THE IDEA OF AMERICA, PART I

James Bovard provides a vivid description of how today's American state is powerful compared to the English state at the time of the Revolution:

The Massachusetts colonists rebelled after the British agents revived "writs of assistance" that allowed them to search any colonist's property. Modern Americans submit passively to government sweep searches of buses, schools, and housing projects. Virginia revolted in part because King George imposed a two-pence tax on the sale of a pound of tea; Americans today are complacent while Congress imposes billions of dollars of retroactive taxes…Connecticut rebelled in part because the British were undermining the independence of judges; nowadays, federal agencies have the power to act as prosecutor, judge and jury in suits against private citizens. Maine revolted in part because the British Parliament issued a decree confiscating every white pine tree in the colony; modern Americans are largely complacent when local governments impose almost unlimited restrictions on individuals' rights to use their own property. The initial battles of the Revolution occurred after British troops tried to seize the colonists' private weapons; today, residents in Chicago, Washington, D.C., and other cities submit to de facto prohibitions on handgun ownership…

Then and now. Amazing and profound changes from the way we were. We cannot hope for a return to the halcyon days of limited government and personal freedom - maybe the good old days weren't all they're cracked up to be - but we can hope for a better use of our assets, both material and intellectual, and less plunder and self destruction by our politicians.