“Where men are forbidden to honour a king, they honor millionaires, athletes, or film stars instead; even famous prostitutes or gangsters. For spiritual nature, like bodily nature, will be served; deny it food and it will gobble poison.”
C. S. Lewis

The reasons behind the election of the man who currently resides in the White House can be found in this same question. Was he elected because he clearly articulated a vision of a morally upright, honorable America where all men would have the opportunity to excel and then reap the rewards of their success? or was he elected because he seemed “cool” and “hip” and represented “the latest ‘in’ thing”? To paraphrase someone he is fond of quoting, was he elected based on the content of his character – or on the color of his skin? I have no doubt that it was for the latter.

I have made no secret of my admiration for constitutional monarchy as a form of government, and Mr. Lewis has presented the chief argument in favor of that – the moral and spiritual reason. Many people will, of course, feed their “spiritual nature” with poison rather than food simply because the nature of man tends toward the wicked rather than the good. Those type of people will always be with us. The benefits of having a leader who represents honor and righteousness and justice and freedom go not to what I refer to as “Walmart people,” but to those who yearn for a leader who brings out the best in men rather than pandering to our baser instincts.

General Robert E. Lee certainly understood what it meant to have authority over others and how to use that authority properly.

Understand that following legitimate orders issued by those in authority over you is also the mark of a Southern gentleman. Respect for authority is the cornerstone of a civilized society – respect for legitimate authority.

What brings this to mind is the way that National Park Service rangers have abused the authority vested in them during the 2013 government “shut down” by following political orders to make life miserable for the public they are supposed to serve. Did all NPS rangers act this way? No, I’m quite certain that was not the case. What I find troubling though, is that I have not seen any reports of rangers who stood up and said they will not be part of this. Would it be reported? Absolutely. Probably not by the major media, but the alternative media would have hailed such men as the courageous gentlemen that they would be. I saw no such reports.

That brings up the question of what is the proper way to handle illegitimate, immoral, or illegal orders? If you’re looking for a safe, easy, and painless answer, there is none. No one wants to lose their job – especially in a job market such as we have now. That is why it is so important to be selective when going to work for someone (including working for yourself) to make sure that you are working for someone who is of good moral character and will not require you to do that which you know is wrong.

What if you find yourself in such a situation anyway? As difficult as it is to say, a letter of resignation that clearly spells out the reason why you can no longer work for that employer is the only proper way to handle the matter of being issued immoral and/or illegal orders.

Before I get accused of being “holier than thou” and hearing “you don’t understand”, and “it’s obvious you’ve never been in that situation”, I’ll say, “Yes, I have been in that exact situation.” Did I follow my own advice here, and do the right thing and resign? Sadly, no, I did not. Instead I told the person over me that I knew exactly what he was doing and what he told me to sign my name to, and that this had better never happen again. Yes, I signed my name to something I knew to be false. I put my signature on a lie. That is something that I will live with for the rest of my life – always wishing that I had done the right thing. That, my fellow aspiring Southern gentlemen, is why I am writing this. It is written in the hope that others will not make the same error that I made decades ago. Learn from my mistakes.

In Great Britain, the Queen is known for being exceptionally frugal, using the same car until it practically falls apart. In fact, in a recent year, the travel expenses for the entire British Royal Family was considerably less than the travel expenses for President Obama and his small crew.
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(W)hen people think of Marie Antoinette, they think lavishness and frivolity, they do not think of a woman who gave large amounts to charity, who broke down social barriers at court and who invited poor children to eat with her own royal offspring at Versailles. When it comes to royal children for that matter, it may surprise some to know how much more luxuriously the children of a President of the United States live compared to royal or even imperial offspring.
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The Romanov Archduchesses Olga, Tatiana, Maria and Anastasia, for example, had to sleep on camp beds and take cold baths. Their educational schedule was positively Spartan with dawn till dark studies and exercises. The White House may not be the Winter Palace but you can be sure the Obama daughters are taking hot baths at night. Similarly, when one thinks of an Emperor one doesn’t usually think of someone like Emperor Francis Joseph who slept on an army cot and wore clothes until they were worn out -and then patched them and wore them some more!
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In Russia, Emperor Alexander III preferred the simple meals of his servants to the delicacies of the banquets thrown by the upper class and his idea of recreation was a simple walk in the Russian wilderness with some sausage and a piece of bread for his lunch. These imperial leaders were hardly men of lavish, wasteful luxury and indulgence.

