“Anyone who fights for the future, lives in it today.” — Ayn Rand
The trajectory of this country over the past eight years has been troubling to those of us who understand the power of individual freedoms. Encroachments on individual and corporate liberties, such as making us buy health insurance while exempting favored unions, go almost unnoticed by the average person. That is why the next two elections matter so much.
We might well look back on this time as the period of history in which we lost the freedoms and opportunities we all enjoyed, to prosper, build a better life and be proud of our accomplishments.
This election is not only about the indifference to debt of Obama and Pelosi; when they say “$13 trillion in debt,” it seems they have no idea it is a real number. It is about the spirit that has made Americans great. Alexis de Tocqueville, the author of Democracy in America, called it “American Exceptionalism,” and we are on the brink of losing it.
Our elitist, narcissistic, condescending president is all too happy to squelch the individual and entrepreneurial spirit of Americans who he thinks rival him in importance. When it is about you and me, it cannot be about him.
As government takes more and more control of our lives and of the economy, the creeping incrementalism which it uses to gain power over us is often not noticed by the average citizen. It is hidden in the false promise of what an all-powerful government will do for you.
Liberals control an education system that has pandered to the lowest common denominator and which has resulted in falling math and science test scores when measured against rival developed countries. If we know too much and are allowed to think for ourselves rather than as part of the collective, we might question government’s power. Education has gravitated toward the lowest form. How else do you explain reality TV’s exploding popularity and the success of “Jersey Shore”? More people can identify “The Situation” (a man nicknamed for his abdominal muscles) than can name any Supreme Court justice. Sadly, their vote counts as much as yours and mine.
Our pop culture has been so blurred with politics that Forbes’ list of most powerful women has Lady Gaga ahead of House Speaker Nancy Pelosi. Donald Trump has thrown his hair into the ring for president.
Even the Tea Party does not seem to agree on what programs to cut from the budget, nor has a clear leader emerged. They are a traditional group, so I assume the only thing they have decided for sure is that South Carolina will secede from the Union first.
For the most part, however, the Tea Party movement is on the right track — if it can avoid being hijacked by the religious right into becoming another vehicle which seeks to codify their view of the Bible into law. Their leading candidate, Christine O’Donnell, spends time telling voters “I am not a witch,” which, sadly, beats her Democrat opponent’s “I dabbled in Marxism.”
It turns out O’Donnell lied about some of her college credentials. The next thing you know we will find out she did not graduate from Cauldron College in Salem, Mass. If she is elected, be prepared for her top legislative priority, the “Omnibus Anti-Masturbation and Reconciliation Act of 2011.” Now you know why I am a libertarian.
In a society where the liberals silence the voices of freedom, we must all fight for it. As I type my column on my Word document program, I notice that it shows “Ayn” in “Ayn Rand” as misspelled with no corrections suggested. It’s like Word does not want to acknowledge one of the most admired writers of modern times. Interestingly enough, Word does correctly spell both “Kucinich” and “Dukakis.”
Do not fall for campaign promises. Remember, Obama was going to get us out of the wars in Iraq and Afghanistan, be a post-partisan president, heal racial divides, and go line-by-line to make budget cuts. He has done just the opposite. Do not base your vote entirely on campaign promises; they last about as long as appliance warranties. Vote on the person, on his or her personal beliefs and actions as they relate to the role of government. The less government does, the better off we all are.
Ron Hart is a syndicated op-ed humorist, author and TV/radio commentator. Email Ron@RonaldHart.com or at visit RonaldHart.com.