The American answer is already sitting in the founding documents. Limited government. Federalism. Local control. Private property. Ordered liberty. Equal protection. Strong families. Churches. Civic associations. States free to differ. Citizens free to build. Smith’s point is direct: the left judges socialism by its promises and America by its flaws. That is the scam. Real socialism brings scarcity, censorship, coercion, and collapse. Real America produces prosperity, self-correction, invention, and freedom. The cure for managed decline is not another centralized scheme from credentialed idiots. The cure is less Washington, more Republic, and a people mature enough to govern themselves.
A classic saying - "Hard times create hard men. Hard men create good times. Good times create soft men." The Scriptures include a nearly continuous repetition of what can be called the Pride Cycle - Good people following God and creating a good society; the good and prosperous society creating greed, envy, and pride in their own accomplishments (e.g., tower of Babel); leading to downfall and need to re-start the cycle.
Limited government is the solution for every country. As Lao Tzu advised the Chinese Emperor a few thousand years ago, “Ruling a large country is like cooking a very small fish: if you poke it too much you ruin it.” He also advised the Emperor that to keep the people happy and the nation wealthy and peaceful, not to take more than ten percent of their output in taxes.
I get it. Blame Republicans for this; they simply stood by & allowed the far left to take over the educational establishment without a peep then - when confronted with it - act outraged before the cameras for 5 minutes - then go stick their head in the sand & do nothing about it.
Civics have been deleted from school curriculum & that is by design.
“The solution is to restore the limited government that made (makes) America great, not throwing the baby out with the bathwater. In America’s case, less is most assuredly more.” I totally agree with you, but how will this be achieved? Our government is so corrupt and mismanaged. Will we ever be able to get the enormous debt that our government has racked up (and continues to grow) under control? How do we reach the youth who refuse to listen? The educational system has also been infiltrated with false teachings about the founding of America, about capitalism versus socialism/communism, and are being taught to hate America. We can’t even get our congress men and women to vote for voter ID. Our country has turned to far away from it’s original purpose as well. Those pilgrims came here so that they could freely practice their beliefs and to spread the gospel of Christ. https://americanminute.com/blogs/todays-american-minute/supreme-court-america-a-christian-nation-bill-federer?_pos=1&_sid=1c6a800e2&_ss=r
We, as a nation, have strayed so far from its original purpose. We basically have taken God out of everything. Unless we get back to this, I don’t believe that there is much hope for this country.
The proponents of progressive ideas are not oblivious to the limitations of freedom imposed by the solutions they champion. They ARE in favor of those restrictions, upon other people; the ones who don't agree with them. They themselves have no idea of losing THEIR freedom, restriction is just for the lesser people who just don't measure up to progressive standards of decency.
“…people can begin to see America less as a civilization that gradually corrected profound flaws and more as a continuous story of oppression.”
It is not merely a disease of prosperity, led by material success, the detachment of historical consciousness from historical perspective, or psychological.
It is a spiritual malady. And until that is self-discovered and accepted, we are toast. We are absolutely no match - individually, or collectively - against the unseen. The Dark Side of the Force, if you will.
“…centralized solutions offer moral clarity. If government can simply mandate the desired outcome, the problem appears solved. Federalism, markets, local governance, and civil society are messier because they produce variation, disagreement, and uneven results. Many people prefer uniformity even when it comes at the expense of liberty.”
Even in small-town, conservative, rural America I have found that last sentence surprisingly true.
Excellent article. You detailed many reasons for the critics.
I believe the lack of community cohesion - due to the rise of identity politics - is a primary reason for the strong drive many people have to condemn their own society, which you covered in your point about prosperity driving a focus on 'identity', among other things. I think 'identity' has attracted an amazing amount of manic and self-destructive energy. America/the West is no longer a 'monoculture' with everyone pulling the oars in the same direction. Instead they're African-American, LGTQ+XYZ, feminists, insert-your-more-important-social-group-here. Every group's goals are as different as the groups themselves. Every group feels more 'special' than the whole.
They don't see the greater whole which created the prosperity that gives them the luxury of self-condemnation. (Although it's always everyone outside their little group which attracts their condemnation.)
Less please, yes. Take away some more! The problem then becomes, what petty tyrant will be the first to step up, clear eyed and honest, and let go of his little fiefdom and the peasants he has been using to accomplish his own vision.
The American answer is already sitting in the founding documents. Limited government. Federalism. Local control. Private property. Ordered liberty. Equal protection. Strong families. Churches. Civic associations. States free to differ. Citizens free to build. Smith’s point is direct: the left judges socialism by its promises and America by its flaws. That is the scam. Real socialism brings scarcity, censorship, coercion, and collapse. Real America produces prosperity, self-correction, invention, and freedom. The cure for managed decline is not another centralized scheme from credentialed idiots. The cure is less Washington, more Republic, and a people mature enough to govern themselves.
