The Freedom Which Slips Silently Into The Past

By Chris Newman

Continental Congress on July 4, 1776 adopted the Declaration Of Independence. On August 2, 1776 it was signed. Then forwarded to King George III of the Britain Empire. The Declaration justified the independence of the United States by listing colonial grievances against King George III, and by asserting certain natural rights, including a right of revolution.

Having served its original purpose in announcing independence. Its stature grew over the years, particularly the second sentence, a sweeping statement of human rights. “We hold these truths to be self-evident, that all men are created equal, that they are endowed by their Creator with certain unalienable Rights, that among these are Life, Liberty and the pursuit of Happiness.”

People now days want to use the second sentence of the DECLARATION OF INDEPENDENCE. To justify government entitlements. Many people who argue the whole government entitlement ideology even believe and teach that the second sentence to the Declaration Of Independence is part of the United States Constitution. They twist the phrase “Life, Liberty and the pursuit of Happiness.” As a guarantee that they will succeed in life, and if not by their merits, then the power of government.

Our founding fathers had a great idea for this country when they drafted the constitution. They set out to provide freedom from tyranny through the promotion of self- reliance. They realized what so many of us has forgotten. Freedom is not free. True freedom comes from ones ability and need to provide for themselves. In the past 80 or so years since F.D.R. and his liberal views was in office. There had been a steady increase in the size of government, and the willingness of the people to hand over a part of their freedom for a false sense of security. I have news for all the people who are looking for security through the government, don’t. It will never happen.

The government as a whole is a wasteful entity. If the government was a private business it would be out of business. The government and how its ran, should be an educational tool for all business students as a guide to how not to do business. The red tape alone, and the long drawn out process of legislation and fund appropriations is one of the biggest waists. Not to mention the waists of tax-payer funds through the ridiculous use of ear marks which so often get thrown into a bill in the 11th hour. It’s not only a waist of time but of limited tax payer money. Unfortunately that doesn’t seem to matter to those tax and spend government officials. Who as we all know mostly reside to the left of party lines. Unfortunately some of the little “r” republicans have forgotten their conservative values. These so called conservatives have traded a piece of our freedom for those ear marks, which most of the time benefit them more then their constituents.

I personally am saddened and a bit frightened as to where this county, and our freedom is going. America has for along time been a country the rest of the world could look up to. All that has drastically began to change. Maybe that’s what President Obama meant in his Campaign speeches when he spoke so often about change. Well my fellow Americans. Change is what we are getting, and it’s not a change for the good.

If we want this country to continue, and our freedoms to flourish. We must return to our grass roots conservatism. We must as Ronald Ragan said in a speech in the 60’s “have a revitalized conservative party.” Conservatism has worked in the past and it will work in the future. I think one of the biggest reasons that conservatism works so well is because of the belief in individual freedom and individual responsibility, along with a strong trust in a free market capitalist society.

Conservatives know that the government is not able to fix all of our problems. In fact, most of the problems that this country has is a result of government intrusion. Take for example the social security system. Although it was created with good intentions by the former President F.D.R. It is a failed and flawed program. As we all know the social security program is unsustainable. For this program to be sustainable it must bring in more tax-payer money then it is handing out in social security checks. As the baby boom generation gets to retirement age, the ratio of money coming into social security and the amount of money being paid out narrows. Before we know it there will be more paid out then collected. Also the government has caused this program to fail sooner then it would normally had, by the constant borrowing from the system to pay for various other pork barrel programs.

There are four basic cures to the Social Security crisis. Privatization, cutting benefits, raising taxes, and making it optional enrollment. We will start with privatization.

February 2005 Former President Bush released his proposal for a partial voluntary investment of Social Security taxes into the free market. His plan was not a fix, more like a band-aid on a festering wound. A more likely free market fix would be to invest all the money collected by the Social Security tax into the free market. But instead of it being invested as a whole. Have it invested more like a 401k. Where the individual tax payer has some say so over how it is invested, even though it is still moderated by the government.

Cutting benefits is probably the least favorite solution. Each consecutive generation would have to begin receiving benefits later in life, and with less of a benefit. In order for the Social Security system to stay financially neutral. The reason why is because each year the percentage of people receiving benefits grow quicker then the percentage of people paying into it. Cutting benefits is unsustainable.

Raising taxes in my opinion, is the most foolish solution. This scenario plays out much like cutting taxes, except at the opposite spectrum. In order for the Social Security system to stay financially neutral. The tax payers would have to pay higher, and higher taxes each year. Eventually your tax obligation would become so great that it would consume more of your pay check then you actually get to keep. Raising taxes is just like the above two options, an unsustainable band-aid solution.

The solution which I believe would be the ultimate solution, would be to make it optional enrollment. This would give choice and freedom to invest, or not to invest your money how you see fit. This choice would only be available to those who are currently paying into the system. Two choices, one to continue to pay into Social Security, and receive benefits as the law currently entails. Choice two, to opt out and surrender what you have already paid in with out any benefits from the system in the future. Allowing you to keep and invest your money for your future. The other part to this plan would be to eliminate the Social Security program to those who have never paid into the system. Giving the individual the responsibility and freedom to invest and provide for their own retirement future. Those who are currently receiving benefits would not be affected, their benefits would continue unchanged. Me myself even though I have paid into the Social Security program for 16 years as a full time employee, and a few more years part time. I would gladly stop paying into it so that I could invest my income the way I see fit.

It seems that each time a law is passed. Choices become a bit more limited, and freedoms a bit more scarce. It always starts off with the little things. For example: Seatbelts. We all should realize that in most circumstances if you are in a accident. Your chances of avoiding serious injuries or death would be better if you were to wear a seatbelt. As an adult, shouldn’t you be allowed to make the choice to utilize a seatbelt or not to use it. Me not using a seatbelt has no affect on the safety of other motorists. Still it is forced on us as if we are children. Unable to make the right choice. The helmet law. I ride a motorcycle, and wear a helmet every time I ride. Still it should be my choice. As an adult, shouldn’t I be the one to make that decision. After all, with or without a helmet it has no affect on the safety of others on the road. Trans-fats have been made illegal to be used in the restaurant industry. Why? Fast food everyday is bad for you. High fat foods too often is bad for you. We know that. Again we don’t need the government to be our parents.

Sure these examples are innocuous on the surface. Still they are designed to be a transitional buffer, used to disguise the slow degradation of our freedoms. Where does our giving up of our freedoms end? As the small aspects of our freedoms erode, and are replaced by the false sense of security by government. Larger less innocuous freedoms are being attacked. The freedom of barter and marketing. The government attacks these rights from a different angle. Mainly these attacks are covered up by the promotion of class and wealth envy.

We hear the phrase, “Less Fortunate.” All the time. “Those that have, those that don’t have.” What do they mean? I’m here to tell you they mean nothing. The majority of people that have, have because of the right decisions that they have made in their lives. The majority that don’t have, are poor because they chose not to take advantage of the American dream. Less Fortunate, that is the biggest deception devised by big government loving politicians.

What makes one person less fortunate then another? The answer. NOTHING. That is unless you were born in a socialist, or communist country. Here in America, by default you are fortunate to be an American. With the freedoms that go along with it. Some ignore their freedoms and responsibility to better themselves, and blame others for all of life’s problems. The promotion of class and wealth envy by the government makes this an easy way to not blame yourself, but to blame others. Not everyone can be rich. Not everyone can own a fancy car, and a three story mansion. With effort and diligence you can have a home, and the necessities of life. All without government intrusion, and entitlements.


Tell Congress How Mad You Are With Them