Why “Liberty and Prosperity?
” I picked the title, “The Liberty and Prosperity Challenge,” for two basic reasons. First, I wanted to point out that, as a consequence of living in a largely-free society, even the poor in America today are generally far better off than were people of average means prior to the Industrial Revolution. As Dinesh D’Souza has pointed out, the greater problem among America’s poor is obesity, not starvation. By historical standards, $3 per day for food represents magnificent wealth. And America’s poor also generally earn the skills and knowledge to move into the middle class. Second, I wish to promote greater liberty and prosperity by using the challenge as a platform to advocate individual rights, free markets, and economic liberty. I oppose the welfare state, which by its nature redistributes wealth by force. I oppose political controls on the economy that infringe our rights and reduce our wealth. I advocate property rights and voluntary association. By donating the unspent portion of t
