It’s ironic: The right seems to be floundering, and the left has a clearly defined principle.  The socialists want to fundamentally change America by tearing it down.  In other words, the left’s affinity for ever more control through government oppression is its socialistic goal.  That’s a principle with which I disagree. 

This WSJ Editorial Board essay provides insight about the agenda-less Republicans in the House.  Yet the origins of the Republican Party, hence the name, meant rule by the people for the benefit of the individual.  Too bad so many Republicans forgot the principle that founded their party.  Namely limited government created and controlled to protect the individual.

The current party lacks an agenda because it lacks a unifying principle, and in some cases, any principle.  One can’t have an agenda unless he knows where he wants to end up, and we can’t define our goal unless we have a principle.

In order that the goal be meaningful, it must have certain characteristics: It must be eternal, and therefore beyond the dross of temporary diversion.  Its objective must improve the lives (physical, intellectual, and spiritual) of those who seek the goal, and it must be fitted in the bedrock of truth.

It would be virtually impossible to determine such a profound goal in only one lifetime of thinking.  Fortunately, we have the great ancient philosophers and prophets on whom to rely.  Incredibly, the last great conclave of philosophers occurred just 250 years ago to beget our nation.  This came about through the establishment — perhaps articulation is a better term — of a principle.

There are profound thinkers in every age.  The miracle (dream) is that these highly principled men and women came together, put aside their petty egos, and cooperated to establish the Declaration and Constitution.  They had attained a unifying principle.

Before we say it, consider that each person is divine.  Many say that their body has a soul, when the true order is that their soul has a body and mind.  Each person is blessed with an eternal soul that energizes their body and mind.  That soul is eternal; therefore, it is part of our Creator.  It is divine. 

This is what the founders stated in the original declaration of principle, the Declaration of Independence: “We hold these Truths to be self-evident, that all men are created equal, and endowed by Their Creator, with certain inalienable rights, among them are Life, Liberty and Ownership.”

Thousands of years of thought, by ancient philosophers and prophets, coalesced into that one principle that started our nation.  The Individual is sacred.

Anything that takes away from that one principle, is evil.  Our founders realized that a government was needed, but that entity had to be limited and controlled or else it would consume the individual.

Therefore, they created the Constitution that defined very limited powers (not rights) that would accrue to a government and they limited the government’s legal activity to only those articulated powers.

Compare the original concept of government and the individual to today’s massive government and we get a sense of the problems we face to protect our progeny from the mistakes past generation made.  After all, we allowed the progressive, socialistic mind set to take hold and grow our government to terrifying levels.  The left has worked unimpeded for 100 years.

It’s time for Rs, moderate Ds, independents, unaffiliated, and Libertarians to combine forces to put our government back in the bottle of Constitution restraint.  It’s the height of folly to think a politician will ever limit their own avarice through abuse of government powers.  We have to do it.  After all, our nation is a constitutional republic, and a republic is rule by the people, each divine soul.

Dispel the notion a government employee is better able to spend your money than you.  He didn’t earn it; government took it.  It’s not greedy to keep what you earned.

Every time a politician proposes a new federal program, he is going to increase government spending.  That means he is going to take more of your earnings through taxation.  Government spending is government control.  It is the antithesis of individual freedom.  It negates the principle upon which our nation was founded: the sanctity of the individual. 

Jay Davidson is founder and CEO of a commercial bank, a student of the Austrian School of Economics and a dedicated capitalist.  There is a direct connection between individual right and responsibility, our Constitution, capitalism, and the intent of our Creator.

Image via Pxfuel.