(In the spirit of Thomas Paine)
To the People of America—And to All Lovers of Liberty
Once again, the Fourth of July dawns on our land. Fireworks crackle in the sky. Flags wave from every porch. We tell stories of 1776—the year our forefathers shook off the chains of monarchy and dared to declare themselves free men and women, sovereign under God, not subjects of any earthly king.
But look beneath the spectacle—look past the slogans and celebrations—and you will see that the spirit of Independence has never been under greater threat, not from a foreign invader, but from within. Today, a new tyranny has crept upon us—so subtle, so sophisticated, that many do not even recognize its touch.
The Chains We Cannot See: The Convergence of Control
Thomas Paine wrote Common Sense to expose the fraud and abuse of monarchy. In our day, the chains are digital and psychological, not iron and steel. The enemy is not a single king, but the Convergence—the engineered fusion of government, corporate power, media, finance, surveillance, and artificial intelligence. This new regime promises “security,” “progress,” and “happiness”—but always at the price of true liberty.
“When plunder becomes a way of life for a group of men in a society, over the course of time they create for themselves a legal system that authorizes it and a moral code that glorifies it.”
— Frédéric Bastiat
We are being plundered—not just of our wealth, but of our autonomy, privacy, and very humanity.
- Bankers and planners conjure crises and profit from every war and collapse.
- Corporations track your every move, your every purchase, your every word.
- Media manufacturers stoke fear, anger, and division to keep you passive and compliant.
- Politicians of all stripes play “left vs. right,” but serve the same machine, moving the Overton Window ever further from the Constitution and the consent of the governed.
- Schools and “experts” teach our children to love their captivity, to trust the system, to doubt their own eyes.
This is not “progress.” This is the slow, deliberate construction of a digital monarchy—the engineered chemistry of control.
The 2030 Vision: Welcome to the New Plantation
We are told that the future will bring us abundance if only we trade in our freedom:
- “You will own nothing and be happy.”
- “Everything you want will be delivered, monitored, and optimized.”
- “Dissent will be unnecessary; all needs will be met by the benevolence of the system.”
But what is really being offered?
Dependence. Surveillance. Obedience. Censorship. The end of privacy, property, and even the family.
And for those who resist?
Exile, digital banishment, and exclusion from the marketplace—just as foretold in ancient prophecy.
“Those outside pay a high price: they’re cut off from the benefits, but might preserve some level of freedom, privacy, and real community.”
The Mark of the Beast Is Not a Myth—It’s a System
Some laugh at prophecy. But read the signs:
- Digital currency that can be shut off with a click.
- Social credit scores that punish dissent.
- “Emergency” powers that erase rights with every new crisis.
The chains are forged, not by open violence, but by consent—by the sweet poison of convenience, pleasure, and false safety.
“The brave man is he who overcomes not only his enemies but his pleasures.” – Democritus
Every new crisis, every “upgrade,” every move to make life “easier” is another link in the chain.
The Duty of This Generation: Defend Liberty or Lose It
This Independence Day, let us stop pretending. Let us refuse to be children, distracted by bread and circuses. Let us remember the lesson of July 4, 1776:
Freedom is not given by kings, technocrats, or committees. It is claimed by men and women with the courage to say “No” to unjust power, and “Yes” to self-government.
“The real test of patriotism is whether we can hold our own side to the same standard we demand from others.”
“Patriotism means to stand by the country. It does not mean to stand by the president or any other public official, save exactly to the degree in which he himself stands by the country.” – Theodore Roosevelt
True patriotism is demanding accountability and transparency from all our leaders—especially the ones who claim to protect us.
What Must We Do?
- Remember that liberty is not a partisan issue—it is the foundation of all real progress, justice, and faith.
- Refuse the mark of dependence, even if it costs you.
- Build real communities, outside the system if necessary.
- Defend your mind from propaganda and your conscience from compromise.
- Demand the restoration of constitutional limits, sound money, and real consent of the governed.
- Teach your children the true history—not just of 1776, but of every generation’s struggle for freedom.
- Pray for the courage to stand, not just when it’s easy, but when the world is against you.
A Final Warning and a Final Hope
Orwell said:
“The most effective way to destroy people is to deny and obliterate their own understanding of their history.”
Let us refuse to forget who we are and where we came from. The dream of independence was not a moment, but a movement—a covenant to defend liberty, even at great cost.
Today, the crisis is more subtle, but the choice is just as real:
Live as free men and women, or accept the comforts of a digital plantation.
“When we defend liberty, we are defending ourselves, our families, our land, and our property.”
— Frédéric Bastiat
May God grant us the vision, the courage, and the wisdom to choose liberty again—before the last chains are locked and the memory of freedom is gone forever.
Happy Independence Day.