A classic saying - "Hard times create hard men. Hard men create good times. Good times create soft men." The Scriptures include a nearly continuous repetition of what can be called the Pride Cycle - Good people following God and creating a good society; the good and prosperous society creating greed, envy, and pride in their own accomplishments (e.g., tower of Babel); leading to downfall and need to re-start the cycle.
For there is nothing new under the sun! 🌞
Limited government is the solution for every country. As Lao Tzu advised the Chinese Emperor a few thousand years ago, “Ruling a large country is like cooking a very small fish: if you poke it too much you ruin it.” He also advised the Emperor that to keep the people happy and the nation wealthy and peaceful, not to take more than ten percent of their output in taxes.
"...Castro’s Cuba and Chavez’s Venezuela are just a bad dream."
Hey, there's still Ortega in Nicaragua!
...where they will no longer have "elections" because- see? - the entrenched communist Daniel Ortega "knows better".
Show me a govt that can "solve all your problems" & I'll show you a govt under which you have no rights whatsoever.
Here's the thing - there ARE people that think government should "solve all your problems", and those people vote.
I get it. Blame Republicans for this; they simply stood by & allowed the far left to take over the educational establishment without a peep then - when confronted with it - act outraged before the cameras for 5 minutes - then go stick their head in the sand & do nothing about it.
Civics have been deleted from school curriculum & that is by design.
"The question is whether the proposed alternatives have demonstrated a better record of preserving liberty, prosperity, and human dignity.
Thus far, the evidence suggests they have not."
Thus far, the evidence demonstrates conclusively they have not.
There, I fixed it.
https://americanminute.com/blogs/todays-american-minute/socialism-warning-a-government-big-enough-to-give-you-everything-you-want-is-a-government-big-enough-to-take-from-you-everything-you-have-president-ford-american-minute-with-bill-federer
“The solution is to restore the limited government that made (makes) America great, not throwing the baby out with the bathwater. In America’s case, less is most assuredly more.” I totally agree with you, but how will this be achieved? Our government is so corrupt and mismanaged. Will we ever be able to get the enormous debt that our government has racked up (and continues to grow) under control? How do we reach the youth who refuse to listen? The educational system has also been infiltrated with false teachings about the founding of America, about capitalism versus socialism/communism, and are being taught to hate America. We can’t even get our congress men and women to vote for voter ID. Our country has turned to far away from it’s original purpose as well. Those pilgrims came here so that they could freely practice their beliefs and to spread the gospel of Christ. https://americanminute.com/blogs/todays-american-minute/supreme-court-america-a-christian-nation-bill-federer?_pos=1&_sid=1c6a800e2&_ss=r
We, as a nation, have strayed so far from its original purpose. We basically have taken God out of everything. Unless we get back to this, I don’t believe that there is much hope for this country.
The proponents of progressive ideas are not oblivious to the limitations of freedom imposed by the solutions they champion. They ARE in favor of those restrictions, upon other people; the ones who don't agree with them. They themselves have no idea of losing THEIR freedom, restriction is just for the lesser people who just don't measure up to progressive standards of decency.
Absolutely.
“…people can begin to see America less as a civilization that gradually corrected profound flaws and more as a continuous story of oppression.”
It is not merely a disease of prosperity, led by material success, the detachment of historical consciousness from historical perspective, or psychological.
It is a spiritual malady. And until that is self-discovered and accepted, we are toast. We are absolutely no match - individually, or collectively - against the unseen. The Dark Side of the Force, if you will.
“…centralized solutions offer moral clarity. If government can simply mandate the desired outcome, the problem appears solved. Federalism, markets, local governance, and civil society are messier because they produce variation, disagreement, and uneven results. Many people prefer uniformity even when it comes at the expense of liberty.”
Even in small-town, conservative, rural America I have found that last sentence surprisingly true.
It’s not merely collective, willful amnesia.
It’s something much more sinister.
Excellent article. You detailed many reasons for the critics.
I believe the lack of community cohesion - due to the rise of identity politics - is a primary reason for the strong drive many people have to condemn their own society, which you covered in your point about prosperity driving a focus on 'identity', among other things. I think 'identity' has attracted an amazing amount of manic and self-destructive energy. America/the West is no longer a 'monoculture' with everyone pulling the oars in the same direction. Instead they're African-American, LGTQ+XYZ, feminists, insert-your-more-important-social-group-here. Every group's goals are as different as the groups themselves. Every group feels more 'special' than the whole.
They don't see the greater whole which created the prosperity that gives them the luxury of self-condemnation. (Although it's always everyone outside their little group which attracts their condemnation.)
Less please, yes. Take away some more! The problem then becomes, what petty tyrant will be the first to step up, clear eyed and honest, and let go of his little fiefdom and the peasants he has been using to accomplish his own vision.