Michael J. Hurd Ph.D. Posted January 21, 2017 Report Share Posted January 21, 2017 Here are three of the best lines from President Donald Trump’s Inaugural Address yesterday: “We will no longer accept politicians who are all talk and no action – constantly complaining but never doing anything about it.” It’s a shot at Republicans, not Democrats. Democrats always do what they say. Their unequivocal demand is always to expand the reach of government at the expense of the individual. Government health care, government control of the banking industry, government control of energy development, government control of education, government control of college, government control of the Internet, government control of you-name-it. Democrats always deliver, as much as they can. And what they can’t get away with in Congress, they decree via executive order, as Obama repeatedly did. It’s Republicans who complain and do nothing. They’ve made a living at complaining about “big government” and government interference in the private sector. Yet when it comes time to deliver, they just keep increasing the debt and deficit. The Republican Congress did absolutely nothing to restrain the growth of government under Obama. If they don’t reverse course now, then it’s the end of their party for sure. In a similar vein, Trump said, “For too long, a small group in our Nation’s Capital has reaped the rewards of government while the people have borne the cost. Washington flourished – but the people did not share in its wealth. Politicians prospered – but the jobs left, and the factories closed. The establishment protected itself, but not the citizens of our country.” Exactly right. It’s equally true of Democrats and Republicans. In a way, the Republicans are much worse. Unlike Democrats, they made a mockery and a joke of liberty, private property, capitalism and individual rights. They claimed to be for these things. Democrats never made any such claim. Democrats want some version of Karl Marx’s collectivism imposed on the country, and they mean to do it. Republicans claim the opposite, but once in power proceed to go along to get along and, in the end, always give us some version of the socialism the Democrats want. This cycle has to stop, if America is to go on. “We do not seek to impose our way of life on anyone, but rather to let it shine as an example for everyone to follow.” It’s a beautiful and true sentiment. America started out as the land of liberty. Originally, it was a colonial wilderness with a bright idea: that all men are free, and all should live free. The power of this idea spread like wildfire around the globe and turned the United States into the greatest civilization in all of human history. Slavery was its greatest blight, but Americans became the first nation in history to overturn and actually outlaw slavery. As we continue to ruminate on how awful slavery was, we forget that we rid ourselves of it, something never achieved before in all of human history. The Constitution and Declaration of Independence made that possible. We eschew them at our peril. “What truly matters is not which party controls our government, but whether our government is controlled by the people.” Exactly right—provided you understand what the purpose of government is. Very important! The purpose of government is not for a majority of the people to rule over the minority. The purpose of government is to protect what Ayn Rand (who wrote Atlas Shrugged) called the smallest minority of all: the individual. Individual rights are the key. Individual rights include the right to one’s own property. The only way to fight big, intrusive government is to say to that government: “It’s not your money. It’s not your property. My life does not belong to you. My life does not belong to my fellow man. My life belongs to myself.” That was what made America great. Nothing less will make America great again. Follow Dr. Hurd on Facebook. Search under “Michael Hurd” (Rehoboth Beach DE). Get up-to-the-minute postings, recommended articles and links, and engage in back-and-forth discussion with Dr. Hurd on topics of interest. Also follow Dr. Hurd on Twitter at @MichaelJHurd1 Check out Dr. Hurd’s latest Newsmax Insider column here! Dr. Hurd’s writings read on the air by Rush Limbaugh! Read more HERE. The post The Three Best Lines from Donald Trump’s Inaugural Address appeared first on Michael J. Hurd, Ph.D. | Living Resources Center. View the full article @ www.DrHurd.com Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
DonAthos Posted January 21, 2017 Report Share Posted January 21, 2017 2 hours ago, Michael J. Hurd Ph.D. said: Here are three of the best lines from President Donald Trump’s Inaugural Address yesterday: It has been a source of morbid amusement for me, over the last year plus, to watch Hurd pitch for Trump (without ever coming out and declaring himself for Trump, so far as I'm aware). Now I find that the amusement has drained away... I hope for Hurd's sake (and also everyone's) that he does not soon have great cause to regret his implicit advocacy, as I fear will turn out to be the case. 2 hours ago, Michael J. Hurd Ph.D. said: “We will no longer accept politicians who are all talk and no action – constantly complaining but never doing anything about it.” Action is great, so long as it's good action. If the proposed action is, for instance, massive deportations or restricting immigration by religion or