It is difficult to turn on a radio or television and not hear someone telling you what is wrong with America, or locally, what is wrong with Ohio.  We are constantly bombarded with news of escalating energy prices, unemployment rates, rising health care costs, and jobs that are being exported out of Ohio or even beyond our borders.  While all of these issues are of concern to us all, it is also important to look at what we as Americans are doing right and how we will overcome these obstacles, just as we have overcome insurmountable obstacles in the past.  Today it seems that everyone in the media is asking us to look to government for solutions to our problems, that somehow we are unable to create our own solutions.  Rather than look to government, we must do what Americans are best at, we must look to ourselves, look to our own ingenuity and creativeness for solutions to the ills of our state and nation.

            At the birth of this nation our founders framed the constitution to allow for individual freedoms.  We have the freedom to try, the freedom to succeed and the freedom to fail.  We have the right to be wealthy or poor, the right to work hard or not work at all, the right to pursue our dreams or to be content with where we are.  These rights and freedoms are not things that the government gives us, but rather recognizes as inalienable rights given to us by God.  One of the arguments over slavery was that the economy would collapse in the South without slaves to work the farms.  When land owners could no longer own slaves, Eli Whitney invented the cotton gin.  Technology and man’s creativity replaced slaves.  Government did not create it, nor did government mandate its creation.  It was individual greatness that overcame the problem and made cotton production more efficient, more profitable, and more affordable.  Did Mr. Whitney succeed on his first attempt?  No, he had many failures but from these failures came success.  Failure is not the end of an idea or a process; rather it is the beginning of success.  Without failure there can be no success. 

            The answers to our problems cannot be found in government, but rather in the individual greatness of the people.  Our society is the greatest society that exists.  It is a result of individuals that risk their money, dedicate their time and ingenuity to start a business and make it successful.  It is individuals that continue even though they face potential failure and expand their business, hire employees, and create our economy.  It has been individuals, not a government trying to see to our every need, treating us as a child or an invalid that has made our country great.  Our solutions will come from people who risk their capital, use their ingenuity, and work tirelessly.  They will endure failures, but they will also enjoy success as long as our government stays out of the way and does not intercede with excessive restrictions and regulations.  It will be the people that create solutions to our escalating energy costs through their visions and drive; perhaps building nuclear power plants or refineries to convert coal to fuel, or using algae to create fuel.  It will be the people that create new medicines and new medical procedures that improve our health and at a lower cost.  It will be individuals that take the risk and open new businesses or expand businesses here in Ohio that will create jobs and expand our economy.

            It is the individual greatness of people, the American Spirit that has made America the greatest country on the planet.  It will be that spirit that moves us on to greater success in the future rather than the surrogate government that so many politicians and those in the media try to suggest.

This entry was posted on Wednesday, July 30th, 2008 at 12:10 pm and is filed under Ohio's Economy. You can follow any responses to this entry through the RSS 2.0 feed. You can leave a response, or trackback from your own site.