Writer John Basil Barnhill (not, as some think, Thomas Jefferson) coined the phrase, “Where the people fear the government you have tyranny. Where the government fears the people you have liberty.” Regardless, gun rights advocates use the quote to highlight the life-or-death importance of their Second Amendment protections.
While President Trump’s election may have caused a frisson of fear amongst our political elites, I don’t get the feeling that the government — politicians and hundreds of thousands of employees — are quaking in their boots. So…how about you? Do you fear the government?
If not, there’s a cheerful new tome from Arizona lawyer and anti-liberal gadfly David T. Hardy entitled I’m From The Government – And I’m here to Kill You that might change your mind. Here’s the presser:
Washington, DC – -(Ammoland.com) I’m from the Government and I’m Here to Kill You: The True Human Cost of Official Negligence (Skyhorse Publishing; October 10, 2017; $24.99), written by former federal attorney David T. Hardy, is an investigation into how the government imperils the very lives of those it supposedly serves.
Federal employees have, with legal impunity, blown up a town and killed six hundred people, released staggering amounts of radioactive contamination and lied about the resulting cancer, allowed people to die of an easily treated disease in order to study their deaths, and run guns to Mexican drug cartels in hopes of expanding agency powers. Law enforcement leaders have ordered their subordinates to commit murder.
Medical administrators have “cooked the books” and allowed patients to die, while raking in plump bonuses. Federal prosecutors have sent Americans to prison while concealing evidence that proved their innocence.
When Congress attempted to allow suits against the government, the legislators used vague language that the courts construed to block most lawsuits. The result is a legal system that allows official negligence to escape legal consequences and paradoxically punishes an agency if it tries to secure public safety.
I’m from the Government and I’m Here to Kill You ends with proposals for legal reforms that will hold the government and its servants accountable when they inflict harm on Americans.
I’m from the Government and I’m Here to Kill You
Gallup recently found that 49 percent of Americans believe that the government poses “an immediate threat to the rights and freedoms of ordinary citizens.”I’m from the Government and I’m Here to Kill You, written by a former federal attorney, shows that even the 49 percent have no idea how bad things really are. Rights and freedoms are not the only things at stake; all too often government imperils the very lives of those it supposedly serves.
I’m from the Government documents how we came to this pass: American courts misconstrued and expanded the old legal concept of sovereign immunity, “the king can do no wrong.” When Congress attempted to allow suits against the government, the legislators used vague language that the courts construed to block most lawsuits.
The result is a legal system that allows official negligence to escape legal consequences and paradoxically punishes an agency if it tries to secure public safety. I’m from the Government ends with proposals for legal reforms that will hold the government and its servants accountable when they inflict harm on Americans.
Get your copy of “I’m from the Government and I’m Here to Kill You” on Amazon befor government sensors have it pulled.
About the Author
David T. Hardy practices law in Tucson, Arizona, after spending ten years in Interior Department’s Office of the Solicitor, Washington, DC. He has published four books, one a New York Times bestseller, and twenty-five law review articles, which have twice been cited by the U.S. Supreme Court.
“Do You Fear The Government?”
Is this not like asking, “Do you support the sunrise?”
The review of the new book was helpful, entertaining and interesting. The title of this posting seems to illustrate someone “mailing it in”.
Well if we are to give due respect and awe of those placed in power over us then fear we must, no?
Anyone should be afraid of anyone else who has first claim over all of their possessions, income and indeed their very lives.
“The state is that great fiction by which everyone tries to live at the expense of everyone else.”
― Frédéric Bastiat
If you are not afraid you have not been paying attention.
DAMN EFFING RIGHT I do. As nothing but a little serf, I don’t have the resources to fight back if attacked. The government knows this all to well.
I’m *currently* less fearful than if ‘Queen Cankles’ were in charge.
As long as I am armed, I’m much less fearful…
Yeah, but, condition 1?
You move I cover, I move . . .?
uh, little bit of redundancy there.
about time people started waking up.
the number one threat to any society has always been the government of that society. there are probably a few exceptions but i can’t think of any off hand.
I’m too afraid of the Government to post in a public forum that I am afraid of the Government.
Hey, what are those three black Suburbans doing parked in front of your house?
I actually had 2 black suburbans parked at the rear of our property a few years back.
The neighbor said one went to the back and one stopped at the front and went up to the door.
