The Definition of Tyranny (And a few examples)

According to Webster's Revised Unabridged Dictionary, the definition of Tyranny is:

"The government or authority of a tyrant; a country governed by an absolute ruler; hence, arbitrary or despotic exercise of power; exercise of power over subjects and others with a rigor not authorized by law or justice, or not requisite for the purposes of government."

Now, I really have nothing against people who buy organic food and drive hybrids, in fact, with today's gas prices I don' t blame them. But imagine this: what if dozens of influential people were actually telling their fellow Americans how to live their lives?

Forget the hypothetical notions - it's happening right now.

Dozens of influential people really are trying to get us to exist according to their standards, and mostly under the innocent guise of protecting the environment. That, my friends, is tyranny. The government is even stepping in (believe it or not!), setting future mandates for fuel efficiency (http://www.msnbc.msn.com/id/19352490/) and other measures that are slowly draining us of the freedom our forefathers gave their lives for.

As Environmental Protection Agency administrator Stephen L. Johnson so effectively stated,
"I believe that Congress by passing a unified federal standard of 35 mpg delivers significant reductions that are more effective than a state-by-state approach. This applies to all 50 states, not one state, not 12 states, not 15 states. It applies to all 50 states, and that's great for the economy, for national security and for the environment." (http://www.latimes.com/news/local/la-me-epa20dec20,0,1603760.story?coll=la-home-center)

Is it really?

Think of the ramifications of this. According to www.fueleconomy.gov, (and a sprinkle of common sense) the biggest producers of energy-efficient vehicles are the ones based in other countries (think Toyota, Honda, Mazda and others). Now, I don't know about you, but when I think of an American-built vehicle, some vehicles that come to mind are gas-guzzling Ford F-250s and Chevy Suburbans. These may be great for ranchers and soccer moms, but definetly do not get 35 mpg.

Some people have come to the conclusion that, somehow, these companies will just have to use innovation and all that jazz to get to the 35 mpg mark, but in my opinion it will cripple the American car industry. Yes, the companies that make these vehicles do have other models with great gas mileage, but what about the moms with five or six kids to drive around? If anyone has any idea of how to make a fuel-efficient 8-seater vehicle, I'd love to hear it.

2020 is not a long way off, and with it will come a new breed of tyranny. If this government mandate builds on itself, boy, are we in for it. Once Big Brother (the government, for those of you who haven't read 1984) can tell American car companies how to build their vehicles, what will keep them from mandating our lives? What will keep them from mandating our carbon footprint or the temperature in our homes? (http://www.nytimes.com/2008/01/16/us/16brfs-THERMOSTATPL_BRF.html)

Don't think for a second that our 'well-meaning' government won't use Global Warming as a scapegoat for this! Remember, America is the land of the free, not the land of the emissions-free.