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In a free country, voting is an awesome responsibility. Who the voters elect will determine the destiny of the nation. A lot of people don’t vote, or constantly swing from one candidate to another because politics is just too confusing and complicated. After reading this article, you will have a fuller understanding of the philosophical differences between candidates.

Four sections in this article:

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Life in America before Big Government and Big Taxes

For the first 190 years in America, you were responsible for your destiny. It’s called freedom. Freedom to be responsible or irresponsible. The Founding Fathers goal was to create a self reliant society by combining freedom with personal and social responsibility (see Foundations of America). Early Americans didn’t expect the government to take care of them. If something needed done - you did it, or you formed a group to do it. The 1800s produced the most incredible birth of private charitable and fraternal organizations ever seen in world history. 

Frenchman Alexis De Tocqueville, who toured America in 1831, stated: “Nothing is more striking to a European traveller in the United states than the absence of what we term the government.” De Tocqueville was amazed at the “art of associating together.” “In the United States, associations are established to promote the public safety, commerce, industry, morality, and religion.' De Tocqueville was in awe at “...the combined power of individuals united into a society.”[1]

If you were struck by unfortunate circumstances, you were helped by family, friends, the church, or one of the many civic organizations. These organizations kept everyone honest. If you were unemployed, you were helped until the next job came along - or else you would no longer be helped. These organizations played a critical role in American life before the modern welfare state.

As the population of America grew and America became more industrialized, there were increasing calls for government assistance. When the depression hit in 1929, cities and private organizations were overwhelmed. The depression necessitated large increases in government intervention in society. A lasting effect of the depression was a change in the mind set of many Americans who now believed the government had primary responsibility to fix society and the demise of most of the fraternal organizations that at one time played such an important role in American society.

The authors do NOT consider Social Security, Medicare or unemployment Comp to be social welfare/poverty programs. These programs are for workers who pay into these programs. We are talking about social programs that reward irresponsibility and staying poor.

America the welfare state

Prior to 1935, there was no federal safety net. Once the welfare bureaucracy took charge, welfare use began to grow. In 1936, 162,000 families received support. By 1969, that number soared to 1,875,000 - despite the wide spread prosperity of the nation at that time.(2)

The mortal damage to our society occurred due to Lyndon Johnson’s “War” on poverty in 1965, when Johnson promised to eliminate poverty in America with an initial $1 billion appropriation. Half a century and TRILLIONS later, the problems are worse than ever. Because there are different definitions for poverty spending, the amount spent varies by who is doing the counting. However, it is in the trillions and it’s obvious that this money has not produced the desired results.

Since Johnson, everything became society’s fault - and responsibility to “fix.” The political left sent Americans on a collective guilt trip. “We have to help those less fortunate” we were told. Why should most of society be living in their cozy house while others were living in the gutter? So freedom to succeed or fail was replaced by an increasingly all powerful federal government determined to create desired outcomes rather than expand opportunities. Now, if someone makes bad choices, society ends up paying for it. The reason America was so successful in the past was because it was NOT the government’s job to take care of people. The purpose of the government is to create opportunity for people - not make people dependent on the Government - taxpayer. Once government starts taking care of people, it’s never ending.

The fact is the war on poverty was being won before Johnson’s “war” on poverty. In 1950, the poverty rate was 32.2 percent, fell to 22.2% by 1960, 17.3% in 1965 and 12.6% by 1970. The rate has never been lower then 11.1% in 1973.[2] The final 11% are the people who are largely unemployable - druggies, bums, etc. Johnson’s “war” on poverty only went into effect in 1965, and there is little evidence that LBJ’s programs had anything to do with the poverty rate falling from 17.3% in 1965 to 11.1% in 1973. 

The poverty rate would have continued to decline from 1965 to 1973 for the same reason it declined from 1950 to 1965 - an expanding American economy, good paying jobs, cheap energy, affordable land, affordable housing, a graduated income tax where low income people paid little tax and a superb public educational system that liberals hadn’t yet destroyed. With hard work, millions of working poor eventually made it to the middle class. 

Today, in order to ‘fix’ a social ill, politicians raise taxes and appropriate money, create a bureaucracy and then watch the bureaucracy make the problem worse because bureaucrats want more ‘clients’ so they can keep their nice government jobs for life. The government will run ads on radio and television encouraging people to apply to see if they qualify. If they qualify - presto, liberal politicians have just bought more voters and the taxpayers have more people to support. In 2004, the poverty rate was 12.7%[2] and in 2016 was 12.7 percent.[3] Wouldn’t it have made more sense to have spent TRILLIONS expanding opportunities in the private sector, creating better paying jobs and lowering the cost of living? 

Since the 1980s and 1990s, excessive union demands, unfair trade laws, the increasing cost of energy, land, housing and a flood of illegal aliens has caused a decline in good paying jobs with millions of jobs being shipped out of the country. 

Today in America there are nearly twice as many people working for the government (22.5 million) than in all of manufacturing (11.5 million). This is an almost exact reversal of the situation in 1960, when there were 15 million workers in manufacturing and 8.7 million collecting a paycheck from the government.[4] America was rich in 1960.

Despite spending trillions on social programs, poverty and homelessness is growing due to: 1) the ever increasing cost of housing and 2) Crime. Crime turned nice low income neighborhoods, where people could live for cheap, into crime infested ghettos and 3) Irresponsible, selfish behavior.

You Get What You Vote For

• Where do you want to live? 

