Rome or Utopia?

 

Beneficiary of a 300 hundred year old experiment in self governance, three generations of liberty loving ancestors and a robust liberal education; I set poised awaiting the high probability that I won’t survive the next two presidential terms and I wonder what my grandchildren will muse when they achieve three score and ten.

In the early days when I first became aware of the uniqueness of our constitutional form of self governance I took solace knowing for sure that “right will out!” Later I learned and was disturbed that Rome fell after centuries of splendor and I asked myself why? Now I know part of the reason was that citizens’ took much for granted.

There was a time when our elected representatives seemed to actually care and act upon what was best for our country. Individuals thrived in personal liberty and took initiative to promote the greater good while advancing personal ambition. The entire nation rose and sacrificed twice to defend our form of self government unique in the annals of world history. “Guns for butter” to get the job done and bring the boys home.

Those were my first twenty years. Then came “Guns and Butter,” “The Great Society,” ” A War on Poverty;” international policing without the least concern for personal accountability. We have gone from a society in love with personal liberty, with unlimited opportunity to succeed and fail, to one that seems to be primarily concerned only with entitlement; leaving the details to the ubiquitous “they.”

History, being largely forgotten in school, one asks oneself do we stand at the dawn of a new and more wonderful expansion of liberty; or like Rome, on the abyss? Given my age this is a question for my children and grandchildren. A lack of historical perspective will complicate their task. As for me;  I’m going fishing.