Democracy in Deficit

Pratt mentions what he has learned preparing for a Liberty Fund Conference. The last Conference I attended was entitled Democracy and Socialism. The primary question focused on was does democracy inevitably lead to socialism. While reading the extensive list of works, I did not come to a conclusion on this question. But while the conference proceeded I had an epiphany; democracy is socialism. At least a democracy that does not limit who votes (other than age) is socialsim -- one person one vote and the state controls the means of production.

As I have continued reading, I find that the founding fathers recognized the problem of democracy and attempted to create a binding constitution that would retain limits on democracy's tendencies. But, it didn't take long for courts to overturn those restrictions and with the 17th ammendment one of the primary limits on growth of government, states' rights, was struck down.

Remember, democracy never lasts long. It soon wastes, exhausts, and murders itself. There never was a democracy yet that did not commit suicide. � John Adams (1814)

• . . democratic communities have a natural taste for freedom; left to themselves, they will seek it, cherish it, and view any privation of it with regret. But for equality their passion is ardent, insatiable, incessant, invincible; they call for equality in freedom; and if they cannot obtain that, they still call for equality in slavery. De Tocqueville

Two major changes enabling democracy to lead to big government occurred in 1913. The 16th amendment to the U.S. Constitution, which permitted a federal income tax, was ratified and the Federal Reserve System was created. The Progressives had what they needed: an income tax to finance increasing government and a way to print money.

What is necessary now is to eliminate the 17th ammendment and the 16th ammendment (income tax) and to eliminate the Federal Reserve.