Article on nathan richendollar
By: Jacob Thomas
News Editor
Success is something we all strive for in life. Many people have different interpretations of success which is one of the many reasons for our diverse culture. Creating success among teenagers is a common theme America continues to work towards, and a local teenager is a great example of this.
Richmond teenager Nathan Richendollar recently released his self-published book Sic Semper Res Publica.
The 318-page book intends to reveal the current faults of America and how citizens need to take pride in their American heritage.
Richendollar was inspired to write a political book for various reasons.
“Bank bailouts, more bailouts, a ruling class that is something from Jefferson’s worst nightmares, Romney’s nomination, and a citizenry that seems perfectly content to watch the decline of their nation is what inspired me to write the book,” said Richendollar.
Other common themes in the book are the previous two presidential elections and the impact of governmental programs on our national debt.
“The main theme is that we need to enlighten ourselves as citizens, take pride in our American heritage and fight for our constitutional system of government,” said Richendollar.
The book took six months for Richendollar to write; however, there was an 18-month break between the time it was started and finished.
“I’ve watched a lot of news, read a lot of old CBO (Congressional Budget Office) and BEA (United States Bureau of Economic Analysis) stats, and I’ve generally just spent a lot of quiet time thinking about how our system works, past precedents, parables and things that work the same way in addition to the natural laws that govern us,” said Richendollar.
Overall, Richendollar enjoys politics, but not to the degree most would perceive.
“To be honest, I don’t enjoy much. Although I enjoy seeing facts and figures and making connections, and I love debating, the more I get into politics, the more pessimistic I become about people in general. I wrote the book to inform, and I study politics to be informed. But if I want to have fun or enjoy something, I will either have a debate or a nature hike,” he said.
Richendollar plans on continuing to stay involved in politics by attending the University of Virginia.
“I’d like to go to the University of Virginia (founded by Thomas Jefferson) to study environmental law, be an environmental lawyer, a politician for a few years (it’s not a real job), and start my own eco-tourism company in retirement,” said Richendollar.
He does not plan on publishing any future political books in the near future, but writing will continue to be a part of his life.
“As far as books, I might publish a nature memoir/comedy about Appalachia, a field guide and a poetry book, as well as an idea for a book that I have right now that I call ‘Adam Smith for Dogs’,” said Richendollar.
Adam Smith is known as the father of economics and being the first advisor for the free-market capitalist system we currently have today.
Richendollar looks forward to having a role in the decision-making process of America within the next couple of years as he will be old enough to vote. However, there are governmental decisions from the past couple years that Richendollar would have adjusted if he were part of the decision making process.
“First of all, in a few years, when I can vote, I will have a part in decision making; that’s the whole point of a republic. No one is merely at the mercy of an all-knowing political elite that governs with impunity. If I were more influential, I would have not bailed out the banks in 2008 and 2009. I would have let the auto companies go through the natural business cycle. I would have abolished the Department of Education and sent that job back to towns where it belongs, reigned in the EPA (Environmental Protection Agency), abolished the Federal Reserve, abolish the minimum wage, cut back on regulation, and cut the country’s deficit,” said Richendollar.
While bailing out the banks and auto companies is a controversial topic, Richendollar’s view is more conservative compared to our current state of government.
Richendollar does not foresee positive change in the future of America if the citizens do not take a stronger grasp of their culture.
“It all depends on where we want to take this country and how many of us wake up. I can only speak as to what I see happening if we stay on our current crash course. I see another asset bubble of epic proportions bursting within the next decade, a culture more and more locked into technology and less and less in tune with the natural world, and a country in which the low cost of energy will spur an unsustainable boom in suburban development and economic growth that will cause the general thinking of the nation to become more and more libertarian, preceded by the bubble, and followed by an energy crisis. Because of our increasingly Ron Paul-like stance, we will cut our military drastically to pay for the only cash cows that won’t be skewered in the coming shrinkage of discretionary spending-entitlements. In short, a lot of bad things will happen if we don’t change course, and they don’t rest on the shoulders of any one political party,” said Richendollar.
