Free to Choose; Free to Fail

Margaret Thatcher said, "We want a society in which we are free to make choices, to make mistakes, to be generous and compassionate. That is what we mean by a moral society—not a society in which the State is responsible for everything, and no one is responsible for the State."

Free to make choices. Free to fail. Free to be generous and compassionate—and to decide how our generosity and compassion are applied. Free to be responsible for ourselves, and free to hold the government accountable.

“Free to make choices” means we decide whether to buy raw milk for our family. We decide how we spend our money. We decide how to invest for our retirement. We decide how we will educate our children. We decide—not a government who doesn’t know us, and know our personal circumstances.

“Free to fail” means the government doesn’t prop up poorly-run businesses. It means teachers don’t “teach to the test.” It means not every kid in Little League gets a ribbon. It means the individual, not the government, has to find a way to cover the mortgage payment when he gets behind.

“Free to be generous” means we can best decide how to help those in need. It means no estate tax, which doubly taxes income and doesn’t allow us to pass on an inheritance to our children. It means the government shouldn’t entice us to give to charities to earn tax breaks—true and meaningful sacrifice means that giving hurts me financially.

“Free to be responsible for ourselves” means all of the above. It means we are the ones who pilot the ship—not those who don’t understand our circumstances. It means we’re the parents—not the government.

“Free to hold the government accountable” means we must demand the government (at all levels) live within its means. It means we must hold government accountable for how it spends our money. It means we must view the government not as a faceless entity somewhere far away, but as an entity made up of people like you and me, who have a responsibility to you and me, because they represent us when they make decisions on our behalf.

Freedom and responsibility. These are critical, and the vast majority of politicians want to withhold our freedom and won’t allow us to be responsible for ourselves. Let’s make sure we are given the right to succeed—and the right to fail. I think we deserve that—don’t you?