Just
over 400 years ago, Guy Fawkes—one of 13 men who conspired in what
is known as the Gunpowder Plot—was caught in an attempt to
assassinate King James I and blow up the House of Lords.
The
Gunpowder Plot may have been a failure, but the country was in poor
enough shape that it eventually fell into civil war in 1642 anyway.
At the time, British monarchy was controlling many aspects of their
subjects' lives—from what they could wear to how they could
worship. The British economy was under the control on a single
individual who indebted the state, impeded growth,and inhibited
personal freedom. Not exactly a a recipe for long-term success.
Are
things so different here today? We have laws regulating everything
from tobacco and alcohol consumption to what we can and cannot eat. The
federal government is in such debt that no one seems to even care
anymore. And like the situation that led to the Gunpowder Plot, a
small, elite group controls almost every aspect of the
economy—taxation, regulation, and the money supply.
What
should make anyone think things will end differently this time?
