The Personal Website of Mark W. Dawson


Containing His Articles, Observations, Thoughts, Meanderings,
and some would say Wisdom (and some would say not).

Liberty, Freedom, and Power

Rufus Fears was Professor of Classics at the University of Oklahoma, where he held the G. T. and Libby Blankenship Chair in the History of Liberty. Jesse Rufus Fears was an American historian, scholar, educator, and author writing on the subjects of Ancient history, The History of Liberty, and classical studies. He is best known for his many lectures for the Teaching Company. He was born on March 7, 1945, and died on October 6, 2012. He left us some Words of Wisdom on the lessons of history that all Americans should ponder. They are:

The 10 Fundamental Lessons of History:

    1. We do not learn from history.
    2. Science and technology do not make us immune to the laws of history.
    3. Freedom is not a universal value.
    4. Power is the universal value.
    5. The Middle East is the crucible of conflict and the graveyard of empires.
    6. The United States shares the destinies of the great democracies, the republics, and the superpowers of the past.
    7. Along with the lust for power, religion and spirituality are the most profound motivators in human history.
    8. Great nations rise and fall because of human decisions made by individual leaders.
    9. The statesman is distinguished from a mere politician by four qualities: a bedrock of principles, a moral compass, a vision, and the ability to create a consensus to achieve that vision.
    10. Throughout its history, the United States has charted a unique role in history.

He also had two additional quotes that are apropos:

“We are no wiser than the Athenians of the 5th century B.C., no wiser than Sophocles for our science of today has shown us the overwhelming power of genes, of DNA.”
 - J. Rufus Fears

“I fear that we live in a historical age in which we believe that we are so wise that we no longer need the lessons of the past, perhaps most disturbingly of all that technology has put us beyond the lessons of the past.”
 - J. Rufus Fears

Despite our advancements in Morality, Ethics, Law, Science, and Technology, we are still governed by our Human Nature, formed by our genetic structure and guiding our thoughts and actions. We should also remember that:

“To deny human nature, or to not acknowledge human nature, is foolish. To not do so will result in much effort, time, and monies being spent on a task that is doomed to failure.”
   - Mark Dawson

We should also remember that:

"Those who don't know history are doomed to repeat it."
  - Edmund Burke

"Those who cannot remember the past are condemned to repeat it."
  - George Santayana

In his DVD from The Great Courses, The Wisdom of History, he expounds upon these lessons, and especially the lesson of history that Freedom is not a universal value but that Power is the universal value. He does this by discussing some of the great empires in history, the foundations that they were built upon, and the reasons for their downfall. These great empires were (my extended list):

All of these empires were based on power – the power of their founders and the power of their subsequent rulers. These empires arose from the power of their founders, were maintained by the imposition of the power of their rulers upon their peoples, and then fell by the misuse of power by their rulers. In all these empires, the peoples of these empires acquiesced to this power for the security, safety, and stability of their society. In none of the empires did the people yearn for liberty and freedom as we understand their meanings. The only exception was the British Empire, as it was based on the power of an Aristocracy led by a King or Queen with limited liberty and freedom for the people.

Therefore, for those that believe that all people desire Liberty and Freedom, the lesson of history is that that they do not – what they desire is security, safety, and stability in their lives. A security, safety, and stability for which they will sacrifice their liberties and freedoms to achieve.

The most modern empire is The American Empire, not based on power but based on "American Ideals and Ideas" of "Freedoms, Liberties, Equalities, and Equal Justice for All". This empire was founded on "The American Theory of Government", which was meant to preserve the Liberty and Freedom of the people and to prevent the misuse of governmental power upon the people.

However, in the 20th and 21st centuries, we have given up some of our Liberties and Freedoms for security, safety, and stability. While the growth of the Federal government has brought forth more security, safety, and stability for the American people, it has also lessened their liberty and freedom of their choices and actions. The proliferation of Federal laws and regulations telling persons, organizations, and businesses what they can and cannot do is subjugating the American people to the will of the government, or as the Declaration of Independence stated, “He has erected a multitude of New Offices, and sent hither swarms of Officers to harrass our people, and eat out their substance.” The Federal government has ignored our rights under the Ninth Amendment and circumvented the Tenth Amendment by assuming powers not delegated to them under the Constitution by utilizing "Torturous and Convoluted Reasoning" to obtain these powers. They have done so in order to achieve a Democratic Constitution rather than a Republican Constitution as I have written in my Article, "A Republican Constitution or a Democratic Constitution" and in my Chirp on, “01/21/22 Ignoring and Rewriting the Constitution”.

Today, with the Vaccine Mandates and the rapid expansion of "Entitlements" as a result of the Vaccine Mandates, and the corresponding massive deficit spending the Federal government, the Federal government is utilizing its powers to enlarge its rulership over the American people as I have written in my Article, "To Be Rulers or to Be Leaders". They are scapegoating the unvaccinated to expand their rulership and impose their will upon the American people. This is reminiscent of how Adolf Hitler scapegoated the Jews, the Undesirables, and un-Germanic thought to obtain a dictatorship over Germany. These actions by the government are symptomatic of a society based upon power and not upon Freedoms, Liberties, Equalities, and Equal Justice for All.

The mob violence of the 2020s, which resulted in deaths, injuries, arson, property destruction, and looting, was perpetuated by Leftists not dedicated to our American Ideals and Ideas. This mob violence was defended by Democrat Party Leaders and Progressives/Leftists and was abetted by the inactions of Law Enforcement by Democrat Mayors and Governors. The lack of prosecution by Democrat District Attorneys or Democrat State Attorney Generals of these perpetrators is an assault on the security, safety, and stability of law-abiding citizens, and it is symptomatic of a society based upon power and not upon Freedoms, Liberties, Equalities, and Equal Justice for All. These actions and inactions have led to a loss of security, safety, and stability in America, which is required for the continued existence of an empire. Also, the arbitrary utilization of power to persecute and prosecute some but not others was one of the large factors in the downfall of empires.

The labeling of persons or organizations who protest against government actions as ‘Insurrectionists’ and the utilization of government agencies to surveil any person or persons suspected of opposing government actions is also symptomatic of a society based upon power and not upon Freedoms, Liberties, Equalities, and Equal Justice for All.

The attempt to Federalize elections, as I have written in my Chirps on "02/17/21 Election Integrity" and "03/06/21 Election Integrity - Part Deux", is an attempt to solidify a ruling class in America by creating an oligarchy of Democrat Party Leaders, maintained and enforced by government bureaucrats, supported by Progressives/Leftists, and aided and abetted by the Mainstream Media, Mainstream Cultural Media, Modern Big Business, Modern Education, and Social Media. They are also allowing massive Illegal Immigration in the hopes of future voters who do not know or understand our American Ideals and Ideals that will then vote to support their oligarchy.

Consequently, America is becoming like the other empires of history based upon power and not Liberty and Freedom. As such, we are as doomed to fall as the other great empires have fallen, and we will have no one to blame but ourselves as ‘We the People’ have allowed this to happen to America.