'Go to the ant, thou sluggard'

(Title: Proverbs 6:6) How do ants build vast underground cities without a chief engineer? How do bees build a hive and make honey without a leader? How do swarms of migrating birds or schools of fish seem to move as one organism? An article in the current National Geographic, “Swarm Behavior”, offers insights into the question of how the simple actions of individuals add up to the complex behavior of a group -- but this 2007 author reveals an economic blind spot about what Adam Smith understood as early as 1776.

According to this article, what appears to be intelligent, coordinated behavior is actually the culmination of individuals’ actions. A school of silvery jacks appears to be one organization. No one, however, is in charge; each fish fulfilling his responsibility to stay together, go the same direction and not run into another fish. Individual locusts by instinct align their direction with others creating an army of insects systematically mowing down acre after acre of crops.

Foraging ants “know” when to leave the nest in the morning when they have encountered a sufficient number of patrolling ants returning from the night guard. If the patrollers are detained by some threat to the nest, they don’t return and foragers don’t go out. Neither patrollers nor foragers know the “big picture” yet their individual actions create an orderly and beneficial system.

In humans, swarm behavior is something like wisdom of the crowd. Take for example, horse-racing odds are calculated from the all bets before a race. They are usually correct. Stock-market prices reflect the individual decisions of a lot of people and are usually a good indicator of value.

The article goes on to provide examples of applications of swarm behavior such as Google, which relies on the accumulation of web site hits to rank pages, and Wikipedia, which contains the cumulative knowledge of thousands of writers.

The article, however, misses the greatest example of beneficial swarm behavior or crowd wisdom in humans – the free market. In the free market, the culmination of individual choices determines the price and quantity of goods and services. Nobody is in charge, yet the market works to create jobs, goods, and unprecedented wealth for the greatest number of people.

Where the market is freest, the most people enjoy the greatest wealth. Where it is most constrained, people are poorest. Desired goods grow scarce while undesirable goods pile up and gather dust. Suppressing economic freedom is like throwing a net on a school of fish; individuals can no longer act and the group is tangled in confusion. Hillary, Barack, Sen. Edwards, Mr. Gore, Speaker Pelosi... call your office.

Don't let it become Dependence Day

By Brian Ochsner (baochsner@aol.com) As we again celebrated Independence Day this week, I've thought about where America is as a country, and how the spirit of 21st-century America compares to the spirit of '76. There are some good traits that have remained intact, but there's also some other characteristics that have gone away from the original intent of the Founders. In some respects America is more independent than ever. But it's also more dependent on government and American companies to provide them happiness, instead of enjoying the freedom to pursue their happiness.

Americans have always been for the most part rugged individualists. Through the first century and a half of our country's existence, our ancestors were God-fearing, hard-working people who thought (and usually worked) for themselves. They didn't look to the government or a company for their security. They generally knew the risks involved with exploration and new ventures, accepted them, and stepped out on faith for the possibility of a better life.

Today it's vastly different. More than a few Americans are looking to government or a company to make them safe and secure now and in retirement. Roosevelt's New Deal started and Johnson's Great Society reinforced dependence on government to fight poverty and increase American prosperity. Social Security, defined-benefit pensions, and farm subsidies have dulled the entrepreneurial spirit and industriousness that Americans were famous for in the early 20th Century.

If I could time travel, I'd love to be transported back to the offices of Henry Ford and Thomas Edison, and get a taste of what they did, how they struggled, and ended up victorious in business.

Nowadays, children are educated through our public and private schools to be what I call 'Dilbert drones.' They're told: “Don't make mistakes, do as you're told, don't think outside the box. Look for that safe, secure job with generous benefits and you'll do fine.”

Unfortunately, today's education system is preparing students for a world that no longer exists. Blue- and white-collar jobs are being outsourced to China, India and Latin America. But too many Americans still believe it's their birthright – even their entitlement - to have that safe, secure high-paying job with good bennies. As a result, we're not as competitive or sharp on average as we used to be. The free market and competition are not just good, but still great things. They keep you on your toes and force you to make the most of your abilities.

And because we're in the Information Age, the rate of change is accelerating at warp speed. Even as a 30-something, it's difficult for me to keep up sometimes. But I know that my business and life will be easier if I can see, accept and adapt to these changes instead of ignoring or fighting them. Robert Kiyosaki, author of the best-seller Rich Dad, Poor Dad, goes into more detail on these ideas in his Yahoo column.

The life cycle of some companies and industries is now measured in years, not decades. You can't be certain that a company or your job will be the same five years from now. If you want to get and stay competitive, you'll need to stay on top of things – or work with a team to help you stay up-to-speed. I've learned the hard way that doing it all on your own is a tough, slow lonely road.

The free-market, capitalistic system we're blessed to have in America isn't the easiest road to travel. Trust me, I've hit my share of speed bumps and potholes along the way. And it's still a struggle even today. But from taking this road less traveled, I've gained wisdom and confidence tempered with humility. That's a pretty good combination to be successful and happy in business and life.

