Independence Day
The name of the July 4th holiday “Independence Day” seems a bit ironic to me this morning on a day when most Americans clearly exhibit more dependence on government than ever before. We want the government to provide us with a retirement, health care and numberless laws to keep us from possibly harming ourselves in any concievable way.
Radley Balko at his blog says:
Would the founders — whom our government celebrates today — have tolerated the government we have now? As Cowen notes, we rose up and revolted against a government that was far less intrusive, invasive, and — at risk of hyperbole — tyrannical than the one we have now. My guess is that alcohol prohibition alone would’ve been enough have Payne or Jefferson calling for arms. Never mind the New Deal, the Great Society, or today’s encroaching police state.
I bet he’s right. I love America the way it is now. I think I’d love it more if it had been kept as free as the founders intended it to be. Freedom is becoming less and less of a value to those who govern us these days. George Bush is definitely no George Washington and I bet there are few politicians in both parties who have ideas for governing that wouldn’t greatly offend the founders. Sorry for the spat of cynicism there…but I think we’ve screwed things up to a great degree and I only see it getting worse as Americans demand more and more from their government which was created 219 years ago for the sole purpose of doing less and less. Its hard not to be a little cynical about current times when you are someone who really loves the ideas set forth by those founders. We should all be doing more to defend and restore the freedom they risked their lives to provide for us…and that is this website’s holiday message on July 4th, 2006.
Now…go fire up the BBQs and light off fireworks to celebrate the most excellent country on earth! I know thats what I’ve got planned for today. Happy Independence day!
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They wouldn’t have tolerated the Country we have today, but they wouldn’t have overthrown it. They clearly enumerated the reasons they wanted to “throw off such government” in the Declaration of Independence. Find one of the litany of abuses that they had suffered here and you have cause to protest. I don’t really think you can find one that is really true now.
Nothing rises to the level of “absolute Despotism” and I can find much that is only “light and transient” in nature.
Balko ‘risked hyperbole’ and he achieved it.
Comment by Tyler Farrer — July 5, 2006 @ 9:39 pm
I agree with you both. The thing that I find crazy is the the pace at which we add laws to the books in recent years. I too wish for simpler times and simpler government.
Comment by Cody — July 6, 2006 @ 9:37 am
Tyler,
I don\’t think we should violently overthrow our county. I agree with you that the grievances listed in the Declaration of Independence that led to the American Revolutionary War aren\’t for the most part problems we have to live with today.
We shouldn\’t be as bogged down with government as we currently are though. I\’d think that you as a avowed supporter of Republican candidates for political office would be in agreement with me on that.
Republicans always talk a good game but when it comes down to it they are usually even more in to big government than most Democrats.
Comment by Jeremy Manning — July 6, 2006 @ 10:30 am
You’re right about the government being bloated. I think Republicans are more into National Defense than Democrats are. If big military equals big government then you are correct.
On tax cuts, however, Republicans lead.
Thanks for the thought provoking post!
Comment by Tyler Farrer — July 6, 2006 @ 11:16 am
And thanks for your comments…it is always good to have someone take enough interest to leave a comment. Thank you.
Republican majorities in all parts of government have brought us a huge medicare expansion, more involvement than ever of the federal government in the education of our kids, restrictions on freedom of speech in the form of “campaign finance reform”, and more spending on special interest earmarks than ever before. Its not just a larger military.
Comment by Jeremy Manning — July 6, 2006 @ 12:38 pm
we have the same name.
Comment by jeremy manning — July 6, 2006 @ 4:23 pm
I agree that Republicans have been weak in the areas that you mentioned in your last comment. I just don’t think that Democrats would perform any better if given the chance. They don’t have any unity on their message. A few Democrats have shown themselves to be stellar on things like Defense, and should be commended for it. The party, however, is fractured. It seems to be less coherent than the Republicans.
I missed a big part of the picture when I focused only on military spending, however.
Comment by Tyler Farrer — July 7, 2006 @ 10:28 am
you sound like a libertarian. Are you a libertarian?
Just kidding, I did read the comments above. I agree with the commenter that Republicans and Democrats equally want big government, just in different areas.
If you really want to limit government, examine libertarian philosophy. I’m a Dem, but I respect libertarians for that reason.
(BTW I also respect republicans, but not because they want to limit government.)
I thought your william shatner video was hi LA rious but I didn’t want to post a comment there because there are already 47 comments.
Comment by sare — July 11, 2006 @ 6:21 am
sare,
Thanks for your comment and thank you for noticing that I sound like a libertarian. Thats because I am.
I am registered as a Democrat because in Utah I think the Democratic party better reflects my libertarian philosophy.
Comment by Jeremy Manning — July 11, 2006 @ 8:32 am
Wow! That makes a lot more sense. From the above comments, I deduced that you were republican. I guess I would have known differently if I read your blog.
I think, then, that we probably see eye-to-eye in a lot of things, politically speaking. I’m also a registered Dem, for similar reasons.
My husband is an independent because he hates the party system, but he would probably (if pressed) classify himself as a libertarian as well.
Sorry I sounded so silly
Comment by Sare — July 13, 2006 @ 7:53 am
[…] not quite as bitter this year as I sit down to write my Independence day post as I was last year and I’m not sure why. Its not like I have more hope this year for a less intrusive government […]
Pingback by Jeremy’s Jeremiad » Independence Day: Give Me Liberty Or Give Me Good Grilled Beef! — July 3, 2007 @ 3:55 pm