The End of a Free Republic

By JB Williams Wednesday, June 11, 2008– CFP

Karl Marx was right. “Democracy is the road to socialism” – in a nation hell-bent upon voting itself gifts from the public trough. Once an electorate is hooked on government solutions to personal self-induced problems, like a junkie on crack, the democratic process once used to guarantee individual freedom is perverted into a tool used to extinguish individual freedom. Democrats call it a greater good. The rest of the world calls it socialism.

It only took America 232 years to arrive at this moment…

It is in this way, that Thomas Jefferson was also right. “A democracy is nothing more than mob rule, where fifty-one percent of the people may take away the rights of the other forty-nine.”

Our founders chose against a democracy for this very reason. They chose instead, a representative republic, whereby the will of a majority could be represented, without running roughshod over a minority in that process. The key to a representative republic, or any self-sustaining form of self-governance for that matter, is ultimate respect for the individual. Not any specific voting bloc seeking to run roughshod over another.

The inherent and unalienable right of every individual to freely determine their own destiny is at the root of self-governance. Every initiative that intrudes, impedes or attempts to circumvent and alienate this fundamental set of rights is a direct affront on freedom and liberty.

Yet this is exactly what today’s Democrats have chosen. They have bought into the ideas of Marx, Lenin and Stalin, that the “greater communal good” of the working class (proletariat) trumps individual freedom and liberty. Individuals have neither the right to fail or succeed.

As a result, the entire Democrat political platform is built upon the notion that “fifty-one percent of the people may take away the rights of the other forty-nine” – in the name of a greater good, of course.

The 50% who no longer pay taxes in America (most of them Democrats) have the right to strip the other 50% of Americans (most of them Republicans) of their lawful earnings for the betterment of a communal good. Only government has the right to determine each individuals worth. Even McCain and other Republicans have fallen for this line of thinking.

The central power in Washington DC must have the power to decide how much is too much and how little is too little, for every American. This is the definition of socialism, not self-governance. It’s also the basis for today’s Democrat Party.

Self-sufficient American taxpayers are called “greedy capitalist pigs” while government dependents seeking the earnings of others are referred to as “generous patriots,” compassionate towards the welfare of their fellow Americans.

Of course, these generous patriots are only generous with the earnings of others, not their own. And those who earn and pay taxes seldom ask anything of their government or their neighbors.

Winston Churchill said it well; “The best argument against democracy is a five-minute conversation with the average voter.” How can a nation survive leadership by people who often can’t manage their own lives?

What do we have when those who depend upon government for their very existence outnumber those who pick up the government tab? Because, that’s where we are in America circa 2008.

For years now, national elections have been decided by 51-49 or 49-51. When those who want to be government dependent outnumber those who want to live free of government intrusion, democracy will be used to strip 49% of the population of their rights in order to pay for the wants and desires of the simple majority.

Jefferson was right about many things, among them the fact that “Information is the currency of democracy.” A democratic society will never be any better than the quality of information used to make decisions. Today, we swim in a cesspool of disinformation and our democracy is showing the corrosive results of a poorly informed electorate.

Simpler times brought forth simpler truths, which would be politically incorrect terminology today. “As I would not be a slave, so I would not be a master. This expresses my idea of democracy.” Lincoln put a fine point on the topic with this statement.

No man should be enslaved; therefore, no man can be master of anything more than his own destiny… This is my idea of freedom. This is the only American promise worth keeping.

Yet today’s Democrats seek dominion over the lives of others. They seek the power to decide the worth of individuals. They seek the power to “free” some by “enslaving” others. In the end, modern Democrats will enslave both. They seek the power of life and death over the most innocent and defenseless American citizens.

Just as the debtor is enslaved to the lender, the welfare recipient is enslaved to his caretaker. Government dependents vote for Democrats because they must. Democrats promise to keep them enslaved by keeping the breadcrumbs of life flowing.

The American electorate has been trained to ask what its government can do to solve personal challenges. Not so long ago, the general welfare of our nation meant simply maintaining a maximum level of freedom and liberty, which allowed every American an equal opportunity to determine their own station in life.

But today, Democrats have redefined general welfare to mean government entitlements which guarantee a big screen TV in every home, a new car in every driveway, free socialized medicine for all and equal economic status regardless of unequal economic productivity.

This is the Democrat version of Democracy and just as our founders warned, a government powerful enough to provide for all your needs is powerful enough to take everything you have earned.

Jefferson said, “I predict future happiness for Americans if they can prevent the government from wasting the labors of the people under the pretense of taking care of them..." "Democracy will cease to exist when you take away from those who are willing to work and give to those who would not.” We have failed to stop Democrats from doing just that and this reality leaves us with two more Jefferson quotes…

“Every generation needs a new revolution.”

“Every citizen should be a soldier. This was the case with the Greeks and Romans, and must be that of every free state.”

I wish a single Democrat were as wise and as American as Jefferson!

Until they are again, it’s up to the rest of the nation to keep them far from power.

JB Williams is a business man, a husband, a father, and a writer. A no nonsense commentator on American politics, American history, and American philosophy. He is published nationwide and in many countries around the world. JB Williams’ website is http://www.jb-williams.com JB Williams can be reached at: JB_Williams@comcast.net

We wish to thank JonBerg for reminding us of this piece written after the election of 2008.  Apparently, no one was listening then. Bill Whittle told us recently that we cannot sustain the American Republic without virtuous citizens; without them, the Republic must ultimately fail because virtue is not a trait inherent to mankind. If it is not taught to our children, they will mature into citizens without virtue.

Have we already reached this juncture? Is it even possible to save the Republic?  After reviewing this video, we don't think so.

—Mustang & Z