Read this first:
The Road To Tyranny: The US Constitution & The Death Of Democracy (Part I)

It is an excellent post.

I have two comments on his article, but I only posted a comment about the first ;>

The first comment is regarding human nature, and the Founder's view of it.

The Founders put the burden of sustaining freedom on the shoulders of the people, and the people dropped the burden at the first opportunity.

@gwiss makes a good point about the Supreme Court seizing the power of judicial review...essentially making them both disproportionately powerful and less subject to accountability...that is the first example we have of the people failing to meet their obligations to defend themselves.

...and that was within the first generation, the people that set the deal up to begin with!

what country can preserve it's liberties if their rulers are not warned from time to time that their people preserve the spirit of resistance? let them take arms. the remedy is to set them right as to facts, pardon & pacify them. what signify a few lives lost in a century or two? the tree of liberty must be refreshed from time to time with the blood of patriots & tyrants. it is it's natural manure.
Thomas Jefferson to William Smith
Paris, Nov. 13. 1787

Human rights can only be assured among a virtuous people. The general government . . . can never be in danger of degenerating into a monarchy, an oligarchy, an aristocracy, or any despotic or oppresive form so long as there is any virtue in the body of the people.
George Washington

I must study Politicks and War that my sons may have liberty to study Painting and Poetry Mathematicks and Philosophy. My sons ought to study Mathematicks and Philosophy, Geography, natural History, Naval Architecture, navigation, Commerce and Agriculture, in order to give their Children a right to study Painting, Poetry, Musick, Architecture, Statuary, Tapestry and Porcelaine.
John Adams to Abigail Adams
12 May 1780

I'll note that Adams is wrong...every generation of man must study government and war to meet their moral duties!

See my argument in Hard Times Create Strong Men

My second comment is more of a semantics issues

Rich states

The "Left-Right" - "Liberal-Conservative" paradigm is a false dichotomy

which he modifies here

this is where the genuine dichotomy exists- Individualism vs. Collectivism.

For me, this is a matter of semantics, the Left will always be collectivists and vice versa. Anyone who opposes Leftism/Collectivism will be portrayed as an enemy, regardless of naming conventions!

The sad thing is that there will usually be more people that are leftists than not in any given society...most people are extroverts, and will run with the herd mentality. Group biases are more dangerous than individual biases, IMO.

The second problem is the combination of do-gooding with rent-seeking; the group biases present in Leftism will always give a "popular" base for corruptocrats to prey upon. But who will think of the children? Bah, keep your hands on your wallet and your freedom when you hear THAT!

Ultimately, history as shown that if you do not keep a boot on the neck of the Left, they WILL put one on yours!

Wrapping it up

@richq11 makes a good background presentation to my articles on Militant Democracy as a response to tyranny and corruption. Militant Democracy as a response to subverted or corrupt government? Part Two

Militant Democracy provides a concept for reacting to the "paradox of democracy"; must we endure a suicide pact with those that seek to enslave us?

No.

Democratic forms of government will always be under attack, and they rely on a moral and vigilant people to defend them!