“We’re not libertarians: we’re Republicans,” so sayeth one Florida legislator in regards to Florida’s effort to free up 20 vocations in Florida from needless government regulation. Robert A. Levy, writing at National Review Online, notes, “There should be no disagreement between libertarians and Republicans (or Democrats for that matter): Occupational regulations that are truly necessary to protect the public should be retained. But regulations that merely immunize anti-competitive industries such as interior design against upstart challengers should be scrapped-sooner the better.”
Mr. Levy is chairman of Cato Institute and an associate of mine from decades ago in the 70s investment industry. He was a smart guy back then and has only gained ground through the decades. Keep an eye out for Bob’s regular libertarian essays.
After growing up a Republican, believing that Republicans offer the best approach to prosperity and safety, I have left the party. My departure is in no way an embracement of the Democrat Party, which I know to be a Marxist-oriented aggregation bent on income redistribution and a punitive environment for my small business-oriented clients. Switzerland and Sweden today offer more of the spirit of our Founders then do today’s Republican and Democratic parties. Jeffersonian republicanism basically went out the door with the emergence of John Marshall, a powerful anti-states rights Supreme Court Chief Justice.
Republicans, under the neocon manipulated George Bush, gave us the No Child Left Behind and Medicare drug budget busters and debilitating wars in Iraq and Afghanistan. Both of these military interventions are in a degrading state as I write. And now we have a badly botched and unwarranted foray into Libya. Meanwhile we have a neophyte young president, free of background and practical experience, well over his head and perplexed. And President Obama is actively seeking a second term!
What is the answer for America? America must revert to the America proposed by our Founders in The Declaration of Independence and the Constitution. A careful reading of each demonstrates how far we have drifted. We have only ourselves to blame. We have allowed the likes of Woodrow Wilson, FDR, and Lyndon Johnson to embroil America in military excursions that were fraudulently promoted to Americans. We have allowed the federal judiciary to run Marshall-like amok. We allowed the creation of a massive and intrusive central government clearly against the intent of the Founders. And we have gone ever deeper in debt due to finance central government overreach. We have allowed the formation of an unconstitutional central bank that subsidizes Wall Street bankers to the detriment of America’s retired savers.
Entrenched politicians on both sides of the aisle will strenuously argue that what I present here is a harsh and bitter review of a truly benevolent federal government. As long as more Americans side with the politicians than with realists, America will continue in the sad and dangerous decline that has been in force since the departure of Ronald Reagan. Options will be available in 2012. I, however, do not look upon most of the options I see emerging today as offering much hope. Those Americans who know what needs to be done either do not want to get elected or cannot get elected, which is truly a shame. Americans, as the energy crisis repeatedly shows, generally react once the horse has left the barn and the only thing that remains is the stink.
Warm Regards
Dick
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