ANALYSIS/OPINION:

When the political opposition has nothing of substance, it often resorts to labels. Nothing new there.

Those who hold conservative views are often labeled as “extremists” or “the far right.” In an attempt to discredit their ideologies and arguments, conservatives often are referred to as bigots, racists and sexists by the opposition. That’s because the opposition has nothing. Know it.

Tea Party members routinely are labeled as ignorant, naive, out of the mainstream, etc., when in reality, the opposition’s tank of ideas is out of gas.

Like our Founding Fathers, I’m an extremist, and I wear my extremist label proudly. I buff it daily so that it shines extremely bright.

I extremely believe we have the God-given right and responsibility to defend ourselves; that big government is the problem, not the solution; that the care of your health is your responsibility, not mine; that capitalism is the greatest force of mankind on the planet. Pretty radical, extremist stuff, huh? No wonder I’m referred to as the Motor City Madman.

All my political heroes have been bold leaders, many of whom would be labeled as extremists by today’s toxic, politically correct brain-dead standards.

Take Thomas Jefferson, for example. He was an incredibly bright, enlightened extremist whom all American schoolkids should study, extremely. Very few politicians on either side of the political aisle qualify to stand in Jefferson’s extremist shadow. Maybe Ron Paul. He has some extremist views about Fedzilla. Rock on, Ron. Get even more extreme.

Imagine if Thomas Jefferson were alive today and wrote what he actually said about government in his day. The FBI surely would be monitoring him for his extremist views. The yammering ladies on “The View” would get their panties in a wad over Jefferson’s extremism and storm off the set in protest. President Obama wouldn’t have a beer with Jefferson.

Well over 200 years ago, Jefferson warned us of Fedzilla when he wrote, “I predict future happiness for Americans if they can prevent the government from wasting the labors of the people under the pretense of taking care of them.”

You don’t need to be a political scientist to wonder what Jefferson would have thought about Obamacare and Fedzilla’s extremely ugly, irresponsible, orgiastic spending spree.

Jefferson didn’t stop with his fortune-telling of Fedzilla, as he wrote: “My reading of history convinces me that most bad government results from too much government.”

That quote should be chiseled on the back of every chair in the U.S. House and Senate. After saying the Pledge of Allegiance before school starts (if that hasn’t been banned yet by the ACLU) American kids should also recite that quote. That would be extremely wise.

Here’s a real radical, extremist Jefferson quote: “To compel a man to subsidize with his taxes the propagation of ideas which he disbelieves and abhors is sinful and tyrannical.”

Jefferson was a wild thing. He moves me.

Looking at the bloated Fedzilla as it exists today, Jefferson and our other Founding Fathers would call for a revolution. Jefferson wrote: “The tree of liberty must be refreshed from time to time with the blood of patriots and tyrants.”

Advocating revolution would get Jefferson charged with sedition or some other crime. Fedzilla would lock him up and label him a domestic terrorist. I extremely believe that.

If he were alive today, Jefferson, author of the Declaration of Independence, would be labeled as an extremist. He would be castigated, maligned and pilloried for his opinions of Fedzilla. In the Obama America, Jefferson would not be revered; no monuments would be built in his honor.

What America desperately needs today is a man or woman who is as extreme and radical as Jefferson was. What we have is a crop of Fedzillacrats in Washington who have more in common with King George III than Thomas Jefferson.

Be thankful that our Founding Fathers were so extreme. God bless the political wild things. Wherefore art thou?

Ted Nugent is an American rock ‘n’ roll, sporting and political activist icon. He is the author of “Ted, White and Blue: The Nugent Manifesto” and “God, Guns & Rock ‘N’ Roll” (Regnery Publishing).

Sign up for Daily Opinion Newsletter Manage Newsletters

Copyright © 2020 The Washington Times, LLC. Click here for reprint permission.