The idea was that citizens must be free from oppression, free to live their lives and employ their initiative and imagination without burdensome regulation or controls from on top. That civil atmosphere allowed poor immigrants to arrive and build lives and fortunes for themselves and their families. It also encouraged a positive pro-active “attitude” among the people built on self-reliance and independence. This attitude along with an open economy produced a couple centuries of extraordinary growth and affluence.

Unfortunately, like most democracies, we have gradually drifted toward a populist democracy with political demagogues seeking to buy votes by promising “goodies for all.” Historically, this has been a common failing, with a growing central government that doles out goodies to voters. That trend eventually undermines the original self-reliant attitude of those who created the affluence. For the last 100 years American governance has followed this drift. It has been the Democratic party that promises the most, and their constituency is built on the recipients of such largesse. Obama and Clinton plan huge new programs. These new programs cater to the new alleged “positive rights” that we should have–basically a free lunch, whether its free drugs for elders, expanded welfare, or national health care.

This 100 year rise of positive rights has created a “victim” mentality that has overcome the self-reliant “attitude” that built America. Free will has been trumped by social determinism and welfare checks. Liberty has been traded for security and a contrived and managed equality. The American spirit is being destroyed by excess compassion and the arrogance of centrist-planners who believe they can fix everyman’s problems. They will not cure the problems, but their efforts will kill America’s success story. There are many things one cannot turn back the clock on, but personal responsibility and penalties for bad behavior are not among them. Given human nature, which is unchanged throughout recorded history, negative rights are essential, positive rights are self-destructing.