"Democracy never lasts long.It soon wastes, exhausts, and murders itself.
There was never a democracy yet that did not commit suicide."John Adams, our second president, wrote those words more than two centuries ago, yet they are relevant today.Adams understood that free societies are not destroyed only by foreign enemies.
They can also be weakened from within through complacency, indifference and the gradual abandonment of the principles that made them successful.America's Founders spent years studying history and learning from the greatest political, economic and philosophical thinkers who came before them.They deliberately created a constitutional republic built upon limited government, fiscal responsibility, individual liberty and the protection of the unalienable rights to "life, liberty, and the pursuit of happiness."SEN RAND PAUL: MY PLAN WOULD FORCE CONGRESS TO STOP OVERSPENDING YOUR HARD-EARNED MONEYThat framework produced the most prosperous and powerful nation the world has ever known.
For nearly 250 years, it has survived wars, economic crises, political upheaval and countless challenges because it rested on principles that valued freedom and restrained government.Illustration of four of the United States Founding Fathers, from left, President John Adams (1735-1826), Robert Morris (1734-1806), Alexander Hamilton (1757-1804), and President Thomas Jefferson (1743-1826), from 1774.(Stock Montage/Getty Images)Looking only at today's economy, it is understandable why many Americans see little cause for alarm.
Jobs remain plentiful.Financial markets have reached impressive highs.
Millions of Americans have accumulated substantial wealth.While inflation and high interest rates continue to strain many families, the United States remains the dominant force in the global economy.
America still appears remarkably strong.So, what is the problem?The greatest threat to our future is hidden in plain sight.It is discussed by economists, fiscal experts, scholars an...