It Can't Happen Here

http://www.house.gov/paul/tst/tst2004/tst122004.htm

 

Terrorism will never be eradicated completely; does this mean future presidents will assert extraordinary war powers indefinitely?

 

I'm afraid of creating a society where the burden is on citizens to prove their innocence, rather than on government to prove wrongdoing.   Most of all, I'm afraid of living in a society where a subservient populace surrenders its liberties to an all-powerful government.

 

Americans remain tolerant of what they see as mere nuisances because they have been deluded into believing total government supervision is necessary and helpful, and because they still enjoy a high level of material comfort.   That tolerance may wane, however, as our standard of living falls due to spiraling debt, endless deficit spending at home and abroad, a declining fiat dollar, inflation, higher interest rates, and failing entitlement programs.   At that point attitudes toward omnipotent government may change, but the trend toward authoritarianism will be difficult to reverse.