Civil War, Part II

[kandrathe]

...the government will take care of me.

Which is the difference between what I perceive is the value systems of the USA and most of Europe. The nature of independance, and individual liberty calls for us to attempt to take care of ourselves without becoming subservient vassals of the State. As Paine said, "O ye that love mankind! Ye that dare oppose, not only the tyranny, but the tyrant, stand forth! Every spot of the old world is overrun with oppression. Freedom hath been hunted round the globe. Asia, and Africa, have long expelled her--Europe regards her like a stranger, and England hath given her warning to depart. O! receive the fugitive, and prepare in time an asylum for mankind."

In conflict in the US now are those who seek to adopt parts of the European system, thinking that they can have the best parts (social security), and avoid the worst parts(oppression). Think then also of Paine, when he said, "Some writers have so confounded society with government, as to leave little or no distinction between them; whereas they are not only different, but have different origins." What purpose is it to relegate the Monarch to a symbolic figure head, only to hand over convert their dictatorial power to that morass known as government. Government produces nothing, but merely exists to redistribute the fruits collected from those who are able and choose to work while skimming off the top enough to feed its ever increasing bulk. When our legislatures and parliaments stop working for the good to the people, and seek to instead enrich or perpetuate the ruling class above the people, then we have descended back to the thralldom we all have sought to escape.

In exchange for 60% of your livelihood, they have promised to take care of you. Why not 80%? Why not 100%? The discussion is probably moot, since much of Europe has never really ever had the desire to shed their positions of vassalage.