Not long ago there were few Federal regulations. It’s tough to imagine a time when you could build a mattress without having to put a government mandated tag on it. You could make a household cleaner without a label full of disclaimers on it. You could work and keep the vast majority of your earnings. People expect less now, and that’s a tragedy for the country we have been given.

Years of a slowly but steadily growing government have shifted our definition of “normal”. The presence of a government that has an opinion on everything is heavy on us. Our government advertises to us, showing us the right way to live. They remind us of their many laws they have enacted for or against us. The growing government has latched on to a “divide and conquer” mission to set apart citizens who have not fallen on hard times from those who have and to create villains on either side. Our leaders sit in arrogance if we complain and tell us that we are not smart enough to understand their loving plans for us. If we rise up against them, our motives are impugned.

What can a free people do? A free people can work, knowing the government is there to protect them from foreign and domestic threats. A free people can live, knowing the fruits of their hands, and the creativity of their brains will earn them a living…a living they are free to keep for themselves and/or their families. The free people know that while immoral values will always be frowned upon, government will not take sides except in the case of danger. They worship because they know they are not a celestial accident. They refuse to live off others because they have pride.

The free people earn, and earn well. They build up property, technology, and savings for tougher days. They give. Unencumbered by regulation and excessive tax, people give from what they have. Not everyone gives, and no one forces anyone to give. The free and moral people hate suffering, they hate inequality, they hate injustice, they hate when someone else is robbed of the chance to experience the same hard work and payoff they experienced. So they give.

The free people know their country was paid for with a kid’s life. Because other countries will despise them, they have built a competent, powerful and strong military that works for the people. Those individuals that chose to serve their country know they are not in danger of being prosecuted by their own people for doing their jobs. They know that extreme circumstances will require tough decisions, and they know their country will not harm them for making those decisions.

Government of the free people understands that when times are good, revenues go up. They know that tax hikes would only beget more tax hikes. They craft their laws carefully to be based on sound, general principles of responsible business and society. They do not target a single company or industry. That same government knows its officers will not be around for long. The lure of productivity in private business will cause them to return to their families and careers. They don’t desire to condescend to their people or treat certain parts of society harshly. They work in society, they run businesses, they have a family. They treat the people who elect them like they want to be treated. Most of all, they do it, because those same people would remove them from office in the blink of an eye if they don’t.

The United States is that place. We are that free people, we can remove derelicts from office. We do earn, we do live, and we do give. We go to the polls. We vote our gut, but we also vote our brains. We make running government our job. We do not sit back and wait for leaders to make decisions. We talk to elected leaders. We follow up on them, and we police them. That’s our job, because we get to enjoy this country we call the United States of America.

John is the former co-anchor of ABC’s 20/20, and now hosts Stossel on Fox Business.

John is one of those rare birds that turned around from his old liberal ways. He’s no Republican shill. At one point, he even offered some strong words to an audience of mostly Republicans. He’s concerned about Republicans trying to scare people from Health Reform by talking about Medicare cuts. In John’s mind these cuts are actually necessary. Don’t fear, he’s against the health reform plans in near totality, but when it comes to Medicare cuts, John says Republicans get it wrong. I couldn’t agree with him more.

When he anchored 20/20 on ABC there were originally 30 million viewers for the program. By the time he left, that number was down to 5 million. Now Stossel works on Fox Business and considerably fewer viewers than that. But to Stossel there is something much bigger in play. He can speak his mind, educate an interested audience and be support by a culture that wants him and his message to succeed.

One other note: John started a charity years ago, Stossel In The Classroom. This charity purchases John’s own episodes and gives them away to teachers to show them in the classroom. He’s reached 100,000 teachers representing 12 million students getting an education on how to keep our free markets strong, at no cost.

ABC made his charity buy his own programs back before they could be given away. Another benefit to John’s move, Fox’s Roger Ailes gives them to Stossel’s charity, free of charge.

Check out John’s always thought provoking blog at stossel.blogs.foxbusiness.com, and check out “Stossel” on Fox Business Network.