Albert Tan’s Post

Happy Fourth of July from the Cato Institute! 🇺🇸💥🗽 The simple, timeless, fundamentally libertarian principles of the American Revolution—individual liberty, limited government, and free markets—are even more powerful and more important today. More thoughts on liberty this Independence Day: https://lnkd.in/ghpH7yRz

Personal Post People who know me know that, for me, July 4th is the utmost highest secular holiday we celebrate in America. For me, July 4 represents individual freedoms. July 4 represents freedom from government mandates telling citizens what to drive (or not drive), what to eat (or not eat), where to live (or where to not live), who to listen to (or not listen to), what to read (or not read). July 4 represents the wonderful fact that our Founding Fathers created a country governed by a Representative Republic (and thankfully not a direct democracy) which was intended to have minimal impact on the lives of people living in America. July 4 represents the refreshing vision that Americans should not be taken care of from womb-to-tomb by the government. To put it current terms, July 4 should always mean that the US is not the EU or ever want to be the EU. The US must always keep its central tenet of ensuring individual freedoms - always !!! That is what July 4 means to me. I am proud to be an American !

Happy Labor Day! As we sit back as a nation and reflect upon nearly 250 years of the American workforce's strength, ingenuity, and accomplishments; let's be sure to appreciate the paramount ideals that America originally introduced, and continues to serve as a beacon to represent, to our world. America remains a shining model of what a nation can become when it is founded using core principals derived from the individual's right to freedom, public and civil discourse based on intelligence and mutual respect, and a properly conceived system of a government "for the people" that divides the powers of Congressional law makers, Executive law enforcement, and Judicial legal interpretation into completely separate but equal branches to ensure no individual or branch ever gains too much control. Despite the warts and scars on our nation, the political and ideological divides, and the seemingly impossible task that we face as citizens to logically interpret the different spins and narratives which come from all sides of the political aisles; let's never forget that we are not only a massive group of individuals with our own unique daily struggles but also loosely assembled friends and neighbors swimming around in this one great melting pot that is called the United States of America. May God bless democracy, and may God bless America!

I often hear from individuals deeply interested in Ukraine's affairs that the Revolution of Dignity was a CIA-orchestrated coup against a "Russian" rule-based system within Ukraine. 🕵️♂️🇺🇦 While I understand this viewpoint and acknowledge that intelligence services worldwide work towards their national security objectives in such scenarios, I respectfully disagree with the notion that this was an #American-led coup. 🇺🇸❌ It was, unequivocally, the people of #Ukraine. 🇺🇦✊ These were people yearning for what we cherish in #America: the fundamental right to the pursuit of happiness. 🗽💫 Such happiness remained elusive under a #Kremlin-backed regime, with citizens at the mercy of corrupt officials and oligarchs. 💼🚫 And let's not forget, this wasn't the first uprising. The Orange Revolution of 2004 is yet another instance where the Ukrainian people stood tall against the same oppressive forces they faced a decade later in 2014. 🍊🔙 After waiting a decade for change, only to be met with more of the same, the people's patience wore thin, and in 2014, they said, "enough is enough." 🕰️💥 Little did they know that soon after, #Russia would annex #Crimea and instigate conflicts in Donetsk and Luhansk, leading to a full-scale invasion eight years later. 🇷🇺🚀 Despite these challenges, the Ukrainian spirit of freedom and justice for all remains unbroken. They continue to resist, embodying the true essence of courage and resilience. 🛡️🔥 Let's never forget their struggle and the ideals they fight for. #SlavaUkraini 🇺🇦🌟

The Constitutional Convention - Oh For Men Such as These in Government Today Franklin fervently hoped this policy could be perpetuated in America from generation to generation. At the Constitutional Convention in 1787, he gave a discourse on the need to fix the course of American public service so that it would always attract men of public virtue and repel scoundrels scrambling for a soft job. He said: "Sir, there are two passions which have a powerful influence in the affairs of men. These are ambitions and avarice; the love of power and the love of money. Separately, each of these has great force in prompting men to action; but when united in view of the same object, they have in many minds the most violent effects. Place before the eyes of such men a post of honor, that shall at the same time be a place of profit, and they will move heaven and earth to obtain it. The vast number of such places it is that renders the British government so tempestuous. The struggles for them are the true source of all those factions which are perpetually dividing the nation, distracting its councils, hurrying it sometimes into fruitless and mischievous wars, and often compelling as submission to dishonorable terms of peace." (Smyth,Writings of Benjamin Franklin, 9:591.) THINK 2024 and vote for men such as these.

"WE, THEREFORE, the Representatives of the UNITED STATES OF AMERICA, in General Congress, Assembled, appealing to the Supreme Judge of the world for the rectitude of our intentions, do, in the Name, and by Authority of the good People of these Colonies, solemnly publish and declare, That these United Colonies are, and of Right ought to be FREE AND INDEPENDENT STATES; that they are Absolved from all Allegiance to the British Crown, and that all political connection between them and the state of Great Britain, is and ought to be totally dissolved; and that as Free and Independent States, they have full Power to levy War, conclude Peace, contract Alliances, establish Commerce, and to do all other Acts and Things which Independent States may of right do. And for the support of this Declaration, with a firm reliance on the protection of divine Providence, we mutually pledge to each other our Lives, our Fortunes and our sacred Honor." - From The Declaration of Independence (docs.house.gov version). Happy Independence Day, Majors!

I don’t mean to be Negative Nancy, but someone has to say it. The blog I wrote reflects a critical perspective on contemporary American society and politics, framed through the principles of the Declaration of Independence. It suggests that the foundational ideals of equality, government by consent, the right to alter or abolish government, natural rights, and the indictment of tyranny are being undermined or forgotten. There, I express my disappointment in how these principles are currently interpreted and applied, particularly criticizing the influence of wealth in politics, recent Supreme Court decisions, and the behavior and policies of Donald Trump (referred to as "Orange Man"). The piece argues that modern America has strayed from its foundational values, emphasizing the importance of intellectual honesty and civic responsibilities in shaping the future of the country. @followers @highlight I’ll also plug my novel, #thelastindependenceday. If there was ever a time to read it to get one version of unchecked extremism, this would be it.

Understanding the World of Ideas: Building Liberty and Values in America Discover the true intentions of America's founding fathers regarding liberty and values. Explore the significance of a constitutional republic and the divine principles behind it. Learn how these ideas shaped the American Republic and its commitment to upholding unalienable rights. #AmericanRepublic #FoundingFathers #LibertyandValues #DivinePrinciples #ConstitutionalRepublic #UnalienableRights #RuleofLaw #NaturalLawTradition #BuildingLiberty #UnderstandingIdeas

In another review of "The Failure of American Conservatism and the Road Not Taken" by Claes G. Ryn, Michael Federici lays out the commonalites and differences among the various schools of thought within conservatism. "The good that can be done in politics is dependent on individuals who have constitutional personalities. They thrive in a constitutional system of checks and balances because they are sober about human nature and politics and are willing to check their misguided passions and interests." See his article for a deeper look into what he believes separates the good and the bad in the various schools of thought: https://buff.ly/3B3oyn1

Today we celebrate Juneteenth, and it's historical signifcance in declaring freedom for all. You can learn more about the origins of this federal holiday by visiting https://lnkd.in/g4EX_uUD