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I wrote and published these words back in 2014. I think they are more poignant and relevant today than they were back then. This excerpt is taken from the short book, “Swimming Backwards Upside-Down.”

“The role of any government, in regards to its individual citizens, should be to foster the most opportunities possible for its citizens to pursue their own personal visions of success, within the laws of the land, and allow its citizens to pursue these visions by whatever means possible, again within the laws of the land. By these means, and only be these means, will a governed society create and maintain a personal and social responsibility that is able to support and sustain the goals and desires of a healthy and highly functioning governed society. There is no government that can “create” a citizen that has the ability to assume responsibility for their own life.

Furthermore, no government has the right, ability, nor the responsibility, to make its citizens happy or successful. This is impossible. There will be individual successes and failures within every society, and a government of any society should feel no need to try and remedy this situation. Although a government should try to create as equal a playing field as possible, for both individuals and as members of society as a whole, it is actually necessary to experience both successes and failures in order to be able to develop the ability to assume responsibility in the first place. The role of any government should be to try and aid its citizens in the pursuit of their own successes and to create as many opportunities for this success as is possible. In the end, however, the success of any individual should be the result of their own time, effort, and hard-work.”

Any society without a prevailing sense of personal responsibility and autonomy will not, and can not, endure.

I believe STRONGLY in the POWER and the SELF-DETERMINATION of the individual. I believe YOU are the ONLY person in the world YOU can count on ABSOLUTELY. I believe in “rugged individualism.” I also believe ALL human beings, and any system created by humans, are flawed and will eventually “let us down” in some way. Socialism asks me to “put my faith in others” to do the RIGHT thing… and “take care of me”… which will ALWAYS EVENTUALLY “let me down.” GUARANTEED! I choose to put my faith in myself.