Today we are going to be discussing two expressions that are very much ingrained in the US culture but are interpreted somewhat differently in others. We are going to study them because it is important to understand that the Austro-Libertarian system is primarily based on a very ancient concept, the concept that one has absolute rights to one’s properties.
The two expressions that we are going to study today is:
- It is none of your business
- To give credit where credit is due
The first one, “it is none of your business” does not translate very well to other languages.
For example in Spanish they say “no es asunto tuyo” which translates as “it’s not your affair” or “it is not your matter” which lacks the business intonation in it.
In Chinese they say “這不關你的事” which means “what is it to you”
In French they say “ce ne sont pas vos oignons” which means “those are not your onions”
The original idea behind of the expression “is none of your business”, is the literal expression in the sense that my business, the way I make money, is my property and not yours. You have nothing to do with it. It is mine and it does not concern you. You have no right to do anything with it or to it; it is simply not your right.
This is old concept has been widely used, at least in the beginning of US’s existence. We have seen so in the lesson Why the USA is and it’s not important. It sets a historical precedent of how when a system of government does not intrude, people prosper; and how each time the government intrudes, people stops prospering.
The concept of “it is none of your business”, means exactly that. Stay away from my business, my enterprises, my property. You have no right to them.
This concept was latter on popularized as “stay away from my affairs” or “what I am doing you have no right to it”, which is also true. But the original concept was much more important and powerful because it was an economic and financial concept. Why is this important? Because in a Democracy, as we have shown before, the ruling concept is that your property is your property unless there is a majority vote, or in other words, we will rob you, which is exactly what politicians do.
So, this concept of “it is none of your business”, it’s actually accurate, it is extremely accurate and governments totally ignore it because people have forgotten. It’s been accurate in the past, but its meaning has been devaluated and denatured, partially enabling governments to do what governments want do, which is to take over your life and over your money.
This is so because we don’t speak our true meaning any more. Once in a while, it is good to go back and remember that the original meaning was important.
The second concept we need to study is “to give credit where credit is due”.
There are also many expressions in different languages that do not fully capture the original meaning. You can look them up yourself if you are interested. Google is your friend.
The original concept of credit was your word. In other words, you did not have any collateral, you did not have a steady job, you did not have a company. Your word was your bond. If you promised to pay and you paid consistently, then companies will advance you goods and services on your say so and nothing more, just because you said so; just because you had a history of paying your debts. And that’s the concept of credit.
And so the expression “to give credit where credit is due” means exactly that. Literally, you can be trusted with money because you will be returning the money as your word is your bond. That’s exactly what it meant, and that’s the original intention of the expression. It was a financial and economic expression.
Now days, of course, the word credit has been devaluated and denatured to mean recognition. And certainly recognition is part of it, the financial equation but not the original part. In order to advance somebody goods and services you need to recognize that this person is capable of returning your money. But recognition is secondary, trust is primary. Now days the secondary, understanding, has taking over the primary, and when we see something like credits at the end of the movie, that’s what we see, but that’s not the original intention.
Furthermore , when different financial institutions talk about credit limits or credit processes or loan limits, that exactly what they are talking about. They are talking about financial issues, but that was not the original intent, because most of the time they will ask for collateral. If you don’t you pay they will go after your properties. This is also true for unsecured loans. For example, if you read the contract of your credit cards you will notice that their clauses indicate that you are fully responsible for what your spend, and therefore all your property is at risk.
These original concepts are more or less in line with the Absolute Austro-Libertarian system. You are responsible for property and your debts.
There is no other historic meaning for those expressions other than economic and financial; however much the governments may want to make the into something they are not. People keep forgetting that yes! our property, our money is none of government’s business, it’s our business If we ever wand unshackle ourselves from governments we need to eliminate all of them because for as long as they exist they will keep applying the rule that our business is actually their business, which is utterly untrue.
Once in a while is good to recognize where we come from so that we can clearly see when we need to go.
Now you have a map. Use it or not. Your choice.
Note: please see the Glossary if you are unfamiliar with certain words.