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The theme for today is The Freedom Culture

For thinking people, this means that the way we relate, the way we engage in economic enterprise, and the way we participate in governance leads to the U.S. becoming the most peaceful, prosperous, and participative nation in the history of the world. And this is precisely the theme of this series, The Freedom Culture—The Mission of America.

We had occasion recently to participate in a funeral celebration of life for an octogenarian. On the one side of this great grandmother’s family was a homogeneous group of second generation European immigrants. On the other side was a heterogeneous group descended from two generations of adoptions from black and Hispanic migrants. Together, the extended family had a diversity of appearance and experience.

The first things that one noticed were the relationships of these diverse groups. Clearly, this relating led to collaboration that yielded peaceful relations in their extended families.

The next things that one observed were the competencies of the members of these diverse groups. Clearly, these competencies had led to the confidence that yielded extended prosperous entrepreneurial initiatives.

The last things that one heard were their conversational representations of their interests in the community and governance. Clearly, this assertiveness led to participation in government relations.

All of the family members in the extended families were proud of their achievements. All rationalized their performances with tales of ancestral performance that accounted for their human potential.

None acknowledged that what made them truly effective—relating, enterprising, participating—was the American experience:

• Cultural relating that led to Peace!
• Free enterprise that led to Prosperity!
• Direct governance that led to Participation!

Peace, Prosperity, Participation! These are the functions of the American vision of civilization. They change forever everyone whom they embrace. They constitute the ingredients of The Freedom Culture.

Signing off for Freedomblog, this is Bob Carkhuff, “The True Voice of Freedom.”

Remember, people, we are free who believe we are free.

We invite your comments. Send to Bob at Freedomblog.com.

“May the road rise to meet you,
And the wind be at your back.”

(Listen to the audio of this blog.)

Thanks for signing on. I’m Bob Carkhuff, “The True Voice of Freedom.”And this is Freedomblog.com

The theme for today is The Freedom Functions

For thinking people, this means how we relate culturally, how we enterprise in economics, and how we participate in governance.

The Freedom Functions define the Freedom Architecture for the standards of all Freedom Cultures. They emphasize the levels of freedom that nations must achieve in order to meet the requirements for participation, contribution and leadership in the Global Village and its Marketplace (See Table 1).

Table 1. The Freedom Architecture

As may be noted, The Freedom Functions define the dimensions of Freedom for Cultures:

• Cultural Relating or the degrees of relatedness within, between and among cultures and nations;
• Free Enterprise or the degrees of freedom in economic enterprise within, between and among cultures and nations;
• Participative Governance or the degrees of participation in governance within, between and among cultures and nations.

Together, The Freedom Functions define The Freedom Architecture for elevation of The Freedom Cultures in The 21st Century Global Marketplace.

Signing off for Freedomblog, this is Bob Carkhuff, “The True Voice of Freedom.”

Remember, people, we are free who have the skills to think.

We invite your comments. Send to Bob at Freedomblog.com.

“May the road rise to meet you,
And the wind be at your back.”

(Listen to the audio of this blog.)

Thanks for signing on. I’m Bob Carkhuff, “The True Voice of Freedom.” And this is Freedomblog.com

The theme for today is Cultural Relating

For thinking people, this means how effectively we relate between cultures, classes, and issues groups.

With constructive relating, all human endeavors will be successful with a 95% degree of certainty. With constructive Cultural Relating at high levels, all national initiatives are possible with a similarly high degree of certainty. The plain fact of the matter is that nations cannot trade if they do not relate. Emphatically, nations cannot trade in The Global Marketplace without relating in The Cultural Marketplace!

In this context, the levels of Cultural Relating are defined in The Freedom Model:

Signing off for Freedomblog, this is Bob Carkhuff, “The True Voice of Freedom.”

Remember, people, relating enables us to share images with others and, then, possibly to merge with them.

We invite your comments. Send to Bob at Freedomblog.com.

“May the road rise to meet you,
And the wind be at your back.”

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Thanks for signing on. I’m Bob Carkhuff, “The True Voice of Freedom.” And this is Freedomblog.com

The theme for today is Economic Enterprise

For thinking people, this means how initiatively we conduct our economic affairs.

