Article link: http://www.smallgovtimes.com/story/08feb10.constitution.stupid/

Post your comments

#1 - From Larry Lott on 2008-02-11

I call this ‘The Five Year Plan’ only to bring attention to just how fast radical change could happen with effective marketing and implementation.

Conservatives have long been very aware of the dominance of the Marxist/Socialist agenda in our schools at all levels and frankly, since that is really the only side the younger generations are hearing, it is no wonder that the Left is winning the basic argument. When is the last time anyone ever discussed the Enumerated Powers as it relates to any of the big issues of our day. My guess is that not 1 in 50 understands that limiting the power of government is the reason we have a constitution at all. If asked, conservatives and libertarians alike would agree almost unanimously that limited government is the essential goal that must be achieved, yet there is still no mention of the constitutional limits in any public discourse. Be it Katrina, minimum wage, Social Security, Medicare etc., nowhere does anyone, not even the most ardent small-government advocate, dare to bring into the debate Art. I, sec. 8 limitations. Is it any wonder then that more and more people think that our Constitution was meant to insure cradle to grave security, just as Marx intended. Two thirds or more of what our federal government does is no where in the Constitution and until we face this elephant in the room, the 'small government' agenda of right thinking citizens is doomed.

There are big, institutionalized groups, such as unions, academia, the bureaucracy and a myriad of interest groups, applying consistent pressure toward bigger, more centralized government but virtually nothing countering these very substantial and very successful forces. Jefferson once said that 'eternal vigilance' is the price of liberty but history shows that people are not up to that task when confronted 24/7 with these unrelenting forces working against their individual interests. What I am proposing here then is to create such an institution whose function is to educate the people, telling America’s great freedom story, so they will elect true small-government representatives.

The prime goal for all who understand the importance of small government, therefore, must become educational rather than political, relying on a well informed public rather than compromises and deal-making. We must identify and strategically target every venue to bring back the fundamental truth that was self-evident to the Founders, America’s continued freedom depends on limiting the power of government. Think about movies, music, television, advertisement, text books, radio and so forth telling America’s story that so few understand today…the great story that goes untold…free people building a great country.

The interesting aspect of this approach to restoring the ideals of our Founding Fathers is that all of these venues can be pursued at a profit. I would propose that a corporation/conglomerate be started (possibly to be called to ‘Freedom, Inc’) with the goal of educating America using all the methods that make sense while making a profit for the shareholders…those Americans who care to invest in the future of freedom. When the celebration finally dies down that accompanies the end of Social Security, freedom loving Americans can retire in comfort on there wise investment in Freedom, Inc.

An initial effort must be made to find a few large quantity stock purchasers to raise ~$20 million as seed money and to validate the concept. With a good design, the new corporate shares could be bought by both individuals and foundations. Those funds can be used to create a large scale effort to market additional shares to the general public and to start and/or purchase the actual business, pursuing all those avenues to make America’s great story a fundamental part of everyone’s education. This model has two big advantages; first, there would be a large number of shareholders (sixty million in my model) as a manifest political influence advocating small government and, second, there is the perpetual educational function of the ongoing business, the telling and retelling our great history.

Let us become that ‘Shining City on the Hill’, setting the example for the world of how individual liberty can always defeat any competition. If America is going to win in the future, we need all of our citizens to take the responsibility for building something great as our ancestors worked so hard to accomplish. If we fail, let it because we, as individuals failed and not because we let government usurp all of our rights and responsibilities.

Without responsibility, people will act irresponsibly

Reply to this post | Report this post as spam/abuse