained by the people.
Amendment X: The powers not delegated to the United States by the Constitution, nor prohibited by it to the states, are reserved to the states respectively, or to the people.
Govt was to be minimal, to be a minimal burden on the workers, & content itself to the duties spelled out in the constitution. International treaties, coining of currency, national defense, & other such specific duties are clear mandates of their expected duties. Nothing else was wanted or even allowed. The people & their freedom was the overriding goal & responsibility of Govt.

4. Citizen Representatives/self rule
America was founded upon the principle of citizen representatives.. this was a govt of, by & for the people. It was NOT a nation of an elite ruling class, where everyone else was subservient to the edicts of the rulers. The PEOPLE were to rule. To make that possible, the people were to be the ruling board. The intent was for congresspersons to be elected by the people in the individual states, & senators with a short term elected by the state houses, & a president elected for a short term to run the executive branch.
"A government by representatives elected by the people at short periods was our object, and our maxim... was, 'where annual election ends, tyranny begins;' nor have our departures from it been sanctioned by the happiness of their effects." ~Thomas Jefferson

5. E Pluribus Unum
This concept is interwoven in all of the above descriptions. A nation consists of people.. many diverse people, in a nation such as the United States. This concept, 'Out of many, One' is a collective dream of America. Our individual beliefs, opinions, dreams, & goals are protected & secured as our own, but they are also part of the collective expression of the whole. Individual rights & freedoms are sometimes mitigated by the collective needs of society, but they are never negated. Our overriding commitment to the whole trumps selfish considerations. We are free individuals, but we are united as One, for our collective good. We are not a collection of aimless misanthropes, but a united people, devoted to the overriding goal of our collective liberties, property, & prosperity. We are different, but we are united in our superseding goal of working together for the common benefit. This is not a collectivist ideology of social engineering, but a voluntary system of cooperation & consideration to our fellow man. It is a celebration of morality & altruism, while recognizing the tendency of evil in man.

This is the Dream of America. It may end, but it will be forever remembered as the most successful experiment in human freedom.

Racism: Progressive Poison for Humanity

3. Racism
a. anti diversity
b. Demonize scapegoats
c. Teaching implied inferiority of minorities
d. Eugenics & institutional racism

I have added to my original list, to expound upon the issue in more detail.

As usual, the very things the progressives ACCUSE others of, they are guilty of in spades. Race becomes an obsession with them, & any hint or possibility of a racial aspect, real or imagined, is played up & overemphasized. The current issue with the racist kid shooter fits within their narrative that all white people are inherently racist. Obama even said it is in our DNA. They distort statistics to 'prove' that white people kill & attack blacks all the time, & are constantly engaged in racist criminal acts.

So, if they want to make a race issue out of crime, lets look at the real statistics, instead of their distortions:



62.6% white, non latino, ---> 62,593 acts of violence against black people
13.2% black, ---> 320,082 acts of violence against white people
Blacks have 1/5th the population of whites, yet commit 5 times the number of violent acts against them.
This completely contradicts the false narrative of evil white people gunning down innocent black people. It is actually, completely, the other way around, as a national problem. Racist crime is a black problem, not a white one.

OK, so maybe they want to make a general crime issue out of race. Which race has the higher rate of crime, & especially, violent crime? How about we go to Chicago, the hometown of the president & the utopian poster child for progressive ideology?

First, here are the race percentages:


Next, the crime stats:



See anything interesting? Like the percentage of the races, & the corresponding murder rate? The same holds true for rape, robbery, assault, & other crimes.

Whites - 31.7% ---> 2.8% of the murders
Blacks - 32.4% ---> 75% of the murders

Now, if i were a racist, i would say that these stats prove that blacks are violent, inferior thugs, who cannot be civilized. This is what the progressives teach in school, by implication. But i see another factor:The welfare state. THAT is the REAL reason for the crime in the cities. The destruction of the family has PRODUCED this breeding ground for crime, the unbridled hate & lawlessness.. that is the real source of the crime, not the race of the people. It is the progressive zoo of the welfare state that has crippled the black race, demeaning the black man, & turning him into a dependent, feral animal. ALL this a DIRECT result of the progressive welfare state policies of bigotry & implied inferiority. They tell the black man he is inferior.. he can't make it in the real world, & must have a handout to survive. He would go extinct in the natural habitat, so they construct liberal zoos to house him in, & turn them into breeding grounds of racist bigotry.

