John Stossel‘s latest column focuses on the impact of last week’s elections for the future of American freedom. While labeling some results positive, he focuses on the mostly negative results.
Sadly, President Obama’s swooning fans don’t want to tame politicians. They don’t even seem to think much about freedom. We attended Obama’s victory party in Chicago (we go so you don’t have to) and asked his supporters what Obama’s reelection means for freedom. People reacted as if they didn’t understand the question.
“Freedom?” one asked.
“Um, yes, I have no idea,” said another.
It’s not on their radar, and that’s upsetting. Some wouldn’t know freedom if they fell over it. To many, “freedom” means getting the government to force women’s employers to pay for birth control.
Sorry, that’s not freedom. That’s force.
Obama’s supporters seem to think it’s enough to put this extraordinary man in office. After that, he will take care of everything. Spare us the details.
“Obama is a classic example of this cult of the presidency,” said David Boaz of the Cato Institute. “But the idea that any politician can just fix the problems in society — that there’s some magic there — that doesn’t start with Obama. It goes a long way back.”
Leader-worship is unbecoming a free people. But are we a free people today? I mean psychologically. Years of government impositions change people. At Obama’s celebration, people didn’t mention freedom, but they sure mentioned handouts, like taxpayer-financed higher education. It’s as if their attitude is: What can government give me? They don’t realize that “free stuff” only seems free because the real cost is hidden.
