Examining The Executive State on Presidents' Day

By Ron Paul

The position of the U.S. presidency is, these days, considered the pinnacle of power in world. Those familiar with the works of F.A. Hayek understand the type of person who reaches such a pinnacle. In this day and age telling your child that he too can become president may not be very healthy advice to give.
 
Today's “unitary executive” is nothing like what the Framers envisioned in the U.S. Constitution. America has morphed into an executive state. The presidency by far dominates the rest of government. Arbitrary powers have been consolidated in the Executive Branch over many years and over many administrations. As this trend continues, the U.S. President becomes less and less accountable to anyone. This turn of events poses a great danger to those liberties that we still retain.
 
A "strong" president is no longer one that follows the "law of the land" -- the U.S. Constitution -- despite the many political pressures that tempt him. Rather, "strength" is now defined as going along with the crowd and appeasing special interests and mobs known as "the majority".
 
In election after election, the American people feel anxious and excited to throw the current president out. Yet it is only a short time before they realize the new president is often worse than his predecessor.
 
Is the fate of liberty sealed? Was the early "land of the free" just a blip on the screen of mankind's long rise from tyranny?
 
I'm not ready to throw in that towel. The ideas of liberty are more powerful than any government that has ever existed on Earth. Hundreds and even thousands of years of errors and mistakes could be wiped out were the ideas of liberty to capture the hearts and minds of a critical mass of individuals. I remain optimistic that such a scenario is out there and waiting for us. We must all keep working and keep teaching. The power of ideas is insurmountable. We will eventually win!