Anglosphere_Liberty

=**Anglosphere Liberty**=

The Pledge of Allegiance ends "with liberty and justice for all." As justice goes, so does civilization. Winston Churchill noted "//There are few words which are used more loosely than the word “Civilization.” What does it mean? It means a society based upon the opinion of civilians. It means that violence, the rule of warriors and despotic chiefs, the conditions of camps and warfare, of riot and tyranny, give place to parliaments where laws are made, and independent courts of justice in which over long periods those laws are maintained. That is Civilization—and in its soil grow continually freedom, comfort, and culture. When Civilization reigns, in any country, a wider and less harassed life is afforded to the masses of the people. The traditions of the past are cherished, and the inheritance bequeathed to us by former wise or valiant men becomes a rich estate to be enjoyed and used by all//.”
 * Background:**

A lot of things are changing in civilization today. Some of our basic principles that brought us freedom are being waned away. One is the rule of law, or that the government just doesn't quickly change the law since there is a higher law of authority - an absolute right and absolute wrong - there is an independent judiciary that judges the government and tells the government when the peoples' rights have been violated. The problem is when a majority decides what is just, what about when the majority is wrong? If 51% said robbery was okay, does that make it okay? Truth isn't necessarily majority rule. Rule of law says that what is right is right and what is wrong is wrong. America's rule of law was based on Judeo-Christian principles. Rule of law is needed for a just civilization.

Personal liberty is important for a just society as well. Freedom of speech is one that is very important. The ability to disagree. Political correctness has hindered freedom of speech in modern America. Dr. Ben Carson gave opinions against the progressive agenda and found himself audited by the IRS three different times the following year. His family was audited too. Is this freedom of speech? Being bullied into not thinking or saying what you want is dangerous because who says what is right and wrong? A free society must protect the personal liberty of those who disagree. Freedom of assembly is important as well - gathering together and discussing principles. There are countries that if you bring 10 or more people together you must notify the government first. Personal liberty gives you economic and spiritual freedom.

Representative government is necessary for a just society. We the voters will elect leaders to hold our valued principles as sacred and if they don't, then new leaders will be voted in. These three principles built western civilization.

The English speaking people carried the torch of freedom further than any other culture. It's because of the culture and the ideals that have sunk in deep. How often do you hear someone say about something being unfair or something being against our rights? We are use to freedom, but you can't defend a freedom or principle if you don't know where it came from. Many today don't know where the freedom principles come from. Many think the government gives the people the freedom. The English speaking branch went through civil wars and battles to check the power of the state - originally kings. The English speaking people have spread more freedom around the world then anyone. It all started in England and spread the foundational principles. Alexis de Tocqueville said about America that the American is the Englishman left to himself. He saw in England that the Englishman was being taxed outrageously. He said it was the same culture of values but the government (state) wasn't oppressing the American people. People were coming to America from all over to gain freedom. Many left penniless for a chance to start over without any government dictating their every movement. They came for the very principles that we're forgetting today.
 * A breakdown of western civilization - Anglosphere (English speaking core countries - United Kingdom, United States, Australia, New Zealand, and Canada):**

Writer James Bennett said to be part of the Anglosphere requires adherence to the fundamental customs and values that formed the core of English speaking cultures - individualism, rule of law, honoring contracts and covenants, and elevation of freedom to the first rank of value. Nations formed in the Anglosphere share a common historical narrative in which the Magna Carta, English (and American) Bill of Rights, and common law principles such as trial by jury, presumption of innocence, and man's home is his castle are taken for granted.

What are some of the challenges going on? Laws are routinely being made by executive decree - if Congress or Parliament won't pass something, executives in the Anglosphere nations are passing regulations on their own. Executives in Anglosphere nations have access to a lot more money than kings had. Secondly, taxes are progressively levied and used without consent. Many today are okay at spending if it benefits them short term without considering who it might hurt or the long term problems with over spending. Average Americans are being hurt with the overspending since inflation comes from the dollar being devalued since it is being printed in record amounts to cover the yearly deficits. What happens when borrowing is stopped? A third major issue is that power is centralizing. State and local levels are losing more and more power (in America since 1913) and the central government increases. Power always centralizes, which is why checks and balances have to be in place. The problem in America is that the checks are no longer checking. For example, if the federal gets more money and it benefits each of the three branches, then who is going to check who? It use to be that the states had more ability to check the federal and local got to check the states. Why are we losing freedom today? Power is centralizing. A fourth challenge is that the central government spending is skyrocketing. Having to borrow money to pay the interest on borrowed money is not sustainable. Anglosphere laws were to give the rules of the game to free the individual.

There were three main principles that all law was meant to do. John Locke called it natural law. Life, liberty, and property were the natural laws described by Locke and government is to protect those rights. Instead of we all protecting our own life, liberty, and property let's form a limited government to watch it all so everyone else could go and produce more. It worked great when government didn't control everything, but rather protected everything. Government was assigned to defend our lives (keep foreign enemies from taking over while we're working and make sure no internal enemies take over), protect our liberties (make sure no one internally tries to oppress us - when government provides and protects liberty, society thrives), and protect private property.

How did this freedom all come about? There was a king - King Ethelred, the king of England. He was called Ethelred the Unready. The Danes kept attacking. It was easy for them. They'd tell Ethelred what they wanted, he'd tax the people, give it to the Danes, then go home. This happened each year - this "protection" tax. The Danes eventually conquered London. Ethelred ran off to France since he was afraid. Eventually, the English people defended themselves and then got a hold of Ethelred and told him he could still be king but he couldn't make all of the decisions on his own. Aristocrats would work with him (sort of the start of the House of Lords). Also, taxes would be limited. Power was starting to be checked. This was in 1014. The Anglosphere people knew that total power and freedom are opposite. In 1014, they said from now on our kings will not have total power.

William the Conqueror and the Normans conquered wherever they went. He attacked Saxon, England and took over defeating King Harold in the Battle of Hastings and changed England. In 1066, he conquered and what changed was that it became absolute power. He took all of the Saxon's land and gave it to the Normans who came from France. The Normans built castles since they needed protection from the people since they were oppressing the people. The people didn't like it. Feudalism grew in England. Tax rates went high. The Saxon...the English...Americans...you and I - we don't like oppression. The oppression lasted almost 150 years until King John made various deals. He was deceitful and did whatever he had to do to have power. At this point, the Normans didn't consider themselves Normans, but English since assimilated over time. Some of the Lords got together again just like back with Ethelred. They got King John to agree to the Magna Carta in Runnymede in 1215 in which there will be no more absolute rule over the people. The Magna Carta changed history. It was a contractual agreement to protect the life, liberty, and property of civilians.

These freedom principles are biblical. The Ten Commandments looked to protect life, liberty, and property. It was the source book for freedom. We went from a nation with an equal playing field for all to one in which the government that will take from one and hand to another for social justice. Freedom means freedom to win but also lose. Our government came from ideas of self-governing peoples - the Anglosphere. Our society today has a love of entertainment and other diversions that keep many Americans ignorant of what is going on in our nation. That is not the true nature of America or the Anglosphere. The Anglosphere grew on the principles of the Bible and the principles of the Magna Carta. That is what it will take to achieve justice for all.

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