Redstate

By J A Davis Posted in Archived — Comments (1) / Email this page » / Leave a comment »

Pessimism is revolting and un-American. No one can know the future, but men do have a tendency to foresee the future they want. Anyone who sees darkness ahead reveals darkness inside, and surely anyone who calls himself a conservative or a libertarian should be ashamed of himself when he peddles in pessimism.

The one unifying principle of American conservatism is actually one of the most radical thoughts ever to be created by man: freedom leads to victory. Is it not true that the more free a man is, the higher he can climb? How else could it be that a small colony of about 2.5 million farmers, immigrants, merchants, and slaves could grow into the world's most prosperous and powerful nation state with a continuously growing population of over 300 million souls?

The American experience stands as a stark repudiation of the history of governance. America stands as a bold statement against the placement of power in hands of arbitrary and manipulative elites who seek nothing but control and power for their own ends. America stands as astonishing proof that when people are left to their own devices they can make better decisions than any king, pope, central committee, general, or commission ever could even when staffed with the wisest and most charismatic men acting with the best of intentions.

America is the definition of optimism. What is more optimistic than believing that when freedom exists the good will always prevail in the end? It is not just a belief; it is a verifiable fact of our collective history as a nation. Freedom in America is what has brought us this far, and it is freedom that will lead us forward.

However, we shouldn't be too full of ourselves because after all, we didn't come up with this on our own. Remember that these are self-evident truths bestowed upon us by our creator. Regardless of one's religion it is clear that God has presented men with a decision: do good or do evil. He has also given us the freedom to chose either choice on an ongoing daily basis. We would be wise to remember that free will leads to both heaven and hell.

Of course, this is Earth, not heaven, and perfection cannot be attained, so it is our duty to maximize the good and minimize the evil to the greatest extent possible. This is where government, politics, and law come into play. Maximum freedom allows for maximum goodness and maximum evil, so it falls to the government to restrain the evil impulses of man by restricting freedom as necessary to achieve a desired balance of forces. This essentially makes government a negative force used to restrict freedom while the individuals, families, community groups, and businesses act as a positive force to increase freedom and restrict the authority of the government.

The entire point of the American Revolution was to make the positive force of the people the master of the negative forces of government authority. This is why the Bill of Rights is not a granting of rights to the people by the government, but rather a restriction placed on the government by the people. True freedom requires a limited and restrained government because government by nature is a necessary evil.

Because of the evil tendencies of government power, any politician who claims to want to use the government to "help" the people is either a liar, a fool, or a lying fool. All true patriots are zealous advocates of reducing the size, scope, and power of the federal government. It is logically impossible to be "for the people" and for bigger government at the same time. These are contradictory goals.

The Democrats honestly believe that they are fighting for the little guy by expanding the power of government to fight evil. This is rank foolishness that the Republican Party has opposed since 1860. If charity could be achieved by force of law, priests would carry guns.

Nearly everything of value that has enhanced our lives throughout the generations has come from the blood, sweat, and tears of hard working American citizens. Government has only managed to perfect five things: taking your money, wasting your money, arresting people, killing people, and blowing things up. These government accomplishments broadly illustrate why the War on Terror is winnable and why government-run health care is a terrible idea.

As long as the GOP fights for the freedom of individuals, families, community groups, and businesses then we have nothing to fear or be ashamed about. Of course, history shows that when we fearlessly and eloquently advocate freedom's cause we have a strong tendency to win elections. When we stray from our course, the distinctions get blurred and we lose.

If you believe in freedom, then the GOP is really the only option for your vote in a meaningful election. As partisans, it is our duty to keep up as high a level of pressure as possible on our elected brethren so that they don't forget who they work for or what their job is. The GOP Congress deserves to be destroyed at the ballot box, and they know it. However, the American people do not deserve being burdened with Barack Obama.

John McCain is not perfect but he understands what freedom means because he has lived without it. He makes mistakes, but he has a tendency of making them for the right reasons. He deserves your confidence, your support, and your vote.

How Barack Obama, as a black man, can be in favor of expanding government power is beyond my comprehension. After slavery, Jim Crow, and the crazy high rates of black incarceration today, you would think African Americans would realize the government is not their friend. He has spent twenty years attending a church that preaches black liberation, yet his politics are clearly aligned towards universal subjugation to the state. This glaring contradiction should disqualify him for office anywhere. I will never understand how a group of people so clearly harmed by state power can advocate the expansion of state power. It boggles the mind.

Nevertheless, he may still win. I say "may" because state polls show McCain in a strong and winnable position right now in the electoral college despite national poll deficits. If we lose, let it not be because we didn't believe in victory. After all, we're Republicans and we believe in freedom, and freedom is victory.