By Nathan Barton
Although I disagree with my brother Phil Robertson on many things both religious and political, his comments as posted at The Blaze make me want to hug him. He’s cut straight to the point. (You can also watch him here on Facebook.)
The media and the Congress (both Dems and GOP) are really, really upset at The Donald for choosing to “shut down government” rather than not have any money appropriated by this Congress to defend the Fifty States.
Phil’s idea? Just shut down and stay that way. We don’t need you, FedGov.
Things shut down on Friday after the Senate failed to do anything except their usual stupid games. We’ve now gone more than 60 hours “without” FedGov nanny work, and…
The world has not come to an end. Really. The highways are still open, and not clogged with refugees fleeing whatever menace the FedGov protects us from. The national parks are still not burning, and still not overrun with murdering biker gangs. The power is still running through the grid. Water is still flowing through the pipes. Waste water treatment plants are not dumping raw sewage into our rivers. Planes are still flying.
Oh, I know I’m being simplistic.
I know the FedGov isn’t REALLY shut down. Key and essential (critical?) personnel are still on duty and on call – law enforcement in the parks, for example. Military. Security guards for all those empty federal buildings. Supposedly, even while whinging (according to the media, at least), many non-essential employees are still working on this Monday Christmas Eve. The POTUS is still tweeting. And of course, state government agencies (at least hose not needing cash from the Feds right this minute) are still running. As much as ANY government agency is running on what is essentially a four-day weekend, with flextime and relaxed leave policies.
And the big-government advocates, both “right” and “left” are still screaming about how evil it is to shut government down because of a border wall. And how critical it is that we not just have the governments that we do, but that we increase government by expanding its functions, getting more and more money, having more and more employees, and getting its nose (and a lot more) into everyone’s business. Not just here but everywhere in the world.
The soonest we are told that the FedGov can be operational again is sometime on Wednesday, Boxing Day, IF Congress can meet and figure out a compromise. Oh, dear, oh dear. That will be nearly five days. Can we survive?
It may be more a matter of “can we survive the screaming of the fearmongers” and not “can we survive without government offices open in every town in America.”
Back to Phil Robertson. He points out, “Make it your ambition to NOT be dependent on anybody — including the United States government.” Amen, again.
In a free society, a free economy, there is nobody that we should have to depend on. In a land with freedom, with liberty, there will always be alternatives. To phone service providers and internet service providers and food stores and medical services and educational sources and transportation. It is only in those lands which allow government to control and dominate and dictate and warp their economic and social activities that the alternatives are limited or absent.
We used to point to Russia and the Soviet Bloc, or perhaps to the Third Reich, as examples of societies where that happened. Today, it is the FedGov and the Fifty States that are bad examples of societies and economies that have few or no choices.
As we prepare for a new year, perhaps we should all make Phil’s suggestion one of our goals for 2019. “Make it your ambition to NOT be dependent on anybody — including the United States government.” And for that matter, ANY government: FedGov, State, County, local, tribal.
It is said that most of us can afford to lose a few pounds and doctors often urge weight loss as a good New Year’s resolution. I don’t know how much that albatross, government, around our neck weighs. But we can certainly do without.
The Price of Liberty 
Excellent commentary.
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