Anniversary of Political Freedom
Like most government holidays, most people will celebrate US Independence Day with leisure activities as though it was any other day off of work. Ostensibly, the day has been set aside to celebrate the existence of the US on the anniversary of its birth.
However, as displayed in the daily headlines, people are increasingly confused and apathetic about the significance and virtue of the USA. To some people, freedom means the ability to create wealth in an inspiring way while keeping the results. To others, freedom means the ability to force their neighbors to work for their medical bills. Still others curse the US government for not endlessly stealing the wealth of its citizens to give to foreign dictatorial regimes.
So with US flags on display all around the country this week, it’s clear that there’s a critical disparity about the essence of the USA.
The USA was the first government in modern history to explicitly declare that no individuals have the right to enslave others. At a time of divine kings, dictators and tribal warlords, this was radical. Although it would take more time, and a civil war, to fully stamp out slavery in the free world (slavery is still widely practiced today), the USA set the standard of freedom.
With some exceptions, the freedoms in the modern USA have eroded with the tyranny of the majority taking increasing precedence over the protection of the individuals (helped along by demagogue politicians working to manipulate and control the tyrannical majority). US citizens are also told that foreign theocratic dictators have a right to repeatedly threaten and attack us lest our military causes a bloody child to appear on CNN.
Regardless of some US foreign policy blunders, let us not forget that the freedoms and prosperity enjoyed in the US as a result of the historical respect for individual rights does not remotely compare to the government-forced religious tyrannies spread through most of the middle-east and Africa. Our freedoms also do not compare to any secular government treating its citizens as slaves to be sacrificed in a socialist experiment.
Although generations of ivory-tower philosophers and leftist hippies have been preaching, “we’re no better,” let’s not forget the unique and essential strength of the USA: The respect and defense of all individuals, and the resulting, unprecedented wealth. That, its causes, and its defense is what we should be celebrating on July 4th.