The Declaration of Independence states that “all men are created equal” and that each has “certain unalienable rights” which include “life, liberty, and the pursuit of happiness.”  It does not say that everyone is entitled to their dream, it says that they are entitled to pursue their dream.

     Our government can’t provide everyone his or her dream. And the reason it can’t provide everyone his or her dream is that our government doesn’t produce any wealth.  Only private enterprise produces wealth.  In order to provide anything, the government has to take some of the wealth created by private enterprise, in the form of taxes, and use that wealth to provide infrastructure and services for our citizens.

     “You can’t get something for nothing unless someone somewhere is getting nothing for something.” – I don’t know who to attribute that quote to, but it is a truth that those who want something for nothing need to understand.  The reason the government is able to provide the infrastructure and services it provides is that the people who are creating wealth – private enterprise – are willing to give up some of their wealth to benefit from the government provided infrastructure and services.

     Our government’s job should be to enable those who put forth effort (see my previous blog).   It is not our government’s job to provide every person his or her Great American Dream at the cost of those who put forth effort.

Here are a couple of principles that hold true no matter what:
You sow what you reap – the religious version
For every action there is an equal and opposite reaction – the scientific version

     Let’s make sure that we don’t let the government promise to achieve everyone’s Great American Dream at the expense of those who put forth effort.