The hardest part of trying to rile people up about all the crap that the federal government is doing is that the people I come in contact with most all live here in Utah. We've got it pretty dang good in Utah regarding many of the issues about which I frequently complain, so a lot of things are "out of sight, out of mind". I chalk it up to the over-abundance of conservatives in the state, which is why I always feel like I'm "preaching to the choir," but I fear that the choir is somewhat apathetic, which is a quick and easy way to lose everything you have.
If this were Star Wars...we're probably starting Episode II right now. The united States are represented in the film by the Galactic Senate, and the federal government is represented by the Chancellor. Strange and crazy things keep happening, and the Chancellor keeps using these emergencies to gain power. Slowly, but surely, the Chancellor morphs into the Emperor, both in the gaining of his power and the revealing of his intentions for what he will do with that power. Slowly, but surely, the feds are taking over. In case you fell asleep during choir practice, our federal government has nationalized the banking, auto, and healthcare industries, and it looks like the oil industry is next (thanks to the congressmen the likes of Rahm "Never let a crisis go to waste" Emanuel, it would have been the nation's newspapers next, but don't worry, they'll get around to it once they're done with the BP witch-hunt).
I told my wife a few months ago that I think the gun-nuts are, well...nuts. The feds aren't coming to get your guns, not while we still live in a country with freedom of speech. Because of how used we all are to having freedom, they will have to silence us before they can disarm us. Aside from Fox News and the extremely rare reversal of slant from Jon Stewart, they already have TV news in their pockets (and remember, the newspaper "bailout" is next). Net Neutrality sounds like a good thing, right? We want things to be fair and legal, right? It wouldn't be a post from Jim without linking to a Glenn Beck article, right? (May 10th show, in case the link gets out-dated) Well, my fellow gun-nuts, this is the fight that you want to fight. Keep them from silencing you, and there's no way they'll be able to make the next step and come for your guns.
And just to be sure you know that it's actually me writing this blog, here's another related Glenn Beck article from June 16. I'm glad he brings up Ayn Rand, because she saw the communist revolution first hand, whereas I only lived in the shadow of a society trying to rebuild after the effects of it. Yes, it's dramatic to bring up the Nazis and the Commies, but I do it because that is the road that we are on, and we have to understand how they got where they went so we can avoid it. If you only think of Schindler's List when you think of the Nazi's, it should be enough; but if you'd like a keen insight into Stalin's Russia, I recommend reading Child 44. The story is...mediocre, but the descriptions of soviet life that the author researched is what kept me coming back. I felt like I finally knew what it was that broke those peoples' spirits.
So, originally this post stems from reading this article, which in turn references this article. And, originally, I had compared our current situation to Episode IV, if only for the title "A New Hope." But we haven't really been taken over, yet, hence the comparison to Episode II instead. Nevertheless, it is worth pointing out that there is hope. Hope that we have avenues to pursue to prevent and even reverse the power grab by the feds, before we ever would have to resort to searching for an exposed thermal exhaust port later on.