Freedom Under Attack

When the Bush administration revealed that it was monitoring international phone calls for key words that could indicate a conspiracy to attack the United States, many people were upset and cried about our loss of privacy, freedom and the grab for power by the White House. Arguments that the conversations were only listened to by human hears if certain "hot phrases" came up did nothing to alleviate their fears. I felt the monitoring was necessary and reasonable but was very conscious of the dangers it opened us up to. But this writing is not about the issue of wire taps or monitoring of international calls.

My question is how come so many were upset about this security measure but these same critics are now silent when there is a real power grab, a real attack on freedom and a real loss of loss of privacy going on increasingly everyday in the current administration. This White House has taken over our largest industrial companies, has really taken over management of our largest banks, is about to launch a commission of "fair compensation" to dictate what salaries may be paid and is clearly using its political influence to favor its supporters such as the United Auto Workers. It has politicized the census and is using government funding of an organization proven to be corrupt in its registration practices as it funds ACORN with billions of our tax dollars.

The power grab seems to increase everyday and nobody seems worried and no cries are raised about loss of freedom or privacy. Indeed, the popular media seems to be in love with the idea of government controls, even when all evidence of history indicates that this can only come with a loss of freedom and privacy. The fact that things are moving in a political direction more to one's liking is no excuse to overlook thug tactics and dictator like moves that threaten the freedoms on which this nation is founded.

I for one am very worried about a government that has quadrupled the deficit in four months but which has shown no restraint in using its money to bailout favored businesses and unions and which is going about restraining and regulating closely those parts of the economy it has not taken a direct ownership of. The fact is that economics and freedom are tethered at the roots. If Uncle Sam controls your paycheck, mortgage and employment, then you have no freedom. You have traded it for the promise of security and that too will be lost as soon as Uncle Sam runs out of money.

One might wonder what all of this has to do with religion but the fact is that religion needs freedom to operate. Even in those countries where public religion is strictly regulated, the outside influence from free nations has restrained the oppression of religion by government. What happens when the once freest of nations itself takes on the task of restricting that freedom? This country is on that path and thus I fear the implications on all aspects of life. Our economic freedom is directly related to our political and religious freedom. The latter cannot exist without the former.

This nation was always strong because of the freedom we enjoyed. It was the freedom of independent thought, the freedom of political views, the freedom of religion and it all revolved around our economic freedom. The freedom to aspire to be more than we are, to support causes with surpluses we generate through our own worth and the freedom to speak out against and seek to overthrow our government through the ballot box. Take away the economic freedom and we are on the road to oppression that was once unthinkable for this nation. Add in some very undemocratic moves by this administration and the danger becomes palpable.

Many on the left are content because the economic machine is moving towards a socialist economy but I doubt that they have really thought out the end game. Many are even calling for the government to bailout failing newspapers. Others are calling for a return of the fairness doctrine. Are you really willing to give up the freedom you once said was under attack, simply because you like the way things are moving? Hitler was once very popular among the liberals of Germany ... until he decided they too were a threat. Don't give up your principle beliefs for the sake of short term gain. If you do, you may find the end results far less desirable then you hoped.