Resisting A Rebirth Of Freedom

President Obama recently told a group of supporters that Republicans should expect “hand to hand combat” on Capitol Hill if they take back the House in November. This bellicose reference represents a brief flash of honesty from an administration otherwise cloaked in deceptive calls for magnanimity. The Obama White House has proven reckless and obstinate in implementing its progressive agenda. Irrespective of popular opinion and public consternation, the President has relentlessly advanced his long sought-after goals of universal healthcare, cap-and-trade, stimulus spending, public sector takeovers and a litany of less publicized, social-restructuring initiatives. Notable, however, is that this brazen fortitude is only discernable in the President’s domestic agenda.

President Obama’s antipathy for compromise on domestic issues seems to evaporate with issues of foreign affairs. With regard to international diplomacy, the White House has conceded much, yet accomplished little for America. Note the Russo-American arms treaty in which Vladimir Putin’s Russia achieved remarkable success in convincing the White House to curb its missile-defense technology while granting minimal concessions in return. Although Russia and China each brokered deals with President Obama to support U.N. sanctions against Iran, neither Moscow nor Beijing has upheld its end of the bargain. Remarkably, President Obama does not appear bothered by this blatant affront to America. Take into account the fact that Iran has rapidly advanced its nuclear programs during the past two years, with little admonishment from the White House, and it becomes quite clear that the Obama Administration lacks the conviction in foreign affairs that it mulishly demonstrates at home. Mr. Obama is quick to insult his political rivals, his predecessor in office, the U.S. Supreme Court, dissident members of his own party, domestic media outlets, and particular American States, yet he softens his language when speaking about perfidious tyrants who are openly disdainful of America, e.g., Hugo Chavez, Mahmoud Ahmadinejad and Fidel Castro.

The question then becomes: What can a Congress achieve with a President in office, armed with the veto, declaring open-warfare on his rivals? The answer is simple in nature, yet poignant in effect. A Republican Congress, Tea Party and all, can stop the national bleeding. It can do so by ensuring that no new taxes are implemented, that no new spending is approved, that Obama-Care loses its funding, and that the size and the scope of the federal government begins to reverse its expansion. These measures, in and of themselves, will bring stability to the U.S. market and will strengthen the value of the dollar. Notwithstanding the likelihood that President Obama would veto any bill that is aimed at repealing his entitlement programs or reducing the public’s tax burden, Republicans should continue to pursue such measures. At a minimum, passing these laws in Congress would send a message to Americans of better days to come, and would serve to lay the groundwork for initiating these programs in January of 2013.

The President’s fondness of domestic “combat” is futile and misdirected. Perhaps by applying his considerable pride and steely resolve to matters of foreign affairs, the nation could be better served. The American people are overwhelmingly opposed to the policies of the Obama White House. Their voices will be heard on Election Day as they begin to reclaim their constitutional rights and liberties. A rebirth of freedom is imminent. How quickly it is instituted will depend upon how fiercely the President resists it.

Jeremy Pitcoff

Bearing The Brunt Of The Burden

Government exists to secure the rights and to protect the liberties that are innate to the spirit of mankind. In so doing, it fosters the human propensity for healthy competition and enterprise. Business exists to secure the profits and to foster the growth that is innate to the spirit of capitalism. In so doing, it enables society to flourish by creating wealth and affluence. Government and business are vital components of a burgeoning society that must coexist by necessity. Government requires a source of revenue in order to maintain a stable infrastructure of communication, transportation and defense. Business and commerce provide the impetus for wealth that a thriving nation requires. A portion of this wealth is transferred to government in the form of taxation and levies. In return, the government provides a platform for commerce by ensuring peace and stability. Business and government, when fairly balanced, lead to national prosperity.

Experience has shown, however, that when government taxes reach inequitable levels, society suffers proportionately. Companies and corporations, no longer capable of creating profits, are compelled to downsize their workforce, to pass on their costs to the public, or to move their operations elsewhere. America’s current tax-rate for new corporate investment is 35% - nearly double that of the world’s average. This excessive burden merely serves to drive American investors into more competitive markets or to refrain from investing altogether.

Incumbent Democrats from New York, California and Ohio have recently adopted a protectionist bent, attacking opponents from the private sector for participating in global trade. New York Congressman Timothy Bishop has relentlessly assailed his Republican challenger, businessman Randy Altschuler, for “outsourcing” jobs overseas. Ironically, Mr. Bishop, whose record in Congress is replete with examples of excessive taxation and reckless spending, is now crying foul at the entrepreneurs who have suffered the consequences of his policies.

In the words of Adam Smith, the father of modern economics, “Little else is requisite to carry a state to the highest degree of opulence from the lowest barbarism but peace, easy taxes, and a tolerable administration of justice: all the rest being brought about by the natural course of things.” Business exists to turn profits. Government exists to secure rights. A harmonious balance between these forces is the key to American exceptionalism. However, in times such as these when the size and the scope of the federal government has exceeded its natural purpose, liberty and commerce must suffer. It is the American people who will ultimately bear the brunt of the public burden through rising taxes, increasing debt and capriciously regulated trade. This is the price of big-government.