1403 Free People Wield Fierce Power
Modern progressive politicians, judges and activists have almost succeeded in converting the world’s first representative republic into an administrative autocracy. But the primacy of the Constitution and our founding’s first principles can be thorny impediments to imposing leftist ideology on the masses. The key has become rule by administration rather than by legislation.
Is it really any wonder that corruption thrives as government abandons the transparent rule of law in favor of minority rule by regulation? As the tentacles of government micromanagement grow deeper, control must also penetrate deeper. As control broadens, law by regulation gains power and power fosters corruption.
Administrative abuses have almost become a daily cascade of blatant power grabs and forced imposition of leftist ideology. The Internal Revenue Service initiates harassments of certain citizen groups who oppose Obama policies. After being caught, it simply tries to regroup by unilaterally changing those groups’ tax status. The Federal Communications Commission decides to “study” the content and intentions of television, radio and newspaper news rooms’ decisions in order to make sure stories fit its definition of necessary information. Attorney General Eric Holder informs state Attorneys General that they need not enforce laws which they disagree with. Enforcement of constitutionally enacted law – the Defense of Marriage Act and Immigration statutes suspended by executive dictate. Lawful requirements specifically cited in Obamacare amended without Congress by executive order. And the list goes on.
In a constitutional republic, none of these actions would be tolerated by its citizens or by leaders who are charged with keeping government at bay. But then, we are less and less a republic.
Human beings were created to be creative. Outside of oppression, discouragement or irresponsibility, they will question, challenge, innovate, grow and prosper. But, to the degree that individual citizens and communities thrive independently, those who would be their “wiser” over-lords lose control, privilege and power.
No thinking person from any political persuasion truly believes that either government or political systems are unnecessary. But the steadily growing frustrations and anger toward Washington D.C. by a growing spectrum of Americans is not about its existence. It is about its budgetary licentiousness, its self-preservative political corruption and its massive intrusive paternalism.
Frustrated angry citizens know instinctively what those who lived in the 18th century world of monarchs were able to say with eloquence. Those wise souls could teach the rest of America, the apathetic and gullible, what voluntarily losing a nation looks like.
“Necessity is the plea for every infringement of human freedom. It is the argument of tyrants. It is the creed of slaves.” (William Pitt – 1783)
“Government is not reason; it is not eloquence. It is force. And force, like fire, is a dangerous servant and a fearful master.” (George Washington)
“The Constitution is not an instrument for the government to restrain the people; it is an instrument for the people to restrain the government.” (Patrick Henry)
Free people wield fierce power – if they will. The greatest fear of any totalitarian system, whether civil or religious, is the exercise of liberty. The most intimate enemy of freedom is the temptation to believe in the power of government more than that of God or of the natural rights He has bestowed.