Torch, Summer 1996

hristianity, free enterprise, and the Constitution of the United States have in common the worth and importance of the individual. In contrast, socialism and a dying communism declare that it is the state or community– not individual liberty- that is important. We have watched the erosion of the communist walls around the world. It was as if the world woke up one morning, looked around, and said that this system is an utter failure . Nations, families, lives, businesses, churches, and schools have been destroyed by this idyllic approach to life that called for government to solve all of man's problems. 10 Torch It is unbelievable that at a time when socialism and communism- big government– have failed around the world, America is calling for government to resolve our problems of health, retirement, education, and overall well-being. Contrary to the theme of Hillary Rodham Clinton's recent book, it doesn't take a village! We don't need the village - big government - to raise our children, find our job, pay for our education, take care of our hospital bills, or see that we live comfortably in retirement. For more than 200 years, men and women have enjoyed the opportunity of living in this free country. Since the American revolution, individual creativity, drive, and investment have produced a system known as the free market or free enterprise , a system that surpasses all other economic systems in history. A recent study ranking the world 's governments based on levels of freedom clearly demonstrates a direct correlation between political freedom and economic growth. Commenting on the study, Nobel laureate Gary S. Becker notes, "These new estimates provide persuasive evidence that economic freedom is essential for economic growth. Countries suffer unnecessarily because their energies and imagination are not allowed to flower in a free environment." One need look no further than the Pacific Rim to see vivid evidence of the stark contrast between the success of freedom