instituting protectionist tariffs, then I would far prefer "all talk." 2 hours ago, Michael J. Hurd Ph.D. said: It’s Republicans who complain and do nothing. Republicans do not "do nothing"; they grow the government, too, and embroil us in pointless war, and all sorts of awful things. Democrats and Republicans alike share the same underlying statist philosophies to a great extent. Is Trump less of a statist -- and more of a "libertarian" -- than either the average Democrat or Republican? Does he embrace the Constitution or the principle of individual rights more than even Hillary Clinton? Based on what I've seen, I do not believe so. 2 hours ago, Michael J. Hurd Ph.D. said: In a similar vein, Trump said, “For too long, a small group in our Nation’s Capital has reaped the rewards of government while the people have borne the cost. Washington flourished – but the people did not share in its wealth. Politicians prospered – but the jobs left, and the factories closed. The establishment protected itself, but not the citizens of our country.” Exactly right. So we want the the citizens of the country "protected"? In what sense? Protected from the initiation of the use of force? Protected in having individual rights upheld? Then yes, "exactly right." "Protected" in restricting trade? "Protected" in violating the freedom of religion? Then not right at all. 2 hours ago, Michael J. Hurd Ph.D. said: Democrats want some version of Karl Marx’s collectivism imposed on the country, and they mean to do it. Republicans claim the opposite, but once in power proceed to go along to get along and, in the end, always give us some version of the socialism the Democrats want. This cycle has to stop, if America is to go on. Some Republicans, it is true, fight strongly against various flavors of socialism -- and that's to their credit. Some Republicans (and Trump at least paid lip service to this during his campaign) wish to eliminate abortion. Can we stop pretending that Republicans are somehow "champions of liberty," even if they fail to live up to their pro-liberty rhetoric? They are often as wrong and dangerous as Democrats, if in different ways. (Though they are often united against liberty in broad, fundamental ways.) 2 hours ago, Michael J. Hurd Ph.D. said: “We do not seek to impose our way of life on anyone, but rather to let it shine as an example for everyone to follow.” It’s a beautiful and true sentiment. I agree. 2 hours ago, Michael J. Hurd Ph.D. said: Slavery was its greatest blight, but Americans became the first nation in history to overturn and actually outlaw slavery. As we continue to ruminate on how awful slavery was, we forget that we rid ourselves of it, something never achieved before in all of human history. Is this true? Just on a factual basis, is it true that the US was the first nation to outlaw slavery -- that outlawing slavery was "something never achieved before in all of human history"? This appears to cast just a hint of doubt on that, though perhaps someone with a greater knowledge of the historical record than I can rescue Hurd's claim? (Or is this an example of the "post-truth society" thing I keep hearing about?) 2 hours ago, Michael J. Hurd Ph.D. said: “What truly matters is not which party controls our government, but whether our government is controlled by the people.” Exactly right—provided you understand what the purpose of government is. Very important! The purpose of government is not for a majority of the people to rule over the minority. The purpose of government is to protect what Ayn Rand (who wrote Atlas Shrugged) called the smallest minority of all: the individual. Individual rights are the key. Hurd is correct that individual rights are the key. But I think it a mistake to hear that sentiment in Trump's address. Trump's remarks about a "government controlled by the people" strike me as pure populism, pure demagoguery, and taken in context with everything else he's said and done over the course of his campaign (and arguably his life), I see in this no support for individual rights -- but a powerful threat to them. 2 hours ago, Michael J. Hurd Ph.D. said: That was what made America great. Nothing less will make America great again. I earnestly and fervently hope that Hurd is right about Trump and that I am wrong. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Eiuol Posted January 21, 2017 Report Share Posted January 21, 2017 27 minutes ago, DonAthos said: Is this true? Just on a factual basis, is it true that the US was the first nation to outlaw slavery -- that outlawing slavery was "something never achieved before in all of human history"? But Don, America is the land of liberty, it feels so true that the US was first - USA #1! We all know Thomas Jefferson outlawed slavery back in 1776 with the Constitution after Washington crossed the Delaware to join the Boston Tea Party! DonAthos 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Ninth Doctor Posted January 22, 2017 Report Share Posted January 22, 2017 On 1/21/2017 at 11:25 AM, DonAthos said: Is this true? Just on a factual basis, is it true that the US was the first nation to outlaw slavery -- that outlawing slavery was "something never achieved before in all of human history"? Even Russia freed its serfs before the US ended slavery. At least the US beat Brazil to the punch. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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