This is what the real statistics show, not some convoluted twisting to demonize whitey. The real demon is progressivism. That is the evil of humanity.. that is the REAL enemy of the black man. If you want to be free, black man, stop supporting the democratic plantation. They will keep you as slaves, & manipulate your life for their own political agenda.

Progressives do not miss an opportunity to fan the flames of division to further their false narrative. Hillary spoke of 'institutional racism' in America, which seems absurd. Which of our institutions promote racism? Then i realized: Academia, the media, the govt, entertainment.. just about ALL of America's institutions are controlled & dominated by progressives. And, since progressives are race obsessed, it logically follows that their racism is indeed 'institutional'. Schools teach white superiority, & black inferiority. They do it by implication, teaching that black people cannot survive in the real world without help from the white man. They teach that white people are superior, & should give assistance to the less capable races, showing pity for them. Early in progressive history, they wanted to eliminate the inferior races with eugenics, another darling of progressive thought. Now, they herd them into progressive zoos.. trapping them in gulags of dependency & generations of crime, hopelessness, & despair.

Progressives are steeped in racism. It is anti white racism on the surface, but it reeks of bigotry in all of their ideology. They are enemies of racial harmony & diversity. All they do is divide & stir dissension. They hate humanity, & undermine humans at every opportunity, under the deceitful guise of 'helping them'. They are bigoted, superior elitists, & look at the unwashed masses with disdain.

They are enemies of humanity, & a deadly poison as an ideology.

Even the black racist Malcolm X warned blacks about the racist, manipulating left:

Truth by Decree

2. Anti science.
a. Truth by decree
b. Credentials over reason & facts
c. Hijacking of terms for political agenda

The global warming scam is one of the most obvious indicators of this mindset, but there are others. History is constantly being revised, to promote a narrative. Anti white, or anti American caricatures are constantly drummed into children, from preschool to advanced degrees. Evolution is pounded as 'absolute truth' or 'settled science', when it is not even a good theory.

Men can be 'redefined' as women, white is black, & all truth is relative. It is as if George Orwell himself was transported to the 21st century, before he wrote his books.

:..the three slogans of the Party:
WAR IS PEACE
FREEDOM IS SLAVERY
IGNORANCE IS STRENGTH." ~George Orwell

Muddy truth & fantasy as reality, is what the progressive left brings us, along with the death of Natural Law, & order in the universe. Reason is not esteemed, but credentials, as people claim authority based not on the soundness of their logic or evidence, but in their claim of expertise. All others are commanded to bow in obeisance to their supreme wisdom & omnipotence, even if they spout bullshit.

'We won, didn't we?' ~ Harry Reid
Brian William's helicopter under fire story.
Fauxcahontas, ~Elizabeth Warren.
Black like Me, ~Rachel Dolezal
'We were broke coming out of the whitehouse', ~one broke girl Hillary.
'If you like your healthcare, you can keep it. Period.' ~Cloward Piven strategist Obama.

Revisionism & blatant lies are becoming so commonplace, that we are numb to their damage. What would have brought impeachment a few decades ago is yawned at, all brought to you by the New Progressive America. The only purpose of information is to promote a narrative.. pitching propaganda & eliciting a mythical belief. Truth & knowledge for the sake of truth & knowledge is absurd, to the leftist. It must fit within their political agenda.

But it is not only science & truth that is a casualty of leftist thought, but basic rights like due process, speech, & other standards in the bill of rights. Mob rule & accusations are enough, & 'justice' becomes a caricature with French Revolution style courts & mob justice prevailing. Phony narratives like, 'hands up, don't shoot!' are promoted, rather than truth or evidence.

Individually, many of these things might seem trivial, or minor problems in any social system. But when viewed from their origins, & with the prevailing world view directing the narrative, the danger to civilization cannot be overlooked or underestimated. This is a deadly evil for humanity, & is leading us to destruction.

