On Sun, Aug 19, 2012 at 11:29 AM, Steve Smith <[email protected]> wrote:
> I am not sure that "few people share this view anymore" regarding divine > rights or maybe more to the point, "manifest destiny" or "might makes > right". I agree that in spirit most of us are on that page together, but > in practice we may not be. > http://www.nationalreview.com/corner/312830/culture-does-matter-mitt-romney During my recent trip to Israel, I had suggested that the choices a society makes about its culture play a role in creating prosperity, and that the significant disparity between Israeli and Palestinian living standards was powerfully influenced by it. In some quarters, that comment became the subject of controversy. But what exactly accounts for prosperity if not culture? In the case of the United States, it is a particular kind of culture that has made us the greatest economic power in the history of the earth. Many significant features come to mind: our work ethic, our appreciation for education, our willingness to take risks, our commitment to honor and oath, our family orientation, our devotion to a purpose greater than ourselves, our patriotism. But one feature of our culture that propels the American economy stands out above all others: freedom. The American economy is fueled by freedom. Free people and their free enterprises are what drive our economic vitality. Blessed be those who prosper, for they are prosperous. -- rec --
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