The key to the highest levels of Economic Enterprise is the modifier, “Free”. It is not the trade that defines it. It is the free thinking that generates initiatives to meet consumer needs that defines it. Specialty products make trade attractive. Trade agreements without attractive products are like rental properties without occupants. The plain fact of the matter is that nations cannot trade if they do not have something of value. In the long run, they will not have something of value if they cannot generate substance!

In this context, the levels of Free Enterprise Economics are defined in The Freedom Functions:

Signing off for Freedomblog, this is Bob Carkhuff, “The True Voice of Freedom.”

Remember, people, entrepreneurially-driven free enterprise has the highest level relationships with prosperity.

We invite your comments. Send to Bob at Freedomblog.com.

“May the road rise to meet you,
And the wind be at your back.”

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Thanks for signing on. I’m Bob Carkhuff, “The True Voice of Freedom.” And this is Freedomblog.com

The theme for today is Participative Governance

For thinking people, this means how we participate in our own governance.

In the enlightened, modern world, governance is defined by participation. Government without participation restricts decision-making to representative councils or persons of increasingly isolated, Totalitarian “mind-sets”: they or he make decisions about citizens for citizens. And with the acceleration of change, they “know” increasingly less and less, until they “know” nothing about anything! Even when they are overthrown or replaced, one limited set of variability is replaced by another limited set of variability. The only real discrimination in governance is the degree of participation.

In this context, the levels of Participative Governance are defined in The Freedom Model:

Signing off for Freedomblog, this is Bob Carkhuff, “The True Voice of Freedom.”

Remember, people, universal participation is the most effective form of governance leading to prosperity.

We invite your comments. Send to Bob at Freedomblog.com.

“May the road rise to meet you,
And the wind be at your back.”

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Thanks for signing on. I’m Bob Carkhuff, “The True Voice of Freedom.” And this is Freedomblog.com

The theme for today is The Freedom Outcomes.

For thinking people, this means that cultural relating, economic enterprise, and participative governance lead to peace, prosperity, and participation.

It is widely believed that any indices of Freedom are related to everything that is good in the world: participation, intelligence, creativity, performance, and, yes, peace. However, the evidence from research does not specify the programs and objectives for elevating Freedom in operational terms.

An exception to these beliefs has been the work of The Heritage Foundation that has been the forerunner in assessing the effects of Economic Freedom. Defining Economic Freedom as “the absence of government coercion” upon the private sector, the researchers accounted for much of the variance in Prosperity through the following measures: trade policy, fiscal burdens, government intervention, monetary policy, capital flows, banking and finance, wages and prices, property rights, regulation and black market.

In our own work, we have studied the relationship between Prosperity and The Freedom Functions: Cultural Relating, Economic Enterprise, Participative Government. In Figure 1, we present the relationship of our Freedom Scores and Prosperity measured in Per Capita Gross Domestic Product or GDP.

As may be noted, in the “Power Curve” there is a high relationship between Freedom and Per Capita GDP: high scores on The Freedom Functions earn high GDP and vice versa. This means that, as the Freedom Index moves toward “Free,” the Per Capita GDP moves upward many thousands of dollars. Conversely, as the nations move toward “Detractor,” the Per Capita Indices move toward low earnings, ultimately numbered in hundreds of dollars per year.

The correlation between Freedom Scores and Prosperity Indices is high. Depending upon the measures, approximately three-quarters of the variability in Prosperity Indices is accounted for by the variance of Freedom Scores.

The correlation is not a perfect one-to-one correspondence: one movement up in earnings for one movement over in Freedom. That is because of other factors; for example, some nations that are totalitarian may be also rich in resources such as energy—so they get “middling earnings.”

Figure 1. Freedom and Prosperity (Click image for larger version)

Signing off for Freedomblog, this is Bob Carkhuff, “The True Voice of Freedom.”

Remember, people, that peace, prosperity, and participation are a function of cultural conditions.

We invite your comments. Send to Bob at Freedomblog.com.

“May the road rise to meet you,
And the wind be at your back.”

(Listen to the audio of this blog.)

Thanks for signing on. I’m Bob Carkhuff, “The True Voice of Freedom.” And this is Freedomblog.com

The theme for today is The Future of Civilization.

For thinking people, this means that those cultures that relate collaboratively, enterprise freely, and govern participatively will enjoy peace, prosperity and participation.

