A republic or an empire?

When the Roman Empire was born, the Roman Republic had to die.  A government that aspires to dominate the world cannot be restrained by the checks and balances of an ancient constitution.

We Americans must choose whether to be a constitutional republic or a global empire.  Or we can choose not to choose, which means we will continue our drift from republic to empire.  We will retain the forms of democracy.  Elected representatives will decide such issues as health insurance mandates, green energy subsidies or inheritance tax rates, but they will not interfere with the Department of Defense, Homeland Security or the many intelligence agencies.

Secrecy and power without accountability are incompatible with a constitutional republic based on representative democracy and the rule of law.  But they are essential to a global empire on a perpetual war footing.

Wikileaks is a litmus test for republic vs. empire.  If the United States is a constitutional republic, concerned only with the well-being of American citizens as individuals, then Wikileaks is possibly a useful gadfly and at worst a minor nuisance.  But if the United States is an empire with “national interests” that transcend the welfare of the individual citizen, then Wikileaks is a real threat that has to be crushed at all costs.

Tags: Constitution, Empire or republic, Republic or empire, Wikileaks