Tag: Thanksgiving

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The First Thanksgiving in America

George Noga

The enduring lesson of Thanksgiving is the triumph of freedom over socialism.

The First Thanksgiving in America

By: George Noga – November 20, 2021

This Thanksgiving, as your family gathers to celebrate, regale them with the indelible lessons of the first Thanksgiving in America and not with the usual feel-good, warm, fuzzy, multi-cultural and politically correct narrative of Pilgrims sharing their first harvest and peacefully celebrating with their Wampanoag neighbors. This fusty canard about Thanksgiving is mostly false and offers no enduring life lessons.

The Pilgrims did not invite the Indians to the first Thanksgiving 

The Wampanoags were not invited to the harvest feast but crashed the party after it had begun, not to celebrate but to remind the Pilgrims they were there at their mercy. The relationship turned violent soon thereafter. Native Americans regard Thanksgiving as a tragedy leading to genocide, loss of land and slavery. Americans have been taught a story that is historically incorrect and that ignores the true lessons of Thanksgiving.

The True and Enduring Lessons of Thanksgiving

Following is the authentic story of Thanksgiving in America and its timeless lessons about human nature that speak to us even today. It is an inspiring and uplifting story about human survival, adaptation and eventual triumph over starvation and death.

Once upon a time, good and righteous people seeking a better life came to settle in America; they had sincere and lofty ideas about how they would govern themselves in the new world. They believed that sharing all work and benefits equally was just and even noble. They strove gallantly to make such a socialist system work.

The Pilgrims starved under socialism but prospered with capitalism

But after enduring social dissonance and unfathomable hardships, they came to the realization that a system of communal property is incompatible with human nature. They quickly took decisive action and instituted private property rights. The next harvest resulted in a veritable cornucopia, and they held a feast to celebrate. Today, we celebrate this triumph of freedom over socialism as the first Thanksgiving in America.

The authentic Thanksgiving narrative is about early Americans overcoming starvation, death and collectivism. It is about understanding that socialism always results in starvation amidst plenty. It is about understanding that severing the link between work and benefit is contrary to human nature. It is about understanding that socialism is such a perversion that people choose starvation over living and working communally.

People in Plymouth (and Jamestown) literally chose death over socialism. Yet, all these same people who, one year earlier, starved under socialism suddenly became industrious, inventive and prosperous when they had property rights. And that, dear readers, is the authentic narrative of the first Thanksgiving in America!

A HAPPY AND AUTHENTIC THANKSGIVIING TO ALL OUR READERS

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Our next post about climate change reveals a climate threat that is far worse.

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The Authentic Thanksgiving Narrative

George Noga

This year resolve to teach your children the authentic Thanksgiving narrative.

The Authentic Thanksgiving Narrative

By: George Noga – November 21, 2021

This post presents a complete and authentic Thanksgiving narrative. It is an inspiring and uplifting story about human survival, adaptation and triumph over starvation and death. It takes place in Plymouth, Jamestown and Xiaogang, China. The Chinese celebrate Thanksgiving on the same day as Americans; it’s called Gan’en Jie, or feel thankful holiday. They decorate with pumpkins, corn and nuts, connect with family and friends and eat sesame turkey (or duck), cranberries and ginger-pumpkin pie.

The Usual Feel-Good Thanksgiving Narrative

Americans are cannonaded with the narrative of Pilgrims celebrating their abundant first harvest and sharing it with native Americans. It is a warm, fuzzy, multi-cultural, feel-good, politically correct narrative. However, it is incomplete and largely untrue. The Pilgrims’ first harvest ended with them eating rats; over 50% died, most from starvation. In Jamestown, two-thirds died; when another 500 settlers arrived, 440 of them starved to death within six months. In desperation, they resorted to cannibalism. In Xiaogang, people ate roots and ground tree bark into flour to avoid starvation.

The Authentic Story of the Pilgrims

The Pilgrims were governed by the Mayflower Compact that established communal property; everything went into a common stock and was withdrawn as needed. This was pure communism and it soon resulted in mass starvation. Governor Bradford took action. He immediately instituted private property rights, granting a parcel of land to each family. This made everyone uber-industrious and much corn was planted.

