The Pauper: Chapter 16: Demands
Freedom must be the first and foremost demand
Knowing, that in the end, market and government systems do not regard his best interests, and that communities could instantly turn on him, the pauper ought not insist on a good world, since such a world requires force, which then ironically produces the opposite effect.
(In an even greater twist of fate, such demands give pretexts for those in power to grab more power).
Rather, he must insist on a free world. Why? Because those same systems can be exploited for his benefit in wonderful ways, and that same community can enrich his life, or even help restore it.
What he must demand, when it comes to government, are few. For beginners, government must provide for his personal or proprietary safety, and allow him to also do so himself if he can, since government is not ubiquitous.
He must not demand good leaders, but rather systems and customs which check or mitigate their inevitable abuse of power. For even wicked men can demonstrate brilliant statesmanship. Genius is indifferent to virtue. Sure, the world is full of wolves. This is where discernment is necessary.
The pauper must also oppose war unless the survival of his nation is genuinely in grave danger. For in war, as territories are conquered, the rich and powerful make deals that undermine the domestic and foreign poor; with empire, comes a flood of vast reserves of slaves or cheap labor. Such a door, once opened, puts even more economic pressure on the pauper’s wages at home. In addition, as military adventures severely deplete or bankrupt the national treasury to enrich the wealthy, investments into general development and welfare benefits wane.
National sovereignty now exists, since the idea of the nation-state has taken full form (thanks to men the likes of Machiavelli). Bodies of government now collaborate to establish international humanitarian laws and moral standards.
In light of this, he must demand peace even more and incessantly, because the case is more legitimate than ever, seeing as there is an international consensus and codified agreements in favor of such a position.
Peace is more important than prosperity. And if he thinks that the conquests of war will bring him a share of the spoils if his side wins, he is sadly mistaken, unless he's willing to do unscrupulous things.
In addition, the pauper must not demand that government, or the rich and powerful, provide for his daily bread. Nor should he demand that they regulate or censor those he finds repugnant. For such a sword is double-edged. Rather, he should demand that laws which provide for his protection against excesses and overreach at all levels, be formed and faithfully executed.
He must demand, above all things, freedom. For in freedom is a man’s wholeness revealed. He can fully exercise his daily will and determine the course of his life within reasonable social and moral constraints. To be a moral being, as man is, means that he is an individual. And it means that he will be judged based upon the merits of his own actions.
Therefore, to strip away the freedom of self-determination, is to debase him. It is true that the hand of passion must at times be stayed by appropriate force, but that is not the subject matter at hand.
The pauper must also understand that though freedom and protection from elitist abuse are the foundations of prosperity, he may not necessarily become prosperous.
To be free comes with risk. Those free to love, risk heartbreak and ostracism. Those free to roam risk getting lost. Those free to succeed, risk failure. Those free to be rich, risk remaining or becoming poor. For in life adversity exists, and the way to handle it is not to undermine freedom. It is enough and great for a man to say, whether he died rich or he died poor, that he died free. And when a man is free, it means the dignity of his humanity and all that comes with it, is realized.
THIS CONCLUDES THE INSTRUCTIONS FOR THE PAUPER
Find my work here on Substack. Don’t forget to follow, so that you never miss a new article when it comes out. In short, I despise the Elite, along with the cultural stagnation, academic conformity, economic chaos, and social decay that they create or facilitate. I aspire to empower and equip the common man with the perspective and mindset to wrest back ownership of his life.