That's how John Adams put it in an important 1776 letter (back when he was
still one of the good guys). He also pointed out that fear makes people
"so stupid and miserable" while leading to bigger and more dangerous
government. The Founders sure didn't mince words. And neither should we.
I couldn't think of a better reminder for September 11th...18 years ago, that horrific event lead to what some call the culmination of an
already-steady path towards the destruction of freedom. A path that started
long ago - from the mid 19th century to 1913, WWII and beyond.
These days, to question the wisdom of this insane government that spies on us,
lies to us, destroys the dollar, runs up trillions in debt, wages almost
endless war, attacks our right to keep and bear arms, uses indefinite
detention, takes away due process - and so much more... questioning or
rejecting this gets you called a "conspiracy nut."
But James Madison, the "Father of the Constitution," would've been
called the same today. Check out this warning from a 1798 letter to Thomas
Jefferson: "Perhaps it is a
universal truth that the loss of liberty at home is to be charged to provisions
against danger real or pretended from abroad."
It's a universal,
timeless truth - that government will use fear of foreign threat to grow their
own power and take our liberty. And fear drives people to make the absolutely stupid choice of letting them -
or even encouraging them.
