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What has happened to our country?
Introduction - by Mike Crane

Today there is a growing chorus of American citizens who are asking the question: “What is happening to our country?” One does not have to look very far before they see something that just doesn’t make sense. In fact many Americans do not have to look very far before they see something that is just plain stupid! How many American citizens stare in disbelief as I did for many years and say?

“We all know that we are the greatest country in the world! This can’t happen to us!”

But sadly right in front of your eyes – you do see it happening.

The American economy and wealth is slipping away, the government at all levels is the nation’s largest employer, and the government is the greatest debtor, throwing money we know it doesn’t have at problems it created like money grew on trees.

Government at all levels is raising taxes and has all kind of new fees, licenses and assessments and keeps telling us these are “investments!” But they are very poor “investments,” our government at all levels is operating at a major loss and accumulating debt at unsustainable rates. Perhaps idiots who believe these are good investments would destroy investment banking companies. Oops, that happened last year … In their demented minds the bailouts aren’t stupid - they are investments!

Government is placing more and more restrictions on what we can and can’t do; telling us that weird stuff is legal/required and practical stuff is illegal/prohibited. Placing more surveillance cameras, recording more phone calls and watching us more and more.

The world’s largest manufacturing base has been decimated and moved to foreign countries. This has been done under the guise of being good for Americans. We don’t need to manufacture anything do we, we can all survive by running the government money printing press and hiring more government employees to monitor citizens to be sure they don’t complain.

American Liberty has just become a “term” without the deep meaning that has existed through most of our country’s history. Yes our country rose to become the most prosperous in the world, but was it because of American Liberty or was it because of us? If it was us, we would still be prosperous wouldn’t we?

This is just a partial list, in no particular order. You probably have a different list, but if you have a list, the actual contents are not as important as the fact - you know that something is dreadfully wrong.

Of course the politicians are having a hey day, they have the citizens fighting the other “party” instead of keeping an eye on the government made up of both parties.

Have you noticed how we sway from either the Republicans being in control or the Democrats being in control? Of course in the process we keep about 75 - 80% of all incumbents in office – so despite the illusion of sweeping changes every few years – very little actually changes.

The current Administration, currently the Democrats (Obama), are of course out doing the last Administration, which was the Republicans (Bush). The previous Republican Administration of course out did the previous Democratic Administration (Clinton). And this process has just repeated its-self for the last 140 years or so. Instead of blaming it on the other “party” American citizens need to invest in a mirror or we will keep repeating the same cycles of the last 140 years.

In each cycle, in each example of so called sweeping change, the march toward increased central government and reduced American Liberty has been relentless and steady, at an ever increasing rate. The two parties only offer you – the citizens – two different flavors of out of control of government. Neither of these parties offer, believe nor promote “limited government” or American Liberty.

Today more people agree with the above than just four or five years ago. You can take it to the bank that even more will agree with the above in a few more years. The march toward out of control government and loss of American Liberty is relentless, steady and irreversible in our current structure.

It is human nature to set aside what deep down is known to be the truth and pour heart and soul into efforts to “Reform” the current situation. It is human nature to dream that all we have to do is elect the right person and everything will be OK again, but it is just a dream. Having been involved in first the Southern Democrats and then for a time the Republican Party spanning 4 decades, I can only say - any hope that “Reform” of either party will be successful is a “hard roe to hoe.”

All of our ancestors and those who preceded us have been unable to “Reform” our government for the last 140 years, the era of the two party system. Is it the epitome of Hubris to believe that we are superior? There is only one Man who will solve this mess and Jesus is not going to run for public office in our country as a Republican or Democrat when He returns!

Trying to “Reform” the current system is like picking and eating blackberries on a dark night. You wind up bleeding with a bitter taste in the mouth.

So we have three choices, 1) sit back and wait for Jesus; 2) continue trying to “Reform” the current system that has failed for 140 years or 3) Look for and devote our meager effort to changing the system, not “Reform.”

By this point many readers have already dropped this article and gone to things more pleasant, and I do not fault them at all. The author is 60 years old and for the first five decades of my life I was one of them. I dreamed that good honest efforts could “Reform” the system. Slowly and painfully over the years realized that was just a dream.

The readers who are still here are probably thinking, “OK, Crane – so what? –What do we do about it?”

Sadly there is no quick and easy answer, but with a better understanding of how we got here and what American Liberty is - some courses of action seem obvious. At least they seem obvious to this 60 year old redneck living in the Georgia mountains.

So this is an introduction to a series that will try to convey what I have learned in my 60 years. I learned very little in my younger years, but hopefully more in the later ones. As a preview of the conclusions at the end - they will be based upon words of both Scripture and one of our Founding Fathers:

First, the Scripture:

Ephesians 4:14 (King James Version)

 ¹⁴That we henceforth be no more children, tossed to and fro, and carried about with every wind of doctrine, by the sleight of men, and cunning craftiness, whereby they lie in wait to deceive;

Second, one of our Founding Fathers:

“The issue today is the same as it has been throughout all history, whether man shall be allowed to govern himself or be ruled by a small elite.”

Thomas Jefferson

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