Paulson quotes Sir Alexander Fraser Tytle as noting (with regard to the natural rise and fall of every democracy):
"A democracy cannot exist as a permanent form of government. It can only exist until the voters discover that they can vote themselves largesse 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 a loose fiscal policy, always followed by a dictatorship. The average age of the world's greatest civilizations 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 selfishness; from selfishness to complacency; from complacency to apathy; from apathy to dependence; from dependency back again into bondage."
So my question is - where is the United States in this ebb and flow? What do we hear from the centrist McCain and the liberal Obama but more edicts to give out to the people more goodies to give out and more promises of ensured prosperity. God forbid one of them says no to something (and encourage the individual to provide for him or herself) or as Paulson notes "We've gone from protecting the unfortunate to supporting the irresponsible.". I love that line.
This is why the Ralph Naders and the Pat Buchanans or the Ron Pauls have no real chance of getting elected. There is a large segment of the population that knows it can vote iteself more goodies and more Government largess. It is like having a credit card that they personally never have to pay. Again quoting Paulson - "In America, all citizens are guaranteed "the pursuit of happiness," not happiness given to them by a controlling government."
We should all as we pull the lever on 4 November heed Tytle's words or ignore them at our peril.
OS
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