A Time for Choosing.docx

A Time for Choosing.docx

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ATimeforChoosing

ATimeforChoosing

programannouncer:

ladiesandgentlemen,wetakeprideinpresentingathoughtfuladdressbyronaldreagan.mr.reagan:

reagan:

thankyou.thankyouverymuch.thankyouandgoodevening.thesponsorhasbeenidentified,butunlikemosttelevisionprograms,theperformerhasn'tbeenprovidedwithascript.asamatteroffact,ihavebeenpermittedtochoosemyownwordsanddiscussmyownideasregardingthechoicethatwefaceinthenextfewweeks.

ihavespentmostofmylifeasademocrat.irecentlyhaveseenfittofollowanothercourse.ibelievethattheissuesconfrontinguscrosspartylines.now,onesideinthiscampaignhasbeentellingusthattheissuesofthiselectionarethemaintenanceofpeaceandprosperity.thelinehasbeenused,"we'veneverhaditsogood."

asforthepeacethatwewouldpreserve,iwonderwhoamonguswouldliketoapproachthewifeormotherwhosehusbandorsonhasdiedinsouthvietnamandaskthemiftheythinkthisisapeacethatshouldbemaintainedindefinitely.dotheymeanpeace,ordotheymeanwejustwanttobeleftinpeace?

therecanbenorealpeacewhileoneamericanisdyingsomeplaceintheworldfortherestofus.we'reatwarwiththemostdangerousenemythathaseverfacedmankindinhislongclimbfromtheswamptothestars,andit'sbeensaidifwelosethatwar,andinsodoinglosethiswayoffreedomofours,historywillrecordwiththegreatestastonishmentthatthosewhohadthemosttolosedidtheleasttopreventitshappening.wellithinkit'stimeweaskourselvesifwestillknowthefreedomsthatwereintendedforusbythefoundingfathers.

nottoolongago,twofriendsofmineweretalkingtoacubanrefugee,abusinessmanwhohadescapedfromcastro,andinthemidstofhisstoryoneofmyfriendsturnedtotheotherandsaid,"wedon'tknowhowluckyweare."andthecubanstoppedandsaid,"howluckyyouare?

ihadsomeplacetoescapeto."andinthatsentencehetoldustheentirestory.ifwelosefreedomhere,there'snoplacetoescapeto.thisisthelaststandonearth.

andthisideathatgovernmentisbeholdentothepeople,thatithasnoothersourceofpowerexceptthesovereignpeople,isstillthenewestandthemostuniqueideainallthelonghistoryofman'srelationtoman.

thisistheissueofthiselection:

whetherwebelieveinourcapacityforself-governmentorwhetherweabandontheamericanrevolutionandconfessthatalittleintellectualeliteinafar-distantcapitolcanplanourlivesforusbetterthanwecanplanthemourselves.

youandiaretoldincreasinglywehavetochoosebetweenaleftorright.welli'dliketosuggestthereisnosuchthingasaleftorright.there'sonlyanupordown--[up]man'sold--old-ageddream,theultimateinindividualfreedomconsistentwithlawandorder,ordowntotheantheapoftotalitarianism.andregardlessoftheirsincerity,theirhumanitarianmotives,thosewhowouldtradeourfreedomforsecurityhaveembarkedonthisdownwardcourse.

inthisvote-harvestingtime,theyusetermslikethe"greatsociety,"orasweweretoldafewdaysagobythepresident,wemustacceptagreatergovernmentactivityintheaffairsofthepeople.butthey'vebeenalittlemoreexplicitinthepastandamongthemselves;andallofthethingsinowwillquotehaveappearedinprint.thesearenotrepublicanaccusations.forexample,theyhavevoicesthatsay,"thecoldwarwillendthroughouracceptanceofanotundemocraticsocialism."anothervoicesays,"theprofitmotivehasbecomeoutmoded.itmustbereplacedbytheincentivesofthewelfarestate."or,"ourtraditionalsystemofindividualfreedomisincapableofsolvingthecomplexproblemsofthe20thcentury."senatorfullbrighthassaidatstanforduniversitythattheconstitutionisoutmoded.hereferredtothepresidentas"ourmoralteacherandourleader,"andhesaysheis"hobbledinhistaskbytherestrictionsofpowerimposedonhimbythisantiquateddocument."hemust"befreed,"sothathe"candoforus"whatheknows"isbest."andsenatorclarkofpennsylvania,anotherarticulatespokesman,definesliberalismas"meetingthematerialneedsofthemassesthroughthefullpowerofcentralizedgovernment."

well,i,forone,resentitwhenarepresentativeofthepeoplereferstoyouandme,thefreemenandwomenofthiscountry,as"themasses."thisisatermwehaven'tappliedtoourselvesinamerica.butbeyondthat,"thefullpowerofcentralizedgovernment"--thiswastheverythingthefoundingfatherssoughttominimize.theyknewthatgovernmentsdon'tcontrolthings.agovernmentcan'tcontroltheeconomywithoutcontrollingpeople.andtheyknowwhenagovernmentsetsouttodothat,itmustuseforceandcoerciontoachieveitspurpose.theyalsoknew,thosefoundingfathers,thatoutsideofitslegitimatefunctions,governmentdoesnothingaswelloraseconomicallyastheprivatesectoroftheeconomy.

