This Great Experiment Of Freedom

In the beginning of this great experiment of freedom, our nation was visited and toured by Alexis De Tocqueville and he wrote extensively his observations of how our nation progressed. In light of the recent comments from our current President, I thought this might be a great time to remind our nation what the rest of the world admired about the system we live in, and the success that ensued.


"In the United States the interests of the country are everywhere kept in view; they are the object of solicitude to the people of the whole Union, and every citizen is warmly attached to them as if they were their own. He takes pride in the glory of his nation; he boast of its success, to which he conceives himself to have contributed; and he rejoices in the general prosperity by which he profits.The feeling he entertains toward the state is analogous to that which unites him to his family, and by a kind of selfishness that he interests himself in the welfare of his country."

Alexis goes on to say...

"He (being the citizen) never thinks of soliciting the co-operation of the government; but publishes his plan, offers to execute it, courts the assistance of other individuals, and struggles manfully against all obstacles. Undoubtedly he is often less successful than the state might have been in his position; but in the end the sum of these private undertakings far exceeds all that the government could have done."

Let me highlight key sentences in these two paragraphs that we should all understand and live by.

"But in the end the sum of these private undertakings far exceeds all that the government could have done."

This speaks directly to the comments of our current President and how they are radically opposite of the culture of our fledgling nation as brought to light by this author. This is De Tocqueville's on site report of how this experiment was prospering and how the world should take notice. It was a review of American Exceptionalism! Alexis reflects that spirit in these words...

"He takes pride in the glory of his nation; he boast of its success, to which he conceives himself to have contributed; and he rejoices in the general prosperity by which he profits."

This is the spirit our country was founded upon, not a proclamation of how the government was responsible for your success. That would be a direct contradiction of the entrepreneurial spirit that founded and made this nation the greatest on earth. We are being confused with China, a country that believes in a centralized government and the people rely on that government to exist. De Tocqueville makes that comparison with these insightful words....

"Travelers assure us that the Chinese have tranquillity without happiness, industry without improvement, stability without strength, and public order without public morality. The condition of society there is tolerable but never excellent."

This is the vision our current President has for this land that we love.

"Industry without improvement." As the tax burden impedes innovation and success.

"Public order without public morality." Turn on the TV or try to enjoy a movie without these words ringing in the back of your mind.

"The condition of society is tolerable but never excellent." Because the government has redistributed the wealth and success, and imposed social justice to the point that there is no benefit to work hard and rise above.

Is this your dream for the land that we love?

God Bless!
Capt. Bill