…So begains the rhyme chanted every year on Guy Fawkes Day in the UK and various post-English nations around the world. The phrase was recently made popular in the United States by the comic series and subsequent film, “V for Vendetta.” The story takes place in the near future, where Britain is undergoing political changes which seem to draw comparisons to the rise of the Nazis (The National Socialist German Workers Party) in Germany. The government has assumed control of news organizations and is filling broadcasts with propaganda. The main character is portrayed as the lone hero that sees the reality that the people of Britain are losing their liberties, but are too blinded to do anything to stop it. In a move to “reset” the government, he designs a plot to blow up parliament and assassinate every leading official.

I was reminded of this story after reading news today about Hugo Chaves, the Venezuelan President and champion of the Socialist cause, who has already assumed power of several companies, and is now threatening to shut down news organizations that are critical of him. Perhaps Obama will take the cue and shut down Fox News Channel.

Back to the movie – I happen to really like it, as any small-government person would. However, we should remind ourselves that it was that kind of Anarchistic thinking that led Timothy McVeigh to blow up a Federal building in Oklahoma City in 1995, killing 168 people – including children. You don’t solve political problems by mass killing. Of course, there comes a time where the greater cause requires direct action. In the movie “Valkyrie” a group of high ranking German officials conspired to kill Hitler in order to save millions of people, and nearly succeeded. They were executed after being discovered, and a memorial of their sacrifice stands today in Germany.

Ever since WWII we as a people have been obsessed with Hitler and his rise to power. Very few people can actually tell you how it happened, but what they do know is that an evil man gained a lot of power and used it to influence public opinion and kill jews. During the recent Bush administration I saw a number of left-wing videos that would flash images of Bush along with images of Hitler. It’s the ultimate political insult. Hitler and the Nazi party have become symbols for the abuse of political power – but we can’t forget that that such abuse is not an effect of parties, but of people who look to the government to control society – a concept that can be found in both major American parties.

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Hitler and the Nazi party have become symbols for the abuse of political power – but we can’t forget that such abuse is not an effect of parties, but of people who look to the government to control society – a concept that can be found in both major American parties.

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Images of Hitler are no more applicable to Bush than Barack Obama, who has substantially expanded government power and increased taxes and spending in just a few short months. The government, under the leadership of Obama and Speaker Nancy Pelosi, has bought out banks and automakers, fired private employees, set the framework for nationalized health care, capped CEO salaries at companies who they’ve helped, and they’re now talking about capping salaries at all companies.

People voted for Obama because he said he could fix things, but what people have to understand is that in order to fix something you have to control it. You can’t take control of the ship without first removing its captain – in this case, the people.

We forget that people have a way of finding solutions to society’s problems when their creativity and ambitions are unleashed. It’s a simple principle – society wants to heal itself, and the thinkers, creators, inventors and innovators will work tirelessly until solutions are found.  The irony is that as Government’s hand becomes heavy with regulations and high on taxes, the freedom to pursue is lost, the incentives to succeed are gone, and humanity becomes evermore dependent on outside assistance – first from the government, then from other nations.