Then he too went to the back. They got a tall step ladder and went over the 6 foot fence. And wandered from building to building looking in the windows and two went in the greenhouse. I imagine they were so disappointed when they noticed all the plants were orchids. And in one building they saw lawn equipment, in another a metal work shop and the other storage for the shop.
My guess is the large greenhouse and the 20×40 shop made them suspicious that I might be growing some herb that is illegal to grow. And if they had found it shortly after they would get notification from a meter reader or someone so they could raid me.
Darn, I spoiled their plans I guess.
I do start tomato seeds at times in pots on the floor, would that have made them feel better?
…Nevermind them ! There’s a silent Big Black Triangular aircraft hovering over my house with some funky spotlights on it….Do you think I’ll be taken…? (…lol…Joking, of course…I hope so…)
I’m not afraid of the government because I have a pretty relaxed attitude, not because the government isn’t extremely dangerous. The government is screwing all of us all the time.
And if they want to, they can screw you way harder, especially if you’re poor. I had a client today sentenced to 45 days in jail. He’s already been there for 60. We’ll call it a victory because the DA’s office wanted 180 days.That’s what happens when you can’t afford to bond out. You sit in jail until the case is dismissed, a deal is reached, or a trial happens.
Tell us more of the backstory Tex. The sympathy level may go up or likely down.
It’s not about sympathy, but about how the system can be used for “punishment by process.” This guy is a reformed criminal, but that treatment is typical of poor people who aren’t criminals. “You’ve been locked up for x days, and we’ll offer you a sentence of <x days for a plea deal. You can sit in jail for another month or three hoping your under paid court appointed attorney is going to vigorously defend you, or you can take the deal."
And if you can afford an attorney, that's another kind of punishment. The only people the criminal justice system doesn't screw are the clearly guilty.
I don't know how many times blood work has come back .00 BAC, and DA's won't drop the charges. I've had full blown criminal trials over barking dogs, people charged on the word of a single witness, people charged on the word of a single witness against two or more other witnesses.
And this isn't even getting into the ever present regulations regulating every aspect of everyone's life. I'm pretty sure this book is more about when the government isn't targeting anyone, but causes great harm by being the typical lackluster bureaucrats we all hate. Does anyone grow up thinking "I want to work for the ATF's NFA paperwork checking division," "I want to review patent applications," or basically any of the jobs where they just sit there and make sure paperwork was filled out properly? I can't imagine these people not hating their jobs, most of which would be done quicker and better by a computer.
You failed to mention Option 3: don’t commit the crime.
Now, you can go on a rant about innocent people railroaded by the system, or of governmental abuse of power of even genuinely guilty people. Those aren’t insignificant points to make. Still, don’t run around living the thug life and your odds of ever dealing with any of that plummet.
The guys who “reeked of alcohol” and had “glassy, bloodshot eyes” that had their blood work come back .00 BAC were innocent. That’s option three. The lady who owned a dog didn’t break any laws. She just had asshole neighbors. One complaining witness was a Muslim guy who was pissed off because some white infidel stood up to him. Claimed the defendant threatened him. The cop coached the witness as to what to say in his complaint. There were two witnesses who were willing to testify that the defendant didn’t say anything like what the “victim” claimed. They took off work to be there. The “victim” wasn’t willing to show up to trial. This defendant also selected option three.
A lot of guys who don’t call the cops on their violent girlfriends also choose option three, but that doesn’t stop her from calling the cops and lying.
I’ll go ahead and leave the flame out myself.
Does anyone grow up thinking “I want to work for the ATF’s NFA paperwork checking division,” “I want to review patent applications,” or basically any of the jobs where they just sit there and make sure paperwork was filled out properly?
“They say we didn’t choose to be beurucrats, no that’s what almighty Ja made us. We treat people like swine and make ’em stand in line, even if nobody paid us!”
https://vimeo.com/69828947
@Jonathan-Houston —
Not committing a crime doesn’t make you safe — I know several people who have done jail time while waiting to be able to appear and have the judge decide the cop didn’t have probable cause and throws it out. Cops ca ruin your life merely by arresting you, and they know it, and they do it.
Or there’s the “legitimate error” excuse, like where hundreds of people in a trio of recreation area campgrounds got told the guy over in spot such-and-such was a sex offender because a deputy saw a vehicle of the same make and model as one belonging to a sex offender and didn’t even bother to check the plates. So this guy’s vacation was ruined, with no crime committed at all.
