Economic freedom vital

Dear editor:

Self- government and “government of, by, and for the people,” are concepts that are often mistakenly used interchangeably. Self- government is the Godgiven right of every individual. It is the freedom of each man or woman to plan for their future happiness.

This freedom is dependent upon a free market; without economic freedom, man cannot plan beyond tomorrow. Self- government and “government of, by, and for the people” are closely related concepts, but they are not the same thing – the latter can end in despotism just as surely as it emerged from the same. It is the constitutions of government that determine man’s ability to plan for his future happiness.

Man in a state of nature has a very limited ability to plan. The plan usually consists of sustenance, shelter and safety. Man enters into association with other men in order to extend his ability to plan and society is formed. Centuries of association have produced varied results. Associations that respect the rights of the individual produce abundance, and associations that abridge individual rights eventually return each man to a state of nature. As societies with respect for individual rights’ produce abundance, the ability of each individual to plan for their future happiness is empowered.

So let us empower each man and each woman by expanding freedom, specifically, economic freedom. Under the Rule of Law, which cannot be construed to forcibly remove from one that which he has earned, self- interest is the most powerful force ever harnessed by man. And it started here, in America. Matt Mckee JP District 9