"Vom Kollektiv zum Individualismus" appeared in the magazine of the Frankfurter Allgemeine Sunday magazine March 13, 2022. Not many people should require a translation, From Collectivism to Individualism. Since the two philosophical poles help to identify the disunity in America, the article should interest us very much--equality in the Democrat de-facto socialist tradition, versus the Republican historical reliance on individual initiative and private wealth.

Author Tatjana Krieger writes that London, England, suffered a catastrophic fire in 1666 that burnt down "80% of the city-centre." London had to rebuild and realized that Londoners needed a new concept of building to reflect the changes in the society, a new generation of dwelling that contained "Privatsphäre und Freiräume." Those two words hardly need translation either, I hope.

"Between the front-door and the sidewalk, home-owners wanted a buffer that separated them from the life of the street, which they associated with sin, lawlessness, and sickness." Krieger continues that "Anyone who could afford it wanted to protect themselves from public spaces."

Public spaces had defined life in Medieval-London, a life governed by the "social control of watchful neighbors and cultural busybodies." 17th-century Londoners, on the other hand, wanted personal space and protection for their "private activities." They wanted a place where they could live "unobserved, with no one eavesdropping. Even their thoughts would remain a secret from others."

Krieger continues that, in modern terms, 17th-century Londoners wanted to protect their personal data, encoded and protected by passwords." They saw as their main enemy the people from "public spaces who wanted no personal space or secretiveness." No matter how people vote, they live in private social circles, and jealously protect what's theirs.

Modern Americans need to realize that the historical period of the Medieval "Common Era" predated society's focus on individualism, private wealth, and personal spaces. The M.C.E. had to yield to advances. In terms of Evolution, society has moved beyond equality, all things in common, and all that other left-wing stuff. Nowadays, anything we create belongs to us and no one else. Even a left-winger like Bill Gates understands the sanctity of private data, even if he claims not to understand the sanctity of private wealth--except his own, of course!


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March 31, 2023

How Long Do Republicans Wait?

Americans who vote Republican have to remember that, for people who work for the Republican Party, it's just a job. They may like their jobs. Mostly they prefer to keep their jobs. They may share the Republican sentiment for free-market principles and military readiness; but when someone like me comes along and suggests that Republicans petition for a nation of their own, they worry about things like job-redundancy and relocations more than they do about Democrat big-government and peacenik sell-out.


March 23, 2023

Release Grand Ole Prometheus!

Left-wing trash-talking of the GOP represents a concerted campaign that should concern its leaders. The scathing rhetoric suggests that the trash-talking will not end until the Left can make the GOP the permanent minority-party, and silence or discredit its associated media-organs. Older Americans familiar with the Nazi-smearing of the Jews should note the similarities in the left-wing method. Neither the Republicans nor freedom-loving people of any stripe should ignore the potential threat that these smear-tactics represent.


March 21, 2023

Republicans: a New Start

The Republican Party has a few tasks it needs to undertake. It needs to examine the philosophy it claims to represent and to take stock of its future, and stop thinking in terms of personal rivalries. We have more on the line than just choosing candidates and securing a victory in future elections. The GOP needs to regain a corporate sense-of-self. How can we move forward when we have deep doubts about the game, the rules, and not least the players?


Lloyd Bowers

loybow3@gmail.com


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