Civics 101 For Those Who Cherish Their Freedom
by John Waddey(89)firstcenturychristian
" Education for democracy must mean that every man must learn to think for himself " (Robert Hutchins). The act of thinking for oneself is a challenging and laborious process. Politicians are more than happy to do your thinking for you and provide you with their conclusions. Their minions in the news media are eager to help you accept the conclusions of their political masters. propose selective nationalization of key national industries in mixed economies, while maintaining private ownership of capital and private business enterprise. Social democrats also promote tax-funded welfare programs and regulation of markets. " (Wickipedia). Lenin described socialism as a transition type of governance from capitalism to communism.
*Abraham Lincoln well-defined American democracy as Government of the people, by the people and for the people. Constitutional democracy with its attendant liberties, is viewed as a nuisance by those who are driven by their quest for power, position and wealth. Even though elected by the people, a politician can easily become a tyrant. Webster defines a tyrant as " an absolute ruler, unrestrained by law or constitution: a usurper of sovereignty. ...One resembling such a tyrant in the harsh use of authority or power. " It was the conclusion of Euripides, that " Of all the evils that infest a state, a tyrant is the greatest; his sole will commands the laws, and lords it over them. " Edmund Burke concluded that " Many of the greatest tyrants on the records of history have begun their reigns in the fairest manner... " To gain his absolute power, the tyrant often explains that the welfare of the people demands it. " And with necessity, the tyrant’s plea excused his devilish deeds " (John Milton).
* Tyranny is " a government in which absolute power is vested in a single ruler...arbitrary and despotic government. " It was Edmund Burke’s view that " Bad laws are the worst sort of tyranny. " William Blackstone wrote that " Every wanton and causeless restraint of the will of the subject, whether practiced by a monarch , a nobility, or a popular assembly, is a degree of tyranny. " To Lord Byron, " Tyranny is far the worst of treasons... " President George Washington rightly observed that " ...arbitrary power is most easily established on the ruins of liberty abused to licentiousness. "
* A despot is a ruler with absolute power and authority, a person exercising power abusively, oppressively or tyrannously. " All despotism is bad; but the worst is that which works with the machinery of freedom " (Junius).
* Absolutism is " Government by an absolute ruler or authority. A political theory that absolute power should be vested in one or more rulers. " An absolute ruler is " Unhampered by conditions or controls, unrestricted, unqualified, unbounded, independent arbitrary, unreserved, uncontrolled... "
* Authoritarian is defined as " relating to or favoring blind submission to authority. Relating to or favoring concentration of power in a leader or an elite, not constitutionally responsible to the people "
* Autocracy is " A government in which one person possesses unlimited power. " An autocrat is " a monarch or other person ruling with unlimited authority. " Autocratic rule is " arbitrary, despotic, absolute, tyrannous... "
* Statism is a philosophy of governance that invests full and total power in the state, particularly the national government . It implies that the common man is incapable in making important decisions for himself. " Every step we take toward making the state the caretaker of our lives, by that much we move toward making the State our master. " (Dwight Eisenhower). " The history of liberty is a history of the limitations of governmental power, not the increase of it. " (Woodrow Wilson). " Remember that any government which gets so big that it can give you everything you want will also be so big that it can take everything you’ve got " (William Miller).
* Socialism is " Any of the various economic and political theories advocating collective or governmental ownership and administration of the means of production and distribution of goods " (Webster). A socialist is, " One who advocates or practices socialism " (Webster). " Social democrats
* A dictator is " one enjoying complete autocratic control...one ruling absolutely and often brutally and oppressively. " A dictatorship is a " form of government in which absolute power is concentrated in a dictator or a small clique: a government or other organization in which absolute power is so concentrated... " Dictatorial describes a ruler who is " Commanding, autocratic, authoritative, injunctive, magisterial, domineering, dogmatic, overbearing, highhanded. " " Dictatorships usually present a formidable exterior. They seem, on the outside to be hard and glittering, and irresistible. Within, they are full of rottenness " (John Foster Dulles).
* Other than force, the chief weapon of the tyrant is Demagoguery. A demagogue is " A leader who makes use of popular prejudices and false claims and promises to gain power. " " By their smooth and fair speech they deceive the hearts of the innocent " (The Apostle Paul).
* Narcissism is a condition commonly found in those whose quest for power leads to tyranny. The narcissist is a person in love with him or herself. Narcissism is recognized as a severe personality disorder. It is generally seen in excessive levels of self-esteem and a devaluation of others.
Those who aspire to absolute power rarely let their desire be known to the citizenry. In most cases the loss of liberty is so slow and incremental that the people do not realize what has been happening until their freedom is lost. Edmund Burke knew that " the true danger is, when liberty is nibbled away, for expedients, and by parts. " Daniel Webster had learned that " Good intentions will always be pleaded for every assumption of power. It is hardly too strong to say that the Constitution was made to guard the people against the dangers of good intentions. " " I believe there are more instances of the abridgment of the freedom of the People by gradual and silent encroachment of those in power than by violent and sudden usurpations. " (James Madison).
Edward Gibbon, author of the great Decline and Fall of the Roman Empire, set forth five fundamental reasons why great civilizations of the past collapsed and died:
1. The undermining of the dignity and sanctity of the home which is the basis for human society.
2. Higher and higher taxes: spending of public money for free bread and circuses for te populace.
3. The mad craze for pleasure, with sports and plays becoming more exciting, more brutal and more immoral.
4. The building of great armaments when the real enemy was within...the decay of individual responsibility
5. The decay of religion, whose leaders lost their touch with life, and their power to guide the people. "
" If a nation values anything more than freedom it will lose its freedom; and the irony of it is that if it is comfort or money that it values more, it will lose that too " (Wm. Somerset Maugham). As you watch the daily, national news, it would be good to keep these definitions in mind. " All that is necessary for the triumph of evil is that good men do nothing. " (Edmund Burke) .
Article submitted Saturday, August 15, 2009 & read 63 times.
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» left by Anonymous (1 year 24 days ago.)
Amazing how silent you were when George Bush was taking away our freedom by spying on U.S. citizens.You make me not want to be a christian.Respond to this comment
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