What's Happening in D.C.?

What we see happening in Washington D.C. is a clear example of the principle that will destroy American prosperity warned by Scots Historian Professor Alexander Tyler, circa 1787, speaking about the fall of the Athenian Republic:

"A democracy cannot exist as a permanent form of government. It can only exist until the voters discover that they can vote themselves largesse (generous gifts) from the public treasury. From that moment on, the majority always votes for the candidates promising the most benefits from the public treasury, with the result that a democracy always collapses over loose fiscal policy, (which is) always followed by a dictatorship."

Senator Ben Nelson agreed to vote for the Health Care bill when he was promised a forever exemption of an expected $45 million annual cost tied to expanding Medicaid programs.

Senator Mary Landrieu promised her vote in exchange for a $300 million medicaid deal for her state.

Senator Christopher Dodd wrote a provision to the bill to get $100 million for a new health care facility in his district.

That’s just the Health care Bill. The recent passage of a $363 billion, Defense Appropriations Bill included 1,729 earmarks worth more than $4 billion like $19 million for Ted Kennedy Institute. (What in the world does that have to do with Defense, and don’t the Kennedy’s have enough money to fund their own monuments? ) In addition, there are all kinds of social programs never requested by the Department of Defense.

The idea that the federal treasury is just one big pot of money for everyone to dip into to get what they can is an idea that will destroy our system and result in an eventual totalitarian takeover, the loss of liberty and ultimate bondage.

"The average age of the world's greatest civilization has been two hundred years. These nations have progressed through this sequence. From bondage to spiritual faith; from spiritual faith to great courage; from courage to liberty; from liberty to abundance, from abundance to complacency; from complacency to apathy, from apathy to dependence, from dependence back into bondage."

I would say we're somewhere between apathy and dependence, and if the new health care plan becomes reality, we will be pushed one step further toward dependence before slipping ultimately into bondage.

What’s the answer? Our federal legislators must understand that their mission is not to get all they can for their constituents to insure their re-election, but to represent their constituents’ interests as they seek the good for the nation.
They must be motivated not by special interests but by the common good.
But it is hard to teach an old dog new tricks, so it is more reasonable to believe that the only real solution is to throw the bums out, as the saying goes.

However we must be clear in redefining the job description of legislators on every level of government. Our founders taught us that our representatives must rule in the fear of God, doing unto others only as they would have them do unto them. In other words, we need statesmen, not politicians.

We need a transfusion of legislators on every level. Let’s start in 2010. Get ready to vote out the present stock of self-centered politicians and replace them with whoever will run against them. Then let’s stay engaged to insure that we become, once again, “One Nation Under God” enjoying the peace and prosperity that comes with His blessing.