Former Florida Congressman and Colonel Allen West summed up the Western Conservative Summit’s 2014 theme–America at its Best–perfectly late Sunday morning.
For West, the devil lies in the details. Conservatives must separate their version of “America at its Best” from the false message spread by the left. They must show the American people the difference between “economic empowerment and economic enslavement.”
The true American dream promotes economic growth, equality of opportunity, and rule of law. Drawing on well-known economist Frederick Bastiat’s concept of “legal plunder”, West clarifies that rule of law falls to pieces when people realize they can vote themselves generous gifts from the public treasury. Progressive tax laws especially punish those we need to protect.
“Why should we increase taxes on people for being successful? For following the American dream?”
West firmly believes that only through rule of law and equality of opportunity can America create and sustain an economic ladder of success and achievement that allows men and women from all walks of life to “climb to whatever heights they want!”
His list of examples was long, but one message rang out: Stand behind what truly makes America great. In a passionate, call to action, West asked attendees to take ownership of the American dream and evangelize.
In the words of anthropologist Margaret Mead: “Never doubt that a small group of thoughtful, committed, citizens can change the world. Indeed, it is the only thing that ever has.”
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