Forty five years ago, a young fellow named Ronald Reagan made a speech endorsing a candidate for US President (Goldwater) and why the choice was important based on the issues facing the nation at that time. The speech was titled, “A Time for Choosing” and was later simply called, “The Speech”. The names have changed, but in a strange way, everything else has stayed the same.
The budget was in deficit, Democrats were calling for more Government solutions, war was raging overseas (claiming far more American lives – but nevertheless), and the mudslinging over what would later become known as “political correctness” had already infected the debates.
Today, we also have the power of choices. Perhaps we have the illusion of too many choices. We can select one of hundreds of TV channels (back then you had the big three plus a few UHF stations). In reality we only have a few cable TV choices – usually a basic, and then a couple of tiered premium levels (each containing many channels). Our choices in ice cream makes the 37 flavors seem antiquated and Heinz’s 57 varieties is no longer even close, but most production has been consolidated to just a few national companies. Your GPS can plan any one of hundreds of different routes to your destination, but typically gives you the shortest and the quickest as your options.
When we select our leadership, it is always between two. A Democrat and a Republican. No one else really comes close. Some think that the American system works best that way. Others feel that people cannot handle too many choices and would not get involved if there were more. Another posits that the parties themselves are the problem.
The system may not be broken, but it is bent and reaching breaking point.
The power to makes choices is the cornerstone of what made the United States the greatest nation on earth. The economic superpower status came from the freedoms that allowed any individual the opportunity to pursue greatness without official impediments like class or caste systems. If this nation appears to be in decline, it may very well be the well-meaning government safety net systems that are actually causing that descent.
This site will explore current events and the issues of the day. We will refer back to bedrock American principals to explain them and to look for reasonable solutions. Your input is welcome.
Through discussion and debate we will strengthen our solutions and the prospects for better days ahead.
Thanks for visiting.
Russ
p.s. – If you wish to understand the basis for my ideology, read “Not Yours to Give” by Col. David Crockett [http://juntosociety.com]
