GOPideas... ideas done right

After Arlen Specter's defection to the Democrats, Jim Demint penned an article for the Wall Street Journal that articulately phrased the philosophy of conservatism, but failed to show how a "freedom agenda" benefits Americans. Republicans like Sen. Demint always seem to focus on reminding people of their "freedom to" do things: run their education, health care and economic well-being, while failing to point out that big government curtails American's rights to be enjoy "freedom from" other things.

To elucidate the "freedom from" agenda, one can examine the recent health care debate concerning the public option of government run insurance. Though a conservative, I understand and sympathize with the argument that basic health care should be available to all Americans. Frankly, ensuring that children and the involuntarily disabled are provided the care they need to participate in society may require citizens to pay higher taxes --- but I believe that providing those who are currently unable (children) or were not endowed (involuntarily disabled) to gain the freedom to live the American Dream is a greater value than the freedom from taxation that such a policy requires.

However, the government must draw a bright line between those who need assistance to live the American Dream and those who had their opportunity and chose to squander it. These are the people that Republicans must highlight as the examples of "freedom from."

Although many groups can fit into this category, smokers are the best example. We should allow people to smoke because a fundamental right in America should be the right to make stupid decisions. We should warn people of the dangers, restrict access to adults and tax those who choose to imbibe. We do these things. However, we fail to take the most important step: give nonsmokers the freedom from paying for smokers' decisions.

In the national health care debate, Demint and other conservatives must make the case that, yes, freedom to get the health care you want is good, but the freedom from the moral hazard of shifting costs from the irresponsible to the responsible. Let's hope the GOP is willing to fight for keeping Americans free from paying for each other as it is willing to fight for Americans' right to be free to do what they please with their own money.

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