My heart goes out to the Romanian people. It has been 5 years since we last visited there, and 8 years since we brought home our beautiful daughter from a small and poor village in the western part of that country. We found them to be warm and caring people and very much friends of the U.S.

They are struggling, though, after several generations of domination and forced collectivism. They can see the results of freedom but I fear they do not understand (as most of the rest of the world doesn't) the philosophical foundation that gave birth to the United States. The fact that man has a right to his own life. That he has a right to take the actions necessary to sustain that life. that he has a right to the product of those actions he has taken. That no man has the right to sacrifice another man, and no man is dutybound to become a sacrifice for others.

Capitalism is the only economic system that enshrines these principles, puts them into practice, and unleashes man's creative potential.

Government's sole purpose is the protection of these rights. Any actions beyond that result in the steady destruction of those rights. We can see the result in our own country over the past century.

These next 4 years will show whether Americans remember the philosophy on which we were founded, or if we will follow our new parasites in office and take the path of mooching, looting, and handouts.

The Romanians are surely watching.