Welcome!

Thank you for taking the time to stop by.  My name is Kevin and I began this blog a few weeks after the 2012 elections in which Barack Obama secured a second term.  In truth, I had wanted to start a blog for some time, but the election results provided the spark that lit the fire beneath my feet.   For anyone who knows me, they know that I was not happy with the election, I was not happy with most of the choices and I am not happy with the state of the world.  Over the coming weeks and months, I hope to explain to you as to why I feel as I do, to challenge, if not persuade,  those who disagree with me, and to provide information to those who might agree with me, but lack the tools to fortify their arguments.

 Now, dear reader, you may wonder why "Lament of Icarus" as a title?   To explain, one needs to be somewhat familiar with the myth of Icarus.  As you may know, Icarus and his father Daedalus were imprisoned on the island of Crete.  Daedalus, who was a master craftsman and inventor, built two sets of wings of feathers and wax, so that they could escape from the tower in which they were kept.    Daedalus warned his son to not fly too high nor too low and the two departed with the wings working as designed.   However, Icarus quickly became intoxicated with his new powers of flight and began to fly higher and higher in joyous rapture.  Perhaps he believed he could touch the Gods, were he to fly high enough, or perhaps he believed that he had become a god himself.    How invincible he must have felt by emerging from imprisonment and breaking the very bounds of the earth.   How beautiful he must have looked.  Despite this, his careless abandon caused him to fly too close to the sun, which in turn melted the wax which held the feathers together.  The wings began to disintegrate and could no longer carry him aloft, so Icarus plummeted to his death in the sea far below.  Daedalus would survive his son, but with tremendous heartache.

In short, Icarus, drunk with power and believing himself divine, disregarded common sense and simple instruction which led to his demise.

In broad terms, this is an appropriate metaphor for the present condition of the state, and indeed, governments everywhere.  That is to say, government, like Icarus, has a clear mission and a defined set of common-sense parameters in which to operate as well as the appropriate tools with which to achieve that goal. And for a time, things were good.   But power is corrupting and the temptation to do more than what was originally planned proves to be too great and before long, the Government-called-Icarus attempts too much with too little regard for the future and sooner or later, the supporting apparatus fails and the unwise, however well intentioned, subject falls to their doom.

We live in an interesting time.  Gadgets which are now commonplace now far exceed many of the most exotic of science fiction scenarios written only a generation ago.  Our technological wizardry, which we take for granted, puts to shame magic and miracles described in ancient texts.    That a New Yorker or a Torontonian or a Chicagoan can purchase a tropical pineapple in the dead of winter, from a grower he has never met, grown in a place he has never been, for a comparatively trifling price is nothing short of a marvel.   Yet, this is only one side of the story.  Another side is that of abuse, waste, debt, war, prohibition and an ever-encroaching state which increasingly curtails our freedoms in the name of good intentions.  Sadly, few people learn the lessons of history or consider long-term consequences.  The majority with therefore quietly accept the burdens and restrictions placed on them under the false assumption that the state is benevolent and will make things better.    Voltaire once said "It is difficult to free fools from the chains they revere."  As it is, there are a great many fools in the world, and a great many chains.  The most recent election, like so many before, have proven this.

But do not despair, o reader!  For there are still some of us fighting for your freedom, and indeed, for the freedom of all mankind.  We may be a minority in the world, those who treasure liberty, but we are persistent and dedicated.    This blog is written by an American, and many of the issues will concern Americans primarily, but this blog is not for Americans only, it is for everyone.  This blog will be more than mere politics, it will also be about economics, culture, history and art.   As best I can, I will provide appropriate links and citations where appropriate and I welcome contributions that you find relevant. 

There is a difficult road ahead of us, friends, and there are no easy solutions.  Nevertheless, solutions are what we need, so please join me so that we can learn and discuss how we can better follow the example of sober Daedalus instead of his wayward son Icarus. 

Thank you.