Every society in the history of mankind has eventually degenerated and begun eroding personal liberty. The governments may have been founded on the idea of liberty, but societies have always seemed to take that to extremes, forgetting the responsibility that comes with liberty, and eventually the societies have crumbled. And the governments that were formed as a consolidation of power and desire for wealth and more power seem to have done the same thing. While the Fall of Rome, one of the greatest Republics in the world, is a common example of this, it’s happened throughout history. A country becomes more “civilized” and begins pushing for liberty and then for total freedom. Freedom without responsibility. A selfish freedom. I think that’s where the United States is now.
And yet we see increasing governmental control in recent years. Is that because we’ve mostly had Republican leadership (or just more conservative leadership) and these leaders have reacted to this danger by exerting greater control over individuals? The Patriot Act can be seen as one example of this, if you’re looking for one. Or is it just that our leaders (regardless of ideology) are getting a glimpse of where we’re headed? How much further do we have to go?
Historians disagree when the Roman Republic turned into Imperial Rome: the reason is that the first Emperors were given their head of state powers gradually in a government system that in appearance did not originally much differ from the Roman Republic.
-Wikipedia article: Republic
It looks like the cycle is: new or developing government emphasizes freedom and liberty; people begin wanting “100% freedom”; freedom becomes selfish; many people’s rights are trampled on in the name of others’ freedom; government (futilely) eventually tries to reign them in; government becomes too controlling and begins violating basic human rights in the name of security or “necessary” control; citizens become oppressed to the point of rebellion; new government forms.
Here is a quote from Walter Williams. Read this then ask yourself the same question he asks: “Is America headed toward greater personal freedom or toward greater government control of our lives?” Where do you think we are in the cycle? Is the United States really that different from every other society in the history of the world? We’re already 230 years old, which puts us pretty high on the long-lived governments list (the Republic of Rome lasted about 450-480 years).
“The threat to liberty in the 21st century is the same as it has been throughout mankind’s history. That threat is use of the coercive powers of government, under the color of law, to take the rightful property of some people and give to others, and the forcible imposition of the will of one group of people on another group. Such acts, most often done in the name of good, explain the ugliest portions of human history. The question is whether America will degenerate into what has been mankind’s standard fare throughout history. We have yet to see the kind of arbitrary control, abuse and violation of basic human rights seen elsewhere. But if we ask ourselves which way are we heading, tiny steps at a time: toward more personal liberty or toward greater government control over our lives, the answer would unambiguously be the latter. We Americans face an awesome challenge and responsibility because if liberty dies here, it’s probably dead for all places and all times.” - Walter Williams
Current music: 
Bunte Republik Deutschland, by Udo Lindenberg
For Diehards Only, by Da Yoopers
Na
