The United States of America was founded in the 18th century as the noble effort of urbane and educated smugglers (Paul Revere), highwaymen (too numerous to mention), libertines (Ben Franklin, the Father of France), marijuana growers (George Washington), slave holders who were not above a bit of conjugal entertainment with their property (Thomas Jefferson with his quadroon relative Sally Hemmings), and other unsavory types whose major concern was getting government off the backs of the people, once and forever. They were sufficiently serious that, for the first time in European history, a Bill of Rights was provided granting the people a private life and the right to bear arms to dissuade the government from reneging on the agreement. It was ultimately a failure, of course, but about 180 years were required for the deal to go sour.
"We are from the government, and we are here to help ourselves to you." That hackneyed phrase strikes terror in the common folk, and visions of unlimited graft, corruption, and untraceable cash flow in the minds of those who through stealth, wealth, guile, or extortion own a politician. Like the camel who stuck only the tip of his nose into the tent to keep warm, government has socialized retirement (Social Security), socialized the practice of medicine (Medicare), socialized charity (Welfare), socialized the very practice of manufacture (EPA), socialized your savings (FDIC), socailize private mortgages, and confiscates a small piece of the action as postage and handling fees - Taxes: about 38% Federal, 8% State, 16.1% Social Security and another 5% or so miscellaneous out of the gross. You get to use 1/3 of your income. When things get lean at the Treasury we have three to five years of massive inflation, making bonds and other long term debts lose their value. How sweet it is.
If you think all the foregoing were expensive when you paid for them out of your own pocket, wait until you see what they cost when they are free.
In order to save the lives of people too stupid to avoid placing lighted cigarettes on their stuffed furniture or bedding, the government mandates the addition of hazardous fireproofing chemicals in everybody's upholstery and mattresses. Tobacco is officially recognized as an addictive and carcinogenic drug costing the nation billions of dollars a year in lost productivity, doctors' bills, human suffering, and government farm subsidies to encourage and support the growth of tobacco. Drugs are decried as Satan's saliva being injected into the veins of America's youth - the loudest protesters having quaffed deeply of pharmaceutical ecstasy and been dried out in fashionable spas like the Betty Ford Clinic, repeatedly. How good it is that the chronic toxic effects of these materials are not expected to lower tax revenues during the first 65 years of a worker's life.
Compare the current military budget and number of men under arms with the budget and manpower requisitioned during World War II. We were killing the enemy in the 1940's. We are but killing time in the 21st century. The MBA economic philosophy has been fully implemented: Convert assets into cash and party. The extraordinary conversion of eighteen hundred million dollars of Savings and Loan credit into missing cash, and its replacement by the government, is worthy of a Harvard Business School casebook entry. The poor get Welfare, the rich are reimbursed by insurance. We had the War on Cancer. Cancer won. We had the War on Poverty. Poverty won. We have the War on Drugs. Drugs are winning. Homeland Severity! Do you feel more secure, like maybe when you visit an airport? We are giving military aid to Columbia and economic aid to Poland and miltiary advisors to Afghanistan. Don't hold your breath waiting for Rubles for Reconstruction to show up in Rhode Island.
In order to prevent violent street crime and safeguard the lives of civil authorities, the government has banned the private ownership of semi-automatic weapons that might be used by the citizenry to protect themselves from violent street crime and civil authorities. How unfortunate it is that the merchants of street violence seem to be little deterred by the saber-rattling of the constabulary whose acquiescence they purchase at will. It will be but days before a President's Commission on Deadly Rocks is emplaced, and is expected to suggest the mandatory monthly inspection of private property for air-launched geological weapons components. Citizens will pay a small payroll-deducted fee for the privilege, or a large, very quietly delivered weekly disbursement to be overlooked.
When rocks are illegal, only criminals will have rocks; and government will stockpile the biggest, most expensive boulders obtainable. Our only hope is that government will fulfill its destiny and do it all badly.