Governor Bobby Jindal of Louisiana, a much-talked-about 2016
presidential candidate, offers fourteen lessons from our nation's past
and discusses how they can be used to restore American courage, faith,
and wisdom.
Nearly forty-five years ago, Bobby Jindal's parents left their home in
rural India--a place with no electricity or running water--to build a
new life in the United States. Every day, Jindal's father told him, "You
should be grateful that you were blessed to be born in the greatest
country in the history of the world"--a country where the son of poor
immigrants could grow up to become the governor of Louisiana.
For Jindal, this defining experience bolsters a profound belief in
American exceptionalism: Freedom is not just the American way, it's the
American will.
As we approach the next great turning point in this extraordinary
nation's remarkable history, Jindal brings to life inspiring stories
from our country's past that have influenced his beliefs and the
indispensable lessons each can teach us about our future. Stories such
as the stalwart senator who galvanized the public against Hillary
Clinton's costly and oppressive socialist health-care proposal in the
early 1990s; the entrepreneur whose dogged determination ushered in a
worldwide energy revolution, and with it technological innovation and
economic growth; and the Founding Father who refused to "lead from
behind" and instead used his vision for the nascent nation's vast
potential and the best interests of its people to outwit a greedy
dictator.
In the next election, we can continue down the current destructive path
of big government, emboldened enemies, diminished liberties, and
hostility to religious faith. Or we can embrace the values that have
always propelled America to the top: limited government; free people and
free markets; strength and exceptionalism; and the essential role of
religious faith in effecting change. American power is precious, and our
vital interests and those of our allies depend on strong leadership.
Whom will we choose: a cynic or a statesman, a politician or a problem
solver?
The dramatic tales in American Will illuminate the courage, faith, and
vision that we need in 2016--and the government folly, corruption, and
myopia that jeopardize our future.
