Why We Lost the Republic ?

Dr. Paul’s Speech - Rally for the Republic
http://www.campaignforliberty.com/blog/?p=432#more-432

How and Why We Lost the Republic

The simplest explanation comes from the early warning that the survival of freedom requires a moral people. Absent this, the Constitution has no meaning, no matter how well written. But the immorality of a political system hinges on those who seek power or largess and are supported by a false ideology justifying the forced wealth transfer known as “legal plunder.” Along with a negligent or complicit electorate, this sets the stage for the undermining of the Republic.

Although those who hunger for power are small in numbers, it’s easy to entice the masses into believing that government can provide for everyone’s needs and safety. Yet the others who continue to produce are misled into believing that they must accept the system or be labeled selfish and lacking compassion. To do this, they accept the idea that a person’s needs, desires or demands equate to rights. Thus we hear from those who say they object to the welfare/socialist state that they nevertheless accept the fact that the few truly in need deserve help from the government. They claim it’s only the abuse of the system that must be stopped. This concedes the intellectual and moral argument that a need is equal to a right and now is referred to as an “entitlement.” No one should be entitled or have a right to someone else’s labor. This idea opens the door to the special interests to manipulate the system to their advantage at the expense of all others. Without this understanding liberty cannot survive.

Even though the Constitution was written to keep power from being placed in the hands of the few, the apathy of the people and the belief that they may benefit from such a system allows the centralization of power to continue.

It has been said that power for some is an aphrodisiac and it feeds on itself, even after those in charge have adequately stolen enough to be comfortable for the rest of their lives. There are some who are quite content to use government to increase their wealth without directly wielding power. Well-connected lobbyists seek influence to enhance their economic well-being without running for office or becoming a figurehead with authority.

Ignorance of how the economy works significantly contributes to central economic planning by the politicians, bureaucrats and central bankers. The major reason for this is that government schools do not teach free-market economics.

These same schools teach that it’s an outdated notion to strictly adhere to the Constitution. They claim the Constitution must be a living, breathing document, capable of adapting to modern times. They assume that there are no long-lasting truths, such as might be found in the Bill of Rights. It should surprise no one that constitutional restraint on the federal government is nonexistent. It no longer is seen as an instrument to restrain the government, but instead is constantly distorted to justify restraining the people in all their activities and travels.

Distortion of history influences the thinking of almost everyone with a government education. War presidents are always portrayed as the greatest presidents—Lincoln, Wilson, Roosevelt. The economic ideas that are taught are always Keynesian or socialist. Ideas on banking always support central banking and never commodity money, as mandated by the Constitution. This problem only gets worse as every aspect of public schools is more controlled by the Congress, federal bureaucrats, the Department of Education and the federal courts. The Republic cannot be saved without addressing this issue of education.

The idea is well-entrenched that if one supports free markets, private property, commodity money, no Federal Reserve, no income tax, no welfare and no foreign militarism, one cannot be a humanitarian concerned about the well-being of all citizens. The truth is exactly the opposite. Although the socialist/welfare state may be supported by some who are truly concerned about their fellow man, there is no evidence that any system can provide more prosperity for the greatest number than a system based on individual liberty.

The idea of patriotism has been grossly distorted. Too often, if one does not support unconstitutional aggression it is said that he is unpatriotic, un-American, and doesn’t support the troops. It is assumed today that a patriot is one who is blindly obedient to the government—right or wrong. But the people and the government are not the same. Support for freedom and the Constitution compels the patriot to challenge the government when it goes wrong. That means today a true patriot must challenge our government at every step of the way. The original American patriots were hardly the ones that were steadfastly loyal to the King—despite his abuse of the rights of the American colonists.

We are expected to believe that freedom is old-fashioned and must be rejected. It’s claimed that modern times require a centralized government with power placed in the hands of the few. This is completely false. Freedom, as protected by our Constitution, is a new idea in the historical sense. It’s been tried and found to be amazingly successful in producing great abundance, yet the notion that it’s outdated permeates our society. What is old is the idea of tyranny. We must never be willing to give up the principles of individual liberty; instead we must convince people that progress depends on advancing even further this concept rather than succumbing to the ancient idea of political power residing in the hands of a few.

Personal freedom and economic freedom cannot remain separate. If we have a right to our lives, we have a right to live our lives as we chose and to keep the fruits of our labor. These two rights are the same.

Dr. Paul’s Speech - Rally for the Republic
FULL SPEECH:
http://www.campaignforliberty.com/blog/?p=432#more-432