Ron Paul, Guy Fawkes Best Friend

Guy Fawkes, whom many of you know, was the man who was arrested for the gunpowder plot, the man who attemped to blow up the British Parliament building on November 5th 1605.

Now Guy Fawkes is used as a symbol for Minarchists everywhere. A minarchist is an individual who thinks that government should serve a minimal role in society, and consist of defending our Lives, liberty, and our persuit of happiness. But thats where it ends, minarchists and libertarians believe that the growth of government is a burden to the economy, a threat to individual rights, and a direct affront to our American way of life.

Since the Bush administration both major political parties now endorse big government in more ways than one. Typically republicans favor limited government when it comes to regulating the economy, but endorse huge drastic sacrifices of liberty in order to maintain a more "moral" society, you will often see them protesting gay marriage etc. Democrats typically favor individual rights of freedom and choice when it comes to social issues such as gay marriage and abortion, however when it comes to the economy they believe it is better left to the state to handle rather than the free market.

You notice that both parties seem to have it right when they focus on advocating the reduction of government, whether it is the democrats who favor individual liberties of choice unless that liberty is property rights, and republicans want to protect our individual rights unless it goes against their ethical code.

So what can america do when both parties who literally control the direction of our nation are both advocates of expanding government? Well there really isn't much that we can realistically do. Republicans have lost their way and they are losing their support to the anti-war and anti-Bush crowds, and I don't blame them.

However, there is one thing we can do, remember the Barry Goldwater days? The man who started the modern conservatism movement? He is the man that set the republican party in the direction of freedom. He didn't win his election, but he changed the way we look at liberty. Barry Goldwater said that we couldn't be granted certain liberties and restricted on others because some people disagree, we need liberty in all areas whether it is a social issue or a fiscal issue. We need a humble foreign policy and and advocate free trade and commerce with all. Barry Goldwater was a man who believed that not only do we need government out of our pockets, but we need them out of our bedrooms as well.

Barry Goldwater set America straight, at least for a while, and he didn't even win his election! I think we have a chance at that now, with a particular candidate that is running for president. That man is Ron Paul, and although I don't entirely agree with everything he is running on, at least he is the only man running advocating freedom, and the only republican running that wants to leave Iraq. He probably won't win the election, but let's at least try to make a statement of where we want this country to go by voting from him in the primaries.