The National Divide underneath these labels is of a scope not seen since the Civil War. One side holds that the society founded here 222 years ago has been the most successful in known history obviously in the economic and military arena, but above all in terms of freedom. Responsible for past success, and therefore indispensable for the future, are America's founding principles. The other side sees the shortcomings of the past as the relevant history of this land, and believes the principles that have guided it to date must be replaced. For inspiration, this side looks to the only known alternative the European socialist model.
Individual rights promote our similarities and lay the foundation for equal treatment by the law.
Among individual rights, none is more crucial than the one to acquire, hold, and freely transfer possessions the fruits of one's labor. Property and liberty have always been joined at the hip. Thus, if one is no longer guaranteed, neither is the other. Because Nature provides for our diversity and, unlike in most other countries, people have come here from every corner of the globe, our existence as a nation past, present and future depends on a common American identity. Clearly, theirs is a different compass.