In memory of the 12 employees of Charlie Hebdo who were murdered 10 years ago for their ideas. And now, Charlie Kirk.
“The genuine history of mankind is the history of ideas. It is ideas that distinguish man from all other beings. Ideas engender social institutions, political changes, technological methods of production, and all that is called economic conditions.” — Ludwig von Mises, Human Action
Clearly, not all ideas are good ones. Killing is not a good idea. History is replete with stories of killing — man against man, cities at war with states, states at war with countries, countries at war with other countries. And in every case, the killers thought their side was right, theirs was the winning idea. Who knows? Maybe God really was on their side.
One year out of many, 1848 saw revolutions take hold in Europe, the downtrodden and oppressed versus the aristocracy — the have nots versus the haves. In Ireland, the rebels stood up against the British Parliament in their fight for independence. After years of diplomatic efforts on their part, to no avail, the rebels turned to violence as a last resort. They were prepared to kill for their ideals. Were they evil? Or was God on their side? We can argue that they were fighting for a good cause — their freedom and liberty. They certainly thought God was on their side.
We are taught to honor our war heroes, men who won battles and wars, at the cost of thousands sent to their deaths. If boys and girls grow up honoring men who kill, perhaps it’s not so difficult for some of them to find honor in killing.
And nowadays when those killers are praised in their social media silos, it doesn’t take much to add up. This is not a case of left versus right. This is a case of being in a time in history when a significant number of young adults are unemployed, struggling with debt, having limited prospects, and whose social skills are only as good as how fast their fingers can type. TikTok provides their moral compass. These are troubled times, where the democratic system has failed them.
When opportunity ceases to exist, civil unrest follows and the “wronged” fight against perceived injustices, and for some, killing their enemy looks appropriate. I fear we are at this stage — it’s become a me against you world for many.
If this is the Fourth Turning, then we will get through it as a civilization, as we always do, and emerge on the other side. I hope when we get there, we will relearn the idea that civil discourse is at the foundation of our society, where freedom of speech is championed and good ideas flourish.
“All changes in the realm of human affairs are brought about by ideas. Ideas and only ideas can light the darkness. They are the main weapons in man’s struggle for survival and advancement.” — Ludwig van Mises, Human Action
This morning, I turn to Boz Scaggs for a bit of music …
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