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"We need change, real change," said Barack Obama in 2008. But what kind of change will we get and what will be its effect? William Federer answers that question in a summary of the struggle for power over the past 6,000 years. His new book called Change to Chains: Change to Chains surveys the major governments throughout history. It shows that power is first concentrated in the hands of a monarch, then separated into the hands of the people, and then concentrated back again into a ruler. Unfortunately for liberty, power naturally tends to concentrate rather than separate unless there is a tremendous effort on the part of the people. It starts with a crisis and chaos that is brought into order by one person who gathers the power into himself. He rules for a while until the people are able to take back some of their liberties and separate the power among themselves. Eventually, the people become immoral and lazy and, when another power challenges them, they are too weak to defend themselves and power is concentrated again in a new ruler. Federer sets forth the history of the handful of people who tried to break this cycle and form a different type of government: a republic. The United States, however, is unique among the world?'s few republics; we were formed as a constitutional republic in which ultimate authority comes from the people and our Constitution provides the rule of law. Representation in Congress balances state and individual rights. Federer credits American freedom to our emphasis on religion, morality, personal responsibility, and economic freedom. How much change will these principles withstand? What might happen in America if we follow the pattern of change we see in history? Change to Chains makes clear that power will flow back to the hands of tyrants in a time of crisis if the people allow it. We must remember what has made America different. A country like America only happened once in 6,000 years and we are not guaranteed that it will ever happen again. (Amerisearch Inc., 300 pages, $20) |
The 6000 Year Quest for Control explains the historic record of how chains are forged when a country does not keep adequate checks on governmental power to counter the continuing struggle for control. This book is rich in examples and quotations from the Founding Fathers and past presidents.
