Value The American Dream

by Kerry Thomas

August 2, 2004

I've heard a lot of political rhetoric lately about "the American Dream" and "American Values." Nice catchy patriotic phrases, designed to numb the brain and tug at your heartstrings, kind of like "for the children." After all, who could possibly be against children, or American values?

But if we can re-engage our brain cells for a minute, let's take a look at just we mean by "American values."

If we take a long term historical perspective, which is to say farther back in history than the 1960's, Vietnam and the Great Society of Lyndon Johnson, we see an America much different than the America we see today. In today's America, we pay an average of some 30% of our earnings to the government, so that this bloated bureaucracy can redistribute that wealth as they see fit. On top of that, this bloated bureaucracy also confiscates another 15% of our earnings as a form of social welfare insurance, in a pay-as-you-go ponzi scheme called Social Security.

Whatever did America do before we instituted social security and the income tax? Could you even imagine being able to keep 100% of what you earn, to spend, invest or give away as you see fit, rather than your government taking and spending half your money for you? If you saved and invested 15% of your income over a 40 year career, do you think you could earn more than 1% on your investment? And if you died before you reached that magic retirement age, should everything you paid into that system go to your heirs, or to the government?

Now, Americans are by nature a generous people. We give more money to those in need than the rest of the world's population combined. But there is a difference between voluntary generosity and coerced confiscation. You are not enriched when your neighbor has more of his income confiscated in the form of higher taxes than is taken out of your pocket.

Since the efforts by the Great Society advocates in the 1960's began to redistribute America's wealth, under a progressive system straight out of Marx's Manifesto, more than $5 Trillion has been usurped from the pockets of hard working Americans, and redistributed, from each according to his means to each according to his needs. You would think that even someone with a free public education would be able to have something to show for their efforts after spending $5 trillion in 40 years. What good works could you do if you had $125 billion to spend every year?

Historically, Americans have risen to the challenge every time we have been faced with insurmountable obstacles. We are at our best when things are the worst. We are a nation of scrappers, of survivors, of underdogs, battling the overwhelming odds to achieve greatness. We don't give up easily. We stand defiantly, and dare life to throw one more challenge at us.

America's greatness does not come from government programs or handouts. America's greatness comes from our ability to overcome adversity and hardship. We are not a proud nation when we stand there with our hand out, waiting for a government program to enrich our lives. We are proud when we pick ourselves up, dust ourselves off, roll up ourselves, and tackle the toughest jobs ourselves, without Big Brother chained around our necks.

American values don't emanate from Washington in the form of another government assistance program. American values are borne of the sweat and blood and tears of America, in the small towns and the big cities, where we come together to meet the challenges of life. Government is not the solution; government is the problem. And the less government we have, the greater America will be as a nation.

How many of today's politicians would recognize America as it was originally created? America was not founded as a Socialist/Progressive nation. On the contrary, when the Founding Fathers were drafting America's founding documents, during the hot summer in Philadelphia, Benjamin Franklin emerged and was asked what form of government they had designed. He replied "A Republic, if you can keep it."

How will you vote this year?

“Republic. I like the sound of the word. It means people can live free, talk free, go or come, buy or sell, be drunk or sober, however they choose. Some words give you a feeling. Republic is one of those words that makes me tight in the throat - the same tightness a man gets when his baby takes his first step or his first baby shaves and makes his first sound as a man. Some words can give you a feeling that makes your heart warm. Republic is one of those words.”
- John Wayne (as Davey Crockett) in The Alamo (1960)