On January 19th, 2010, the people of Massachusetts spoke. A previously unheard-of State Senator by the name of Scott Brown was swept to victory by a wave of frustrated citizens representing all the degrees of the political spectrum. The turnout was more that double that of the previous primary election. The result has caused a massive swell in support for the once-beaten Republican Party and many feel that the upcoming elections in 2010, 2011 and 2012 will be marked by numerous victories for Republican candidates who will be supported and voted in by the supporters of freedom. But, as we can learn from history, this is the farthest thing from the truth.
In 1970, Ezra Taft Benson said the following during a speech at Brigham Young University in Provo, Utah:
“If America is destroyed, it will be Americans who salute the flag, sing the national anthem, march in patriotic parades, cheer Fourth of July speakers-normally “good” Americans, but Americans who fail to comprehend what is required to keep our country strong and free, Americans who have been lulled away into a false security.
Great nations are never conquered from outside unless they are rotten inside. Our greatest national problem today is erosion of tradition Law and order.”
This statement is an indictment of the current resurgence of the Republican Party. The GOP is filled to the brim with “good” Americans. They like to talk about freedom, liberty, the pursuit of happiness, rights and patriotism. Those are all “good” things, but they are often spoken highly of and then quickly put aside in moments of weakness.
Consider, if you will, our current foreign policy. We have millions of soldiers stationed in over 130 countries around the world and their tasks range from humanitarian aid to peacekeeping to combating terrorists. There is broad support for our military actions in the Middle East and elsewhere among Republicans and some Democrats who feel that we will be fighting extremists here at home if we do not stave them off abroad. Those who disagree with this assertion are often deemed “unpatriotic” or “disloyal” and are looked down upon as if they seek the destruction of the country. This, however, could not be farther from the truth. Many of those who oppose our interventionist foreign policy believe in following the letter of the Constitution, in which no provisions are made for undeclared wars, police action, or even federal humanitarian aid around the globe.
And so we see that the current “populist” movement, the one that supposedly promotes freedom and rights and an end to statism, can often be misguided or co-opted. Media outlets like Fox News pretend to be keeping the people informed and aware of corruption in government but in reality they are simply feeding off of the frustration and anger toward the current administration to boost their ratings and make large profits. Fox News is much like a parasite in that way, with the people as their willing but ignorant host. Numerous politicians have jumped aboard the bandwagon and are sure to be reelected as they “support” freedom, but as the scriptures say, “This people draweth nigh unto me with their mouth, and honoureth me with their lips; but their heart is far from me.”
One thing the government is good at is dividing the people into political parties that, up close, look as though they are diametrically opposite on all the issues. Republicans are depicted as being pro-life, fiscally conservative, supportive of the military, in favor of traditional morals in society and strong in their support for a free-market economy. Democrats, on the other hand, are depicted as being pro-choice, big spenders, anti-war, progressive in their morals, supportive of civil liberties, and in favor of central economic planning. Today those depictions are becoming more blended as our Democratic president has increased our military presence overseas and our last Republican president led the charge for huge spending programs and big government at home and abroad. It is becoming more and more evident that both political parties are in fact working toward the same goal: statism, or tyranny.
The first misconception that must be eliminated is the idea that the political spectrum runs from Democrats or Liberals on the left to Republicans or Conservatives on the right. This could not be farther from the truth. The Founding Fathers certainly did not think that way. In their day, they correctly surmised that the political spectrum ran from Tyranny on one side to Anarchy on the other. Tyranny was the presence of an all-powerful government in the form of a monarchy, an oligarchy, or a dictatorship. Anarchy was the presence of no government – an “every man for himself” kind of world. Neither one promotes freedom, for freedom cannot be perpetuated in either scenario. So it was the role of the Founding Fathers to determine where the perfect balance point was between the two opposing ideologies.
When looking back at America’s history with the Tyranny-Anarchy spectrum in mind it is easy to see how the current two-party system is helping the people to carry themselves off to Tyranny at a quickening pace. The fluctuation of power between Republicans and Democrats is becoming much more rapid, as every election now signals a shift in excitement for one party or the other. When the Republicans are in power the Democrats do all in their power to smear their opponents and turn the public against the current policies and administration. The balance of power shifts, the Democrats take over the majority, and the Republicans use the same tactics to shift the power back. It used to be that the shifts would occur every eight or ten years, but today it is every year. In November of 2008 the people elected the most socialist president in history, and within days the Republican Party establishment was plotting and scheming in the hopes of getting some power back in 2009 and 2010. And, with Scott Brown’s victory, here we are.
So we get to the heart of the matter. Eventually, these rapid fluctuations in power will end. One party will swing the power their way, but they will refuse to give it up. In my mind I can envision this happening within the next four to eight years. The current sentiment is extremely pro-Republican, and if a Republican wins the presidency in 2012 the people might try to keep them in office indefinitely. Undoubtedly the military could play a large role in this coup, as they have in other countries. And suddenly, America would have a dictator, chosen by the “good” people of the United States…the flag-waving, Star Spangled Banner singing, “good” Americans. The ones who love to talk about freedom, and rights, and patriotism. It nearly happened with Franklin Roosevelt, and it will happen in a few years if people do not wake up to the awful situation that they area in.