Social Identity: Us vs Them

1. Us vs them mentality.
a. Hatred. Ridicule & despise 'them'
b. Division
c. Submission to group leaders, demonize opposition
d. Loyalty to group over reason

"In the early 1970s, British social psychologist Henri Tajfel explored a phenomenon he called the minimal group paradigm. The basic idea behind this concept was to investigate the minimal conditions required for discrimination to occur within groups.
Amazingly, studies on this approach have shown that people tend to favor a group bias even when they are categorized on relatively meaningless distinctions, for example: eye color, what kind of paintings they like, or even the flip of a coin.
This tells us that we can potentially separate ourselves from a certain group of people on any random and arbitrary characteristic. Therefore, everyone is susceptible to be a perpetrator and/or victims of social prejudice and ostracism.
It appears that thinking of ourselves in terms of groups automatically leads to a kind of irrational group favoritism." source

There is nothing surprising about the 'social identity theory'. Any human being with any perception has seen it in play everywhere, at every time. But in America, & especially enlightened society, the little things that divide us are glossed over for the overriding UNITING factor of our common identity as civilized, free humans. America spearheaded this concept 200+ yrs ago, providing TOLERANCE & diversity into the constitution, rather than strictly demanding conformity.

But like other American virtues, these are being poo-pooed by the progressives, who are back to the old domineering ways of mandating conformity. THEIR moral views are superior, & they will not tolerate any dissension. The American Ideal supersedes the minor, arbitrary or physical traits like race, education, economic status, etc, as secondary. Not everyone followed this high view of man, but it was there as a goal.. a lofty aspiration to rise above the petty divisions of man.

But this very strength of character is also our downfall. We esteem tolerance so much, we are inclusive toward those who wish to destroy us. We do not have the balance or wisdom to keep our system intact from enemy attack, while accepting (and funding) those who are attacking.

The progressive left uses division as a weapon. they do not appeal to a higher unity, but divide over the smallest trait & petty human distinction. They divide us over race, money, gender, sexual preference, religion, & any arbitrary human trait. And empty headed fools fall for their schemes. They rush to the left to find quarter from the evil oppressors that the fear mongers concoct. They promise protection from bigotry of their own designs, which they constructed. The very things they accuse others of, they willfully & blatantly embrace. They are haters, racist, & bigoted, which they accuse in others with no circumspection.

The Death of Due Process.. The End of Law..

June 15, 1215.  800 years ago.  King John put his seal to the Magna Carta.  It was a milestone for the concept of Law over Decree.  It affirmed the idea of Natural Law rather than imperial rule.  It was a foundational document for the English Bill of Rights, the Declaration of Independence, & the American Constitution.

If you read it, it seems mostly concerned with money.. heirs, fees, management, etc.  The details of the text was not the central issue, as later in the declaration of independence, but what it represented:  Rule of Law.  Instead of kings & nobles arbitrarily doing whatever they wanted, there were guidelines.. LAWS that superseded their decrees.  It was a foundational document for the concept of due process:  LAW, rather than the fickle whims of the ruling elite.

Here are a few points:
(30) No sheriff, royal official, or other person shall take horses or carts for transport from any free man, without his consent
(31) Neither we nor any royal official will take wood for our castle, or for any other purpose, without the consent of the owner.
(35) There shall be standard measures of wine, ale, and corn (the London quarter), throughout the kingdom. There shall also be a standard width of dyed cloth, russet, and haberject, namely two ells within the selvedges. Weights are to be standardised similarly
(38) In future no official shall place a man on trial upon his own unsupported statement, without producing credible witnesses to the truth of it.
(39) No free man shall be seized or imprisoned, or stripped of his rights or possessions, or outlawed or exiled, or deprived of his standing in any way, nor will we proceed with force against him, or send others to do so, except by the lawful judgment of his equals or by the law of the land.
(40) To no one will we sell, to no one deny or delay right or justice. 
source: http://www.bl.uk/magna-carta/articles/magna-carta-english-translation#sthash.3RSjblwX.dpuf

The last couple are probably the most noteworthy, & are still valid in English Law.  But at the time, very few people were 'freemen', so it was not as revolutionary as it might seem.  But this confirmed the concept of individual rights over the ruler's decree, & began the idea of due process.  English Law continued to evolve these concepts in the English bill of rights of 1869, which were also codified into the American Constitution.

