(Editor’s Note: The following opinion column does not constitute an endorsement of any political party or candidate on the part of Newsmax.)

“The greatest threat to freedom is the absence of criticism.” — Wole Soyinka

As we approach one of the most critical elections in American history, voters cannot afford to make decisions based on identity politics or emotion. True intellectual consideration is needed.

As Russell Kirk warned, “One must read sound books about the human condition, about the civil social order, and arouse a healthy intellectual reaction to preserve order, justice, and freedom.”

This election will define our country’s future, and four fundamental questions must be asked before casting a vote for Kamala Harris over Donald Trump.

Does Kamala Harris promote the self-reliance and freedom America was built on?

In The Road to Serfdom (1944), F.A. Hayek warned against the dangers of an overreaching government. He argued that centralized control erodes individual liberties and leads to a slippery slope of dependency.

Kamala Harris embraces precisely what Hayek cautioned against. She has continuously supported policies that grow government power and create a culture of dependence on federal aid.

Look no further than the $1.9 trillion American Rescue Plan that Harris backed (Politifact). The ARP flooded the economy with debt while doing little to stimulate real growth. This was a classic example of government overreach.

As Hayek pointed out, once the government starts taking control of areas where the individual should reign, freedom is lost. Trump, on the other hand, focuses on empowering the individual by lowering taxes, cutting regulations, and restoring the economy by trusting the ingenuity of the American people.

Can we ignore Harris’s failures on immigration, crime and economic policy?

In Ethnic America: A History (1981), Dr. Thomas Sowell wrote extensively about the progress of different groups in America. He highlighted how victimhood narratives weaken the very communities they claim to support.

Under Harris’s leadership, we see this victimhood narrative perpetuated through disastrous immigration policies and economic failures.

Harris was tasked with addressing the border crisis. Under her watch, illegal migrant encounters skyrocketed to 8 million from 2021 to 2023 (Hoover Institution). This surge reflects her inability to manage critical national issues, placing America at risk.

Furthermore, her economic policies including the $1.9 trillion stimulus have spurred record inflation, putting a financial stranglehold on Americans (PolitiFact).

Trump fortified the border and lowered unemployment across racial lines. His policies empowered all Americans, lifting them through opportunity, not dependency.

Sowell’s warning about victimhood applies here. Harris’s leadership is not about empowering individuals. It’s about fostering dependence.

Voting based on identity politics is dangerous and shallow.

Kamala Harris continuously cites her race and gender as her chief qualifications. As Thomas Sowell has long pointed out, identity politics is a dangerous, shallow way to evaluate leadership.

Sowell argued that African Americans have risen from tremendous adversity through hard work and perseverance, not through government handouts (Hoover Institution). Yet Harris and the Democrat Party continually exploit identity politics to push an agenda of division rather than empowerment.

Recent statistics show that 22% of Black males are breaking from the Democratic Party because they see that Harris’s policies are doing nothing to uplift their communities (PolitiFact). They realize that identity politics is a tool to gain power, not to solve real issues.

Under Trump, the lowest Black unemployment rates and wage growth were achieved. Clear evidence exists that real progress comes from opportunity, not division.

Harris offers only a continuation of the failed policies that perpetuate dependence and division. Trump offers unity, opportunity, and true leadership, which transcend race and gender.

Does Kamala Harris have the intellectual capacity to lead?

In Getting America Right (2006), Jay Fonner and Doug Wilson laid out six crucial questions every government policy decision should answer. Does it promote self-reliance? Is it fiscally responsible? Does it unite the country?

On each of these measures, Kamala Harris fails.

Her policies breed dependence rather than independence. Her fiscal irresponsibility, through unchecked government spending, has led to unsustainable debt and inflation that will plague generations to come (PolitiFact).

Instead of uniting the nation, Harris’ policies have deepened the divide, pitting Americans against each other on the basis of race, class, and gender.

In contrast, Donald Trump has assembled a powerhouse team of thinkers and innovators including Elon Musk, Robert Kennedy Jr, and J.D. Vance. They bring real intellectual heft to the table.

Trump’s ability to hire the best minds to solve the nation’s problems is precisely what America needs. Harris meanwhile consistently demonstrates a lack of depth, foresight and intellectual rigor.

Americans must think critically before they vote.

Kamala Harris has shown us that she is unqualified to lead. Her reliance on identity politics, her failure to manage immigration and the economy, and her inability to promote true self-reliance all demonstrate that she lacks the qualifications necessary for the presidency.

Donald Trump is the only rational choice for those who value freedom, economic prosperity and leadership. He has the intellectual capacity to solve real problems.

This election is not about race or gender. Our nation’s future is at stake. The time to think deeply and critically is now.

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