Saturday, February 12, 2011

Freedom, Liberty, and the Future of America

by: Les Carpenter
Rational Nation USA
Birthplace of Independent Conservatism




Freedom and liberty.... the principle that no single entity, or government has the right to subvert the rights of any individual through force, or enslave them to the whims, dictates, or desires of another entity, whatever that entity may be.

Freedom and liberty are the inalienable rights of all men and women who inhabit this earth. No one has the right to subjugate another to their beliefs, be they religious, secular, or for any other reason or purpose.

The right of the individual to their life, liberty, and the pursuit of happiness {reference the Declaration of Independence}, as determined by their abilities and their effort, should be denied to no one. The freedom of opportunity is a right that was realized, at least for some, in all its fullness in America following the American Revolution.

Principles and ideals that were borne of the Enlightenment and The Age of Reason became the rallying cry for American Independence. The desire to be free of burdensome taxation without representation, and the demand for a representative voice in the affairs that affected the colonists lives became the the lightening rod that sparked the American revolution. For 234 years the world has stood witness to the power of liberty and freedom such as enjoyed by the citizens of the United states of America.

The principles that insured these inalienable rights {life, liberty, and the pursuit of happiness}were, for a time, and for purely political and economic reasons denied to many for far to long in the very nation that became the champion of individual rights, liberties, and freedom. It is to this nations ever lasting national shame that it took until 1865 to right the wrongs of human bondage on our shores.

Having said the above, I will remain forever in agreement with the philosophical principals of our founding fathers. The principles they wrote so eloquently about, and fought so valiantly to obtain for themselves, are proper principles that hold true for all of humanity. In short they are timeless principles that natural rights and subsequently natural law bestows on all individuals regardless of religious views, ethnicity, race, nationality, or any other possible consideration.

You may ask, perhaps rightfully so, what the purpose for this post is. To that question there are many answers. All can be easily identified if one contemplates the true meaning of freedom and liberty. By this I mean in its truest and most pure for

However, in an attempt to answer the above question {perhaps more so for myself than my readership}, here is the quick answer.

It is my fervent desire (and indeed my hope) that the TEA Part movement will hold true to the ideals of our founding principals and through their efforts facilitate a more fiscally responsible government. It is also my hope and desire the TEA Party will attack the crony capitalism and corporatism that is indeed destroying the American Dream and allowing our international competitors {and adversaries} to bleed us to death, while enriching there own nation at the expense of our people and our nation.

Given the events in Egypt, and the possibly, indeed the likilihood of a strong emergence of the Muslim Brotherhood {see prior post and links on Rational Nation USA} it remains my hope that President Mubarak, the despotic leader he was, is not replaced by an even more repressive regime in the form of an Islamic Theocratic Dictatorship based on Sharia Law that does not recognize human rights in general and the rights of women specifically.

The world is a dangerous place. It is my sincere desire, hope, and driving purpose to see freedom and liberty survive in the United States of America. It is equally my hope the seeds of democracy and true freedom and liberty are planted and take hold in Egypt. For if this happens perhaps the rest of the Middle East may come to recognize freedom and individual liberties.

Cross posted to Democracy Central, Political Integrity Now, and Rational Nation USA

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