I think if we do not win this election (early) tonight, we have to abandon the narrative that America is a right-of-center country. Already it's clear that most of our debate is framed in leftist terms, and we are not pusing back hard enough of the fundamental issues.
I'd love to believe what this writer believes, but when you have Ohio of all places (possibly) on a knife's edge because the government gave $80 bn+ to a private firm, screwed all the bondholders, shareholders, and non-union employees, bypassed most of the brankruptcy laws to do so, and when that same company ships all of its new production to Mexico and China as a payback, I can't help but think we are completely screwed.
If we win today, enjoy it for a week. But then we need to get back to work making America understand why the fundamental principles matter and how badly they've been subverted over the last 80 years.
If we lose, think seriously about getting out of the country, or at least having your children and grandchildren do so, before the whole thing goes down in flames.
Today, we have an opportunity to rediscover the enduring ideas and principles upon which that experiment was founded, and if we have the courage and commitment, we may be able to pass to future generations the precious gift of individual liberty.
The Miracle of America
from
axes and hoes to high technology;
log cabins to air-conditioned condos;
horsedrawn wagons to autos, planes, and rockets;
scarcity to abundance; &
from tyrannical government rule to individual liberty
HOW DID IT ALL BEGIN?
Most of our history books don’t tell us that, in the beginning, the pilgrims established a communal economic system. Each was to produce according to his ability and contribute his production to a common storehouse from which each was to draw according to his need.
The assurance that they would be fed from the common store, regardless of their contribution to it, had a peculiarly disabling effect on the colonists. Taking property away from some and giving it to others bred discontent and retarded employment. Human nature was the same then as now, and before long, there were more consumers than there were producers, and the pilgrims were near starvation. Governor Bradford, his advisors, and the colonists agreed that in order to increase their crops, each family would be allowed to do as it pleased with whatever it produced. In other words, a free market system was established. In Governor Bradford’s own words:
“This had very good success; for it made all hands very industrious, so as much more corne was planted than other waise would have bene by any means ye Governor or any other could use, and saved him a great deall of trouble, and gave farr better contente. The women now wente willingly into ye field, and tooke their little-ons with them to set corne, which before would aledg weaknes, and inabilitie; whom to have compelled would have bene though great tiranie and oppression. . . . By this time harvest was come, and instead of famine, now God gave them plenty, and the face of things was changed. . . . and some of ye abler sort and more industrious had to spare, and sell to others, so as any generall wante or famine hath not been amongst them since this day . . . .” (Wm. Bradford, “Of Plimoth Plantation,” original manuscript, Wright & Potter, Boston, 1901)
Those who, today, favor central government planning, common ownership and redistribution of the earnings of others are advocating a system that Americans tried and rejected over 350 years ago. Their wisdom gave birth to the great American miracle!
Are we as wise today?
You Can Do Something About This!
(This message originally published in the mid-1980’s by Stedman Corporation’s Government Affairs & Free Enterprise Education Program – a former NC textile firm. For more essays in this series, visit www.ouragelessconstitution.com )
More like they “crapped out”...