As I listened to another campaign-style speech by President Obama lecturing Republicans about only wanting to protect the interests of the wealthy, relative to the “fiscal cliff,” I opened one of my favorite books, “The Forbes Scrapbook of Thoughts on the Business of Life” and found three quotations from Abraham Lincoln that are apropos.

1.   “You can’t escape the responsibility of tomorrow by evading it today.”

– Abraham Lincoln

2.  “Property is the fruit of labor; property is desirable; it is a positive good in the world.  That some should be rich shows that other may become rich and, hence, is just encouragement to industry and enterprise.  Let not him who is houseless pull down the house of another, but let him labor diligently and build one for himself, thus, by example, assuring that his own shall be safe from violence when built.”

– Abraham Lincoln

3.  “The prudent, penniless beginner in the world labors for wages for a while, saves a surplus with which to buy tools or land for himself another while, and at length hires another new beginner to help him.  This is the just, and generous and prosperous system which opens the way to all, give hope to all, and consequently energy, and progress, and improvement of conditions to all.”

– Abraham Lincoln

President Lincoln explained simply why free-enterprise was essential to freedom and to improving the quality of life for everyone.  President Obama, I fail to see how you improve peoples’ conditions by demonizing success and prosperity.  Republicans, if you really believe in America’s greatness, you had better begin leading more effectively on this philosophical argument… Abraham Lincoln got it!

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© 2013    Steven M. Stroum