Those who do not remember history....
Or never bother to learn.....
Seems like we go through something like this every generation or two. When enough time has passed that those who seek power for it's own sake believe that the masses can be duped yet again, they try. And, sadly, often they succeed.
They are smart enough not to try to get everything all at once, that would breed open rebellion. Instead they take a bite, and let time pass, until we forget, and come to accept the current restrictions (on whatever) as normal, the way things are, the way things ought to be, etc. and then they go for another bite. The individuals change, their stated public political philisophies change, but the underlying goals do not. What they want is power. The legal right to control the lives of everyone else, because they know what is best for us, and we do not. Call them Leftists, Rightists, Liberals, conservatives, Nazis, communists, socialists, nobles, whatever label you want, or that they claim. What they are is Elitists, all with the determined belief that they know better than we, and therefore they must be right. It doesn't matter if they get this belief from the schools they attend, or the politics they embrace, the money they make, or their family bloodlines, they have it, and they work toward making it reality every chance they get.
Our Founding Fathers were some truly unique and radical individuals, considering the general state of human society at the time of our Revolution. And while their definition of the "People" didnot include everyone we include today, they weren't wrong. They envisioned and built a system that not only works, but had built in checks against abuse. And as long as the people remain vigilant and actively participate, it works. But today, not enough people remember that we are the ones with the authority to write the rules. Instead too many just want to play the game, and let the Elitists write the rules. As long as we have our Bread and Circuses, who cares?