Here are a few points in the English Bill of Rights:
That it is the right of the subjects to petition the king, and all commitments and prosecutions for such petitioning are illegal;
That the raising or keeping a standing army within the kingdom in time of peace, unless it be with consent of Parliament, is against law;
That the subjects which are Protestants may have arms for their defence suitable to their conditions and as allowed by law;
That election of members of Parliament ought to be free;
That the freedom of speech and debates or proceedings in Parliament ought not to be impeached or questioned in any court or place out of Parliament;
That excessive bail ought not to be required, nor excessive fines imposed, nor cruel and unusual punishments inflicted;
That jurors ought to be duly impanelled and returned, and jurors which pass upon men in trials for high treason ought to be freeholders;
That all grants and promises of fines and forfeitures of particular persons before conviction are illegal and void;

..and the American bill of rights, the first 10 amendments to the constitution.
I- Congress shall make no law respecting an establishment of religion, or prohibiting the free exercise thereof; or abridging the freedom of speech, or of the press; or the right of the people peaceably to assemble, and to petition the Government for a redress of grievances.
II- A well regulated Militia, being necessary to the security of a free State, the right of the people to keep and bear Arms, shall not be infringed.
III- No Soldier shall, in time of peace be quartered in any house, without the consent of the Owner, nor in time of war, but in a manner to be prescribed by law.
IV- The right of the people to be secure in their persons, houses, papers, and effects, against unreasonable searches and seizures, shall not be violated, and no Warrants shall issue, but upon probable cause, supported by Oath or affirmation, and particularly describing the place to be searched, and the persons or things to be seized.
V- No person shall be held to answer for a capital, or otherwise infamous crime, unless on a presentment or indictment of a Grand Jury, except in cases arising in the land or naval forces, or in the Militia, when in actual service in time of War or public danger; nor shall any person be subject for the same offence to be twice put in jeopardy of life or limb; nor shall be compelled in any criminal case to be a witness against himself, nor be deprived of life, liberty, or property, without due process of law; nor shall private property be taken for public use, without just compensation.
VI- In all criminal prosecutions, the accused shall enjoy the right to a speedy and public trial, by an impartial jury of the State and district wherein the crime shall have been committed, which district shall have been previously ascertained by law, and to be informed of the nature and cause of the accusation; to be confronted with the witnesses against him; to have compulsory process for obtaining witnesses in his favor, and to have the Assistance of Counsel for his defence.
VII- In Suits at common law, where the value in controversy shall exceed twenty dollars, the right of trial by jury shall be preserved, and no fact tried by a jury, shall be otherwise re-examined in any Court of the United States, than according to the rules of the common law.
VIII- Excessive bail shall not be required, nor excessive fines imposed, nor cruel and unusual punishments inflicted.
IX- The enumeration in the Constitution, of certain rights, shall not be construed to deny or disparage others retained by the people.
X- The powers not delegated to the United States by the Constitution, nor prohibited by it to the States, are reserved to the States respectively, or to the people.

Many of the rights enumerated are almost verbatim from earlier texts.  It is easy to see the 'paper trail' of liberty evolving in history.  Rights were expanded upon.. going from nobles to freemen, to every citizen.  The concept of Natural Law was born, & with it the recognition that everyone had inherent rights to their life, property, & liberty.  Wars were fought, attempts made to subjugate the freedoms, but for at least 800 years we have been moving toward MORE freedom for the common man.  This should be celebrated!  It is a victory for the common man, having the same rights as the ruling elite, & the ruling elite under the same LAW as the common man.  This opened the door for the idea of self rule.  Citizen representatives could make decisions for the nation, based on common sense & common goals.  Govt could be kept minimal, & have few demands on the lives & property of the people.  A ruling elite could be avoided, which always seems to degenerate into oppression of the working man.  There have been setbacks, but we have been going in the direction of freedom, & we are all the better for it.  It has been a wonderful experiment in Human Freedom.. a nation conceived in liberty, & dedicated to human rights & due process.

