Frontiersman, February 2024

for thought as well.

Without a doubt we are living in treacherous times. Republicans and Democrats are tearing the country apart. Both sides are creating an “us against them” scenario, where in reality, it’s plutocracy that’s ruining our country. Time has come for our democracy to gasp it’s dying breaths, and demagogy to enslave Americans for a bit.

It’s the citizens faults. We let the foxes into the hen house. It should be us (citizens) against them (state and federal gov’t)....

... I really liked your article “The American Dream” [January issue]. You, as usual, have hit the nail squarely on the head. Every one is screaming about equality and in reality, equality isn’t a standard that will ever be realized. In a society where there is 13% black and 62% white, in the U.S.A., blacks are going to be all back of the bus and shit, but let’s reverse the scenario. In Zimbabwe, whites are the pariah. Whomever is in the minority will always be left wanting, color aside.

In reality, even if we had identical populations of white, black, brown, reds, yellows, etc., do you know who would get the “one upsman” cards? The commander in chief’s color and ideology would decide.

Things will always be unequal. Wealth creates plutocrats, plutocrats create autocrats, autocrats continue through nepotism. After that, who’s stronger, who’s faster, who’s better looking, so on and so on.

What amazes me is how the rich keep the poor fighting for table scraps and fighting for an unattainable goal, equality.

Have a good one.

—S. H., a prisoner

Hey Sam,

I wanted to write and let you know that I got the December issue of your newsletter. “Thank you.” It’s always good to hear from you....

—H. L., a prisoner

Another Chain That Binds Us
Sam Aurelius Milam III

A big problem with conventional marriage is the license. Applying for a marriage license is the same thing as asking the government for permission to get married. The license causes the marriage to be a licensed institution in a regulated industry, like a business. It gives the government a jurisdiction over the marriage, allowing the government to regulate the marriage like a business. The government’s jurisdiction is legitimate because the people voluntarily applied for the license. They’re required to comply with all applicable rules and regulations. If they comply, then they get the associated privileges. If they don’t comply, then they get punished. A licensed marriage can’t even be terminated without the approval of the government. The parties must request a divorce, which ends the marriage but not the jurisdiction. After a divorce, the parties must continue to comply with the terms and conditions of the divorce, just like they were required to comply with the terms and conditions of the marriage.

There isn’t any reason why every marriage has to be a government institution. People should consider that carefully before they get a license. Also, there isn’t any reason why everybody should be saddled with a conventional, Christian style marriage. There are a lot of possible alternatives. There are group marriages, polygamous marriages, contractual marriages, temporary marriages, common-law marriages, and any other arrangement that ingenuity can devise.

I suggest that people should remove the religious dogma from the legislation and the religious brainwashing from their minds. With a little imagination, they might find arrangements that they like a lot better than the traditional Christian deal, with a legally binding government license. Occasionally, some young rascal might decide to unbend his knee and not get married at all. Maybe an old rascal, too.

Stray Thoughts
Sam Aurelius Milam III
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Here’s an instance in which our language has failed us. We don’t have different words to describe a legitimate jurisdiction as opposed to an illegitimate jurisdiction. Both kinds of jurisdictions are described by the same word, jurisdiction. The lack of a distinction in the terminology impairs people’s ability to recognize and understand the difference.
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The best way to help homeless people might be to repeal the minimum wage. Then, maybe somebody could afford to hire them.
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So-called hate crime is a legislative and judicial ploy that hypocritical reformers use to additionally punish people that they hate.
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For some jobs, elbow grease is the best lubricant.
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The problem with achieving humility in western culture is that we lack the wisdom to comprehend it and the vocabulary to define it.
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Sweat is good for the body. Work is good for the soul.
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The best way to achieve affordable housing is to remove all of the stupid, unnecessary, hi-tech requirements from the building codes.