March 16th: If You Prick Them, They Will Bleed

Given the pivotal time we find ourselves in in America, it's important for the center-Right to be honest about where we are. We are one step away from a vote in Congress that will begin to nationalize health care in America. And what does that mean to Nancy Pelosi? Contrary to what Pelosi would have us believe, her's is not the path to economic freedom. Not for the masses, anyway.

"Think of an economy where people could be an artist or a photographer or a writer without worrying about keeping their day job in order to have health insurance."

We owe, not only our modern living standards, but our political freedom to capitalism. In order for Pelosi's misguided dream to take place, there must be a servile class. If the world were to run off to create mostly bad art, who is it that will be running the engine to subsidize it?

As Adam Smith, Milton Friedman, and Friedrich Hayek have stressed, freedom of exchange and market coordination provide the fuel for economic progress. Without exchange and entrepreneurial activity coordinated through markets, modern living standards would be impossible.

The reality is, the government, not the individual, will ultimately have to choose in an effort to strike a balance that purportedly works for the whole in Pelosi's world. That's statism and there will never be enough room for true individual liberty in such a system. It simply cannot exist.

When challenged, the statist's argument does not hold in the minds of free men and women. They know better than that. They do not live everyday in utopia, they live in the free but often tough world. And that is why ObamaCare is instinctively repulsive to the majority of Americans who give it any real thought. There is no such thing as having everything - and at a lower cost, at that. The concept just doesn't ring true.

But the Left's political arguments must be confronted forcefully, even outrageously at times if that's what it takes to get through. Think of it in terms of what Andrew Breitbart is doing in the world of media activism today.

He is calling them out, confronting them, exposing them for what they are and what they believe. And when you prick them like that, they do bleed. Figuratively speaking, if we don't make them bleed, we will lose. We have been playing politely for decades now. And America has only continued its slide to the Left. And in the face of a pending vote on Obama Care, there is no more room left to give.

I'm not advocating violence. But I am advocating confrontation. Otherwise, most especially now, this one in the White House and his Congressional colleagues seem content to ignore you - to shine you on and you will get only what they choose to give you in the end. That is not the lot of the free man, or woman. It is the lot of the slave, the serf, if you prefer.

That's why you have to try as best you can to be in DC on March 16th. It's time to prick, poke, and prod them and make their house of cards cave in. If you don't do it, now, don't expect your children, or your grandchildren to do it. If, or when, it becomes their turn on your behalf, when they're getting ready to pull the plug on you because, well, you've lived long enough, they'll go along, just as you might now. Without our example, future generations of Americans will have no example to follow, let alone believe in.

Show up and be heard, or be herded. There are no other choices. This is the time. And if you don't speak out, it may well be the last. They have blatantly admitted this is but a first step. What in God's name does it take for some of you people to get mad? If the last few months haven't been enough, then your freedom may already be lost. In that case, it's still your duty to stir yourself to action and begin to take it back on March 16th. Waiting for someone else to do it for you will only assure you of freedom lost. And that is not and has never been the America and the American people I've come to know.

Comments

[Terry in Alaska]

I believe it is time to put away the petty arguments against a Sarah Palin, a Rand Paul, a Romney, and so on.

It is time to gather TOGETHER for the COMMON CAUSE, to TAKE BACK AMERICA!!!

Today I applaud you Dan Riehl. If you could convince Hot Air and Daily Caller to get on board as one voice, maybe we could be heard loud and clear even though some of us find it near impossible to attend in person.

The only media source I saw reporting on the St. Louis Rally was Gateway Pundit. The rest of the conservative media seemed to be MIA.

Sometimes I read great articles and say, but these articles will not go any further than the choir they are preaching to.

When you pissed the Soros/Obama trolls off, you got their attention.

Brilliant move IMO.

[Jim Ryan]

See you there!

[Ken]

I would really like to go, but I have nowhere near enough money for gas and lodging.

If anyone is in the Reno area and headed that way, leave a post here and maybe we can work something out.

[Elmo]

This fraudulent house of cards will fall. Through the astounding, unbelievable madness that now envelops us. There just is no way on G*d's green earth ... Obama will serve out his term. Before being removed from office for high crimes and misdemeanors.

In the interim, these malignant gangrenous pustules will continue to attack America. From within.

Will continue to debase our allies.

Continue to embrace our enemies.

GHUA

P.S.

Scream a loud, offensive verbal brickbat in the direction of the White House (and the walkin talkin piece of porcine poop in residence) for me :-)

[southdakotaboy]

We need to stop playing nice with the Dem Congress people. We need to invade their offices and make them afraid. We need to make them think about the personal, physical repercussions they will face if they do this.