Now we are engaged in a great national debate, to test whether this nation, or any nation so conceived & dedicated, can long endure.  Enemies of human freedom dominate the nation's institutions.  Schools do not teach the fundamentals of freedom, the magna carta, or even the declaration of Independence.  Major media outlets ridicule the concepts of liberty.  Historical documents that elevate human liberty are criticized & viewed as old fashioned, not as building blocks of freedom.  But this 'new' mindset is really just one of the old ones, rebranded, revised, & put in hip new terms.  It is still elitist oppression from a ruling elite, even if they are just wannabes.  But they show their true colors in opposing all the basics of freedom:

Speech.
Religion.
Gun rights.
No unreasonable search & seizure.
No double jeopardy.
Right to trial by jury of peers.
Presumption of innocence.
Right to face accuser.

The basis for these things are the concept of Truth, & due process as a method of discovery.  Evidence is submitted, examinations made, & truth is determined, beyond a reasonable doubt.  It was an extension of scientific discovery, using technology, logic, & common sense.  Assumptions are avoided.  Speculation is discouraged.  Only facts & evidence count.  But the anti freedom, anti truth forces that dominate our institutions are threatening this thread of liberty.  It is woven in the tapestry of history, & is now in danger of being cut off.  Speech has to follow politically correct guidelines.  Religion can be redefined as 'bigotry', firearms are banned, accusations substitute for evidence, & mob rule is promoted, instead of blind justice.  Guilt is accused, not proven.  Trials are public shows, not inquiries for facts.

How can a nation so rich in human freedom, with a heritage of due process, liberty, & basic rights, toss it all aside for promises of utopia from slick tongued deceivers?  How can we even consider letting them rule by decree, & set our basic rights aside?

Notice the progression of rights.. more & more were added, to preempt the despotism of the ruling elite.  The last 2 in the American bill of rights are very interesting, & powerful.  They delegate ANYTHING that might come up in the future, or that weren't spelled out as being rights of THE PEOPLE, not the state..  just the opposite of what the current nanny state is doing.  Anything not spelled out, they claim as their turf, & dictate to US 'how it is going to be'.  This should rile up the citizens.  We should be greatly offended that some bureaucrat, living off our dime, is bossing US around, claiming authority over us.  These assholes work for us, not the other way around.  Our elected officials are just regular citizens, not some cream of the crop, ruling class.  They have things so twisted that it will probably take armed revolt to make an attitude adjustment.

800 years!!  That is a  long time.  It has not been easy, as the ruling elite NEVER relinquish power willingly.  The people must FORCE them to submit to LAW, as they always try to put themselves above it.  Early last century, the ideology began that slowly eroded the concept of Law & due process:  Progressive ideology.  The basic rights were muddied & diluted with stupid nanny state inclusions that obscured the basis of Natural Law.  FDR included EVERYTHING as a basic right.  Jobs, education, food, housing, old age pension.. everything that humans have had to work to earn for all of human history, he included as a natural right!  He just promoted the Great Fiction that govt can enable you to live off of everybody else.  It was not about basic rights to life, liberty, & property, but free stuff.  It was merely collectivist redistribution, not basic human rights.  Someone else had to work to earn these things, & the great mooching state had begun.

And for the next 80-100 yrs, we have been reaping the harvest of this ideology.  By diluting the concept of Natural Law & basic human rights, they minimize all of them.  By minimizing rights to life, property, & liberties, they kill due process.  Those are concessions to be made by Big Brother, not inherent rights.  The Messianic Leader can benevolently grant a privilege.. it is not yours by birth.  They started with property.. it belongs to the state.  You didn't build that.  Any success you had in your life you OWE to the govt, your benevolent enabler.  That is how all the mooching elite live, so they assume EVERYONE can live this way.  And as the basic right to property is eroded, so goes the rest of our 'natural rights'.  Speech has been under attack by PC tyranny for decades.  Gun rights are constantly targeted by the progressive elite.  Due process gives way to mob rule & public propaganda trials.

If this evil ideology is not exposed & resisted, the great leaps of human freedom we have seen over the last 800 years will disappear.  They will revise history, & no mention will be made about the quest for human freedom.  They don't mention it now, in progressive run academia.  They certainly won't mention it when they gain full control of all the information outlets.

Credit to Abe Lincoln for the line from the Gettysburg Address.
Four score and seven years ago our fathers brought forth on this continent, a new nation, conceived in Liberty, and dedicated to the proposition that all men are created equal.
Now we are engaged in a great civil war, testing whether that nation, or any nation so conceived and so dedicated, can long endure.