In order to achieve that, however, we have quite a few forces to defeat and overcome - the liberal-socialist Democratic Party and their willing accomplices in the dominant liberal media, to name two. Throw into the mix the American school system - especially the institutions of higher learning, but also the lower grades who seem to indoctrinate our kids towards leftist ideas; and a nation that once placed the principle of individual liberty and freedom above all else, finds itself on the threshold of being defeated by our historic ideological enemy - socialism.
Nikita Kruschev was right when he predicted that the United States would defeat itself from within. In this case, the defeated nation, or one on the road to defeat, is the historic ideological one envisioned by our founders. And it was another political philosopher of the 18th century (I don't recall which one, but not necessarily an American founder), who was also correct when he noted that a democracy is doomed to fail when the people realize they can vote themselves favors from the public coffers. We have people voting themselves the fruits of another's labor, and we have politicians willing to pay the bribe with other people's money. Too many people have been led to believe that too many things should be a right. Health care, for instance, is often touted as a basic human right! How can anything be a right if it comes at the expense of another? Too many people feel entitled to have that which belongs to another. Too many people are willing to give up liberty in exchange for a little security.
John Kennedy said it best when he said to ask not what your country can do for you, but ask what you can do for your country. Too many people are not only asking, but demanding that their country take care of their every need. The purpose of government (in America) isn't to manage the lives of people, but rather ensure that nothing gets in the way of the right of the people to manage themselves. The instrument that was meant to protect that right is now, at worst, the primary perpetrator, or at best, the biggest obstacle. Like a poison gas, socialism is creeping into the nooks and crannies of every walk of American life. It took over the Democratic Party in the 1930s, and it's now taking over the Republican Party.
We started our downhill slide in 1932 when, out of a sense of fear, people gave up individualism in favor of the presumed security of socialism. We had somewhat of a reprieve in the late 1940s, throughout the 1950s, and into the early 1960s, but from Republican Barry Goldwater's last libertarian-based stand in 1964, we've been sliding more and more into the quagmire of socialism. Some might say that there was another reprieve under President Reagan, but deficit spending on even more social programs exploded under his administration.
The Republican Revolution in the 1990s, under the leadership of Newt Gingrich, Phil Graham, and Fred Thompson had a lot of promise, but for some reason it fizzled during the Clinton presidency. None of those three, by the way, serve in Congress any longer. Why is that? Who are the dominant libertarian thinkers of today? Who's carrying that banner in Congress? You could certainly name some, but you'll also be naming the very people who are continually demonized by the forces I mentioned earlier. The sparse and incomplete coverage of the death of William F. Buckley, who some call the father of modern conservatism, shows how little attention the dominant media will give to a great conservative/libertarian thinker.
I made a huge mistake in 1992 by supporting the third-party candidacy of Ross Perot. I only helped the party and the candidate I actually preferred the least. I'll not make that mistake again. It's tempting to vote the Libertarian ticket, especially since Bob Barr is running as that party's presidential candidate, but that will only help Barack Obama (or Hillary Clinton, if she manages to pull that rabbit out of her hat) - the least desirable of all the candidates.
The Republican Party needs to be changed from within. It needs to find its historic values as defined by the likes of Barry Goldwater. We need to start emphasizing the underlying American principles, and not get bogged down in the nuances of any particular issue. We need to educate and enlighten people about the merits of taking full and total self-responsibility over the destructiveness of government dependency.
Which step will take us further away from that goal? That's the one not to take. From my perspective, that tells me to throw my support behind John McCain. He's no Barry Goldwater, but he's a lot closer than any Democrat. I don't know the definitive answer, but I'm not throwing in the towel - and I'll never vote for a Democrat, nor will I ever vote for a third-party candidate which will, in reality, only help the Democrat.
We're all but two voices, but our message must be heard. And it simply cannot be heard if we suddenly find ourselves out in the political cold. If a Democrat wins the White House, grab your jacket.
