In the final run up to the election last year Pres. Obama, speaking at a campaign rally, said "We are 5 days away from fundamentally transforming America". At the time it sounded like typical, soaring campaign rhetoric.
If only we had known.
His campaign of 'change', with few specifics given, was widely interpreted to refer to the policies of George W. Bush. Now we see that he was also referring to the policies of Madison, Jefferson and Washington.
When he said fundamentally, he meant it.
Fundamentally, America has always been defined by freedom. Freedom from overbearing government. If you're over 40 you were taught in high school of the principle of "Laissez faire". Merriam-Webster defines it "a doctrine opposing governmental interference in economic affairs beyond the minimum necessary for the maintenance of peace and property rights". (If your children attend(ed) public school they have likely never even heard the term.) This guiding principle has been fundamental in America.
Obama's philosophy believes the government's economic role is to forcibly apply his version of fairness. It's a philophy that attempts to manipulate outcome rather than opportunity. It's a philosophy that believes the government is benevolent and individuals cannot be trusted. 180 degrees out of phase with the Founders.
Fundamentally the federal government was intended to have very limited powers, with the House of Representatives representing the people and the Senate representing the Several States.
Obama's vision is top-down government where the people and the states are controlled through mandates, regulation and taxation.
Our Founding Fathers had a vision of a nation that, through Laissez faire, would foster excellence, ingenuity, innovation, self determination, individual responsibility, natural accountablity, perserverance, etc by releasing the natural inclination of man to survive and prosper.
Obama's vision for America stands in stark contrast, fundamentally.
