Are We Hurtling Toward Socialism?

America is no different than Europe today.  The plan of union established by the founders that instituted a congress of enumerated powers has been tossed aside in favor of a congress of unlimited powers.  The delicate balance of power among three branches of the federal government, the states, and the people has been up-ended to aggrandize the federal government.  The trillion plus deficit, borrowing immensely from future generations of Americans, planned government run health insurance, entitlement costs that will eventually bankrupt the nation, and government owned auto companies are evidence pointing to one conclusion — socialism; that is, the decline of economic liberty.  

FDR began the long march to federalized socialism by threatening to pack the Supreme Court unless the justices ruled in favor of his unconstitutional abuses of power.  The Supreme Court obliged, and future justices faithful to precedent continued to support those flawed FDR-era rulings made under duress.  The result was European-style socialism and tolerance of the federalized regulatory state that was the equivalent from which generations of immigrants to the United States had fled.  

Can the original plan of union be restored to allow liberty to flourish?  The prognosis is bleak.  Once socialist special interest groups build up their reliance interests in the socialist welfare state, it becomes very difficult to frustrate those expectations of free goods from the government.  Furthermore, if there are indeed no limits on the permissible activities of government, then the free-for-all begins in earnest — everyone can try to get something from the government, and eventually the government cannot in principle say “no”.  What is needed is a charismatic leader like Ronald Reagan to remind Americans to jealously protect their economic liberty — once it is gone, it is nearly impossible to restore it.