Happy Thanksgiving to all of my readers.

I write this blog from a libertarian perspective and I don’t hesitate in continually criticizing the U.S. government.  But I have to make a clear distinction between country and government.

While there are a lot of things to be critical of, I am also quick to acknowledge the great things we enjoy in the United States in today’s world.

I say that we live in contradictory times.  Due to government spending, government regulation, and Federal Reserve inflation, times are tough.  In terms of meeting basic needs, the 1950s generation may have had it better than us today.

But I would not want to trade places with someone in the 1950s.  It might be a little harder to pay our bills, but we enjoy enormous wealth and choices that did not exist at that time.  They didn’t even have microwave ovens then.  They certainly didn’t have computers or cell phones.  Some people had television, but it was rarely more than one per household.  You had your choice of a couple of channels, which you could change by getting up off the couch and going up to the tv.

I think Thanksgiving is a time that we should be thankful for what we have because we don’t do it enough.  We need to acknowledge the good things we have in life.  This definitely includes friends and family, but it also includes our material wealth that makes our lives easier.  We don’t have to go out and work on a farm for 12 hours a day and still have to worry about surviving.

While I think we need a lot more liberty, it doesn’t mean we can’t be thankful for what we do have.  And at least we aren’t living in some poor country, or worse, a war-torn country.  The U.S. government is always at war, but most of it is happening elsewhere.

I try to remind fellow libertarians not to be grouchy all the time.  Other people will not want to be around you.  Be a happy libertarian.  You can still defend your principles seriously while maintaining a positive attitude.

Enjoy your time with friends and family, and find your own freedom.