This is a year of strange anniversaries.
Two hundred and fifty years ago, a band of revolutionaries declared their independence from a king.
America’s founders rejected concentrated power. They denounced standing armies. They distrusted government secrecy. They risked their lives to escape a ruler who could tax without consent, wage war without accountability, and govern without meaningful restraint.
Twenty-five years ago, after the attacks of September 11, 2001, America embarked on a very different journey.
The federal government claimed extraordinary emergency powers. Surveillance expanded. Wars multiplied. Executive authority grew. Constitutional safeguards were weakened in the name of security.
One anniversary marked a revolt against empire. The other marked the normalization of it.
Thus, the question is not whether America survived 250 years.
The question is whether the principles of 1776 can survive the American police state.
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