During the past several months, we have been discussing the upcoming Congressional elections which will be held on November 2, 2010. At this juncture, it is safe to say that our country is in a state of upheaval - and that many, many people are angry. Many of those who supported President Obama are angry because he has not completely transformed America into a European-style democracy that is heavy on government services and "fairness" to those that fall below a certain income level. Many on the right (and many in the middle) are genuinely disturbed and afraid that we have elected a President who really believes that the agenda of the radical left would be best for the land of the free and the home of the brave. While a substantial majority of Americans still believe that a capitalistic system of government is best for the country, a recent poll concluded that an astounding 38% of our citizens believe that a "socialistic" system would be preferable.
Simply stated, the issue all Americans must decide on November 2, 2010, is whether we want to preserve the free enterprise system in America (at least for two more years) or whether we want to travel "the road to serfdom" described by F. A. Hayek in his famous book years ago in 1944. "In that year - when Eleanor Roosevelt supported the efforts of Stalin, Albert Einstein subscribed to the socialist program, and the British Labour Party was planning for a future Labour government" to replace Winston Churchill after World War II, Hayek's The Road To Serfdom "was seen as heretical for its passionate warning against the dangers of state control over the means of production".[1]
What Americans face on November 2, 2010, is a clear choice. Americans who vote for any Democrat on that date will, directly or indirectly, give a vote to the political party that is clearly traveling Hayek's Road. If the Democrats maintain the majority in Congress, the Speaker of the House and also every committee chairman that controls legislation will be Democrats that sign on to the theory that a collectivist society is best for America. Therefore, the assurances of many "Bluedog Democrats" that they will not vote for Nancy Pelosi for Speaker if they are elected really mean nothing because their Party will remain in power, and they will, at the very least, be giving aid and comfort to those that travel Hayek's Road.
The only alternative to traveling Hayek's Road on November 2, 2010, is to "throw the rascals out" and restore control of the Congress to the Republicans. To be sure, many elected Republican officials have compromised their values in the past, and their actions led to the creation of the Tea Party movement. If Republicans do regain control of the Congress in 2010, they act at their peril if they do not heed the angry voices of their constituents. Those constituents are trying to tell them that they want no part of Hayek's Road.
As we approach November 2, 2010, I remain optimistic about America. I see new young leadership slowly emerging within the Republican Party, with new ideas and new energy that will help us take our country back. These potential new leaders are articulate and have the communication skills that will be needed to warn our citizens against the dangers of collectivism in the Twenty-First Century.