If the Pilgrims could not make socialism work, no one ever can. They were deeply religious, homogeneous, few in number and their survival depended on one another. Nonetheless, they starved to death en masse rather than work collectively. They chose death over socialism. Yet, the following year, with private property rights, these same people produced a veritable bounty and celebrated the first Thanksgiving in America.

The Authentic Story of Jamestown

As in Plymouth, everything was placed into a common store owned by everyone and hence, no one. There was no direct connection between work and benefit. Soon there was starvation amidst plenty and 478 out of 576, (83%) died. A new governor, Sir Thomas Dale, arrived. His first action was to give every man three acres. Overnight, the colony prospered as people became inventive and industrious. John Rolfe, husband of the first Pocahontas, wrote about how private property turned everything around. The following year Jamestown enjoyed an abundant harvest due entirely to abandoning socialism for private property. As in Plymouth, the very same settlers who had starved under collectivism now prospered when granted private property rights.

A Chinese Thanksgiving: The Story of Xiaogang

The Chinese Communist Party (“CCP”) abolished private land ownership and forced farmers onto communes. Over 40 million starved to death, with survivors clinging to life. In the village of Xiaogang there was no food. A young farmer, Yan Hongchang, organized a clandestine meeting with the heads of each family. They divided the commune’s land into individual family plots. Each family agreed to submit its share of the quota to the state, but got to keep the rest. The next year, Xiaogang produced a grain harvest of 100 metric tons, equal to 20 years of quotas. The CCP tried to suppress news of the Xiaogang miracle, but word spread like wildfire. Within two years, China abandoned collective farming and allowed people to farm their own land.

The Authentic Narrative for Thanksgiving

A Parable for Our Children and Grandchildren

Once upon a time, good and righteous people seeking a better life came to settle in America; they had sincere and lofty ideas about how they would govern themselves in the new world. They believed that sharing all work and benefits equally was just and even noble. They strove gallantly to make such a socialist system work. But after enduring social dissonance and unfathomable hardships, they came to the realization that a system of communal property is incompatible with human nature. They quickly took decisive action and instituted private property rights. The next harvest resulted in a veritable cornucopia and they held a feast to celebrate, inviting their Wampanoag neighbors. Today, we celebrate this as the first Thanksgiving in America.

Pilgrims starved rather than collectivize, choosing death over socialism.

The authentic Thanksgiving narrative is one of early Americans overcoming starvation, death and collectivism. It is about understanding that socialism always results in starvation amidst plenty. It is about understanding that severing the link between work and benefit is contrary to human nature. It is about understanding that socialism is such a perversion that people chose starvation over living and working communally. People in Plymouth, Jamestown and Xiaogang literally chose death over socialism. Yet, all these same people who, one year earlier, starved under socialism suddenly became industrious, inventive and prosperous when they had property rights. And that, dear readers, is the complete and authentic narrative for Thanksgiving!

This year, resolve to share the real Thanksgiving narrative with others. To our Chinese readers, happy Gan’en Jie; to everyone else, a happy and authentic Thanksgiving!

Our next post presents MLLG’s inimitable take on identity politics in America.

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More Liberty Less Government – mllg@cfl.rr.com – www.mllg.us

Enduring Lessons of Thanksgiving

George Noga
We have become disconnected from and ignorant about the source of our great prosperity for which we give thanks. The earliest Americans, who lived under socialism, understood.
Enduring Lessons of Thanksgiving
By: George Noga – November 18, 2018

       Your children and grandchildren undoubtedly have been indoctrinated in the Thanksgiving narrative foisted on them by government schools and the media. You know, the one about Pilgrims celebrating their abundant first harvest and sharing it with Native Americans. It is a warm, fuzzy, politically correct, multi-cultural, feel-good myth, but it ignores the enduring lessons of Jamestown and Plymouth.

          Colonists arriving in Jamestown in 1607 found fertile soil and an abundance of game, fruit and nuts. Everything went into a common store owned by everyone and hence, no one. There was no direct connection between work and benefit. As with socialism everywhere, there soon was starvation amidst plenty. Within six months all but 38 died – most from starvation. In 1609 another 500 settlers arrived; six months later 440 more had died from starvation. In desperation, they turned to cannibalism.