In this context, our research in Freedom-cast 6 presents the images of “The Past, The Present and The Future of Civilization:”

• The “Past” is found in the clustered low scores on The Freedom Functions of “The Detractors” who live in a version of “The Pre-20th Century Civilization:”
  • Dependent Cultural Relating,
  • Controlling Economic Enterprise,
  • Totalitarian Governance.
• The “Transition from The Past to The Present” is discovered in the “Middling scores” of “The Observers” who live in a version of “The Early 20th Century Civilization:”
  • Competitive Cultural Relating,
  • Command Economics,
  • Authoritarian Governance.
• The “Present” is represented in the mixed scores of “The Participants” who have only begun to embrace Freedom in a version of “The Mid-20th Century Civilization:”
  • Independent Cultural Relating;
  • Mixed Enterprise Economics,
  • Mixed Governance.
• The “Transition to The Future” is found in the high scores of “The Contributors” who are committed to becoming Free and Prosperous in a version of “The Late 20th Century Civilization:”
  • Collaborative Cultural Relating,
  • Capitalistic Enterprise Economics,
  • Representative Democratic Governance.
• The “Future” is modeled in the exemplary performance of “The Leaders” who are attempting to commit fully to becoming Free and Prosperous in “The 21st Century Civilization:”
  • Interdependent Cultural Relating,
  • Free Enterprise Economics,
  • Direct Democratic Governance.

Signing off for Freedomblog, this is Bob Carkhuff, “The True Voice of Freedom.”

Remember, people, the future of civilization is found in our application of The Freedom Functions.

We invite your comments. Send to Bob at Freedomblog.com.

“May the road rise to meet you,
And the wind be at your back.”

(Listen to the audio of this blog.)

Thanks for signing on. I’m Bob Carkhuff, “The True Voice of Freedom.” And this is Freedomblog.com

The theme for today is Freedom and Brainpower

For thinking people, this means that those nations are peaceful, prosperous, and participative, which are empowered and free to use their brainpower.

All peoples of all nations may become Free and Prosperous. The Freedom Architecture is modeled by The Exemplary Performers on The Freedom Functions. This is the foundation for all Free Civilizations.

To be sure, there are no prosperous Totalitarian Nations!

Only nations striving toward Freedom receive the Rewards of Freedom.

The Threshold for Prosperity appears to be at The Participant Level of the Freedom Functions (Level 3.0):

• Peoples and nations that relate with Cultural Independence, meaning Collaborative or Competitive according to the conditions and their requirements;
• Peoples and nations that engage in Mixed Enterprise Economics, meaning Capitalistic or by Command as appropriate to their conditions;
• Peoples and nations that engage in Mixed Governance, meaning Representative or Authoritarian according to their circumstances.

At The Participant Level, then, nations range in the $10,000–$20,000 Per Capita GDP.

Above The Participant Level, nations and peoples take off in growing and, then, spiraling levels of Prosperity. At The Contributor Level (above Level 4.0), the modal earnings are in the range of $30,000 Per Capita GDP. Approaching The Leader Level (above Level 4.5), a nation such as Switzerland earns above $45,000 while Luxembourg reaches over $56,000 Per Capita GDP.

Below The Participant Level, nations are poor. At The Observer Level (above Level 2.0), where nations have not yet committed themselves to Freedom, the Per Capita GDP ranges below $5,000. At The Detractor Level where many of the nations are reactive and even destructive, the earnings range in the hundreds of dollars.

This, indeed, may be the most important correlational figure of our time—or any time! Freedom is directly and powerfully related to generating Prosperity and all of its related values—Peace and Participation!

If, on the other hand, we plan for Control in Cultural Relating, Totalitarian Governance and Command Economics, we will achieve the unreported problems of Isolation, Poverty and Ignorance.

In summary, based upon our extensive research presented in these freedom-casts on The Freedom Culture, Freedom assumes the Infinite Potential of Human Brainpower and empowers us to generate, not only a continuously-expanding economy but also Our Continuously-Changing Destiny. Its adherents learn more and more about more and more until they know a great deal about an Evolving-Everything.

Totalitarianism assumes the finite nature of all resources from which derives both an Economy of Scarcity, a Psychology of Stasis and a Pathology of Discrimination. Its practitioners know less and less about less and less until, finally, they know nothing about anything.

In transition, like the extended families at the funeral, we can celebrate or mourn!
“Quo Vadis?!”

