| When I was 15, I worked part-time for the local | | | | grows up with atheism and totalitarianism. In the |
| small-town weekly newspaper. The owner of the | | | | Soviet Union, you weren't allowed to worship God, |
| business, my editor, became one of the most | | | | and you weren't allowed to do just about anything |
| important mentors in my life. I could write dozens | | | | else your individual spirit moved you to do, either. |
| of pieces about the lessons he taught me; one of | | | | Have we forgotten how things work out when |
| them concerned the value of competition. We had | | | | you "progress" a society to communism? My kids, |
| a rival newspaper, one town over, and I muttered | | | | who were in high school not that long ago, didn't |
| once that I wished they'd go out of business. | | | | learn about what the word "defect" meant, as a |
| "Well, some days I think that'd be nice," said the | | | | verb, in the 1970s. You weren't allowed to |
| boss, a sigh in his overworked voice. "But really, I | | | | relocate from the Soviet Union... they needed all |
| don't wish it. We are one of the best papers in | | | | their "workers" because, after all, you were not a |
| the state because we have to be. The | | | | citizen. You were property of the state. |
| competitor keeps us on our toes, and forces us | | | | Note how our current American progressive |
| to do our best work." | | | | government continues to pick away at the Big |
| In a geopolitical sense (or more appropriately, in a | | | | Three. Culturally, socially, and politically, there is a |
| global-economics sense), our system of free | | | | "correct" way to think and behave... and it isn't |
| market capitalism has had one serious competitor: | | | | cool to be a business owner, a church-goer, or a |
| communism. Communism exists at the far end | | | | person so concerned about individual rights and |
| (the left end) of a continuum, the other end of | | | | liberties that you'd go so far as to attend a (gasp) |
| which is a completely free and unfettered | | | | Tea Party rally. Seeking evolution instead of |
| market, and intermediate steps along which | | | | revolution, they "progress" one little step at a |
| include regulated markets, socialism, and | | | | time... a tax hike here, a president with no |
| collectivism. | | | | discernible religion there, a government takeover |
| Though many so-called progressives would love | | | | of an industry over there. Some progress. |
| to separate them, from my point of view there | | | | You've heard me say there are two types of us |
| are two other continua which march more-or-less | | | | out there: the Entrepreneur, who is likely to roll up |
| in lockstep with communism-capitalism. These are | | | | her sleeves, take risks and make things happen, |
| statism-liberty, and atheism-faith. If I correctly | | | | and the Victim, who's sitting around waiting for |
| remember my eighth-grade history (a subject | | | | others (notably the Entrepreneurs) to take care |
| which is, due to the progressivism currently under | | | | of him. This country was founded, defended, and |
| discussion, no longer much taught), capitalism has | | | | maintained for more than two centuries by |
| as its running-buddies individual liberty and faith in | | | | Entrepreneurs who cling to the Big Three because |
| God. Communism's pals, in stark contrast, are | | | | they - God, Liberty, and Free Market Capitalism - |
| authoritarian control of individuals by the state, | | | | are the things that define and drive this nation. |
| and denial of the Almighty in favor of an allegiance | | | | Victims seek to pull us all into the sort of |
| to the state that amounts to idolatry. | | | | "entitlement" that ends up more resembling |
| I do remember eighth grade. That's the second | | | | "entrapment," and they want us all marching one |
| year I took Russian (it was my best school | | | | progressive step at a time toward collectivism, |
| subject) and announced that I would be a | | | | statism, and denial of any Being Supreme to the |
| Bible-smuggler in the Soviet Union when I grew up. | | | | national government. |
| I dreamed of a life of danger and intrigue! See, | | | | But here's today's message of hope: we're |
| the Bible, or any other religious scripture, was | | | | starting to get it. Especially the generation of my |
| seriously frowned-upon by the Soviet authorities. | | | | kids, the young adults who'll ultimately bring us |
| You got more than a ticket for peddling The | | | | back to ourselves. These kids are seeing through |
| Good Book in their state-controlled socialist Utopia. | | | | the bull of "Hope and Change" progressivism with |
| I ended up pursuing other dreams, thank God. | | | | all its substantial dangers, and are quietly starting |
| America was founded by people who came here | | | | to move the country back away from the edge |
| looking, first, for religious freedom. They had to | | | | of the cliff. They are educating themselves on the |
| hack an existence out of a brutal wilderness; but | | | | real global conspiracy against private wealth, |
| if they could, they got to keep the fruits of their | | | | they're starting their own businesses, and they're |
| labor. Their government was far away and | | | | keeping themselves healthy and strong for the |
| distracted by more important things for many | | | | struggle that is to come. They believe in the |
| decades; these colonists enjoyed a high degree of | | | | markets, they believe in liberty, and they believe |
| autonomy to worship, work, and grow their | | | | in God. |
| communities. They worked together, but made | | | | If there hadn't been such a dramatic |
| their fortunes through plucky individualism and by | | | | demonstration case of what happens when |
| having the guts to take chances and make those | | | | progressivism fully progresses, this awakening |
| chances pay off. Capitalism grew up with faith in | | | | might not be possible without a repeat of the |
| God and individual liberty... whenever any one of | | | | disasters of the early part of the last century. |
| the three was threatened, all three were | | | | Remember the words of my editor-mentor: we |
| threatened. | | | | are the best because we have to be. |
| The Soviet experiment showed that communism | | | | |