That which could not be won by seventy years of debate, the tyrant Lincoln won by a brutal war, a war that forced sovereign states who freely withdrew from a free compact to remain, against their wills, in the union. With the Yankee victory and subjugation of the Southern Republics, ultimate consolidation of all power in Washington became inevitable.
There were those, such as Grover Cleveland, who hoped Pandora could be put back in her box. But the Linconian consolidation had prepared the soil of American governance too well for the poison seeds of so-called Progressivism. When Progressivism did arrive it arrived with a vengeance, lead by the megalomanic, Teddy Roosevelt, and followed by the social troglodyte utopian, Woodrow Wilson. With these collectivist book ends Progressivism rooted itself in both parties.
Progressivism, in relation to Liberty, is anything but progress. It is a form of socialism, and socialism is a form of political slavery.
The great libertarian, Lysander Spooner put it this way; "...there is no difference, in principle --- but only in degree --- between political and chattel slavery. The former, no less than the latter, denies a man's ownership of himself and the products of his labor; and asserts that other men may own him, and dispose of him and his property, for their uses, and at their pleasure."
Even as desperate as the situation is, America does have a real choice. Even at this late date, the road to serfdom is not inevitable. And no, it is not between Barack Obama and Mitt Romney. These are not real choices, but flip sides of the same consolidational coin. The only real choice is between the establishment forms of collectivism, the most lethal of which are lead by the collectivist totalitarian, Barack Obama, and the standard bearer for American Liberty, Ron Paul.
Whether America goes toward some form of imperialist, utopian socialism or returns to the free and peaceful Republic of the Founders, the transition will be painful---very painful. There will be much unavoidable distress and no one will escape unscathed. A large number will not survive at all if the collectivist route is chosen. While that may seem an extreme statement, it is not without its' witness in history.
The great libertarian, Lysander Spooner put it this way; "...there is no difference, in principle --- but only in degree --- between political and chattel slavery. The former, no less than the latter, denies a man's ownership of himself and the products of his labor; and asserts that other men may own him, and dispose of him and his property, for their uses, and at their pleasure."
With progressivism the poisons of both socialism and fascism infected the once free Republic. At first the infection did not seem fatal. Their influences even appeared to wane with the so-called end of the Progressive era. But if they vanished at all, they did so only from public sight. The Constitutional amendments passed in the second decade of the 20th century had already done massive damage, crippling the Republic in countless ways, as well as energizing the enemies of liberty within the wounded Republic.
These influences, therefore, remained well ensconced in government, working insidiously, eventually creating a false left and right that, today, bear the labels "liberal" and "conservative." But the fact is, neither has any meaningful relationship with the traditional understanding of these two terms. The liberals are any thing but liberal to those who disagree with their policies, and the effects of their time in power clearly show conservatives conserve nothing. Rather, both ideologies ceaselessly engender government growth and control. As George Wallace was fond of saying, "There's not a dime's worth of difference between them"---referring to the two establishment parties who have had a monopoly on power for over a century and a half now.
As these two evil twins have matured, they have taken over more and more, reducing the states to mere administrative units of the Federal government, intruding increasingly into every aspect of the private lives of citizens, and creating a massive complexity of laws and regulations no human on earth can comprehend. As a consequence, We the People have become increasingly constrained and discouraged in countless ways. It is not difficult to see that the purpose of the central government has been stood on its' head and made more and more the tool of private and special interests.
These influences, therefore, remained well ensconced in government, working insidiously, eventually creating a false left and right that, today, bear the labels "liberal" and "conservative." But the fact is, neither has any meaningful relationship with the traditional understanding of these two terms. The liberals are any thing but liberal to those who disagree with their policies, and the effects of their time in power clearly show conservatives conserve nothing. Rather, both ideologies ceaselessly engender government growth and control. As George Wallace was fond of saying, "There's not a dime's worth of difference between them"---referring to the two establishment parties who have had a monopoly on power for over a century and a half now.
As these two evil twins have matured, they have taken over more and more, reducing the states to mere administrative units of the Federal government, intruding increasingly into every aspect of the private lives of citizens, and creating a massive complexity of laws and regulations no human on earth can comprehend. As a consequence, We the People have become increasingly constrained and discouraged in countless ways. It is not difficult to see that the purpose of the central government has been stood on its' head and made more and more the tool of private and special interests.