Contrary to what the media tells you, most businesspeople I've met are the most generous folks around – not the most selfish. Before someone will part with their hard-earned money, you have to give them what they want and treat them well. For every self-serving Joe Nacchio you hear about, there are dozens of down-to-earth business owners who are good people to deal and be with.

Having said all this, I believe you should stay true to your morals and principles. My preference is the Judeo-Christian ones. It's some of the best wisdom around, and they transcend time; in other words, they apply to daily life no matter whether you lived in the 1st century, or you're alive in the 21st.

That's my Independence Day 2007 wish for Backbone America readers and all Americans: To discover and make the most of your talents; for confidence and wisdom tempered with humility; and for the company of good friends and family to help you enjoy the journey.

The unique, and now endangered, Spirit of '76

By Krista Kafer (krista555@msn.com) In my youth, a mischievous friend asked if other countries have 4th of July. I can’t remember how I answered the trick question. Perhaps I was fooled. Of course other countries have a 4th of July, they just don’t celebrate it. Only in America is the 4th of July Independence Day.

Quite a few countries have a national day of celebration. Mexico has Cinco De Mayo. The French have Bastille Day, Canadians have Canada Day. The English have Guy Fawkes Day, to name a few. On these days, citizens enjoy food, parades, flags, fireworks and revelry in the name of their country. What makes Independence Day any different?

Independence Day isn’t just about independence from Great Britain. Other countrys’ patriotic days celebrate independence from a colonial power. Independence Day isn’t just about celebrating American culture – apple pie, rock’n’roll, baseball, and all that. Flag-waving, parades, festivities, and traditional foods are common expressions of national pride everywhere. What makes Independence Day special?

On this day, Americans celebrate the unique proposition on which our nation was founded. This proposition, articulated in the Declaration of Independence 231 years ago, states that

all men are created equal, that they are endowed by their Creator with certain unalienable Rights, that among these are Life, Liberty and the pursuit of Happiness. — That to secure these rights, Governments are instituted among Men, deriving their just powers from the consent of the governed, — That whenever any Form of Government becomes destructive of these ends, it is the Right of the People to alter or to abolish it, and to institute new Government, laying its foundation on such principles and organizing its powers in such form, as to them shall seem most likely to effect their Safety and Happiness.

In simple terms, our nation was founded on the revolutionary principle that everyone has an equal right to life and liberty given by God not the government. The purpose of government is to protect these rights. When a government fails to protect its citizens’ rights, the people have a right to change or abolish it and institute a new government founded on just principles.

That is exactly what our forefathers did. They severed ties with the old order and established a new government based on the protection of natural rights and self-government. For their efforts, we enjoy a level of freedom and prosperity unprecedented in history.

Americans enjoy freedom in every aspect of their lives. Americans have access to an uncensored press and can openly criticize their government. They can practice their religion without going to prison or being beaten while the government stands idly by. Americans can pack up and move to another part of the country without permission from the government bureaucracy. They can open a business without having to bribe officials. Americans can choose their own doctor and don’t have to wait in line for months to get surgery.

Americans can choose their careers and set their financial priorities with little restriction. They can even choose not to participate in the culture. "Freegans," profiled recently in the Rocky Mountain News, are Americans who choose to eat out of dumpsters to protest American materialism. Try eating out of the dumpster in the developing world. America is so prosperous that people can choose to eat out of dumpsters without getting dysentery.

The sheer span of choices open to Americans defies imagination. In the words of Dinesh D’Souza, “In most of the world, even today, your identity and your fate are largely handed to you. In America, by contrast, you get to write the script of your own life.” When the government protects our God-given rights to life, liberty, and property, the result is that individuals enjoy a “self-directed life,” to use D’Souza’s phrase.

Unfortunately, freedom is easily taken for granted and when no longer valued, easily given away. Consider the freedoms eroded in the past year of legislative activity here in Colorado. Teachers, parents, and elected school board members are forbidden from instituting abstinence programs in schools. Restaurant owners cannot choose to allow smoking. Increased property taxes mean politicians will have more choices on spending your money while you have fewer. This is just the short list.

Consider what’s on the horizon. Politicians on both sides of the aisle are talking about censoring the press. Politicians on the left want to socialize medicine, a prescription for medical rationing, long lines, and a loss of personal choice. They also want to foist heavy taxes and regulations on businesses thereby limiting the choices of consumers, business owners, and workers.

And there's more: Radical environmentalists want to restrict public use of public land and private use of private lands. Teachers' unions want to roll back laws providing parents and students choice in education.

Basic liberties are at stake. The government, rather than protector of life, liberty, and property, is slowing becoming that which takes away the rights of some while conferring privileges upon others.

When that happens, the 4th of July becomes just another day to eat hotdogs, drink beer, and be entertained. Heaven forbid.

Nightmare continued: Disunited States of America

By David Petteys (dpetteys@comcast.net)

Editor's Note: Petteys is on a dystopian prophetic tear. Here is the sequel to his recent progressive nightmare post.

