I’ve been thinking a lot about the US lately. I’m not sure I like what I see happening.

I believe that ultimately the Lord is the source of every blessing, however that is not to be mistaken for believing that our actions are irrelevant. A long time ago some people got on a boat and risked their lives and comfort, many left their family and friends to get away from tyranny and the colonies began. Put simply tyranny is the result of too much power being held by too few or for too long. I don’t mention the character of the person to avoid being misconstrued. George Washington himself stepped down despite a demand of the people to the contrary. I believe he knew that it was dangerous to stay, even for someone of his character.

However, nowadays people really believe some are immune to these dangers. When the signs of tyranny start to show, we shrug, and figure of course there will be a little of that. However by the time a little is made public a lot is often alive and well behind the scenes.

Our formula for liberty came in the form of people who had first hand experience of the total tyranny of a madman King. The original colonies existed for nearly a generation before the revolution. That means the young became old experiencing the tyranny that one man can create when given so much power. Out of that experience did not develop the expected hopelessness or despair. Instead a kind of righteous anger, one that resulted in not only a victory against the world power of the time, but the inevitability of a virtually tyranny proof government being established and maintained for the time being. No longer does anyone remember the tyranny, my generation can only imagine it in the form of recent figures like Hussein, Kim Jung-Il, the list goes on… but certainly does not include any western developed Countries, and especially no Americans.

I fear that we have lost the formula for Liberty by losing the first hand experience that was available when our nation began. I fear that with every tweak we introduce we weaken our vaccination to tyranny. Like many vaccinations, this one may be temporary, and if we fail to keep it up to date we may have to suffer to renew our belief that peaceful Liberty is the right of every human being.

1. Individual Liberty is undermind by “special interests” of politicians.
2. Forced charity is no charity at all.
3. When the government is also the employer of a major portion of the population fair Liberty will be degraded.
4. The rights of a few cannot be sacrificed involuntarily to produce the good of many without risking an insolvent economy of ethics.
5. Time alone cannot purify ill gotten gains and the end does not justify the means.
6. Government led redistribution of wealth makes the government a tyrant.
7. There is a time to end the reign of a tyrant and to do so courageously, the one who steals Liberty from others has forfeit his own. However the one who earns his happiness fairly must be protected.

“The tree of liberty must be refreshed from time to time with the blood of patriots and tyrants.” Thomas Jefferson