How Precious is Freedom?

My recent posts about Friedman and Hayek have led me to think again about just how precious and fleeting freedom really is. I am very fortunate to have been born in the USA and to be the benefactor of the genius of the founding fathers in establishing a sound democracy based upon capitalism and individualism.

And we are also fortunate to live in one of the very few countries that does not have a government-run health care system (for the most part). Of course the socialists believe that is a terrible thing but they don't bother to look at one simple fact: Many people throughout the world are trying to move here, and very few Americans want to leave. I recall when the PIAPS tried to institute a national socialist health care system in the USA. Many of the cowards and idiots in Washington were afraid to stand up to her at first, except for Phil Gramm and Richard Armey. But when it became obvious that her plan was completely ludicrous, even her own party rejected it. The Democrats controlled both houses of Congress in 1993 but they never even brought her proposal to a vote. I can just picture one of the first things that will happen if we ever do adopt a socialist health care system. Minorities will be given preference and white men will be pushed to the end of the line.

We must continue to be vigilant, for there are many both inside and outside of the country who want to take our freedoms away. Freedom is like a beautiful, delicate woman who must be protected and cherished at all costs. We must not allow ourselves to be intimidated by the islamofascists. We cannot allow the socialists to wreak their havoc on our economy. We must fight the PC crowd who want to place restrictions on our freedom of expression.

These thoughts remind me of a tribute that Ayn Rand, the novelist-philosopher, made to the USA in her excellent book, Atlas Shrugged

From its start, this country was a threat to the ancient rule of mystics. In the brilliant rocket-explosion of its youth, this country displayed to an incredulous world what greatness was possible to man, what happiness was possible on earth. p. 1061.