bleechers's Blog

THESE are the times that try men's souls. The summer soldier and the sunshine patriot will, in this crisis, shrink from the service of their country; but he that stands it now, deserves the love and thanks of man and woman. Tyranny, like hell, is not easily conquered; yet we have this consolation with us, that the harder the conflict, the more glorious the triumph. What we obtain too cheap, we esteem too lightly: it is dearness only that gives every thing its value. Heaven knows how to put a proper price upon its goods; and it would be strange indeed if so celestial an article as FREEDOM should not be highly rated. Britain, with an army to enforce her tyranny, has declared that she has a right (not only to TAX) but "to BIND us in ALL CASES WHATSOEVER," and if being bound in that manner, is not slavery, then is there not such a thing as slavery upon earth. Even the expression is impious; for so unlimited a power can belong only to God.

– Thomas Paine (The American Crisis – 1776)

Thomas Paine

When Thomas Paine wrote “The American Crisis” he saw the enemy of liberty as did all the great men of his generation: a government seizing power and conferring upon itself unlimited rights to tax and to bind. Today the word “crisis” is being used by those with quite a different view of liberty and government.

When you hear the word “crisis” attached to anything, grab your children, your property, your wallet and your freedoms for the government will soon be coming to “bind” you. We hear of the “health care crisis” and the “gas crisis” and the “environmental crisis.” All of these are followed by calls for us to abandon our lives and liberties to a central government entity.

Great Men and Women Rise Up Instead of Giving Up

Economies, societies, markets and ecology ebb and flow. Tyrants look to either an ebb or to a flow and seize upon fears to grab power. The Popes in Europe, Napoleon in France, Lenin in Russia, Mussolini in Italy, Hitler in Germany, Mao in China, Ho Chi Mihn in Vietnam, the Ayatollah in Iran… all centralized power by playing on unwarranted fears and promises of Nirvana.

American greatness has always been built upon the idea that a crisis brings out the best in the individual. Necessity drove men and women to achieve great feats of technical, philosophical or societal advancement. The threat of international tyranny called men and women to sacrifice all for the protection of liberty. Today, it is easier to sit back and cede power to politicians promising the impossible. Tough times no longer lead to greatness and independence, today they lead to cowardice and dependency.

Government Responds Only to Government

If not for Fed-Ex and UPS do any of us believe for one moment that the USPS on its own would respond to the citizenry? What if all mail delivery was nationalized. Do you believe that mail delivery would get better or worse? Cheaper or more expensive? More private or more open to government intrusion?

Already we see SUV sales down and every car maker is rushing to build and sell hybrids. The influx of Japanese cars in the 70s forced Detroit to build a better product. Quality has soared as prices have remained steady or even fallen in many areas. We must learn to trust liberty and freedom.

We face a number of crises in our day. If we lose our patience with markets and the advances that come when liberty is allowed to flourish and cede our lives over to the government, we shall have ignored the lessons of history and shall have willingly entered into slavery.

The government will not only tax all that we have at will, they shall “bind us in all cases whatsoever.”