Signing off for Freedomblog, this is Bob Carkhuff, “The True Voice of Freedom.”

Remember, people, freedom is thinking! “Quo Vadis?”

We invite your comments. Send to Bob at Freedomblog.com.

“May the road rise to meet you,
And the wind be at your back.”

(Listen to the audio of this blog.)

Thanks for signing on. I’m Bob Carkhuff, and this is Freedomblog.com.

The theme for today is The Retreat from Destiny.

For thinking people, this means that we had freedom in our hands—and then dropped it.

America climbed “The Mountains of Freedom” in her 200-odd years of existence. In cultural relating, she transformed a “boiling cauldron” into a “melting pot.”

In economics, she transformed a “tax-based, colonial system” into an “entrepreneurial-driven capitalistic system.”

In governance, she transformed “subjugated minions in a totalitarian system” into “constitutionally-mandated, policy-makers in a democratic system.”

By relating collaboratively, America established Peace in her 50 states for nearly 150 years.

By conducting entrepreneurial-free enterprise, America generated Prosperity which no nation has ever known.

By implementing direct democratic governance, America enabled Participation which no other citizens have ever known.

Yes, America climbed “The Mountains of Freedom.” And then retreated from her destiny!

Where is “America the Peaceful” where “We the People” responded empathically?

Where is “America the Prosperous” where “We the People” initiated entrepreneurially?

Where is “America the Participative” where “We the People” governed democratically?

Are our “Dreams of Freedom” gone forever?

• Of Interdependent Cultural Relating?
• Of Entrepreneurial-Driven Free Enterprise?
• Of Directly Participative Governance?

Yes, America climbed “The Mountains of Freedom.” And the world followed. Until now!

Signing off for Freedomblog, this is Bob Carkhuff.

Remember, We the People hold our destinies in our minds. Think about it!

We invite your comments. Send to Bob at Freedomblog.com.

“May the road rise to meet you,
And the wind be at your back.”

(Listen to the audio for this blog.)

Thanks for signing on. I’m Bob Carkhuff, and this is Freedomblog.com.

The theme for today is Back Into the Boiling Cauldron.

For thinking people, this means that we are retrogressing back to class and cultural conflict.

Having been the birthplace of human relating, the United States became the exemplar of cultural relating, both within her borders and beyond with other nations.

Internally, the U.S.A. attempted to relate collaboratively with all of her citizens—emigrants and migrants—and provide them with the full American experience. This effort culminated in the Civil Rights and Human Rights Movements of the second half of the 20th century.

Externally, the U.S.A. attempted to relate to all the peoples of the world—friends as well as enemies. Witness, the collaborative Marshall and MacArthur plans fostering recovery and growth in Europe and Asia.

Existentially, we have retreated from these lofty collaborative goals. Culturally, we moved up the mountain from independence to collaboration. We viewed interdependent cultural relating at the peak of the mountain. And we have retreated back to independence and competitiveness.

Today, we are preparing our children for a world that no longer exists. With the federal legislation, No Child Left Behind, we are drilling our learners in conditioned responding systems for industrial jobs that have already been outsourced to far away places.

Today, we have driven both classes and cultures into conflict. The upper class fears losing tax advantages and luxuries with impositions of regulation upon its businesses.

The middle class fears losing their jobs and comforts to the lower class.

The lower class fears losing their jobs and survival to Third World contractors and First World immigrants.

With full knowledge that poverty is a function of failure to hold full-time jobs, the Multi-National Corporations have deliberately abandoned the inner-cities and their predominantly black populations.

Compounding all others, the candidates who would represent us in the Big White House are dedicating their efforts only to further class and cultural conflict:

• The leading Republican candidates are graduates of Friedman’s School of Supply-Side Economics and seek only tax and regulatory relief for wealthy businesses and their investors (think “Trickle Down Theory”).
• The leading Democratic candidates were trained at The Alinsky Academy of Continuous Class Conflict and seek only to foment cultural struggle (think “Level Down Theory”).

Wow! Are these the ingredients of a “Boiling Cauldron” or what?

Signing off for Freedomblog, this is Bob Carkhuff.

Remember, We the People, that we must aim again for “The Melting Pot” that our ancestors created. Think about it!

We invite your comments. Send to Bob at Freedomblog.com.

“May the road rise to meet you,
And the wind be at your back.”