A $ A
The symbol frequently seen on A-equals-A.com (A $ A) is a constant reminder of the principles upon which the dollar and America were founded and of the intellectual battle currently being fought over those principles.
America was founded on the principle of individual human rights; that every person has the inalienable right to life, liberty, and the pursuit of happiness. These principles are so new to mankind they are still not fully grasped today. The conceptualization of our founding principles was made possible to man only by the introduction of the philosophy of reason. The embodiment of the principles of individual rights came to life when America declared independence from the primitive philosophies of the Old World.
Likewise, the dollar originally was defined as 371.25 grains of pure silver; not created as a piece of paper based on nothing or even based on a loose exchange rate to gold (1). The dollar was a symbol of voluntary exchange and of the previously unimagined levels of wealth only a free economy can produce. For many years the dollar continued to serve as a symbol of freedom and of the great accomplishments man can achieve when released from the shackles of an archaic philosophy (2).
However, over the last century, the true meaning of the dollar and America's founding principles have been hijacked by dishonest pseudo-intellectuals promoting the fallacious notions of market interventionism, social justice, and collectivized rights. Today, America and the dollar stand as the premier symbols of the Welfare/Warfare State marked by an ethic of sacrifice and an economy of government-granted special privilege. Our economy is not one of capitalism. Our political/social structure is not one that respects human rights.
When we recognize that A IS A, then and only then can we begin to fight on principle to regain the true meaning of A $ A.
Notes
(1) - Click here to access an A-equals-A.com essay explaining the history of the US Dollar.
(2) - For more information about the relationship of the founding principles of America and the dollar, please see Franciso's Money Speech in the section discussing the economic fundamentals of money.