My Thoughts on the 4th of July
It seems to me that the Declaration of Independence is one of the most spectacular moments in human history. A group of mostly libertarian-minded influential men decided to inform the divinely inspired King George III, who was the leader of the then superpower of the world, that they were no longer subject to his jurisdiction. They declared their independence in a most public way knowing that they had slim chances of defending themselves against the King and that hanging for treason would be the certain outcome of an unsuccessful effort. Good thing the French helped! Unlike the mostly spineless or totally foolish politicians of today, the concepts of freedom, self-ownership, and self-determination were foremost in their minds.
How embarrassing it is for most Americans today blindly celebrating the Declaration of Independence while also joyfully supporting a huge police state that far surpasses any crimes engaged in by King George III. It’s hard to imagine what people like Thomas Jefferson, Sam Adams, and Thomas Paine would think of our police state today and the so-called “Americans” who support it.
That neither the Democrats nor the Republicans even advocate for freedom today would certainly depress those who pledged their lives to live in a society where they were free to both define and pursue their happiness. Imagine what the Sons of Liberty, who proudly threw the king’s tea into the harbor over an outrageous 2% tax, would think of the current debate over our massive government-sponsored healthcare system, or our giant welfare state, or our fiat currency or the drug war, or our foreign policy entanglements, or our incredible debt, or that police can stop and hassle anyone anytime for virtually any reason. Shame on us for allowing this to happen! We have not been good guardians of the freedoms fought for by many of our founding fathers.
I celebrate the 4th of July because I take pride in the notion that we libertarians, and only us libertarians, engage in the critically important task of keeping the philosophy of freedom and self-ownership alive and viable. It’s the least we can do as Americans. When you celebrate today, please at least think about what you can do to help promote a free society. It’s the least you can do…. Join the movement!
Peace,
Marc