So… what is the point of this, you may ask? Why are we reading about monarchies on the Confederate Colonel blog? Aside from the fact that monarchies are a time-proven form of government that is grossly misunderstood by those who depend on American public schools for their education, it would behoove us give some serious thought as to what will replace the republican form of government here in America once it fully self-destructs. If you don’t see that coming, then you’re not paying attention. Am I advocating that America become a monarchy? The fact that I cannot see any realistic path from “here” to “there” precludes that. Still, it is a form of government that has stood the test of time for far longer than any form of self-government has. It’s a sad commentary on our ability to govern ourselves.

Scoutmaster – by Norman Rockwell

The Boy Scouts is no more, but there are still boys. There are still vast woods and lots of sticks with which to build fires. There are still plenty of good men who want to introduce boys to manhood. One doesn’t need a corporate-funded super-organization to take a pack of boys into the woods and learn about survival. It’s time to begin anew.

I have titled this post “Boy Scouts Version 3.0″ to identify what comes next. I was fortunate enough to have been a Boy Scout during version 1.0 – before political correctness did what it always does and destroy the traditional culture. I was in Scouting in the early 1960’s. What we are seeing now is version 2.0, but it won’t be long before 2.0 will be so different from 1.0 as to be unrecognizable as the same organization. In time, the Boy Scouts will be much like a church that decides it is more important to please Man than to obey God. The good people begin to leave as the worldly people take over. The process accelerates until it becomes little more than a social club for nice people.

What happens to those who leave because Scouting has become what it was intended to protect boys and young men from? The Thinking Housewife is correct:
• There are still plenty of good men who want to help boys become men.
• There is no requirement for a massive organization and corporate sponsorship.

It is time for the Scouting equivalent of Home-schooling.

This short video illustrates a boy’s entry into manhood; it requires no words.

The Hazardous Journeys Society (HJS) was founded to give glory to God, not man, as part of an exciting effort of world exploration. The purpose of the HJS is to provide teams of intrepid adventurers, photographers, students, scientists, journalists, and naturalists with an opportunity to engage in journeys of discover around the globe and to interpret their findings from a perspective that honors the Creator.
External Links

www.hazardousjourneys.org

Commemorative painting of the Stigler/Brown encounter by John D. Shaw, courtesy Valor Studios.

The following is taken from the Men Who Lead blog by best-selling author Marcus Brotherton. Mr. Brotherton’s post is titled, The Most Overlooked Command Ever. Be sure to take the time to read his original post and add his blog to your regular reading to learn more Lessons in Leadership.

On December 20, 1943, in the skies above war-torn Europe, two bitter enemies—an American B-17 bomber pilot and a veteran German fighter ace—met in what is undoubtedly one of World War II’s most remarkable encounters.

The American bomber, piloted by 21-year-old West Virginian Charlie Brown, was severely damaged. Bullets from German fighters had chewed the bomber to pieces. Others bullets had shot straight through the fuselage, and several crew members had been hit and were near death.

The German fighter plane, piloted by Franz Stigler, was poised to blast the bomber from the sky. It was Franz’s job to kill the enemy. His sworn duty was to triumph in blood.

In fact, encountering a wounded bomber was Franz’s lucky break. Other fighters had already done the initial damage, and when Franz flew up to the bomber, it was the most badly damaged airplane he’d ever seen still flying. That meant an easy target. And in the kill-or-be-killed quest to reach air superiority, the odds against the German’s survival were much worse than the American’s. Of the 40,000 German fighter pilots in WWII, only 2,000 survived.

But what happened in that tense moment when Franz and Charlie came to stare at one another across the frozen skies only can be described as other-worldly.

The American 8th Air Force would, in fact, classify the incident as top secret for decades.

The German military sealed the record as well. Franz was ordered never to speak of the act again, at risk of facing a firing squad.

What happened was, very simply … mercy.

Franz didn’t turn his machineguns on the Americans.

Instead, Franz risked his own reputation, career, and even life, to fly for miles in close proximity to the bomber’s wingtip, providing a “shield” for the damaged enemy plane.

Instead of killing his enemy, the German fighter pilot escorted the sputtering American bomber to safety.

Franz Stigler and Charlie Brown

Both men survived the war and became close friends.

See also the post, Compassion for Others – Even the Enemy.

That statement has lead to several rather passionate discussions from friends and relatives who are well-informed and truly want to do the right thing, and I respect and appreciate their efforts. That, however, changes nothing.

