We are free to get an education, work hard, and succeed; sometimes beyond belief. We are also free to not do any or all of these things but of course there are consequences. True freedom implies that there is a sense of personal accountability. I am responsible for my destiny; not the government, not you, not The Collective.
Freedom means you make those choices how to live your life. When people look to the government to "meet basic needs," that comes at a price. The government tells you what to eat. The government tells you where to live. The government tells you how much money you can have. Earn one dollar more and the government will take away your government house, food, etc.
The best way, the only way to live free is to end government entitlements altogether; certainly not increase them by "meeting basic needs." Rebuilding a concept of personal accountability is the path to this country's revival; not depending on the government to tell us how we should think, where we should live, and what we should eat.
What this administration is trying to do will be the end of America as we know it. Socialism has failed everywhere it's been tried. What makes anyone think it will work here? Have a look at Cuba or China. Anyone here want to live in either of those countries? No matter what system you live under, there will always be rich, always be poor, and always be people somewhere in between. That said, I'd prefer to live in a place where I AM FREE TO DECIDE HOW I WILL LIVE.
Get the government out of your refrigerator, out of the exam room at your doctor's office, out of the free market, and as far out of the rest of your life as you can. You will be a far better judge of how to live your life than someone sitting in Washington, DC.
Wow. I like your statement, your passion, and the eloquence of your simple writing style.
Unfortunately, many folks who identify with the "conservative" party for lack of a better term, have hypocritical attitudes. Arch-Christians who claim that they are "Christian", a follower of Christ, who wanted his disciples to love one another as you would yourself; however, by belonging to the "conservative" party seek to deny basic dignity and freedom to some segments of the population who are "different" than the mainstream or who are like themselves. Many of those who identify with the "conservative" party would seek to establish a theocracy similar to or in excess of the repressive Taliban government, where those who were in opposition are stoned to death or shot, because it's claimed that this country was founded on "Christian" principles. If you're different in any sort of way, Black, Hispanic, gay, transexual, you'd probably be strung up, shot, or burned alive.
Most "conservatives" identify with the message of "smaller government", which in itself is not a bad thing. A well-oiled, efficient, and cost-effective government should be the goal of all government entities. However, ponder the following:
If your house starts to burn, who is going to put out the fire? Firemen: government employees.
If someone starts to burglar your house, who will come to your aid? Police: government employees.
When you go to fly from one place to another, who coordinates air traffic? Air traffic controllers: government employees.
Sure all the functions could be fulfilled by private enterprise, but these are for-profit agencies. You'd probably be asked by whoever is fulfilling the role of 9-11 operators, and such "OK, Mr. XYZ; before we can dispatch aid how would you like to pay for these services? We accept Visa, MasterCard, or American Express." After 7:00 PM you'll probably pay a premium. Sure, you can try and defend your own home with your own weapons, but what if it's only you against a pack of burglars?
A common middle ground needs to be met. If you call yourself a "true" Christian, you let your actions be dictated by compassion, not lust for money, possessions, or pure ignorance and hatred of anyone different. That means supporting the wellbeing of your brothers and sisters, not saying "Na-ney-na-ney-boo-boo: I've got more money than you; I can afford healthcare and you can't." How sad so many are so hypocritical.
No political is system is perfect, and that includes capitalism: egalitarian? I don't think so; more like undercover elitist.