Government is a most discouraging aspect of existence because it is a pervasive given. In the hearts of 99 percent of readers is the desire to be left alone by government.
My daughter-in-law started a small charity venture several years ago, and it has grown wildly. She was originally of a liberal bent but now sees government negatively intruding into her efforts. She may not be on board the Trump train, but she has jumped over to the libertarian track.
She wants government to leave her alone, but no! Even charitable ventures must come with their own gift wrapping of red tape. No good enterprise goes unregulated.
I am not conversant in how the government intrudes in my daughter-in-law’s enterprise, but the reality of the intrusion has reformed her. If there is anything good coming out of the Biden administration, it is that her reformation is being replicated across America. The reason for this is that the leviathan’s intrusions are now directed at the personal enterprise called the “individual American.” The intrusions are striking Americans as increasingly more strident, absurd, and hurtful.
I am reminded of the song by the ’80s new wave band, Missing Persons: “All I Need Is a Window to Look Through.” Their commentary on social isolation now takes on new meaning. People are looking through their windows, and they can’t help but see the whack-job that government has become. The visible government doesn’t seem to worry about hiding it. It’s out in the open. Government is politics. Politics is government, and everything now has or seems to have a political/governmental glaze. The media, entertainment, business, our children’s education, our jobs, our leisure — it’s all politicized, and, thus, we view our daily lives, by extension, “red taped” by government at all levels. One cannot even live mildly isolated from government anymore.
-Spruce Fontaine (Government’s pervasive oppression is converting people from liberalism)
I posit that there is very little in our ordinary lives in which politicians and unaccountable bureaucrats haven’t inserted themselves. Having done so much in the past, they have no problem in doing more -too few of us fight back.
WE allowed it because WE became irresponsible Citizens. Our Republic (NOT our Democracy, REPUBLIC!) requires that Citizens become knowledgeable of current events, be involved in Government, understand our History and political philosophy and have a thorough understanding of how Government is limited by our Constitution(s).
How many of you have those attributes? I’m sure that most ‘Grok Readers go a lot further than most of the general population. One is because of a lousy education and another is the either the lack of motivation or not understanding that one HAS to in order to hold one’s Government accountable.
And it is that last part, accountability, is a never ending sense of vigilance (or is that a sense of vigilantism which connotes a higher level activity (but not violence)).
Got yours?