The golden age for ancient Israel was the united kingdom under King David and his son Solomon. It lasted less than a 100 years. It fractured when Solomon’s son tried to impose an unreasonable agenda on the Northern Kingdoms. In analogy, has not the American golden age been the last 100 years of a united and prosperous United States? But are not the pieces in place for its dissolution over the next couple of generations?

The progressives have taught our children that the United States has been built on racism, genocide and oppression, and maybe the world would be better off without it. The progressives have spent the last generation balkanizing the nation: rich against poor, men against women, ethnic strife, victimology, and entitlement.

Secularism along with a “higher loyalty" to all humanity and mother earth, undermining and ridiculing Americanism and patriotism, has become the established quasi-religion. And if the secular vision for the future is only to enjoy life as comfortably as possible, who is willing to die for anything?

Suppose the current drive for amnesty and open borders succeeds. It’s not hard to envision a California legislature, dominated by Hispanics, declaring themselves an autonomous region with a special relationship to Mexico. And if they passed laws to do the following:

** To fly only the Mexican flag

** Public schools to teach only in Spanish

** Only Mexican history to be taught

** To prohibit Federal withholding by California companies, and instead mandate its diversion to the state

** Seizure of all Federal Facilities by the California militia (basically a California Hispanic Army)

... does anyone think a Hillary Clinton, who had spent the first four years of her administration dismantling the American military, would send the 82nd Airborne to seize Sacramento?

More than likely she’d “negotiate”. And as the negotiations dragged on for years, the California secession would become a fait accompli. It would result in an arrested tax flow to Washington, but not welfare checks from Washington.

With this precedent, there would be nothing to keep little islands of Islamic Republics forming in Michigan and Minnesota, an independent Mormon region in Utah, and so on. In another generation or two, the United States would be no more: only a balkanized and warring North American continent. The weath, power and prosperity of a United States only a distant memory of old people whose broken hearts remember it well.

It would also render a squabbling North America incapable of dealing with any external threat, such as a modern 30 million man, nuclear-equipped Chinese Army.

The Progressives had better start learning Chinese, unless the Chinese decide to exterminate and repopulate the entire continent, which they could easily do.

Property rights trashed by Boulder's NIMBY plan

By Krista Kafer (krista555@msn.com) I don’t like McMansions – those pretentious, overbuilt houses parked on a crust of a yard within spitting distance of the next near-identical house. I’m not into bland or beige or three-car Garage Mahals. I’m wary of McMansion neighborhoods where I feel like I’m on the set of the Stepford Wives, only super-sized. I imagine a homeowners' association, in the dark lair of a fully finished basement, churning out smiling replica families complete with shiny-coated Weimaraners and wintergreen SUVs. Yikes! Get me out of here! Take me back to the days of my childhood when this blighted land was untilled prairie where red foxes hunted, prairie dogs barked and hawks circled on the warm summer air.

Did I mention I really don’t like McMansions? That said, however, I support an individual’s right to own one. As much as I resent the intrusion and deplore the bad taste, I support the developer’s right to build the houses. And, as much as I miss the golden fields of my youth, I support the landowner's right to sell his property to the developer. Put simply, I support property rights.

The right to property is an alienable one—that is a God-given right that government has an obligation to protect. A property owner has a right to own, lawfully use, and dispose of his property.

Obviously there are some limits. A person cannot use his property for illegal purposes like say, growing marijuana, assembling bombs, or replacing errant homeowners with responsible, well-coiffed robots. Zoning laws prohibit certain otherwise legal activities. One cannot build a porn shop next to a daycare or an oil refinery next to a neighborhood. Countless other federal, state, and local laws, ordinances and regulations dictate how land can be used. Some make even a lot of sense -- but others burden landowners unnecessarily and often without constitutionally-mandated compensation.

The latter describes a restriction under consideration by Boulder County (see “Boulder County weighs McMansion limits” in the Denver Post). Boulder County would like to limit the size of houses. Owners could get out of the limits by purchasing the development rights to preserve open space and agricultural land in the county. The loophole favors those wealthy enough to buy back from government the "privilege" of controlling their own land. This arbitrary restriction, if implemented, will surely impact current landowners wishing to sell, developers, and future homeowners by reducing the value of the land.

The restriction is nothing more than a NIMBY (Not in My Back Yard) power play by those who have control of their own property and want to control the property of others. Here in Littleton, NIMBY folks are trying to block Wal-Mart (see here for my take on that).

The local activists have me beat on intensity. They certainly hate Wal-Mart more than I dislike McMansions, and their scorn for the big box store is untempered by the irony of my Stepford fantasy. But the main difference between the NIMBY folks (whether in Littleton or Boulder) and someone myself is respect for property rights.

I may not like what people do with their property but I respect their right to legally dispose of it as they please. It's principle, and it's also self-interest, because the same property rights that protect big box store and the McMansion owner, protect the owners of that little boutique down the street and me the cottage-dweller.