One of my favorite quotes, which I believe accurately describes our current circumstances, is attributed to Scottish philosopher Alexander Tytler.

Cycle of Democracy

A democracy cannot exist as a permanent form of government.  It can only exist until the voters discover they can vote themselves largess from the public treasury.

From that moment on, the majority always votes for the candidates promising them the most benefits from the public treasury, with the result that a democracy always collapses over loose fiscal policy, always followed by a dictatorship.

The average age of the world's greatest civilizations has been 200 years. These nations have progressed through this sequence:

From bondage to spiritual faith;
from spiritual faith to great courage;
from courage to liberty;
from liberty to abundance;
from abundance to selfishness;
from selfishness to apathy;
from apathy to dependence;
from dependency back again into bondage.

Is there a more accurate depiction of today's Democrat politician than the promise of more benefits from the public treasury?  Or the voters' realization that they can vote themselves largess from the same said public treasury?   

Free college.  Waiving student debt.  Money (more money) for education.  Money (more money) for the inner cities.  Health care for all.  A fifteen-dollar minimum wage.  Amnesty.  Reparations.  On and on and on.  The appetite is insatiable.

The Democrat pol is only too happy to stoke envy and resentment of the voter base, with the promise that he will make things right.  Of course, making things right demands that he be voted into office, and likewise be granted "more power" to level the playing field.  In parlance, leveling the playing field means take from the rich and give to the poor.

Having been founded 240 years ago, we have surpassed the average age of history's great democracies.  With $20T in national debt and over $100T in unfunded liabilities, we are well on our way to collapse.

Today, we are somewhere between selfishness and dependency, and well on our way to bondage.

Progressives have been on a 100-year tear.  When socialists couldn't win over the electorate in the early part of the 20th century, they ingeniously began the process of "giving the American people a taste."  As most addicts, they start with a taste.  Soon they progress to casual use, and a before you know it, they're strung out, desperately looking for their next hit.  The pusher, in this instance, our Democrat politician is only too happy to provide, at someone else's expense.

We as a nation have a decision, and a pressing one: will we continue our drug-addled binge, or will we pull back the reins before it's too late?

Our answer relies on the aforementioned voters.  I don't hold out much hope in our ability to break free from our own vicious cycle.