Every four years, America goes through The Most Important Election In History. I should have noticed this earlier, but it has taken me just a few months short of sixty years to realize that it is ALWAYS “The Most Important Election In History”.

At some point, we need to come to the realization that life is not segmented into four year terms. People fail to take the long term view because they have no tolerance short term sacrifice. When you take the long view, sometimes that means that bad men get into office; it is also true that they might well do some serious and irreversible damage. Doing what is right is seldom a painless endeavor.

Let me note here that I have been a bit more than just a passive observer of the political process, although there is no need to repeat the details in this post. I am not some dreamy kid with an idealized “vision” that is out of touch with reality. I understand that politics involves compromise – but I also understand that voting does not, or at least it should not.

• Florida is shaping up to be a key battleground state for this upcoming presidential election. Obama and Romney are dead even in the polls.
• In a race this close, every vote is important.
• Obama is not only doing an extremely bad job as President, he is working directly counter to everything that has made America such a remarkable nation in history. He is working to destroy America.

With all that said, I will not be voting for Romney – even if I could somehow know that my one vote would make the difference in this election. I will be voting for a candidate who has no realistic chance to win. I will be voting for the Constitution Party candidate, Virgil Goode. Now, for the purpose of this discussion, his platform is not important; the same arguments would apply to any number of other minor party candidates.

Our Constitution was made only for a moral and religious people. It is wholly inadequate to the government of any other.
— John Adams

What drives your choice in an election? Our entire system of government was designed around the idea that people would vote for the person who best represented what they honestly wanted in their leadership. It was assumed that a morally upright and honorable people would make such choices.

There were no political parties when the Constitution was written. The two party system developed because it is very effective at what it does: it allows a powerful elite to select our political leadership. From the voters’ perspective it is like going to a car lot filled with every make and model imaginable, yet being told you must choose between the blue car and the red car – of the same model. And from that experience, people cast their vote and then walk away believing that they have chosen their leaders. Amazing.

Here are three short videos that may help shed some light on why I am voting for a minor-party candidate who cannot possibly win, yet one who represents what I am looking for in leadership for this country. They are also about why I will not be voting for Romney – and those are two different issues.

For more on the moral requirement that we vote for the candidate we truly believe would be the best leader (no matter which party they represent), please see the Lost Causes post.

For a more practical-oriented discussion, see “Voting Strategy 2004 – When The Lesser of Two Evils Is No Longer An Option” – a document I wrote in 2004. This covers some of the practical (i.e., expedient) reasons for voting for a minor party candidate – if that is who you believe is the best choice. You may want to take a few minutes to read it.

As a closing note, Alan Keyes (featured in the first two videos) served as an ambassador under Ronald Reagan and was a presidential candidate in 1996, 2000, and 2008. I had the pleasure of hearing him speak when I was a delegate to the Republican state convention in Florida. Ambassador Keyes is truly a remarkable man who loves his country. He was the only candidate at that convention who received a standing ovation. He was wildly popular among many of the delegates, yet the media shamefully treated him as though he were just the janitor sweeping the floors. Why? Because he was not the chosen one. He was not the man who the party leadership had decided would be the nominee. He was ignored by the media, just as Ron Paul was ignored in this election.

10/18/2012 – Edited to add: I didn’t write this post because I think I have all the answers (though at times I wrongly think I do), so I’m still making an honest effort to sort this out and do what is right. Please be sure to read the replies before leaving a reply. Constructive criticism and comments are deeply appreciated. Most folks follow the crowds like robotic drones; there are very few of us who truly agonize over the question of what is the right thing to do. Thank you.

Although it has been 17 years since I left the “corporate world” to start my own business, I can attest to how well these apply to the real world today – nearly 350 years after it was written. For example, knowing how to balance #10 and #17 can have a big impact on one’s career reputation.

Keep in mind that, like the writing of Machiavelli, this should not be considered advice, but wisdom. Understanding the actions of others – whether they be honorable or dishonorable – is a vitally important life skill. This type of information (this book and The Prince by Machiavelli) is not like the maxims of Robert E. Lee, in which each and every point describes the actions of a Southern gentleman. This is more of a catalog of how a wide range of people think and act. While the majority of what we find in this type of book is good, solid, practical advice, some of it would be abhorrent to any Southern gentleman. Whether it is advice to be followed or observations to be noted, they must be understood to successfully navigate through the often-rocky waters of life.

