A signifiant number of Americans that identify politically as either a democrat or a republican are ideologically Libertarians. Thomas Jefferson was a Libertarian thinker as were John Locke and Thomas Paine.
American independence, Manifest Destiny, westward expansion, pioneer spirit, prairie individualism, and individualism lies solidly within the Libertarians ideology. It is the deep seated belief that individuals make choices and are responsible for their actions. A true Libertarian believes that individuals have the inherent right to life, liberty and the pursuit of happiness with the knowledge that government should be limited and not infringe upon property.
Libertarians believe in the Rule of Law, personal responsibility, and the moral duty of each citizen to respect the rights of others without unreasonable incursion or interference by government. Libertarians are rightly suspicious of too much power in the hands of too few officials. As we have all seen throughout history, power is a corruptive, corrosive force.
Thomas Jefferson noted that “We have more machinery of government than is necessary, too many parasites living on the labor of the industrious.” Regretfully, this recognition of Jefferson has been expanded exponentially since he walked this earth.
The principles upon which our nation were founded include individual liberty, individual freedoms, the right of the individual to own property without government intrusion, the rights of the individual states to establish laws for the citizen that reside there, the recognition that the central government should have limited powers, the rights of the individual to work hard and enjoy the fruits of his or her success.
These are also the tenets of classical liberalism, which has been highjacked by the progressive socialists that believe if I work hard I should give the government my money to support those who do not work hard.
No comments:
Post a Comment