The Road to Tyranny Is Not Dependent on Obama

By Todd Strandberg

Barak Obama has become one of the most polarizing presidents in our nation’s history. The vast majority of people either love the man or can’t stand him.

The liberal watchdog group Media Matters has established a "Red Scare Index" to track the pundits' descriptions of Obama. It shows that "since the inauguration, there have been over 3,000 references to socialism, fascism, [and] communism" in describing the president, says spokeswoman Erikka Knuti. Here are some quotes from the leading voices on the right:

“Just as Mussolini did - in slightly different words - Obama repeatedly talks about using government to 'leverage' private investment for the greater good. ... Then you combine it with the Obamanation of a growing Il Duce-like cult of the leader. ... The comparison of today's situation to that of Italian fascism is no mere scare tactic, but a serious concern." - Quin Hillyer, American Spectator

"The government is a heroin pusher using smiley-faced fascism to grow the nanny state." - Glenn Beck, Fox News

"The White House is perfectly timed, perfectly monogrammed, perfectly educated to destroy capitalism ... and they're in the process of doing it." - Rush Limbaugh, EIB

The general fear is that Obama is going to suddenly suspend the constitution and set up martial law. It is easy for the pundits to make dire predictions, but switching America from liberty to enslavement is a rather tall task. I think we are clearly headed for autocratic rule, but I don’t foresee a frontal assault on the constitution. Obama may be the leading actor, but ultimately, he is just a bit player in a very elaborate drama.

The drive toward greater government control is primarily an offshoot of the ongoing financial crisis. Within eight months’ time, a series of government bailouts has made Uncle Sam the controlling force in mortgage loans, banking, insurance, and the auto industry.

As the economy collapsed, Congress, the Treasury, and the Federal Reserve all made key decisions that guided us further away from a free-market system. One clear sign of how Washington has taken control of Wall Street came when Obama fired the CEO of General Motors. Our president also promised that he would back every GM warranty. Yes, the commander-in-chief of the free world is now Mr. Goodwrench.

The economic meltdown has certainly made Americans more open to socialism -- only 53 percent of Americans now believe capitalism is the better system, according to a poll by Rasmussen Reports. However, 70 percent of the population said they preferred a free-market economy to one managed by the government.

Some banks have already found out how dangerous it can be to take money from the government. A few banks that took bailout money have now realized that giving it back is harder than getting it. The Treasury has declined to accept $340 million in payments from banks in Louisiana , New York , Indiana, and California . The clear reason for the rejection of repayment is that once you take TARP (Troubled Assets Relief Program) money, you have to abide by a new set of rules, and the administration doesn’t want to give up control.

The framers of the Constitution never envisioned a president of the United States taking over and running a corporation. Whenever the government becomes involved in the task of running a business, the concern shifts from making money to propagating some form of ideology.

Our proximity to the end-times makes me doubt that we will ever see the restoration of the capitalism system that has worked so well for our nation. The state of the current economy seems to have stabilized, but the future still looks very dark. We are building up a huge federal deficit that is becoming nearly impossible to fund. If the economy goes into another tailspin, you can kiss goodbye what remains of your liberties.

The Bible warns that the world is headed for an Orwellian future in which the government will have complete control of the lives of its citizens. I hope the most drastic measures will come after the rapture, but there is no guarantee that this will be the case.

As the world becomes more in line with the type of despotism that will permeate the tribulation hour, my reaction is to become all the more dedicated to the will of God. I’m not distressed by what I’m seeing because I don’t have a horse in this race.

I don’t think Christians should just roll over and play dead. We should continue to lobby our representatives in Congress to stand up for moral truth. Unfortunately, there will come a point at which we can do nothing to stop the avalanche of evil sweeping over the land.

The only hope for this world is the arrival of a very special political leader. The Bible predicts he will completely clean house and have a very long rule:

“The kingdoms of this world are become the kingdoms of our Lord, and of his Christ; and he shall reign for ever and ever” (Rev. 11:15).

“And the kingdom and dominion, and the greatness of the kingdom under the whole heaven, shall be given to the people of the saints of the most High, whose kingdom is an everlasting kingdom, and all dominions shall serve and obey him” (Dan 7:27).

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