It is not often appreciated that the United States is the world’s oldest full democracy, the first country in which the voting citizens did not share power with a monarch or dictator of some sort. It took a while to extend the vote to all citizens of the country–women and African-Americans in particular, but we have been the tip of the spear on the general historic movement of power over public policy away from a small group or a single person to the people living in a country. What is unfortunate is how many humans still live under authoritarian governments and essentially have no say in the policies and rules they live under. China, Russia, most middle-Eastern countries, many African countries are all in this unfortunate state.
As unhappy as many Americans may be with aspects of the federal and state government and despite the nonsensical whinings of the whacked left, American democracy is very strong. The biggest threats are the excessive influence of rich people through immense donations to candidates, parties and outside political organizations and the steadily upward creeping amount of voter fraud, which despite the Democrats protests, actually does exist and is promoted by that party.
But today is a day to celebrate 250 years of that democracy, which allowed for the development of a country that has provided its citizens with the highest standard of living, and which has been an international force for good, for furthering democracy and eliminating authoritarian threats. The Declaration of Independence was only the start; independence had to be actually achieved and that occurred only through great bravery and the sacrifice of many lives. The ideals and rights that those early Americans fought and died for allow us to live in the relative luxury we do now and to have the freedoms we have.
So we should dedicate ourselves to vigilance against all threats to those rights, especially the right to private property and to enjoy all the fruits of our work, and to the form of government that protects those rights. And threats there are, particularly from the increasingly strident radical Democrat party. We should all understand that those who would steal private property and wealth in the name of government can only survive in power by becoming completely authoritarian. The consequences to living standards require suppression of dissent in any form and the imprisonment of those who lead dissent. Look around the world and show an example of any socialist or communist regime that is not also deeply authoritarian. So be grateful for the country we live in, but be prepared to defend what has made it great against those who would destroy that greatness.
