If we lose freedom here, there is no place to escape to.
Ronald Reagan, October 27, 1964
For at least the last 200 years, America has been the place where those who wanted Freedom and opportunity fled. Be it from Cuba, Ireland, Russia, China, or Italy, they came here. Millions of them came here with literally nothing but the clothes on their backs and the desire to succeed. Stories of immigrants overcoming hardship and succeeding in America are legion. Our promise - come to America. We can't guarantee anything, but you are limited only by what you can achieve.
Last Tuesday, America made a choice. I think it was a poor choice, maybe a careless choice.
We may not understand it yet, but we may have given away our inalienable rights, in exchange for promises from politicians. We may have traded admiration of success for envy. An immigrant today faces hurdles worthy of a third world dictatorship in starting a business, with local, state and federal officials claiming jurisdiction over everything from his products, to his workplace to the wages he pays to the work rules he applies. If he fails, we bail him out. If he succeeds, "we" get a substantial cut - if we even let him try! After all - "you didn't build that".
Is this America?
This article, written by a Brit who has lived in both Britain and America, says it better than I could.
I share his dismay, but not his despair. My plan remains "eternal vigilance". It is vital the The People understand that personal responsibility is not optional, and "social responsibility" is a ruse. They must understand how and why the promises of "free stuff" will not, and can not be fulfilled. The future of our children and nation depend on an informed and vigilant electorate.
I believe that we must maintain America as someplace they can "escape to". It is my duty to do what I can to defend the nation that has treated me so well.
Tell me: What were your reasons for voting as you did? What issues were most important? Why?
Share with me, and with the readers. I urge you to comment.
The result is not news. Why did you vote the way you did?
I voted democrat because the democratic party is willing to represent all the people of the country regardless of race or sexual orientation, not just the select few the republican party is concerned with.
In what way, specifically, is the Democratic party more willing to represent all the people? How, specifically, have the Republicans failed to do this?
http://www.nytimes.com/2012/11/08/opinion/the-republicans-post-election-day.html
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http://www.thedailybeast.com/articles/2012/11/16/meghan-mccain-on-why-the-republican-party-needs-to-wake-up.html
http://www.irishexaminerusa.com/mt/2012/07/17/americans_ignorance_about_soci.html
Our rights and freedoms are precious, I will agree. Freedom of expression, freedom from religious intolerance, freedom to vote. IMO, it is the Democratic party that has worked to preserve those rights. I didn't vote Democrat to "get free stuff" - although it is interesting that one man's "free stuff" is another man's corporate tax write-off. I voted Democrat because I've learned something from history: every time, EVERY time, a minority accumulates the wealth, as is happening now, very, very bad things happen. I'm no communist (in fact, my husband served during the Cold War), and I don't envy anybody else's possessions. But this much disparity between those who have and those who do not, is dangerous. I also voted Democrat because I believe in education. If you haven't been paying attention, this planet is dying. We need every student on board in the coming generations to learn how to save it.
The difference between "free stuff" and the "community" you describe is subtle, but I believe that it is a difference in degree rather than fundamentals. The problem with socialism, as Margaret Thatcher observed is that it works fine until you run out of other people's money. It's not that the "stuff" is "free", but that the Democrat party has embraced the idea that the government should be used freely as a tool to force some people to pay, at least in part, for other people's choices. Once you cross that line, there is no limit. There is no obvious place to stop. For instance, education is a good example. We have "public schools", that are paid for by the whole community. The argument is that the whole community benefits, but the dynamics in that school are not necessarily what parents, or the community want. In education, frequently those who can well afford to pay for the education of their own children themselves force those with less in their communities to pay for their educational choices. At the same time, the policies in the schools are dictated by politics rather than the desires of parents or even best practices in education. Teachers unions turn out to be a powerful force for stasis, and drive higher costs. Thanks again for posting.
Thanks for listening. : )