21st Century Georgics: An Introduction

July 29, 2008 by Hyrum Lefler 

A key factor in maintaining freedom is sustainable economic forms. Are you maintaining freedom through the financial principles and practices you are using? Have American families adopted the economic forms necessary for the preservation of a free people?

The average American household pays over 34.5% of every dollar earned to interest payments. Forget about the taxes — that is serious bondage! Our system has become top heavy, threatening our economic solvency as a nation and necessitating large government bailouts to offset their blunders. When a government is forced to tax its people heavily to keep economic centers of capital from collapsing, how can we expect it to reduce in size? To force such a thing is tantamount to economic collapse.

We have allowed our wealth to centralize and grow in the hands of OTHERS. We have given them our money and the control of it for the “magic of compound interest” and then turned around and borrowed from them with a price.

Families are the foundation of American stability and economic growth, and it is time for families to regain real control of the resources of the economy. What do I suggest? We obviously cannot steal all of the money and put it in our families’ accounts! No, I am suggesting that we have all of the resources we need, and they flow through our hands day after day, and we relinquish control of them day after day. This is because we do not understand money; or, more importantly, we do not understand economy.

The Roman Poet Virgil wrote The Georgics in 29 BC. The concept of “Georgics” that came out of this poem was widely debated and discussed in the founding era of our country. The word basically means “to work the land.”

In early spring-tide, when the icy drip
Melts from the mountains hoar, and Zephyr’s breath
Unbinds the crumbling clod, even then ’tis time;
Press deep your plough behind the groaning ox,
And teach the furrow-burnished share to shine.
That land the craving farmer’s prayer fulfils,
Which twice the sunshine, twice the frost has felt;
Ay, that’s the land whose boundless harvest-crops
Burst, see! the barns.

It was felt by many of our Founders that this connection to the land, to hard work, and the dependence on God that is pre-supposed when seeds are planted, had a profound effect of building an independent and free people — especially when coupled with the other Foundations of Freedom.

Up until 100 years ago, 97% of Americans worked the land with plows — they were farmers. Short of a massive catastrophe, that isn’t going to happen in our time. What can be done in our day to bring the Family Farm — or at least its principles — back to life?

We must first understand Georgics. In the coming weeks I will be posting several articles outlining the basic tenets of Georgic Economics, with links to sites where you can learn how to establish a rebirth of freedom in your family through Georgic principles and forms.

American families must become independent centers of the U.S. economy if our liberties are to be preserved. I am calling for a regeneration of organic, financial systems centered in and controlled by America’s families.

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Copyright © 2008 by The Cause of Liberty. All rights reserved.

Filed under: Economics, Family, Financial Freedom, Free Enterprise, Georgics, Personal Responsibility, Prosperity, Self-Reliance
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Comments

4 Responses to “21st Century Georgics: An Introduction”

  1. Mike Harmon on July 29th, 2008 6:03 am

    You know, I have to tell you, I really enjoy this blog and the insight from everyone who participates. I find it to be refreshing and very informative. I wish there were more blogs like it. Anyway, I felt it was about time I posted, I

  2. Stephen Palmer on July 29th, 2008 7:13 am

    Thanks so much, Mike. We’ve got a lot of exciting changes and additions in the works. Stay tuned!

  3. Hercules Mulligan on July 29th, 2008 8:09 pm

    HA! I didn’t know “Georgics” was a word! (Please pardon my ignorance!)

    It’s been a while since I’ve read your blog. And then again, it’s been a while since I’ve updated my own! Your recent posts look very intriguing — and right up my alley! I’ll check them out as soon as I have the leisure to read. Great work!

    Also, I gave you a quick tag, and a little award, if you don’t mind! ;) You can read about it here:
    http://herkyreflects.blogspot.com/2008/07/tag-from-buddy.html

    Hope to see you around!

  4. Becky Welch on August 5th, 2008 8:17 pm

    What an awesome article, Hyrum! I even learned a new word — Georgics. Our family’s goal of a self-reliant lifestyle has prompted the recent additions of a front yard vegetable garden and a back yard milk goat project. So, the thoughts you shared struck me with particular forcefulness, perhaps because our family has already begun to utilize Georgic principles without realizing that was what we were doing. We will look forward to reading future articles regarding Georgic Economics and hope to glean more ideas and information that will help us to become even more independent and successful. Thank you so much for making us aware of this terrific site!

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