More Liberty, Not Less: 9/11 In Retrospective
by MG William Flatt
In recent years, after terrorist crimes at home and attacks abroad, Americans are instructed by their de facto rulers in state and federal assemblies that we "must get used to a lessening of our freedoms" (Sen. Kay Bailey Hutchinson, 1995). This, we are told, is for the 'public good'; that trading Liberty for security is 'the only way' to secure our nation. Never mind that effective answers to national security are being ignored wholesale (such as securing our borders that will be in a separate article); those who tell the public this pernicious and diabolical lie are banking on the dictum made famous by Hitler that 'any lie, no matter how outrageous, will be believed if it is repeated vigorously and with conviction'.
Far greater harm to the body politic occurs when freedoms are restricted or abolished in a vain effort to constrain "evildoers", as President Bush called them. I would argue that totalitarian measures to squelch domestic dissent is in itself a form of terrorism, and only guarantees the emergence of legitimate guerrilla resistance as well as actual terrorists. Unfortunately, because of the asymmetrical nature of unconventional warfare, there is very little to distinguish the legitimate guerrilla from the terrorist except in their choice of targets. In times of war, it is difficult for casual observers to distinguish between legitimate targets and war crimes because sometimes the woman or child that appears to have been murdered in cold blood was in fact a suicide bomber. Conversely, the apparent enemy combatant that is blown to smithereens turns out to be an innocent casualty upon closer investigation. Regrettably, that happens far more often around the world than most people would care to admit. Guerrillas attack only the structures and systems that keep their opponents in control; terrorists wantonly maim and kill without regard for any distinction between combatants and innocents. Guerrillas depend upon the support of the masses for ultimate victory; terrorists attack the masses directly in the wrong assumption that the masses have any real control over an oppressive regime.
Read that again. Terrorism is simply blind hate and desperation that has no specific target terrorists lash out at anything and everything that is remotely believed to be responsible for their hate and desperation. Terrorists are easily manipulated to do the bidding of people skilled at manipulation. Read "The Terror-Tyranny Connection", to be published soon on this website, to understand how this vicious cycle works.
Liberty and security are not mutually exclusive. When acts of evil threaten the nation or violate the Rights of individuals, the answer cannot lie in the infringement and disparagement of our most fundamental freedoms. It is preferable to endure, as far as it may be endured, the crimes of individuals or even some groups of criminals than to endure the crimes of a government run amok. We cannot accept the plea of necessity for the abridgement of freedoms for fighting terrorism, crime, or any other perceived threat. More Liberty, not less, is the answer.
In spite of that, scarcely a circumstance can be imagined where Liberty doesn't trump danger. Whether the danger to a nation or its people comes from terrorists, illegal aliens, criminals, drug smugglers or pirates on the coast, it is far preferable to leave the people at an increasing state of Liberty than from the hazards of legislation, particularly the unconstitutional variety. The exception to that rule is when a nation is completely at war within its' own borders and martial law is needed to maintain some semblance of order. This is the danger of war and emergency powers, and the manner in which this nation has had its freedoms eroded over the past 145 years. This is why the founding fathers warned us not to undertake another revolution for light and transient reasons: more harm may be done than good. Oddly, this warning has also served to check the people from refreshing the Liberty Tree when we needed to most. We have allowed our limits and tolerance for oppression to be extended far beyond what was considered healthy and appropriate by our forebears.
It is far too easy to lose freedom and far too difficult to throw off the chains of a totalitarian police state, particularly when it comes upon the people very gradually; so not as to arouse suspicions until the machinery of enforcement is completely in place. This is the exact predicament that America finds itself in at this time. The machinery of tyranny is nearly in place, and an indolent and careless public is awakening to discover that they are the 'frog' in a warming pot that is about to reach the boiling point.
When left to their liberty Americans are industrious in providing for their own, and abundant in their generosity, vigilance and neighborliness toward others. Even now when the flames of global terrorism are licking at our front and back doors, America has the unparalleled capacity to either liberate the oppressed, or enslave mankind in a Machiavellian new world order of atheistic socialism, moral turpitude and dialectical materialism.
There is scarcely a situation where Liberty cannot prevail, but there is one that stands out. Cicero correctly observed that a nation can withstand its fools, the ambitious, and even the incompetent; but a nation cannot survive treason from within. We have that here in America, and one only needs to listen to excellent radio personalities such as Alex Jones or Michael Savage to realize we're in trouble. One could even say that America has cultivated a nation of cowards and traitors because all those who have not actively and knowingly betrayed their posterity have all failed to confront those who have betrayed us. The rest of us were "asleep at the wheel", as it were.
Fortunately, there is a remnant that cherishes the original values that our republic was founded on. Most of these people are those who produce and patronize websites like this, people like you and me. We have awakened to the clear and present danger facing our nation, and we are doing everything we can to address the issues and resolve the problems.
America is the battlefield for the hearts, minds, and soul of humanity. Our capacity for good and evil, our pivotal role in world affairs for more than 200 years is testimony to this fact. The future of the entire human race hinges on this 'culture war' that has been waged in this country for so many generations. The enemies of freedom understand that if you can capture the hearts and minds of a whole generation and infect them with their ideology, the battle will be won, and we will be forever lost.
Will we win the war for America's soul, and return to the principles of morality, honor, courage, independence, and humility that made us great? Or will we allow ourselves to be duped, propagandized, manipulated, blindly led, and ultimately consumed; as were the people of Germany under Hitler?
History repeats itself precisely because we fail to learn the lessons of history. In fact, it is not enough to simply know the historical record, we must understand why events happen and how they were caused. The tendency for governments and rulers is toward corruption and oppression, and that is why our founders sought to bind future leaders with the chains of the Constitution. The astute observer will note that in over 6,000 years of human existence, since Adam and Eve there has been only ONE successful attempt at a constitutional republic based on God's model of government (read Isaiah 33:22). There has been only one foray into freedom where the government is held accountable and functioned only by the consent of the governed, and that is the USA.
Look around you today. We are failing in our endeavor because we have allowed statesmen to degenerate into politicians, and given free rein to bureaucrats. If the autocrats win, we will not even have the luxury of another attempt at true freedom 6,000 years from now. Consider the words of George Orwell on global socialism: "Imagine, if you will, a boot on the face of humanity FOREVER".
Please do not allow yourself to be counted among those who permitted the forces of evil to prevail over this nation, for it will be to their everlasting infamy that all those who could, failed to act.
Thomas Jefferson said, "Resistance to tyrants is obedience to God". This sentiment is taken directly from the holy Scriptures. I believe in our Creator with all my heart and know that He will come again to judge the living and the dead. When that day comes, it is my hope and my prayer that the accounting of my defense of His gift of Liberty will be pleasing in His eyes. I pray too that I will not be in small company on that account.
Let history show that some of us cared enough to make the necessary sacrifice, like those who came before us,
"SO THAT FREEDOM SHALL NOT PERISH FROM THE EARTH".
