When Did Freedom Become an Orphan?

"We must, and we shall, set the tide running again in the cause of freedom. And this party, with its every action, every word, every breath, and every heartbeat, has but a single resolve, and that is freedom." -- Barry Goldwater, accepting the 1964 Republican presidential nomination

Forty-four years after Goldwater's declaration, it's clear that collectivism, not individualism, is the reigning creed of Republicans as well as Democrats. Individuals are not valuable and precious in their own right but as a means for those in power to achieve their grand ambitions.

You will scour the presidential nominees' acceptance speeches in vain for any hint that your life is rightfully your own, to be lived in accordance with your beliefs and desires and no one else's. The Founding Fathers set out to protect "life, liberty and the pursuit of happiness," but Barack Obama has a different idea.

When presidential candidates tell you to sacrifice, they are referring to your freedom. When they tell you to be unselfish, they want your money. When they tell you to be responsible, they are warning you that whatever happens with their policies, you will be blamed when things go wrong.