Looking beyond Trump
Regardless of the outcome of today’s election, we should all be concerned for the future. Who will lead our nation into the next decade? Is there anyone out there who is truly focused on returning America to the foundations it was built upon?
Is anyone out there concerned with the erosion of private property rights? Why is it illegal for me to build a home on my own land without PAYING the government for the PERMISSION to do so. And not only will they tell me whether or not I can build… they will micromanage every step of the process and make it take twice as long while doubling the cost. Who amongst us will stand up to this facism and eliminate these overbearing government programs for good? Why is it illegal for me to drive a car without PAYING the government for PERMISSION to drive it via “car registration”? If it is such a necessary component of society, why don’t we have cell phone registration, bicycle registration, or hell even government registration fees for the shoes on your feet?! Seriously, after all you use those shoes to travel on government maintained property don't you? The sidewalks don’t just build themselves they’ll say! It’s all complete bullshit and someone needs to bring it to an end. Who will it be? I don’t see anyone on the national stage offering a solution.
Or a driver’s license… When I moved from California to Oregon I had to pay $60 for a new license. No test, no exam, nothing. Just $60 every 8 years for the privilege to drive under the threat of fines and imprisonment. But how can they do this you might ask? It’s simple: because we all comply and no one has stopped them. An even scarier thought is that almost no one wonders if it’s a problem, they all just go about their lives as nice little citizens and pay the fees when asked. Good comrade.
Then the left screams “My body my choice” but they are silent when a discussion starts on vaccine mandates for school children. Or nurses, teachers, and soldiers refusing a covid vaccine. Who will rise up to ACTUALLY defend our rights to bodily autonomy from the government? (And no I'm not talking about abortion.) I don’t consume hard drugs, nor do I encourage it… but shouldn’t it be my choice what I put into my own body? Let’s have that discussion. Why have we allowed the government to replace our parents or even our own conscience? This is not what our founding fathers designed this country to become.
There was a news story the other day about a guy in New York who had a pet squirrel. The government came in and killed it (they call it “euthenasia” to sound nicer). There was no preceding event involving the squirrel meaning it’s not like it ran over to the neighbor’s house and bit their children. Are we okay with this kind of government power? The power to barge in and kill our pets?
And not to beat a dead horse but most municipalities have a pet registration fee! Your dog has puppies… “Here’s $800 Mr. Government worker I hope that covers the whole litter if not just take it out of my paycheck next week.” This is real life people. Who will stand up to this? Do we just allow it to continue on forever, to grow and evolve into a bigger monster, or do we bring it to an end in my lifetime? It continues simply because we all comply and no one has stopped them.
And yes I get that it’s easier to just pay the fees and keep your mouth shut, but is the easy path always the best path?
Most people have heard this story already so I won’t get into it, but I ran a restaurant during the 2020-2021 government shutdowns under the guise of “keeping us safe” from the coronavirus. They said it was illegal to serve customers who didn’t stand 6 feet apart. Illegal to not wear a mask. In California where I was at the time, it was even illegal to drink in a bar after 6pm and it was illegal to surf at the beach. Do people forget that these things happened? I organized a weekly protest against the mandates and some of my like-minded companions were afraid to stand within 6 feet of one another outside, not because they were concerned with catching the virus, but because they thought it would give the government a reason to arrest us and shut down the protest, which was the very thing that we were protesting! I could go on and on, but the point is that the government is able to get away with this because WE ALL COMPLY AND NO ONE HAS STOPPED THEM.
And even those of you who are inclined to believe that we need some regulation from the government to function as a civilized society… how much regulation is too much? I was just listening to Elon Musk on Joe Rogan’s podcast and he gives the analogy of a quarterback not being able to complete a pass during a game of football because there are too many referees in the way of the ball getting to the receiver. You can argue that the game needs referees but not to the point where you can’t even play the game anymore. That’s the point we’re approaching in America – it’s not fun to play this game anymore.
If you’ve read this far I can only imagine it’s because you feel it too (or you’re my girlfriend who I peer-pressure into proofreading all of my rantings). You feel that you’re living inside a science fiction novel. One without a hero and where even the villains are so pathetically dull that you’re screaming at the pages wondering how no one has been able to defeat them. And are the main characters so blind that they can’t see what is going on? The sad part is there are actual books written about times like these, and we were even forced to read them as school children, but almost everyone chooses compliance, ignorance, and obedience in adulthood. 1984, Animal Farm, Brave New World, Fahrenheit 451, Atlas Shrugged, The Fountainhead.
So where do we go from here? We need a voice to speak the truth about our future. We need a leader to show us a path forward. We need a hero. Will it be you? If not you, then please start looking for and nurturing the kind of environment that will allow our hero to rise up and win. If you’re not ready yet then at least do your best to support folks who are standing up and speaking out. You never know the impact you might have on someone.
Thanks for reading, and I know I left out a million other ways the government is stepping out of bounds or failing to protect our rights, so if one is particularly important to you please write about it in the comments… I’d love to hear what’s on your mind. I know I’m not alone in feeling incredibly underwhelmed by our national and local prospects of a true warrior for liberty