By Don Jans
The term American is widely used. For our purposes we will define American as an individual who believes, supports, and promotes the principles that made America unique at the time of its founding and have been widely characterized as the reasons that the United States became the world’s standard for liberty and for prosperity.
I understand what I am going to tell you is not widely taught today, in fact, it is widely disclaimed. This is a standard procedure when an ideology is trying to transform a society to another ideology. Specifically, a collectivist (Marxist, communist, socialist, progressive, Democrats, – all virtually the same) movement has been committed to transform the United States from a nation based on individual rights and liberties to a Marxist totalitarian state adhering to collectivist values of subverting individual rights and liberties to what is termed, the best interest of the collective.
If you are a Freedom Loving American, who is about “Setting Brushfires of Freedom”, these are great questions to ask those with whom you are conversing. Your purpose in asking the question is to set a spark or fan a flame in the mind of the individual with who you are conversing, not to argue, or debate.
Is the United States a Democracy or a Republic and which do you support? The United States is a Republic. “The republican is the only form of government which is not eternally at open or secret war with the rights of mankind.”
“Democracy is nothing more than mob rule, where 51% of the people may take away the rights of the other 49%.”
Thomas Jefferson
Two distinguishing features of democracy and republic.
Republic is based on “rule of law” where the law is blind and applied based on the law as written. Democracy adheres to arbitrary law which means law is applied based upon what is best for the people who hold power regardless of the words of the law. Those in power could be a monarch, a self-imposed dictator, or a political party.
Republic believes in and upholds the rights of the minority. For instance, freedom of speech is upheld for all, even if the speech is deemed to be politically incorrect or hate speech.
Democracy says the majority or those in power, can and will determine what speech is considered to be allowed under the free speech standards as determined by the majority or those currently holding power.
The United States was founded on the understanding that big government always subverts individual liberty and rights and therefore the United States will be a nation with a limited government. So strongly was this principle believed that the Constitution states the United States is a Republic. “Society in every state is a blessing, but Government, even in its best state, is but a necessary evil; in its worst state, an intolerable one.” Thomas Paine
And Samuel Adams was also very direct about the evil of big government and those who favor it when he said, “If ye love wealth better than liberty, the tranquility of servitude better than the animating contest of freedom, go home from us in peace. We ask not your counsels or your arms. Crouch down and lick the hands which feed you. May your chains set lightly upon you, and may posterity forget that you were our countrymen.”
“I sir have always conceived—I believe those who proposed the Constitution conceived—it is still more fully known and more material to observe, that those who ratified the Constitution conceived—that this is not an indefinite government…but a limited government tied down to the specific powers.” James Madison
Do you support or oppose the government as a mechanism for welfare, or taking from one to give to another? Karl Marx had as a core function of government to enable a transformation to and then maintain a socially just and equal society that the principle of “From each according to his abilities, to each according to his need” must be universal. This and the ownership or control of productive property by the people (government) is fundamental to a collectivist society or a Marxist totalitarian state..
The position of the Individualist, the Freedom Loving American is that “We hold these truths to be self-evident that all men are born equal and are endowed by their Creator with certain unalienable rights, amongst them the right to life, to liberty, and to the pursuit of happiness.” All individuals are free to pursue their own happiness. Happiness in any form, is not and should not be a function of the government, so would say an Individualist, a Freedom Loving American.
“When the people find that they can vote themselves money that will herald the end of the republic.” Benjamin Franklin
“The government of the United States is a definite government, confined to specified objects. It is not like the state governments, whose powers are more general. Charity is no part of the legislative duty of the government.” James Madison
According to Madison, every welfare program violates the letter and the intent of the United States Constitution.
Madison, along with the other founders were strong supporters of charity, however, just not by the federal government. Madison was a member of the committee that authored the 1776 Virginia Bill of Rights and approved of its clause declaring that “It is the mutual duty of all to practice Christian forbearance, love, and charity toward each other”.
Now, ask yourself if you are an American. It is critical we learn or relearn; upon which values and principles we were founded and why. We are constantly being told by the American left, the Democrat party, that we must practice American values. The values to which they refer are the values of the collectivist (Marxist, communist, socialist, progressive, Democrat, – all virtually the same) movement. The values to which they refer are the exact opposite of American values. Know and understand the differences. Know, and understand your own values, are they collectivist or American. Then be about “Setting Brushfires of Freedom”.
Please feel free to share this, to reproduce this, to use this information in any way you believe it will assist in restoring American values so our great Republic can again be the beacon for individual liberties and rights that propel freedom and prosperity.
Don Jans is a national acclaimed author and speaker. He is also a lifelong student of history, with a special emphasis on Russian history. His study of Russian history led to 1917 which led to the study of the teachings of Karl Marx and Friedrich Engels. Don has written five books on the topic of Collectivism (Marxism, Communism, Socialism, Fascism, and Progressivism).
Don has been a guest on numerous nationally and regionally broadcast radio programs. He is a weekly guest on a nationally broadcast radio program where he discusses collectivism and how it is impacting the United States, relating current happenings to the collectivist agenda.
Don has spoken to numerous groups across the nation on the topic of who and what is the United States and who and what is collectivism. The collectivist movement has called for a transformation of the United States. What is critical for all to understand is what is the transformation; what are we now and into what will we be transformed.
Don’s speaking approach is the same as his writing approach, and that is to be direct and straight forward with no regard for the current mandated approach of political correctness.
Samuel Adams said, “It does not take a majority to prevail… but rather an irate, tireless minority, keen on setting brushfires of freedom in the minds of men.” If we are to remain free, we must be about setting brushfires of freedom.
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