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 Use The Right Road Map Could you imagine going on a trip to the city of Chicago and using a map of Detroit. The result would obviously be chaos. You would make wrong turns on one way streets, you would have traffic accidents and tickets, wasted time, wasted gas, and utter frustration at never reaching your destination. The people in the drivers seat in Washington, and almost everywhere else, have decided that it would be exciting and rewarding (for them, at least) to use the wrong roadmap to steer our political minivan of state over the difficult, road blocked, pothole ridden highway of reality. They found the map, torn and dirty in the mud. It had been discarded because it has proven useless wherever and whenever it has been used, yet they cling to the new map because it says nice things and has pretty pictures. They have laid aside the correct road map, given to us two and a quarter centuries ago, the one used to chart the amazing course to freedom and prosperity that has made this country great. The results are what can only be expected from using the wrong roadmap. Progress is sputtering, there are constant breakdowns and flat tires from the bad roads, we find ourselves in the bad part of town at the wrong time of night, worrying about our safety. We waste incredible energy and time going in circles. The kids are getting fussy and irritable in the back seat. It doesn’t have to be this way. The original map is still there, if only mom and dad would lose the pride, admit the mistake and use the correct map. The new map they are using depicts a huge, all powerful government that is beneficent and caring and knows what is good for you better than you do. It is a map of subsidies, doles, taxes, laws, rules, regulations, codes, departments, agencies, and wars on everything from poverty to Iraq. And millions of people who should know better. That map is massive, confusing, contradictory, imposing and absolutely worthless to get us where we were headed when we started. The original roadmap is amazing in it’s simplicity and effectiveness. It is a roadmap of respect for the individual and contempt of government. According to the Declaration Of Independence, the founding ideal for the United States Of America, the sole purpose for government is to secure the inalienable rights of citizens. United States Government was intended to be small and tightly controlled by countervailing powers and checks and balances. If, indeed, the United States government pursued its work as envisioned by the founders, there would be no government protected and subsidized industries and monopolies that thrive at our expense, no need for powerful political action committees, no sweetheart deals to pals who help elect, and, in fact, nobody would care very much who was president, because it wouldn’t matter. His proper job is administrator of the laws, and not maker of laws and solver of all problems. When a president did try to stretch his power beyond the boundaries established in the constitution, the congress would reprimand as they used to in times past. We would not have wasted trillions of dollars on a “war on poverty” that has not reduced poverty, but has made some people rich and produced lots of government jobs. We would not have to endure a “war on drugs” that sucks up an enormous amount of taxes, legitimizes large police forces with expanded powers, reduces our freedom, has not made even a dent in drug use and provides no real benefit to our society. We would not need 21 feet of wall space to house the incredible 78,000 pages of federal law enacted each year. We would not have a congress that feels a need to pander to every political segment and buy votes with tax dollars. It’s only job would be to protect the unalienable rights, the timeless rights which prevent coercion and plunder by government or anyone else. The United States is a leader in the world community. The principles of liberty and free enterprise got us there. For decades, irresponsible government has been eroding our stature and tarnishing the vision we have come to stand for. It will continue to do so unless the people of this country stop begging for handouts and start to jealously guard the freedom that politicians mock while giving lip service to patriotism and justice.
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Daniel Mclaughlin Copyright © 2006 [Daniel McLaughlin]. All rights reserved. Revised: 03/18/08

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Use The Right Road Map

Could you imagine going on a trip to the city of Chicago and using a map of Detroit. The result would obviously be chaos. You would make wrong turns on one way streets, you would have traffic accidents and tickets, wasted time, wasted gas, and utter frustration at never reaching your destination.

The people in the drivers seat in Washington, and almost everywhere else, have decided that it would be exciting and rewarding (for them, at least) to use the wrong roadmap to steer our political minivan of state over the difficult, road blocked, pothole ridden highway of reality. They found the map, torn and dirty in the mud. It had been discarded because it has proven useless wherever and whenever it has been used, yet they cling to the new map because it says nice things and has pretty pictures. They have laid aside the correct road map, given to us two and a quarter centuries ago, the one used to chart the amazing course to freedom and prosperity that has made this country great.

The results are what can only be expected from using the wrong roadmap. Progress is sputtering, there are constant breakdowns and flat tires from the bad roads, we find ourselves in the bad part of town at the wrong time of night, worrying about our safety. We waste incredible energy and time going in circles. The kids are getting fussy and irritable in the back seat.

It doesn’t have to be this way. The original map is still there, if only mom and dad would lose the pride, admit the mistake and use the correct map.

The new map they are using depicts a huge, all powerful government that is beneficent and caring and knows what is good for you better than you do. It is a map of subsidies, doles, taxes, laws, rules, regulations, codes, departments, agencies, and wars on everything from poverty to Iraq. And millions of people who should know better.

That map is massive, confusing, contradictory, imposing and absolutely worthless to get us where we were headed when we started.

The original roadmap is amazing in it’s simplicity and effectiveness. It is a roadmap of respect for the individual and contempt of government. According to the Declaration Of Independence, the founding ideal for the United States Of America, the sole purpose for government is to secure the inalienable rights of citizens.

United States Government was intended to be small and tightly controlled by countervailing powers and checks and balances.

If, indeed, the United States government pursued its work as envisioned by the founders, there would be no government protected and subsidized industries and monopolies that thrive at our expense, no need for powerful political action committees, no sweetheart deals to pals who help elect, and, in fact, nobody would care very much who was president, because it wouldn’t matter. His proper job is administrator of the laws, and not maker of laws and solver of all problems. When a president did try to stretch his power beyond the boundaries established in the constitution, the congress would reprimand as they used to in times past.

We would not have wasted trillions of dollars on a “war on poverty” that has not reduced poverty, but has made some people rich and produced lots of government jobs. We would not have to endure a “war on drugs” that sucks up an enormous amount of taxes, legitimizes large police forces with expanded powers, reduces our freedom, has not made even a dent in drug use and provides no real benefit to our society.

We would not need 21 feet of wall space to house the incredible 78,000 pages of federal law enacted each year. We would not have a congress that feels a need to pander to every political segment and buy votes with tax dollars. It’s only job would be to protect the unalienable rights, the timeless rights which prevent coercion and plunder by government or anyone else.

The United States is a leader in the world community. The principles of liberty and free enterprise got us there. For decades, irresponsible government has been eroding our stature and tarnishing the vision we have come to stand for. It will continue to do so unless the people of this country stop begging for handouts and start to jealously guard the freedom that politicians mock while giving lip service to patriotism and justice.

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