Posted on 01/07/2026 1:15:26 PM PST by nickcarraway
"When it comes down to it, my life belongs to me," says Timothy Sandefur, author of the new book, You Don't Own Me.
Many popular movies make a constructive point: If you work hard enough and push through tough times, you can achieve your dreams.
In The Pursuit of Happyness, a struggling father tells his son, "Don't let anyone tell you, you can't do something." The movie is a true story about a man who overcomes homelessness and gets his dream job.
In Rocky Balboa, Rocky says, "It's not about how hard you hit. It's about how hard you can get hit and keep moving forward."
These are good messages.
They fit my libertarian philosophy. We libertarians believe people try harder and do best when individuals are free to pursue their own dreams.
In my new video, I interview libertarian Timothy Sandefur, author of the new book, You Don't Own Me. He says, "The title comes from the famous song by Leslie Gore, saying, I'm in charge of my own desires, dreams. I'm responsible for my own self."
"That's kind of obvious," I point out.
"It should be," he replies. "Unfortunately, a lot of people ignore this and say, 'You're responsible for other people, or other people must be responsible for you.'"
He gives examples from Hollywood.
"The original Wizard of Oz movie is this optimistic, joyful film about somebody who always had the strength within her to accomplish her dreams."
But the recent Wizard of Oz, Wicked, focuses on the Wicked Witch, who is a victim because she's green. Her dream isn't to do anything; it's for others to accept her.
"Very different from a film in which the character wants to accomplish something," says Sandefur.
She rejects the wizard's offer of a seat by his side, instead asking him to help society.
Sandefur says the message is, "We should not pursue our own dreams. Instead, curtail our own behavior for the benefit of society."
Likewise, in the latest Wonder Woman sequel, the villain grants individuals' wishes, but that threatens the world. So Wonder Woman tells everyone to give up their wishes. That saves the day.
As Sandefur puts it: "We should not want things, not desire or dream things, and that will save the world."
The flop Strange World is a kid's movie about a society that relies on a power source called Pando. Leftist scriptwriters, selling climate hysteria, have the hero say: "If we want to survive, Pando has to go."
The good guys happily destroy their main source of energy.
Sandefur mocks the stupidity: "Living without today's energy technology doesn't just mean doing without warm coffee. It means doing without ambulances when you have a heart attack, doing without an airplane to carry people's organ transplants. Doing without today's energy technology would be a colossal disaster for the human race. Yet the movie kind of ridicules that concern."
When woke movies fail, Hollywood often blames the audience.
After remaking Charlie's Angels, director Elizabeth Banks said, if this movie doesn't make money, it's because "men don't go see women do action movies."
But that's just dumb.
Didn't Banks notice that men helped make the original Charlie's Angels TV series a hit? Did she not notice Kill Bill, Aliens, Tomb Raider, Resident Evil—lots of successful action movies feature female leads.
"The reality," says Sandefur, "is that people are not interested in another lame remake that satisfies all the politically correct tests."
"Films that are individualistic," he adds, "tend to be very successful." But "Hollywood wants to propagandize to us about the evils of individualism."
To Sandefur, the best message is: "My life is mine. I don't exist to make other people happy."
"Sounds selfish," I say.
"It is, but it's also true that I might want to spend my life helping other people that I love, my wife and my kids. When it comes down to it, my life belongs to me."
…Because “individuals” may have a tendency to say things like “Like HELL you will!” They want people to be obedient sheep.
The origin of individual sovereignty is Jesus Christ.
Hollywood was founded by worshipers of the devil.
You also do not exist to make other people miserable.
If squatting on the public side walk having a poop makes you happy, don't care. Your doing so not only makes other people miserable but it threatens their health.
Because they are communists.
Choose you this day whom ye will serve. But as for me and my house, we will serve the Lord.
This is one of the first expressions of the Principle that the individual chooses...self governance. And the next level of governance is the family...those who live under my roof.
Prior to that the expressions were specific and not general. Cain...where is your brother Abel. Sons of Jacob...where is your brother Joseph.
US culture and law was built on this Judeo-Christian concept. When this Judeo-Christian concept is regarded as antiquated Hollyweird searches for the newest shiny thing.
Pedophile communists.
Hollywood is a Marxist hellhole.
Yeah. I think he understands that.
Good video and good message.
I think much of the COVID experience was about people telling you what to do, supposedly for the benefit of everyone.
It’s the same with all the extreme environmentalism. You will be told what to do. If you don’t comply you are killing everyone.
I am fortunate. FreeRepublic and other sources/people helped me to see the red flags of the Covid narrative and the weak theory of environmentalism. As a result, I was never tempted to do away with your freedom in order to save “everyone.”
Hollywood is rot.
In one of Billy Jeff Clinton’s speeches, he slips up and tells the truth about how the Leftist creeps think. Instead of the time honored phrase “rugged individualism”, he called anyone opposing him “radical” individuals.
Because it lacks the warmth of collectivism. Ask any graduate of the GULAG.
That is why they feel justified in destroying a energy source, change the way society is run so they feel better and as for the WW movie, as terrible as it was the message was valid. Everyone getting what they wanted meant that the world went poof. Same thing in the equally terrible movie "Wish". But that gave them individual happiness so screw the rest of the world.
Like it or not you do not live in a world with only yourself. Other people live there too.
People want to talk about "Happiness" but scream like a turpentined monkey when responsibility is brought up. Especially responsibility to the community that you exist in.
And you do have responsibilities.
The Marines have it right: Travel the world, Meet exotic people. And kill them.
Very simple. It is not compatible with socialism/collectivism. It also can showcase how one person is much better at something than others. They abhor self sufficiency and developing high skill levels and talents.
Hollywood has known for most of my life (69 years) that G and PG movies make the most money and do best in ratings. (Sound of Music, Star Wars franchise, Indiana Jones franchise, Jurassic Park, Close Encounters, etc, etc.) Yet they preferred to push boundaries and make R, PG-13, and NC-17 movies, even at a loss, to get the praise of their peers.
That’s why they go against the grain of the average American.
That’s why Christian-based movies (The Passion of the Christ, The Chosen, David) are doing so well.
Hollywood has known for most of my life (69 years) that G and PG movies make the most money and do best in ratings. (Sound of Music, Star Wars franchise, Indiana Jones franchise, Jurassic Park, Close Encounters, etc, etc.) Yet they preferred to push boundaries and make R, PG-13, and NC-17 movies, even at a loss, to get the praise of their peers.
That’s why they go against the grain of the average American.
That’s why Christian-based movies (The Passion of the Christ, The Chosen, David) are doing so well.
Americans are individualists at heart.
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