Freedom Presumes Innocence, Tyranny Presumes Guilt

And in countless ways, the left is seeking to impose the latter presumption.

by Richard Rahn
July 19, 2017

Do you mainly fear government or feel protected by it?

"When the people fear their government, there is tyranny; when the government fears the people, there is liberty." - Thomas Jefferson

The American Founders wrote a Constitution and designed a system of government that sharply limited the powers of the state — because they understood that the greatest danger to the liberty of the people was the necessary evil of government.

The U.S has succeeded because it was based on the rule of law, with strong protections for property rights, and a judicial system based on due process.

There has been a steady erosion of these basic principles and rights over the last 240 years, resulting in the undermining of economic freedom and the loss of much personal liberty.

The U.S. used to be near the top in rankings of countries regarding the “rule of law” and “property rights.” But now the World Justice Project places the U.S. at number 18 in its Rule of Law Index.

The rule of la…