E-Newsletter No. 26 _____ February 2016

The 2016 presidential election cycle has officially begun with the onset of the Iowa caucuses. In making our selection of the country’s next president, it is very important for We The People to assess the “personality” and trustworthiness of each of the candidates (Donald / Hillary). However, we believe that it is more important to listen to the candidates’ views on the role of the federal government, their priorities if they were to be elected, and their proposals on how to deal with the key issues that should be addressed during the election.

In this regard, we believe that it is very important to understand the fundamental differences between the two political parties. We have included the following link, which will take you to five five-minute videos that highlight the key differences between the Left (“Progressives”) and the Right (“Conservatives”).

https://www.prageru.com/courses/left-and-right-differences

If you only have time to view one of these videos, we recommend the first video – How Big Should Government Be? It discusses seven inevitable outcomes that result from an ever-expanding government. It concludes with the following observation – Without the belief in an ever-expanding government, there is no Left. Without a belief in limited government, there is no Right.

We also like # 2 – Does it Feel Good or Does it Do Good? It asks a fundamental question – Does a particular government policy or program do good (for society) or does it just make you feel good (about yourself)? We need to remember that the highway to hell is oftentimes paved with the best of intentions.

And then there is # 5 – How Do We Make Society Better? This one might be the best of the five. It explains that Conservatives believe the way to a better society is almost always through the moral improvement of the individual; by each person doing battle with his or her own weaknesses and flaws (and assuming personal responsibility). On the other hand, Progressives are pre-occupied with using the power of the government to fix the moral failings of “society”.

We also want to let you know that we have included a new conversation piece on the Foundation’s website. Thomas Paine was one of the country’s Founders, and in 1776, he wrote a pamphlet entitled Common Sense –

http://www.f2ppr.org/wp-content/uploads/2016/01/Thomas-Paine-and-Common-Sense.pdf

Many of these self-evident truths are just as true today as they were back in 1776.

US Debt Clock – – January 1st – $58,268 per citizen / February 1st – $58,727