In his acceptance speech, Senator Obama criticized recent Republican administrations and congressional representation, saying "In Washington, they call this the 'Ownership Society,' but what it really means is that you're on your own."
I wanted to stand up and cheer. Right on, Republicans! I want to be on my own!
Leave me alone!
Keep your hands out of my pockets. Let me keep more of my own money, and I will need less help from others. This, in turn, will allow others to keep more of their own money, and they will need less help from others. Some of us, with this extra cash, will choose to donate more to truly worthy causes, which, in turn, will result in the need for fewer government programs.
Leave me alone!
Keep your distance from my home. Do not eavesdrop on my private conversations. Do not use your supreme morality to legislate what activities I am allowed to pursue in my household, except activities that could harm minor children or are violent or abusive in nature. Do not abuse your power to enforce your interpretation of the laws my representatives have passed.
Leave me alone!
Keep your laws out of my business, with the same exceptions noted above. Avoid regulations that ignore the principles of a free enterprise system in favor of moral superiority. Allow me to offer goods and services in an environment of my choosing. If I have a valuable product, I'll succeed.
Leave me alone!
If you do these things, government, then I can succeed in this American dream, and I will own that success. If you continue to pursue laws regulating how my state defines marriage, what type of oil my food can be cooked in, and whether I, as an entrepeneur, can allow people to smoke in my private establishment, then you have taken the dream away from me. You have made my success conditional. You have limited me.
Of course, if you do leave me alone, I can also fail. But if I do succeed, you should celebrate my success, and hold up my success as an example for those who are still struggling. Do not take from my success in order to give to those who failed. It is a contra-motivating policy that rewards failure at the expense of success. It is robbing from the rich and giving to the poor. It is giving meaningless trophies to all sports league members just for filling out registration forms. It is taking "from each, according to his ability" and giving "to each, according to his need."
I want to be on my own. That's the very definition of liberty.