When in Rome, Do Not Become The Roman

I was watching a video on a favorite blog of mine today, The Radio Patriot. In the video, the author discusses the various forms of government. There is not a lot I did not already know, but the video does an excellent job of bringing the information back to the front of my brain; as such, I now am bringing it here for you to ponder.

When our country was created, it was designed to be a Republic. Today, everyone calls the United States a Democracy. The two forms of government are vastly different. In a  Democracy, a majority rules. That means if more than 50% of the people agree to something, then it is so. In a Republic, there is a small government that has the sole purpose of 'protecting its people.'

Over time, more power has been assumed by our elected officials. Like the Romans, the population is becoming more and more reliant on the government to solve all of its ills. There is no more real self-reliance. It is much easier to get a handout, and continue to do so, than to actually put forth the effort to make it on your own.

I will submit that this is not always the case. I am even hopeful that it is really the minority case. But it is growing stronger every year. Just look at what has happened in the recent past. The people who are getting elected are those who promise to give more. If I did the same thing to a police officer, I would be arrested for attempted bribery.

Yet, in our national elections, people were promised this grandiose plan of 'much needed relief'. It does not matter that the reason we, as a country, fell on such hard times is because we SPENT TOO MUCH. What matters is that people cried that they did not have enough; they did not have as much as the next guy who had a better paying job or better skills at the job he had; they were not getting enough of a break from the government.

The cry about tax breaks being only for the wealthy was used to great effectiveness this election cycle. But to that I say, who should the tax breaks go to? The people at the bottom pay no taxes, so it HAS to go to those who make more. Even with the tax cuts, the wealthiest pay more than the other half. But that was not enough for the 'average Joe' and so the masses complained and were answered.

But I digress into campaign rhetoric. It is in the past. We are moving into the future; The great Roman Empire Part II. If you disagree, just look at history. The Roman people needed the government to protect them so they went from a Republic into an Oligarchy. A few in power totally dominated the rest.

Does this not sound familiar? If we are a Democracy, then does not the majority rule? And if the majority rules, would not the bailouts have been a non-issue? Our elected officials completely ignored the will of the people because they now have the power to do as they wish 'for our best'. I don't need a nanny-government telling me what I need to do. I need a government to do as I want. It is why they were elected in the first place.

I would say, 'they would do well to remember that', but I think they know the truth as well as I; America is already in the latter stages of the Roman Empire, and soon we will need to surrender all control to the incoming Oligarchy (dictatorship). I wish it were not so, but the facts, as laid out, are nearly irrefutable.

The revolution is at hand. Will you be a leader or a follower?