The following article should be required reading, I believe, of every American citizen. It is about what is at stake in the fall elections by JB Williams, who is a small businessman and entrepreneur. Perhaps we should listen to him:
The Obamessiah of Pickpocket Politics
Here are a couple of brief excerpts:
Founding Fathers Weigh In"Every national election is about the same thing really. Half of Americans use every national election cycle as nothing more than an opportunity to pick the pockets of the other half. The other half is running for cover.
"I should be more specific… There is no such thing as a free public feeding trough. Every penny in that trough came from the pockets of fellow Americans who earned them and politicians, who pick those pockets as an expedient means of gaining personal political power, are nothing more than thieves for hire.
"From now on, I’m referring to the practice as “pickpocket politics” and clearly, Barack Obama is angling to become the new Pied Piper of the practice...
"Of course, if voters themselves picked their neighbors pockets, it would be a crime and they would go to prison if caught. But when they elect politicians to do it on their behalf, it’s not a crime, its some insane form of economic justice, which for some odd reason, they feel entitled to."
I also began to read the wisdom of the Founding Fathers of the American Republic and others of their era, where I learned the following scenario.
Let's suppose that I have one horse, my neighbor has one horse, and another neighbor on our street has no horses. Still a third neighbor on our street has 5 horses. I think, "It sure would be nice if my wealthy neighbor with 5 horses would share with our poor friend and give him just one of his horses. He would still be rich with four horses." So I decide to do something about it. I go to the home of my neighbor with five horses. I take one, and I give it to my neighbor that has no horse at all. My purposes are noble. My actions are criminal.
Six months later, I'm in prison. I find out the hard way that that activity is called stealing.
However, instead of stealing the horse, I'm smarter than that. I gather all my neighbors together, and I say, "Hey friends, our neighbor has no horses. If all of you will elect me to office, then we'll use the power of government to take the horse of our wealthy neighbor, and we'll give it to our neighbor who is poor." All my neighbors -- except the wealthy one -- think this is a great idea, so they vote for me. Once in office, I use that office to use the power of the state to accomplish the same act that would have otherwise landed me in prison. Now, suddenly, I'm everyone's hero. They pat me on the back. They name buildings and freeways after me. I'm popular, and I keep getting reelected. Boy, I'm good!
Wrong! I'm still a thief! I just did it legally! I used mob rule to steal! My actions are just as dishonest, but I have now done it by hiding behind the collective desire of my fellow citizens to steal! The nobility of the cause -- to take care of my poor neighbor -- is irrelevant! Stealing is still stealing, regardless of the nobility of my intentions!
In the United States, government derives its power (at least its supposed to) from the consent of the governed. However, I can not give to government a power or right that I don't possess. I can not give to the government the power to steal, because I don't have that right or power inherent within my Constitutional protections or rights. Stealing isn't a right, and therefore I can't empower to government to do it!
(In contrast, since I do have the right to protect myself and my property, I can empower government to do that through police actions and the military. The police protect me and my property, and the military protects our society and country.)
This is one reason why the Founders created a Constitutional Republic, not a democracy. In a Republic, the rights of minorities -- even unpopular ones like the wealthy -- are protected. In a democracy, everything is subject to "majority rule", including the property of our neighbors. I learned that a pure democracy is nothing more than legalized mob rule! This concept of democracy is sweeping across much of Latin America, and now, even the United States of America. It will be equally destructive in both places!
One day, I ran across the following quote by John Adams, one of the Founding Fathers of the American Republic:
"The moment the idea is admitted into society that property is not as sacred as the laws of God, and that there is not a force of law and public justice to protect it, anarchy and tyranny commence. If `Thou shalt not covet' and `Thou shalt not steal' were not commandments of Heaven, they must be made inviolable precepts in every society before it can be civilized or made free." -- John Adams (A Defense of the American Constitutions, 1787)
I am convinced that those who use their votes to steal by hiding behind their vote and a shameless politician, will one day be held accountable to their Maker for that act, just as much as those who use their hands to steal.
John Adams correctly realized that such an act is a violation of two of the Ten Commandments -- not to covet, and not to steal. Is it not coveting the property of another to see their prosperity and have the desire to take it away through taxation? It is especially coveting if we seek to use our vote on the condition that only they are exposed to confiscatory taxes, and not us! They are wealthy, after all, and can spare the change. This is coveting, a violation of one of the Ten Commandments! This is precisely the reason why God forbade coveting, because it leads to dishonest actions.
Our Duty To Care For Each Other
I also believe that we have a moral duty to share with those who are less fortunate than ourselves and in need. That obligation, however, is a moral duty, not a legal one. That duty is to God, not Government! "Render unto God that which is God's, and render unto Ceasar that which is Ceasar's!" And I'm convinced that we will also be held accountable to our Maker for this moral duty as well. If someone wants to be selfish and refuse to share the prosperity God gave them, then that is their right. They will be held accountable for such poor stewardship by their Maker in the end. But they should never be coerced.
Jesse Jackson's New Term for Socialism
A few years ago, I heard Jesse Jackson in an interview on television with Neil Cavuto. At some point during the interview, Reverend Jackson said that the United States must begin to employ "democracy of capital". I thought, "What does he mean by that term, 'democracy of capital'?" As I pondered upon it, I then suddenly realized that Jesse Jackson was speaking of socialism, in which part of society feels they have the right to take away the property -- capital -- of other members of society, and redistribute it to those who haven't earned that property, if necessary, by popular vote. I guess that now, the term "democracy of capital" is the new buzz word that sounds benign (to the average voter) for taking the property of hard-working, productive Americans for the misguided social ends of others. People like Jesse Jackson have realized that they can shamelessly steal from a minority of the wealthy if they can garner enough votes to do it by government. He should be ashamed of himself, especially for a man that claims to be a religious leader.
For the record, I don't like John McCain either, and won't vote for him this fall!
