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The Reaffirmation of the American Founding

Balint Vazsonyi

[Speech delivered February 13, 1996 at the Institute of World Politics, Washington, D.C., in conclusion of remarks entitled: "Defining the Other Side"]



This nation was founded on a set of principles which reflected the most thoughtful consideration and deliberation of the human condition as recorded since the inception of time. Adherence to these principles resulted in steadily accumulating wealth, and increasing access to it by a constantly growing number of Americans. Adherence to these principles has also fulfilled the promise of liberty for more individuals than any other society on Earth. Significantly, it is these principles which enable America to respond successfully to the requirements of changing times at home and recurring crises abroad.

The past decades brought the introduction of socialist-inspired doctrines which advocate and promote practices fundamentally different in their view of property, family, language, religion, education, justice, defense, and human relations in virtually every sphere. The quest for equality before the law for every individual has been replaced by the disgraceful classification of Americans by origin. The right to the fruits of a person's own efforts has been eroded through entitlements to the fruits of other persons' efforts. Schools which should impart knowledge and instill civic responsibility, dispense propaganda for activist groups instead; they encourage pride in everything except in being American. Making the law is taking the place of interpreting the law in our courts. Under the guise of 'separating church and state' people of faith are portrayed as dangerous. At the same time, the current national defense posture summarily ignores the real threats to our security. Tolerance and the spirit of voluntarism are being choked by coercion. Advocates of these and similar practices cannot point to any society which succeeded by applying them. Yet they continue to delude themselves and others, citing benefits to be derived at some future date.

We believe that our nation should be guided by the common experience of successful generations. The founders of the United States of America provided a framework which has brought forth a society more conducive to success, both individual and collective, than any other. The language they spoke and their deeply held beliefs benefited not only those whom they represented, but in uncommon measure those who arrived later, speaking a different language and desiring the freedom to live by their different beliefs. Above all, they bestowed upon their posterity the incomparable blessings of a polity in which the peaceful transition of power may occur even under the most unforeseen of circumstances.

We therefore resolve actively to oppose those practices which are in direct contradiction to the American Founding and reaffirm our commitment to its basic principles.