http://www.rome.info/pictures/pantheon/
A Democracy is always temporary in nature ;It simply cannot exist as a permanent form of government. A democracy will continue to exist up until the time the voters discover that they can vote themselves generous gifts from the public treasury. Fom that moment on the voters will always vote for those candidates that who promise the most benefits from the public treasury, with the result that every democracy will finally collapse due to loose fiscal policy, which is always followed by dictatorship"
This seems to be the point that our Republic is in today . History shows that republics rarely last more than 200 hundred years and usually go through the following progression...
"From bondage to spiritual faith; from spiritual faith to great courage; from courage to liberty; from liberty to abundance; from abundance to selfishness; from selfishness to apathy; from apathy to dependence; from dependency back again into bondage
Just prior to the Revolution we were a people in bondage. Then almost simultaneously there was a spiritual awakening, as well as., the beginnings of movement toward Revolution. After the Revolution the country fell back into spiritual complacency for a time until the second great awakening.
In the years that followed and even before then we proved ourselves to be a courageous people we fought with courage in the revolution, faced down danger in 1812, and through great courage and sacrifice liberated that portion of our people who were still enslaved.
We sacrificed selflessly to win our liberty and liberty for those who were still oppressed. That has been the history of our country. In return God blessed us with abundance and freedom.
But in our later day's we have fallen into selfishness, apathy and an unhealthy dependence on big government to take care of more and more of our needs. Now if we are not careful we may well descend into the abyss of bondage.
Bondage to a patriarchal/matriarchal state that promises to provide us with everything. Sad fact is large majorities have seen how easy it is to vote themselves largess from the public trough and are all to willing to accept it. This is not what the vision and dream of America is supposed to be!
Thankfully in recent days the apathy I speak of has begun to disappear, people are getting concerned that perhaps we are straying to far from the founding principles of individual freedom as well as responsibility.
This is a good thing. I can remember being told in school that the importance of history is that we can learn from the mistakes of those went before us. Now is the time to review the lessons of history. to heed the words of the founders who said...
"I predict future happiness for Americans if they can prevent the government from wasting the labors of the people under the pretense of taking care of them."
Thomas Jefferson
As well as the word of more recent champions of freedom like Winston Churchill who said...
"We contend that for a nation to try to tax itself into prosperity is like a man standing in a bucket and trying to lift himself up by the handle."
If we will listen to those who went before then perhaps we can reverse this trend towards the end of our republic!