News Editor
Success is something we all strive for in life. Many people have different interpretations of success which is one of the many reasons for our diverse culture. Creating success among teenagers is a common theme America continues to work towards, and a local teenager is a great example of this.
Richmond teenager Nathan Richendollar recently released his self-published book Sic Semper Res Publica.
The 318-page book intends to reveal the current faults of America and how citizens need to take pride in their American heritage.
Richendollar was inspired to write a political book for various reasons.
“Bank bailouts, more bailouts, a ruling class that is something from Jefferson’s worst nightmares, Romney’s nomination, and a citizenry that seems perfectly content to watch the decline of their nation is what inspired me to write the book,” said Richendollar.
Other common themes in the book are the previous two presidential elections and the impact of governmental programs on our national debt.
“The main theme is that we need to enlighten ourselves as citizens, take pride in our American heritage and fight for our constitutional system of government,” said Richendollar.
The book took six months for Richendollar to write; however, there was an 18-month break between the time it was started and finished.
“I’ve watched a lot of news, read a lot of old CBO (Congressional Budget Office) and BEA (United States Bureau of Economic Analysis) stats, and I’ve generally just spent a lot of quiet time thinking about how our system works, past precedents, parables and things that work the same way in addition to the natural laws that govern us,” said Richendollar.
Overall, Richendollar enjoys politics, but not to the degree most would perceive.
“To be honest, I don’t enjoy much. Although I enjoy seeing facts and figures and making connections, and I love debating, the more I get into politics, the more pessimistic I become about people in general. I wrote the book to inform, and I study politics to be informed. But if I want to have fun or enjoy something, I will either have a debate or a nature hike,” he said.
Richendollar plans on continuing to stay involved in politics by attending the University of Virginia.
“I’d like to go to the University of Virginia (founded by Thomas Jefferson) to study environmental law, be an environmental lawyer, a politician for a few years (it’s not a real job), and start my own eco-tourism company in retirement,” said Richendollar.
He does not plan on publishing any future political books in the near future, but writing will continue to be a part of his life.
“As far as books, I might publish a nature memoir/comedy about Appalachia, a field guide and a poetry book, as well as an idea for a book that I have right now that I call ‘Adam Smith for Dogs’,” said Richendollar.
Adam Smith is known as the father of economics and being the first advisor for the free-market capitalist system we currently have today.
Richendollar looks forward to having a role in the decision-making process of America within the next couple of years as he will be old enough to vote. However, there are governmental decisions from the past couple years that Richendollar would have adjusted if he were part of the decision making process.
“First of all, in a few years, when I can vote, I will have a part in decision making; that’s the whole point of a republic. No one is merely at the mercy of an all-knowing political elite that governs with impunity. If I were more influential, I would have not bailed out the banks in 2008 and 2009. I would have let the auto companies go through the natural business cycle. I would have abolished the Department of Education and sent that job back to towns where it belongs, reigned in the EPA (Environmental Protection Agency), abolished the Federal Reserve, abolish the minimum wage, cut back on regulation, and cut the country’s deficit,” said Richendollar.
While bailing out the banks and auto companies is a controversial topic, Richendollar’s view is more conservative compared to our current state of government.
Richendollar does not foresee positive change in the future of America if the citizens do not take a stronger grasp of their culture.
“It all depends on where we want to take this country and how many of us wake up. I can only speak as to what I see happening if we stay on our current crash course. I see another asset bubble of epic proportions bursting within the next decade, a culture more and more locked into technology and less and less in tune with the natural world, and a country in which the low cost of energy will spur an unsustainable boom in suburban development and economic growth that will cause the general thinking of the nation to become more and more libertarian, preceded by the bubble, and followed by an energy crisis. Because of our increasingly Ron Paul-like stance, we will cut our military drastically to pay for the only cash cows that won’t be skewered in the coming shrinkage of discretionary spending-entitlements. In short, a lot of bad things will happen if we don’t change course, and they don’t rest on the shoulders of any one political party,” said Richendollar.