When the Solution is Getting Back To Basics

By Douglas V. Gibbs

When you watch a once prosperous system deteriorate, and head towards collapse, one must ask how it got there.  America has changed from the land of opportunity, to the land of government dependency.  The federal government openly advertises food stamps, and their warped version of socialized medicine, in an attempt to move America to a greater dependency upon the government.  But if our system is in trouble, and the troubles mirror our move towards larger government, and more complex regulatory schemes against the business world, would it not be frugal to stop the alleged progress, and go back to what worked?

In business, there is an old saying, "Don't reinvent the wheel."  Seek out what works, and duplicate those methods.  In health care, for example, we are being told that health insurance has made a mess of the industry, causing skyrocketing costs and a constant rise in malpractice suits.  So, the Obama administration's solution is to duplicate what has failed us, but put it in the hands of government, instead of the private sector.

If a third party being involved in health care is what has ruined the industry, why would changing the third party from insurance companies, to the government, help it in any way?

What worked, long ago, was the free market.  Doctors dealt directly with their patients, which lowered costs, and increased quality.  That is why doctors once made house calls.  They were trying to win the business of the average consumer.  Then, when third party payer got involved, and the consumer no longer was overly concerned over the cost, all hell broke loose.

The same is true when it comes to government.  The more complex government gets, the worse it becomes.  The bigger government becomes, the more tyrannical it seems to be.  Yet, it wasn't always this way.  At one time, rights and freedoms existed in greater numbers, without governmental interference.  Therefore, if we are to improve our country, rather than trying to reinvent the wheel with bigger government, does it not make sense to go back to the basic formula that worked so well that it made the United States a super power?

Obviously, I am not talking about the mistakes we made along the way.  As a nation we have learned from our errors, and we have become a better nation as a result of our hard lessons.  We no longer have legalized slavery, for example.  But other than those hiccups along the way, the basic foundation of our governmental system was sound, secure, and enabled this nation to prosper.

The tough questions are not really that difficult.  Looking back into history, what we realize is that "less is more."  Less government encourages more growth.  Less regulations encourage more business growth.  Less interference by government into the private markets encourages massive economic growth.  Less taxes provide more revenue.  Lower taxes on higher brackets result in a higher amount of millionaires.

The formula exists, and was written down.  We just ignore it.  The whole key to our success in history is contained on the pages of a book you can read in about thirty minutes.  It was written in a manner so the common man could understand it, and to drive home that fact, it even begins with the words, "We the People."

The Constitution of the United States was the key to making the United States the most prosperous nation in the world.  State sovereignty inspired the States to be innovative.  No government interference encouraged inventors to be fruitful.  Minimal government regulations allowed even the poorest individuals to chase their dreams, open their own businesses, and reach for the stars.  Individualism made this the Land of Opportunity, and America has prospered as a result.

The solution is simple.  The solution is the basics of the Constitution.  The solution is the lessons of the Founding Fathers, and a reduction in the size of the central government that, under progressive direction, is becoming a tyranny.

The method of getting us back to the basics, however, does not necessarily have to begin in Washington, or even in your State Capital.  The revolution begins with you, locally, doing your part in getting a hold of your local government.  Be involved.  Affect the local party.  Influence the local school board.  Demand your city council to act in harmony with limiting principles.

Without you, we become a tyranny.  But with all of us working in unison, the Liberty Revolution can return us to the basic principles that made us prosperous in the first place.

The wheels have turned before.  We don't need to reinvent the wheel.  We just need to put our feet on the pedals, again.

-- Political Pistachio Conservative News and Commentary