The government's War on Poverty has transformed poverty from a short-term misfortune into a career choice.

The American heritage was one of individual liberty, personal responsibility and freedom from government ... Unfortunately ... that heritage has been lost. Americans no longer have the freedom to direct their own lives ... Today, it is the government that is free - free to do whatever it wants. There is no subject, no issue, no matter ... that is not subject to legislation.

Whatever the issue, let freedom offer us a hundred choices, instead of having government force one answer on everyone.

The marketplace is a wondrous institution. It harnesses the self-interest of each of us and puts it to work for the benefit of all. And it does so without intruding upon our desires, our privacy, or our freedom. It is regulation by reality, not by coercion.

The communitarians may say you've been enjoying too much individual freedom, and that you must give up some of that for the benefit of the community. But they really mean that they want more power over your life - to force you to subsidize, obey and conform to their choices.

You are where you are today because youve chosen to be there.

What we really need is compassion of the mind - compassion for others that is directed intelligently and produces truly compassionate results.