Bush's "September of Service" vs. Jefferson's "Declaration"
Sept 5, 2002

      IRVINE, CA--"Contrary to President Bush, service to others is not a virtue nor an American ideal," said Yaron Brook, executive director of the Ayn Rand Institute.

      "Thomas Jefferson wrote the Declaration of Independence precisely to break the bonds of servitude. The individual was no longer to be regarded as the slave of an emperor or pope, the serf of a feudal lord, the pawn of a king. For the first time in history, the individual was to be set free to pursue his own selfish happiness. Jefferson and the other Founding Fathers worked tirelessly to create a political system in which the individual is not a servant of his nation or government; rather, the government is the individual's servant, charged with securing and protecting his rights to life, liberty and the pursuit of happiness."

      Bush, however, declares that America actually embodies the opposite philosophy. Our "spirit of . . . selflessness," Bush says, "has shown the world why our nation is the greatest force for good in history." "But this," said Dr. Brook, "is the philosophy of the Communists, the Nazis--and the Islamic terrorists. Each demands that the individual sacrifice his values and self, whether for the sake of the state, the race or God. What could be less selfish, more selfless, than flying a plane into a skyscraper because God ordered you to kill infidels?"

      "If on September 11 President Bush wants us to remember the meaning of this noble country," Dr. Brook concluded, "he would do well to go back to his history books and study the real idea of America."

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Dr. Yaron Brook is available for interviews. To interview Dr. Brook or book him for your show, please e-mail media@aynrandcenter.org

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