Then there’s the fact that in court, cops are assumed to be telling the truth, always, so they know they can say what they want and get away with it.
And, if you have an hourly-pay job like most working class people, it’s gone by the time you get out. If you’re alone, your apartment is gone, along with your belongings and your dog, you car gets repossessed or just stolen. If you’re poor and in jail, the list just goes on and on. But, basically, what happens is your already precarious life gets completely destroyed.
I fear the government but from of malice. Mostly for stupidity, bureaucratic neglect, and abuse of power.
“I fear the government but from of malice. Mostly for stupidity, bureaucratic neglect, and abuse of power.”
Never ascribe to neglect, stupidity and abuse of power, that which can more easily, accurately and simply be explained as malice aforethought.
Oh, I know how bad the situation is.
I lived in central Nevada and saw the incompetence, corruption and mendacity of the BLM on a nearly daily basis. I was able to hold the BLM’s feet to the fire in public meetings because we didn’t have any grazing/mineral/etc permits with them and I was far faster at math than the general public. So when the BLM would start throwing out various reports loaded with stats, I could find the lies in the middle of the wad of numbers, graphs, etc.
This author is perhaps better positioned to tell stories of just how bad the situation is. The Dep’t of Interior is perhaps one of the most corrupt agencies in the federal government. Yes, even more corrupt than the FBI and ATF.
This is a rhetorical question, right?
I feel an admixture of fear, disgust, anger and hatred, all at once and in equal proportion.
The theory of government is lovely. The reality is hideous.
“The theory of government is lovely. The reality is hideous.”
Oh, but some are *far* more hideous than others.
I’m grateful I was born *here* and not some other places…
*shudder*
That’s the truth. .gov sucks. But what’s the alternative? And the .gov has always, and will always exist. Even if it’s just tribal elders saying what can and can’t be done.
I suppose there was a time in pre history where one man could lose himself in the wilderness and answer to no one but himself. Those days are gone.
In my grandpa’s day, they had a hell of a lot less government than they do now. No welfare, no ATF, barely a military. Ok, maybe that last one was his dad’s day.
Is this not like asking, “Do you support the sunrise?” ?
The book review was interesting, entertaining, informative.
The title of this posting seems to indicate someone “mailing it in”.
Well where do we assign blame… I guess I’ll start by blaming those who wreck it for the rest of us on both sides: loose cannons who take it upon themselves to assasinate elected leaders or carry out mass school shootings and even more so the idiots who think the best way to react to the aforementioned is to strip everybody else of their protection. However, and I say this at the risk of sounding conspiracy-theorist, it is likely those who know that disarmed populations are easier to manage…
Who to blame?
That one’s easy – the uninformed voter.
They vote on emotion, rather than facts and logic. And politicians in general know this well, and pander to these voters. Fear, greed, jealousy; these are the stock in trade of the politician. And far too many voters are swayed by them, without giving a thought to whether or not they are true.
What’s to fear? The Native Americans had nothing to fear so neither do I….
I’m sure Japanese/Chinese/German/etc Americans can tell you how gentle the government was. Obviously no precedence to cause any concern
Indeed, Native Americans and Japanese Americans can tell you first hand the way they were and in some cases still are treated. Fortunately, we (some Asian Americans), have learned that being armed is better than marching in a straight line to an internment camp.
I wonder it the “original native Ameicans” feared the “native Ameicans” when the newcomers showed up?
Exactly how far back are we going? I figure my direct ancestors arrived here roughly five to seven generations ago.
But if we want to go ALL the way back- well, we could discuss the Clovis people and the types of government they brought with them over the land bridge from Siberia to Alaska. Pretty sure a few of them occasionally had a dim view of their leaders as well. Nothing really changes about human nature.
No I haven’t considered Clovis people. But 60 odd years is not that far removed. And yes I understand human nature hasn’t changed much. But now days, one has to worry about the both the right and the left. I guess that’s why it’s important to be able to shoot with both hands.
There are endless examples of malfeasance by various government agencies, including those who are tasked with protecting us, (FBI, Secret Service,…) and those that are supposed to help us.
The previous administration weaponized many departments, both literally and figuratively.
Among those federal agencies laying claim to their own law enforcement divisions are the State Department, Department of Education, Department of Energy, U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service, and the National Park Service, to name just a few. These agencies have secured the services of fully armed agents—often in SWAT team attire—through a typical bureaucratic sleight-of-hand provision allowing for the creation of Offices of Inspectors General (OIG).
