Headed toward totalitarianism?

Dear editor:

Totalitarianism supplants “… all political institutions …” and sweeps “… away all legal, social, and political traditions … Any dissent is branded evil, and internal political differences are not permitted …” ( Encyclopedia Britannica, http:// www. britannica. com/ EBchecked/ topic/ 600435/ totalitariism, edited brevity, but not intent).

Are we headed for a totalitarian government? Let us look behind the curtain and see.

Changes are rampant at all levels: Local, state and federal. Government has been engaged in a flat out attempt to reorganize our culture — from a free people with property rights, spiritual sovereignty and unlimited use of our abilities to attain our highest aspirations — to a captive people, devoid of spirituality, whose right to property ( including our abilities) and its use is determined by bureaucrats under the direction of a progressive aristocracy.

To institute these changes, government must reverse its role from servant of the people to master over them. Of course, this approach, in various forms, has been tried before. Monarchies, empires and dynasties of old. The Third Reich, the USSR, Franco’s Spain, Mussolini’s Italy, the Empire of Japan and Pol Pot’s Cambodia are examples that failed despite the despots willingness to kill millions of their own citizens without hesitation because they had the power and the sure knowledge that they were on the right path to totalitarian grandeur.

The Founders based the structure of society on the concept of self- governance. The Progressives have based the structure of society on the Darwinian concept of natural selection, with them, of course, in the position of the professional hierarchy and the American people in a supporting role dedicated to the greater glory of the state. Before they become too impressed with their power, Progressives need to reflect on the short comings of mixing politics and bureaucracy. The IRS, the NSA, Obamacare and Benghazi are a few examples of unrestrained power run amok.

The Founders understood that controlling and limiting the acquisition of power is the only way to keep government and the members of government from becoming masters rather than servants. Whatever efficiencies in government that might be gained through the accumulation of power are lost to the inevitable abuses that come with power and the corruption that it ensures. We must remember that man is an imperfect, fallible being, whether in or out of government. In government, human nature is held in check by the chains of the Constitution; in the private sector, the free market and a mutual respect for each other’s property will accomplish the same end.

Progressives think that they are immune to the siren song of power and justify their power- building by saying they will make life better for everyone; at worst, they know they can secure votes by taking property from the workers who earn it and give it to those who have become dependent on government for sustenance and can be counted on to vote for their own self- interest.

Unfortunately for all of us, the progressive approach to government, which may have some credence in theory, is always corrupted by politics and will lead to the ultimate collapse of the society that the Progressives claim to be benefit. As the number of those being helped by government overwhelms the number of those who provide the where- with- all for government subsidies, the economy dies and with it the society. As Margaret Thatcher said, “The problem with Socialism ( Progressivism by any other name …) is that you run out of other people’s money” ( comment in parenthesis, mine).

Now at the tipping point, we must decide which way we want our country to go: Continue on the road to totalitarianism and poverty or return to a free people with property rights, spiritual innovation and the unlimited ability to reach our highest aspirations. John “Jock” MacGregor

Hot Springs

A hunting story

Dear editor:

Arkansas is one of the best places in the country for outdoor recreation, especially for those who indulge in the pursuit of wild game trophies. Hundreds of sportsmen pay a significant amount of money for the privilege of belonging to a hunting club. It is common knowledge that the median income of Arkansas residents is below the nationwide average. The money paid by sportsmen to their clubs for membership dues, in turn, pays for the lease on the land they hunt. Many hunters save what they would have otherwise spent on hobbies and leisure activities so they can afford to pay their annual hunting club dues.

Our story begins in the late spring of 2013 in Clark County where eight old men look forward to a seven- day turkey hunt. Each has paid $ 1,000 to the club for his share of the lease, acquired the appropriate license, and brought along one of his most prized possessions and tool of the trade, a hunting rifle. These are ordinary men who usually kill four to five turkeys between them, if they are lucky. They cannot trek through rugged terrain, climb trees or hunt like young men but they enjoy the camaraderie of lifelong friends and spending time in the great outdoors.

Their names have been changed to protect the innocent, but let’s look a little closer at each of them. Hack is 72 and has prostate cancer. Hack’s brotherinlaw, known as Junior, lost an eye in a rodeo incident in his youth and has to wear a prescription boot for leg support since a severe ankle break that has never healed properly. Their cousin, Billy, is 71, has Parkinson’s Disease and had one shoulder and one knee replaced. Billy’s brother, Butch, is 69, has prostate cancer, arthritis and also had one shoulder and one knee replaced. Butch’s best friend, Mo, is 65 and has nine stints due to three heart attacks. Stu is 60 and had his first stint put in just two weeks before the opening day of turkey season. Mo’s nephew, Tommy, youngest of the group at 53, recently received five stints after his second heart attack. The newest member, not related to the others, is Harry, 65. He still works full time so is not able to enjoy the hunt as much as his friends. With this list of various ailments, one never knows when a trip to the woods might be their last.

That brings us to opening morning of turkey season. When Hack and Junior arrived at the chosen spots, they were greeted by four wardens from the Arkansas State Game & Fish Commission. What prompted them to be there that particular morning was a report from another hunter of eight old men “baiting” the turkeys with corn. The wardens explained this to Hack and Junior and issued citations that included a $ 1,000 fine for each man. You can imagine the devastation and how the day the eight old men had looked forward to for so long turned into a nightmare.

The law is the law and when broken, there is a price to pay. Hack and Junior contacted the Clark County clerk on multiple occasions with every intention of paying the fine. On each occasion, they were told that the citation had not been turned in by the wardens. Finally, after several attempts to pay the fine, Hack and Junior were told to appear before the judge in Clark County. When they

appeared before his honor, both men’s weapons were confiscated and their hunting licenses suspended for one year. In our court system, there is a concept known as the punishment fitting the crime.

Is a fine the equivalent of one- year’s membership dues, loss of a valuable weapon and suspension of hunting privileges appropriate for the crime of baiting wild game? One would suppose they were lucky not to have fired a shot that fateful morning. Otherwise, they might have found themselves incarcerated for murder. Moman Bates

Hot Springs