With the Federal Government, under Obama’s Presidency and the overwhelming Democratically controlled Congress, basically taking over the American automobile companies, banking industry, student loan industry, and now health care it seems that he has forced Americans to give up many basic freedoms and free enterprise. Add to that, his intention to force carbon taxes and revenue redistribution, conservatives and libertarians are in shock. Many who voted for Obama believing he would end partisanship, secrecy in government, and race based politics are very disappointed to say the least. With so many radical changes, many are wondering if the United States can ever get back what has been usurped by the Federal Government. Many wonder that, even if the Republicans take over Congress, will they have the courage to throw out these radical changes which most Americans oppose.
As long as people like the Tea Partiers and others stand up for what they believe in and demand a return to the limits of the United States Constitution, we will succeed. This country was created by people who refused to give up after many defeats in the Revolutionary War, we survived the war of 1812 where even our National Capital was captured and burned, we survived the Civil War where the country was split in two, we survived the Great Depression with people in soup lines and starving, and we survived World War II after many defeats at the beginning.
This threat we are now facing is different, people are not being killed, and homes are not being burned. We are facing a political threat that can destroy this country. Any opposition to these radical policies are branded as racist, potential terrorist, right wing extremist, astro-turf, and on and on. Remember the childhood saying “Sticks and stones can break my bones, but words can never hurt me”. That statement is still true; words can not hurt you unless you let them. The current group in power is trying to change the United States into a mirror of Europe, ignoring the fact that what makes the United States the success it is was because of the system established by the Constitution, not in spite of it.
I am in the middle of reading The Prince by Niccolo Machiavelli. Those who have read it know he has very draconian solutions for a conquering prince (i.e. ruler) to take and keep control of power. Nearly all of his solutions contain violence. For example, he suggested killing the entire family of the former rulers. However, there was one paragraph that Machiavelli points out that is about people who have been free and not living under a prince. He writes:
But when cities or countries are accustomed to live under a prince, and his family is exterminated, they, being on the one hand accustomed to obey and on the other hand not having the old prince, cannot agree in making one from amongst themselves. For this reason they are very slow to take up arms, and a prince can gain them to himself and secure them much more easily. But in republics there is more vitality, greater hatred, and more desire for vengeance, which will never permit them to allow the memory of their former liberty to rest; so that the safest way is to destroy them or to reside there
What is happening now is not the bloody solutions and hatred of Machiavelli, but it is a political battle. The people of the Untied States have not lived under a prince, but a republic and I feel they will not become subservient to any prince even if he is a president. We have freedom far too ingrained in our blood and we will never give up, we need to continue to fight the political battles until we succeed.