Dan McLaughlin

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To Home Page Latest Newsletter Column Archives Click to get these columns for your local paper	© 2006 Daniel J. McLaughlin The Right Reason For Fighting Thousands of our sons and daughters are off in the deserts in the middle east, in harm’s way, fighting for something they think is important. What they are fighting for is, indeed, important. It is the most important concept of this age. The ideal is freedom, of individual liberty, that which this country was founded upon. It is a cause that is powerful, to stir the emotions and make heroes. As our troops struggle, we, as a country, as their countrymen, need to live up to that ideal. They put their lives on the line over there, but freedom is under constant attack here, on our own soil. The soldier’s ideal that compels them to fight is freedom. Our government’s rationale, however, is the “spread of democracy” around the world. Freedom and democracy are not the same by any stretch of the imagination. Pure democracy is the rule of the majority, or tyranny of the majority, as the founding fathers aptly put it. They hated the concept of democracy because it is often in direct opposition to freedom. An easy way to see the difference is by way of a parable. Government based on democracy is like two wolves and a sheep using majority rule to decide what is for dinner. Or it could be two sheep and a wolf deciding on the removal of dangerous teeth. Either way, the rights of the individual are abused by the majority in a democracy. In a constitutional republic based on individual rights, the majority has no right to take away the rights of anyone, majority or minority. The sheep have a right to be protected from the appetite of the wolves, and the wolf has a right to be protected from removing his only way of living. In that union, the wolf must find other food, but he must be allowed food. The normal situation is not as radical as that between sheep and wolves. It is unlikely that they would choose to live together. The point is that, if they do, each member of a society based on individual rights is bound to respect the rights of all other members. America is a land with a vast variety of people. Different beliefs, backgrounds, religions, families and traditions make for an interesting and colorful combination when laid out in the fabric of the nation. The wonderful thing about the American ideal of individual liberty is that each of those beliefs, backgrounds and traditions can be accommodated, as long as they don’t infringe on the rights of others. In modern America, the freedom that our soldiers fight for is being eroded on a regular basis by lawmakers who have lost touch with the ideal. The idea of individual liberty and personal responsibility is shoved aside, and in it’s place, the notion that government is responsible for, and capable of, taking care of everyone all the time, and that people owe an obligation to “society”, as if it was a separate living entity. People of this country need to defend it and it’s high ideals. Whenever there is aggression against this country or it’s citizens, the people have a right to defend themselves. It is this kind of patriotism that protects the liberty that is the light of the world. People in the armed forces look to that ideal as justification for their acts of war. When we move away from that ideal here at home or in foreign lands, we weaken that justification and demoralize the fighters and those who give them support. Whether or not anybody believes that the war on terror is appropriate or justified, politicians ridicule the concept of freedom when the objective is to spread democracy and replace governments. Most countries ruled strictly by the majority, with no protection of individuals, impose incredible persecution on many, and are anything but free. Any democracy installed in that situation will be a continuation of the tyranny. The only change will be the face of the oppressors. The United States has the ability to shine the light of true freedom. It is the only country with the moral imperative and historical underpinning to do so. We squander that capability when we do anything as a nation that reduces the freedom of our own citizens or those from other countries. Let us respect our men and women in uniform by demanding respect for freedom from our government leaders, and by holding them accountable for assaults on the liberty for which our soldiers die.
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Daniel Mclaughlin Copyright © 2006 [Daniel McLaughlin]. All rights reserved. Revised: 03/18/08

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The Right Reason For Fighting

Thousands of our sons and daughters are off in the deserts in the middle east, in harm’s way, fighting for something they think is important. What they are fighting for is, indeed, important. It is the most important concept of this age. The ideal is freedom, of individual liberty, that which this country was founded upon. It is a cause that is powerful, to stir the emotions and make heroes.

As our troops struggle, we, as a country, as their countrymen, need to live up to that ideal. They put their lives on the line over there, but freedom is under constant attack here, on our own soil. The soldier’s ideal that compels them to fight is freedom. Our government’s rationale, however, is the “spread of democracy” around the world. Freedom and democracy are not the same by any stretch of the imagination.

Pure democracy is the rule of the majority, or tyranny of the majority, as the founding fathers aptly put it. They hated the concept of democracy because it is often in direct opposition to freedom. An easy way to see the difference is by way of a parable.

Government based on democracy is like two wolves and a sheep using majority rule to decide what is for dinner. Or it could be two sheep and a wolf deciding on the removal of dangerous teeth. Either way, the rights of the individual are abused by the majority in a democracy.

In a constitutional republic based on individual rights, the majority has no right to take away the rights of anyone, majority or minority. The sheep have a right to be protected from the appetite of the wolves, and the wolf has a right to be protected from removing his only way of living. In that union, the wolf must find other food, but he must be allowed food.

The normal situation is not as radical as that between sheep and wolves. It is unlikely that they would choose to live together. The point is that, if they do, each member of a society based on individual rights is bound to respect the rights of all other members.

America is a land with a vast variety of people. Different beliefs, backgrounds, religions, families and traditions make for an interesting and colorful combination when laid out in the fabric of the nation. The wonderful thing about the American ideal of individual liberty is that each of those beliefs, backgrounds and traditions can be accommodated, as long as they don’t infringe on the rights of others.

In modern America, the freedom that our soldiers fight for is being eroded on a regular basis by lawmakers who have lost touch with the ideal. The idea of individual liberty and personal responsibility is shoved aside, and in it’s place, the notion that government is responsible for, and capable of, taking care of everyone all the time, and that people owe an obligation to “society”, as if it was a separate living entity.

People of this country need to defend it and it’s high ideals. Whenever there is aggression against this country or it’s citizens, the people have a right to defend themselves. It is this kind of patriotism that protects the liberty that is the light of the world. People in the armed forces look to that ideal as justification for their acts of war. When we move away from that ideal here at home or in foreign lands, we weaken that justification and demoralize the fighters and those who give them support.

Whether or not anybody believes that the war on terror is appropriate or justified, politicians ridicule the concept of freedom when the objective is to spread democracy and replace governments. Most countries ruled strictly by the majority, with no protection of individuals, impose incredible persecution on many, and are anything but free. Any democracy installed in that situation will be a continuation of the tyranny. The only change will be the face of the oppressors.

The United States has the ability to shine the light of true freedom. It is the only country with the moral imperative and historical underpinning to do so. We squander that capability when we do anything as a nation that reduces the freedom of our own citizens or those from other countries.

Let us respect our men and women in uniform by demanding respect for freedom from our government leaders, and by holding them accountable for assaults on the liberty for which our soldiers die.

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