Jonathan Nix: The US is a world superpower for two reasons

The United States is a world superpower and economic leader for some simple reasons. Primarily, because it is based on a foundation of individual liberty, rights, public ownership, and self direction.

Many of the companies in the United States are publicly owned, and anyone can purchase stock in them for partial ownership and partial control through voting to affect the direction of the company.

You can copyright something for no charge, file for a patent, and thereby as a single person compete effectively against large corporations with the support of the legal system. You can file a lawsuit to settle disputes against individuals, companies, or even against the US government. If you are ever unlucky enough to be imprisoned, you will be thankful there are 12 randomly selected citizens from your own city going to decide your fate.

You can start business ventures now, and finish the licensing and taxes later. You can deduct the cost of business expenses from your tax burden, and perhaps even get some money back if the business failed. If you are unlucky enough to lose a job, the government will continue to pay you a percentage of what you made during the prior year.

There are thousands of grants to apply for in order to receive free money and special loans to promote business growth. There are several companies whose specialty is to support small business growth through advice, investment, and the sale of capitol. For example, McDonalds Corporation will sell you everything you need to open, own, and operate, one of their stores if you wanted to. And Bank of America can give you the money to get started.

To put it simply, the economy of the United States has performed well because it promotes the work of many by providing the opportunity for individuals to achieve personal wealth, compete effectively against large entities, and to minimize the tax burden through growth or collapse. Some of the taxes go to ensuring there is a continued paycheck for the elderly after retirement.

You, as a US citizen, could run for political office in the party of your choice, and the US government will match your campaign costs up to a certain amount. As a group of people, you and your friends could collect enough signatures to put any measure of your own design on the ballet to be voted on by the public, and if enough vote "Yes", it will become binding law. You can create, revoke, and change existing laws by collecting enough signatures, and receiving enough official votes. For example, Oregon hippies have tried unsuccessfully every year to legalize the smoking of Marijuana, and several other states have made gay marriages legal even though the government in those states opposes the idea.

George W. Bush won the US presidency through a party that believes money belongs to the people. It is not about a fair and equitable distribution of wealth, but about a strategic assignment of where the wealth should go to promote economic growth and ensure fair competition in industries. Also, the US is not about the complete distribution of power as in a true democracy.

It's about the strategic separation of powers to ensure stability and the prevention of economic and political monopolies. Such monopolies are the downfall of many civilizations in history.

If a US born child citizen becomes President, he or she will have limited war-making powers requiring congressional approval, and limited law-making powers. It's not a pleasant job. But it's a job that somebody like George W. Bush can aspire to, and a job he'll lose after 4 years in office. Something that, also you, should be thankful for.

Jonathan Nix