Hayek's words from 1944 - below - ring every more true today than his description of the rise of Nazi Germany then. Obama has long been using words to describe his main goal for the total redistribution of wealth. He has but to pen executive orders or direct his czars to carry out his wishes to nationalize America. For all intents and purposes, he IS Mussolini reincarnate.

""Socialism can be put into practice only by methods of which most socialists disapprove”. The old socialist parties were inhibited by their democratic ideals and they did not possess the ruthlessness required for the performance of their chosen task."

"Today we live on the edge of dictatorship. Transition would be easy, swift, and it could be accomplished with complete legality. Already so many steps have been taken in this direction, due to the completeness of power possessed by the government of the day, and the absence of any real check such as the terms of a written constitution or the existence of an effective second chamber, that those still to be taken are small in comparison."

"Socialism meant unambiguously the nationalization of the means of production and the central economic planning which this made possible and necessary. Socialism has come to mean chiefly the extensive redistribution of incomes through taxation and the institutions of the welfare state. Socialism isn’t always bound to lead to totalitarianism but easily does so."

"If in the long run we are the makers of our own fate, in the short run we are the captives of the ideas we have created. Only if we recognize the danger in time can we hope to avert it. Though the road be long, it is one on which it becomes more difficult to turn back as one advances."

Thank you, Feinman, for posting Hayek's prescient ideas.

To Feinman:

thank goodness we have 50 independent states in this country, each with it's own executive and legislative and judicial branches along with national guard and police forces that can bring Washington to a halt and even dissolve the current federal government if necessary and start over. breaking this country up into individual states was one more demonstration of the genius of the founders of the UNITED STATES. We are not AMERICA. We are the UNITED STATES of AMERICA. I am a North Carolinian first. The federal government ultimately answers to the states and the citizens of those states.

I think our next republican presidential candidate should run in part on that notion. That the federal government should appear strong to foreign countries and as a uniter of the 50 states, humble and fiscally responsible in carrying out the constitutionally mandated functions of the federal government.

There you go.

Now you've done it.

Don't you realize that in the age in which we live, these are the kind of satirical wise cracks that chronically come true?

Even as we speak, deep in the bowels of the RNC plans to launch Platypus Consensus Maximus are afoot. He's perfect! He powerful (sorta), but cuddly, and he's just a little bit of everything. And, most important, while he stands out as a solid example of Republican ThinkTankism he still won't make Obama look too bad in any sort of offensive comparison.

Elmer Fudd is gone back home!

Long Live Platypus Maximus!

To Marcus:

Most state and local governments are "bought and paid for" by federal monies. They've been surrendering their 10th amendment rights for decades.

Even as we speak, the 111th congress and the barry soetoro administration continue to wage barbaric war on the American citizen through yesterday's passage in the house of the "DREAM" nightmare amnesty act. The senate will prove their loyalty to America in their vote today. The sponsors are corrupt, selling citizenship for votes, traitors who aid and abet the illegal aliens horde of invaders sapping our resources and stealing our identity. If these illegitimate are legitimized they will steal our elections starting in 2012. The reid/pelosi/soetoro/napolitano/holder/clinton cabal is absolutely counting on it.

Unfortunately as you're all too aware, Marcus, your "notion" was once tried - 1861-1865.

Unfortunately, in this day and age it is impossible to pick up your musket and march on DC. As William has so aptly pointed out, our local and state governments have been bought and paid for by federal monies. We have been blackmailed into doing the federal bidding with the threat of with holding of federal money. No one has the backbone to go it alone instead of leaning on the federals for support.

Richard Ryan

Lamar, Missouri (Birthplace of Harry S Truman)

Right on target William! We are way to far down the road of democracy (mob rule?) to return to the notion of a true republic! Our states are much to drunk with the swill of Federal dollars to ever show the back bone required to become independant once again. The hero's of the Civil War were the brave men standing up for the principles that were ultimately lost as our heritage slipped rith thru the peoples fingers. And no, I'm not from the south.

A good start would be the repeal of the 17th Amendment which would put more authority back into the hands of the states and away from a federal goliath as originaaly intended by our founders as evidenced in the constitution.

True words Joe and nor am I.

Evil succeeds when it is tenacious. The Socialist's, i.e., Democrats, are tenacious in their evil tendencies.

Pride, and especially excessive pride, is a great evil and the Socialist's, i.e., Democrats, are imbued with excessive pride and that is why they continue on as though nothing has changed.

@Ceseace

Agree 100%. Repeal the 17th!

In Hayek's quote is the means to halt Socialism's advance in the U.S.: "...the terms of a written Constitution."

Either the Constitution is "the supreme law of the land" or we exist at the whim of executive decree, legislative over-reach, and judicial fiat.

Restore Constitutional governance by insisting that all federal legislation clearly enumerate what portion of Article 1, Section 8 of the U.S. Constitution authorizes such congressional action.

Like Jimmy D, I have no faith that the Republicans will not once again present us with the platypus instead of the principle.

to irishcoonass - the US Constitution, as well as an effective "second chamber" as in either an independent senate and house or at least a two-party system that didn't include both RINOs (Republicans in Name Only) or DUNG (Democrats Under New Guises), would have precluded socialism.

Unfortunately, when you have an extreme Marxist running the administration, appointing "czars" to run the country's regulations, and appointing judges at all levels expecting political payback, not to mention his bribing congress with socialist deals and all of them literally trampling the Constitution every one of them swore to uphold and defend, you get socialism of the kind that is already bringing us under totalitarianism.

Since the majority of the public continue to pretend their government is none of their business, their business will become every bit the government's.

Ladies and gentlemen, are your children lined up behind you in full support of your views, or did you abdicate your responsibility of your children's civic education to the government schools?

The principles you espouse now mean little if your children suck at the Socialist teat of the "education" establishment and take that "mother's milk" lesson forward into the following generations. The Constitution means little or nothing to them because they are ignorant of it.

It's taken us years to dig this hole, and they will be the ones to dig us out, if it can be done.

A message from the people to the POTUS, the Democratic Party and every liberal: Give us back our Constitution now! You are walking all over it and getting it dirty.

Whoever controls the media, controls

the mind.---Jim Morrison (1943-1971)

One thing is certain. Each & every one of my nieces & nephews hear about constitutional governance every opportunity I get. I also always point out to them the revisionist history in many history books.

I may not be the best at explaining this stuff, but at least I am trying.

I even got a kid from my home town to enrol at Hillsdale. There, I know, he will get an education that represents America & her founding ideals!