Today, it seems quite popular to believe that those who wish to shrink government also want to live in the past. As much as people may believe this, it simply isn't true, and highlights how much we've forgotten, about the importance of our roots.
Using me as an example ... I like talk about American history, and I emphasis the Revolution. Does this mean I want to go back in time and erase all progress? That sure wouldn't do my blogging any good, would it?
Of course not, that's nonsensical! But there is a reason to look at history, and the reason is, to learn its lessons.
Unless I've missed something, there's no crystal ball to tell us what the future holds, so our best course of action is to look at history. This way we can see how past actions and thoughts played out.
Let's bring the past and the present together for a moment.
Our government is now involving itself (well, ultimately us) in a massive, trillion dollar plus "bailout." This very day, a new president has been sworn in, who promises even more trillions of dollars in spending, to "fix" the economy.
The settlers in North America demonstrated what Adam Smith called "a system of natural liberty." They lived by John Locke's view of "private property." They proved that people could live together, and create a free, stateless social order. And they jealously guarded these freedoms, based on natural rights, and were opposed to giving personal power away to a central government.
Resistance to royal absolutism had taken root in Europe prior to people moving to North America. Absolute Kings were considered usurpers of human rights, and thus considered illegitimate. So as the King attempted to increase his authority over the colonists in their new land, they logically became restless.
As the Revolution began to brew, they were faced with a serious financial crisis, far worse than what we're experiencing today. They had to protect ships at sea from the large and well-supplied navy's of the European powers, as well as, find the resources to resist the King's encroachments.
So despite their jealously guarded rights, they agreed to join together in an effort to protect themselves from losing their freedoms.
The leaders of our founding did their homework. They read hundreds of volumes on ancient history and government. They wanted to know why past democratic nations, like Greece and Rome, deteriorated and eventually collapsed.
They concluded that people and their weaknesses were the cause of the demise of these great societies, because people, and particularly the groups they form, are vindictive, ambitious, and lust for power.
In order to avoid these weaknesses, checks and balances were created and powers separated. The primary goal was to protect America's democracy from the usurpation of power by the government, which lead to the demise of previous democracies. Our first president, George Washington, wrote:
"Government is not reason; it is not eloquent; it is a force. Like fire, it is a dangerous servant and a fearful master. Never for a moment should it be left to irresponsible action."
Human lust for power created a monopoly of power in ancient Rome. This brought rise to a dictatorship, soon followed by collapse.
This same lust for power created a government monopoly of America's credit markets! Just last week, the Democrats put forward a bill to amend the Constitution, repealing presidential term-limits, thus allowing for a "president for life."
Fannie Mae and Freddie Mac don't pay taxes, nor are they obligated to follow the basic accounting standards that any privately-owned enterprise must follow. Congress and the Executive Branch dictate the loan-terms and goals these enterprises are to achieve.
Congressional decisions are based on politics, not finances. The executives of these government-enterprises pocket hundreds of millions of dollars each, while the politicians receive hundreds of millions more from "donations."
There is no "free market" in a government-controlled monopoly!
What is taking place, is a complete government usurpation of our basic human rights, and unfortunately, even more is on the way.
Our Founders created a government that was meant to serve the people. Today, the government has become our master. It's time to get back to our roots.
Before it's too late.
