Liberty Erodes Slowly

"Those that can give up essential liberty to obtain a little temporary safety deserve neither liberty nor safety." - Ben Franklin

The loss of liberty does not come in sweeping pronouncements, but rather in incremental steps under the guise of protection and regulations for the common good.

But don't be fooled! Not much good is coming from the consistent barrage of new laws, permit requirements and "executive orders" that are proposed almost daily via government bureaucracies. From film commissions and parks departments to the Supreme Court and the President of the United States, the accelerating increase in rules, regulations and big brother type surveillance should alarm all Americans.

Tens of thousands of new local, regional and federal laws, restrictions and regulations went into effect in 2007. Many actually help our society function better. But just a few carefully worded and enforceable laws buried in this avalanche of legal speak are needed to erode our freedoms and privacy. Slowly and methodically, like a boa constrictor embracing it's prey, we won't know what has happened until totalitarianism strikes.

Bush continues to sign laws increasing unfettered surveillance by the federal government. The Supreme Court restricts freedom of speech ("Bong Hits for Jesus"). Local governments are getting more into the act too. The New York Film Commission wants to restrict personal video taping and photography while the New York Police Department continues to increase government video surveillance.

"An appeaser is one who feeds a crocodile hoping it will eat him last." - Sir Winston Churchill

Appeasers will say that our daily freedoms have not been diminished. How do these modest regulations impede the middle class American? We can still go to the mall and buy stuff, watch what we want on TV and freely go about our lives. The rules, laws and regulations are working to protect the common good.

But, history has shown us time and again that governments can quickly turn against their citizens. Regular people in Hitler's Germany gladly gave up their liberties for a way out of their crushing economic crisis. What would happen if the US economy collapsed? Would we do the same thing? How about the Patriot Act, but a hundred times worse! It's too easy to say America would never get to that point. But we are still a young Nation, in many ways still finding our way.

Bottom line is that law enforcement and government has been increasing it's power over us, while our liberties (free speech, free assembly, freedom of press, etc.) are being restricted. The balance of power in our democracy has tipped dangerously my friends.

What has happened to the "Conservative" and Libertarian movements advocating less government and legislated intrusion in our lives? It's time to scale back governmental power and bureaucracy -- and the ease with which it's able to constrict us -- before it's too late.