Dueling Mind-Sets

For almost all of human history, the mind-set of governance has been that leaders lead,
and all others are either enforcers for, or followers of, laws created by the elite leaders.

This has been true of leaders endowed with power by divine right, endowed by religious
theocracy,  by the power of the sword, or by the power of a democratic election.

The basic rule is that powerful elites set whatever rules they want, and, as long as they
have the power to enforce their decisions, everyone else must follow the rules...and, if
another set of leaders takes control, then the new leaders set the rules.  Same
mind-set, different rulers.

When America was formed, a different mind-set took hold.  The basic idea was that
each individual should have the freedom to choose their own road in life, and accept
the risks and rewards that come with their new found freedom.

No longer would a powerful elite control all individuals, and, to ensure that the
federal government would not have the power to intrude into citizen's lives, the
federal government was limited to specific powers, with other specific powers
delegated to the states.

In addition, individual rights were specified that could not be violated by the federal
or state governments.

Finally, the federal government was divided into three distinct parts, legislative,
executive, and judicial...in order to make sure that no one in the federal government could
achieve enough power to prevent individuals from attaining life, liberty, and their
own pursuits of happiness.

Granted, this is all basics civics, but the difference between the two mind-sets is
still in play in the politics of the current day.

When you listen to politicians, do not pay attention to what they are labeled or to
their political party.  They might be Democrats or Republicans, Conservatives or
Liberals.

What matters is their mind-set.  What matters is how they think. Listen to what they
say and ask yourself "Do they want the power to control my life, or do they think I'm
competent to make my own decisions?"  "Do they look at me as an individual, or
do they look at me as a cog in a demographic group that they can manipulate?"

Actually, a better question would be "Do I look at myself as a competent individual, or
am I just a mindless part of a demographic group?".

There have always been, and will always be, elites that feel they know better than you
how you should live your life.  They have always thirsted for power to enforce their will
upon others...always, of course, for your benefit, not theirs.  And, it is true that some
limits do need to be in place to prevent individual freedom from turning into anarchy.






But it is no coincidence that somehow, in the history of the world, those elites have never
delivered the freedom and the economic and human progress that the American
Experiment did in just a few hundred years.  For all its problems, America is still one
country that has most learned to embrace diversity and live together; a shining symbol
showing the rest of the world what can be accomplished with good will and tolerance.

Even in America, little by little, year by year, elites have slowly been "transforming" the
federal government from its originally intended limited purposes into a gigantic
conglomerate of regulations, entitlements, promises, spending, and power...a
conglomerate that is well on its way to bankruptcy or to oppressive taxation for
future generations.

Before you vote, listen.  Listen hard to what politicians are saying, and ask yourself, "Am
I voting for a safety net, or am I voting for a way of life?

Look.  Look hard, not only at what they are saying, but at the effects of what they are
doing.  Whether by good intention, or not, the effect of much of the federal legislation
over the last hundred years has been to curtail individual freedom and initiative, and to
replace it with regulation, intimidation, and favoritism.

Its a good thing to have control enough to prevent anarchy...but too much control is a
vice, not a virtue.  Do not throw away that which has made us great for that which will
make us mundane.

The greatest gift mankind had ever been given was the freedom our founders
bestowed on this country. 

The burden of history has fallen upon this generation.  We will either be remembered
as the generation that gave that freedom away, or as the generation that took it back.
I don't know how this story will end.  I hope we'll fight to take it back, but I fear
we'll give it up.

Each individual will have to take a side. I hope you pick the right side.