Darren Wolfe, The International Libertarian, spoke about why we should stay out of Syria and other wars overseas. The speech was given at the No War With Syria Rally and Press Conference (https://www.facebook.com/events/357486981051160/) on Sunday, Sept 15, 2013.
In LOVE Park, Philadelphia, PA on Saturday August 24, 2013 activists demonstrated against the NSA's surveillance program that has not faced its end yet. Also protested were Philadelphia's unreasonable stop and frisk policies that go against the Fourth Amendment and are warrant-less searches and violate our rights to privacy.
I gave this presentation at
the Citizens
for Liberty meeting on August 20, 2013 near Norristown,
Pennsylvania. Below are links to source material so readers can do
their own research and come to their own conclusions.
And if we enquire
how these unhappy nations have lost that precious jewel liberty...we
shall find their miseries...proceed from this, that their necessities
or indiscretion have permitted a standing army to be kept amongst
them...
...no nation ever
preserved its liberty, that maintained an army otherwise
constituted within the seat of their government...
...the
Israelites, Athenians, Corinthians, Archaians, Lacedemonians,
Thebans, Samnites, and Romans; none of which nations whilst they kept
their liberty were ever known to maintain any soldiers in constant
pay within their cities...
It's the misfortune
of all countries, that they sometimes lie under an unhappy
necessity
to defend themselves by arms against the ambition of their
governors,
and to fight for what is their own; for if a prince will rule us with
a
rod
of iron, and invade our laws and liberties...we...must patiently
submit to our bondage, or stand upon our own defense; which if we are
enabled to do, we shall never be put upon it...
This
subject is so self-evident, that I am almost ashamed to prove it: for
if we look
through the world, we shall find in no country, liberty and an army
stand
together;
so that to know whether a people are free or slaves, it is necessary
only
to ask, whether there is an army kept amongst them?
I
will venture to say, that if this Army does not make us Slaves, we
are the only People upon Earth in such Circumstances that ever
escaped it… If this Army does not enslave us, it is barely because
we have a virtuous Prince that will not attempt it; and it is a most
miserable thing to have no other Security for our Liberty, than the
Will of a Man, though the most just Man living: For that is not a
free Government where there is a good Prince (for even the most
arbitrary Governments have had sometimes a Relaxation of their
Miseries) but where it is so constituted, that no one can be a Tyrant
if he would. Cicero says, though a Master does not tyrannize, yet it
is a lamentable consideration that it is in his Power to do so; and
therefore such a Power is to be trusted to none, which if it does not
find a Tyrant, commonly makes one; and if not him, to be sure a
Successor.
It
is certain, that all parts of Europe which are enslaved, have been
enslaved by armies; and it is absolutely impossible, that any nation
which keeps them amongst themselves can long preserve their
liberties; nor can any nation perfectly lose their liberties who are
without such guests: And yet, though all men see this, and at times
confess it, yet all have joined in their turns, to bring this heavy
evil upon themselves and their country.
It
is on a supposition that your American governors shall be honest that
all the good qualities of this government are founded; but its
defective and imperfect construction puts it in their power to
perpetrate the worst of mischiefs should they be bad men; and, sir,
would not all the world blame our distracted folly in resting our
rights upon the contingency of our rulers being good or bad? Show me
that age and country where the rights and liberties of the people
were placed on the sole chance of their rulers being good men without
a consequent loss of liberty! I say that the loss of that dearest
privilege has ever followed, with absolute certainty, every such mad
attempt.
Did
you ever read of any revolution in a nation, brought about by the
punishment of those in power, inflicted by those who had no power at
all? You read of a riot act in a country which is called one of the
freest in the world, where a few neighbors cannot assemble without
the risk of being shot by a hired soldiery, the engines of despotism.
We may see such an act in America. A standing army we shall have,
also, to execute the execrable commands of tyranny; and how are you
to punish them? Will you order them to be punished? Who shall obey
these orders?
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