Thursday, January 3, 2008

Top 10 Reasons to Vote for Fred Thompson

In no particular order...

10. He does not kowtow


9. He doesn't put up with the political horse race nonsense and is attempting to focus the American people on issues critical to our nation's survival and prosperity, despite the media's obsession with minutiae.



8. Federalism - A candidate that takes the time to actually tell us that the federal government is NOT the solution to all of our problems and explains the concept of federalism, is one that seems to understand the Constitution. This is very good. We haven't had this since 1988.



7. Understands the source of our rights as from God, not government.

Individual Liberty . As Jefferson spelled out in the Declaration of Independence, our basic rights come from God, not from government, and that among these inalienable rights is the right to liberty. We must allow individuals to lead their lives with minimal government interference.
As I tell my students when studying the Bill of Rights...these are NOT a list of rights that our government gives us. They are a listing of innate natural rights that are protected from government interference. Any right granted by the government can be rescinded by the government. Any government that attempts to infringe upon inalienable (untransferable, i.e. the inability to transfer this right to you, no matter how much I wish to) rights, is immoral.

6. Understands and states that each liberty is coupled with a responsibility.
Personal Responsibility . The corollary to liberty is responsibility. No society can succeed and thrive for any duration unless free people act in a responsible way. All of us must take responsibility for our actions and strive to improve our own lives and to contribute to building a better society.
This is not a corporate responsibility (read collectivism) that we all have to (the poor, the middle class, the puppies, etc.), it is an individual responsibility. Teaching Sociology in the university, the textbook I was given was rife with scorn for individualism. This characteristic, it was said, was responsible for all sorts of ills, from stress to hegemony. The ones to emulate were the wise cultures that emphasize the group above the individual like the ever peaceful and happy villagers in South American mountain ranges.

These sophists ought to be glad for the individualism that has given them an environment in which all their needs are met, and they have the time to write pretentious screeds disguised at textbooks.

Whenever the government talks about a "moral imperative" or "our responsibility to help" be sure that they are not volunteering themselves, but you. Irrespective of whether or not you believe in the cause they are propounding.

5.


more later...

1 comment:

Anonymous said...

Looking forward to the other 7...and since I have not been a resident of Iowa for about 5 or 6 years now and can't give my vote - I have supported him with my piggy bank for now, and hopefully will get a chance to vote for him down the road!