More of the Same

American politics, while most often revoltingly corrupt, sometimes force me to marvel at the willful ignorance of people. One writer, explaining how we got to this point in our demise said it was not necessary to poison every cup of water that came from the tap, but sufficient simply to pour a cup of poison into the reservoir. This observation, my friends, is sadly too true. It is the prevailing opinion today that government has your best interest at heart, but nothing could be further from the truth. The government, while taking an active interest in your life, does so to the end of amassing more power and therefore, obtaining more ability to enslave you. Does this sound radical? To most it will. And to those I simply say, "What if I am right, and you have made no provision for this scenario?" Thomas Jefferson said, "The legitimate powers of government extend to such acts only as are injurious to others." If this is true, then why does the United States of America spend billions of dollars annually on programs such as Welfare, Medicare, Medicaid, translation services for those unable to speak English, medical services for those who are uninsured, ad infinitum, ad nauseum. The title of this piece is "More of the Same." But more of the same what? In short, more of the same bilge and vile, putrid filth that has destroyed America as both a Godly nation and a free nation. The Index of Economic Freedom is used to rate the freedom of countries because, "Economic freedom is the fundamental right of every human to control his or her own labor and property. In an economically free society, individuals are free to work, produce, consume, and invest in any way they please, with that freedom both protected by the state and unconstrained by the state. In economically free societies, governments allow labor, capital and goods to move freely, and refrain from coercion or constraint of liberty beyond the extent necessary to protect and maintain liberty itself." A score of 80 or better indicates a country is free according to this definition. Between 80 and 50, a country is mostly free; it is in the second-class tier of free nations. Below 50, a country has no freedom. So why is this important? In 2010 the United States of America fell into the middle-class tier of nations for the first time in her history. Her ratings dropped 2.7 to a 78. To give you some perspective, Hong Kong and Singapore are first and second place in the charts for 2010. This did not happen overnight. In the late 1880's and 1890's, we surpassed Germany as the most productive nation on earth. World War I and World War II shattered Germany's economy, but it produced an American economy not seen before or since. So in sixty short years, America suddenly becomes an unproductive, lazy, uncaring country, shackled by government constraints, with no help whatsoever? I shall cite two examples to support my case. First, the government requires over-burdensome safety regulations of businesses. Administered through the Constitutionally illegal Occupational and Safety Health Administration, these regulations represent enormous losses every year to businesses of any size. And the larger the business, the larger the amount paid to the State's communistic machinations. These costs include health and dental, worker's compensation, paid vacation, the owning of a business license (which requires registration with the State, the state of residence, and with numerous other agencies.) Second, a minimum wage. Now, while I believe most emphatically in paying a worker what his time is worth, can anyone point me to the part of the Declaration of Independence, Constitution, or Bill of Rights where the government is given the authority to mandate the hourly wage of a worker? If so, I haven't yet found it so please point me to it. So, I ask you, dear readers, with both sides having trumpeted different ideologies for the last sixty years, why have we not seen any substantial changes for the better? Especially when the Republicans control all three Branches?