The following is a guest post from Monty Pelerin (used with permission).

I have always considered myself a peaceful, law-abiding citizen. I have never been arrested, obtained a Top-Secret clearance for my duties in military intelligence, have always paid my taxes, never demonstrated for or against any causes, etc. etc. Apparently, my evaluation was incorrect.

According to Mac Slavo, I am now considered a threat, as I suppose many like-minded readers of this blog might be also. Who knew that we might be labeled as terrorists?

Whether you like it or not, if you promote the ownership of gold, reject the notion that forced taxation is your patriotic duty and prefer to live in a country with limited government interference, you have now been stereotyped and grouped in with the handful of criminals who have recently turned violent against law enforcement officials. And, chances are that those close to you, who may not necessarily share your views, have now been alerted to your volatile nature and potential for violence against local law enforcement officials and the free people of the United States.

It appears that if you believe in that simplistic, archaic (and now “subversive”) document known as The Constitution you are considered dangerous. Belief in the founding values of this nation are apparently sufficient cause for you or I to be considered a threat to society — a terrorist!  Even George Orwell must be amazed at the level of double-speak which now passes for governmental definitions and laws. Profiling based on traditional values is enough to make you a suspect.

The distance we have moved from freedom toward tyranny since 9/11/2001 is frightening. The tragic event has been used to justify actions that were unimaginable as recently as two decades ago. 9/11 represents the classic as necessary for protecting the American public, a classic case of never letting a crisis go to waste. In reality, it is just another excuse for government to grow more powerful and gain more control. If you strip away all rights and freedom, is there any reason to even want protection? Without personal freedom, what is   the purpose of living? Without a purpose for living, what good does protection do?

Every government program is designed to empower government. That can only be accomplished by removing freedoms for its citizens. For most of my life, every program has fit this theme: Leviathan, yes; freedom, no! Every program has made government more oppressive.

The movement toward oppression is no surprise. It is in every government’s nature to be oppressive. Over time, even the freest countries succumb, as tradition and custom are eventually eroded by the ongoing onslaught of government power grabs.

We may have passed the point of no return in terms of ever regaining a proper balance between government and freedom. As Mr. Slavo observed all the tools are now in place to “legally” complete the transformation to total government control:

In a coincidental stroke of good luck and timing for the national security apparatus of the United States, the recently passed National Defense Authorization Act (NDAA) allows for the rounding up and detainment of of these potential extremists without charge or trial, because the last thing we need is for courts, juries, and evidence to be involved in ensuring the security of American citizens.

Be warned fellow Americans. No one will be immune to the violative laws, policies and regulations of the police state which is quickly and forcefully embedding itself into all aspects of American life and culture.

In the new America, every man, woman and child is a suspect, person-of-interest and potential terrorist.

We are close to becoming a gigantic version of East Berlin. Expect to see walls erected to contain the escape of citizens. No, I don’t mean physical walls, but legislative ones like capital controls, emigration controls, etc.

Welcome to “Hope and Change” as it existed in Eastern Europe. It is not all Obama’s fault. The Republicans are as guilty as the Democrats in this unending grab for more power over citizens.