Convincing the average American that this country faces a crisis of biblical proportions is similar to convincing an alcoholic that drinking whisky is not in their best interest. Long before President Obama won his first Presidential election in 2008, there were scores of articles pleading with the American voter to research the unsettling history of the man from Chicago who was vying for the most powerful position on planet earth; a man who publically stated that the United States Constitution was a “fundamentally flawed” document.

But did any of those words of wisdom find their way to the minds of lever-pulling American voters? Heck no. The 2008 election ushered in an unprecedented period in history that witnessed multiple failed economic programs, a secretive administration that would have made Stalin proud and scandals whose numbers were only outshined by the ever increasing levels of outrageousness.

Many independent publications did their best to inform and warn of the disasters that would befall its readers both on an economic and social level. A recent case in point was an article written shortly after the 2012 election and appeared in the December 2012 Juniper Berry. That article stated, “So what does the crystal ball say about the next four years? Well, based on the undeniable fact that Obama knows little about compromise, and the fact that during the entire campaign Obama justified and praised the results of his first term in office in the next four years we will see much of the same economic strategies that kept job creation low, unemployment high and the deficit rising to heights that would even give an eagle a nosebleed. However, one important change will take place that will change the game forever and make every person who voted for Obama look for the biggest rock to crawl under but there will be no escape and that change is the unfolding provisions of Obamacare.

dangerous consequences

Make no mistake, Obamacare is not just a loss of choice, it will force highly skilled doctors out of practicing medicine, it will force hospitals to close, force employers to drop coverage for employees, raise taxes and cost the economy approximately 800,000 jobs and after 2014, can never be repealed.

Sadly, many of these predictions have come to pass and the future under this President, with the predictable assistance of local politicians such as Senator Charles Schumer, is going to get a whole lot worse.

Are you wondering what the latest crystal ball tells us about 2014 and beyond? Maybe a better question than wanting to learn what is going to happen to us is what are we prepared to do to control our destinies? What can we do to participate in the decisions now made by others that alter the direction of our lives?

Unfortunately, the average American will be quick to take the easy way out and blame the mainstream media, politicians or corporations for the mess we are in but that’s like blaming the flames for destroying our homes.

Our magnificent system of government, where government exists to serve the people, a bedrock belief upon which this unique nation was founded and derives its true power, has been turned on its head. The real danger therefore is not someone like Obama, special interest groups or greedy bankers, they are merely the flickering flames doing what flames do, but rather the distorted idea in the minds of many Americans that citizens work for government; that it is the responsibility of government to provide sustenance to the people.

The emerging false belief that people work to serve the government is the belief we fought a revolutionary war to change. The essence of the American experiment revolves around the unique conviction that man already has certain rights given to him by God and the main role of government is to protect those rights.

the idea that American values are outdated

But now, with the help of liberal universities that have a monopoly on the curriculum that pushes the idea that American values are outdated and where America is vilified as oppressive, racist and evil, the new way of looking at the relationship between government and citizen has taken a giant step backward to pre-Constitution thought.

No longer do Americans gather to voice their opinions, exchange ideas or exercise their rights. The loss of our freedoms did not happen overnight. A small part was taken away with each new executive order bypassing Congress or closed-door bill passage and small, sustained attacks on the Constitution’s amendments.

The chances of a corrupt politician being caught in some scandal are remote and when one does get caught they immediately shout that they will accept responsibility. But accepting responsibility means accepting the consequences and there simply aren’t any. Today’s American citizen has surrendered their most cherished inheritance for nothing and to individuals who routinely break their oath of office to sell the American people out to the highest bidder. The erosion of the Constitution is such that it may already be too late to correct.  Ultimately, it is the person in the mirror most responsible for the current state of the nation.

**The views expressed in this column represent only those of the author and not the board or membership of the Juniper Park Civic Association.