Many agencies have been used to investigate, raid and obstruct conservative individuals and businesses. Most government agencies are populated and controlled by leftists.
So, yes, I think there is reason to fear the government.
Be Prepared !
The word ‘fear’ can be somewhat loaded in this context. A more accurate turn would be that I do not just trust the government to look after my best interests, nor do I expect any government to protect me. Especially given that any 2 years we at least partially reshuffle between extreme totalitarian state control to slightly less totalitarian state control.
On that note, every time I see one of the town’s new police rigs I get the itch to get out some spray paint and a stencil with the word LIE to put in big red letters across the claim “Duty to Protect”.
Frak, even Medicaid doesn’t see a duty to protect, or to serve: try to get help, and they won’t lift a finger until they’ve made every possible effort to strip you and your family of every last asset worth more than a hundred bucks. My mom fought, and then we fought for her, for over a year to get the assistance the law provides through Senior and Disability Services, and it took hiring an attorney to get them to even read the law that tells them their job. Since then I’ve heard similar stories from over a dozen people — so now we call them Senior and Disability Predators.
Not really scared of them… Just look at how inept they are. They couldn’t keep Fast n Furious secret like it was supposed to be, they can’t seem to come up with healthcare stuff that works since they inserted themselves into that realm, and they cannot make alternative fuel vehicles sell. Honestly the only time you should fear the government is when they are trying to help you.
Now, before you tinfoil festooned folks start in, in the military when on field exercises NCOs and Officers cannot prevent their E1-E4 from giving out the units’ exact locations to their dependa in training significant others and the local pizza delivery shmuck do you really think they could keep them from telling the same people about a flipping alien, meta human, other worldly critter etc.?
They can’t make healthcare work because they insist on doing it by requiring by law that Americans be customers of for-profit entities. If we had a system like Canada and spent the same amount we currently do, and threw in the money pharmaceutical and other medical companies spend on advertising, everyone would be able to get all the care anyone could need.
Well, except for one thing — the supply of doctors, which is de facto limited by the equivalent of a medieval guild, namely the American Medical Association. So we’d need to break that effective monopoly and enable the establishment of a lot more medical schools.
…”fear”? Not sure.
Distrust? Abso-freekin-lutely.
So many people simply don’t understand that the government ultimately backs up every demand with a gun.
Not in a malicious way. More like in a monkey pulling levers connected to devices it doesn’t understand way.
Government “sensors”!!!! Holy shit that’s a funny typo.
Speak into the mike, comrade. . .
http://newyork.cbslocal.com/2017/09/27/mysterious-metal-towers/
GOVERNMENT (no matter where found on earth, but especially in the U.S. [‘We The People’]) = Your stupid neighbors who needed a job.
NEVER LET THEM FORGET THAT.
If they resort to tyranny (you get to decide when that is, but it would behoove you to do it before they completely prevent you from acting on it) tell them to PACK THEIR SH_T AND GO HOME.
If they don’t, then cut them and let them bleed out. You can wipe the globe of any trace of them and theirs after that, if you need some stress relief, or to set an example for the next “new guard” of your security [per Paragraph 2 of the Declaration of Independence].
“You can wipe the globe of any trace of them and theirs.”
Just so were are clear here, you are advocating for killing innocent people based on their marital or blood relation to someone else who you believe is being tyrannical? That’s a pretty indefensible stance legally and definitely morally.
I’m advocating that:
IF A TYRANT MOVES YOU TO ACT, DON’T LET ANOTHER TYRANT OR THEIR TYRANT SUCKING MINIONS TO TELL YOU WHEN TO STOP FING THEM UP.
“On the notion of individual sovereignty one individual could say to another “Stand feet shoulder-width in your largest foot gear and draw a chalk line around the soles of your shoes.
The lines alone contain the hallowed ground upon which you are king, until, by you, I am made to move my feet”.”
[J.M. Thomas R., 2012, Pg 77]
Be a tyrant and prepare to lose everything you ever gave an F about or put any effort in. Maintain a minimum safe distance in all aspects mf.
AND, FLAME DELETED
IF YOU ARE FORCED TO MOVE AGAINST A TYRANT, ASSUME ALL BETS ARE OFF UNTIL JESUS COMES BACK.
