Life

The individual is beholden only to himself and his own freedom. In no way is he obligated to sacrifice life, limb, or property for any cause other than his own, by his own free will. Free people know very well when their freedom is in danger and they will defend it if necessary. This has happened many times in our past. In The Second World War, the rich and famous from Wall Street to Hollywood and everywhere in between enlisted in the Armed Services en masse. They know very well that their freedom was at stake. On the other hand, in The Vietnam War, the military had to rely on the draft to supply the manpower for a war that many Americans thought was not vital for the preservation of their freedom. Conscription is an insidious evil. It implies that the individual is beholden to the government, and even worse, owned by the government.

The government should exist only for the protection of individual liberty and freedom. The individual is sovereign. All people, whether they are free or not, possess the freedom of mind. That is, they possess the freedom to think whatever it is they wish. That freedom is naturally endowed upon all men. With that in mind, how can it be said that man is not granted all other freedom? Freedom is natural and freedom is free! It requires no obligation, however, it does requires responsibility.

Individual responsibility is the cornerstone of freedom. The individual has no right to interfere with anyone else's liberty and freedom. The sole purpose of the government is to enforce this natural law. It does not take an Environmental Protection Agency to protect our air and water. It takes a responsible individual. The responsible individual does not dump his garbage on his neighbor's front yard, and if he does, it is the government's responsibility to punish him for that crime. Bureaucracy is a proactive approach to enforcing law. A proactive policy implies that left to their own will, the people will break the law. It implies that the government must monitor the people to protect them from themselves. Well, pardon my humble opinion, but I cannot accept that.

It is bureaucracy itself that makes people irresponsible. Without social welfare programs, people have an incentive to work. If a person is a plumber and there are no jobs for plumbers where he is, perhaps he starts his own plumbing company. Or perhaps he moves to somewhere where there is a need for plumbers, or maybe he learns a new trade. But regardless, without a social welfare program, he does not just sit idle. If all else fails what does he do? In a free society he turns to his community for help, not to the federal government. People are way better judges of who needs help than the federal government. That man better be in pretty bad shape before he goes to his church or friends and family for help. Individuals value life way more than the government. The government may give the man a handout, but his community will not only get him on his feet, but they will give him a job, teach him a trade, and all the while improving their community.

Respect for life is key to this. Respect for the individual and individual responsibility are foundation of a free society. Socialism failed because it does not respect the individual. Fascism failed because it does not respect the individual. Both of those systems deny the ancient and natural assumption that man can take care of himself.