Happy Secession Day!

It is important to remember that today is a day to celebrate the secession of America's free and independent States from England. It is a day to celebrate freedom from oppression, to celebrate natural rights, and to celebrate individual liberty - these are the principles upon which America was founded. In contrast, the founders of this country would not want today to be celebrated by flag waving and worshipping of statism and militarism as many Americans will unfortunately be doing. As Robert Higgs writes this morning about the holiday,

"[L]oving America has nothing whatsoever to do with loving its governments and their actions. Moreover, everything about this country that truly warrants a free person's love is antithetical to the operations of its governments. The country worthy of our love most emphatically does not consist of its disgusting politicians or of its hired killers (soldiers) or of its petty tyrants acting as regulators, police, and other wielders of unwarranted – and all too often unchecked – coercive power over their fellows."

Also, Ron Paul has a message out about the holiday on the CFL site:

Only 26% of Massachusetts Voters Say State's Healthcare Reform is Successful

An interesting poll released by Rasmussen tells us that only 26% of Massachusetts voters and only 37% of Massachusetts liberals say the State's healthcare reform has been a success. The reform (basically universal healthcare) was enact in 2006 by Republican Governor Mitt Romney. Since then, healthcare costs have skyrocketed in Massachusetts, increasing by 42% with average cost 33% higher than the national average. To battle costs they are considering rationing. Meanwhile only 10% in Massachusetts say the enormous increase in costs have resulted in better quality.

Amazingly, Romney was on TV today bashing the Obama plan and touting what he did in Massachusetts to "get everyone insured" stating that his plan was a "free market" socialist healthcare plan. I guess he imagines that Obama has a socialist socialist healthcare plan which is a little bit too much socialism even for Romney. Thank you Republicans.

Nonintervention is a Conservative Tradition

Writes Ron Paul in a column from today's Washington Times:

Generations of conservatives followed the great advice of our Founding Fathers and pursued a restrained foreign policy that rebuffed entangling alliances and advised America, in the words of John Quincy Adams, not to "go abroad looking for dragons to slay."

Sen. Robert Taft, the stalwart of the Old Right, urged America to stay out of NATO. Dwight Eisenhower was elected on a platform promising to get us out of the conflict in Korea. Richard Nixon promised to end the war in Vietnam.

Republicans were highly critical of Bill Clinton for his adventurism in Somalia and Kosovo. As recently as 2000, George W. Bush campaigned on a "humbler" foreign policy and decried nation-building.

The Argument Against Foreign Intervention - NC Rep Walter Jones on His Transformation

North Carolina Congressman Walter Jones has joined sides with Ron Paul to become a vocal non-interventionist. He has voted against every piece of war-funding since he came to the realization several years ago that foreign intervention, such as our wars in Iraq and Afghanistan, are detrimental to average American and especially the young men and women in the military.

Not only do these operations cost billions, but they allow for an expansion of government - patriot act, homegrown terrorist prevention act, torture, secret prison camps, warrantless wire taps to name a few. In addition, foreign intervention creates what the CIA calls "blow back", which makes us less safe. The winners of wars and intervention are the politically well connected military industrial complex and big government. This occurs at the expense of the rest of us average Americans.

Listen to Walter Jones, formerly known for the "freedom fries", discuss his transformation from pro-war to anti-war with Iraq Veteran (now also non-interventionist and Congressional candidate from New Mexico) Adam Kokesh.