"Americans are Dreaming Again"

President Donald J. Trump recently gave a speech in which he stated, "Americans are dreaming again." I sat on that statement for a while, giving it a tremendous amount of thought and concluded that he is one hundred percent accurate in his assessment of our current state of affairs, both foreign and domestic. His unprecedented assault on everything the previous President put in place has unleashed our economy in a way our newest generation has never witnessed. But before we spend time on accomplishments and what the new normal means to us, let us first examine what American freedom is:

• Private land and home ownership

As Americans, we take this for granted. The ability to own our own house AND the land beneath it is not common around the world. For those who are unfamiliar with this concept, allow me to explain.


In most countries, the government owns the land. Commoners have no idea what it means to purchase and privately own the land beneath them. In fact, in many counties where private home ownership is allowed, the government leases the property to the home owner for an allotted amount of time (in some cases up to ninety-nine years). The thought of passing home and property to future generations is most often unheard of because the government can take possession of the house or building at the end of the lease. In addition, should the government presume the property is needed for anything other than a personal dwelling, it can break the lease and assume control of the home, because, after all, the government owns everything on which the property resides.


In many cases around the globe, private home ownership is not allowed, and government controlled housing is the norm. What a beautiful way to collect monies from its people, no?

• A standing military created to protect and serve its citizenry

Another misunderstanding Americans have is regarding our standing military. The military was devised to protect us from enemies foreign and domestic, to stop those who would attack us first, and to defend our nation's boundaries. Isn't it ironic so many feel contempt for those who volunteer to keep us safe? "Volunteer," my friends. There is no conscription here as there is in so many countries around the world. Rather than turning your nose up to those who serve or have served, why not smile and say "thank you" instead?

• Life, liberty, and the pursuit of happiness

What a novel concept this is! Without spending too much time on this famous line from our very own Declaration of Independence, let us spend a moment on the word "pursuit." We have a God-given right to pursue happiness in any way we deem necessary, so long as it does not move outside of our laws. What the word does not mean is that your are guaranteed happiness. Give this much thought and decide for yourself how this applies to you.


In a nutshell, I have attempted to define a few of those key concepts designed to give each American their own personal freedom. With that, I would like to focus on President Trump's statement as outlined in the title and the first paragraph of this entry.


An inconvenient truth, to borrow from a former Vice President, is to think for one second that anyone, or any group of people, know better than you when it comes to living your life and managing your own assets. Less government and government oversight is real freedom. Less regulation spurs economic growth and personal prosperity. Forget the ridiculous call to arms: "Most of the world's wealth is held by a thousand people around the planet." Okay, we get it--what isn't said is that you/we have the opportunity, if we do things correctly, work hard, make good decisions, take risks, and add a little luck, to become one of the wealthy. Now, perhaps this isn't your desire. No problem! If you aren't in this life to make money legally and to increase your personal wealth, I am absolutely fine with your decision. BUT, do not criticize others who enjoy this path. It is their/our right to do so; please stop whining about it.


Presidential candidate Donald Trump famously said in a debate (and I'm paraphrasing a bit), "Making America prosperous and safe is easy." What did he mean by that? Deregulation and unleashing American ingenuity coupled with a strong military was his formula for making it all happen.


I must admit when he first said it, I had my doubts. He proved me wrong and made me a believer. In thirteen months President Trump has pushed America back to the front and re-established us as the economic leader of the world. Our enemies are quiet and ISIS is all but destroyed.


If you don't like some of the personality quirks he has displayed, fine. Don't, however, dismiss what this man has accomplished in a single year! Much like those service men and women I wrote about earlier, you should simply say "thank you" then move along. Go be happy and enjoy this boon provided by an American electorate and a man who, thus far, has kept his campaign promises (and how strange is that?).