Today Americans around the world are celebrating Independence Day; though some would have you believe it is about the people in our armed forces. We celebrate them on Veterans Day (which used to be Armistice Day {The term "armistice" means a cessation of hostilities as a prelude to peace} and marked the end of WWI. Today there is no day celebrating PEACE). But I digress , Independence day marks our break from England and the tyrant King George III (who was suffering from a mental disease as I understand it). Patriots fought the war and died in the fields to gain the freedoms written into our Declaration of Independence. We deposed the tyrant and the British Army sent here to battle the colonist.

My question is "What price freedom?" They died to depose a tyrannical government that taxed us without representation and suppressed with military might. Below is the Webster definition of tyranny:

Main Entry:
tyr·an·ny Listen to the pronunciation of tyranny
Pronunciation:
\ˈtir-ə-nē\
Function:
noun
Inflected Form(s):
plural tyr·an·nies
Etymology:
Middle English tyrannie, from Middle French, from Medieval Latin tyrannia, from Latin tyrannus tyrant
Date:
14th century

1: oppressive power ; especially : oppressive power exerted by government

2 a: a government in which absolute power is vested in a single ruler ; especially : one characteristic of an ancient Greek city-state b: the office, authority, and administration of a tyrant

3: a rigorous condition imposed by some outside agency or force

I believe our fore-fathers would once again raise the cry "To arms, to arms" if they were to see what politicians have made of the government they created. The "Patriot Act" (so named because to fight against it makes you a traitor) is the very tyrannical authority men and women in this country fought against over 200 years ago.

I know of no one who believes the tax system is just, but we are forced to pay or face prison.

The only Topian (topia, n. 1. the ideal made real (derived from utopia)2. worldview based on universal compassion) Society that I am aware of exist in the savannas of Columbia and has no government, or laws other than "Do the right thing"; this means sharing the work as well as the rewards. What a concept. I wonder when their Independence Day is celebrated.