senatorhumphreylastweekchargedthatbarrygoldwater,aspresident,wouldseektoeliminatefarmers.heshoulddohishomeworkalittlebetter,becausehe'llfindoutthatwe'vehadadeclineof5millioninthefarmpopulationunderthesegovernmentprograms.he'llalsofindthatthedemocraticadministrationhassoughttogetfromcongress[an]extensionofthefarmprogramtoincludethatthree-fourthsthatisnowfree.he'llfindthatthey'vealsoaskedfortherighttoimprisonfarmerswhowouldn'tkeepbooksasprescribedbythefederalgovernment.thesecretaryofagricultureaskedfortherighttoseizefarmsthroughcondemnationandresellthemtootherindividuals.andcontainedinthatsameprogramwasaprovisionthatwouldhaveallowedthefederalgovernmenttoremove2millionfarmersfromthesoil.

atthesametime,there'sbeenanincreaseinthedepartmentofagricultureemployees.there'snowoneforevery30farmsintheunitedstates,andstilltheycan'ttellushow66shiploadsofgrainheadedforaustriadisappearedwithoutatraceandbilliesolestesneverleftshore.

everyresponsiblefarmerandfarmorganizationhasrepeatedlyaskedthegovernmenttofreethefarmeconomy,buthow--whoarefarmerstoknowwhat'sbestforthem?

thewheatfarmersvotedagainstawheatprogram.thegovernmentpasseditanyway.nowthepriceofbreadgoesup;thepriceofwheattothefarmergoesdown.

meanwhile,backinthecity,underurbanrenewaltheassaultonfreedomcarrieson.privatepropertyrights[are]sodilutedthatpublicinterestisalmostanythingafewgovernmentplannersdecideitshouldbe.inaprogramthattakesfromtheneedyandgivestothegreedy,weseesuchspectaclesasincleveland,ohio,amillion-and-a-half-dollarbuildingcompletedonlythreeyearsagomustbedestroyedtomakewayforwhatgovernmentofficialscalla"morecompatibleuseoftheland."thepresidenttellsushe'snowgoingtostartbuildingpublichousingunitsinthethousands,whereheretoforewe'veonlybuilttheminthehundreds.butfha[federalhousingauthority]andtheveteransadministrationtellustheyhave120,000housingunitsthey'vetakenbackthroughmortgageforeclosure.forthreedecades,we'vesoughttosolvetheproblemsofunemploymentthroughgovernmentplanning,andthemoretheplansfail,themoretheplannersplan.thelatestisthearearedevelopmentagency.

they'vejustdeclaredricecounty,kansas,adepressedarea.ricecounty,kansas,hastwohundredoilwells,andthe14,000peopletherehaveover30milliondollarsondepositinpersonalsavingsintheirbanks.andwhenthegovernmenttellsyouyou'redepressed,liedownandbedepressed.

wehavesomanypeoplewhocan'tseeafatmanstandingbesideathinonewithoutcomingtotheconclusionthefatmangotthatwaybytakingadvantageofthethinone.sothey'regoingtosolvealltheproblemsofhumanmiserythroughgovernmentandgovernmentplanning.well,now,ifgovernmentplanningandwelfarehadtheanswer--andthey'vehadalmost30yearsofit--shouldn'tweexpectgovernmenttoreadthescoretousonceinawhile?

shouldn'ttheybetellingusaboutthedeclineeachyearinthenumberofpeopleneedinghelp?

thereductionintheneedforpublichousing?

butthereverseistrue.eachyeartheneedgrowsgreater;theprogramgrowsgreater.weweretoldfouryearsagothat17millionpeoplewenttobedhungryeachnight.wellthatwasprobablytrue.theywereallonadiet.butnowwe'retoldthat9.3millionfamiliesinthiscountryarepoverty-strickenonthebasisofearninglessthan3,000dollarsayear.welfarespending[is]10timesgreaterthaninthedarkdepthsofthedepression.we'respending45billiondollarsonwelfare.nowdoalittlearithmetic,andyou'llfindthatifwedividedthe45billiondollarsupequallyamongthose9millionpoorfamilies,we'dbeabletogiveeachfamily4,600dollarsayear.andthisaddedtotheirpresentincomeshouldeliminatepoverty.directaidtothepoor,however,isonlyrunningonlyabout600dollarsperfamily.itwouldseemthatsomeplacetheremustbesomeoverhead.

butseriously,whatarewedoingtothoseweseektohelp?

nottoolongago,ajudgecalledmehereinlosangeles.hetoldmeofayoungwomanwho'dcomebeforehimforadivorce.shehadsixchildren,waspregnantwithherseventh.underhisquestioning,sherevealedherhusbandwasalaborerearning250dollarsamonth.shewantedadivorcetogetan80dollarraise.she'seligiblefor330dollarsamonthintheaidtodependentchildrenprogram.shegottheideafromtwowomeninherneighborhoodwho'dalreadydonethatverything.

yetanytimeyouandiquestiontheschemesofthedo-gooders,we'redenouncedasbeingagainsttheirhumanitariangoals.theysaywe'realways"against"thing