You can sit idly by if you’re stupid enough to but if you [then] choose to mouth off about legality and morals (especially if you were co-witness and silent an unmoved to the tyranny) you AND YOURS are bound to get it pounded up your a _ _es with a handful of NaCl.
And YES, sadly, spectators will likely be treated like part of the problem, so again, maintain a minimum fing safe distance in all aspect.
That’s not just my policy, that’s human nature and history.
That wasn’t a flame.
“Det. Nick Valentine” was a hired detective (s/k/a: [a] “rent-a-dick”).
Actually, he is a fictional video game character so…
. . . who was a (robot) hired detective.
Nothing about burning food during famine, reintroduction of slavery, and mass seizure of private property under Fascist Dictator Roosevelt?
I work for the government (Navy civ) and no, I don’t trust the government, having seen how it works from the inside. It’s not a government “of the people, for the people and by the people,” but something much different today. It is not the people’s friend.
Do I fear the government? Not yet, but as long as the government and some of its employees consider this an “us” vs. “them” situation with regard to the general population (i.e., “How do we control these people and make them do what we want?”), there is always the risk of the government using force, which is to be feared – and resisted, if able. And it wouldn’t take much for the government to do it.
Fortunately, from my observation point, there are still a LOT of government employees and bosses with principals who know where their power comes from and respect that base. Only when they’re gone or subdued will the government (at all levels) become something to be feared by the man in the street.
Fear? Not quite…extremely wary yeah. They can wreck your life on a whim or a typo. As mentioned plenty of minorities know that firsthand. Sad that we live in more or less the best nation on earth. I am reminded of how evil our gubmint can be watching The Vietnam War on PBS.
Best in what measure though? We aren’t that high by most statistical measures.
David T. Hardy is no “liberal gadfly” as you say in the introduction. He is a staunch conservative and an extraordinary defender of the Second Amendment. You can check him out at his website “Of Arms and the Law”.
“gadfly – a fly that bites livestock, especially a horsefly, warble fly, or botfly.
an annoying person, especially one who provokes others into action by criticism.”
He means someone who upsets liberals, though the same phrase could be used to describe a liberal who annoys conservatives. In a vacuum the phrase’s meaning is unclear.
Text amended.
I figured the Reagan paraphrase and the subject of the book would have been enough context.
Thank you Robert
Given the reality of legal expense, eagerness to exercise civil forfeiture, and the effectiveness of political intervention in particular cases, I’ve come to view it this way: for street thugs I keep fifty bucks in a second wallet with a bunch of meaningless old cards for padding. Shooting street punks isn’t always necessary.
For the government, a separate case, I have to keep a briefcase full of bucks and credit, and a history of some fresh political contributions.
Other than scale, I’m hard pressed to see the difference. Force is force. If “bearing false witness” were not so common, the whole government thing at each level would be much more bearable.
I know many good people in government. I also know more than a few who entered government only because they needed income and benefits. Many of these had no principles to speak of when they entered, and emotionally just wished to stop being vulnerable to the very pressures which, lo, they soon don’t mind exerting once on the job. It’s a person-to-person form of “kicking the dog.”
People. Can’t live with ’em, can’t live without ’em….unless you own a good-sized farm or ranch in fly-over country.
If you don’t fear the government then why do you pay taxes?
Outstanding observation !!!
On the otherhand…..
I pay my taxes because they are voluntary, and I have a big heart, and I want to support whatever activity the government undertakes, because I am a good citizen. I am proud that in every other country, tax collectors, accompanied by armed authorities, literally go door-to-door to forcefully collect taxes. In America, we have a voluntary system that is the envy of the world. While America does have the means to coerce taxpaying like the rest of the world, those means are unnecessary because we willingly and voluntarily submit our fair share of our prosperity to the central government.
Where the hell are my nurses, and when is my next opportunity for electroconvulsive therapy????
So that “uemployed” and “handicapped” lazy deadbeat potheads can watch Oprah on their 60″ TV while eating lobster and steak, So that trespassers in my country can squat here plotting to bring in every relative. And others who adhere to a barbaric tribal cult scheme to destroy the country. Because they all MIGHT vote dem and return the marxist progtard clones of Obumer/Clinton to the Whitehouse.
Negligence? That’s the best (worse) he can come up with?
