The Obama infatuation

The Obama infatuation

EDITOR:

Do you love freedom? If you are like most Americans, you will answer a resounding “Yes.” The next question is a little harder. Are you committed to freedom?

There is a big difference between loving something and being committed to it. When you love something, you have a momentary emotional attachment to it. When you are committed, your attachment is permanent and cerebral. Marriage is a good example.

Simply loving your spouse will not prevent you from having an affair. You will cheat while still professing your love for them. However, if you commit to your spouse, you would never cheat. Such an act would be abhorrent to you. Whatever drove you to consider it would be analyzed and minimized to the point of extinction because commitment is more than an emotional bond. It is an intellectual bond. It is thoughtful, mature, and lasting.

It is the same with freedom. You can love it all you want, but unless you commit to it, it won’t last. As infidelities are the enemies of marriage, politicians are the enemies of freedom. That is why our Founding Fathers wrote the Constitution. They recognized that in order to have freedom, politicians must be controlled and government limited.

The mistake that many make is to equate “limited” with small. The government doesn’t have to be small to be limited. It simply has to be non-intrusive. Government works best when it acts as an impartial arbiter. When it takes sides, it becomes intrusive and destroys freedom.

Governments will always take sides if you let them. That is how they acquire power, and you lose freedom. If you were committed to freedom, you would vote against any politician who consistently takes a side, even if it is your side. This may seem ridiculous, but think about our marriage example. Is it ridiculous for a married man to turn down the advances of a gorgeous young woman? If you say yes, you have declared that a momentary indulgence out-weighs the benefits of a long-lasting committed relationship.

Today, for many Americans, Barack Obama is that momentary indulgence, and they are risking their freedom by wallowing in it. He professes his love of freedom, but he indulges his quest for power and justifies it by taking sides. He has mastered the art of the crisis, while we have forgotten the lessons of history. He emits a Siren’s call, and the love of freedom will not protect you from it because it is not about love. It’s about commitment.

THOMAS MASKELL

Poland