Governments get into trouble when they ignore the Natural Rights of the People. Every totalitarian society does so, and their leaders rightly fear their people.
We see hints of it here in the US. As our government increasingly abuses our Natural Rights, it resorts to increasingly harsh punishments. Refuse to buy health insurance? Pay a fine or go to prison is the latest outrage.
Which is as ridiculous as it is shocking.
But then, I'm mindful of what Thomas Jefferson had to say on the liberty issue: "When the people fear their government, there is tyranny; when the government fears the people, there is liberty." Totalitarian societies don't ever have to fear the people; because they can just get rid of them (one way or another) if they become inconvenient. The people know this. And so they fear the government. Desire for liberty is subordinated to the basic need for survival in such systems.
We are not yet quite that far down the road to serfdom yet. But it seems to me we are definitely moving in that direction, and will continue to do so as long as our fear of the government is stronger than our natural desire for our God-given Liberty.
Jacquerie, thank you so much for posting this splendid essay/post!