Waco Texas
Ruby Ridge
millions of non-violent people in prison for self medication and other things
millions of violent criminals free to terrorize their neighbors
theft of 70 to 90% of our income and productivity
So very much more…
Does that sound like simple negligence to you?
Hell yes I’m afraid of the government.
I’m afraid of a lot of things. I try to prepare as best as possible to turn “terror” into “healthy respect”. I’m afraid of kitchen fires, so I get a fire extinguisher. Afraid of robbery, so I lock my doors. Afraid of having another kid, so I got snipped.
Yes, I’m afraid of government. Thankfully it’s not pearl clutching fear I feel.
No more so than any other possible enemy. Just have a plan to kill every one you meet. Good,Bad or Indifferent. The choice is always theirs. Don’t crap in my sand box and I won’t have to stick your body in an old abandon well. Winston Churchill said ” Democracy is the worst possible form of government but it’s the best choice we have. So yes it has a purpose. We also have the Right to remove it when and how we see fit if it becomes oppressive.
“Fear the Government?”
Government is a powerful, dangerous tool, metaphorically a “Swiss Army Chain-Saw”(*), usually in the hands of precisely the wrong people. A sorcerers’ apprentice solution, easily run amok worse than the problem it solves.
Recall the old saw: You have a problem, then decide to write a computer program to solve it. Now you have two problems. Then you decide to use a reg-ex to solve your programming problem; now you have another problem.
(*) Borrowing the too-apt adopted description of the Perl scripting language(**), which ironically usually ends up in the hands of the wrongest-possible people, used in the wrongest-possible ways given its power & reach. Kinda also like government.
(**) Yeah, kicked the nerd-hive there. Gunny folks aren’t the only ones with their hot button issues. Perhaps I should recant? .45 is the only true caliber that will wound-channel your soul with a near miss; Glock’s perfect eraser block is perfect, and H & K doesn’t hate you, they’re just better, and some of you don’t get that yet.
yes
Government? What government? We have not had a government in decades, no reason to start now. Bureaucracies run the country, without them we would be lost. (more or less). The central government is at war with itself, no time for the country. We elected them all, they are not stupid, we are paying them. “The government” is your local, city, county, state admins. There are socialist territories and free territories and everything in between. Your choice, your fear.
The gubment gave me some free cheese, and a can of chicken, back in 84 I think it was. The cheese was pretty good, the canned chicken not so much.
Is there any discussion of the Jewish Murder Inc., during World War Two????
I know there were extra judicial killings by Jews on the order of the American government. They murdered anyone they thought was a spy.
The Philippine government is doing something very similar now, using civilians authorized to kill criminals.
I’ll stick my head out, I am scared to death of the FBI, Senate, NSA and the swamp. We the people can’t even get a fair trial. Look at Hillary, and all the swamp rats.No justice, shamefull…..
I certainly do.
My people saw our government give our country (literally) to another government.
And, we never really got it back.
I only trust the government when it comes to health care. They deserve unconditional support in their health care involvement. It’s ok to not trust them in everything else, but not health care.
The government has ruined health care for me. I used to be able to afford going to the emergency room, but ever since the 1986 EMTALA*, the price has gone sky-high. Sure, it is humanitarian to not charge illegal immigrants for health care, but the cost is now on my back, and my back is breaking. ALL health care costs have escalated, raising most other costs of living along with it.
*EMTALA: Emergency Medical Treatment and Active Labor Act
The Emergency Medical Treatment and Active Labor Act is an act of the United States Congress, passed in 1986 as part of the Consolidated Omnibus Budget Reconciliation Act.
I feared the Barack Obama government. I do not fear the Trump government.
The Founders feared the government that’s why they wrote the Constitution as such. They committed to writing precisely what the federal government can do. If the Constitution does not say the government can do it, than the government can not do it. Liberals have defiled this basic truth. This is why Obama called the Constitution a list of negative rights.
“If the Constitution does not say the government can do it, than the government can not do it. ”
Actually, if the courts say the government can do it, government can do it; constitution notwithstanding.
The core/root issue is “the voter”. When the constitution was written, the founders depended on alert and knowledgeable voters to keep rascals and government in check. The founders considered the sovereign individual voter to be the bedrock of vigilance, preventing what we see today.
The founders did not consider the general mob (we, the mob) to be “the voters”. Once anyone who could breathe was allowed to vote, the nation as conceived ceased to exist. The masses permit scoundrels to own the public institutions (all of them), negating the power of the vote in regulating government. Once votes were traded for financial benefits, the government could no longer be controlled by they very people who were expected to do so.