To often these scum bags don't deal with the after effects of what they do. Hell they have even exempted themselves from this law. Well we need to let them know that if they pass this and it doesn't work the best they can hope for is a prison cell.

[mark l.]

"As Adam Smith, Milton Friedman, and Friedrich Hayek have stressed, freedom of exchange and market coordination provide the fuel for economic progress."

(i realize it is a cite, but...)

I would add to this list:
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Jude_Wanniski

"Conservative commentator Robert D. Novak stated, in writing the introduction to the 20th anniversary edition of Wanniski's book, that it was one of two books that have "shaped [his] mature philosophy of politics and government." (Whittaker Chambers' Witness is the other.) The rising GOP star Jack Kemp became a supply-side economics advocate due to Wanniski's tutelage, and would work to put his proposals into legislative practice.

He was an adviser to Ronald Reagan from 1978 to 1981, and designed the Reagan tax cuts during his first term in office."

[brickbatz]

Sadly, the only way to be heard may be to storm the offices of Congress. Would would have believed that it could come to this?

[M. Report]

Be polite:

CongressCritter Cornpone,
how would you like to be
Private Citizen Cornpone
this time next year ? :)

[Vince]

Mr. Riehl, I don't have the time to go to Washington but I have money I can donate to help somebody else get there. This is probably asking alot of you, but if you want to coordinate travel donations - I'll send some money.

Thanks

[Greg]

I would also donate for others to travel to DC. I can't get away from work this week but I can give some money.

[Dan Riehl]

I'll ask around, I'd suggest you scroll some links via below, perhaps add your location to the search. I imagine people are sponsoring buses and such and could use a donation or two. Also try Red State's link from thsi search:

http://www.google.com/#hl=en&source=hp&q=march+16+dc+protest&aq=f&aqi=&aql=&oq=&fp=7b1a2d65b95f6521

[Anonymous]

Governments are instituted among Men, deriving their just powers from the consent of the governed.

[David R. Graham]

Twelve comments and no trolls yet! Remarkable.

And two offers of money to help others attend the event. This is heartening.

Thanks, Dan, as always, for who you are and what you do!

[Andy Clarkson]

Riehl said, "We are one step away from a vote in Congress that will begin to nationalize health care in America." To "begin"? Uhhh, that happened decades ago. Are you familiar with any of the existing programs that loot taxpayers and control doctors? The Food & Drug Administration (FDA)? Medicare? Medicaid? These and other government programs are the reason that health care is so expensive and of such poor quality in this country. ObamaCare is simply another great leap towards further destruction.

The only solution is laissez-faire capitalism where doctors and patients are completely free to act in their own self-interest and to trade voluntarily if they so choose. That would be a great "beginning" - medical capitalism.

[Andy Clarkson]

Here is a very brief history of government in medicine -- and what to do about it. Before marching off to DC on March 16, you should understand this: http://www.aynrand.org/site/News2?page=NewsArticle&id=24531&news_iv_ctrl=2401

[Fred Beloit]

Great, Dan. One of your best.

[Skeptical Juror]

I'm a writer, and a darn unsuccessful one at that. My wife and I pay $1200 per month for our health insurance. Nancy is asking you folks to give me free health care, so I won't have to quit my day job, so I can turn out even more stuff that won't sell particularly well.

I say thanks, but no thanks. I'll sink or swim on my own merits, and you folks can keep what little money and freedom you have left.

[jasperjava]

"Porcine poop"? "Make them afraid"? You people are nothing but thugs and racists.

Your day is done. Go off into the sunset, quietly, please, while others repair the damage you have done.

[Bugler]

"Thugs and racists?" Wow, I've never heard that one before. I'm truly wounded.

[FreeNatasha]

Together, my son and I made our first youtube video to pump-up the protestors. We can't be in D.C. but we are mad (as you can tell from the clips of Tea Party protests, and the song Frontline by Pillar). If prospective legislation requires such legerdemain to pass a bill then that bill should not be passed. Has any one heard of the congressional conference committee? This is where compromises used to be made. It was imperfect but I prefer it to the nuclear option et.. al. I will be calling D.C. to make my voice heard!!!

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=wrdmIrk1cAU

[Helen]

center-Right! LOL

You have got to be kidding.

More like fringe extreme far-right.

[Lenny]

ooobbbaaaammaaaaaaa aaaaakkkkbbbaarrrr!!!! bbabaaabbababawooooommmm

[Pug]

"The only solution is laissez-faire capitalism where doctors and patients are completely free to act in their own self-interest and to trade voluntarily if they so choose. That would be a great "beginning" - medical capitalism."

Now that's a great idea. Let's get some conservatives run on that one. It would be interesting to see how fast all those old Medicare recipient Tea Partiers would turn around and become the biggest socialists in America, which of course they already are. They just don't know it.