Happy Independence Day!
By JR Hoeft | Saturday, July 4th, 2009 | Uncategorized
We celebrate today our nation as a nation of laws. Our ability to have equal treatment under that law. Our ability to achieve our dreams unencumbered by discrimination by an overbearing government or by a despotic democracy.
“Nature, which has established in the universe a chain of being and universal order, descending from archangels to microscopic animalcules, has ordained that no two objects shall be perfectly alike, and no two creatures perfectly equal. Although, among men, all are subject by nature to equal laws of morality, and in society have a right to equal laws for their government, yet no two men are perfectly equal in person, property, understanding, activity, and virtue, or ever can be made so by any power less than that which created them; and whenever it becomes disputable between two individuals or families, which is superior, a fermentation commences, which disturbs the order of all things until it is settled, and each knows his place in the opinion of the public.” -John Adams
It is by our diversity and inequality in outcome that makes us great.
While we look upon our brothers and sisters with hope and well-wishes – and we endeavor to help them individually when circumstances require it – it is not the role of government to “level” the playing field. It is the role of government to maximize liberty, check power, and ensure all people have the opportunity to compete and succeed.
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About the author
Conservative to the core; liberal with his opinion! J.R. has been involved in politics for over a decade and has worked on several campaigns in Hampton Roads. He has served on the Executive Committee of the Republican Party of Chesapeake and the Central Committee of the Republican Party of Virginia. He is also the director of “Blogs United” in Virginia. E-mail J.R.. Follow J.R. on Twitter.
Comments
2 Responses to "Happy Independence Day!"
J.R.,
Your concluding sentence goes:
“It is the role of government to maximize liberty, check power, and ensure all people have the opportunity to compete and succeed.”
That is just a statement of leveling the playing field using different words.
Leveling the playing field does not mean that there will not be winners and losers.
I am going to add that if the playing field is tilted so that there are more losers then winners, politicians are going to become winners by seeking to represent the majority of losers in the electorate.
J.R.,
Your piece concluded with this sentence:
“It is the role of government to maximize liberty, check power, and ensure all people have the opportunity to compete and succeed.”
I think this is describing leveling the playing field using other words.
With a level playing field, there will be winners and losers. However if the playing field results in more losers then winners? Then politicians will win by attempting to represent the interests of the losers, the losers who would be a majority in the electorate.
This happens even in sports. In baseball it is OK for the Yankees to win more often then average, however a salary cap and tax was placed on them so that other teams might at least be able to compete and win once in awhile.
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