          Then a new governor, Sir Thomas Dale, arrived. His first action was to give each man 3 acres, while requiring him to work one month a year for the common wheal, equal to a flat tax of 8.33%. Overnight the colony prospered; people became inventive and industrious. John Rolfe, husband of the real Pocahontas (not Elizabeth Warren), wrote about how private property had turned everything around. Jamestown’s first good harvest in 1611 was a direct result of abandoning socialism for private property.

       Fast forward to 1620; when the Pilgrims landed, they were governed under an arrangement that established communal property ownership. Everything went into  a common stock and was withdrawn by anyone as needed. This was pure communism: from each according to his ability, to each according to his need. Soon enough, they were reduced to eating rats and 50% of them died. Again, starvation amidst plenty.

     Governor Bradford took action. As Dale had done in Jamestown, he instituted private property rights, granting a parcel of land to each family. In Bradford’s words: “This led to good success, for it made all hands industrious. Much corn was planted; women now went willingly into the fields and took their little ones with them, which before was thought to be tyranny and oppression.” At the next harvest in 1621, there was enough of an abundance to share – thanks once again to private property rights.

       If the Pilgrims could not make socialism work, no one can. They were deeply religious, homogeneous, few in number and their survival depended on one another. Nevertheless, they starved to death en masse rather than work collectively. They did not tinker with, modify or seek to perfect socialism; they abandoned it as a failure.

         Over 400 years ago, the earliest American settlers understood socialism far better than Bernie Sanders, Andrew Gillum and Ocasio-Cortez, who are advocating that America return to the principles that created mass starvation in Jamestown, Plymouth and now Venezuela. Without liberty and property rights there is no abundance and there is no Thanksgiving. Socialism is pure evil and incapable of being refined.

       Teach your kids and grandkids the authentic lessons of Thanksgiving; you can begin by having them read this post. When society breaks the link between work and benefit, the inevitable results are privation and misery. No socialist scheme has ever worked; they all fail for the same reason, i.e. they are antithetical to human nature. If you want a veritable cornucopia to share with others, only capitalism can produce it.

       As in Jamestown and Plymouth, socialism always creates starvation (and even cannibalism) amidst plenty. Our ancestors found it so repugnant, they died rather than alter their human nature to make collectivism succeed. This year, let’s be thankful for the ineluctable lessons of early America: socialism fails and capitalism succeeds!

Next week’s post is about the politicization of science. 

Our First Thanksgiving as Americans

George Noga
Everyone is familiar with the Thanksgiving celebrated by the Pilgrims in 1621. This post reveals the rest of the story and our first Thanksgiving as Americans. 
Our First Thanksgiving as Americans
George Washington’s Thanksgiving Proclamation
By: George Noga – November 19, 2017
        Americans all know the feel-good (but deeply flawed) narrative of the Pilgrim’s thanksgiving in 1621 – the first in the new world. During colonial times, and even throughout the Revolutionary War, the practice continued as the colonies set aside different days for thanksgiving, prayer and fasting – not feasting.
        The first nationwide day of thanksgiving was in response to the American victory at Saratoga in October 1777. The Continental Congress suggested a day be set aside to honor the victory. George Washington, as commander-in-chief of the army, agreed and proclaimed December 18, 1777 as the first national day of thanksgiving. The Continental Congress issued thanksgiving proclamations in each year through 1784. Note: The 1777 proclamation is easily available online and well worth reading.
      Following ratification of the Constitution, the first Congress beseeched President Washington to issue a proclamation of thanksgiving; Washington concurred and issued the proclamation on October 3, 1789 designating Thursday, November 26 as the day; his proclamation is reprinted below. This is the first thanksgiving in what now became the United States of America. However, Washington did not establish a permanent holiday. Presidents Adams and Madison also declared days of thanks but there were no thanksgivings between 1815 and 1863 when President Lincoln initiated an annual observance of thanksgiving in the USA on the fourth Thursday in November.

George Washington’s Thanksgiving Proclamation (edited for length)

“Whereas it is the duty of all nations to acknowledge the providence of Almighty God, to obey His will, to be grateful for His benefits, and humbly to implore His protection and favor; and whereas Congress requested a day of public thanksgiving and prayer, to acknowledge the many and signal favors of Almighty God by affording the people an opportunity peaceably to establish a government for their safety and happiness. 
 
