Friday, October 02, 2009

An Ideal America

I am stealing the following post in it's entirety from Mises.org, because it reflects my own beliefs perfectly. It was originally written by Leonard Read in November, 1954:
Every person should be free
-to pursue his ambition to the full extent of his abilities, regardless of race or creed or family background.

-to associate with whom he pleases for any reason he pleases, even if someone else thinks it's a stupid reason.

-to worship God in his own way, even if it isn't "orthodox."

-to choose his own trade and to apply for any job he wants — and to quit his job if he doesn't like it or if he gets a better offer.

-to go into business for himself, be his own boss, and set his own hours of work — even if it's only three hours a week.

-to use his honestly acquired property or savings in his own way — spend it foolishly, invest it wisely, or even give it away.

-to offer his services or products for sale on his own terms, even if he loses money on the deal.

-to buy or not to buy any service or product offered for sale, even if the refusal displeases the seller.

-to disagree with any other person, even when the majority is on the side of the other person.

-to study and learn whatever strikes his fancy, as long as it seems to him worth the cost and effort of studying and learning it.

-to do as he pleases in general, as long as he doesn't infringe the equal right and opportunity of every other person to do as he pleases.


The above, in a nutshell, is the way of life that the libertarian philosophy commends.

It is the way of individual liberty, of the free market, of private property, of government limited to securing these rights equally for all.

Leonard E. Read

After reading that, ask yourself: Is this the America in which I live? Is this the America in which I WANT to live?

In case you doubt it, the America about which Read is talking is NOT the world sought by most Republicans or any Democrats. Keep this in mind the next time you vote for a Republican or Democrat just so you don't "waste your vote" on a third party. Is it more important to vote for a winner, or vote for someone who espouses what you believe?

3 comments:

William R. Barker said...

Again, Ed, although I'm NOT espousing violence... the only viable pathway I see for putting the country back on the right path *is* violence - best case scenario a bloodless coup.

We need to pray for the military coup.

*OR*

Yes... I'll support secession.

Listen. Ed. The politicians AREN'T going to give up their power voluntarily and a Third Party movement absent plurality participation of the movers and shakers - the very people running the present system - just isn't in the cards.

Nope. The present U.S. Government is NOT what the Founders intended so therefore I have no compunction nor hesitation in calling for the U.S. military to step in and set things right.

Ed. Just take the gerrymander alone! The way the gerrymander has been institutionalized, the vast majority of the American People are effectively disenfranchised as it is!

Com'on, Ed... you KNOW I'm right!!!

Here's what's necessary - at a bare minimum:

A temporary military dictatorship. Throw all the bums out - the President, VP, cabinet officials, Senators, Members of the House...

By decree the temporary dictator eliminates the gerrymander, imposes terms limits of two terms in the Senate, four terms in the House, and then returns our country to civilian control under these new rules.

BILL

EdMcGon said...

Bill, the only problem with your idea is: What is going to make the "temporary" dictator step down?

Justine Valinotti said...

Bill, no military dictatorship has ever stepped down voluntarily or has been voted out of office. It takes another cycle of violence to get rid of a military dictatorship. And, once violence becomes the fuel for the engine of our economy and history, there is almost no way out of it. And if you think we don't have any freedom now, you wouldn't want to see what things would be like in such a scenario.