Liberty does not flourish because America is great. America was great only as long as liberty flourished. We forget that at our peril.

As authoritarianism and totalitarianism begin to envelop America, many complacently say: “America is great. She will survive this.” It’s America, after all.

But why? How? When there’s no widespread or deeply cultural attachment to liberty, a society cannot remain free.

We saw what happened with the election of 2020. We saw what happened with 2 solid years of COVID fascism — which could return the next time someone sneezes. We can only imagine what’s coming next, especially with the possible development (so we’re told) of nuclear war with Russia. And then there’s China.

The opposition to what has been going on in the last two years in America has been shockingly minimal. It has been easy for those in power to suffocate any and all opposition. Witness what happened in Canada. Truckers silenced, gone, bank accounts frozen. Even their supporters silenced, bank accounts frozen. You had better believe the same can happen here, and will probably happen, at some point.

A free country is only as great as the people who inhabit the country, and who are willing to stand up for it. Lighting up your Facebook page with a flag of the Ukraine means nothing if you tolerate mask and vax mandates, censorship, rigged elections, hyperinflation, wealth redistribution, freezing of private bank accounts, and gun confiscation.

We will only be free as long as we deserve to be free — and as long as we want to be free. If most of us let it slip away … that’s on us.

Michael J. Hurd, Daily Dose of Reason