What’s next for the US?

I was reading a magazine today that contained the following quote:

“A democracy is always temporary in nature; it simply cannot exist as a permanent form of government. A democracy will continue to exist up until the time that voters discover that they can vote themselves generous gifts from the public treasury. From that moment on, the majority always votes for the candidates who promise the most benefits from the public treasury, with the result that every democracy will finally collapse due to loose fiscal policy, which is always followed by a dictatorship. The average age of the world’s greatest civilizations from the beginning of history, has been about 200 years. During those 200 years, these nations always progressed through the following sequence: from bondage to spiritual faith; from spiritual faith to great courage; from courage to liberty; from liberty to abundance; from abundance to complacency; from complacency to apathy; from apathy to dependence; from dependence back into bondage.”

The quote was attributed to a Scottish historian named Alexander Fraser Tytler, who supposedly said this in 1787. (Note: Wikipedia says otherwise, and bases it on this guy. But no one is sure.) Here’s the cycle, regardless of who wrote it, in picture form:

So, #1, can you actually see this in history, and #2, where does that put the US at? What does this mean for us? Personally, I blame it on both political parties. The Republicans create fear of more taxes, and the Democrats thrive on a fear of lost entitlement services. This results in lower taxes and more entitlement services… see the issue?

Sarah’s out at a meeting, so I’m just passing the time, stirring the pot a little. I find comfort in knowing that regardless of what happens, there is One who is bigger than all of this, yet knows how many hairs I have on my head. And yours too.

HT: Common Sense Govt for the graphic

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