Cities and states with the highest taxes and most social programs have the most economic and social problems. These places have been run by liberals - mostly democrats - for decades. Without exception, every city and state in serious financial trouble got there because of massive over spending and high taxation by liberals (usually democrats). Since the 1960’s and 70’s, working people have fled liberal controlled areas and gone to areas run by the Republicans for decades. These areas have lower taxes, a moral social climate, less crime, don’t promote a dependency class (welfare, etc.) and living is easier. Logically, this means vote for the conservative - usually Republican.

• Let's play Santa Claus!                                                    

The reason areas that once where prosperous became lousy places to live is because liberal politicians play Santa Claus when running for office. “Vote for me and I will give you.......” You name it. Since we all like something for nothing, Santa wins by promising more then their conservative opponent. The problem is, nothing is free. Sooner or later, the bills must be paid. Remember, no city or state has ever destroyed their economy with low taxes.[5][6]

• Refusal to rethink voting preferences.

A dangerous problem with people who flee liberal areas is that these liberals refuse to re-evaluate their voting preferences and vote for the same type of liberals who destroyed the economies of the areas they fled from. Not very smart.

• Liberal reform = raise taxes. 

When liberals talk about reforming something, like education, what they really mean is we must spend more money. Even though all these programs have been “reformed” many times in the past, we just have to spend still more money. We hear this same scam every election. The problem with Liberal politicians (usually democrats) is they NEVER have enough money. They always want more. Any politician who wants to raise your taxes does NOT know how to manage money and should be voted out of office. Only candidates who take a no new tax pledge is worthy of your vote.

• The guilt trip over helping the needy.

There is no substitute for personal responsibility and ethics. This is why you do NOT reward the needy for staying poor. Yet thanks to liberals, millions of Americans refuse to better themselves because they don’t want to lose their government (taxpayers) freebees. LBJ’s war on poverty did nothing but gradually transform Americans from being largely self reliant for 200 years into a country with an ever growing poverty industry, an ever expanding dependency class of people and massive social ills due to a new national culture of dependency and victimhood. 

The real question is how do you help the needy and working poor without corrupting them? The answer is that all government help must be based on their own efforts. A unique program would be for the government to match pay for one year. The more they make, the more they get. This would give people in difficult circumstances a chance to climb out of their financial hole by rewarding work rather then encouraging dependency. This is a once in a life deal. Can’t keep doing this.   

Despite the record of failure of existing poverty programs, slick talking politicians, playing on our guilt, are STILL getting elected promising to fix our social problems with still MORE social spending. Obama supports these terrible social policies because expanding the dependency class adds voters to his voter base.[7]*

• Healthcare:

Until modern times, medical technology was limited and therefore not real expensive and people could afford medical treatment. Modern healthcare is world class but very expensive. Lawsuits and bureaucratic involvement raise costs. Nationalizing medicine is not cost efficient because it is run by the government. 

Two competing philosophies in governing America 

Limited Government philosophy

• Limited Government promotes self reliance and responsibility. In a free country, your choices determine your fate. That’s what freedom is all about. Government programs should be aimed at people who work - Social Security, Medicare, unemployment, all of which workers pay into. Charitable and religious organizations are a low cost way - and a much more effective way - to force people to deal with their shortcomings instead of making them perpetual wards of the state. Should working people allow the government to bankrupt the country trying to help people who mostly want a free ride? 

All government help must be based on their effort. Tax policy should ensure that people have the ability to support themselves and their family. Prosperity comes from an expanding private sector, better paying jobs and decreased cost of living. Laws must be changed to create a positive climate for American business so jobs come back to our country. This won’t happen under Obama. Obama has done great harm to American business and is wrecking our economy with massive deficit spending.[10] By raising the standard of living we can reduce poverty spending. 

AMERICA WOULD BE A WEALTHY COUNTRY AGAIN IF AMERICANS WERE SELF RELIANT LIKE WE USED TO BE!!! Social welfare programs are what is bankrupting America. 

Liberal Government philosophy

• American Liberalism promotes dependency. Liberals believe that government should be all powerful in our society with the government taking care of people. Big Government Liberals are Control Freaks. Under liberalism, the expansion of government is never ending. Despite the maze of social programs already in place, liberals will always find something else to “fix.” The reality is this: The liberal method of “attacking” poverty is a failure because it rewards failure. The more opportunity government makes for people to become dependent on government, the more people will become dependent on government. Creating a culture of dependency on the government is by design!  Liberal politicians want as many people as possible dependant on THEM, so you will vote for THEM. This is simply a vote buying scheme disguised as compassion. There is no incentive to end these programs because once people get used to it, it’s nearly impossible to end. It’s almost like a drug addiction. Many Americans would rather be taken care of then be free to pursue their dreams. It’s simpler to be dependent than independent. Does that mean Americans have changed? No - the government has changed and it’s this phoney compassion that is wrecking our economy and our society by constantly increasing the number of people dependent on the taxpayer for their survival. 

If you do what’s right, are careful with your finances, you get nothing from the government but a tax bill. If you complain about your taxes, liberals will call you selfish!

We MUST Pay attention to voting records

Politicians are the only people in the world who create problems and then campaign against them. If politicians are against high taxes and deficits, why do we have high taxes and deficits? THIS IS WHY WE MUST LOOK AT VOTING RECORDS. How our representative votes (NOT what they say) should determine how we vote. 

EVERY AMERICAN SHOULD VOTE, AND VOTE INTELLIGENTLY!!