While separation of church and state has taken the form of government suppression of and hostility toward religion (especially Christianity), a movement to separate socialist forces (such as unions and state), or fascist forces (such as corporations and state) cannot be found any where on the radar screen.
As a result of the invasion and growth of the Progressivism, we now find the once great and free Republic on its death bed, with the forces of collectivism beating down the last doors of resistance. While collectivism has always had a bad name in America, things have changed so greatly in the past two decades that the advocates of total government are almost ready to publicly name it and claim it for what it is: Totalitarianism--and to do so with no apologies.
American society is in an intolerable state, housing the irreconcilable visions of individualism and collectivism. Which way it will go remains to be seen, but the one certainty is that things cannot remain as they are.
American society is in an intolerable state, housing the irreconcilable visions of individualism and collectivism. Which way it will go remains to be seen, but the one certainty is that things cannot remain as they are.
The American poet, Robert Lee Frost, prophetically wrote "Two roads diverged in a yellow wood...and I took the one less traveled by, and that has made all the difference."
Even as desperate as the situation is, America does have a real choice. Even at this late date, the road to serfdom is not inevitable. And no, it is not between Barack Obama and Mitt Romney. These are not real choices, but flip sides of the same consolidational coin. The only real choice is between the establishment forms of collectivism, the most lethal of which are lead by the collectivist totalitarian, Barack Obama, and the standard bearer for American Liberty, Ron Paul.
Whether America goes toward some form of imperialist, utopian socialism or returns to the free and peaceful Republic of the Founders, the transition will be painful---very painful. There will be much unavoidable distress and no one will escape unscathed. A large number will not survive at all if the collectivist route is chosen. While that may seem an extreme statement, it is not without its' witness in history.
In a fallen world, where men are hypnotically allured by power, man has always had to struggle for the recognition and exercise of his natural rights--for his freedom. Freedom, historically, is most definitely the road less traveled, the road taken only by those truly hopeful, confident, creative and courageous--those filled with reasonable hope and optimism based upon a single condition: being left alone.
As the unbiased eye surveys the scene across the vast empire of the American union, it is not hard to see it is in great disarray. Destroyers ruling the streets of once great cities are filled with passionate intensity, to borrow a phase from Yeats, while the once productive, the so-called middle class, seems exhausted from the battering, plunder, regulating and pillaging of the Federal government. Government control and oppression have combined to create an atmosphere of discouragement and exhaustion--a general malaise. Will America go the route of the many, or take the road of freedom--the road less traveled?
Signs are not encouraging for the most part. Already we are beginning to see articles talking about expatriation of citizens in an attempt to escape the plunder of the American Empire. No one wants to escape where there is freedom. No one wants to stay where there is oppression. When citizens begin escaping their homeland and revoking their citizenship you can be sure something grave is in the process of happening--that a trend is being set that is not likely to end well.
As the unbiased eye surveys the scene across the vast empire of the American union, it is not hard to see it is in great disarray. Destroyers ruling the streets of once great cities are filled with passionate intensity, to borrow a phase from Yeats, while the once productive, the so-called middle class, seems exhausted from the battering, plunder, regulating and pillaging of the Federal government. Government control and oppression have combined to create an atmosphere of discouragement and exhaustion--a general malaise. Will America go the route of the many, or take the road of freedom--the road less traveled?
Signs are not encouraging for the most part. Already we are beginning to see articles talking about expatriation of citizens in an attempt to escape the plunder of the American Empire. No one wants to escape where there is freedom. No one wants to stay where there is oppression. When citizens begin escaping their homeland and revoking their citizenship you can be sure something grave is in the process of happening--that a trend is being set that is not likely to end well.
The real question the election of 2012 will answer is, "Have the people of America become so sedated and made so passive by the drug of socialist entitlements and dependency that they have no more will to resist total enslavement to their government masters? Or does enough real courage, confidence and hope still exist in the hearts of Americans that the fires of freedom might reignite and burn brightly on the dark and bloody shores of North America?
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