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Sunday
July 3, 2005

Machan's Musings - Why Bother Celebrating the Fourth? by Tibor R. Machan

Maybe what we need is to abolish this holiday altogether, and drop the pretense that most people care about anything besides the fanfare, fireworks, and barbecues. Let’s just admit that freedom had a short and uneasy career on this continent and was mostly sacrificed on the altar of power, of the power of some over the sovereignty of others. (Read more...)
Discuss this Article (5 messages)

Sunday, July 3, 2005 - 5:37am

Another wonderful article, Tibor. Happy Independence Day!

Sunday, July 3, 2005 - 7:16am

Excellent, a little depressing, but rightly so.

Sunday, July 3, 2005 - 11:12am

Go ahead, abolish the Fourth of July. I'll celebrate anyway, by living, working, and loving. I'll celebrate because I still remember.

Sunday, July 3, 2005 - 12:01pm

One of your best, Tibor.

We have not yet accepted that most Americans are poorly educated. They haven't read the Nicomachean Ethics, Atlas Shrugged, The Age of Reason, Don Quixote, Les Miserables, etc. It's impossible to understand the larger meaning of July 4, 1776 with a small education. We shouldn't make the mistake of expecting it of them.

We have to show the kids from age 0 to age 18 that a great life is possible to them. A self-motivated, life-long education is the answer. But they are too stupid to ask the question.

Sunday, July 3, 2005 - 6:26am

It is indeed sad that most residents of the USA - even members of the Supreme Court - do not understand the fundamental importance of the ideas outlined in the Declaration. This was evidenced yesterday during the live 8 concert based in Philidelphia where the presenter Will Smith called the holiday "Interdependence Weekend".

However many people still do. I was fortunate to meet a European friend during the week who used to live in New York. She tentatively expressed to me a dislike for the USA. I expected her reasons to be related to the ideas of Globalisation and Capitalism. And they were. She then referred to the USA as a communist country which no longer respected the Constitution or the Declaration. She dislikes the USA because it is no longer the land of the free. She is a real "American" and there are many people from many countries who this weekend will be quietly celebrating the ideas which have lead us to the quality of life we enjoy today.

Happy Independence Day to you Tibor, to my European friend, and to all those who consider themselves Americans.

Julian