Defining conservatism and redefining a political party.
- But enough about the past and everything that's going wrong.
- In this next section, the nominee urges his audience to look to the future, to picture what a wonderful world it could be with true Republicans in charge.
- He starts off by predicting that communism will crumble, and freedom and democracy will rule the day.
- When that happens, all of our sacrifices and hard work will have totally been worth it. People will be free from tyranny, and as an added bonus, wouldn't it be cool if all of Western Europe got together in some kind of open economic community? (It happened… eventually.)
- This, he says, is a much bigger, better goal than some silly "moon shot" (83).
- Wait, moon shot? That's right, gang—Barry Goldwater was talking smack about one of America's crowning achievements: putting a man on the moon. JFK had been in charge when that went down, and that's probably why BG's bashing it now; we can't think of any other reason he'd be such a moon landing hater, even if Stanley Kubrick did stage the whole thing.
- Anyway, back to that European alliance. Picture it, Goldwater says to his audience: a truly integrated global system linking America, Europe, the Pacific, and anyone else who wanted to join (as long as they weren't communists, obvs).
- Of course, certain misunderstandings (like world wars and hydrogen bombs, for example) can't just be forgotten in an hour or a day, but they sure would be less of a painful memory if everyone was getting rich on international trade.
- Maybe freedom isn't what everyone wants. It isn't fast, and it isn't easy, and some might think it's just too much work and walk away from the whole thing.
- But America should help those countries see how worth it the long, challenging road would be. It should do what it can to help countries avoid the "dark alleys of tyranny" and the "dead-end streets of collectivism" (95).
- Why? Because, he says, "we do no man a service by hiding freedom's light under a bushel of mistaken humility" (96). A candle never lost any of its light by lighting another candle and all of that.
- The U.S. should be proud of its history and proud of its future, but if it wants to set an example for the rest of the world, it needs to get its own house in order.
- In the future, Barry sees "room for the deliberation of the energy and talent of the individual" (99). Basically, individual economic freedoms must be paramount.
- America must never abandon the needy or the helpless, but it must also provide an environment conducive to creativity and productivity.
- After all, the whole is greater than the sum of its parts: help those who need it, but don't keep anyone else down to do it.
- Furthermore, we need to encourage our kids to get out there, "undaunted and unafraid," and change the world (111).
- Scientists, inventors, truth-seekers: these people are real heroes, and our little ones shouldn't be afraid to pursue that path.
- In this dream nation, "all who can will be self-reliant" (113).
- This echoes Barry's earlier sentiment: Let people do their own thing, take care of their own families, manage their own responsibilities, and realize their own dreams. That's what Republicans will make happen.
- In sentence 114, Goldwater introduces us to the concept of the "whole man." Basically, a man isn't whole unless he can freely pursue his economic goals, and freely experience his own spirituality.
- How can a nation make sure people can whole? With property rights, of course.
- Property rights turn government from a foe into an ally, and allow people to thrive and flourish. In fact, the only things the government should be taking care of are things that are constitutionally sanctioned and can't possibly be performed by anyone other than the government.
- Protected property rights and limited government are two of the central tenets of Republicanism; Goldwater was kind of preaching to the choir with this one.