1. In your affairs, create suspense.
2. The height of perfection. No one is born complete; perfect yourself and your activities day by day
3. Don’t arouse excessive expectations from the start.
4. Never exaggerate.
5. Never lose your self-respect.
6. Never lose your composure.
7. Don’t be uneven, or inconsistent in your actions: either through inclination or choice.
8. Choose a heroic model, more to emulate than to imitate.
9. Understand yourself: your temperament, intellect, opinions, emotions. You can’t be master of yourself if you don’t first understand yourself.
10. Don’t hang around to be a setting sun. The sensible person’s maxim: abandon things before they abandon you.
11. Get used to the bad temperaments of those you deal with, like getting used to ugly faces.
12. Never complain. Complaining always brings discredit.
13. Avoid familiarity when dealing with people. It should be neither used nor permitted.
14. Know how to appreciate. There’s no one who can’t be better than someone at something, and none who excel who can’t be excelled.
15. Undertake what’s easy as if it were hard, and what’s hard as if it were easy.
16. Take a joke, but don’t make someone the butt of one. The first is a form of politeness; the second, of audacity.
17. Carry things through.
18. Don’t be carried away by the last person you meet.
19. Go with the flow, but not beyond decency.
20. Act as though always on view. The insightful man is the one who sees that others see or will see him.

I have just listed the main points here, so be sure to read the full post on Art of Manliness for a more detailed explanation of these points.

The Survival Mom blog is part of my daily reading. She recently had a post titled, “8 Vital skills to teach your children that will trump an Ivy League education” . This is a must-read post for anyone interested in providing future generations with the skills they will need to succeed in life. Here are the main points:

1. Communication skills
2. Creating a vision
3. Setting and achieving goals
4. Courage in the face of opposition
5. Confidence
6. Ability to encourage others
7. Honesty
8. Decision making

This was, of course, never intended to be an all-inclusive list – it is a way to shift our thought process away from what is just a current trend and toward those timeless skills that will always be in demand. I have just outlined the main points here. Survival Mom includes concrete examples of how to instill these skills in your children and grandchildren. Be sure to read the full post. Once you start thinking this way, I am sure you will come up with your own skills to add to this list. When you do, please post a reply and share your ideas along with ways to teach those skills.

gen-tle-man – noun a : a man of noble or gentle birth b : a man belonging to the landed gentry c(1) : a man who combines gentle birth or rank with chivalrous qualities (2) : a man whose conduct conforms to a high standard of propriety or correct behavior …

This morning I watched yet another news clip of a police spokesman using the word “gentleman” to describe a street thug. In this case, a group of five Blacks walked into a restaurant, got angry because it was taking too long to cook their food. They shot and killed the cook and walked away. The cook had a wife and five children with the youngest being 2 years old. Our society has rotted to the point that this kind of brutal, savage disregard for life is no longer uncommon.

Another quote from the police: “It was a random dispute that went tragically wrong.” No, Mr. Detective, it was a brutal murder by uncivilized thugs who do not have even the most basic level of decency required to live among civilized human beings. There is more to claiming the title of “human being” than having opposable thumbs. Words have meaning, Mr. Detective, and if you can’t grasp that concept, you should not be a public spokesman.

One contributing factor to this is the fact that our society continues to treat uncivilized thugs as though they were civilized men. We have all heard police, judges, politicians, and news reporters use the word “gentleman” to refer to the worst dregs of society. Can anything be farther from the true meaning of the word? Do a web search on “gentleman” and you’ll find “gentleman’s club”. They are not where gentlemen congregate – they are dark, sleazy, degrading strip clubs. To add even further insult, their advertisements will refer to those who work there as “ladies” – yet another complete perversion of the meaning.

Words have meaning, and when a society takes a word and reverses its meaning, that degrades the entire culture. “Gentleman” is not the only example. “Bad” has become slang for something good. “Gay” went from meaning “happily excited, merry, keenly alive and exuberant, having or inducing high spirits …” to meaning one who practices the most vile and perverted sexual deviancy. We have come to the place where George Orwell’s prediction about the way society thinks has become reality: “War is peace. Freedom is slavery. Ignorance is strength.”

We cannot stop the process of cultural Marxism as it destroys our society by changing the way people think. We can, however, control it in our families, among our friends and associates, in our churches, and other places where we have a leadership role. Men think in words, and words have meaning. Insist that words be used correctly.