Things I've Said

Author: Stephen

  • Why Christians Should Be Against Drug Prohibition

    I don’t use illegal drugs, nor do I promote their use.  But I am very much against the prohibition of drugs.  There are many reasons for this but this short article will address two reasons that I think Christians in particular should be against drug prohibition.

    The first reason applies to naturally occurring drugs, such as marijuana:

    Genesis 1:11-12
    And God said, Let the earth bring forth grass, the herb yielding seed, and the fruit tree yielding fruit after his kind, whose seed is in itself, upon the earth: and it was so. And the earth brought forth grass, and herb yielding seed after his kind, and the tree yielding fruit, whose seed was in itself, after his kind: and God saw that it was good.

    It is one thing to disapprove of the use of marijuana as an intoxicant, it is quite another thing to make the plant illegal to grow or possess.  The plant is good, and has many practical uses. If God thinks it’s good, that should be enough reason for Christians to believe that it is good.

    Next, free will:

    Genesis 2:16-17
    And the Lord God commanded the man, saying, of every tree of the garden thou mayest freely eat, but of the tree of the knowledge of good and evil, thou shalt not eat of it: for in the day that thou eatest thereof thou shalt surely die.

    Most Christians believe that God gave us the ability to choose between good an evil because He wanted to man to love Him.  He put man in the Garden of Eden, put a tree in the garden, and told man not to eat from it.  Without that tree, there was no free will.  Without free will, we could not be moral agents – we could be neither bad nor good.  And without free will we could we love God.

    How can man be greater than God?  If God allows people to be free to choose between right and wrong, surely it is not man’s place to try to take away that freedom.

    The laws of man should punish man for interfering with the rights of others, but not prevent a man from making bad choices.

  • Who’s for Big Government?

    Republicans claim that Democrats worship government, and that they willingly sacrifice freedom in favor of big government.  Many democrats seem to think of Obama as a paternal figure, at least, and perhaps an anointed priest.  Then again, the Republican adoration for the president and government intrusion, and government power was nothing less than religious fervor during Bush’s reign.  And they still go weak in the knees when Reagan’s name is mentioned aloud.

    Republicans claim that they want a smaller, less powerful government, then gorge military and law enforcement with every dollar and every honor that they can. While screaming about how dangerous big government is, Republicans are desperate to provide inexhaustible resources to the parts of the government that actually have the ability to take your freedom.

    While proclaiming how much they love individual liberty, Republicans side with the government every time government agents beat or shoot some suspect. Liberty loving Republicans will curse the government for prohibiting dumping toxins in a river, then claim “He should have complied!” is a good enough reason for the government to kill a person.

    From where I sit, it looks like both Democrats and Republicans love big, powerful government.  Both parties want to give more money and power to the government, they just have different agendas for how the government should use those resources.

  • The Intractable Downfall of Capitalism

    Illustrated through a brief history of Dell Computer Corporation

    Started by Michael Dell in his dorm room at the University of Texas in 1984, Dell Computer Corporation grossed over $3 Billion Dollars in 2013. Although it is rarely mentioned in discussing the history of Dell Computers, it is negligent not to point out that Michael Dell formed the company for his own profit, and not for the benefit of others. He did so against the sage advice of his family, who expected him to continue with college and medical school to become a doctor.

    Dell had developed a new model in the personal computer market – direct sales. It proved to be a hit. Although he initially built the systems himself to sell to college classmates, he eventually hired employees to keep up with the demand.

    Michel left college to continue to build the business. He had picked an industry that was just about to go supernova. And just as things were really starting to roll, along comes the Internet, which was the perfect complement for the Dell direct sales model.

    By this time, the company had gone public, and Michael Dell’s net worth had skyrocketed. A business built with $1000 cash in a dorm room was now one of the big players in the personal computer industry, and had made Michael a billionaire.

    In the earliest days, the company built up operations in the Austin area. As the company grew, operations expanded to Ireland, Malaysia, China, Brazil, and other locations around the world, employing over 100,000 people.

    In 2013, Michael Dell determined to take the company private again. In a cantankerous buyout, Dell and Silver Lake Partners bought out the existing shareholders, and took the company off the stock market. As preparations for the buyout were put in motion, rumors began to circulate that there would be layoffs following the takeover. Many employees had worked for Dell for 15 years or more, and were now fearing for their job.

    Indeed, after the buyout was complete, an announcement was sent to all the employees of the company, offering a generous separation package for anyone who wished to accept a layoff.

    If the downfall of the system hasn’t hit you yet, I’ll spell it out for you. Michael Dell was too lazy to finish school. He took a massive risk, dropping out of school to build computers instead of following a path that would almost certainly have lead to a very comfortable life as a doctor. Then, out of laziness and greed, he hired people to build the systems while he grew the business. I’m not one to speculate, but I can’t help but think that he would never have hired those people if he didn’t think he would make more money for himself that way.

    And thus it continued. Michael Dell’s greed and laziness eventually led to the company having over 100,000 employees throughout the world. Salaries have gone to buy groceries and houses, raise children, and take vacations.

    And that’s really the rub. Greedy, filthy, money-grubbing capitalists can’t seem to make their billions without also providing jobs for others. Oh, and products or services that the public wants.

    If capitalism really worked, people like Michael Dell would be able to get obnoxiously wealthy without having to provide goods and services that other people wanted, and without having to hire employees and making their lives better. Capitalism is a complete disaster.