Uhmmmmm, now methinks this is gonna get all the spiritually-conservative, status-quo, freedom-loving types in an uproar.

In an era where there’s so much delusion and downright blatant propaganda about just what it means to be “free,” I can’t stand the thought of finishing today’s blog title with the misused word “Pride.”

Genuine pride for me, and most anybody else who has learned to see life through a much broader unconditional lens, is about things that are a lot more personal.

For instance, seeing my 19-month-old toddler climb up the stairs to the slide in the playground and slide down by himself, without needing Daddy’s assistance or cajoling.

Its about accomplishing a project with my wife and over-achieving business partner, Heather, knowing that we’ve just put more valuable information out in the world…. information that is designed to inspire, expand belief systems, effect change, and assist in getting results.

You see, contrary to what “they” (the Masters running the worldly show) want you to believe, there is NO pride in the blind patriotic and religious fervor that fuels a culture of war, over-the-top fear, and needless violence under the guise of ‘freedom.’

This obviously isn’t your typical “Say thanks to the soldiers who gave their life to preserve all that is good and great about the American way of life” Memorial Day post.

‘Cause, quite honestly, I have grown weary of the war lovers taking over every holiday and exploiting them in efforts that lie in ignorance and pigeon-holed ‘Americanism’ thinking.

As law professor Butler Shaffer put it:

 “Turning July 4th into a celebration of militaristic statism (see the old Bing Crosby musical Holiday Inn) was bad enough. But then seeing a Santa Claus in a flag-draped Uncle Sam suit on a Christmas card a couple years ago was simply too much.”

But, on this Memorial Day 2010, here’s what I will say:

The original intent of this legal holiday was to set aside a day in which we commemorate the members of the United States Armed Forces who were killed in war.

As a veteran myself, I can honor that — their bravery, their interest in doing the right thing (seemingly, what American culture still encourages them to think), their commitment and defense of the original ideal of independence.

But, the ‘right thing’ just isn’t so clear anymore.

Now, new and current-day soldiers, airmen, and seamen are seemingly pawns in some grand scheme to globalize the world — to land and meddle in foreign lands who don’t want, or even need, us there. To act and assist in somebody else’s political and philosophical quagmires.

So, on this day, let’s give thanks to those, in uniform or not, who clearly “get” that America was founded upon the principle of secured liberty — independence, in a new land, away from an oppressive monarchy, where ambitious, sovereign-minded, hearty souls could live their lives unobstructed by big government and overburdening regulation… and driven by free enterprise.

On that note, I want to pass along something that Simon Black, one of our wealth renegades* (see below for description), advised a young man about to enter the Military to consider:

“First, the military has a way of taking young people at an impressionable age and teaching them how to excel within a bureaucracy… not to mention the military can also inoculate groupthink. I’m speaking from experience.

“This may be good for unit discipline, but it’s terrible for the mind of a free man. I would strongly encourage you, during your service, to focus on keeping your mind free and creative — read as much as possible, ask questions, and understand that the military microcosm is not the real world.

“Second, as you will not have much time or availability to build financial assets during your time in service, you should focus on building up your most important asset — yourself.

“This means developing skills. Learn as much as possible — a foreign language or two, a technical trade, medical training, etc. These are subjects which are easy to pursue in the military. On the side, I would also be reading about sales and marketing — generating revenue is always a valuable skill.

“Third, I would focus on cultivating an international mindset. Try to get stationed overseas, and immerse yourself in the culture. If you unfortunately end up deployed to the Middle East, make the most of it by interacting with the locals as much as allowed and learning the language.

“Fourth, be smart with your money. The military makes it easy to save — they provide a roof over your head and food on the table, so save as much of your salary as you can so that you have a sizable pool of capital by the time you are finished.”

Simon Black is Editor of SovereignMan.com

Simon is one of close to 80 renegade, international investors that we follow on a consistent basis. We also have an in-house network of “investment investigators” who scour the world for the most valuable ideas, resources, opinions, and opportunities.

Collectively, we sift through many ideas, resources, and insights about politics, economics, worldwide currency news, real estate trends, emerging markets, inflation / deflation indicators, privacy and personal asset protection, futures and options trading, and unique business news.

Through our Wealth Vault, you can see the filtered part. In other words, it’s where we archive our best assessments of the most viable, easy, and hassle-free unconventional passive-income opportunities, cash-flow strategies, and wealth-generation programs across the globe.

One final thought before I close out this post:

Socrates once wrote that true wisdom comes to each of us when we realize how little we understand about life, ourselves, and the world around us.

When it comes to money or cash-flow, we’re on a HUGE mission to ensure that you don’t get caught up in the matrix of doing what everybody else is doing in an attempt to make,  manage, and multiply it.

More about that here…

♦  ♦  ♦

Filed under: Critical-Thinking, Prosperity Mind / Wealth Creation