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A nation in decline
enterstageright ^ | web posted February 1, 2010 | By Tom DeWeese

Posted on 02/03/2010 8:51:01 AM PST by antisocial

A nation in decline

By Tom DeWeese web posted February 1, 2010

Many politicians are asking the question today: "Why are the American People so angry?" The following may lend a clue to the clueless.

According to the annual "Index on Economic Freedom," produced by the Heritage Foundation, the United States now ranks 8th, just behind Canada. That's a drop of two full points since last year, and the largest drop of all nations in overall economic freedom. .

The index ranking is based on 10 measures of economic openness, regulatory efficiency, the rule of law, and competitiveness. The basic principles of economic freedom emphasized in the index are individual empowerment, equitable treatment and the promotion of competition.

According to the Heritage Index, the U.S. lost ground in seven of the ten categories. Losses were particularly significant in the areas of financial and monetary freedom and property rights. Driving it all were the massive bailouts, government intervention in such things are the auto and banking industries, and runaway environmental protection policies.

As a result, our nation stands on the edge of economic collapse; more than 10% of our people are out of work; costs are skyrocketing, and goods and services are becoming harder to come by.

Socialism does not work. It robs the fruits of labor from one citizen to fill the pockets of another. It kills incentive. It demoralizes industrious people. And it leads to misery. Socialism combined with Fascist Corporatism (as in the current trend toward Public/Private Partnerships) creates government-sanctioned monopolies, giving the corporations the reins of power over government at the expense of the people. That is the model America has now chosen to follow.

(Excerpt) Read more at enterstageright.com ...


TOPICS: Crime/Corruption; Culture/Society; Government; News/Current Events
KEYWORDS: bananarepublic; decline; heritage
This article kind of puts things in a proper perspective.
1 posted on 02/03/2010 8:51:03 AM PST by antisocial
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To: antisocial

The free market (Capitalism) did not cause this crisis, the government (Socialism/Communism) did.

The free market did not create Fannie Mae and Freddie Mac, the government did.

The free market did not pass laws that force banks to lend to those who do not qualify for a loan, the government did.

The free market did not take us off the gold standard, the government did.

The free market did not dump trillions of dollars of cheap money into the system, the government did.

The free market did not create multiple multi-trillion-dollar unfunded entitlement programs, the government did.

The free market did not write a 60,000+ page tax code that punishes work, rewards sloth and buys the votes of special interest groups, the government did.

The free market did not destroy our public school system and graduate (or fail to graduate) generations of civically and financially illiterate citizens, the government did.

The free market did not drive our jobs overseas and kill our entrepreneurial spirit with over-taxation, over-regulation and frivolous lawsuits, the government did.

The free market did not ban drilling for oil, vilify coal and block the building of nuclear power plants in the United States, thereby transferring hundred of billions of dollars of American wealth and many thousands of energy-industry jobs to foreign countries, the government did.

This crisis is the result of a giant social engineering experiment and vote-buying scheme gone tragically wrong.

The free market does not try to engineer society or buy votes, the government does.

The government caused this crisis, the free market did not.

The government cannot fix the crisis, the free market can.


2 posted on 02/03/2010 8:53:14 AM PST by Painesright
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To: antisocial

We’ll be well beyond #100 once 0bama is through with us.


3 posted on 02/03/2010 8:53:21 AM PST by ScottinVA (Glad to see Demonic Unhinged (DU) highlights and attacks my FR comments!)
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To: ScottinVA

Friday’s unemployment report should be interesting.


4 posted on 02/03/2010 8:54:15 AM PST by Signalman
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To: antisocial

If I were an enemy of America, I would just lay low, keep my mouth shut and quietly watch the last, best hope of mankind, destroy itself from within.


5 posted on 02/03/2010 8:54:21 AM PST by EyeGuy
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To: Bobkk47
Friday’s unemployment report should be interesting.

Because of the rapid growth in government, it will appear to be "rosier" than past months. The libs will trumpet the "improvement" as a victory for socialism.

6 posted on 02/03/2010 8:56:05 AM PST by ScottinVA (Glad to see Demonic Unhinged (DU) highlights and attacks my FR comments!)
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To: Painesright
*Applause*

Well said.

7 posted on 02/03/2010 8:56:13 AM PST by TChris ("Hello", the politician lied.)
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To: antisocial
"Many politicians are asking the question today: "Why are the American People so angry?"

Can anyone think of a better reason for not re-electing these nits?

8 posted on 02/03/2010 8:56:47 AM PST by yoe (No American rights for terrorists or illegal aliens!!)
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To: yoe

And yet, despite the economic collapse and staggering unemployment, many of the dem pols who are eyeball-deep in this mess will get re-elected in 2010 (statewide and national.) Watch.


9 posted on 02/03/2010 9:00:47 AM PST by reagan_fanatic (The liberals are asking us to give Obama more time. Is 25 to life enough?)
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To: Painesright

Fully concur with the findings but don’t rule out the spiritual dimension that we have gone through. My guess is the over reach and conceit of the dems may create the opportunity politically to reclaim lost freedoms. It is because of this over reach that candidates like Romney and Huckabee will not be considered. Look for a solid conservative to do well in 2012.


10 posted on 02/03/2010 9:19:39 AM PST by equalitybeforethelaw
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To: Painesright

Excellent list....thanks.


11 posted on 02/03/2010 9:31:22 AM PST by yoe (No American rights for terrorists or illegal aliens!!)
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To: antisocial

Do not underestimate the damage the ‘progressives’ have done to the fundamentals of our economy.

Private property, contracts, and rule of law....
all damaged by Obamanomics.


12 posted on 02/03/2010 9:36:34 AM PST by griswold3 (You think health care is expensive now? Just wait till it's FREE!)
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To: Painesright

Can I quote you on that?


13 posted on 02/03/2010 12:46:30 PM PST by RobinOfKingston (Democrats, the party of evil. Republicans, the party of stupid.)
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To: RobinOfKingston

By all means, yes!

Time to speak truth to power, before it’s too late.


14 posted on 02/03/2010 12:59:40 PM PST by Painesright
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