Now therefore, I do assign Thursday, the 26th day of November next, to be devoted by the people of these States to the service of that great and glorious Being who is the beneficent author of all the good that was, that is, or that will be; that we may unite in rendering unto Him our sincere and humble thanks for the signal and manifold mercies and the favorable interpositions of His providence in the course and conclusion of the late war; for the tranquility, union, and plenty which we have since enjoyed; for the civil and religious liberty with which we are blessed and, in general, for all the great and various favors which He has been pleased to confer upon us.
 
And also that we may unite in most humbly offering our prayers and supplications to the great Lord and Ruler of Nations, and beseech Him to pardon our national and other transgressions; to enable us all, whether in public or private stations, to perform our duties properly; to render our National Government a blessing to all the people by constantly being a Government of wise, just, and constitutional laws, discretely and faithfully executed and obeyed; to protect and guide all sovereigns and nations, and to bless them with good governments, peace and concord; to promote the knowledge and practice of true religion and virtue; and generally, to grant to all mankind such a degree of temporal prosperity as He alone knows to be best.”  (October 3, 1789)
Next up is a retrospective of the past hurricane season

The Real Story of Thanksgiving

George Noga
Settlers in Jamestown and Plymouth under socialism were reduced to cannibalism and eating rats; after switching to capitalism, they ate turkey and had enough to share with the Indians.
The Real Story of Thanksgiving
By: George Noga – November 20, 2016

       Jamestown, Virginia 1611: Colonists arrived in 1607 and found fertile soil and an abundance of seafood, game, fruit and nuts. Yet within 6 months all but 38 died – most from starvation. In 1609 another 500 settlers arrived and 6 months later 440 died, again mostly of starvation. People ate dogs, cats, mice and even resorted to cannibalism. The survivors gave up and headed back to England. As they sailed out of Chesapeake Bay they encountered three ships with new settlers and decided to give it one more try.

     On the ships was Sir Thomas Dale, the new Governor. Before Dale, everything went into a common store owned by everyone and hence no one. There was no direct connection between work and reward. Like socialism everywhere, people starved in the midst of plenty. Dale’s first action was to give each man 3 acres while requiring them to work one month for the common wheal – equivalent to a flat tax of 8.33%.

     Overnight, the colony began to prosper; people became industrious and inventive. Indians, who had regarded the settlers as inept, suddenly gained respect for them. John Rolfe, husband of Pocahontas who was an ancestor of Elizabeth Warren, wrote that the colonists engaged in “gathering and reaping the fruits of their labors with much joy and comfort” If Jamestown colonists had gathered to give thanks for their first harvest of abundance, it would have been in 1611 and as a direct result of private property.

     Plymouth, Massachusetts 1621: When the Pilgrims landed in 1620 they were governed by the Mayflower Compact which established communal property ownership. All benefits from farming, trade and fishing went into a common stock and were withdrawn as needed. Women washed clothes and dressed meat for everyone and not their own families. This was pure communism: from each according to his ability; to each according to his need. When everyone is entitled to everything, no one is responsible for anything. Soon they were eating rats and 50% had died.

     Just as Dale had done in Jamestown, Governor Bradford took action. He instituted individual property rights, granting parcels of land to each family. In Bradford’s words:
“This led to very good success, for it made all hands industrious. Much corn was planted; the women now went willingly into the fields and took their little ones with them to set corn which before would have been thought great tyranny and oppression.” At harvest in 1621 there now was an abundance resulting in the first Thanksgiving.

     United States of America 2016: The story of Jamestown and Plymouth is identical to the experience of all socialist, communist and utopian experiments throughout recorded history; i.e. starvation amidst plenty. They all fail because they are opposed to human nature and they break the link between work and benefit. In contrast, private property and self interest always have worked through the millennia.

     The Thanksgiving narrative today is merely a verisimilitude, a warm, fuzzy, politically correct, feel-good, multi cultural tale. Not one in 100 children in America today knows the real story of Thanksgiving. Readers owe it to their children and grandchildren to acquaint them with the real lessons of Jamestown and Plymouth, i.e. if you want turkey and enough to share with others, only private property can produce it. Socialism brought only unspeakable horrors and privation, starvation amid plenty.

The next post November 27 covers a variety of pithy topics.