Time for Rebellion
by the Real Minority:
the Individual

We recently noticed a quote attributed to Ayn Rand, the substance of which was later the subject of a brilliant Rush Limbaugh monologue, and the spiritual foundation of which was (by coincidence rather than planning) the subject of a recent Brushfires essay titled “We Do Not Want This”. We think the quote is worth another look, because it holds within it enormous power to snap the leftwing trance that is crippling so many in this country and the world. Here it is:

Individual rights are not subject to a public vote; a majority has no right to vote away the rights of a minority; the political function of rights is precisely to protect minorities from oppression by majorities (and the smallest minority on earth is the individual). --Ayn Rand

Those who think of themselves as ‘progressive’ and liberal and reliable Democrat voters would almost certainly insist that much of their thinking is shaped by their support ‘for the little guy’. But a subtle yet devastatingly important perversion of language has been allowed to escape focus and debate—and that is the unwitting acceptance of the idea that ‘the little guy’ is no longer a literal reference to the individual, but a collective reference to groups and subgroups who are viewed as ‘little’ in terms of intelligence or ability or opportunity by reason of some unfairness of life or of broader society. The left then proudly marches off with its new definition to corral the forces of government to take from the big guys and give to these collective groups of little guys.

But what if the people of this country were to wake up to the truth that the real and only ‘little guy’ is the individual—each and every one of us! And wake up to the further truth that we’re not ‘little’ in terms of intelligence, ability, or opportunity, but are in fact ‘created equal’ and are each endowed by our Creator with inalienable rights, among which are life, liberty and the pursuit of happiness. And finally, to awake to the truth that the protection of our rights as the smallest minority or, stated another way, the preservation of our individuality, requires as an absolute necessity that government is (a) limited, and (b) does NOT enact or enforce laws that statically group us with anyone on the basis of any material factor—such as skin color, ethnicity, religion, gender, or last year’s income.

Racial profiling? No—it denies individuality. We all tend to ‘get’ that one. Affirmative action? Also, an easy no, though this is where confusion starts to creep in. Affirmative action says the group defines the individual—which violates the rights of this true, real and only minority. Here’s a gigantic one—the progressive income tax? Absolutely no. Why on earth should we agree to let someone else decide at what point or points we must pay more and more to the government? This is not an argument to abolish taxes—there are legitimate functions of government that must be funded—but it is an argument to abolish the progressive income tax and replace it with a fair tax (such as a uniform sales tax) or flat tax paid by everyone at the same rate, regardless of income. Allowing the government to do anything else is an imposition on freedom—it is a violation of the rights of the real and only minority: the individual.

Yes, you say, but it simply isn’t ‘moral’ if the rich aren’t made to pay more than the poor. On the surface, that may be true, but the key question is “made to pay” by whom? In the answer to that question lies the dividing line between the ‘statist’ or left-wing ideologue, and the freedom-loving American individual.

The freedom-loving American knows that each one of us has moral accountability and responsibility to our Creator. And through most of American history, this concept—nourished alongside individual freedom— has been enough to bring forth the most prosperous, humane and generous society the world has ever seen. The voluntary giving by Americans has been unprecedented in scope and magnitude and can’t possibly be explained by tax policy. It’s been motivated by the moral instincts of a generally religious (Judeo-Christian) American people. The freedom-loving American trusts the existence and influence of this spiritual sense of accountability and responsibility. It’s more substantive, clear and understandable than any government dictate.

The leftist doesn’t believe there is any god other than government; no ‘trustable’ good that can come from anything other than government coercion. The leftist is wrong; his worldview is actually hopeless and cynical; his socialist agenda drains life of its vitality and dynamism. That’s because socialism smothers individuality; it is the ultimate oppression of the ultimate minority. Socialism’s siren songs of ‘equality’ and fairness are enticing individuals across this nation and the world to accept government controls and limitations that will lead to the destruction of individual freedom and responsibility under God and replace it with group subjugation under government.

It’s time for individuals—and that actually means everyone—to rise up and say NO and Hell NO to every item of this government’s radical leftist, socialist agenda. Assert your individual right to freedom!

Paul Gable

Posted April 2, 2009