I fear anything that can ruin my life and that of anyone else on the face of the planet with a typo. Imagine what they could do through concerted effort. It’s like walking a rabid dog on a leash: you may think you’re okay and that it’s only the ne’er-do-wells in front of him who have anything to fear, but at any moment he may decide to take a look behind him.
On the other side of the coin the Far Right is far to dumb to trust the Government when it is trying to help them or pass laws that would help them like increasing Social Security Wages (which is their own money) or paying off the balance when you die to your survivors (as is done in civilized countries) or providing for free education, or health care as a human right and not just for the filthy rich, or making health care illegal for greed and profit as again all other industrialized nations have done, or providing for safer roads, bridges and rail roads.
When the Far Right “should not” trust the Government they do like robotic Morons when the Government starts up the propaganda machines to convince them to invade other countries in wars of rape, pillage and conquest so that the filthy rich can make money off the Military Industrial Complex. The use of patriotic songs, flag waving and propaganda that appeals to the uneducated Conservatives xenophobia, racial hatred and bigotry and it works like a charm every time. You would think they would have learned something from the past but since they believe History is of no importance its not surprising they are duped each and every time.
In the end Darwinism results in more of the Right Wing in the military grave yards and more Liberals left to populate society which in the end will result in the Country finally moving into the 21st Century like the other industrialized nations have done way back in the 20th Century. They have spent their tax dollars on the betterment of their societies while we have squandered it on wars of rape, pillage and conquest all of which failed in the end.
Yes it is not a myth that the Right Wing is always its own worst enemy.
There was a time when Americans believed in freedom.
The US is dying from a million cuts. Part of the reason the USA is a nanny police state now is that whenever there is a problem, the kneejerk reaction in the US is to call for a new law.
Nanny state laws are not the best solution, however. Nanny state laws lead to more laws, higher fines, and tougher sentences. Thirty-five years ago, DWI laws were enacted that led to DWI checkpoints and lower DWI levels. Seatbelt laws led to backseat seatbelt laws, childseat laws, and pet seatbelt laws. Car liability insurance laws led to health insurance laws and gun liability laws. Smoking laws that banned smoking in buildings led to laws against smoking in parks and then bans against smoking in entire cities. Sex offender registration laws led to sex offender restriction laws and violent offender registration laws.
Nanny state laws don’t make us safer, either. Nanny state laws lead people to be careless since they don’t need to have personal responsibility anymore. People don’t need to be careful crossing the street now because drunk-driving has been outlawed and driving while using a mobile phone is illegal. People don’t investigate companies or carry out due diligence because businesses must have business licenses now.
The main point of nanny state laws is not safety. The main purposes of more laws are control and revenue generation for the state.
Another reason laws are enacted is because corporations give donations to lawmakers to stifle competition or increase sales.
Many laws are contradictory, too. Some laws say watering lawns is required, while other laws say watering lawns is illegal.
Many nanny state laws that aim to solve a problem can be fixed by using existing laws. If assault is already illegal, why do we need a new law that outlaws hitting umpires?
Nanny state laws are not even necessary. If everything was legal would you steal, murder, and use crack cocaine? Aren’t there other ways to solve problems besides calling the police? Couldn’t people educate or talk to people who bother them? Couldn’t people be sued for annoying behavior? Couldn’t people just move away? Even if assault was legal, wouldn’t attackers risk being killed or injured, too? Do people have consciences? Having no laws doesn’t mean actions have no consequences.
If there is no victim, there is no crime.
We don’t need thousands of laws when we only need 10.
Should swimming pools be banned because they are dangerous? Hammers? Bottles? Rocks? Energy drinks? Pillows?
Where does it end?
Freedom is not just a one way street. You can only have freedom for yourself if you allow others to have it.
Control freaks might get angry when a neighbor owns three indoor cats, but what did the neighbor take from them? Why should this be illegal? Is outlawing cats something a free country should do? Doesn’t banning everything sound like the opposite of liberty?
Instead of getting mad at people who like freedom, why don’t people realize that freedom is a two way street?
If you allow others to paint their house purple then you can, too.
If you allow others to own a gun then you can, too.
If you allow others to swear then you can, too.
If you allow others to gamble then you can, too.
Who wants to live in a prison?
Think. Question everything.
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