Originally Posted by
Pancho Villa
Learn. I would say reading Ayn Rand is probably the best way - that is the only fully consistent, principled defense of human liberty you'll find. If you're very religious, to the point of Rand's atheism bothering you, I would say Locke is your man. He was probably one of the brightest thinkers of the enlightenment and a great influence on the American system.
Americans are unique in that they are almost the only culture left with an almost universal desire to do the right thing. That is why all these arguments about how inefficient socialized medicine is will ultimately fail - because, to an American, doing the right thing is more important than doing the efficient thing. The fundamental issue is the question of altruism - does man morally owe the product of his labors to his neighbors, or doesn't he? If your answer is yes, it will lead you invariably to Obama, then socialism, then dictatorship. If your answer is no, it will lead you back to freedom, capitalism and prosperity.
So, to my religious pals here: read Locke. He's a smart guy. To those who aren't very religious, read Locke, then Rand. And then advocate for reason and individual rights. Arguments from faith, from tradition, and that man isn't good enough from socialism are what got us to where we are today.