From 1776 to 1881, the U.S. founding fathers worked to draft and ratify a document that established a limited government that would bring together a confederation of the states. Their goal in limiting the scope of government power was to protect the sovereignty of states and maximize individual freedom. It quickly became evident that the powers granted the Continental Congress were simply too weak for effective governing and our current Constitution had to be drafted. Their desire for a limited government remained the same, though, and many on all side of the political spectrum have lost sight of this. Ronald Reagan famously said that "government is not the solution to our problem; government is the problem." Too many feel that only government can solve all our problems, and this is exactly what Mark Levin addresses in his book Liberty and Tyranny.
Levin sets up most of the book as a differentiation between two imaginary characters, The Statist and The Conservative. He provides an eye-opening summary of the battle of principles being played out in our own time. The first several chapters cover Faith, The Constitution, and Federalism, but by chapter 7, we start to recognize the very things that are happening in the U.S. today. Here he addresses the welfare state being promoted by the current administration, and all progressives over the last 100 years.
It's not just the massive spending programs that have taken place over the past year, but the unfunded liabilities from entitlement programs like Social Security. They've led people to believe that their taxes are being taken and put into a savings account on their behalf (that's what the privatization of social security would have done if the Dems hadn't killed it under Bush.) On the contrary, they simply take money from workers, write checks to retirees, and promise to pay workers back when it's their turn to retire. As of this writing, Social Security liabilities stand above $14 trillion. Total U.S. UNFUNDED liabilities stands over $107 trillion. If you're breathing and you are a U.S. citizen, you owe $347,000, even if you were literally born yesterday. Adding "free" health care into the mix is a guaranteed disaster. The last year should have been spent lowering taxes and allowing the private sector to create jobs, not raising taxes and spending more, while no jobs were created (or saved) and official unemployment soars past 10% (at least 17% when you add in people who have given up looking for a job).
Chapter 8 is about enviro-statism. Whenever someone says the debate is over, and the science is settled, be very skeptical. Global warming continues to crumble under the weight of its own cover-ups, and the "scientists" just yell louder that the debate is over, calling skeptics "deniers". They simply don't have the science to show the Earth is warming, let alone to show that it's man-made. The greenies have doubled down on their efforts towards environmental control, translated into control of YOU. Cap and trade will not have any effect on the environment. What it would do if passed is make people who are invested in "green technology" like Al Gore and General Electric rich, and force the working man to pay double for energy, and eliminate cheap energy needed for developing countries. More government control. Less freedom. Decreasing prosperity.
Chapter 9 is one of the most unsettling in the book. Illegal immigrants are literally changing the face and culture of the country. Continued unchecked mass immigration is unsustainable, just like current government spending. The preservation of our history and culture is impossible when illegals continue to flood over the border, refuse to assimilate or learn the language, set up their own communities, and reproduce at a rate higher than naturalized citizens, providing "anchor babies" in a distortion of U.S. law. It's estimated that 9 percent of the population of Mexico was living in the U.S. by 2004. For 40 years the flood has continued, and must be stopped. By the time 2010 is out, progressives will not doubt have a bill proposing citizenship for illegals who are already here. Those who began their association with the country by breaking the law, don't pay income taxes (the Fair Tax would force them to), and use facilities such as emergency rooms without paying, would become voters that ensure progressive (not to be confused with actual progress) control of government for generations to come.
After a chapter about gun control, Mark Levin ends his relatively small volume with about 10 pages summarizing the basic conservative position on various aspects of politics. His book provides a potent counterpoint to those to say conservatives are simply a party of "no". Look closer at those things to which we say "no": Change for the sake of change, a government that insists we push a $1 trillion health care bill through congress in a matter of weeks, unconstitutional government control, higher taxes, higher energy costs, inaction on illegal immigration.
Must read for any American who cares about their country.
Levin sets up most of the book as a differentiation between two imaginary characters, The Statist and The Conservative. He provides an eye-opening summary of the battle of principles being played out in our own time. The first several chapters cover Faith, The Constitution, and Federalism, but by chapter 7, we start to recognize the very things that are happening in the U.S. today. Here he addresses the welfare state being promoted by the current administration, and all progressives over the last 100 years.
"If the Statist were to devise a scheme whereby a grandparent would be stealing future earnings from his own grandchild, would the grandparent consent to such immoral behavior?"If you think not, maybe you just aren't paying attention. This week the congress has been planning to raise the debt ceiling another $1.9 trillion to a total of $14.3 trillion. What's the plan here? Spend the government into the ground. Create total dependence on government. Remake the government in your own image. Google: Cloward and Piven, or Saul Alinsky
It's not just the massive spending programs that have taken place over the past year, but the unfunded liabilities from entitlement programs like Social Security. They've led people to believe that their taxes are being taken and put into a savings account on their behalf (that's what the privatization of social security would have done if the Dems hadn't killed it under Bush.) On the contrary, they simply take money from workers, write checks to retirees, and promise to pay workers back when it's their turn to retire. As of this writing, Social Security liabilities stand above $14 trillion. Total U.S. UNFUNDED liabilities stands over $107 trillion. If you're breathing and you are a U.S. citizen, you owe $347,000, even if you were literally born yesterday. Adding "free" health care into the mix is a guaranteed disaster. The last year should have been spent lowering taxes and allowing the private sector to create jobs, not raising taxes and spending more, while no jobs were created (or saved) and official unemployment soars past 10% (at least 17% when you add in people who have given up looking for a job).
Chapter 8 is about enviro-statism. Whenever someone says the debate is over, and the science is settled, be very skeptical. Global warming continues to crumble under the weight of its own cover-ups, and the "scientists" just yell louder that the debate is over, calling skeptics "deniers". They simply don't have the science to show the Earth is warming, let alone to show that it's man-made. The greenies have doubled down on their efforts towards environmental control, translated into control of YOU. Cap and trade will not have any effect on the environment. What it would do if passed is make people who are invested in "green technology" like Al Gore and General Electric rich, and force the working man to pay double for energy, and eliminate cheap energy needed for developing countries. More government control. Less freedom. Decreasing prosperity.
Chapter 9 is one of the most unsettling in the book. Illegal immigrants are literally changing the face and culture of the country. Continued unchecked mass immigration is unsustainable, just like current government spending. The preservation of our history and culture is impossible when illegals continue to flood over the border, refuse to assimilate or learn the language, set up their own communities, and reproduce at a rate higher than naturalized citizens, providing "anchor babies" in a distortion of U.S. law. It's estimated that 9 percent of the population of Mexico was living in the U.S. by 2004. For 40 years the flood has continued, and must be stopped. By the time 2010 is out, progressives will not doubt have a bill proposing citizenship for illegals who are already here. Those who began their association with the country by breaking the law, don't pay income taxes (the Fair Tax would force them to), and use facilities such as emergency rooms without paying, would become voters that ensure progressive (not to be confused with actual progress) control of government for generations to come.
After a chapter about gun control, Mark Levin ends his relatively small volume with about 10 pages summarizing the basic conservative position on various aspects of politics. His book provides a potent counterpoint to those to say conservatives are simply a party of "no". Look closer at those things to which we say "no": Change for the sake of change, a government that insists we push a $1 trillion health care bill through congress in a matter of weeks, unconstitutional government control, higher taxes, higher energy costs, inaction on illegal immigration.
Must read for any American who cares about their country.
