View of the Statue of Liberty by Free-Photos from Pixabay
July 3, 2025-
The fourth of July is, of course, a national U.S. holiday that commemorates the adoption of our unique Declaration of Independence on July 4, 1776. The principles of economic freedom have been sadly abused until now.
On this Independence Day, pride in America, according to Gallup, has slipped to a new low.
The polling isn’t much different from polls taken by another credible polling firm, Rasmussen, four years ago: 38% Say U.S. Heading in Right Direction ; Most Americans Are Proud of Our History, But Many Democrats Disagree; and GOP Voters Suspect Critical Race Theory Will Make U.S. Race Relations Worse.
In other words, many Americans, especially public officials, demonstrate they need to review the reasons for Independence Day and why we celebrate the fourth of July.
It is, of course, a national U.S. holiday that commemorates the adoption of our unique Declaration of Independence on July 4, 1776.
Thomas Jefferson was inspired to write the historic document between June 11 and 28, 1776. He eloquently stated the convictions of Americans. They weren’t new ideals expressing the desire for liberty. John Locke and others beat him to it.
However, too few Americans appreciate the risks of those 57 men who signed the Declaration of Independence – making freedom possible for all us.
In the 21st century, the Fourth of July is a holiday of festivities and fireworks for Americans.
The Declaration of Independence was written as a list of grievances against the King of England, and has been cited as a list of timeless principles.
It was written and signed amid the American Revolution – the most significant event in our history. The first shots were fired in April, 1775. The war would last eight years.
It inspired the meaning of this phrase, “the shot heard round the world.”
Coincidentally, the fourth of July has other significance.
Two signers of the Declaration of Independence who were elected president, Mr. Jefferson and John Adams, passed away on July 4, 1826 — the 50th anniversary of Independence Day.
Fifth President James Monroe died July 4, 1831. Thirtieth President Calvin Coolidge was born July 4, 1872.
Fun holiday
For most Americans, it’s a fun holiday. Across the nation are barbecues, baseball games, carnivals, ceremonies, concerts, fairs, family reunions, fireworks and political speeches.
The holiday is a heavy travel weekend for many Americans.
Allegedly, as a document, the Declaration of Independence is still cherished as an avowal of freedom from tyranny.
Do we honor it? Are we truly independent? No.
Those type of events challenging royalty more than two hundred years ago – catalysts for the American Revolution and the Declaration of Independence – are prevalent today.
Worse conditions
While it’s important to celebrate our independence, in recent years conditions have worsened. Numerous crises are looming again this Independence Day.
Just a few examples: China’s aggression and the U.S. trade deficit with China, Democrats making a mockery of our democracy, the Biden Administration having made it easy for millions of immigrants to illegally enter the U.S., and an enormous national debt that climbs higher by the second. It’s more than $37 trillion and climbing (see the U.S. Debt Clock).
At the very least, the debt threatens to financially imprison our children and grandchildren for decades. This also means the debt threatens this nation’s future.
Much is prompted by dysfunctional public policies by the “ruling class” – that’s how one of my late valued friends and associates once described many public servants at the local, state and federal levels. I agree.
“Now, even the deviancy of the old nobility is becoming more commonplace, as once they were given land by the sovereign, upon which to live well,” Neil Delisanti once wrote to me in an e-mail. “Now they are given government pensions and benefits.”
He lamented we keep electing the same people with the same damaging political, and in many cases, self-serving philosophies.
He was a patriotic American and significant contributor to America as business professor, small-business advisor, Air Force pilot and highly valued friend to many people. And every July 4th, he hosted many of us on his sailboat feasting on potlucks and watching beautiful fireworks displays over Commencement Bay on the Puget Sound in WA.
He shared his brilliant acumen in many articles.
Government debt
Indeed, the situation has long been bleak for governments – from cities to federal – are dangerously in debt. Much of the debt is from obscene government pensions and salaries.
Obscure fiscal dangers were lurking in President Biden’s inflationary tax plans until the election of President Trump. That is until the House of Representatives and Senate passed a major bill today. This meant President Trump’s tax cuts were made permanent, illegals kicked off Medicaid, and the immigration enforcement agenda was fully funded. And so much more.
But it wasn’t until President Trump persuaded Conservative members of the Freedom Caucus to support his mega tax plan.
For purely political reasons, there has not been any statesman-like behavior by Democrats in budget-deficit talks. Democrats opposed every effort by the Trump Administration to grow the economy and to end fiscal waste.
But history shows Democrats haven’t been alone in this regard. Republicans were responsible for countless earmark and pork legislation during the Bush Administration from 2001–2009. President Bush failed to veto even one bill with pork Republican earmarks during his first six years in office.
“Independence Day: freedom has its life in the hearts, the actions, the spirit of men and so it must be daily earned and refreshed – else like a flower cut from its life-giving roots, it will wither and die.”
-Dwight D. Eisenhower
On another front, the Federal Register has a compilation of all federal business rules and regulations adopted by the Obama Administration. A 2010 check revealed it contained 81,405 pages of regulations. Although it was necessary to restore the nation’s economy, President Trump was heavily criticized for his rollback of the onerous regulations, which President Biden sadly restored.
Certainly, businesspeople from Bernard Madoff to Enron executives have let us down.
But there are a lot hardworking, diligent business folks. Strangely, leftwing politicians wonder why such businesspeople have felt financially shackled by government.
All of this chaos from disingenuous behavior suggests the U.S. Constitution is under fire, too. It’s worth reading.
So a salient question remains:
When are we going to fully affirm the Declaration of Independence with economic patriotism to validate the principles of Independence Day?
From the Coach’s Corner, you can read more public policy articles.
“Ancient Rome declined because it had a Senate; now what’s going to happen to us with both a Senate and a House?”
-Will Rogers
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