Freedom took a hit in 2009.  One year into the Obama presidency and America is no longer classified as having a “free” economy, according to the 16th annual Index of Economic Freedom, a joint report by the The Heritage Foundation and The Wall Street Journal.  The land of the free and the home of the brave is now only “mostly free” for the first time in the report’s history.

Now ranking as just the 8th freest nation in the world, the United States saw scores decline in seven of the 10 measured categories, including government spending, property rights and business freedom.  These results are significant because freer nations have proven more resilient and thus fared better during the current global recession.

The study also vindicates the Tea Party movement.  Despite the attacks lodged by the likes of Chris Mathews, racism and intolerance toward our nations first black President are not needed to explain the movement’s sudden emergence.  Rather, the loss of freedoms feared by Tea Party participants is real, and more than explains the anxiety so acutely expressed at rallies and townhalls throughout 2009.

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